Forlong - Rivers of Life
Forlong - Rivers of Life Forlong - Rivers of Life
460 Rivers of Life, or Faiths of Man in all Lands. precipice, which, when announced at the temple, was the signal for additional prayers and reading. 1 The festivals of this season had all to take place at Jerusalem, and we have no reason whatever for believing that they were heard of before the days of David or Solomon. The Feast of Tabernacles lasted from the 15th to 22d of TIRSRI, or say the last days of September, after the corn, oil, and wine, were fully received from Ceres; subsequently came the Atsereth or day of “holy convocation” or of prayers and sacrifices, when the booths could be left and all return to their houses. During this fete all carried bunches called Lulabs, composed of twigs of the olive, palm, and myrtle, and sacred water was drawn by the priests in a golden chalice from. the pool of Siloam and carried with a flourish of silver trumpets into the temple where it was poured into a silver cup which stood on the western aide of the altar. Wine was then put into that on the eastem side, when both liquids were permitted to mingle by means of holes, and then run off by a pipe to the brook Kedron, whilst lights were abundantly lit up in the court of the women, where all endeavoured to meet together. Here in the evening two lofty stands, each carrying four great lamps,—probably symbolizing the seasons,—were set up, to which all again repaired, with their Lulabs in one hand, and a citron in the other; amid much festivity and music closed this long phallic fire-fete, of which the Rabbis said, that “he who has never seen the rejoicing at the pouring out of the water of Siloam had never seen rejoicing in h.s life.” In “the branch” we see that budding rod which Bacchus and the Asyrian chief holds in Plate V., p. 104. The citron and water in the women’s court require no explanation. Christians dedicate these last days of their “Ingathering” to a fitting saint– Michael, whom, from abundant coincidences, I identify with Maha-Kāla, a form of Siva; 2 and truly the demeanour of our rural population at this season was fully illustrative of this god’s power, and resulted in May being called “the bastard month.” Amongst ancient Kelts the women used to go about then with very strange-looking long, upright figures, which they called “Rush-bearing,” and to the present day it is the period when we elect our Mayors or great ones of each town or district—our “Maha- Rajas,” as Indians would call them, whose office it was in days not so far back to have first marital rights. In Berkshire, a portion of Michael’s day was called “the lawless hour,” when the town bell rang, and the people pelted each other with cabbage stalks, 3 reminding us of the onion stalks of Rome. OCTOBER October is a month which passaes in comparative quiet. In the middle, the Mahomedan has his Ramadān, the Jew his Hes or Bull month;. the Romans worshipped their holy wells, and Christians follow them here by commorating their churches and other places, whilst the Scoti fast and pray. The sun is now getting low, and the last day of October, though joyous to the Indian as the Ras Jatra, and sometimes with 1 The substance of much here will be found in Smith’s Bible Dictionary. 2 [The name is intelligible Hebrew, meaning “who is like unto El.” — T.S.] 3 Brand’s Pop. Ants., I. 355.
Sun Worship. Northerns sacred to Fire, is nevertheless a time of fear and trembling; for now is ushered in NOVEMBER—the windy Blot-monath, or Bloody month. NOVEMBER Great Taurus is at length fairly struck down, and here we see him being pierced through by the Typhon in the form of a Phrygian, youth, who had so long loved and worshipped him. All the powers of Brumel, the wintry solstice, have combined to emasculate him; the stormy winds of winter are blowing keen and hard; the fruits have fillen from the trees and the torch of life is lowered, whilst Scorpio is trying to destroy the tree itself as he has done the bull. The wintry raven croaks Life’s dirge with hollow cry, but behold! on the adjacent mountain is hope and the sign of Isis, and so the promise of a life yet to come, though many ills must be passed through ere man again arrives at that period. This picture is brimful of story—a perfect ideograph. 1 Fig 176.—THE FALL OF MITHRAS—A PHRYGIAN YOUTH SLAYS THE BULL, AND FERTILE ENERGY IS DESTROYED Christians call the first days of November “Hallow” or holy-tide, sacred to the souls of the dead, and the living; nor do they now forget the wnrship of wells and founts. The Scotch who have had their “fasts or “holy weeks,” which Burns has made of worldwide celebrity. now follow up these, at least among the lower orders, by sundry feastings, in which “black puddings” made of blood must bear a prominent part. Rome, forsaking the fetes of the lesser mysteries, has now banquets in honour of great Jove and Neptune, and counts her riches, or as the Julian Kalendar say, “exhibits her ornaments.” But let us look at some of the quaint rites of the Christians on the 1st and 2d November. The Churches of Rome and England dedicate the 1st to the Souls of their Saints, a very select and ghostly crew, which the general public can have but little concern with, as “many shall be called but few chosen,” and of these few only a very minute fraction 1 [It is more normally thought that the youth in the Phrygian cap represents Mithras. — T.S.] 461
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- Page 488 and 489: 436 Fig 171.—A HINDOO DEVI OFFERI
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Sun Worship.<br />
Northerns sacred to Fire, is nevertheless a time <strong>of</strong> fear and trembling; for now is<br />
ushered in NOVEMBER—the windy Blot-monath, or Bloody month.<br />
NOVEMBER<br />
Great Taurus is at length fairly struck down, and here we see him being pierced<br />
through by the Typhon in the form <strong>of</strong> a Phrygian, youth, who had so long loved and<br />
worshipped him. All the powers <strong>of</strong> Brumel, the wintry solstice, have combined to<br />
emasculate him; the stormy winds <strong>of</strong> winter are blowing keen and hard; the fruits<br />
have fillen from the trees and the torch <strong>of</strong> life is lowered, whilst Scorpio is trying to<br />
destroy the tree itself as he has done the bull. The wintry raven croaks <strong>Life</strong>’s dirge<br />
with hollow cry, but behold! on the adjacent mountain is hope and the sign <strong>of</strong> Isis, and<br />
so the promise <strong>of</strong> a life yet to come, though many ills must be passed through ere man<br />
again arrives at that period. This picture is brimful <strong>of</strong> story—a perfect ideograph. 1<br />
Fig 176.—THE FALL OF MITHRAS—A PHRYGIAN YOUTH SLAYS THE BULL, AND FERTILE ENERGY IS DESTROYED<br />
Christians call the first days <strong>of</strong> November “Hallow” or holy-tide, sacred to the<br />
souls <strong>of</strong> the dead, and the living; nor do they now forget the wnrship <strong>of</strong> wells and founts.<br />
The Scotch who have had their “fasts or “holy weeks,” which Burns has made <strong>of</strong> worldwide<br />
celebrity. now follow up these, at least among the lower orders, by sundry feastings,<br />
in which “black puddings” made <strong>of</strong> blood must bear a prominent part. Rome, forsaking<br />
the fetes <strong>of</strong> the lesser mysteries, has now banquets in honour <strong>of</strong> great Jove and<br />
Neptune, and counts her riches, or as the Julian Kalendar say, “exhibits her ornaments.”<br />
But let us look at some <strong>of</strong> the quaint rites <strong>of</strong> the Christians on the 1st and 2d November.<br />
The Churches <strong>of</strong> Rome and England dedicate the 1st to the Souls <strong>of</strong> their Saints, a<br />
very select and ghostly crew, which the general public can have but little concern with,<br />
as “many shall be called but few chosen,” and <strong>of</strong> these few only a very minute fraction<br />
1 [It is more normally thought that the youth in the Phrygian cap represents Mithras. — T.S.]<br />
461
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