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There is ample evidence that one of the very earliest objects of human worship was the Earth itself； conceived of as the fertile Mother of all things。 Gaia or Ge （the earth） had temples and altars in almost all the cities of Greece。 Rhea or Cybele； sprung from the Earth； was 〃mother of all the gods。〃 Demeter （〃earth mother〃） was honored far and wide as the gracious patroness of the crops and vegetation。 Ceres； of course； the same。 Maia in the Indian mythology and Isis in the Egyptian are forms of Nature and the Earth…spirit； represented as female； and so forth。 The Earth； in these ancient cults ； was the mystic source of all life； and to it； as a propitiation； life of all kinds was sacrificed。 ＇There are strange accounts of a huge fire being made； with an altar to Cybele in the midst； and of deer and fawns and wild animals； and birds and sheep and corn and fruits being thrown pell…mell into the flames。＇1＇＇ It was； in a way； the most natural； as it seems to have been the earliest and most spontaneous of cultsthe worship of the Earth…mother； the all…producing eternal source of life； and on account of her never…failing ever…renewed fertility conceived of as an immortal Virgin。
＇1＇ See Pausanias iv。 32。 6； and Lucian； De Syria Dea； 49。
But when the Saviour…legend sprang upas indeed I think it must have sprung up； in tribe after tribe and people after people； independentlythen； whether it sprang from the divinization of some actual man who showed the way of light and deliverance to his fellows 〃sitting in darkness；〃 or whether from the personification of the tribe itself as a god； in either case the question of the hero's parentage was bound to arise。 If the 'saviour' was plainly a personification of the tribe； it was obviously impossible to suppose him the son of a mortal mother。 In that caseand if the tribe was generally traced in the legends to some primeval Animal or Mountain or thing of Natureit was probably easy to think of him （the saviour） as； born out of Nature's womb； descended perhaps from that pure Virgin of the World who is the Earth and Nature； who rules the skies at night； and stands in the changing phases of the Moon； and is worshiped （as we have seen） in the great constellation Virgo。 If； on the other hand； he was the divinization of some actual man； more or less known either personally or by tradition to his fellows； then in all probability the name of his mortal mother would be recognized and accepted； but as to his father； that side of parentage being； as we have said； generally very uncertain； it would be easy to suppose some heavenly Annunciation； the midnight visit of a God； and what is usually termed a Virgin…birth。
There are two elements to be remembered here； as conspiring to this conclusion。 One is the condition of affairs in a remote matriarchial period； when descent was reckoned always through the maternal line； and the fatherhood in each generation was obscure or unknown or commonly left out of account； and the other is the factso strange and difficult for us to realizethat among some very primitive peoples； like the Australian aborigines； the necessity for a woman to have intercourse with a male； in order to bring about conception and child…birth； was actually not recognized。 Scientific observation had not always got as far as that； and the matter was still under the domain of Magic！＇1＇ A Virgin…Mother was therefore a quite imaginable （not to say 'conceivable'） thing； and indeed a very beautiful and fascinating thing； combining in one image the potent magic of two very wonderful words。 It does not seem impossible that considerations of this kind led to the adoption of the doctrine or legend of the virgin…mother and the heavenly father among so many races and in so many localitieseven without any contagion of tradition among them。
＇1＇ Probably the long period （nine months） elapsing between cohabitation and childbirth confused early speculation on the subject。 Then clearly cohabitation was NOT always followed by childbirth。 And； more important still； the number of virgins of a mature age in primitive societies was so very minute that the fact of their childlessness attracted no attentionwhereas in OUR societies the sterility of the whole class is patent to everyone。
Anyhow； and as a matter of fact； the world…wide dissemination of the legend is most remarkable。 Zeus； Father of the gods； visited Semele； it will be remembered； in the form of a thunderstorm； and she gave birth to the great saviour and deliverer Dionysus。 Zeus； again； impregnated Danae in a shower of gold； and the child was Perseus； who slew the Gorgons （the powers of darkness） and saved Andromeda （the human soul＇1＇）。 Devaki； the radiant Virgin of the Hindu mythology； became the wife of the god Vishnu and bore Krishna； the beloved hero and prototype of Christ。 With regard to Buddha St。 Jerome says＇2＇ 〃It is handed down among the Gymnosophists； of India that Buddha； the founder of their system； was brought forth by a Virgin from her side。〃 The Egyptian Isis； with the child Horus； on her knee； was honored centuries before the Christian era； and worshiped under the names of 〃Our Lady；〃 〃Queen of Heaven；〃 〃Star of the Sea；〃 〃Mother of God；〃 and so forth。 Before her； Neith； the Virgin of the World； whose figure bends from the sky over the earthly plains and the children of men； was acclaimed as mother of the great god Osiris。 The saviour Mithra； too； was born of a Virgin； as we have had occasion to notice before； and on the Mithrais monuments the mother suckling her child is a not uncommon figure。＇3＇
＇1＇ For this interpretation of the word Andromeda see The Perfect Way by Edward Maitland； preface to First Edition； 1881。
＇2＇ Contra Jovian； Book I； and quoted by Rhys Davids in his Buddhisim。
＇3＇ See Doane's Bible Myths； p。 332； and Dupuis' Origins of Religious Beliefs。
The old Teutonic goddess Hertha （the Earth） was a Virgin； but was impregnated by the heavenly Spirit （the Sky）； and her image with a child in her arms was to be seen in the sacred groves of Germany。＇1＇ The Scandinavian Frigga； in much the same way； being caught in the embraces of Odin； the All…father； conceived and bore a son； the blessed Balder； healer and saviour of mankind。 Quetzalcoatl； the （crucified） saviour of the Aztecs； was the son of Chimalman； the Virgin Queen of Heaven。＇2＇ Even the Chinese had a mother…goddess and virgin with child in her arms＇3＇； and the ancient Etruscans the same。＇4＇
＇1＇ R。 P。 Knight's Ancient Art and Mythology； p。 21。
＇2＇ See Kingsborough's Mexican Antiquities； vol。 vi； p。 176； where it is said 〃an ambassador was sent from heaven on an embassy to a Virgin of Tulan； called Chimalman 。 。 。 announcing that it was the will of the God that she should conceive a son； and having delivered her the message he rose and left the house； and as soon as he had left it she conceived a son； without connection with man； who was called Quetzalcoat＇； who they say is the god of air。〃 Further； it is explained that Quetzalcoatl sacrificed himself； drawing forth his own blood with thorns； and that the word Quetzalcoatlotopitzin means 〃our well…beloved son。〃
＇3＇ Doane； p。 327。
＇4＇ See Inman's Pagan and Christian Symbolism； p。 27。
Finally； we have the curiously large number of BLACK virgin mothers who are or have been worshiped。 Not only cases like Devaki the Indian goddess； or Isis the Egyptian； who would naturally appear black…skinned or dark； but the large number of images and paintings of the same kind； yet extantespecially in the Italian churchesand passing for representations of Mary and the infant Jesus。 Such are the well…known image in the chapel at Loretto； and images and paintings besides in the churches at Genoa； Pisa； Padua； Munich and other places。 It is difficult not to regard these as very old Pagan or pre…Christian relics which lingered on into Christian times and were baptized anewas indeed we know many relics and images actually wereinto the service of the Church。 〃Great is Diana of the Ephesians〃； and there is I believe more than one black figure extant of this Diana； who； though of course a virgin； is represented with innumerable breasts＇1＇not unlike some of the archaic statues of Artemis and Isis。 At Paris； far on into Christian times there was； it is said； on the site of the present Cathedral of Notre Dame； a Temple dedicated to 'our Lady' Isis； and images belonging to the earlier shrine would in all probability be preserved with altered name in the later。
＇1＇ See illustration； p。 30； in Inman's Pagan and Christian Symbolism。
All this illustrates not only the wide diffusion of the doctrine of the Virgin…mother； but its extreme antiquity。 The subject is obscure； and worthy of more consideration than has yet been accorded it； and I do not feel able to add anything to the tentative explanations given a page or two back； except perhaps to suppose that the vision of the Perfect Man hovered dimly over the mind of the human race on its first emergence from the purely animal stage； and that a quite natural speculation with regard to such a being was that he would be born from a Perfect Womanwho according to early ideas would necessarily be the Virgin Earth itself； mother of all things。 Anyhow it was a wonderful In