Φ The worship of the Generative
Powers
During the Middle Ages of Western Europe
By Thomas Wright
Assisted by J. E. Tennent and George Witt
J. C. Hotten London 1865
115 pages - Many
illustrations
"... the discovery
that this worship continued to prevail in his time, in a very remarkable form, at Isernia
in the kingdom of Naples, a full description of which will be found in his
work.
The town of
Isernia was destroyed, with a great portion of its inhabitants, in the terrible earthquake
which so fearfully devastated the kingdom of Naples on the 26th of July, 1805, nineteen
years after the appearance of the book alluded to. Perhaps with it perished the last trace
of the worship of Priapus in this particular form;"
"... placed in
conspicuous places in the interior of the house, worn as an ornament by women, and
suspended as an amulet to the necks of children.
Erotic scenes of the most extravagant description covered vessels of metal, earthenware,
and glass, intended, on doubt, for festivals and usages more or less connected with the
worship of the principle of fecundity."
-- from the Introduction
