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The Sacred Mountain in the Old Asiatic Religion1

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 March 2011

H. G. Quaritch Wales
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Extract

Evidence to establish cultural diffusion is primarily sought in complicated material inventions, especially decorative motifs, because these give the best chance of ruling out independent origins. Since culture is usually diffused in complexes, rather than as isolated traits, we may then proceed to examine the deeper aspects of the civilizations concerned. In the case of religion, however, a difficulty that confronts us at the outset is that much of ancient religion was simple animism, too unspecialized to afford evidence of diffusion. Mountains, for example, either as homes of spirits or gods, oras being deities personified, are almost universal wherever there are mountains. Moreover, we have to bear in mind that such primitive ideas are liable to persist among peoples who are, or once were, influenced by more advanced religions.

Type
Articles
Information
Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society , Volume 85 , Issue 1-2 , January 1953 , pp. 23 - 30
Copyright
Copyright © The Royal Asiatic Society 1953

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References

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page 27 note 4 This rite is reminiscent of the sacred marriage of the Babylonian king, as representative of Marduk, to a priestess representing Ishtar, a custom which, incidentally, does not appear to have any parallel in India.

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