The Lost Language of Symbolism : an Inquiry Into the Origin of Certain

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The Lost Language of Symbolism : an Inquiry Into the Origin of Certain A. f a \q[f' BOOK 901.B343 v. 1 c. 1 BAYLEY # LOST LANGUAGE OF SYMBOLISM 3 T153 0DB0315M E THE LOST LANGUAGE OF SYMBOLISM By the Same Author The Tragedy of Sir Francis Bacon (Grant Richards, igos) The Shakespeare Symphony (Chapman &- Hall, igo6) A New Light on the Renaissance (Dent, igog) The Undiscovered Country (Cassell, 1918) Archaic England (Chapman 6- Hall, igig) The Lost Language of London (Cape, ig35) Spalding's Quarterly (Spalding (S- Hodge, igsj—igsg) AWAITING PUBLICATION The Magic of Words Prehistory in Place Names The Wandering Jew St. Creda and Crete King Arthur Noah's Ark (A sequel to King Arthur) The Birth of Britannia Zebedee and Queen Sheba Bog and Bogies The Root of Jesse The Couth Goths The Great White Horse C6 THE ^^ LOST LANGUAGE a3 OF SYMBOLISM y^yz AN INQUIRY INTO THE ORIGIN OF CERTAIN . i LETTERS, WORDS, NAMES, FAIRY-TALES, V ' \ FOLKLORE, AND MYTHOLOGIES BY HAROLD BAYLEY "The English mind, not readily swayed by rhetoric, moves freely under the pressure of facts." c- r Tylor " One may, for a moment, arouse interest by a new hypothesis, but it is only by the accumulation of facts that public opinion is perceptibly influenced in the end." Walter Johnson. VOL. I New York BARNES & NOBLE, INC. First Published - - - - 1012, Reprinted - - - - 1051 Reprinted - - - - 1952 I'KINTEU IN GREAT BRITAIN BY l.llWi: AND HRVDONE PRINTERS LIMITED, LONDON, N.W.IO CONTENTS *o CHAPTER I INTRODUCTORY ^ PACES Emblem -trademarks of the Middle Ages— The Huguenots and Paper-making — Working-men's Guilds — Freemasonry and Gnosticism—The Intimate Relation between Symbolism and Language—Antiquity of Place- Names. 1-16 CHAPTER II THE PARABLE OF THE PILGRIM The Bohemian Brethren —The Sword of the Spirit—The Helmet of Salvation—The Staff of Faith—The Girdle of Righteousness —The Wings of Aspiration—The Spectacles of the Holy Ghost — The Unicorn — The Fleur de Lys — Lux Iticei in tenebris—The Candle of the Lord—The "Anointed of the Light" — The Invulnerable Shield and Buckler — The Dolphin—The Bondage of Ignorance—The Liberty of Light 17-31 CHAPTER III THE WAYS OF ASCENT The Ladder—of Perfection—The Pole Star—The Delectable Moun- ^ tains "Work is Prayer"—The Sail—The Dove—The Re- birth—Antiquity of the idea—The Serpent of Regeneration —The Way of Purity—The Stag—The Way of Justice—The Scales—The Number Eight—The Way of Charity—The Heart—The Way of Humility—The Ass—The Way of Hope— The Anchor—The Way of Unflagging Toil—The Ox 32-54 — —— vi THE LOST LANGUAGE OF SYMBOLISM CHAPTER IV THE MILLENNIUM PAGBS The Globe and Cross—The Messiah—Communism of The Romance of the Rose—The Peasants' War—The " Evangelical Chris- tian Brotherhood"—The Siege of Miinster—"By Peace Plenty and by Wisdom Peace"—The Standard of Righteous- ness — The Renaissance — The " Forerunner of Pleasant Phoebus"—The Portals of the Sky—The Ibis, the Bird of Morning—The Baboon, the Hailerof the Dawn . S5-69 CHAPTER V THE GOOD SPIRIT Monotheism of the Ancients—The Tetragrammaton— The Aleph- Tau—Alpha and Omega—The Compasses—The Sphere The Scarabseus—The Double-headed Eagle—'The Thunder Bird— The Three Circles—The Clover Leaf—The Quadrifoil —The Figure Four—The Svastika—Solomon's Knots—The Eye of Heaven —The Watcher—The Panther's Breath The BuUroarer — The Bad Serpent—The Mystic Tie — Jupiter's Chain—The Collar of S S—The Goose that Laid the Golden Egg—The " Silly Sheep "—The Good Shepherd— The Sacred Kine—Honey and Milk—The Milk Pail— Orpheus — Osiris — The Sacred Bull — The Moon "an Instrument of the Armies Above" .... 70-105 CHAPTER VI THE HOSTS OF THE LORD The Night "Christ's Knocking Time"—The Awakening Moon The Stars—Thoth, the Moon-God—The Threatening Moon- face—The Zigzag of Effulgence—The Contest between Light and Darkness Merodach, " Troubier of the Evil Ones INDRA, the Lord of Stars— Ormuz—ApOLLO—HORUS—The Hawk of Gold—The Great Bear, a Symbol of the Self- existent—The Horn of the Spirit—Jack the Giantkiller—The Fiery Cross and the Gathering of the Clans—The Awaken- ing Bell—The Cock, "the Native Bellman of the Night"— Chanticler and the Rising Sun .... 106-131 . — — ——— CONTENTS vii CHAPTER VII KING SOLOMON PAGES The Fire of Life—The Spiritual Sun—"Y" the Great Unit— The Solar Wheel— Brahma — The Oversoul — The Flower of Flame—The Mystic "33"—Mithra, the Sunlight—The Birthday of Christ—The " Cock of Abraxas"— D IONvsos— *' Children of the Sun "— Cities of the Sun—Solomon, a Solar Hero— The Song of Solomon—The Chariot of the Sun The Vision of Adonai— The Temple of Solomon—The Palace of the Sun—The Golden Column—The Twin Columns —The Three Columns—The Nail—The Corner-Stone—The Preacher . ... 132-166 CHAPTER VIII THE FAIR SHULAMITE — King Solomon's Bride "Wisdom"— I sis—Egyptian Mystery or Passion-plays — The Invocation of OSIRIS — The "Little Sister" of The Song of Solomon—The Shulamite's Incongru- ous Qualities—"Wisdom" one alone yet manifold The Wedding Song of Wisdom—The Virgin Sophia—Ishtar —Her Descent into Hell—The Descent of the Sun Solomon once a Scullion—Cinderella Cupid and Psyche— Cinderella "garbed like the Light"—The Princess in the Cave—The "Maid with the Hair of Gold "—SUDOLISU— The Names of Cinderella—" A Heifer of the Dawn"— Cinderella the Christina ..... 167-195 CHAPTER IX CINDERELLA Magna Mater—The " Lady of the Great Abyss "—The Good and Perfect Serpent—The Water-Mother—Symbolism of Blue Symbolism of Black—"Sooty Face"—The Maid of the Mist —The Ancient of Days—The Hymn of the Robe of Glory The Pearl of Price—Cinderella's Robes—APOLLO the Mouse ——The Hearth Cat—The Crystal Shoe—The Salt of Wisdom "Princess Woodencloak" .... 196-231 — viii THE LOST LANGUAGE OF SYMBOLISM CHAPTER X THE STAR OF THE SEA PAGBS Ave Maria—Lady Day—The Star of the Sea—The Mirror of Per- fection—The Letter M—"Mem" the Waters—The Fountain of Wisdom—The Well of True Water—The Dew of the Holy Spirit—The Cup of Salvation —The Chalice of Ever- lasting Glory—The Delectable Liquor of Wisdom—The Divine Nucleus—" Bethel," the House of God—The " Health of the Sick"—Solomon's Seal—The Gate of Heaven—St Catherine Wheels—The Keys of Heaven—The Diamond of Day—The Holy Goose ...... 232-266 CHAPTER XI ONE-EYE, TWO-EYES, AKD THREE-EYES The Five Virtues—The Four Children of Wisdom—Origin of the Figure Eight—The Twin Circles—The All-pure Fount One-Eye, Two-Eyes, and Three-Eyes—Symbolism of the Face — The One-Eyed Arimaspians — The Gold-Guarding Griffins— Polyphemus—Ulysses— ISHTAR—Esther—The Root of Jesse—The Seven RiSHlS—The Children of Israel- Meaning of the Name "Cinderella" . .267-287 CHAPTER XII THE EYE OF THE UNIVERSE The Eye of Light—The Perfect Circle—The E at Delphi—The Letter T—The Letter D—The Letter Z—The Letter X— Axie Taure !—Hoch ! Hock ! Hoch !—The Greek Eleleu ! the Semitic Alleluia! or Hallelujah!—Hurray!— Selah — Vivel—Laus!—The ^zme John—Jove, Jehovah—Santa Claus—Apollo and " Apple "—Op, the Eye, Hoop and Hope, Europe—The Letter P, originally a Shepherd's Crook Symbol of Pa, the Feeder and All- Father—/'a/^r, Jupiter, and St Patrick—The Ox-eye Daisy—The Ox or yak— lAKCHOS, Bacchus—The Eagle Hawk or Bird of Fire—The Sun-God Perun—Bear and pere— Brahma and the Goose —Bravo !—The Hedgehog—The Sea-Urchin—The Burr . Liber or Bacchus and liberty—The Scandinavian Fro— Fire, fair, phare, and Pharaoh—Fairies, /^m,//;r/«, and ferouers ........ ^ZZ-yil — — — — — CONTENTS ix CHAPTER XIII THE PRESIDENT OF THE MOUNTAINS FACES The Creative Bull—The Beetle or Chafer Heol, the Celtic Sun- God—The Letter R, also a Shepherd's Crook—The Greek rho—The Deity RadegOoT—Pan, the God of Shepherds and President of the Mountains Pan, the Origin oi pen and ben —Pan tenned MiN—J/zV?, meaning a Hill-top— Symbolism of the Miniver or Ermine— The Saxon Irmin—Pan probably Tammuz—Tambourines—Tom-toms—Timbrels and Tam- bours—Tammuz and St George—Tammuz and the River Tamise or Thames—The Helston "Furry Dance"—The Rose of St George—Hot Cross-Buns—Symbolism of Ram — " and Goat " I am the Letter A —A originally the Sign of a Mountain Peak—Alpha, Aleph, and Elephant Elephanta —The White Elephant—The words heat and hot—The Backbone of OsiRls—The Ashera or Maypole—The Mighty Ash-Tree— The Ear of Wheat—The Camel — Mount Carmel The Pillar of Fire—The Laburnum -Tree—The Acacia-Tree —The Thorn Bush—The Golden Spur—The Sceptre—The Solar Lion —The Lion of Judah—The Trident—The Penguin or Great Auk Christ the Piper—The Pipes of Pan . 323-375 — THE LOST LANGUAGE OF SYMBOLISM CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION " There can be no question that an enormous number of these water- marks had a religious significance, but we are asked to believe, on the ground that the same symbol was used contemporaneously in various parts of Europe, that these symbols formed a means of intercommunication and spiritual encouragement between all those who had been admitted to the secrets of the sect. The suggestion has many points to recommend it, but it requires a prolonged and scholarly analysis before it can rank as an acceptable hypothesis, . " In all justice to Mr Bayley, let us admit that he is not arrogant or dog- matic. He has put forth a theory on somewhat insufificient grounds, and has evidenced some over-anxiety to expand that theory beyond reasonable limits.
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