Tradition : Principally with Reference to Mythology and the

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'
THE TRADITION OF
There are, no doubt, also divers astral complications
arising out of Saturn's place in the planetary system.
When, however, we are told that Saturn was son of
Ccelus and Tellus or Coelus and Vesta.7 the same as
Terra (Montfauc,on), it seems to occur to us, as a th e»^^^^B- qui saute aux yeux," that this was only a mode of
expressing a truth, applicable to all men in general, and
Saturn as a primal progenitor in particular, and having
jrence to the composite nature of man; in other
ds, that this was simply the tradition which N
would have handed down that he was created,8 as were
all other men, out of the earth, yet with something
ethereal in his composition which came direct from the
Deity. "What the astral explanation may be I am at a
loss to imagine. It cannot by any possibility be supposed
to have reference to their relative positions in the
1
I shall return to Saturn, under the representation of
Oceanus, when I come to speak of Janus.
II. Bacchus.-The Saturnalia may be taken as the
connecting link between Saturn and Bacchus, and I
think that it is sufficiently remarkable that there should
be this link of connection.
But as the legends of Saturn are not all derived from
Noah, so neither do all the traditions concerning Bacchus
appertain to Saturn. I shall simply separate and note
such as appear to me to be in common, e.g.
" that
Bacchus found out the making of wine, the art of
planting trees, and many things else commodious for
mankind." [" And Noah, a husbandman, began to till
the ground, and planted a vineyard, and drinking the
7 "Saturn is by Plato supposed to have been the son of Oceanus"'
Bryant, ii. 261.
8 Vide Autochthones, ch. vii.