按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
the Western Inoitswho； wanders for whole nights over the ice…fields under the moon； scantily clothed and braving the intense cold； to overcome the very fear of death and danger； like the Australian novices who； at first terrified by the sound of the bull… roarer and threats of fire and the knife； learn finally to cast their fears away。＇1＇ By so doing one puts off the old childish things； and qualifies oneself by firmness and courage to become a worthy member of the society into which one is called。＇2＇ The rules of social life are taught the duty to one's tribe； and to oneself； truth… speaking； defence of women and children； the care of cattle； the meaning of sex and marriage； and even the mysteries of such religious ideas and rudimentary science as the tribe possesses。 And by so doing one really enters into a new life。 Things of the spiritual world begin to dawn。 Julius Firmicus； in describing the mysteries of the resurrection of Osiris；＇3＇ says that when the worshipers had satiated themselves with lamentations over the death of the god then the priest would go round anointing them with oil and whispering； 〃Be of good cheer； O Neophytes of the new… arisen God； for to us too from our pains shall come salvation。〃＇4＇
＇1＇ According to accounts of the Wiradthuri tribe of Western Australia； in their initiations； the lads were frightened by a large fire being lighted near them； and hearing the awful sound of the bull…roarers； while they were told that Dhuramoolan was about to burn them； the legend being that Dhuramoolan； a powerful being； whose voice sounded like thunder； would take the boys into the bush and instruct them in all the laws； traditions and customs of the community。 So he pretended that he always killed the boys； cut them up； and burnt them to ashes； after which he moulded the ashes into human shape； and restored them to life as new beings。 （See R。 H。 Matthews； 〃The Wiradthuri tribes；〃 Journal Anthrop。 Inst。； vol。 xxv； 1896； pp。 297 sq。）
＇2＇ See Catlin's North…American Indians； vol。 i； for initiations and ordeals among the Mandans。
＇3＇ De Errore； c。 22。
＇4＇
It would seem that at some very early time in the history of tribal and priestly initiations an attempt was made to impress upon the neophytes the existence and over… shadowing presence of spiritual and ghostly beings。 Perhaps the pains endured in the various ordeals； the long fastings； the silences in the depth of the forests or on the mountains or among the ice…floes； helped to rouse the visionary faculty。 The developments of this faculty among the black and colored peoplesEast…Indian； Burmese； African； American… Indian； etc。are well known。 Miss Alice Fletcher； who lived among the Omaha Indians for thirty years； gives a most interesting account＇1＇ of the general philosophy of that people and their rites of initiation。 〃The Omahas regard all animate and inanimate forms； all phenomena； as pervaded by a common life； which was continuous with and similar to the will…power they were conscious of in themselves。 This mysterious power in all things they called Wakonda； and through it all things were related to man and to each other。 In the idea of the continuity of life a relation was maintained between the seen and the unseen； the dead and the living； and also between the fragment of anything and its entirety。〃＇2＇ Thus an Omaha novice might at any time seek to obtain Wakonda by what was called THE RITE OF THE VISION。 He would go out alone； fast； chant incantations； and finally fall into a trance （much resembling what in modern times has been called COSMIC CONSCIOUSNESS） in which he would perceive the inner relations of all things and the solidarity of the least object with the rest of the universe。
＇1＇ Summarized in Themis； pp。 68…71。
＇2＇ A。 C。 Fletcher； The Significance of the Scalp…lock； Journal of Anthropological Studies； xxvii （1897…8）； p。 436。
Another rite in connection with initiation； and common all over the pagan worldin Greece； America； Africa； Australia； New Mexico； etc。was the daubing of the novice all over with clay or chalk or even dung； and then after a while removing the same。＇1＇ The novice must have looked a sufficiently ugly and uncomfortable object in this state； but later； when he was thoroughly WASHED； the ceremony must have afforded a thrilling illustration of the idea of a new birth； and one which would dwell in the minds of the spectators。 When the daubing was done as not infrequently happened with white clay or gypsum； and the ritual took place at night； it can easily be imagined that the figures of young men and boys moving about in the darkness would lend support to the idea that they were spirits belonging to some intermediate worldwho had already passed through death and were now waiting for their second birth on earth （or into the tribe） which would be signalized by their thorough and ceremonial washing。 It will be remembered that Herodotus （viii） gives a circumstantial account of how the Phocians in a battle with the Thessalians smeared six hundred of their bravest warriors with white clay so that； looking like supernatural beings； and falling upon the Thessalians by night； they terrified the latter and put them to instant flight。
＇1＇ See A。 Lang's Myth； Ritual and Religion； i； 274 sq。
Such thenthough only very scantily describedwere some of the rites of Initiation and Second Birth celebrated in the old Pagan world。 The subject is far too large for adequate treatment within the present limits； but even so we cannot but be struck by the appropriateness in many cases of the teaching thus given to the young； the concreteness of the illustrations； the effectiveness of the symbols used； the dramatic character of the rites； the strong enforcement of lessons on the nature and duties of the life into which the candidates were about to enter。 Christianity followed on； and inherited these traditions； but one feels that in its ceremonies of Baptism and Confirmation； which of course correspond to the Pagan Initiations； it falls short of the latter。 Its ceremonies （certainly as we have them to…day in Protestant countries） are of a very milk…and…watery character； all allusion to and teaching on the immensely important subject of Sex is omitted； the details of social and industrial morality are passed by； and instruction is limited to a few rather commonplace lessons in general morality and religion。
It may be appropriate here； before leaving the subject of the Second Birth； to inquire how it has come about that this doctrineso remote and metaphysical as it might appearhas been taken up and embodied in their creeds and rituals by quite PRIMITIVE people all over the world； to such a degree indeed that it has ultimately been adopted and built into the foundations of the latter and more intellectual religions； like Hinduism； Mithraism； and the Egyptian and Christian cults。 I think the answer to this question must be found in the now…familiar fact that the earliest peoples felt themselves so much a part of Nature and the animal and vegetable world around them that （whenever they thought about these matters at all） they never for a moment doubted that the things which were happening all round them in the external world were also happening within themselves。 They saw the Sun； overclouded and nigh to death in winter； come to its birth again each year； they saw the Vegetation shoot forth anew in springthe revival of the spirit of the Earth； the endless breeding of the Animals； the strange transformations of Worms and Insects； the obviously new life taken on by boys and girls at puberty； the same at a later age when the novice was transformed into the medicine… manthe choupan into the angakok among the Esquimaux； the Dacotah youth into the wakan among the Red Indians； and they felt in their sub…conscious way the same everlasting forces of rebirth and transformation working within themselves。 In some of the Greek Mysteries the newly admitted Initiates were fed for some time after on milk only 〃as though we were being born again。〃 （See Sallustius； quoted by Gilbert Murray。） When sub…conscious knowledge began to glimmer into direct consciousness one of the first aspects （and no doubt one of the truest） under which people saw life was just thus： as a series of rebirths and transformations。＇1＇ The most modern science； I need hardly say； in biology as well as in chemistry and the field of inorganic Nature； supports that view。 The savage in earliest times FELT the truth of some things which we to…day are only beginning intellectually to perceive and analyze。
＇1＇ The fervent and widespread belief in animal metamorphoses among early peoples is well known。
Christianity adopted and absorbedas it was bound to dothis world…wide doctrine of the second birth。 Passing over its physiological and biological applications； it gave to it a fine spiritual significanceor rather it insisted especially on its spiritual significance； which （as we have seen） had been widely recognized before。 Onlyas I suppose must happen with all local religionsit narrowed the application and outlook of the doctrine down to a special case〃As in Adam all die； so in CHRIST shall all be made aliv