Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 40.djvu/216

204 kind. The purpose was to remind the Israelites of the "bringing up out of the land of Egypt." The passages refer to that event and also to the command, which forms the excuse for the phylactery itself: "And these words which I command thee this day shall be in thine heart: . . . And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes."

We shall close this rather rambling lecture with some suggestions relative to the religious meaning of mutilations, some of which were described in our first lecture, on deformations. We must first realize how savage and barbarous man looks upon blood. To begin with, he personally loves warm blood. He delights to drink it, to eat flesh reeking with it, to dip his hands into it, to splash his face and body with it. He has also some curious notions regarding it. A Brazilian bathes his infant in his enemy's blood, in order that the child may grow up a brave warrior. In Oceania the warrior dips his lance-tip into the blood of his slain foe to render himself invincible. In New Zealand the body of the dead foe was eaten in order that his blood might render the victor the heir of his bravery. Now, when savage and barbarous man, with his love for and his notions regarding blood, comes to think of higher beings, invisible but potent, whom he wishes to ally to himself, how can he better gain their friendship than by offering to them blood? And the best sacrifice is his own blood. Here we have the fundamental idea of every blood covenant. There are of course in any one instance other ideas present. But whatever these various significant features may be, in all we see a man trying to establish an artificial relationship with a deity by the shedding of his own blood. The people of any one clan or family worshiping the same god, the peculiar mode of shedding blood prevalent among them might become a tribal mark or sign. In Jewish circumcision—not originally Hebraic, but Egyptian—we see a good illustration of a blood covenant giving rise to a characteristic tribal mutilation. We see, too, in it very clearly a substitute for human sacrifice (see Exod. iv, 24). In Gen. xvii, 7, 10, 11, 17, 23: "And I will establish my covenant between me