Themis, a study of the social origins of Greek ... - Warburg Institute

VI] Sanctity of Fruit- Trees 167
And of these fruits, before cereals came in with settled agri-
culture, most conspicuous and arresting would be the fruits of
wild trees. The fruit-growing tree would be sacred, and its
sanctity would quickly pass to other trees. There was the like
sanctity, the like mana in all edible plants and roots, but the tree
would stand foremost.
Earth as the Mother because the fruit-bearer is very clearly
shown in Fig. 35, a design from a hydria in the Museum at
scene is at Eleusis, marked by the presence
Constantinople 1
. The
of Triptolemos in his winged car. From the earth rises Ge. In
Fig. 35.
her hand she bears a cornucopia, full of the fruits of the earth
From the cornucopia rises a child. Art could not speak more
plainly. Ge is mother because fruit-bearer. Earth then is fitly
embodied by the primaeval fruit-bearer, the tree.
Earth sent up fruits, but not without help from heaven. In
the scenes of fruit-gathering this is not forgotten. On the signet-
ring in Fig. 34 above the tree and the priestess is a rather rudi-
mentary indication of the sky, a dotted line and what is probably
1 S. Reinach, Rev. Arch. 1900, p. 87 ; and see also Dr Svoronos, Journal
d'Archeologie et Numismatique, 1901, p. 387.