File:The evolution of the dragon (1919) (14579527117).jpg

Identifier: evolutionofdrago00smituoft (find matches)
Title: The evolution of the dragon
Year: 1919 (1910s)
Authors: Smith, G. Elliot (Grafton Elliot), Sir, 1871-1937
Subjects: Dragons Mythology Rain gods -- Egypt Mythology, Egyptian Aphrodite (Greek deity) Incense
Publisher: Manchester, The University press London, New York (etc.) Longmans, Green & company
Contributing Library: Kelly - University of Toronto
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

View Book Page: Book Viewer
About This Book: Catalog Entry
View All Images: All Images From Book
Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book.

Text Appearing Before Image:
uoting only one more. Frankincenseand other spices were indispensable in temples where bloody sacrificesformed part of the religion. The atmosphere of Solomons templemust have been that of a sickening slaughter-house, and the fumes ofincense could alone enable the priests and worshippers to support it.This would apply to thousands of other temples through Asia, anddoubtless the palaces of kings and nobles suffered from uncleanlinessand insanitary arrangements and required an antidote to evil smells tomake them endurable. ^ It is an altogether delightful anachronism to imagine that religiousritual in the ancient and aromatic East was inspired by such squeam-ishness as a British sanitary inspector of the twentieth century mightexperience ! ^ Introduction to the History of Religions, p. 486. - He might start upon this journey of adventure by reading the articleon Incense in Hastings Encvclopcedia of Religiofi and Ethics. ^ Samuel Laing, Human Origins, Revised by Edward Clodd, 1903,p. 38.
Text Appearing After Image:
Fig. I.—The con\entional Egyptian representation of the Burning ofIncense and the Pouring of Libations (Period of the New Empire)—after Lepsius INCENSE AND LIBATIONS 3 But if there are these many diverse and mutually destructivereasons in explanation of the origin of incense-burning, it follows thatthe meaning of the practice cannot be so simple and obvious.For scholars in the past have been unable to agree as to the sense inwhich these adjectives should be applied. But no useful purpose would be seived by enumerating a collec-tion of learned fallacies and exposing their contradictions when thetrue explanation has been provided in the earliest body of literaturethat has come down from antiquity. I refer to the Egyptian Pyramid Texts. Before this ancient testimony is examined certain general principlesinvolved in the discussion of such problems should be considered.In this connexion it is appropriate to quote the apt remarks made, inreference to the practice of totemism, by Profess

Note About Images