The Non-Christian Cross: An Enquiry into the Origin and History of the Symbol Eventually Adopted as That of Our ReligionParsons, John Denham
Religion
The Non-Christian Cross: An Enquiry into the Origin and History of the Symbol Eventually Adopted as That of Our Religion
Parsons, John Denham
Crosses
As the Giver of Life, the Sun-God was of course considered to be
bi-sexual. But when the two great lights of heaven, the Sun and the
Moon, were associated with each other, as was often and naturally the
ease, the Sun was considered to be more especially a personification of
the Male Principle, and the waxing and waning moon, as represented by
the Crescent, a personification of the Female Principle. Hence the
worship of the God associated with the radiate sun, as of that of the
Goddess associated with the crescent moon and called the Sun-God's
mother or bride, was phallic in character; and their connection is
repeatedly symbolised upon the relics which have come down to us from
antiquity by the sign of the crescent containing within its horns
either a disc or what we should consider a star-like object, which
latter was almost as favourite a mode with the ancients of representing
the sun as it is with us of representing a star or planet, as will be
shown further on.
Returning, however, to the symbol of the cross, as the first and
simplest representation of that union of the Male and Female Principles
which alone produces what we mortals call life, it is extremely curious
that the selection of the figure of the cross in comparatively modern
times as the simplest and most natural symbol both of addition and of
multiplication, should have led no one to perceive that, being for
these very reasons also the simplest and most natural symbol of Life, a
probable solution of the mystery surrounding the origin of the
pre-Christian cross as a symbol of Life, as it were stared them in the
face. As to the contention of not a few authorities, apparently founded
upon the mistaken assumption that the _Svastika_ was the earliest form
of cross to acquire importance as a symbol, that the pre-Christian
cross was originally a representation of the wheel-like motion of the
sun or a reference to the wheel of the Sun-God's chariot; it need only
be remarked that evidence exists to show that the cross was a symbol of
Life from a period so early, that it is doubtful if the Sun-God had
then been likened to a charioteer, and not certain that either chariots
or wheels had been invented. It is true that the Solar Wheel became a
recognized symbol of the Sun-God, and that additional veneration was
paid to it because the figure of the symbol of Life was more or less
discoverable in the spokes allotted to the Solar Wheel; but it is
putting the cart before the horse to suppose that the cross became the
symbol of Life because its form was so discoverable.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account