pagan and christian creeds-第5章
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On the contrary we can now see that these animadversions of the Christian writers are the evidence of how and to what extent in the spread of Christianity over the world it had become fused with the Pagan cults previously existing。
＇1＇ The Zodiacal sign of Capricornus； iii。）。
It was not till the year A。D。 530 or sofive centuries after the supposed birth of Christthat a Scythian Monk； Dionysius Exiguus； an abbot and astronomer of Rome； was commissioned to fix the day and the year of that birth。 A nice problem； considering the historical science of the period！ For year he assigned the date which we now adopt；＇2＇ and for day and month he adopted the 25th December a date which had been in popular use since about 350 B。C。； and the very date； within a day or two； of the supposed birth of the previous Sungods。＇3＇ From that fact alone we may fairly conclude that by the year 530 or earlier the existing Nature…worships had become largely fused into Christianity。 In fact the dates of the main pagan religious festivals had by that time become so popular that Christianity was OBLIGED to accommodate itself to them。＇1＇
＇1＇ As； for instance； the festival of John the Baptist in June took the place of the pagan midsummer festival of water and bathing； the Assumption of the Virgin in August the place of that of Diana in the same month； and the festival of All Souls early in November； that of the world…wide pagan feasts of the dead and their ghosts at the same season。
＇2＇ See Encycl。 Brit。 art。 〃Chronology。〃
＇3＇ 〃There is however a difficulty in accepting the 25th December as the real date of the Nativity； December being the height of the rainy season in Judaea； when neither flocks nor shepherds could have been at night in the fields of Bethlehem〃 （！）。 Encycl。 Brit。 art。 〃Christmas Day。〃 According to Hastings's Encyclopaedia； art。 〃Christmas；〃 〃Usener says that the Feast of the Nativity was held originally on the 6th January （the Epiphany）； but in 353…4 the Pope Liberius displaced it to the 25th December 。 。 。 but there is no evidence of a Feast of the Nativity taking place at all； before the fourth century A。D。〃 It was not till 534 A。D。 that Christmas Day and Epiphany were reckoned by the law…courts as dies non。
This brings us to the second point mentioned a few pages backthe analogy between the Christian festivals and the yearly phenomena of Nature in the Sun and the Vegetation。
Let us take Christmas Day first。 Mithra； as we have seen； was reported to have been born on the 25th December （which in the Julian Calendar was reckoned as the day of the Winter Solstice AND of the Nativity of the Sun）； Plutarch says （Isis and Osiris； c。 12） that Osiris was born on the 361st day of the year； when a Voice rang out proclaiming the Lord of All。 Horus； he says； was born on the 362nd day。 Apollo on the same。
Why was all this？ Why did the Druids at Yule Tide light roaring fires？ Why was the cock supposed to crow all Christmas Eve （〃The bird of dawning singeth all night long〃）？ Why was Apollo born with only one hair （the young Sun with only one feeble ray）？ Why did Samson （name derived from Shemesh； the sun） lose all his strength when he lost his hair？ Why were so many of these gods Mithra； Apollo； Krishna； Jesus； and others； born in caves or underground chambers？＇1＇ Why； at the Easter Eve festival of the Holy Sepulchre at Jerusalem is a light brought from the grave and communicated to the candles of thousands who wait outside； and who rush forth rejoicing to carry the new glory over the world？＇2＇ Why indeed？ except that older than all history and all written records has been the fear and wonderment of the children of men over the failure of the Sun's strength in Autumnthe decay of their God； and the anxiety lest by any means he should not revive or reappear？
＇1＇ This same legend of gods （or idols） being born in caves has； curiously enough； been reported from Mexico； Guatemala； the Antilles； and other places in Central America。 See C。 F。 P。 von Martius； Etknographie Amerika； etc。 （Leipzig； 1867）； vol。 i； p。 758。
＇2＇ Compare the Aztec ceremonial of lighting a holy fire and communicating it to the multitude from the wounded breast of a human victim； celebrated every 52 years at the end of one cycle and the beginning of anotherthe constellation of the Pleiades being in the Zenith （Prescott's Conquest of Mexico； Bk。 I； ch。 4）。
Think for a moment of a time far back when there were absolutely NO Almanacs or Calendars； either nicely printed or otherwise； when all that timid mortals could see was that their great source of Light and Warmth was daily failing； daily sinking lower in the sky。 As everyone now knows there are about three weeks at the fag end of the year when the days are at their shortest and there is very little change。 What was happening？ Evidently the god had fallen upon evil times。 Typhon； the prince of darkness； had betrayed him； Delilah； the queen of Night； had shorn his hair； the dreadful Boar had wounded him； Hercules was struggling with Death itself； he had fallen under the influence of those malign constellationsthe Serpent and the Scorpion。 Would the god grow weaker and weaker； and finally succumb； or would he conquer after all？ We can imagine the anxiety with which those early men and women watched for the first indication of a lengthening day； and the universal joy when the Priest （the representative of primitive science） having made some simple observations； announced from the Temple steps that the day WAS lengtheningthat the Sun was really born again to a new and glorious career。＇1＇
＇1＇ It was such things as these which doubtless gave the Priesthood its power。
Let us look at the elementary science of those days a little closer。 How without Almanacs or Calendars could the day； or probable day； of the Sun's rebirth be fixed？ Go out next Christmas Evening； and at midnight you will see the brightest of the fixed stars； Sirius； blazing in the southern skynot however due south from you； but somewhat to the left of the Meridian line。 Some three thousand years ago （owing to the Precession of the Equinoxes） that star at the winter solstice did not stand at midnight where you now see it； but almost exactly ON the meridian line。 The coming of Sirius therefore to the meridian at midnight became the sign and assurance of the Sun having reached the very lowest point of his course； and therefore of having arrived at the moment of his re…birth。 Where then was the Sun at that moment？ Obviously in the underworld beneath our feet。 Whatever views the ancients may have had about the shape of the earth； it was evident to the mass of people that the Sungod； after illuminating the world during the day； plunged down in the West； and remained there during the hours of darkness in some cavern under the earth。 Here he rested and after bathing in the great ocean renewed his garments before reappearing in the East next morning。
But in this long night of his greatest winter weakness； when all the world was hoping and praying for the renewal of his strength； it is evident that the new birth would come if it came at allat midnight。 This then was the sacred hour when in the underworld （the Stable or the Cave or whatever it might be called） the child was born who was destined to be the Savior of men。 At that moment Sirius stood on the southern meridian （and in more southern lands than ours this would be more nearly overhead）； and that starthere is little doubtis the Star in the East mentioned in the Gospels。
To the right； as the supposed observer looks at Sirius on the midnight of Christmas Eve； stands the magnificent Orion； the mighty hunter。 There are three stars in his belt which； as is well known； lie in a straight line pointing to Sirius。 They are not so bright as Sirius； but they are sufficiently bright to attract attention。 A long tradition gives them the name of the Three Kings。 Dupuis＇1＇ says： 〃Orion a trois belles etoiles vers le milieu； qui sont de seconde grandeur et posees en ligne droite； l'une pres de l'autre； le peuple les appelle les trois rois。 On donne aux trois rois Magis les noms de Magalat； Galgalat； Saraim； et Athos； Satos； Paratoras。 Les Catholiques les appellent Gaspard； Melchior； et Balthasar。〃 The last
