Identifier: mythologyofallra03gray (find matches)
Title: The Mythology of all races ..
Year: 1918 (1910s)
Authors: Gray, Louis H. (Louis Herbert), 1875-1955 Moore, George Foot, 1851-1931 MacCulloch, J. A. (John Arnott), 1868-1950
Subjects: Mythology
Publisher: Boston, Marshall Jones Company
Contributing Library: Wellesley College Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Wellesley College Library

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enadopted. The theory, however, postulates a mystery-cult,with a plain and evident meaning for the folk — associatedwith powers of life and generation — and with other significa-tions for the initiate — phallic, philosophic, spiritual. Thestory of this pagan mystery, which expressed three planes orworlds — the triple mysteries of a life-cult— was graduallyChristianized by those ignorant of its meaning and was finally PLATE XXV Horned God The deity, wearing a torque and pressing a bagfrom which escapes grain on which a bull and astag feed, is supported by figures of Apollo and Mer-cury (cf. pp. 8-9). He may possibly be identicalwith Cernunnos, a deity of the underworld (PlateXVI). His attitude suggests the squatting god ofPlates HI, 3, VHI, IX, and his cornucopia corre-sponds to the purse of the divinity of Plate IX, B,as well as to the cup held by Dispater (Plate XIV).For other gods of the underworld see Plates V, VII,XII, XIII, XXVI. From a Gallo-Roman altarfound at Rheims.
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THE HEROIC M\THS 205 worked up by Robert de Borron (twelfth century) in terms ofa corresponding traditional esoteric Christian mystery. Theprocession with Grail, etc., was the presentation of the mystery,its meaning being divulged according to the degree of initiation;but though the quester is the initiate, yet he fails in hisQuest.^^ The present writer is wholly unable to believe thatsuch mysteries and initiations existed among the barbarousCelts or that they survived until the early middle ages, orthat lance and cup have a phallic significance — life symbolsof the lowest plane — or that there was a traditional esotericChristianity, save in the minds of cranks of all ages. Why,again, should a mystery known only to initiates have been thesubject of a story .^ Were initiates likely to reveal it.^ Toregard the Grail story from a phallic, occult point of view andto interpret it by means of a mystic jargon is to degrade it.If the modern occultist possesses a divine secret, the worlddo

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