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ize； even severely； in their own persons what is happening。 They must go through the initiations necessary to impress this upon them。 Thus a whole series of solemn rites spring up； different no doubt in every locality； but all having the same object and purpose。 ＇And one can understand how the necessity of such initiations and second birth may easily have been itself felt in every race； at some stage of its evolutionand THAT quite as a spontaneous growth； and independently of any contagion of example caught from other races。＇
The same may be said about the world…wide practice of the Eucharist。 No more effective method exists for impressing on the members of a body their community of life with each other； and causing them to forget their jangling self…interests； than to hold a feast in common。 It is a method which has been honored in all ages as well as to…day。 But when the flesh partaken of at the feast is that of the Totemthe guardian and presiding genius of the tribeor perhaps of one of its chief food…animals then clearly the feast takes on a holy and solemn character。 It becomes a sacrament of unityof the unity of all with the tribe； and with each other。 Self…interests and self… consciousness are for the time submerged； and the common life asserts itself； but here again we see that a custom like this would not come into being as a deliberate rite UNTIL self…consciousness and the divisions consequent thereon had grown to be an obvious evil。 The herd… animals （cows； sheep； and so forth） do not have Eucharists； simply because they are sensible enough to feed along the same pastures without quarrelling over the richest tufts of grass。
When the flesh partaken of （either actually or symbolically） is not that of a divinized animal； but the flesh of a human…formed godas in the mysteries of Dionysus or Osiris or Christthen we are led to suspect （and of course this theory is widely held and supported） that the rites date from a very far…back period when a human being； as representative of the tribe； was actually slain； dismembered and partly devoured； though as time went on； the rite gradually became glossed over and mitigated into a love…communion through the sharing of bread and wine。
It is curious anyhow that the dismemberment or division into fragments of the body of a god （as in the case of Dionysus； Osiris； Attis； Praj