Ophiolatreia

Nonfiction, Religion & Spirituality, New Age, History, Fiction & Literature
Cover of the book Ophiolatreia by Unknown, Library of Alexandria
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Unknown ISBN: 9781465573742
Publisher: Library of Alexandria Publication: March 8, 2015
Imprint: Language: English
Author: Unknown
ISBN: 9781465573742
Publisher: Library of Alexandria
Publication: March 8, 2015
Imprint:
Language: English
Ophiolatreia, the worship of the serpent, next to the adoration of the phallus, is one of the most remarkable, and, at first sight, unaccountable forms of religion the world has ever known. Until the true source from whence it sprang can be reached and understood, its nature will remain as mysterious as its universality, for what man could see in an object so repulsive and forbidding in its habits as this reptile, to render worship to, is one of the most difficult of problems to find a solution to. There is hardly a country of the ancient world, however, where it cannot be traced, pervading every known system of mythology, and leaving proofs of its existence and extent in the shape of monuments, temples, and earthworks of the most elaborate and curious character. Babylon, Persia, Hindostan, Ceylon, China, Japan, Burmah, Java, Arabia, Syria, Asia Minor, Egypt, Ethiopia, Greece, Italy, Northern and Western Europe, Mexico, Peru, America---all yield abundant testimony to the same effect, and point to the common origin of Pagan systems wherever found. Whether the worship was the result of fear or respect is a question that naturally enough presents itself, and in seeking to answer it we shall be confronted with the fact that in some places, as Egypt, the symbol was that of a good demon, while in India, Scandinavia, and Mexico, it was that of an evil one. It has been remarked that in the warmer regions of the globe, where this creature is the most formidable enemy which man can encounter, the serpent should be considered the mythological attendant of an evil being is not surprising, but that in the frozen or temperate regions of the earth, where he dwindles into the insignificances of a reptile without power to create alarm, he should be regarded in the same appalling character, is a fact which cannot be accounted for by natural causes. Uniformity of tradition can alone satisfactorily explain uniformity of superstition, where local circumstances are so discordant.
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Ophiolatreia, the worship of the serpent, next to the adoration of the phallus, is one of the most remarkable, and, at first sight, unaccountable forms of religion the world has ever known. Until the true source from whence it sprang can be reached and understood, its nature will remain as mysterious as its universality, for what man could see in an object so repulsive and forbidding in its habits as this reptile, to render worship to, is one of the most difficult of problems to find a solution to. There is hardly a country of the ancient world, however, where it cannot be traced, pervading every known system of mythology, and leaving proofs of its existence and extent in the shape of monuments, temples, and earthworks of the most elaborate and curious character. Babylon, Persia, Hindostan, Ceylon, China, Japan, Burmah, Java, Arabia, Syria, Asia Minor, Egypt, Ethiopia, Greece, Italy, Northern and Western Europe, Mexico, Peru, America---all yield abundant testimony to the same effect, and point to the common origin of Pagan systems wherever found. Whether the worship was the result of fear or respect is a question that naturally enough presents itself, and in seeking to answer it we shall be confronted with the fact that in some places, as Egypt, the symbol was that of a good demon, while in India, Scandinavia, and Mexico, it was that of an evil one. It has been remarked that in the warmer regions of the globe, where this creature is the most formidable enemy which man can encounter, the serpent should be considered the mythological attendant of an evil being is not surprising, but that in the frozen or temperate regions of the earth, where he dwindles into the insignificances of a reptile without power to create alarm, he should be regarded in the same appalling character, is a fact which cannot be accounted for by natural causes. Uniformity of tradition can alone satisfactorily explain uniformity of superstition, where local circumstances are so discordant.

More books from Library of Alexandria

Cover of the book China and Pottery Marks by Unknown
Cover of the book Climbing in The British Isles: Wales and Ireland, Volume II by Unknown
Cover of the book A Philadelphia Lawyer in the London Courts by Unknown
Cover of the book The Lost Word: A Christmas Legend of Long Ago by Unknown
Cover of the book The New York and Albany Post Road From Kings Bridge to The Ferry at Crawlier, over against Alba by Unknown
Cover of the book Don't Marry: Advice on How, When and Who to Marry by Unknown
Cover of the book On the Natural Faculties by Unknown
Cover of the book The Jack of All Trades: New Ideas for American Boys by Unknown
Cover of the book Narrative of Travels in Europe, Asia, and Africa, in the Seventeenth Century (Complete) by Unknown
Cover of the book The Buried Treasure: Old Jordan's "Haunt" by Unknown
Cover of the book Castle Hohenwald: A Romance by Unknown
Cover of the book Mr. Punch's Cockney Humour by Unknown
Cover of the book Delia Blanchflower by Unknown
Cover of the book Democracy and Social Ethics and Democracy or Militarism by Unknown
Cover of the book A Neta Do Arcediago by Unknown
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy