APP. B] Note on some primitive conceptions 253 



accomplished takes a characteristic form. The two 

 aspects become male and female; and they are not 

 truly fused, but represented by deities united in 

 marriage. Men feel themselves allied to the gods, be- 

 cause they themselves can create life. Naturally, a 

 simple anthropomorphism connects the mode of divine 

 creation with human. But since like produces like in 

 human experience, the marriage of the great gods gives 

 issue to the lesser. Further, men and earthly things 

 are generally regarded as the result of a divine fiat. Man 

 knows that he can create at his will, even if only houses 

 and weapons and offspring, and he argues that the gods 

 do the same; but that, having more powers, they can 

 create men and animals. Marriage thus typifies divine 

 creative activity, and implicitly recognises the volitional 

 and mediatorial aspects of all creation. Very dimly is 

 the likeness of men and gods understood in its deeper 

 significance. Crude anthropomorphism shows that it 

 is there, none the less. More subtly is it implied in the 

 similarity between the generative powers of gods and 

 men; and the recognition that, besides like generating 

 like, in both gods and men is the possibility of creating 

 unlikes. Men can create unorganised tools ; but the gods 

 can create matter itself, and living animals, by virtue 

 of their superior powers. Among men the best that 

 even magicians can do is make a human marriage 

 fertile or call up pre-existing spirits; but magicians 

 are hampered by an earthly tenement. The marriage 

 of the gods, then, typifies creative activity, but it does 

 more. It indicates the close bond that exists between 

 the nature of gods and men. 



Our meaning may be illustrated by a few examples. 



Isis was the wife of Osiris. Osiris later became confused 



with Ra, the sun-god; Isis with the Moon-goddess, 



according to Diodoms Siculus 1 . The great rite of Osiris 



1 Diodorus. i. quoted by Fraaer. 



