MITHRAISM
403
MITHRAISM
gotten, though the Greek and Roman ones were hab-
itually used. Ahura Mazda and Spefita Armaiti gave
birth to a great number of lesser deities and heroes:
-Artagnes (Hercules), Sharevar (Mars), Atar (Vulcan),
Anaitis (Cybele), and so on. On the other hand there
was Pluto, or Ahriman, also begotten of Infinite Time.
This Incarnate Evil rose with tlie army of darkness to
attack and dethrone Oromasdes. They were however
thrown back into hell, whence they escape, wander
over the face of the earth and afflict man. It is man's
duty to worship the four simple elements, water and
fire, air and earth, which in the main are man's
friends. The seven planets likewise were beneficent
deities. The souls of men, which were all created to-
gether from the beginning antl which at birth had but
to descend from the empyrean heaven to the bodies
prepared for them, received from the seven planets
their passions and characteristics. Hence the seven
days of the week were dedicated to the planets, seven
metals were sacred to them, seven rites of initiation
were made to perfect
the Mithraist, and
so on. As evil spirits
e\'er lie in wait for
hapless man, he needs
a friend and saviour
who is M i t h r a .
Mithra was born of a
mother-rock by a
river under a tree.
He came into the
world with the Phry-
gian cap on his head
(hence his designa-
tion as Pileatus, the
Capped One), and a
knife in his hand.
It is said that shep-
herds watched his
birth, but how this
could be, considering
there were no men
on earth, is not ex-
plained. The hero-
god first gives battle
to the sun, conquers
him, crowns him with
rays and makes him
his eternal friend and fellow ; nay, the sun becomes in a
sense Mithra's douljle, or again his father, but 'HXios
Mi0pas is one god. Then follows the struggle be-
tween Mithra and the bull, the central dogma of
Mithraism. Ahura .Mazda had created a wild bull
which Mithra pursued, overcame, and dragged into
his cave. This wearisome journey with the struggling
bull towards the cave is the symbol of man's troubles
on earth. Unfortunately, the bull escapes froni the
cave, whereupon .Ahura Mazda sends a crow with a
message to Mithra to find and slay it. Mithra re-
luctantly obeys, and plunges his dagger into the bull
as it returns to the cave. Strange to say, from the
body of the dying bull proceed all wholesome plants
and herbs that cover the earth, from his spinal marrow
the corn, from his blood the vine, etc. The power of
e.vil sends his unclean creatures to prevent or poison
these productions but in vain. From the bull pro-
ceed all useful animals, and the bull, resigning itself
to death, is transported to the heavenly spheres.
Man is now created and subjected to the malign in-
fluence of Ahriman in the form of droughts, deluges.
and conflagrations, but is saved by Mithra. I'inally
man is well established on earth and Mithra returns to
heaven. He celebrates a last supper with Helios and
his other companions, is taken in his fiery chariot
across the ocean, and now in heaven protects his fol-
lowers. For the struggle between good and evil con-
tinues in heaven between the planets and stars, and
on earth in the heart of man. Mithra is the Mediator
{iUcriTir}!) between God and man. This function first
arose from the fact that as the light-god he is sup-
posed to float midway between the upper heaven and
the earth. Likewise a sun-god, his planet was sup-
posed to hold the central place amongst the seven
planets. The moral aspect of his mediation between
god and man cannot be proven to be ancient. As
Mazdean dualists the Mithraists were strongly inclined
towards asceticism: abstention from food and absolute
continence seemed to them noble and praiseworthy,
though not obligatory. They battled on .Mithra's side
again.st all impurity, against all evil within and with-
out. They believed in the immortality of the soul;
sinners after death were dragged to hell; the just
passed through the seven spheres of the planets,
through seven gates opening at a mystic word to
Ahura Mazda, leaving at each planet a part of their
lower humanity until, as pure spirits, they stood before
God. At the end of the world Mithra will descend to
earth on another
bull, which he will
sacrifice, and mixing
its fat with sacred
wine he will make all
flrink the beverage
of iiiiniortality. He
will I lius have proved
himself .Vaharsps, i. e.
"never conquered ".
WoHSHip. — There
were seven tlegrees
of initiation into the
Mithraic mysteries.
'1 he consecrated one
(mi/xtes) became in
succession crow
(nirax), occult {cry-
pliius), soldier(mi7es),
lion {leo), Persian
(I'erses), solar mes-
senger (heliodromos) ,
and father (paler).
On solemn occasions
they W'ore a garb ap-
propriate to their
name, and uttered
seum. Home sounds Or performed
gesturesin keepingwith whattheypersonified. "Some flap their wings as birds imitating the soimd of a crow, others roar as lions ", says Pseudo-Augustine (Qusest. Vet. N. Test, in P. L., XXXIV, 2214). Crows, occults and soldiers formefl the lower orders, a sort of cate- chumens : lions and those admitted to the other degrees were participants of the mysteries. The fathers con- ducted the worship. The chief of the fathers, a sort of pope, who always lived at Rome, was called " Pater Patrum" or "Pater Patratus." The members below the degree of pater called one another " brother," and social distinctions were forgotten in Mithraic unity. The ceremonies of initiation for each degree must have been elaborate, but they are only vaguely knowm — lustrations and bathings, branding with reel- hot metal, anointing with honey, and others. A sacred meal was celebrated of bread and hnnmd juice for which in the West wine was substituted. This meal was supposed to give the participants super- natural virtue. The Mithraists worshipped in caves, of which a large number have been found. There were five at Ost la alone, but thoy were small and could perhaps hold at most 200 persons. In the apse of the cave stood the stone representation of Mithra slaying the bull, apiece of sculpture usually of mediocre artistic merit and always made after the same Pergamean model. The light usvially fell through openings in the top as the caves were near the surface of the ground. A hideous monstrosity representing Kronos was also
