Phallic worship : an outline of the worship of the generative organs, as being, or as representing, the Divine Creator, with suggestions as to the influence of the phallic idea on religious creeds, ce online

the Youdoo feasts of America are isolated and irregular
examples of an unregulated mixture of phallic worship,



THE CROSS. 91

superstition, and lewdness. Even in these latter orgies,
the main purpose is not the immediate gratification of
sexual appetite, but some other and more desirable
favor, power, or advantage, which the leaders expect to
gain by these — as they call them — religious or magical
ceremonies.

THE CROSS.

There is no well defined tradition, much less any
authentic history as to when or where the cross was
first used as a religious emblem. Only
the more prominent forms of this sym-
bol will be noticed. The cross in the ' —
form of the letter Tau, with a circle
above it, usually called the CraxAnsata,
or emblem of life, is perhaps tbe most
ancient. This form is very common and ^'^" ^^"

found in many localities remote from each other.

This form of the cross is found in most of the relig-
ious scenes depicted in the temples of Ancient Egypt.
The deities — masculine and feminine — generally carry
it in one hand, while in the other is the ^' staff of
purity." It would seem that these two symbols were a
constant necessity in all initiations of candidates into
the mysteries. They are shown in all exaltations to the
priesthood ; and in the coronation of rulers. '' Life and
purity" were tbe precious gifts of the g'ods to kings
and priests — and the treasures that the latter bestowed
upon favorite assistants or neophytes. That this form
of the cross, in Egypt, had other meanings than life, is



92 DIFFUSION AND MODIFICATION OF SYMBOLS.

shown by its use to designate allegiance to the worship
of Isis and Osiris. Small statues of Horus are found
also, in which he holds this symbol in his left hand, and
which there means the same as the other statues of that
god, where he holds the detached generative organs of
Typhon. Isis is represented as holding this cross. In
a bas-relief, fi'om the Temple of the South, on the Isle
of Elephantine in the ^ile, called the '' Marriage of the
Hierophant" — that is, his initiation — the candidate
and the priestess both carry this cross in their hand.
Assyrian and Babylonian sculptures frequently exhibit
this form of the cross. Coins found in the temple of
Serapis showed this cross prominent, and were inter-
preted by the early Christian fathers to mean a future
life. Early Phoenician coins show a circular chain
of beads with this form of the cross attached — similar
in every respect to the modern rosary of the Catholic
church. Similar rosaries are found among the Japan-
ese Bnddhists, and the Lamas of Thibet.




Fig. 89. Fig. 90. Fig. 91. Fig. 92. Fig. 93.

The Crux Ansata is also found on the ancient
Runic monuments of Denmark and Sweden — these
monuments are certainly older than the introduction of
Christianity to these countries, and were probably erected
before the Christian era. This form of the cross is the



THE CROSS.



93



usual symbol of the planet Yenus, as well as of the
goddess of the same name. In the reversed form, as hi
Figure 92, it is still the coronation emblem of modern
Chi'istian countries. Figure 93 is a modification of the
Crux Aiisata. Figure 94: is copied from Pugin's Glos-
sary of Ecclesiastical Ornaments, and is simply another
modification of the Maltese cross united to the symbol
of the Virgin. It is essentially the Gotliic convention-
alizing of the Crux Ansata. The Egyptians marked
their sacred Avater jars, dedicated to Canopns, with a
cross like Figure 95, and sometimes with one like



]



Fig. 95. Fig. 96. Fig. 97. Fig. 98.

Figure 96. The Hindus use nearly the same forms, and
also one like that shown in Figure 97. The distinctive
badge of the Xaca Japonicus is the cross as shown in
Figure 98.

The Assyrians and Babylonians also used the cross
as shown in Fig- fl ^O^

ures 99 and 100,
to represent their
"Arba-il"— "Four
Great Gods " ~
whom they also
often represent by Fig. 99.

the mascuhne triad in connection with the yoni.




94 DIFFUSION AND MODIFICATION OF SYMBOLS.

In the cave at Eleplianta, near Bombay, is a sculptur-
ing- which records tlie destruction of the male children
in the attempt to slay Christna, and over the head of
the slaughtering executioner, surrounded by supplicat-
ing mothers, is a cross.

The museum of the London University has a mummy
upon the breast of which is a cross
in the form shown in Figure 101.
Plato, in his Tana3us, says : " The




r3-Q p next power to the Supreme God

Fig. 101. Fig. 102. was decussated, or figured in the

shape of a cross, on the universe." Plato drew his
cross like the letter X.

A Pompeiian fresco exhibits a phallic cross associated
with a small figure of Hermes. Ezekiel speaks of the
Tau — Figure 102 — as the mark to be placed upon the
foreheads of the faithful Jews, so that they might be
known and spared in the massacre of the unworthy.
The Tau, in ancient Hebrew, was written + or X, and
in Phoenecian thus, T.

The Greek cross — while usually represented as a

simple equal armed figure
of two straight lines was
not — and is not now, in
many cases so simple.
Fi^ios. Fig. 104. It has a much more ex-

pressive and realistic form — four masculine triads
meeting hi a yoni as a common center, as shown in
Figure 101.

The Norsemen chano^ed the form of the Tau into a





THE CROSS.



95



cross with four equal arms, and called it Thor's ham-
mer, Fiaure 103.



I=:tt=2 y



^ y




Fig. 105. Fig. 106. Fig. 107. Fig. 108.

The Maltese cross, shown in Figure 105, is the same
symbol. The form is more conventionalized ; and,
hence, more obscurely suggestive; but the character
is no less phallic and triadic. Figures 106 and 107
are simply "triads" forming the Greek and Latin
crosses.

The Templars' cross. Figure 108, is only a modifica-
tion of the triadic Greek cross — retaining all its original
significance.

Another form of the cross, similar in outline to the
Greek cross, was formerly very common, but with the
essential difference that the position of the organs were
reversed, so that the phallus pointed outward — the
other organs, however, still forming the center.

In Figure 109 is reproduced, in a conventionalized
form, a copy of a golden cross, evidently worn by a
person of rank, and possibly a high ecclesiastic, found
at St. Agati di Goti, near Kaples. In the original, the
organs wei'e figured realistically. The four ai-ms of
the cross were phalli, in erect form, pointing out-
wardly, the four ovals at the center Avere tests, and the
pointed ovals at the bases of the phalli, and between



96



DIFFUSION AND MODIFICATION OF SYMBOLS.



them, were images in detail of the yoni, while the
sacred seven was shown in the small circles form-
ing each quarter of the
ornamental border ; and
the whole number twenty-
eight represented the
lunar month and the femi-
nine functional month.
There could, therefore,
be no doubt of the phallic
representation — nor of
the religious symbolism,
blended in mystic union ;
thus showing what con-
stantly recurs, the sacred and revered truths or dogmas
sensuously expressed in the accentuated forms of
phallic imagery or symbolism.





Fig. 110.



Fig. 111.



Fig. 112.



Figures 110, 111, 112, and 113 represent modifica-
tions of the same ideas, and crosses in more or less
conventionalized forms . In Figure 1 10 the ma j or mem-
ber of the triad is modified into a minor triad ; while the



THE CROSS.



97



minor members are quite realistically covered. In
Figure 113 the feminine is more prominent, while in



c