Project Gutenberg
2018-05-13
Public domain in the USA.
305
Wake, C. Staniland (Charles Staniland)
1835
1910
Wake, Charles Staniland
17031599
Serpent-Worship, and Other Essays, with a Chapter on Totemism
Rivers of life -- Phallism in ancient religions -- The origin of serpent-worship -- The Adamites -- The descendants of Cain -- Sacred prostitution -- Marriage among primitive peoples -- Marriage by capture -- Development of the "family" -- The social position of woman as affected by "civilisation" -- Spiritism and modern spiritualism -- Totems and totemism -- Man and the ape.
Produced by Chris Curnow, Les Galloway and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This
file was produced from images generously made available
by The Internet Archive)
"Serpent-Worship, and Other Essays" by C. Staniland Wake is a scholarly work written in the late 19th century. This collection of essays explores various themes related to ancient religions, discussing the significance of serpent-worship, phallic symbols, and totemism within human belief systems. The text delves into the historical and symbolic roots of these practices, providing a critical examination of their relevance in the development of spiritual life throughout history. The opening of the book introduces the concept of religious faiths as "Rivers of Life," likening their evolution to the flow of water, as portrayed by Major-General Forlong. The author discusses how human worship has stemmed from various symbols, such as trees and serpents, which are closely associated with generative powers and cultural rites. In particular, Wake emphasizes the deep connections between tree and serpent-worship, suggesting that such faiths have profound implications for understanding early human spirituality and societal structures. This sets the stage for a broader exploration of ancient beliefs, including the origins and meanings behind these symbolic forms of devotion. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
Reading ease score: 53.1 (10th to 12th grade). Somewhat difficult to read.
en
Phallicism
Totemism
Serpent worship
BL
Text
Category: Essays, Letters & Speeches
Category: History - Ancient
Category: Archaeology & Anthropology
Category: Religion/Spirituality
631073
2025-07-22T15:22:19.928457
text/html
620537
2018-05-12T19:26:00
text/html
452690
2025-07-22T15:22:27.138441
application/epub+zip
454931
2025-07-22T15:22:21.087485
application/epub+zip
303087
2025-07-22T15:22:20.476455
application/epub+zip
621387
2025-07-22T15:22:31.657388
application/x-mobipocket-ebook
589964
2025-07-22T15:22:26.582425
application/x-mobipocket-ebook
442275
2022-08-25T16:53:58.915752
application/x-mobipocket-ebook
522772
2025-07-22T15:22:19.075436
text/plain; charset=us-ascii
522955
2018-05-12T19:25:56
text/plain; charset=us-ascii
19641
2025-07-22T15:22:31.787351
application/rdf+xml
21291
2025-07-22T15:22:20.596419
image/jpeg
1945
2025-07-22T15:22:20.536453
image/jpeg
185783
2018-05-12T19:26:00
application/octet-stream
application/zip
413761
2018-05-12T19:26:00
application/octet-stream
application/zip
414046
2025-07-22T15:22:19.972460
application/octet-stream
application/zip
Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at
https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog