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PSFS News, v. 5, issue 6, July 1945
Page 7
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July, 1945 PSFS NEWS Page 7 A few days before that I had the great experience of seeing a marvelous play: "Peer Gynt" by Ibsen, with incidental music by Grieg, of course. I hope they do that in the States some day. I'd like to see it again. All of the undercurrents were hard to understand, but the emotional impact was tremendous. Enough for now. Write. Milt ANCIENT BELIEFS CHAPTER II From phallic worship we go into Totemism, containing a semi-religious bit of nature worship. Among certain tribes of American Indians, Africans, Asiatics, Australians, and natives of numerous islands in the Pacific, we find Totemism still existing. Among the American Indians, a totem was a departed spirit of some animal, or guardian angel, which each Indian adopted. The spirit was made known to him during a religious ceremony (Fast of the Lads) which was a long fast that took place when he was a child. In Indo-China, Abyssinia, and Sumatra, elephants are worshipped. The white elephant is supposed to contain the soul of some holy person (possibly a Buddha) in Siam, and is worshipped there. The elephant is given to the king, baptized and prepared for worship. A generous award to given to whoever captures a white elephant. The Kalangs of Java and the Nosarii of Western Asia, both worship dogs. In various lands and times, fish have been an object of worship. The Bible mentions Dagon, who was a fish-god. He had a human head and hands and a fish body. A form of fish-worship antedated Greek mythology. In the temples of Apollo and Aphrodite, sacred fish were kept to remind them of it. Fish that were regarded as Gods were mentioned by Xenophone. Traceable to this cult, possibly, is the Christian custom of eating fish on Friday. Even goats have been, and stil are, worshipped as gods. The leading god among the Bijagoes of Africa is still the goat. In northern parts of Europe, the ancient wood-spirit, called Ljesche, had goat's ears, horns and legs. The Satyrs and the Fauns, Pan and Silenus (Greek gods) all had parts of their bodies in the shape of a goat. The hawk is worshipped By the people of north Borneo. The rabbit was worshipped by the Algonquin Indians here in America. In ancient Gaul (France) one of the gods was a horse. The horse-god and horse-goddess were called Rudiobus and Epona, respectively. The horse-god, Koda-Pen, is worshipped by the Gonds of India. Even the Greek water gods were represented in the form of a horse. The brother of Zeus and Pluto, called Poseidon (god of the sea), was an angry god. He lashed the waters into foam, split great rocks and caused horses to come forth. In rural parts of Europe, even to this day, the corn-spirit is represented by a horse, or mare. In Western Africa certain tribes worship the leopard. They are called the "Leopard-Men of Africa." The lion was also worshipped
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July, 1945 PSFS NEWS Page 7 A few days before that I had the great experience of seeing a marvelous play: "Peer Gynt" by Ibsen, with incidental music by Grieg, of course. I hope they do that in the States some day. I'd like to see it again. All of the undercurrents were hard to understand, but the emotional impact was tremendous. Enough for now. Write. Milt ANCIENT BELIEFS CHAPTER II From phallic worship we go into Totemism, containing a semi-religious bit of nature worship. Among certain tribes of American Indians, Africans, Asiatics, Australians, and natives of numerous islands in the Pacific, we find Totemism still existing. Among the American Indians, a totem was a departed spirit of some animal, or guardian angel, which each Indian adopted. The spirit was made known to him during a religious ceremony (Fast of the Lads) which was a long fast that took place when he was a child. In Indo-China, Abyssinia, and Sumatra, elephants are worshipped. The white elephant is supposed to contain the soul of some holy person (possibly a Buddha) in Siam, and is worshipped there. The elephant is given to the king, baptized and prepared for worship. A generous award to given to whoever captures a white elephant. The Kalangs of Java and the Nosarii of Western Asia, both worship dogs. In various lands and times, fish have been an object of worship. The Bible mentions Dagon, who was a fish-god. He had a human head and hands and a fish body. A form of fish-worship antedated Greek mythology. In the temples of Apollo and Aphrodite, sacred fish were kept to remind them of it. Fish that were regarded as Gods were mentioned by Xenophone. Traceable to this cult, possibly, is the Christian custom of eating fish on Friday. Even goats have been, and stil are, worshipped as gods. The leading god among the Bijagoes of Africa is still the goat. In northern parts of Europe, the ancient wood-spirit, called Ljesche, had goat's ears, horns and legs. The Satyrs and the Fauns, Pan and Silenus (Greek gods) all had parts of their bodies in the shape of a goat. The hawk is worshipped By the people of north Borneo. The rabbit was worshipped by the Algonquin Indians here in America. In ancient Gaul (France) one of the gods was a horse. The horse-god and horse-goddess were called Rudiobus and Epona, respectively. The horse-god, Koda-Pen, is worshipped by the Gonds of India. Even the Greek water gods were represented in the form of a horse. The brother of Zeus and Pluto, called Poseidon (god of the sea), was an angry god. He lashed the waters into foam, split great rocks and caused horses to come forth. In rural parts of Europe, even to this day, the corn-spirit is represented by a horse, or mare. In Western Africa certain tribes worship the leopard. They are called the "Leopard-Men of Africa." The lion was also worshipped
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