pagan and christian creeds-第24章
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nned' against him； and naturally you expiated the sin by an equivalent sacrifice of some kind made to the one you had wronged。 Such an idea and such a practice were the very foundation of social life and human morality； and must have sprung up as soon as ever； in the course of evolution； man became CAPABLE of differentiating himself from his fellows and regarding his own conduct as that of a 'separate self。' It was in the very conception of a separate self that 'sin' and disunity first began； and it was by 'sacrifice' that unity and harmony were restored； appeasement and atonement effected。
But in those earliest times； as I have already indicated more than once； man felt himself intimately related not only to his brother tribesman； but to the animals and to general Nature。 It was not so much that he THOUGHT thus as that he never thought OTHERWISE！ He FELT subconsciously that he was a part of all this outer world。 And so he adopted for his totems or presiding spirits every possible animal； as we have seen； and all sorts of nature…phenomena； such as rain and fire and water and clouds； and sun； moon and starswhich WE consider quite senseless and inanimate。 Towards these apparently senseless things therefore he felt the same compunction as I have described him feeling towards his brother tribesmen。 He could sin against them too。 He could sin against his totem…animal by eating it； he could sin against his 'brother the ox' by consuming its strength in the labor of the plough； he could sin against the corn by cutting it down and grinding it into flour； or against the precious and beautiful pine… tree by laying his axe to its roots and converting it into mere timber for his house。 Further still； no doubt he could sin against elemental nature。 This might be more difficult to be certain of； but when the signs of elemental displeasure were not to be mistakenwhen the rain withheld itself for months； or the storms and lightning dealt death and destruction； when the crops failed or evil plagues afflicted mankindthen there could be little uncertainty that he had sinned； and Fear； which had haunted him like a demon from the first day when he became conscious of his separation from his fellows and from Nature； stood over him and urged to dreadful propitiations。
In all these cases some sacrifice in reparation was the obvious thing。 We have seen that to atone for the cutting…down of the corn a human victim would often be slaughtered。 The corn…spirit clearly approved of this； for wherever the blood and remains of the victim were strewn the corn always sprang up more plentifully。 The tribe or human group made reparation thus to the corn； the corn…spirit signified approval。 The 'sin' was expiated and harmony restored。 Sometimes the sacrifice was voluntarily offered by a tribesman； sometimes it was enforced； by lot or otherwise； sometimes the victim was a slave； or a captive enemy； sometimes even an animal。 All that did not so much matter。 The main thing was that the formal expiation had been carried out； and the wrath of the spirits averted。
It is known that tribes whose chief food…animal was the bear felt it necessary to kill and cat a bear occasionally； but they could not do this without a sense of guilt； and some fear of vengeance from the great Bear…spirit。 So they ate the slain bear at a communal feast in which the tribesmen shared the guilt and celebrated their community with their totem and with each other。 And since they could not make any reparation directly to the slain animal itself AFTER its death； they made their reparation BEFORE； bringing all sorts of presents and food to it for a long anterior period； and paying every kind of worship and respect to it。 The same with the bull and the ox。 At the festival of the Bouphonia； in some of the cities of Greece as I have already mentioned； the actual bull sacrificed was the handsomest and most carefully nurtured that could be obtained； it was crowned with flowers and led in procession with every mark of reverence and worship。 And whenas I have already pointed outat the great Spring festival； instead of a bull or a goat or a ram； a HUMAN victim was immolated； it was a custom （which can be traced very widely over the world） to feed and indulge and honor the victim to the last degree for a WHOLE YEAR before the final ceremony； arraying him often as a king and placing a crown upon his head； by way of acknowledgment of the noble and necessary work he was doing for the general good。
What a touching and beautiful ceremony was thatbelonging especially to the North of Syria； and lands where the pine is so beneficent and beloved a treethe mourning ceremony of the death and burial of Attis！ when a pine…tree； felled by the axe； was hollowed out； and in the hollow an image （often itself carved out of pinewood） of the young Attis was placed。 Could any symbolism express more tenderly the idea that the glorious youthwho represented Spring； too soon slain by the rude tusk of Winter was himself the very human soul of the pine…tree？＇1＇ At some earlier period； no doubt； a real youth had been sacrificed and his body bound within the pine； but now it was deemed sufficient for the maidens to sing their wild songs of lamentation； and for the priests and male enthusiasts to cut and gash themselves with knives； or to sacrifice （as they did） to the Earth…mother the precious blood offering of their virile organssymbols of fertility in return for the promised and expected renewal of Nature and the crops in the coming Spring。 For the ceremony； as we have already seen； did not end with death and lamentation； but led on； perfectly naturally； after a day or two to a festival of resurrection； when it was discovered just as in the case of Osiristhat the pine…tree coffin was empty； and the immortal life had flown。 How strange the similarity and parallelism of all these things to the story of Jesus in the Gospelsthe sacrifice of a life made in order to bring salvation to men and expiation of sins； the crowning of the victim； and arraying in royal attire； the scourging and the mockery； the binding or nailing to a tree； the tears of Mary； and the resurrection and the empty coffin！or how not at all strange when we consider in what numerous forms and among how many peoples； this same parable and ritual had as a matter of fact been celebrated； and how it had ultimately come down to bring its message of redemption into a somewhat obscure Syrian city； in the special shape with which we are familiar。
＇1＇ See Julius Firmicus； who says （De Errore； c。 28）： 〃in sacris Phrygiis； quae Matris deum dicunt； per annos singulos arbor pinea caeditur； et in media arbore simulacrum uvenis subligatur。 In Isiacis sacris de pinea arbore caeditur truncus； hujus trunci media pars subtiliter excavatur； illis de segminibus factum idolum Osiridis sepelitur。 In Prosperpinae sacris caesa arbor in effigiem virginis formaraque componitur； et cum intra civitatem fuerit illata； quadraginta noctibus pIangitur； quadragesima vero nocte comburitur。〃
Though the parable or legend in its special Christian form bears with it the consciousness of the presence of beings whom we may call gods； it is important to remember that in many or most of its earlier forms； though it dealt in 'spirits'the spirit of the corn； or the spirit of the Spring； or the spirits of the rain and the thunder； or the spirits of totem…animalsit had not yet quite risen to the idea of gods。 It had not risen to the conception of eternal deities sitting apart and governing the world in solemn conclaveas from the slopes of Olympus or the recesses of the Christian Heaven。 It belonged； in fact； in its inception； to the age of Magic。 The creed of Sin and Sacrifice； or of Guilt and Expiationwhatever we like to call itwas evolved perfectly naturally out of the human mind when brought face to face with Life and Nature） at some early stage of its self…consciousness。 It was essentially the result of man's deep； original and instinctive sense of solidarity with Nature； now denied and belied and to some degree broken up by the growth and conscious insistence of the self…regarding impulses。 It was the consciousness of disharmony and disunity； causing men to feel all the more poignantly the desire and the
