19] 



gods, were born on December 25th, at midnight; and 

 the stories related of each bore a marked resemblance 

 to each other. The real birthday of the sun-god was 

 December 22nd, at the first hour; but it was always 

 reckoned from the same time on December 25th, because 

 at that moment, and not before, the first stars of Virgo 

 appeared above the horizon, which was the sign by which 

 it became known that the birth had actually taken place 

 three days and three nights previously. This gave rise 

 to a popular notion that the sun-god struggled for that 

 length of time at each of the solstitial and. equinoxial 

 points, and accounts for the fable of the two crucifixions 

 when the sun-god, in crossing the equator in March and 

 September, was, for three days and three nights, in torture 

 before he finally ascended to heaven in the one case, 

 and descended to hell in the other. 



The Christian myth of the birth and death of the 

 saviour-god, although now considerably amplified and 

 converted into a long history, was originally, no doubt, 

 of a much simpler form, and, probably, of the following 

 nature : Jesus, the sun-god, was born at midnight, 

 between December 24th and December 25th, his mother, 

 Virgo, having been three days and three nights in the 

 agony of childbirth ; the virgin, not being allowed to 

 enter the house of the goat, being on the opposite side 

 of the zodiac, was obliged to seek refuge in the stable 

 of Augias (Cancer), and place her baby in the manger Oi 

 Jao, at which moment the lamb of god, Aries, hurled 

 into the abyss the great monster of evil, or Cetus \ the 

 three kings in the belt of Orion, perceiving, on January 

 6th, the great star Vindemiatrix rise in the east, which 

 was their guiding star, made obeisance to the new-born 

 god and disappeared below the horizon, going down by 

 the west, instead of returning by the east, or way they had 

 come. Growing from this moment, the young sun-god 

 commenced his journey towards the city of god, the 

 summer solstice, at the top of the hill, or height ot 

 annual ascension, meeting at the outset Aquarius, the 

 man with the pitcher of water, or John the Baptist, with 

 whom he remained for a time ; after which he entered 

 upon the season of fasting, or the sign Pisces, the fishes, 

 and prepared by austerities for the coming feast of the 



