Ophiolatreia : AN ACCOUNT OF THE RITES AND MYSTERIES CONNECTED WITH THE ORIGIN, RISE, AND DEVELOPMENT OF Serpent Worship IN VARIOUS PARTS OF THE WORLD, ENRICHED WITH INTERESTING TRADITIONS, AND A FULL DESCRIPTION OF THE CELEBRATED Serpent Mounds & Temples, THE WHOLE FORMING AN EXPOSITION OF ONE OF THE PHASES OF Phallic, or Sex Worship .   PRIVATELY PRINTED. 1889....

Our words by way of preface and introduction need be but few. The following volume forms a companion to one already issued bearing the title “Phallism.” That work, though complete in itself, meets in this a further elucidation of its subject, since, in the opinion of many, Ophiolatreia, the worship of the Serpent, is of Phallic origin. Such a view, and others of a contrary nature, have been honestly set forth, and the best and most trustworthy authorities have been consulted for history, argumen

Ophiolatreia an extraordinary subject—Of mysterious origin—Of universal prevalence—The Serpent a common symbol in mythology—Serpent-worship natural but irrational—Bacchic orgies—Olympias, mother of Alexander, and the Serpent emblem—Thermuthis, the Sacred Serpent—Asps—Saturn and his children—Sacrifices at altar of Saturn—Abaddon—Ritual of Zoroaster—Theologo of Ophion—The Cuthites—The Ophiogeneis—The Ophionians—Greek Traditions—Cecrops—Various Serpent worshippers. Ophiolatreia, the worship of the

Supposed Phallic origin of Serpent-worship—The Idea of Life—Adoration of the Principle of Generation—The Serpent as a Symbol of the Phallus—Phallic Worship at Benares—The Serpent and Mahadeo—Festival of the “Nág panchami”—Snakes and Women—Traces of Phallic Worship in the Kumaon Rock-markings—The Northern Bulb Stones—Professor Stephens on the Snake as a Symbol of the Phallus—The “Dionysiak Myth”—Brown on the Serpent as a Phallic emblem—Mythology of the Aryan Nation—Sir G. W. Cox and the Phallic T

Mythology of the Ancients—Characteristics of the Pagan Deities—Doctrine of the Reciprocal Principles of Nature—Creation of the Egg—Creation and the Phallus—The Lotus—Osiris as the active, dispensing, and originating energy—Hesiod and the generative powers—Growth of Phallic Worship. “By comparing all the varied legends of the East and West in conjunction,” says a learned author, “we obtain the following outline of the mythology of the Ancients: It recognises, as the primary elements of things, tw

Ancient Monuments of the West—The Valley of the Mississippi—Numerous Earthworks of the Western States—Theory as to origin of the mounds—The “Defence” Theory—The Religious Theory—Earthwork of the “Great Serpent” on Bush Creek—The “Alligator,” Ohio—The “Cross,” Pickaway County—Structures of Wisconsin—Mr. Pigeons Drawings—Significance of the Earth-mounds—The Egg and Man’s Primitive Ideas—The Egg as a Symbol—Birth of Brahma—Aristophanes and his “Comedy of the Birds”—The Hymn to Protogones—The Chines

The Sun and Fire as emblems—The Serpent and the Sun—Taut and the Serpent—Horapollo and the Serpent symbol—Sanchoniathon and the Serpent—Ancient Mysteries of Osiris, &c.—Rationale of the connection of Solar, Phallic, and Serpent Worship—The Aztec Pantheon—Mexican Gods—The Snake in Mexican Mythology—The Great Father and Mother—Quetzalcoatl, the Feathered Serpent—Researches of Stephens and Catherwood—Discoveries of Mr. Stephens. That fire should be taken to be the physical, of what the sun

Mexican Temple of Montezuma—The Serpent Emblem in Mexico—Pyramid of Cholula—Tradition of the Giants of Anahuac—The Temple of Quetzalcoatl—North American Indians and the Rattlesnake—Indian Tradition of a Great Serpent—Serpents in the Mounds of the West—Bigotry and Folly of the Spanish Conquerors of the West—Wide prevalence of Mexican Ophiolatreia. The monuments of Mexico representing the serpent are very numerous, and have been specially remarked by nearly every traveller in that interesting coun

Egypt as the Home of Serpent Worship—Thoth said to be the founder of Ophiolatreia—Cneph, the Architect of the Universe—Mysteries of Isis—The Isaic Table—Frequency of the Serpent Symbol—Serapis—In the Temples at Luxore, etc.—Discovery at Malta—The Egyptian Basilisk—Mummies—Bracelets—The Caduceus—Temple of Cneph at Elephantina—Thebes—Story of a Priest—Painting in a Tomb at Biban at Malook—Pococke at Raigny. Egypt, of all ancient nations the most noted for its idolatry, was in its earliest days the

Derivation of the name “Europe”—Greece colonized by Ophites—Numerous Traces of the Serpent in Greece—Worship of Bacchus—Story of Ericthonias—Banquets of the Bacchants—Minerva—Armour of Agamemnon—Serpents at Epidaurus—Story of the pestilence in Rome—Delphi—Mahomet at Atmeidan. Bryant and Faber both derive the name of “Europe” from “Aur-ab, the solar serpent.” “Whether this be correct or not,” says Deane, “it is certain that Ophiolatreia prevailed in this quarter of the globe at the earliest perio

Ophiolatreia in Britain—The Druids—Adders—Poem of Taliessin—The Goddess Ceridwen—A Bardic Poem—Snake Stones—The Anguinum—Execution of a Roman Knight—Remains of the Serpent-temple at Abury—Serpent vestiges in Ireland of great rarity—St. Patrick. It will probably be a matter of surprise to many, but it is a fact that even in Britain in ancient times Ophiolatreia largely prevailed. Deane says: “Our British ancestors, under the tuition of the venerable Druids, were not only worshippers of the solar

India conspicuous in the history of Serpent Worship—Nagpur—Confessions of a Snake Worshipper—The gardeners of Guzerat—Cottages for Snakes at Calicut—The Feast of Serpents—The Deity Hari—Garuda—The Snake as an emblem of immortality. In the course of this work we have had occasion frequently to allude to India as the home of the peculiar worship before us, and perhaps that country may fairly be placed side by side with Egypt for the multitude of illustrations it affords of what we are seeking to e

Mr. Bullock’s Exhibition of Objects illustrating Serpent Worship. Upwards of sixty years ago, there was opened at the Egyptian Hall, Piccadilly, what was described as the “Unique Exhibition called Ancient Mexico; collected on the spot in 1823, by the assistance of the Mexican Government, by W. Bullock, F.L.S., &c., &c.” The illustration attached to a published description of this collection shows that it contained reproductions of some of the most remarkable of the serpent deitie