The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1886-07-24
CURIOSITIES OF HEATHEN LIT
ERATURE.
/ +,

These writings of the olden time de-
serve more than merely curious hand
ling. Many of them are worthy of pro-
found study, for often deep meanings are
to be found therein. The human soul
was then as now bordering over the great
problems and mysteries of life.
The stories OF Prometheus and Pan
dora are peculiarly interesting on &C.
count of their striking resemblance to the
story of Adam and Eve. This Prone
theus was one of the Titans, gigantic
race, which inhabited the earth before
the creation of man, according to this
story. Genesis tells us that there we're
giants in those days." but the days re-
ferred to were after the Scriptural crea-
ton of man. According to the Pagan
story God did not make man himself, but
delegated the task to Prometheus, after
having provided him with the necessary
materials.
Prometheus took earth, and kneading
it up with water, made man in the image
of the gods, not of God, as Genesis has
it. He gave him an upright stature, SO
that while all other animals turn their
faces downward, and look to the earth,
he raises his to heaven, and gazes on the
stars. He taught man the use of fire, 30
that by this he could be more than
match for all other creatures. The use
of fire enabled him to make weapons
wherewith to subdue them; tools with
which to cultivate the earth; to warm his
dwelling, 80 as to be comparatively indie
pendent of climate; and finally to intro
duce the arts and to coin money, the
means of trade and commerce. The pa
gan writer's seem to have caught the Sc
cret of evolution, as they recognize no
fall, no degeneration; but, on the contra
ry, put man on an ascending scale, with
all the necessary forces at his command.
Their story of the first woman is as fol-
lows: Her name was Pandora, and every
one of the gods contributed something to
perfect her. Venus gave her beauty,
Mercury persuasion, Apollo music, etc.
Thus equipped with all heavenly excel
lencies, she was conveyed to earth, to
bless man. But here two conflicting
stories come in. Evidently some woman
hater wrote one of them. One story says
the gods furnished her with box con-
tanning her marriage presents, into which
every god had put some blessing. She
opened the box incautiously, and the
blessings all escaped, hope only excepted.
Thus Pandora brought man every excel
lence of person and character, and the
priceless blessing of hope. In no sense
did she prove curse to him. This story
was written by some happily married
man, probably.
The other story has it that Epimetheus
brother of Prometheus, had in his house
jar in which we're kept certain noxious
articles, for which, in fitting man for his
new abode, there was no occasion. Pan
dora Qike Cinderella in the story of Blue
Beard was seized with an eager curios-
ity to know what this jar contained; and
one day she slipped off the cover and
looked in. Forthwith there escaped a
multitude of plaques for hapless man.
such as gout, rheumatism, and collie for
his body, and envy, spite and revenge for
his mind,-scattering themselves far and
wide. Pandora fastened to replace the
lid; but alas the whole contents of the
jar had escaped, one thing only excepted,
which lay at the bottom, and that was
hope.
Surely the first story of Pandora, the
first woman, is much more honorable to
woman than the idea that she is the real
cause of all the evils that now affiict man.
kind, and the endless evils that are to
torment us in future world.
g. K. GIBSON.