The Golden Bough: A Study in Magic and Religion (Third Edition, Vol. 05 of 12)Frazer, James George
Religion
The Golden Bough: A Study in Magic and Religion (Third Edition, Vol. 05 of 12)
Frazer, James George
Magic; Mythology; Religion; Superstition
of his right arm is clasped by the god’s left hand; in his left hand the
priest holds a crook or pastoral staff which ends below in a curl. Both
the priest and his protector are facing towards the lion-god. In an upper
corner of the panel behind them is a divine emblem composed of a winged
disc resting on what look like two Ionic columns, while between them
appear three symbols of doubtful significance. The figure of the priest or
king in this costume, though not in this attitude, is a familiar one; for
it occurs twice in the outer sanctuary and is repeated twice at the great
Hittite palace of Euyuk, distant about four and a half hours’ ride to the
north-east of Boghaz-Keui. In the outer sanctuary at Boghaz-Keui we see
the priest marching in the procession of the men, and holding in one hand
his curled staff, or _lituus_, and in the other a symbol like that of the
goddess on the lioness: above his head appears the winged disc without the
other attributes. Moreover he occupies a conspicuous place by himself on
the right-hand wall of the outer sanctuary, quite apart from the two
processions, and carved on a larger scale than any of the other figures in
them. Here he stands on two heaps, perhaps intended to represent
mountains, and he carries in his right hand the emblem of the winged disc
supported on two Ionic columns with the other symbols between them, except
that the central symbol is replaced by a masculine figure wearing a
pointed cap and a long robe decorated with a dog-tooth pattern. On one of
the reliefs at the palace of Euyuk we see the priest with his
characteristic dress and staff followed by a priestess, each of them with
a hand raised as if in adoration: they are approaching the image of a bull
which stands on a high pedestal with an altar before it. Behind them a
priest leads a flock of rams to the sacrifice. On another relief at Euyuk
the priest, similarly attired and followed by a priestess, is approaching
a seated goddess and apparently pouring a libation at her feet. Both these
scenes doubtless represent acts of worship paid in the one case to a
goddess, in the other to a bull.(409)
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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