Forlong - Rivers of Life

CHAPTER VI.
ANCESTOR WORSHIP.
I HAVE here but a few words to say about this phase of Faith, and the reason will
best appear to my readers when they have read this work through. The fact is,
that universal though Ancester-worship has been, it is yet so intimately mixed up
with all the other more potent streams, that it is imposible to say much here which
would not more appropriately appear in other chapters.
The Ancestor first became a hero, then oftentimes a god, and re-duplicated himself
by again coming to earth in some fresh incarnate form, returning again to “cloudland”
as a new god; and so a faith was formed, which naturally, however, was soon
absorbed in some other distinct stream, acknowledging an inspired book, Ritual and
Priests, which Ancestor-worship has not. Thus, long and world-wide as this faith has
existed; reasonable, reverend, fervid, and non-supernatural as has been the worship of
its votaries, beyond, perhaps, that of any others; yet, amongst the great supernatural and
well-defined book faiths of man, Ancestor-worship dwindles down to utter insignificance,
and is nothing in comparison to the preceding faiths, which though Bibleless, acknowledged
distinct gods and inspired voices, and had regular rites and rituals.
The Ancestor was worshippd in the great chief—“The Father of Fathers,” each of
whom was a member of the Dii Gentiles of his own clan, and this not only during the
comparatively modern Roman sway, but during all the ages of Serpent, Fire, and
Solar faiths; he was represented in the still earlier streams as the rude pillar of Phallus,
as well as in the little Lares and Penates of the hearths. It is scarecly possible to
truly exhibit in map-form the blending of these faiths, but I trust that those who study
and criticise my Chart will not fail to peruse the whole work, else I shall not only mislead,
but be misunderstood.
I do not at all agree with those who say that Ancestor worship was the first and
most universal faith of earth, for I look upon it that man, when but little removed from
the monkey, tossed his sickly ones aside, nay buried or burned them. We know full
well that the aged in India are often taking down to the banks of sacred streams, their
mouths filled with mud, and then dropped out of sight. In like manner, Livingstone tells
us of the tribes of the Makololo on the Zambesi, who “hide the old away,” and are hostile
to even any mention of them—in this imitating many animals and birds, who pursue
and kill off their old and sickly ones; yet I grant that before man began to rise to a faith
developing morals, he would naturally take to enshrining and worshipping his ances-