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A DISCOURSE ON
THE WORSHIP OF PRIAPUS
AND ITS CONNECTION WITH THE
MYSTIC THEOLOGY OF THE ANCIENTS
BY
RICHARD PAYNE KNIGHT
TO WHICH IS ADDED
WITH PLATES
CFD
a. collectors rrtiblica,tion.
Pw=
The Worship of Priapus was originally printed in which preceded them, and this book has now an
1786. The bold utterances of Mr. Knight on a subject interest fifty fold greater than when originally
which until that time had been entirely tabooed, or published.
had been treated in a way to hide rather than to dis- The short account of the Remains of the Worship
cover the truth, shocked the sensibilities of the higher of Priapus in the Kingdom of Naples is from the
classes of English society, and the ministers and letter of Sir William Hamilton, K.B., His Majesty's
members of the various denominations of the Chris- Minister at the Court of Naples, to Sir Joseph Banks,
tian world. Rather than endure the storm of criti- Bart., then President of the Royal Society.
cism, aroused by the publication, he suppressed
during his lifetime all the copies of the book he
could recall, consequently it became very scarce, and
has continued so.
The numerous illustrations are engraved from an-
tique coins, medals, stone carvings, etc., preserved in
the Payne Knight collection in the British Museum.
These are only to be found in museums and private
collections scattered over Europe, and are practically
inaccessible to the student; they are here engraved
and fully described.
The present edition is published in the interest of
science and scholarship. At a time when so many
learned investigators are endeavouring to trace back
religious beliefs and practices to their origin, it would
seem that this is a branch of the subject which should
not be ignored. The history of religions has been
studied with more zeal and success during the nine-
teenth and twentieth centuries, than in all the ages
ON THE WORSHIP OF PRIAPUS
IN THE KINGDOM OF NAPLES
13
P ,
17
The Worship of Priapus
18
The Worship of Priapus
ask the price of one, the answer is, pin ci metti, pin
meriti: " The more you give, the more's the merit."
In the vestibule are two tables, at each of which one
of the canons of the church presides, this crying out,
Qui si riceveno to Misse, e Litanie: "Here Masses and
PLATE II
ANCIENT AND MODERN AMULETS 21
The Worship of Priapus
The Worship of Priapus
Litanies are received; " and the other, Qui si riceveno ceipt as that of the Roman Ritual, with the addition
li Voti: Here the Vows are received." The price
"
only of the prayer of the Holy Martyrs, St. Cosmus
of a Mass is fifteen Neapolitan grains, and of a Litany and Damianus. Those who have an infirmity in any
five grains. On each table is a large bason for the of their members, present themselves at the great
reception of the different offerings. The Vows are altar, and uncover the member affected (not even
chiefly presented by the female sex; and they are excepting that which is most frequently represented
seldom such as represent legs, arms, &c., but most by the ex-voti); and the reverend canon anoints it,
commonly the male parts of generation. The person saying, Per intercessionem beati Cosmi, liberet te ab
who was at this fête in the year 1780, and who gave omni malo. Amen.
me this account (the authenticity of every article of The ceremony finishes by the canons of the church
which has since been fully confirmed to me by the dividing the spoils, both money and wax, which must
Governor of Isernia), told me also, that he heard a be to a very considerable amount, as the concourse
woman say, at the time she presented a Vow, like at this fete is said to be prodigiously numerous.
that which is presented in Plate 1, Fig. i., Santo The oil of St. Cosmo is in high repute for its in-
Cosimo benedetto, cosi lo voglio: "Blessed St. Cosmo,
vigorating quality, when the loins, and parts adja-
let it be like this; " another, St. Cosimo, a te mi rac- cent, are anointed with it. No less than 1400 flasks of
commendo: " St. Cosmo, I recommend myself to that oil were either expended at the altar in unctions,
you; " and a third, St. Cosimo, ti ringrazio: " St. Cos- or charitably distributed, during this fête in the year
mo, I thank you." The Vow is never presented with- 1780; and as it is usual for every one, who either
out being accompanied by a piece of money, and is makes use of the oil at the altar, or carries off a flask
always kissed by the devotee at the moment of of it, to lea\ e an alms for St. Cosmo, the ceremony
presentation. of the oil becomes likewise a very lucrative one to
At the great altar in the church, another of its the canons of the church.
canons attends to give the holy unction, with the oil
of St. Cosmo; which is prepared by the same re-
1 Tertullian tells us, that a Christian, called Proculus, cured the
Emperor Severus of a certain distemper by the use of oil; for
1 The cure of diseases by oil is likewise of ancient date; for which service the Emperor kept Proculus, as long as he lived,
in his palace.
22
23
ON THE WORSHIP OF PRIAPUS
M
EN, considered collectively, are at all times
the same animals, employing the same or-
gans, and endowed with the same faculties:
their passions, prejudices, and conceptions, will of
course be formed upon the same internal principles,
although directed to various ends, and modified in
various ways, by the variety of external circum-
stances operating upon them. Education and science
may correct, restrain, and extend; but neither can
annihilate or create : they may turn and embellish
the currents; but can neither stop nor enlarge the
springs, which, continuing to flow with a perpetual
and equal tide, return to their ancient channels, when
the causes that perverted them are withdrawn.
The first principles of the human mind will be
more directly brought into action, in proportion to
the earnestness and affection with which it contem-
plates its object; and passion and prejudice will ac-
quire dominion over it, in proportion as its first prin-
25
Po'
The Worship of Priapus
The Worship of Priapus
ciples are more directly brought into action. On all versive of the first principles of decency and good
common subjects, this dominion of passion and order in society. Even the form itself, under which
prejudice is restrained by the evidence of sense and the god was represented, appeared to them a mock-
perception; but, when the mind is led to the con- ery of all piety and devotion, and more fit to be
templation of things beyond its comprehension, all placed in a brothel than a temple. But the forms
such restraints vanish: reason has then nothing to and ceremonials of a religion are not always to be
oppose to the phantoms of imagination, which ac- understood in their direct and obvious sense; but are
quire terrors from their obscurity, and dictate uncon- to be considered as symbolical representations of
trolled, because unknown. Such is the case in all some hidden meaning, which may be extremely wise
religious subjects, which, being beyond the reach of and just, though the symbols themselves, to those
sense or reason, are always embraced or rejected who know not their true signification, may appear in
with violence and heat. Men think they know, be- the highest degree absurd and extravagant. It has
cause they are sure they feel; and are firmly con- often happened, that avarice and superstition have
vinced, because strongly agitated. Hence proceed continued these symbolical representations for ages
that haste and violence with which devout persons after their original meaning has been lost and for-
of all religions condemn the rites and doctrines of gotten; when they must of course appear nonsensical
others, and the furious zeal and bigotry with which and ridiculous, if not impious and extravagant.
they maintain their own; while perhaps, if both were Such is the case with the rite now under considera-
equally well understood, both would be found to have tion, than which nothing can be more monstrous and
the same meaning, and only to differ in the modes of indecent, if considered in its plain and obvious mean-
ing, or as a part of the Christian worship; but which
conveying it.
will be found to be a very natural symbol of a very
Of all the profane rites which belonged to the an-
cient polytheism, none were more furiously inveighed natural and philosophical system of religion, if con-
against by the zealous propagators of the Christian sidered according to its original use and intention.
faith, than the obscene ceremonies performed in the What this was, I shall endeavour in the following
worship of Priapus; which appeared not only► con- sheets to explain as concisely and clearly as possible.
trary to the gravity and sanctity of religion, but sub- Those who wish to know how generally the symbol,
26 27
The Worship of Priapus
The Worship of Priapus
and the religion which it represented, once prevailed,
preserved free from the vulgar superstitions, and
will consult the great and elaborate work of Mr.
communicated, under the strictest oaths of secrecy, to
D'Hancarville, who, with infinite learning and in-
the iniated (initiated) ; who were obliged to purify
genuity, has traced its progress over the whole earth.
themselves, prior to their initiation, by abstaining
My endeavour will be merely to show, from what
from venery, and all impure food." We may there-
original principles in the human mind it was first
fore be assured, that no impure meaning could be
adopted, and how it was connected with the ancient
conveyed by this symbol; but that it represented
theology: matters of very curious inquiry, which will
some fundamental principle of their faith. What
serve, better perhaps than any others, to illustrate
this was, it is difficult to obtain any direct informa-
that truth, which ought to be present in every man's
tion, on account of the secrecy under which this part
mind when he judges of the actions of others, that
of their religion was guarded. Plutarch tells us, that
in morals, as well as physics, there is no effect with-
the Egyptians represented Osiris with the organ of
out an adequate cause. If in doing this, I frequently
generation erect, to show his generative and prolific
find it necessary to differ in opinion with the learned
power : he also tells us, that Osiris was the same
author above-mentioned, it will be always with the
Diety as the Bacchus of the Greek Mythology; who
utmost deference and respect; as it is to him that we
was also the same as the first begotten Love (E@wg
are indebted for the only reasonable method of ex-
31Q0.Yroyovog) of Orpheus and Hesiod. This deity is
2
28
29
The Worship of Priapus The Worship of Priapus
ties observed in the objects of sight. They thus per- not exist when the mystic symbols of the ancient wor-
sonified the epithets and titles applied to him in the ship were first adopted. As these symbols were in-
hymns and litanies, and conveyed their ideas of him tended to express abstract ideas by objects of sight,
by forms, only intelligible to the initiated, instead of the contrivers of them naturally selected those ob-
sounds, which were intelligible to all. The organ of jects whose characteristic properties seemed to have
generation represented the generative or creative at- the greatest analogy with the Divine attributes which
tribute, and in the language of painting and sculp- they wished to represent. In an age, therefore, when
ture, signified the same as the epithet itayyEvEnot, no prejudices of artificial decency existed, what more
in the Orphic litanies. just and natural image could they find, by which to
This interpretation will perhaps surprise those who express their idea of the beneficent power of the
have not been accustomed to divest their minds of great Creator, than that organ which endowed them
the prejudices of education and fashion; but I doubt with the power of procreation, and made them par-
not, but it will appear just and reasonable to those takers, not only of the felicity of the Deity, but of his
who consider manners and customs as relative to the great characteristic attribute, that of multiplying his
natural causes which produced them, rather than to own image, communicating his blessings, and extend-
the artificial opinions and prejudices of any particu- ing them to generations yet unborn?
lar age or country. There is naturally no impurity In the ancient theology of Greece, preserved in the
or licentiousness in the moderate and regular gratifi- Orphic Fragments, this Deity, the Epwc n,clanoyovoc,
cation of any natural appetite; the turpitude consist- or first-begotten Love, is said to have been produced,
ing wholly in the excess or perversion. Neither are together with 'Ether, by Time, or Eternity (Keovoc),
organs of one species of enjoyment naturally to be and Necessity (Avayxn), operating upon inert mat-
considered as subjects of shame and concealment ter (Xaoc). He is described as eternally begetting
more than those of another; every refinement of mod- (aEtyvvrig); the Father of Night, called in later
ern manners on this head being derived irtm ac- times, the lucid or splendid, (yavng), because, he
quired habit, not from nature: habit, indeed, long first appeared in splendour; of a double nature,
established; for it seems to have been as general in (Otyync), as possessing the general power of crea-
Homer's days as at present; but which certainly did tion and generation, both active and passive, both
30 31
The Worship of Priapus The Worship of Priapus
from these that many of the Orphic Hymns and Fragments are mary attribute, co-eternal with himself, and with him
proved to contain the pure theology or mystic faith of the an- brought forth from inert matter by necessity. Hence
cients, which is called Orphic by Pausanias (lib. L, c. 39), and
which is so unlike the vulgar religion, or poetical mythology, that
the purity and sanctity always attributed to light by
one can scarcely imagine at first sight that it belonged to the the Greeks.' He is called the Father of Night, be-
same people; but which will nevertheless appear, upon accurate cause by attracting the light to himself, and becom-
investigation, to be the source from whence it flowed, and the
cause of all its extravagance. ing the fountain which distributed it to the world, he
The history of Orpheus himself is so confused and obscured by produced night, which is called eternally-begotten,
fable, that it is impossible to obtain any certain information
because it had eternally existed, although mixed and
concerning him. According to general tradition, he was a Thra-
cian, and introduced the mysteries, in which a more pure system lost in the general mass. He is said to pervade the
of religion was taught, into Greece (Brucker, vol. i., part 2, lib. i., world with the motion of his wings, bringing pure
c. i.) He is also said to have travelled into Egypt (Diodor. Sic.
lib. i., p. 80) ; but as the Egyptians pretended that all foreigners
light; and thence to be called the splendid, the ruling
received their sciences from them, at a time when all foreigners Priapus, and self-illumined (avravyig ). It is to
2
who entered the country were put to death or enslaved (Diodor. be observed that the word 1 1Qt wc, afterwards the
-
Sic. lib. i., pp. 78 et 107), this account may 1 e rejected, with
-
many others of the same kind. The Egyptians certainly could not name of a subordinate deity, is here used as a title
have taught Orpheus the plurality of worlds, and true solar sys- relating to one of his attributes; the reasons for which
tem, which appear to have been the fundamental principles of
I shall endeavour to explain hereafter. Wings are
his philosophy and religion (Plutarch. de Placit. Philos., lib. ii.,
c. 13. Brucker in loc. citat.) Nor could he have gained this figuratively attributed to him as being the emblems
knowledge from any people which history has preserved any of swiftness and incubation; by the first of which he
memorials; for we know of none among whom science had made
such a progress, that a truth so remote from common observa-
pervaded matter, and by the second fructified the
tion, and so contradictory to the evidence of unimproved sense, egg of Chaos. The egg was carried in procession at
would not have been rejected, as it was by all the sects of Greek the celebration of the mysteries, because, as Plutarch
philosophy except the Pythagoreans, who rather revered it as an
article of faith, than understood it as a discovery of science. says, it was the material of generation (0.1 nig
Thrace was certainly inhabited by a civilized nation at some yEvEaecoc ) containing the seeds and germs of life and
8
34 35
The Worship of Priapus
39
The Worship of Priapus Fig. 2.
1 Lib. 1. c. 12.
2Exod. o. xxxiv. v. 35, ed. Vulgat. Other translators under- PLATE IV
MEDALS POSSESSED BY PAYNE KNIGHT
All
The Worship of Priapus
43
The Worship of Priapus
The Worship of Priapus
Mr. D'Hancarville attributes the origin of all these
The Greek poets and artists frequently give the
symbols to the ambiguity of words; the same term
personification of a particular attribute for the Deity
being employed in the primitive language to signify
himself; hence he is called Tavpotoa;, Tavewitog,
God and a Bull, the Universe and a Goat, Life and a
Taveo[tooyog, &c., and hence the initials and mono-
1
fleeting and fugitive, and eluding the understanding infinite continuity and duration: therefore space and
by a continued and boundless progression. The only ti me are distinct from infinity and eternity, which are
notion we have of it is from the addition or division void of all parts and gradations whatever. Time is
of finite things, which suggest the idea of infinite, measured by years, days, hours, &c., and distin-
only from a power we feel in ourselves of still multi- guished by past, present, and future; but these, being
plying and dividing without end. The Schoohnen in- divisions, are excluded from eternity, as locality is
deed were bolder, and, by a summary mode of rea- from infinity, and as both are from the Being who
soning, in which they were very expert, proved that fills both; who can therefore feel no succession of
they had as clear and adequate an idea of infinity, events, nor know any gradation of distance; but must
as of any finite substance whatever. Infinity, said comprehend infinite duration as if it were one mo-
they, is that which has no bounds. This negation, ment, and infinite extent as if it were but a single
being a positive assertion, must be founded on a point.' Hence the Ammonian Platonics speak of him
positive idea. We have therefore a positive idea of as concentered in his own unity, and extended
infinity. through all things, but participated of by none. Being
The Eclectic Jews, and their followers, the Am- of a nature more refined and elevated than intelli-
monian and Christian Platonics, who endeavoured to gence itself, he could not be known by sense, percep-
make their own philosophy and religion conform to tion, or reason; and being the cause of all, he must
the ancient theology, held infinity of space to be only be anterior to all, even to eternity itself, if considered
the immensity of the divine presence. ' 0 Of o; itexv ra -
46
lipmmos■
sprung from himself : therefore he is not Being, nor Deity therefore who has no falsehood, can have no
is Being his Attribute; for that which has an attri- truth, in our sense of the word.'
bute cannot have the abstract simplicity of pure unity. As metaphysical theology is a study very generally,
All Being is in its nature finite; for, if it was other- and very deservedly, neglected at present, I thought
wise, it must be without bounds every way; and this little specimen of it might be entertaining, from
therefore could have no gradation of proximity to its novelty, to most readers; especially as it is inti-
the first cause, or consequent pre-eminence of one mately connected with the ancient system, which I
part over another: for, as all distinctions of time are have here undertaken to examine. Those, who wish
excluded from infinite duration, and all divisions of to know more of it, may consult Proclus on the
locality from infinite extent, so are all degrees of Theology of Plato, where they will find the most ex-
priority from infinite progression. The mind is and quisite ingenuity most wantonly wasted. No persons
acts in itself; but the abstract unity of the first cause ever showed greater acuteness or strength of rea-
is neither in itself, nor in another;—not in itself, be- soning than the Platonics and Scholastics; but having
cause that would imply modification, from which quitted common sense, and attempted to mount into
abstract simplicity is necessarily exempt; nor in an- the intellectual world, they expended it all in abor-
other, because then there would be an hypostatical tive efforts which may amuse the imagination, but
duality, instead of absolute unity. In both cases cannot satisfy the understanding.
there would be a locality of hypostasis, inconsistent The ancient Theologists showed more discretion;
with intellectual infinity. As all physical attributes for, finding that they could conceive no idea of in-
were excluded from this metaphysical abstraction, finity, they were content to revere the Infinite Being
which they called their first cause, he must of course in the most general and efficient exertion of his
be destitute of all moral ones, which are only gener- power, attraction; whose agency is perceptible
alized modes of action of the former. Eves simple through all matter, and to which all motion may, per-
abstract truth was denied him; for truth, as Proclus haps, be ultimately traced. This power, being per-
says, is merely the relative to falsehood; and no rela- sonified, became the secondary Deity, to whom all
tive can exist without a positive or correlative. The 1
Proclus in Theolog. Platon. lib. 1. et IL
AO
The Worship of Priapus
WA,
The Worship of Priapus
reception of it among the faithful. To the represen- Koo[toxvTA (Ruler of the World) in the Orphic
tative of the male organs was sometimes added a Hymns. 2
human head, which gives it the exact appearance of This general emanation of the pervading Spirit of
a crucifix; as it has on a medal of Cyzicus, published God, by which all things are generated and main-
by M. Pellerin. On an ancient medal, found in
2
tained, is beautifully described by Virgil, in the fol-
Cyprus, which, from the style of workmanship, is lowing lines:
certainly anterior to the Macedonian conquest, it ap- Deum namque ire per omnes
pears with the chaplet or rosary, such as is now used Terrasque, tractusque maris, ccelumque profundum.
Hine pecudes, armenta, viros, genus omne ferarum,
in the Romish churches; the beads of which were
3
54
55
The Worship of Priapus
2 De Is. et Os.
PLATE VI
56 THE TAURIC DIANA
The Worship of Priapus
59
I
The Worship of Priapus The Worship of Priapus
were before this calamity, we have no direct infor- general, however, they preferred wrought images,
mation; for Herodotus is the earliest traveller, and not from their superiority in art, which they did not
he visited this country when in ruins. acquire until after the time of Homer,' when their
It is observable in all modern religions, that men theology was entirely corrupted; but because they
are superstitious in proportion as they are ignorant,
had thus the means of expressing their ideas more
and that those who know least of the principles of fully, by combining several forms together, and
religion are the most earnest and fervent in the prac- showing, not only the Divine attribute, but the mode
tice of its exterior rites and ceremonies. We may and purpose of its operation. For instance; the
suppose from analogy, that this was the case with the
celebrated bronze in the Vatican has the male organs
Egyptians. The learned and rational merely re- of generation placed upon the head of a cock, the
spected and revered the sacred animals, whilst the
emblem of the sun, supported by the neck and
vulgar worshipped and adored them. The greatest
shoulders of a man. In this composition they repre-
part of the former being, as is natural to suppose,
sented the generative power of the Eectic, the Osiris,
destroyed by the persecution of the Persians, this
Mithras, or Bacchus, whose centre is the sun, incar-
worship and adoration became general; different
nate with man. By the inscription on the pedestal,
cities adopting different animals as their tutelar the attribute this personified, is styled The Saviour
deities, in the same manner as the Catholics now put of the World (Eayri) xocraw) ; a title always vener-
themselves under the protection of different saints
able, under whatever image it be represented.'
and martyrs. Like them, too, in the fervency of their
The Egyptians showed this incarnation of the Deity
devotion for the imaginary agent, they forgot the
by a less permanent, though equally expressive sym-
original cause. bol. At Mendes a living goat was kept as the image
The custom of keeping sacred animals as images
of the generative power, to whom the women pre-
of the Divine attributes, seems once to have pre-
sented themselves naked, and had the honour of be-
vailed in Greece as well as Egypt; for the God of
ing publicly enjoyed by him. Herodotus saw the act
Health was represented by a living serpen! at Epi-
daurus, even in the last stage of their religion. In
1
When Homer praises any work of art, he calls it the work of
Sidonians.
Liv. Hist. Epitom. 11b. xi.
2
See Plate n. Fig. 3.
60
61
The Worship of Priapus
65
The Worship of Priapus The Worship of Priapus
without greater knowledge in practical mechanics and cast out the ungodly, from before them, made
than they now possess. It is a statue of a bull lying it in the shape of a young bull, or calf.'
down, hewn, with great accuracy, out of a single The Greeks, as they advanced in the cultivation of
piece of hard granite, which has been conveyed by the imitative arts, gradually changed the animal for
land from the distance of one hundred miles, al- the human form, preserving still the original charac-
though its weight, in its present reduced state, must ter. The human head was at first added to the body
be at least one hundred tons.' The Greeks some- of the bull; but afterwards the whole figure was
2
times made their Taurine Bacchus, or bull, with a made human, with some of the features, and general
human face, to express both sexes, which they signi- character of the animal, blended with it. Often- 3
fied by the initial of the epithet Atqwrig placed un- ti mes, however, these mixed figures had a peculiar
der him. Over him they frequently put the radiated
2 and proper meaning, like that of the Vatican Bronze;
asterisk, which represents the sun, to show the Deity, and were not intended as mere refinements of art.
whose Attribute he was intended to express. Hence 3 Such are the fawns and satyrs, who represent the
we may perceive the reason why the Germans, who, emanations of the Creator, incarnate with man, act-
according to Caesar,* worshipped the sun, carried a ing as his angels and ministers in the work of uni-
brazen bull, as the image of their God, when they versal generation. In copulation with the goat, they
invaded the Roman dominions in the time of represent the reciprocal incarnation of man with the
Marius; and even the chosen people of Providence,
5 deity, when incorporated with universal matter: for
when they made unto themselves an image of the the Deity, being both male and female, was both ac-
God who was to conduct them through the desert, tive and passive in procreation; first animating man
1 See Plate xxia with the measurements, as made by Capt.
by an emanation from his own essence, and then
Patterson on the spot. employing that emanation to reproduce, in conjunc-
2 See Plate iv. Fig. 2, from a medal of Naples in the Hunter
tion with the common productive powers of nature,
collection.
3 See Plate rv. Fig. 2, and Plate xix. Fig. 4, from a medal of
Exod. c. mil., with Patrick's Commentary.
Cales, belonging to me.
2 See the medals of Naples, Gels. &c. Plate iv. Fig. 2. and Plate
* De B. G., lib. vi. ix. Fig. xi, are specimens; but the coins are in all collections.
3
See Bronzi d'Herculano, tom. v. Plate v.
5
Plut. in Mario.
66 67
The Worship of Priapus
71
The Worship of Priapus The Worship of Priapus
Latin is derived, the same as Val; for it is well known is represented pouring water upon the organ of gen-
to all who have compared the two languages attent- eration; that is, invigorating the active creative power
ively, that the Sigma and Vau are letters, the one of by the prolific element upon which it acted; for water
which was partially, and the other generally omitted was considered as the essence of the passive prin-
by the Greeks, in the refinement of their pronuncia- ciple, as fire was of the active; the one being of ter-
tion and orthography which took place after the restrial, and the other of wthereal origin. Hence, St.
emigration of the Latian and Etruscan colonies. The John the Baptist, who might have acquired some
Chorus in the Ajax of Sophocles address Pan by knowledge of the ancient theology, through its re-
the title of Vklanictywrog, probably because he was
1 vivers, the Eclectic Jews, says: I, indeed, baptise you
worshipped on the shores of the sea; water being in water to repentance; but he that cometh after me,
reckoned the best and most prolific of the subordi- who is more powerful than I am, shall baptise you in
nate elements, upon which the Spirit of God, accord-
2 the Holy Spirit, and in fire: that is, I only purify
1
ing to Moses, or the Plastic Nature, according to the and refresh the soul, by a communion with the ter-
Platonics, operating, produced life and motion on restrial principle of life; but he that cometh after me,
earth. Hence the ocean is said by Homer to be the will regenerate and restore it, by a communion with
source of all things; and hence the use of water in
8 the wthereal principle. Pan is again addressed in
2
baptism, which was to regenerate, and, in a manner, the Salaminian Chorus of the same tragedy of Sopho-
new create the person baptised; for the soul, sup- cles, by the titles of author and director of the dances
posed by many of the primitive Christians to be of the gods (0Ewv xoeorcot' av4), as being the author
naturally mortal, was then supposed to become im- and disposer of the regular motions of the universe,
mortal' Upon the same principle, the figure of Pan,' of which these divine dances were symbols, which
are said in the same passage to be (ay mbar]) self-
-
1 Ver. 703.
Diodor. Sic. lib. i. p. rt. 1Matth. c. iii.
2 ruder. °trap. i. ver
72 73
The Worship of Priapus The Worship of Priapus
taught to him. Both the Gnossian and Nysian dances had the ambition to aspire. The figure of Ammon
are here included,' the former sacred to Jupiter, and was compounded of the forms of the ram, as that of
the latter to Bacchus; for Pan, being the principle of Pan was of the goat; the reason of which is difficult
universal order, partook of the nature of all the other to ascertain, unless we suppose that goats were un-
gods. They were personifications of particular known in the country where his worship arose, and
modes of acting of the great all-ruling principle; and that the ram expressed the same attribute.' In a gem
he, of his general law and pre-established harmony in the Museum of Charles Townley, Esq., the head of
by which he governs the universe. Hence he is often the Greek Pan is joined to that of a ram, on the
represented playing on a pipe; music being the body of a cock, over whose head is the asterisk of the
natural emblem of this physical harmony. Accord- sun, and below it the head of an aquatic fowl, at
ing to Plutarch, the Jupiter Ammon of the Africans tached to the same body. The cock is the symbol of
2
74
75
The Worship of Priapus
I Lib.
2 Metamorph. lib. xi.
76
The Worship of Priapus
nature, and thus fertilising matter. These epithets certain androgynous beings possessed of the charac-
teristic organs of both sexes, which I take to repre-
not only express the theological, but also the physical
system of the Orphic school; according to which the sent organized matter in its first stage; that is, im-
the universe, with mediately after it was released from chaos, and
sun, being placed in the centre of :
the planets moving round, was, by his attractive force, before it was animated by a participation of the
ethereal essence of the Creator. In a beautiful gem
the cause of all union and harmony in the whole;
and, by the emanation of his beams, the cause of all belonging to R. Wilbraham, Esq.,' one of these an-
drogynous figures is represented sleeping, with the
motion and activity in the parts. This system is al-
organs of generation covered, and the egg of chaos
luded to by Homer in the allegory of the golden
broken under it. On the other side is Bacchus, the
chain, by which Jupiter suspends all things; though
1
there is every reason to believe that the poet him- Creator, bearing a torch, the emblem of ethereal fire,
self was ignorant of its meaning, and only related it and extending it towards the sleeping figure; whilst
one of his agents seems only to wait his permission
as he had heard it. The Ammonian Platonics adopted
to begin the execution of that office, which, according
the same system of attraction, but changed its centre
from the sun to their metaphysical abstraction or in- to every outward and visible sign, he appears able to
discharge with energy and effect. The Creator him-
comprehensible unity, whose emanations pervaded
self leans upon one of those figures commonly called
all things, and held all things together.' '
-
when the generative powers were separated from it; succeeds the performance.' In the latter case he ap-
for it was an opinion of the ancients, which I remem- pears loaded with the productions of nature, the re-
ber to have met with in some part of the works of sult of those prolific efforts, which in the former case
Aristotle, to which I cannot at present refer, that he appeared so well qualified to exert. I have in
every act of coition produced a transient chill in the Plate v. given a figure of him in each situation, one
brain, by which some of the roots of the hair were taken from a bronze in the Royal Museum of Portici,
loosened; so that baldness was a mark of sterility and the other from one in that of Charles Townley,
acquired by excessive exertion. The figures of Pan Esq. It may be observed, that in the former the
have nearly the same forms with that which I have muscles of the face are all strained and contracted,
here supposed to represent inert matter; only that so that every nerve seems to be in a state of tension;
they are compounded with those of the goat, the sym- whereas in the latter the features are all dilated
bol of the creative power, by which matter was fruc- and fallen, the chin reposed on the breast, and the
tified and regulated. To this is sometimes added the whole figure expressive of languor and fatigue.
organ of generation, of an enormous magnitude, to If the explanation which I have given of these an-
signify the application of this power to its noblest drogynous figures be the true one, the fauns and
end, the procreation of sensitive and rational beings. satyrs, which usually accompany them, must repre-
This composition forms the common Priapus of the sent abstract emanations, and not incarnations of the
Roman poets, who was worshipped among the other creative spirit, as when in copulation with the goat.
personages of the heathen mythology, but under- The Creator himself is frequently represented in a
stood by few of his ancient votaries any better than human form; and it is natural that his emanations
by the good women of Isernia. His characteristic should partake of the same, though without having
organ is sometimes represented by the artists in that any thing really human in their composition. It
state of tension and rigidity, which it assumos when seems, however, to have been the opinion in some
about to discharge its functions,' and at other times parts of Asia, that the Creator was really of a human
in that state of tumid languor, which immediately form. The Jewish legislator says expressly, that God
1 Plate v. Fig 2, from a bronze in the Museum of C. Townley,
1 Plate v. Fig. 1, from a bronze in the Museum at Portici. Esq.
•I1
The Worship of Priapus The Worship of Priapus
made man in his own image, and, prior to the creation feminine epithets.' Ovid also says to him,
of woman, created him male and female,' as he him- -Tibi, cum sine cornibus adstas,
Virgineum caput est.2
self consequently was. Hence an ingenious author
2
has supposed that these androgynous figures repre- alluding in the first line to his taurine, and in the
sented the first individuals of the human race, who, second to his androgynous figure.
possessing the organs of both sexes, produced chil- The ancient theologists were, like the modern, di-
dren of each. This seems to be the sense in which vided into sects; but, as these never disturbed the
they were represented by some of the ancient artists; peace of society, they have been very little noticed. I
but I have never met with any trace of it in any Greek have followed what I conceive to be the true Orphic
author, except Philo the Jew; nor have I ever seen system, in the little analysis which I have here en-
any monument of ancient art, in which the Bacchus, deavoured to give. This was probably the true catho-
or Creator in a human form, was represented with lic faith, though it differs considerably from another
the generative organs of both sexes. In the symboli- ancient system, described by Aristophanes; which is 3
cal images, the double nature is frequently expressed more poetical, but less philosophical. According to
by some androgynous insect, such as the snail, which this, Chaos, Night, Erebus, and Tartarus, were the
is endowed with the organs of both sexes, and can primitive beings. Night, in the infinite breast of
copulate reciprocally with either: but when the re- Erebus, brought forth an egg, from which sprung
finement of art adopted the human form, it was rep- Love, who mixed all things together; and from thence
resented by mixing the characters of the male and sprung the heaven, the ocean, the earth, and the gods.
female bodies in every part, preserving still the dis- This system is alluded to by the epithet QoyEvog, ap-
tinctive organs of the male. Hence Euripides calls plied to the Creator in one of the Orphic Litanies:
Bacchus 15iikv[topcpog, and the Chorus of Bachannals
3
but this could never have been a part of the orthodox
in the same tragedy address him by masculine and
1
C2 BQOIALE, BOWE, 11£80)VOCFVOg EVOat JCOTVI,Ct. Vers. 504.
1
Genes. c. i.
2
Metam. lib. iv. v. 18.
2 Philo. de. Leg. Atleg. lib. ii.
3
000. Vers. 693.
4 Hymn v.
3
Bach. v. 358.
84 85
PIP
The Worship of Priapus PLA7S
FIg.
to me.
89
low
The Worship of Priapus The Worship of Priapus
ishes, as well as generates; for, as all quadrupeds my collection, except that the serpents are not at-
lick their young, to refresh and invigorate them im- tached to the head, but placed by it as distinct sym-
mediately after birth, it is natural to suppose, ac- bols, and that the animal licking itself is a female
cording to the general system of symbolical writing, accompanied by the initial of the word OEK, in-
that this action should be taken as an emblem of the stead of the asterisk of the sun. Antiquarians have
called this head a Medusa; but, had they examined
effect it was thought to produce. On other medals
the bull or cow is represented licking itself ; I which, it attentively on any well-preserved coin, they would
upon the same principle, must represent the strength have found that the expression of the features means
of the deity refreshed and invigorated by the exertion lust, and not rage or horror.' The case is, that anti-
of its own nutritive and plastic power upon its own quarians have been continually led into error, by
being. On others again is a human head of an an- seeking for explanations of the devices on the Greek
drogynous character, like that of the Bacchus Supvtig, medals in the wild and capricious stories of Ovid's
with the tongue extended over the lower lip, as if to Metamorphoses, instead of examining the first prin-
lick something. This was probably the same symbol,
2
ciples of ancient religion contained in the Orphic
expressed in a less explicit manner; it being the com- Fragments, the writings of Plutarch, Macrobius, and
mon practice of the Greek artists to make a part of a Apuleius, and the Choral Odes of the Greek tragedies.
composition signify the whole, of which I shall soon These principles were the subjects of the ancient
have occasion to give some incontestable examples. mysteries, and it is to these that the symbols on the
On a Parian medal published by Goltzius, the bull medals always relate; for they were the public acts
licking himself is represented on one side, accom- of the states, and therefore contain the sense of
panied by the asterisk of the sun, and on the other, nations, anfi not the caprices of individuals.
the head with the tongue extended, having serpents, As M. D'Hancarville found a complete representa-
the emblems of life, for hair. The same medal is in
3 tion of the bull breaking the egg of chaos in the sculp-
1 See Plate rn. Fig. 5, from one of Gortyna, in the Htkiter Col-
tures of the Japanese, when only a part of it appears
lection; and Plate in. Fig. 4, from one of Parium, belonging on the Greek monuments; so we may find in a curi-
to me.
2 See Plate in. Fig. 4, and Plate in. Fig. 6, from Pellerin.
1 See Plate in. Fig. 4.
3
Goltz. Insul. Tab. xix. Fig. 8.
91,
L 90
The Worship of Priapus The Worship of Priapus
ous Oriental fragment, lately brought from the sacred lion,' the emblems of the active and passive powers
caverns of Elephanta, near Bombay, a complete rep- of procreation, which mutually cherish and invigo-
resentation of the symbol so enigmatically expressed rate each other.
by the head above mentioned. These caverns are The Hindoos still represent the creative powers of
ancient places of worship, hewn in the solid rock the deity by these ancient symbols, the male and
with immense labour and difficulty. That from female organs of generation; and worship them with
which the fragment in question was brought, is 130 the same pious reverence as the Greeks and Egyp-
feet long by 110 wide, adorned with columns and tians did. Like them too they have buried the origi-
2
sculptures finished in a style very different from that nal principles of their theology under a mass of
of the Indian artists. It is now neglected; but others
1 poetical mythology, so that few of them can give
of the same kind are still used as places of worship any more perfect account of their faith, than that
by the Hindoos, who can give no account of the they mean to worship one first cause, to whom the
antiquity of them, which must necessarily be very subordinate deities are merely agents, or more prop-
remote, for the Hindoos are a very ancient people; erly personified modes of action. This is the doc-
2
and yet the sculptures represent a race of men very trine inculcated, and very fully explained, in the
unlike them, or any of the present inhabitants of Bagvat Geeta; a moral and metaphysical work lately
India. A specimen of these was brought from the translated from the Sanscrit language, and said to
island of Elephanta, in the Cumberland man-of-war, have been written upwards of four thousand years
and now belongs to the museum of Mr. Townley. It ago. Kreshna, or the deity become incarnate in the
contains several figures, in very high relief; the prin- shape of man, in order to instruct all mankind, is
cipal of which are a man and woman, in an attitude introduced, r !waling to his disciples the funda-
which I shall not venture to describe, but only ob- mental principles of true faith, religion, and wisdom;
serve, that the action, which I have supposed to be which are the exact counterpart of the system of
a symbol of refreshment and invigoration, is Tutually emanations, so beautifully described in the lines of
applied by both to their respective organs of genera- 1 See Plate xl.
2
Sonnerat, Voyage aux Ines. T. 1. p. 180.
1 Archoel. vol. viii. p. 289.
3
Niebuhr, Voyages, vol. II. p. 17.
92 93
The Worship of Priapus
in the water, and, amongst its broad leaves, puts base of the Lingam also consists of this flower,
forth a flower, in the center of which is formed the blended and composed with the female organ of gen-
seed-vessel, shaped like a bell or inverted cone, and eration which it supports: and the ancient author of
punctuated on the top with little cavities or cells, in the Bagvat Geeta speaks of the creator Brahma as
which the seeds grow.' The orifices of these cells sitting upon his lotus throne.' The figures of Isis,
being too small to let the seeds drop out when ripe, upon the Isiac Table, hold the stem of this plant,
they shoot forth into new plants, in the places where surmounted by the seed-vessel in one hand, and the
they were formed; the bulb of the vessel serving as cross, representing the male organs of generation, in
2
a matrice to nourish them, until they acquire such a the other; thus signifying the universal power, both
degree of magnitude as to burst it open and release active and passive, attributed to that goddess. On
themselves; after which, like other aquatic weeds, the same Isiac Table is also the representation of an
they take root wherever the current deposits them. Egyptian temple, the columns of which are exactly
This plant therefore, being thus productive of itself, like the plant which Isis holds in her hand, except
and vegetating from its Own matrice, without being that the stem is made larger, in order to give it that
fostered in the earth, was naturally adopted as the stability which is necessary to support a roof and
symbol of the productive power of the waters, upon entablature.' Columns and capitals of the same kind
which the active spirit of the creator operated in are still existing, in great numbers, among the ruins
giving life and vegetation to matter. We accordingly of Thebes, in Egypt; and more particularly upon
find it employed in every part of the northern hemi- those very curious ones in the island of Phihe, on
sphere, where the symbolical religion, improperly the borders of Ethiopia, which are, probably, the
called idolatry, does or ever did prevail. The sacred most ancient monuments of art now extant; at least,
images of the Tartars, Japonese, and Indians, are if we except the neighbouring temples of Thebes.
almost all placed upon it; of which numerous in- Both were certainly built when that city was the seat
stances occur in the publications of KxmpfeA Chappc of wealth and empire, which it was, even to a
D'Auteroche, and Sonnerat. The upper part of the 1
Page 91.
2
See Plate wilt Fig. 2, from Pignorius.
1
See Plate xx. Fig. 1. 3
/
See Plate xviii. Fig. 1, from Pignorius.
98 99
111■••••---
100
The Worship of Priapus
102
The Worship of Priapus
105
The Worship of Priapus
The Worship of Priapus
Egyptians, among whose remains of art or literature, male; but this difference of sexes, however important
we may, perhaps, find some probable analogies to aid it may be in a physical, is of very little consequence
conjecture. The elephant is, however, a new symbol in metaphysical beings, Minerva being, like the other
in the west; the Greeks never having seen one of Greek deities, either male or female, or both. On 1
those animals before the expedition of Alexander,' the medals of the Ptolemies, under whom the Indian
although the use of ivory was familiar among them symbols became familiar to the Greeks through the
even in the days of Homer. Upon this Indian monu- commerce of Alexandria, we find her repeatedly rep-
ment the head of the elephant is placed upon the resented with the elephant's skin upon her head, in-
body of a man with four hands, two of which are stead of a helmet; and with a countenance between
held up as prepared to strike with the instruments male and female, such as the artist would naturally
they hold, and the other two pointed down as in give her, when he endeavoured to blend the Greek
adoration of the Lingam. This figure is called Gon- and Indian symbols, and mould them into one.'
nis and Pollear by the modern Hindoos; but neither Minerva is said by the Greek mythologists to have
of these names is to be found in the Geeta, where the been born without a mother from the head of Jupiter,
deity only says, that the learned behold him alike who was delivered of her by the assistance of Vulcan.
in the reverend Brahman perfected in knowledge, in This, in plain language, means no more than that she
the ox, and in the elephant. What peculiar attributes was a pure emanation of the divine mind, operating
the elephant was meant to express, the ancient writer by means of the universal agent fire, and not, like
has not told us; but, as the characteristic properties others of the allegorical personages, sprung from any
of this animal are strength and sagacity, we may con- of the particular operations of the deity upon ex-
clude that his image was intended to represent ideas ternal matter. Hence she is said to be next in dignity
somewhat similar to those which the Greeks repre- to her father, and to be endowed with all his at-
sented by that of Minerva, who was worshippeil as tributes; for, as wisdom is the most exalted quality
8
the goddess of force and wisdom, of war and counsel. of the mind, and the divine mind the perfection of
The Indian Gonnis is indeed male, and Minerva fe- 1
Aperev xat Nvg Etpvg. Orph. Eic AoTiv .
2
See Plate 'arr. Fig. 5, engraved from one belonging to me.
1 Pausan. lib. i. c. 12. 3
Hor. lib. 1. Od. 12. Callimach. Etc Miiv.
119 113
The Worship of Priapus The Worship of Priapus
wisdom, all its attributes are the attributes of wis- of production; and in the other, a golden ring or disc,
dom, under whose direction its power is always which, I shall soon shew, was the symbol by which
exerted. Strength and wisdom therefore, when con- many nations of the East represented the sun. His
sidered as attributes of the deity, are in fact one and head is drawn into a conical, or pyramidal form,
the same. The Greek Minerva is usually represented and surrounded by an ornament which evidently rep-
with the spear uplifted in her hand, in the same man- resents flames; the Indians, as well as the Greeks,
ner as the Indian Gonnis holds the battle-axe. Both 1 looking upon fire as the essence of all active power;
are given to denote the destroying power equally be- whence perpetual lamps are kept burning in the holy
longing to divine wisdom, as the creative or preserv- of holies of all the great pagodas in India, as they
ing. The statue of Jupiter at Labranda in Caria held were anciently in the temple of Jupiter Ammon, and
in his hand the battle-axe, instead of thunder; and many others both Greek and Barbarian; and the in-
on the medals of Tenedos and Thyatira, we find it carnate god in the Bagvat Geeta says, I am the fire re-
represented alone as the symbol of the deity, in the siding in the bodies of all things which have life. Upon
2
same manner as the thunder is upon a great variety the forehead of the Gonnis is a crescent representing
of other medals. I am the thunderbolt, says the the moon, whose power over the waters of the ocean
deity in the Bagvat Geeta; and when we find this
2 caused her to be regarded as the sovereign of the
supposed engine of divine vengeance upon the great nutritive element, and whose mild rays, being
medals, we must not imagine that it is meant for the accompanied by the refreshing dews and cooling
weapon of the supreme god, but for the symbol of his breezes of the night, made her naturally appear to
destroying attribute. What instrument the Gonnis the inhabitants of hot countries as the comforter and
holds in his other hand, is not easily ascertained, it restorer of the earth. I am the moon (says the deity
being a little injured by the carriage. In one of those in the Bagvat Geeta) whose nature it is to give the
pointed downwards he holds the Lotus flowerto de- quality of taste and relish, and to cherish the herbs
note that he has the direction of the passive powers and plants of the fie11. The light of the sun, moon,
2
derstood by themselves. They now place the earth four heads are turned different ways, but exactly
in the centre of the universe, as the later Greeks did, resemble each other. The beards have been painted
among whom we also find the same preference given black, and are sharp and pointed, like those of goats,
to the lunar symbol; Jupiter being represented, on a which the Greeks gave to Pan, and his subordinate
medal of Antiochus VIII., with the crescent upon his emanations, the Fauns and Satyrs. Hence I am in-
head, and the asterisc of the sun in his hand. In a 2
clined to believe, that the Brahma of the Indians is
passage of the Bagvat Geeta already cited we find the the same as the Pan of the Greeks; that is, the cre-
elephant and bull mentioned together as symbols of ative spirit of the deity transfused through matter,
the same kind; and on a medal of Seleucus Nicator and acting in the four elements represented by the
we find them united by the horns of the one being four heads. The Indians indeed admit of a fifth ele-
placed on the head of the other. The later Grfeks
3
ment, as the Greeks did likewise; but this is never
i
exalted nature, and belonging peculiarly to the deity. different medals of the Ptolemies,' under one of
Some call it heaven, some light, and some xther, whom this gem was probably engraved, Alexandria
says Plutarch.' The Hindoos now call it Occus, by having been for a long time the great centre of reli-
which they seem to mean pure wtherial light or fire. gions, as well as of trade and science.
This mode of representing the allegorical per- Next to the figure of Brahma on the pagoda is the
sonages of religion with many heads and limbs to cow of plenty, or the female emblem of the genera-
express their various attributes, and extensive opera- tive or nutritive power of the earth; and at the other
tion, is now universal in the East, and seems 2 corner, next to the Gonnis, is the figure of a woman,
anciently not to have been unknown to the Greeks, with a head of the same conic or pyramidal form,
at least if we may judge by the epithets used by and upon the front of it a flame of fire, from which
Pindar and other early poets. The union of two
3 hangs a crescent. This seems to be the female per-
2
symbolical heads is common among the specimens of sonification of the divine attributes represented by
their art now extant, as may be seen upon the medals the Gonnis or Pollear; for the Hindoos, like the
of Syracuse, Marseilles, and many other cities. Upon Greeks, worship the deity under both sexes, though
a gem of this sort in the collection of Mr. Townley, they do not attempt to unite both in one figure. I am
the same ideas which are expressed on the Indian the father and the mother of the world, says the in-
pagoda by the distinct figures Brahma and Gonnis, carnate god in the Bagvat Geeta. Amongst cattle,
3
are expressed by the united heads of Ammon and adds he in a subsequent part, I am the cow Kamad-
Minerva. Ammon, as before observed, was the Pan hook. I am the prolific Kandarp, the god of love.*
of the Greeks, and Minerva is here evidently the same These two sentences, by being placed together, seem
as the Gonnis, being represented after the Indian to imply some relation between this god of love and
manner, with the elephant's skin on her head, instead the cow Kamadhook; and, were we to read the words
of a helmet' Both these heads appear separate upon without punctuation, as they are in all ancient or-
Ei apud Delph. I See Plate xn. Fig. 5 and 6.
2 See Klempfer, Chappe D'Auteroche, Sonnerat, &c. 2 See Plate xn.
8
Such as gxctroyxecpccAog, Excurovtaxavog, Excetoyxueog, &c. 8 Page 80.
See Plate mu. Fig. 7. 4
Page 86.
118 119
The Worship of Priapus
1 OA
The Worship of Priapus
123
The Worship of Priapus
The Worship of Priapus
circles of stones, in the centre of which was kindled
Of all the nations of antiquity the Persians were
the sacren fire, the symbol of the god. Homer fre-
1
125
124
The Worship of Priapus
129
NW
130
-Mk
133
The Worship of Priapus The Worship of Priapus
dedicated to the sun under the title of Bacchus eternity, says Milton, who in this, as well as many
Sebazius. The large obeliscs of stone found in many
1
other instances, has followed the Ammonian Pla-
parts of the North, such as those at Rudstone, and 2
tonics, who were both the restorers and corrupters
near Boroughbridge in Yorkshire,' belong to the same of the ancient theology. They restored it from the
religion; obeliscs being, as Pliny observes, sacred to mass of poetical mythology, under which it was
the sun, whose rays they represented both by their buried, but refined and sublimated it with abstract
form and name.' An ancient medal of Apollonia in metaphysics, which soared as far above human rea-
Illyria, belonging to the Museum of the late Dr. son as the poetical mythology sunk below it. From
Hunter, has the head of Apollo crowned with lqurel the ancient solar obeliscs came the spires and pin-
on one side, and on the other an obelisc terminating nacles with which our churches are still decorated,
in a cross, the least explicit representation of the so many ages after their mystic meaning has been
male organs of generation.' This has exactly the ap- forgotten. Happily for the beauty of these edifices, it
pearance of one of those crosses, which were erected was forgotten; otherwise the reformers of the last
in church-yards and cross roads for the adoration of century would have destroyed them, as they did
devout persons, when devotion was more prevalent the crosses and images; for they might with equal
than at present. Many of these were undoubtedly propriety have been pronounced heathenish and
erected before the establishment of Christianity, and prophane.
converted, together with their worshippers, to the As the obelisc was the symbol of light, so was the
true faith. Anciently they represented the generative pyramid of fire, deemed to be essentially the same.
power of light, the essence of God; for God is light, The Egyptians, among whom these forms are the
and never but in unapproached light dwelt from most frequent, held that there were two opposite
1
Sat. lib. i. c. 18. powers in the world, perpetually acting contrary to
2
Archaeologia, vol. v. each other, the one creating, and the other destroy-
3
Now called the Devil's Arrows. See Stukeley's Itin. vol. i. ing: the former they called Osiris, and the latter
Table xc.
Typhon.' By the contention of these two, that mix-
4 Hist. Nat. lib. xxxvi. sec. 14.
5
Plate x. Fig. 1, and Numi. Pop. cE Urb. Table x. Fig. 7. I Plutarch. de Is. 4 Os.
134 135
The Worship of Priapus The Worship of Priapus
ture of good and evil, which, according to some verses ology or mythology of Greece. Homer, in the beauti-
of Euripides quoted by Plutarch,' constituted the har- ful allegory of the two casks, makes Jupiter, the
mony of the world, was supposed to be produced. supreme god, the distributor of both good and evil.'
This opinion of the necessary mixture of good and The name of Jupiter, avg, was originally one of the
evil was, according to Plutarch, of immemorial an- titles or epithets of the sun, signifying, according to
tiquity, derived from the oldest theologists and legis- its etymology, aweful or terrible; in which sense it
2
lators, not only in traditions and reports, but in is used in the Orphic litanies.° Pan, the universal
mysteries and sacrifices, both Greek and barbarian.° substance, is called the horned Jupiter (ZEvc o
Fire was the efficient principle of both, and, accord- xEpaotrig) ; and in an Orphic fragment preserved
ing to some of the Egyptians, that wtherial fire which by Macrobius the names of Jupiter and Bacchus
4
concentred in the sun. This opinion Plutarch con- appear to be only titles of the all-creating power of
troverts, saying that Typhon, the evil or destroying the sun.
power, was a terrestrial or material fire, essentially AyXca ZEN', A LOVVCIE, ItatEt novtov, Itant atig,
different from the wtherial. But Plutarch here ar- `MAE nay yEVECOt.
gues from his own prejudices, rather than from the In another fragment preserved by the same author,'
evidence of the case; for he believed in an original the name of Pluto, ALSig, is used as a title of the same
evil principle coeternal with the good, and acting in deity; who appears therefore to have presided over
perpetual opposition to it; an error into which men the dead as well as over the living, and to have been
have been led by forming false notions of good and the lord of destruction as well as creation and preser-
evil, and considering them as self-existing inherent vation. We accordingly find that in one of the
properties, instead of accidental modifications, vari- Orphic litanies now extant, he is expressly called the
able with every circumstance with which causes and giver of life, and the destroyer.°
events are connected. This error, though adoKed by
1 IL w, v. 527.
individuals, never formed a part either of the the- 2
DaMM. Lex. Etyma
3
Hymn. x. v. 13.
I Plutarch. de Is. & Os. 4 Sat. lib. 1. c. 23.
2 ibid. Ed. Reiskii. 5
Sat. lib. I. c. 8 .
6
Hymn. bail. Ed. Gesn.
136 1R7
1111111•
with verdure in the spring. In one season it dried the active power of destruction, and the other the
up the waters from the earth, and in another re- passive power of generation. From their union is
turned them in rain. It caused fermentation and
said to have sprung the goddess Harmony, who was
putrefaction, which destroy one generation of plants
the physical order of the universe personified. The
and animals, and produce another in constant and
fable of Ceres and Proserpine is the same allegory
regular succession. This contention between the
inverted; Ceres being the prolific power of the earth
powers of creation and destruction is represented on
personified, and hence called by the Greeks Mother
an ancient medal of Acanthus, in the museum of the
Earth (Fri or Ai-prrit). The Latin name Ceres also
late Dr. Hunter, by a combat between the bull and
signifying Earth, the Roman C being the same origi-
lion.' The bull alone is represented on other medals
nally, both in figure and power as the Greek F,'
in exactly the same attitude and gesture as when
which Homer often uses as a mere guttural aspirate,
fighting with the lion; whence I conclude that the
2
tion. See Nummi Vet. Pop. & Urb. Table viii. Fig. 20.
3
Nummi Vet. Pop. & Urb. Table xvi. Fig. 13. I See S. C. Martian, and the medals of Gela and Agrigentum.
4
Plate ix. Fig. 13. 2
As in the word Eetbilntoc, usually written by him E e i y 8Viroc•
3
See Plate vim
The Worship of Priapus
instances, devouring clusters of grapes, the fruit pe- in the collection of the Duke of Marlborough, the
culiarly consecrated to the god, and in others drink- tiger is sucking the breast of a nymph; which repre-
ing the liquor pressed from them. The author of sents the same power of destruction, nourished by
the Recherches sur les Arts has in this instance fol- the passive power of generation. In the museum of 3
lowed the common accounts of the Mythologists, and Charles Townley, Esq., is a group, in marble, of three
asserted that tigers are really fond of grapes; which
2
figures; the middle one of which grows out of a vine
4
is so far from being true, that they are incapable of in a human form, with leaves and clusters of grapes
feeding upon them, or upon any fruit whatever, be- springing out of its body. On one side is the Bacchus
ing both externally and internally formed to feed SLizpvic, or creator of both sexes, known by the effemi-
upon flesh only, and to procure their food by destroy- nate mold of his limbs and countenance; and on
ing other animals. Hence I am persuaded, that in the other, a tiger, leaping up, and devouring the
the ancient symbols, tigers, as well as lions, repre- grapes which spring from the body of the personified
sent the destroying power of the god. Sometimes his vine, the hands of which are employed in receiving
chariot appears drawn by them; and then they rep-
resent the powers of destruction preceding the pow- 1 Table xliii. Fig. 26.
2 Stuart ' s Athens, vol. i. c. 4, Plate x.
ers of generation, and extending their operation, as 3 See Plate xxxxi. engraved merely to show the composition, it
putrefaction precedes, and increases vegetation. On not being permitted to make an exact drawing of it.
1 Vol. iv. p. 32. See also Plate v. Fig. 4, copied from it.
4
See Plate xxi. Fig. 7.
2
Liv. I. c. 3.
149
148
The Worship of Priapus The Worship of Priapus
another cluster from the Bacchus. This composition and dissolution; it being universally allowed, through
represents the vine between the creating and destroy- all systems of religion, or sects of philosophy, that
ing attributes of god; the one giving it fruit, and the nothing could come from nothing, and that no power
other devouring it when given. The tiger has a gar- whatever could annihilate that which really existed.
land of ivy round his ►ic.ek, to show that the destroyer The bold and magnificent idea of a creation from
was co-essential with the creator, of whom ivy, as nothing was reserved for the more vigorous faith,
well as all other ever-greens, was an emblem repre- and more enlightened minds of the moderns,' who
senting his perpetual youth and viridity.' need seek no authority to confirm their belief; for,
The mutual and alternate operation of the two as that which is self-evident admits of no proof,
great attributes of creation and destruction, was not so that which is in itself impossible admits of no
confined by the ancients to plants and animals, and refutation.
such transitory productions, but extended to the uni- The fable of the serpent Pytho being destroyed
verse itself. Fire being the essential cause of both, by Apollo, probably arose from an emblematical
they believed that the conflagration and renovation composition, in which that god was represented as
of the world were periodical and regular, proceeding the destroyer of life, of which the serpent was a
from each other by the laws of its own constitution, symbol. Pliny mentions a statue of him by Praxiteles,
implanted in it by the creator, who was also the de- which was much celebrated in his time, called
stroyer and renovator; for, as Plato says, all things
" Mavowccov (the Lizard-killer.) The lizard, being
2
arise from one, and into one are all things resolved. 3
supposed to live upon the dews and moisture of the
It must be observed, that, when the ancients speak of earth, is employed as the symbol of humidity in gen-
creation and destruction, they mean only formation eral; so that the god destroying it, signifies the same
1 Strabo, lib. xv. p. 712. as the lion devouring the horse. The title Apollo, I
2
Brucker, Hist. Crit. Philos. vol. i. part 2, lib. i. Plutarch de 1
The word in Genesis upon which it is founded, conveyed no
Placit. Philos. lib. ii. c. 18. Lucretius, lib. v. ver. 92. Cie. de Nat.
such sense to the ancients; for the Seventy translated it Ejtoulag.
Deor. lib. ii.
Which signifies formed, or fashioned.
3
E; ivoc; to navta ysvEcraat,, xat .i; tilYCOV avalu€00cti, 2
Hist. Nat. lib. xxxiv. c. 8. Many copies of it are still extant.
in Phwd. The same dogma is still more plainly inculcated by the Winkleman has published one from a bronze of Cardinal Albani's.
ancient Indian author before cited, see Baqvat Geeta, Lect. lx. Monum. Antichi. inediti, Plate xi..
150 151
The Worship of Priapus
152
The Worship of Priapus
155
Mr -
produced disease and putrefaction; and in the latte r obeliscs or rays, which I take to be of this deity.' The
that he returned the exhalations in dews, tempere hairs appear erect, to imitate flames, as they do on
with the genial heat which he had transfused into many of the Greek medals; and on the reverse is a
the atmosphere, to restore and replenish the waste of bearded head, with a sort of pyramidal cap on,
the day. Hence, when they personified the attributes, exactly resembling that by which the Romans con-
they revered the one as the diurnal, and the other ferred freedom on their slaves, and which was there-
as the nocturnal sun, and in their mystic worship, as
fore called the cap of liberty. On other Celtiberian
2
Macrobius says,' called the former Apollo, and th medals is a figure on horseback, carrying a spear in
latter Dionysus or Bacchus. The mythological pei- his hand, and having the same sort of cap on his
sonages of Castor and Pollux, who lived and die head, with the word Helman written under him, in 3
alternately, were allegories of the same dogma ; characters which are something between the old
hence the two asteriscs, by which they are distin- Runic and Pelasgian; but so near to the latter, that
guished on the medals of Locri, Argos, and other they are easily understood.' This figure seems to be
cities. of the same person as is represented by the head with
The paeans, or war-songs, which the Greeks chanted the cap on the preceding medal, who can be no other
at the onset of their battles, were originally sung to
2
than the angel or minister of the deity of death, as
Apollo, who was called Pion; and Macrobius tells
3
156
157
The Worship of Priapus
158
The Worship of Priapus
161
Pr"
The Worship of Priapus The Worship of Priapus
mythology. The same ideas are expressed somewha t ductor of the dead, and emancipator of the soul. The
more plainly on the medals of /Esernia in Italy )Esernians, bordering upon the Samnites, a Celtic
which are executed with all the refinement and ele- nation, might naturally be supposed to have adopted
gance of Grecian art." On one side is Apollo, the the notions of their neighbours, or, what is more
diurnal sun, mounting in his chariot; and on the probable, preserved the religion of their ancestors
other a beardless head, with the same cap on, and more pure than the Hellenic Greeks. Hence they
the same instrument behind it, but with the youthful represented Vulcan, who, from the inscription on the
features and elegant character of countenance usu exergue of their coins, appears to have been their
ally attributed to Mercury, who, as well as Vulcan , tutelar god, with the characteristic features of Mer-
was the God of Art and Mechanism; and whose pe cury, who was only a different personification of the
culiar office it also was to conduct the souls of the same deity.
deceased to their eternal mansions, from whence At Lycopolis in Egypt the destroying power of the
came the epithet Atax-o4 applied to him by Homer. sun was represented by a wolf; which, as Macrobius
He was, therefore, in this respect, the same as the says, was worshipped there as Apollo.' The wolf
Heiman of the Celtes and Scythians, who was sup- appears devouring grapes in the ornaments of the
posed to conduct the souls of all who died a violent temple of Bacchus 3tE@ MOVLO; at Puzzuoli; and on 2
death (which alone was accounted truly happy) to the medals of Cartha he is surrounded with rays,
the palace of Valhala. It seems that the attributes
2 which plainly proves that he is there meant as a
of the deity which the Greeks represented by the symbol of the sun. He is also represented on most
3
mythological personages of Vulcan and Mercury, of the coins :if Argos,' where I have already shown
were united in the Celtic mythology. Caesar tells us that the diurnal sun Apollo, the light-extending god,
that the Germans worshipped Vulcan, or fire, with was peculiarly worshipped. We may therefore con-
the sun and moon; and I shall soon have occtsion to clude, that this animal is meant for one of the mys-
show that the Greeks held fire to be the real con-
Sat. lib. i. c. 17.
2 Plate xvi. Fig. i.
1 See Plate x. Fig. 6, from one belonging to me. 3
Plate x, Fig. 8, from one belonging to me.
2 Mallet, Hist. de Ditneinare. Introd. c. 9. • Plate ix, Fig. 7, from one belonging to me.
162 1 aQ
The Worship of Priapus The Worship of Priapus
tic symbols of the primitive worship, and not, as the Bacchus Stqwig, were it not for the bow that he
some antiquarians have supposed, to commemorate carries in his hand, which evidently shows him to
the mythological tales of Danaus or Lycaon, which be Apollo. This I take to be the figure under which
were probably invented, like many others of the the refinement of art (and more was never shown
same kind, to satisfy the inquisitive ignorance of the than in this medal) represented the Apollo Didy-
vulgar, from whom the meaning of the mystic sym- mwus, or union of the creative and destructive pow-
bols, the usual devices on the medals, was strictly ers of both sexes in one body.
concealed. In the Celtic mythology, the same symbol As fire was the primary essence of the active or
was employed, apparently in the same sense, Lok, the male powers of creation and generation, so was water
great destroying power of the universe, being repre- of the passive or female. Appian says, that the god-
sented under the form of a wolf. 1 dess worshipped at Hierapolis in Syria was called
The Apollo Didymoeus, or double Apollo, was prob- by some Venus, by others Juno, and by others held
ably the two personifications, that of the destroying, to be the cause which produced the beginning and
and that of the creating power, united; whence we seeds of things from humidity?. Plutarch describes
may perceive the reason why the ornaments before her nearly in the same words; and the author of
2
described should be upon his temple. On the 2 the treatise attributed to Lucian says, she was Na-
3
medals of Antigonus, king of Asia, is a figure with his ture, the parent of things, or the creatress. She was
hair hanging in artificial ringlets over his shoulders, therefore the same as Isis, who was the prolific ma-
like that of a woman, and the whole composition, terial upon which both the creative and destructive
both of his limbs and countenance, remarkable for attributes operated' As water was her terrestrial
extreme delicacy, and feminine elegance. He is sit-3 essence, so was the moon her celestial image, whose
ting on the prow of a ship, as god of the waters; and attractive power, heaving the waters of the ocean,
we should, without hesitation, pronounce him to be naturally led men to associate them. The moon was
1
Mallet, Introd. d l'Hist. de Daneinarc. 'De Bell oParthico.
14. 2
In Crasso.
2 See /onion Antiq. vol. 1. c. 3, P1. ix.
3
See Plate x. Fig. 7, from one belonging to me. Similar figures
3
De Dea Elyria.
are on the coins of most of the Seleueidte. *Plutarch. de Is. if Os.
164 165
111•""---
also supposed to return the dews which the sun ex- nal and nocturnal sun, in the same manner as when
haled from the earth; and hence her warmth was placed over the caps of Castor and Pollux.' This is
reckoned to be moistening, as that of the sun was not the form under which she was represented in the
drying.' The Egyptians called her the Mother of the temple at Hierapolis, when the author of the account
World, because she sowed and scattered into the air attributed to Lucian visited it; which is not to be
the prolific principles with which she had been im- wondered at, for the figures of this universal god-
pregnated by the sun. These principles, as well as
2
dess, being merely emblematical, were composed
the light by which she was illumined, being sup- according to the attributes which the artists meant
posed to emanate from the great fountain of all life particularly to express. She is probably represented
and motion, partook of the nature of the being from here in the form under which she was worshipped
which they were derived. Hence the Egyptians at- in the neighbourhood of Cyzicus, where she was
tributed to the moon, as well as to the sun, the active called AQTERig Ilptalavii, the Priapic Diana. In the
2
calor sons arefacit, lunaris humectat. • Maerob. Sat. vu. e. 10. Philadelphus had one of 120 cubits long carried in
2
Plutarch. de Is. cE Os. I See Plate ix. Fig. 7.
3
Ibid. 2 Plutarch. in Lucullo.
4 Plate x. Fig. 5, from Ham. Tea. Brit. p. 70. 8
Lucian. de Dea Syria.
166 167
The Worship of Priapus The Worship of Priapus
procession at Alexandria,) of which the poet might strength only, of which the bulls were symbols.) Be-
justly have said- tween both was a third figure, with a dove on his
Horrendum protene it Mentula contum head, which some thought to be Bacchus. This was 2
Quanta queat vastos Thetidis spumantis hiatus; the Holy Spirit, the first-begotten love, or plastic na-
Quanta queat priscamque Rheam, magnamque parentem
Naturam, solieis naturam implere medullis, ture, (of which the dove was the image when it
Si foret immensos, quot ad astra volantia currunt, really deigned to descend upon man, ) proceeding
8
168 169
-111111111111111■--
1
See Le Bruyn, Voyage en Perse, Planche
2
See Le Bruyn and Niebuhr.
3
See Plate xvm. Fig. 1 from the Isiac Table, and Plate ma.
Fig 5 from Niebuhr's prints of Chilminar. See also Plate arm.
Fig. 2 and Plate 'cur. Fig. r from the Isiac Tables and the Egyp-
tian Portals published by ,Norden and Pococke, on every one of
which this singular emblem occurs.
173
The Worship of Priapus
liberty to its productive powers by the exertion of his the human face,' who is then the same as the Apis or
own attributes, attraction and separation. On a very Mnevis of the Egyptians; that is, the image of the
ancient Phoenician medal brought from Asia by Mr . generative power of the sun, which is signified by
Pullinger, and published very incorrectly by Mr the asterisc on the Greek medals, and by the kneph,
Swinton in the Philosophical Transactions of 1760, is or winged disc, on the Oriental monuments. The
a disc or ring surrounded by wings of different forms , Greeks however sometimes employed this latter sym-
of which some of the feathers are distorted in the bol, but contrived, according to their usual practice,
same manner.' The same disc, surrounded by the to join it to the human figure, as may be seen on a
same kind of wings, incloses the asterisc of the sun medal of Camarina, published by Prince Torrem-
over the bull Apis, or Mnevis, on the Isiac Table, 2 muzzi. On other medals of this city the same idea
2
where it also appears with many of the other Egyp is expressed, without the disc or asterisc, by a winged
tian symbols, particularly over the heads of Isis and figure, which appears hovering over a swan, the
Osiris. It is also placed over the entrances of most
3 emblem of the waters, to show the generative power
of the Egyptian temples described by Pococke and of the sun fructifying that element, or adding the
Norden as well as on that represented on the Isiac active to the passive powers of production. On the 3
Table,' though with several variations, and without medals of Naples, a winged figure of the same kind
the asterisc. We find it equally without the asterisc is represented crowning the Taurine Bacchus with a
but with little or no variation, on the ruins at Chilme. wreath of laurel.' This antiquarians have called a
nar, and other supposed Persian antiquities in that Victory crowning the Minotaur; but the fabulous
neighbourhood: but upon some of the Greek
5 monster called the Minotaur was never said to have
medals the asterisc alone is placed over the bull with been victorious, even by the poets who invented it;
and whenever the sculptors and painters represented
1 See Plate ix. Fig. 9, engraved from the original medal, now
R
belonging to me.
2
See Plate xix, Fig. 1, from Pignorius.
1
See Plate rv. Fig. 2, and Plate xix. Fig. 4, from a medal of
3
See Plate xvxrr. Fig. 2, from Pignorius. Cales, belonging to me.
* See Plate xviii. Fig. 1, from Pignorius.
2
See Plate xxr. Fig. 2, copied from it.
5
See Niebuhr and Le Bruyn, and Plate xix. Fig. 2, from the
8
See Plate xxr. Fig. 3, from one belonging to me.
former.
4
See Plate xix. Fig. 5. The coins are common in all collections.
,
'70
The Worship of Priapus
The Worship of Priapus
Minerva, or divine wisdom. I am inclined to believe,
it, they joined the head of a bull to a human body,
that the large rings, to which the little figures of
as may be seen in the celebrated picture of Theseus,
Priapus are attached, had also the same meaning
1
181
The Worship of Priapus The Worship of Priapus
usual form, on many of the coins of that people. chants bringing toys and ornaments of dress to sell
We may hence conclude that he is the person here to the Greeks, and practicing those frauds which
represented, notwithstanding the difference in the merchants and factors are apt to practice upon igno-
style and composition of the figure, which may be rant people. It is probable that their progress in the
1
accounted for by the difference of art. The Greeks, fine arts, like that of the Dutch (who are the Phoeni-
animated by the spirit of their ancient poets, and the cians of modern history), never went beyond a strict
glowing melody of their language, were grand and imitation of nature; which, compared to the more
poetical in all their compositions; whilst the Phoeni- elevated graces of ideal composition, is like a news-
cians, who spoke a harsh and untuneable dialect, paper narrative compared with one of Homer's
were unacquainted with fine poetry, and conse- battles. A figure of Hercules, therefore, executed by
quently with poetical ideas; for words being the a Phoenician artist, if compared to one by Phidias or
types of ideas, and the signs or marks by which men Lysippus, would be like a picture of Moses or David,
not only communicate them to each other, but ar- painted by Teniers, or Gerard Dow, compared to one
range and regulate them in their own minds, the of the same, painted by Raphael or Annibal Caracci.
genius of a language goes a great way towards form- This is exactly the difference between the figures on
ing the character of the people who use it. Poverty the medal now under consideration, and those on the
of expression will produce poverty of conception; coins of Gelo or Alexander. Of all the personages of
for men will never be able to form sublime ideas, the ancient mythology, Hercules is perhaps the most
when the language in which they think (for men al- difficult to explain; for physical allegory and fabu-
ways think as well as speak in some language) is lous history are so entangled in the accounts we have
incapable of expressing them. This may be one rea- of him, that it is scarcely possible to separate them.
son why the Phoenicians never rivalled the Greeks He appears however, like all the other gods, to have
in the perfection of art, although they attained a been originally a personified attribute of the sun.
degree of excellence long before them; for Homer, The eleventh of the Orphic Hymns is addressed to
2
him as the strength and power of the sun; and Ma- Theban hero, or a physical allegory of the destruc-
crobius says that he was thought to be the strength tive power destroying its own force by its own exer-
and virtue of the gods, by which they destroyed the tions? Or is the single attribute personified taken
giants; and that, according to Varro, the Mars and for the whole power of the deity in this, as in other
Hercules of the Romans were the same deity, and instances already mentioned? The Orphic Hymn
worshipped with the same rites. According to Varre
1
above cited seems to favour this last conjecture; for
then, whose authority is perhaps the greatest that can he is there addressed both as the devourer and gener-
be cited, Hercules was the destroying attribute rep- ator of all (Ila[tepaye, nayyevEvet). However this may
resented in a human form, instead of that of a lion, be, we may safely conclude that the Hercules armed
tiger, or hippopotamus. Hence the terrible picture with the bow and arrow, as he appears on the present
drawn of him by Homer, which always appeared to medal, is like the Apollo, the destroying power of
me to have been taken from some symbolical statue. the diurnal sun.
which the poet not understanding, supposed to be of On the other side of the medal is a figure, some-
1
the Theban hero, who had assumed the title of the what like the Jupiter on the medals of Alexander and
deity, and whose fabulous history he was well ac- Antiochus, sitting with a beaded sceptre in his right
quainted with. The description however applies in hand, which he rests upon the head of a bull, that
every particular to the allegorical personage. His atti- projects from the side of the chair. Above, on his
tude, ever fixed in the act of letting fly his arrow, right shoulder, is a bird, probably a dove, the symbol
with the figures of lions and bears, battles and mur- of the Holy Spirit, descending from the sun, but, as
ders, which adorn his belt, all unite in representing this part of the medal is less perfect than the rest,
him as the destructive attribute personified. But the species cannot be clearly discovered. In his left
how happens it then that he is so frequently repre- hand he holds a short staff, from the upper side of
sented strangling the lion, the natural emblenkof which springs an ear of corn, and from the lower a
power? Is this an historical fable belonging to the bunch of grapes, which being the two most esteemed
productions of the earth, were the natural emblems
1 Sat. lib. 1. c. 20.
2
Atm, Beacom. lomoc. &ryas. ver. 607. 1 Can. Pin}. xv Via 1A /I
184
The Worship of Priapus The Worship of Priapus
of general fertilization. This figure is therefore the throne in which he sits; and his sceptre, the emblem
generator, as that on the other side is the destroyer, of his authority, rests upon it. The other word, Baal,
whilst the sun, of whose attributes both are personi- was merely a title in the Phoenician language, signi-
fications, is placed between them. The letters on the fying God, or Lord; and used as an epithet of the
1
side of the generator are quite entire, and, according sun, as we learn from the name Baal-bec (the city SIR
to the Phoenician alphabet published by Mr. Dutens, of Baal), which the Greeks rendered Heliopolis (the
are equivalent to the Roman ones which compose the city of the sun).
words Baal Thrz, of which Mr. Swinton makes Baal Thus does this singular medal show the funda-
Tarz, and translates Jupiter of Tarsus; whence he con- mental principles of the ancient Phoenician religion
cludes that this coin was struck at that city. But the to be the same as those which appear to have pre-
first letter of the last word is not a Teth, but a Thau, vailed through all the other nations of the northern
or aspirated T; and, as the Phoenicians had a vowel hemisphere. Fragments of the same system every
answering to the Roman A, it is probable they would where occur, variously expressed as they were vari-
have inserted it, had they intended it to be sounded: ously understood, and oftentimes merely preserved
but we have no reason to believe that they had any to without being understood at all; the ancient rever-
express the U or Y, which must therefore be com- ence being continued to the symbols, when their
prehended in the preceding consonant whenever the meaning was wholly forgotten. The hypostatical di-
sound is expressed. Hence I conclude that the word vision and essential unity of the deity is one of the
here meant is Thyrz or Thurz, the Thor or Thur of most remarkable parts of this system, and the far-
the Celtes and Sarmatians, the Thurra of the As- thest remcved from common sense and reason; and
syrians, the Turan of the Tyrrhenians or Etruscans, yet this is perfectly reasonable and consistent, if
the Taurine Bacchus of the Greeks, and the deity considered together with the rest of it : for the emana-
whom the Germans carried with them in the wshape tions and personifications were only figurative ab-
of a bull, when they invaded Italy; from whom the stractions of particular modes of action and existence,
city of Tyre, as well as Tyrrhenia, or Tuscany, prob- of which the primary cause and original essence still
ably took its name. His symbol the bull, to which continued one and the same
the name alludes, is represented on the chair or 1 Cleric. Comm. in 2 Reg. c. i. ver. 2.
1Qg 1R'7
The Worship of Priapus The Worship of Priapus
The three hypostases being thus only one being, other animal symbols, the precise meaning of which
each hypostasis is occasionally taken for all; as is the I have not sagacity sufficient to discover.
case in the passage of Apuleius before cited, where This universality of the goddess was more con-
Isis describes herself as the universal deity. In this cisely represented in other figures of her, by the
character she is represented by a small basaltine mystic instrument called a Systrum, which she car-
figure, of Egyptian sculpture, at Strawberry Hill, ried in her hand. Plutarch has given an explanation
which is covered over with symbols of various kinds of it,' which may serve to show that the mode here
from top to bottom.' That of the bull is placed low- adopted of explaining the ancient symbols is not
est, to show that the strength or power of the creator founded merely upon conjecture and analogy, but
is the foundation and support of every other attri- also upon the authority of one of the most grave and
bute. On her head are towers, to denote the earth; learned of the Greeks. The curved top, he says, rep-
and round her neck is hung a crab-fish, which, from resented the lunar orbit, within which the creative
its power of spontaneously detaching from its body, attributes of the deity were exerted, in giving motion
and naturally reproducing, any limbs that are hurt or to the four elements, signified by the four rattles be-
mutilated, became the symbol of the productive low. On the centre of the curve was a cat, the
2
power of the waters; in which sense it appears on emblem of the moon; who, from her influence on the
great numbers of ancient medals of various cities. 2
constitutions of women, was supposed to preside par-
The nutritive power is signified by her many breasts, ticularly over the passive powers of generation; 3
and the destructive by the lions which she bears on and below, upon the base, a head of Isis or Nepthus;
her arms. Other attributes are expressed by various instead of which, upon that which I have had en-
1 A print of one exactly the same is published by Montfaucon, graved, as well as upon many others now extant,_are
Antiq. expliq. vol. i. Plate xcur. Fig. I. the male organs of generation, representing the ac-
2
See those of Agrigentum, Himera, and Cyrene. On a small tive powers of the creator, attributed to Isis with the
one of the first-mentioned city, belonging to me, a cross, the
abbreviated symbol of the male powers of generation, apkroaches
' De Is. & Os.
the mouth of the crab, while the cornucopia issues from it (see 2
See Plate x. Fig. 4, engraved from one in the collection
Plate xx. Fig. 3): the one represents the cause, and the other
of R. Wilbraham, Esq.
the effect of fertilization. 3
Cie. de Nat. Deor. lib. Ii. c. 46.
188
The Worship of Priapus The Worship of Priapus
passive. The clattering noise, and various motions by the later heathens; that is, as a charm against evil
of the rattles being adopted as the symbols of the dwmons; for, being symbols of the active exertions
1
movement and mixture of the elements from which of the creative attributes, they were properly op-
all things are produced; the sound of metals in gen- posed to the emanations of the destructive. The Lace-
eral became an emblem of the same kind. Hence, demonians used to beat a pan or kettle-drum at the
the ringing of bells, and clattering of plates of metal, death of their king, to assist in the emancipation of
2
was personified into the familiar daemon, or genius , collected little fragments of the ancient theology, and
supposed to have the direction of each individual , introduced them here and there, amidst the wild
and to dispose him to good or evil, wisdom or folly, profusion of his poetical fables, represents the shades
and all their consequences of prosperity and adver. of the deceased as void of perception, until they had
sity. Hence proceeded the doctrines, so uniformly
1
tasted of the blood of the victims offered by Ulysses; 1
the faithful from the shackles of practical morality separation of these two did not take place till the
The familiar daemons, or divine emanations, wer e body was consumed by fire, as appears from the
supposed to reside in the blood; which was thought ghost of Elpenor, whose body being still entire, he
to contain the principles of vital heat, and was there - retained both, and knew Ulysses before he had tasted
fore forbidden by Moses. Homer, who seems to have
3
of the blood. It was from producing this separation,
1 Pindar. Pyth. v. ver. 164. Sophocl. Trachin. ver. 922. Hoz that the universal Bacchus, or double Apollo, the
lib. ii. epist. ii. ver. 187. creator and destroyer, whose essence was fire, was
2
Ex e£WV RCIXaVat moat BQateatg aeetatc, xaL crocpot, xa
xEpat BLatat, irEQtykwaaot t ETIv. Pindar Pyth. 1. ver. '71
'
1 Odyss. t, ver. 152.
Passages to the same purpose occur in almost every page of th
2
Those who wish to see the difference between sensation and
Iliad and Odyssey. Perception clearly and fully explained, may be satisfied by read-
3
Levit. ch. xvii. ver. 11 & 14. ing the Essai analytique sur l'Ame, by Mr. Bonnet.
192 lOR
The Worship of Priapus The Worship of Priapus
also called Ausvirri;, the purifier,' by a metaphor considered as one of the most elegant allegories of
taken from the winnow, which purified the corn from their elegant religion. This insect, when hatched
the dust and chaff, as fire purified the soul from its from the egg, appears in the shape of a grub, crawl-
terrestrial pollutions. Hence this instrument is ing upon the earth, and feeding upon the leaves of
called by Virgil the mystic winnow of Bacchus. The 2
plants. In this state, it was aptly made the emblem
Ammonian Platonics and Gnostic Christians thought of man, in his earthly form, in which the mtherial
that this separation, or purification, might be effected vigour and activity of the celestial soul, the divine
in a degree even before death. It was for this pur- particula mentis, was supposed to be clogged and
pose that they practised such rigid temperance, and incumbered with the material body. When the grub
gave themselves up to such intense study; for, by was changed to a chrysalis, its stillness, torpor, and
subduing and extenuating the terrestrial principle, insensibility seemed to present a natural image of
they hoped to give liberty and vigour to the celestial, death, or the intermediate state between the cessa-
so that it might be enabled to ascend directly to the tion of the vital functions of the body and the final
intellectual world, pure and unincumbered. The 3
releasement of the soul by the fire, in which the body
clergy afterwards introduced Purgatory, instead of was consumed. The butterfly breaking from the tor-
abstract meditation and study; which was the ancient pid chrysalis, and mounting in the air, was no less
mode of separation by fire, removed into an un- natural an image of the celestial soul bursting from
known country, where it was saleable to all such of the restraints of matter, and mixing again with its
the inhabitants of this world as had sufficient wealth native wther. The Greek artists, always studious of
and credulity. elegance, changed this, as well as other animal sym-
It was the celestial or eetherial principle of the bols, into a human form, retaining the wings as the
human mind, which the ancient artists represented characteristic members, by which the meaning might
under the symbol of the butterfly, which May be be known. The human body, which they added to
them, is that of a beautiful girl, sometimes in the age
1 Orph. Hymn. 45.
2mystiea vannus letechi. Georg. i. ver. 166. of infancy, and sometimes of approaching maturity.
3
Plotin. Ennead. vi. lib. iv. ch . 16. Mosheim, Not y in CudW. So beautiful an allegory as this would naturally be a
Syst. Inteil. ch. v. sect. 20.
favourite subject of art among a people whose taste
The Worship of Priapus
The Worship of Priapus
ology, which was too pure and philosophical to con-
had attained the utmost pitch of refinement. We ac-
tinue long a popular religion. The grand and ex-
cordingly find that it has been more frequently and
alted system of a general first cause, universally
more variously repeated than any other which the
expanded, did not suit the gross conceptions of the
system of emanations, so favourable to art, could
multitude; who had no other way of conceiving the
afford.
idea of an omnipotent god, but by forming an ex-
Although all men were supposed to partake of the
aggerated image of their own despot, and supposing
divine emanation in a degree, it was not supposed
his power to consist in an unlimited gratification of
that they all partook of it in an equal degree. Those
his passions and appetites. Hence the universal
wliu S1IU wed superior dIlIII LiCJ -and distinguished
,
197
The Worship of Priapus The Worship of Priapus
distinguished by the titles of the deity which they were formity to the taste of the times; for men naturally
meant to represent, became in time to be considered attribute their own passions and inclinations to the
as distinct personages, and worshipped as separate objects of their adoration; and as God made man in
subordinate deities. Hence the many-shaped god, his own image, so man returns the favour, and makes
the ncaup.ovpog and invovoeyog of the ancient theo- God in his. Hence we find the highest attribute of the
logists, became divided into many gods and god- all-pervading spirit and first-begotten love foully
desses, often described by the poets as at variance prostituted to promiscuous vice, and calling out, Ha'c
with each other and wrangling about the little in- cunnum, caput hic, priebeat ille nates. 1
trigues and passions of men. Hence too, as the He continued however still to have his temple,
symbols were multiplied, particular ones lost their priestess and sacred geese, and offerings of the most
2
dignity; and that venerable one which is the subject exquisite kind were made to him:
of this discourse, became degraded from the repre-
Crissabitque t1131 excussis pulcherrima lumbis
sentative of the god of nature to a subordinate rural Hoc anno primum experta puella virum.
deity, a supposed son of the Asiatic conqueror Bac-
Sometimes, however, they were not so scrupulous in
chus, standing among the nymphs by a fountain,' and
the selection of their victims, but suffered frugality
expressing the fertility of a garden, instead of the
to restrain their devotion :
general creative power of the great active principle
of the universe. His degradation did not stop even Cum sacrum fleret Deo salad
Conducta eat pretio puella parvo. 8
here; for we find him, in times still more prophane
and corrupt, made a subject of raillery and insult, as The bride was usually placed upon him immediately
answering no better purpose than holding up his before marriage; not, as Lactantius says, ut ejus
rubicund snout to frighten the birds and thieves. His
2 pudicitiam prior Deus prielibasse videatur, but that
talents were also perverted from their naturaj ends, she might be rendered fruitful by her communion
and employed in base and abortive efforts in con- with the divine nature, and capable of fulfilling the
198 1 AA
V '
duties of her station. In an ancient poem' we find that she has not been neglected.' This offering of
a lady of the name of Lalage presenting the pictures thanks had also its mystic and allegorical meaning;
of the " Elephantis " to him, and gravely requesting for fire being the energetic principle and essential
that she might enjoy the pleasures over which he force of the Creator, and the symbol above men-
particularly presided, in all the attitudes described in tioned the visible image of his characteristic at- II
•
2
The Elephantis was written by one Philtenis, and seems to 1
See Plate risi. Fig. 3.
heve been of the same kind with the Puttana errante of Aretin. 2
Ver. 613.
3
Priap. Carm. 34. Ed. 3
Herodot. lib. ii.
The Worship of Priapus The Worship of Priapus
Herodotus, indeed, excepts the Greeks and Egyptians, fulness which characterise the personification of the
and Dionysius of Halicarnassus, the Romans, from passive power, known by the titles of Rhea, Juno,
this general custom of other nations; but to the testi- Ceres, &c.
mony of the former we may oppose the thousand When there were such seminaries for female ed-
sacred prostitutes kept at each of the temples of ucation as those of Eryx and Corinth, we need not
Corinth and Eryx; " and to that of the latter the ex- wonder that the ladies of antiquity should be ex-
press words of Juvenal, who, though he lived an age, tremely well instructed in all the practical duties of
later, lived when the same religion, and nearly the their religion. The stories told of Julia and Messa-
same manners, prevailed. Diodorus Siculus also
2
lina show us that the Roman ladies were no ways
tells us, that when the Roman praetors visited Eryx, deficient; and yet they were as remarkable for their
they laid aside their magisterial severity, and hon- gravity and decency as the Corinthians were for their
oured the goddess by mixing with her votaries, and skill and dexterity in adapting themselves to all the
indulging themselves in the pleasures over which she modes and attitudes which the luxuriant imagina-
presided. It appears, too, that the act of generation
3 tions of experienced votaries have contrived for per-
was a sort of sacrament in the island of Lesbos; for forming the rites of their tutelar goddess.'
the device on its medals (which in the Greek repub- The reason why these rites were always performed
lics had always some relation to religion) is as ex- by night was the peculiar sanctity attributed to it by
plicit as forms can make it.* The figures appear the ancients, because dreams were then supposed to
indeed to be mystic and allegorical, the male having descend from heaven to instruct and forewarn men.
evidently a mixture of the goat in his beard and The nights, says Hesiod, belong to the blessed gods; 2
features, and therefore probably represents Pan, the and the Orphic poet calls night the source of all
generative power of the universe incorporated in things (navuov yEvEatc) to denote that productive
universal matter. The female has all that breadth and power, which, as I have been told, it really possesses;
it being observed that plants and animals grow more
1
Strab. lib. viii.
2 Sat. ix. ver. 24. 1
Philodemi Epigr. Brunk. Analect. vol. ii. p. 85.
3
Lib. iv. Ed. Wessel.
4
See Plate ix. Fig. 8, from one belonging to me.
2
Evy• ver. 730.
203
'11 1
The Worship of Priapus
The Worship of Priapus
by night than by day. The ancients extended this
power much further, and supposed that not only the supposed to be of Priapus, under the reign of
productions of the earth, but the luminaries of Abijam.'
heaven, were nourished and sustained by the benign The Christian religion, being a reformation of the
influence of the night. Hence that beautiful apos- Jewish, rather increased than diminished the aus-
trophe in the "Electra" of Euripides, Q vb Ractiva, terity of its original. On particular occasions how-
XUCIECOV aateCOV teocpE, &C. ever it equally abated its rigour, and gave way to
Not only the sacrifices to the generative deities, but festivity and mirth, though always with an air of
in general all the religious rites of the Greeks, were sanctity and solemnity. Such were originally the
of the festive kind. To imitate the gods, was, in their feasts of the Eucharist, which, as the word expresses,
opinion, to feast and rejoice, and to cultivate the were meetings of joy and gratulation; though, as
useful and elegant arts, by which we are made par- divines tell us, all of the spiritual kind: but the par-
takers of their felicity.' This was the case with al- ticular manner in which St. Augustine commands the
most all the nations of antiquity, except the Egyp-
2 ladies who attended them to wear clean linen, seems
2
tians and their reformed imitators the Jews,' who to infer, that personal as well as spiritual matters
being governed by a hierarchy, endeavoured to make were thought worthy of attention. To those who ad-
it awful and venerable to the people by an appear- minister the sacrament in the modern way, it may
ance of rigour and austerity. The people, however, appear of little consequence whether the women re-
sometimes broke through this restraint, and indulged ceived it in clean linen or not; but to the good bishop,
themselves in the more pleasing worship of their who was to administer the holy kiss, it certainly was
neighbours, as when they danced and feasted before of some importance. The holy kiss was not only
the golden calf which Aaron erected,* and devoted applied as a part of the ceremonial of the Eucharist,
themselves to the worship of obscene idols, generally but also of prayer, at the conclusion of which they
welcomed each other with this natural sign of love
Strabo, lib. a.
2 Herodot. lib. ii. and benevolence.' It was upon these occasions that
3
See Spencer de Leg. Rit. Vet. Hebrmor. 1
Reg. c. xv. ver. 13 Ed. Cleric.
Exod. ch. xxxii. 2
Aug. Senn. clii.
a Justin Martyr. Apolog.
204
Worship of Priapus The Worship of Priapus
they worked themselves up to those fits of rapture ligion which I have here undertaken to examine; for
and enthusiasm, which made them eagerly rush upon so long as those nocturnal meetings were preserved,
destruction in the fury of their zeal to obtain the it certainly existed, though under other names, and
crown of martyrdom.' Enthusiasm on one subject in a more solemn dress. The small remain of it pre-
naturally produces enthusiasm on another; for the served at Isernia, of which an account has here been
human passions, like the strings of an instrument, vi- given, can scarcely be deemed an exception; for its
brate to the motions of each other: hence paroxysms meaning was unknown to those who celebrated it;
of love and devotion have oftentimes so exactly ac- and the obscurity of the place, added to the venerable
corded, as not to have been distinguished by the very names of S. Cosimo and Damiano, was all that pre-
persons whom they agitated. This was too often the
2
vented it from being suppressed long ago, as it has
case in these meetings of the primitive Christians. been lately, to the great dismay of the chaste matrons
The feasts of gratulation and love, the ay anaL and and pious monks of Isernia. Traces and memorials
nocturnal vigils, gave too flattering opportunities to of it seem however to have been preserved, in many
the passions and appetites of men, to continue long, parts of Christendom, long after the actual celebra-
what we are told they were at first, pure exercises tion of its rites ceased. Hence the obscene figures
of devotion. The spiritual raptures and divine ec- observable upon many of our Gothic Cathedrals, and
stasies encouraged on these occasions, were often particularly upon the ancient brass doors of St.
ecstasies of a very different kind, concealed under Peter's at Rome, where there are some groups which
the garb of devotion; whence the greatest irregu- rival the devices on the Lesbian medals.
larities ensued; and it became necessary for the repu- It is curious, in looking back through the annals
tation of the church, that they should be suppressed, of superstition, so degrading to the pride of man, to
as they afterwards were by the decrees of several trace the progress of the human mind in different
councils. Their suppression may be considert'd as ages, climates, and circumstances, uniformly acting
the final subversion of that part of the ancient re- upon the same principles, and to the same ends. The
1
Martini Kempii de Oscuiis Dissert. viii.
sketch here given of the corruptions of the religion of
2 See Proces de la Cadiere. Greece, is an exact counterpart of the history of the
corruptions of Christianity, which began in the pure
The Worship of Priapus
+1.
An adequate knowledge of these they never pre-
sumed to think attainable, but modestly contented
1 Lucret. lib. v. 665, & seq.
2
Hesiod. EQya 'gat ver. 252, trUQLOL, &c., are always
used as the ancient Greek poets.
,IP
violent means employed only tended to cement it rather than to procure happiness for others. It was
closer. Some of the Christians themselves indeed, accordingly condemned with vehemence and suc-
who were addicted to Platonism, took a safer method cess by Ambrosius, Prudentius, and other orthodox
to dissolve it; but they were too few in number to eaders of the age.
succeed. This was by trying to moderate the furious It was from the ancient system of emanations, that
zeal which gave life and vigour to the confederacy, the general hospitality which characterised the man-
and to blend and soften the unyielding temper of ners of the heroic ages, and which is so beautifully
religion with the mild spirit of philosophy. " We represented in the Odyssey of Homer, in a great
all," said they, " agree in worshipping one supreme measure arose. The poor, and the stranger who
God, the Father and Preserver of all. While we ap- wandered in the street and begged at the door, were
proach him with purity of mind, sincerity of heart, supposed to be animated by a portion of the same
and innocence of manners, forms and ceremonies divine spirit which sustained the great and powerful.
of worship are indifferent; and not less worthy of They are all from Jupiter, says Homer, and a small
his greatness, for being varied and diversified accord- gift is acceptable.' This benevolent sentiment has
ing to the various customs and opinions of men. Had been compared by the English commentators to that
it been his will that all should have worshipped him of the Jewish moralist, who says, that he who giveth
in the same mode, he would have given to all the to the poor lendeth to the Lord, who will repay him
same inclinations and conceptions : but he has wisely `enfold.' But it is scarcely possible for anything to
ordered it otherwise, that piety and virtue might in- be more different: Homer promises no other reward
crease by an honest emulation of religions, as in- for charity thau the benevolence of the action itself;
dustry in trade, or activity in a race, from the mutual but the Israelite holds out that which has always been
emulation of the candidates for wealth and honour."' the great motive for charity among his countrymen—
This was too liberal and extensive a plan, to meet the the prospect of being repaid ten-fold. They are al-
approbation of a greedy and ambitious clergy, whose ways ready to show their bounty upon such incen-
object was to establish a hierarchy for themselves,
1 Odyss. Ter. 207.
1
Symmach. Ep. 10 & 61. Themist. Orat ad Imperat. 2
See Pope's Odyssey.
214 nim
The Worship of Priapus The Worship of Priapus
tives, if they can be persuaded that they are founded also Sabazius, or Sabadius,' which is the same word
upon good security. It was the opinion, however, of as Sabbaoth, one of the scriptural titles of the true
many of the most learned among the ancients, that God, only adapted to the pronunciation of a more
the principles of the Jewish religion were originally polished language. The Latin name for the Supreme
the same as those of the Greek, and that their God God belongs aiso to the same root; Iv-n=1Q, Jupiter,
was no other than the creator and generator Bac- signifying Father 1E% though written after the an-
chus,' who, being viewed through the gloomy me- cient manner, without the dipthong, which was not
dium of the hierarchy, appeared to them a jealous in use for many ages after the Greek colonies settled
and irascible God; and so gave a more austere and in Latium, and introduced the Arcadian alphabet.
unsociable form to their devotion. The golden vine We find St. Paul likewise acknowledging, that the
preserved in the temple at Jerusalem, and the tau-
2
Jupiter of the poet Aratus was the God whom he
rine forms of the cherubs, between which the Deity adored; and Clemens of Alexandria explains St.
2
was supposed to reside, were symbols so exactly Peter's prohibition of worshipping after the manner
similar to their own, that they naturally concluded of the Greeks, not to mean a prohibition of worship-
them meant to express the same ideas; especially as ping the same God, but merely of the corrupt mode
there was nothing in the avowed principles of the in which he was then worshipped.a
Jewish worship to which they could be applied. The
ineffable name also, which, according to the Mas-
sorethic punctuation, is pronounced Jehovah, was
anciently pronounced Jaho, Jaw, or IEtno,a which
was a title of Bacchus, the nocturnal sun; as was 4
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