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by the name of a Nature…divinity； or by the name of some gracious human…limbed Godsome Hercules； Mithra； Attis； Orpheus； or what…notor even by the great name of Humanity itself； it was still in any case the Saviour； the living incarnate Being by the realization of whose presence the little mortal could be lifted out of exile and error and death and suffering into splendor and life eternal。
It is impossible； I think； not to see that the myriad worship of 〃Saviours〃 all over the world； from China to Peru； can only be ascribed to the natural working of some such law of human and tribal psychologyfrom earliest times and in all races the samespringing up quite spontaneously and independently； and （so far） unaffected by the mere contagion of local tradition。 To suppose that the Devil； long before the advent of Christianity； put the idea into the heads of all these earlier folk； is really to pay TOO great a compliment both to the power and the ingenuity of his Satanic Majestythough the ingenuity with which the early Church DID itself suppress all information about these pre…Christian Saviours almost rivals that which it credited to Satan！ And on the other hand to suppose this marvellous and universal consent of belief to have sprung by mere contagion from one accidental source would seem equally far…fetched and unlikely。
But almost more remarkable than the world…encircling belief in human…divine Saviours is the equally widespread legend of their birth from Virgin…mothers。 There is hardly a godas we have already had occasion to seewhose worship as a benefactor of mankind attained popularity in any of the four continents； Europe； Asia； Africa and Americawho was not reported to have been born from a Virgin； or at least from a mother who owed the Child not to any earthly father； but to an impregnation from Heaven。 And this seems at first sight all the more astonishing because the belief in the possibility of such a thing is so entirely out of the line of our modern thought。 So that while it would seem not unnatural that such a legend should have； sprung up spontaneously in some odd benighted corner of the world； we find it very difficult to understand how in that case it should have spread so rapidly in every direction； orif it did not spreadhow we are to account for its SPONTANEOUS appearance in all these widely sundered regions。
I think here； and for the understanding of this problem； we are thrown back upon a very early age of human evolutionthe age of Magic。 Before any settled science or philosophy or religion existed； there were still certain Thingsand consequently also certain Wordswhich had a tremendous influence on the human mind； which in fact affected it deeply。 Such a word； for instance； is 'Thunder'； to hear thunder； to imitate it； even to mention it； are sure ways of rousing superstitious attention and imagination。 Such another word is 'Serpent；' another 'Tree；' and so forth。 There is no one who is insensible to the reverberation of these and other such words and images＇1＇； and among them； standing prominently out； are the two 'Mother' and 'Virgin。' The word Mother touches the deepest springs of human feeling。 As the earliest word learnt and clung to by the child； it twines itself with the heart…strings of the man even to his latest day。 Nor must we forget that in a primitive state of society （the Matriarchate） that influence was probably even greater than now； for the father of the child being （often as not） UNKNOWN the attachment to the mother was all the more intense and undivided。 The word Mother had a magic about it which bas remained even until to…day。 But if that word rooted itself deep in the heart of the Child； the other word 'virgin' had an obvious magic for the full grown and sexually mature Mana magic which it； too； has never lost。
＇1＇ Nor is it difficult to see how out of the discreet use of such words and images； combined with elementary forms like the square； the triangle and the circle； and elementary numbers like 3； 4； 5； etc。； quite a science； so to speak； of Magic arose。
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