Chapter I: Preface

The following study is an attempt to estimate the part played by the Sacred Dance among the peoples of antiquity as well as among the uncultured races in modern times; to account for its origin; to note the occasions on which it was performed; and to indicate the purposes of its performance.

The subject is more complicated than would appear at first sight; for while the fact of its universal prevalence among all races at one time or another of their cultural development shows how essential a rite it was, its origin is obviously veiled in obscurity seeing that it developed in prehistoric times. So that in seeking to throw light on the question of its origin one has to try to get at the back of the mind of the savage, and envisage things from his point of view; but that mind represents a complex of such crass and illogical elements that one may easily be led astray.

The purpose of the Sacred Dance, again, presents us with another set of problems; for while in some cases this is clear enough, in others there are alternatives which suggest themselves; and, further, it is probable that a variety of motives not infrequently prompted its performance. To disentangle these is not always easy.

On the other hand, the interest of the subject from the human point of view is great; for, as an indispensable rite at all the crises of life, it was evidently a means of emotional outlet. From the psychological standpoint, therefore, its prevalence is not without importance. Indeed, it will probably be thought that from the psychological side the subject is inadequately treated in the following pages. And this is true, though it does receive some attention; but in extenuation it must be said that the writer’s main object has been merely to give some account of the Sacred Dance as a widespread rite; and he feels that its treatment from the psychological aspect would best be left to one who is an expert in psychology.

That the Old Testament figures somewhat prominently in the following pages is partly due to the fact that the writer has made a special study of this body of literature, and it seemed wise to start from that with which he was most conversant; but there is the further reason, as is pointed out in the introductory chapter, that the Old Testament offers, in most cases, an exceedingly convenient starting-point from which to study the various “types” of sacred dance.

The writer desires to express his thanks to Dr Jevons, Dr Lukyn Williams, and Dr S. A. Cook for a number of helpful suggestions, to Miss Bevan for reading through the proofs, and his warm appreciation of the kindness and courtesy of the Secretary of the University Press.

The minute care taken in pointing out oversights in the correction of proofs, as well as other slips, is most gratefully acknowledged.

Finally, the writer would like to take this opportunity of thanking the Curator of the Department of Greek and Roman Antiquities in the British Museum for his ready help in arranging for the photographing of the Greek Vase, representing a Maenad dancing in honour of Dionysos, which is reproduced on the cover of this book.

W. O. E. O.

ST ALBAN’S VICARAGE, BEDFORD PARK.

_February 1923._

CONTENTS

PAGE

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTORY

I. THE IMPORTANCE OF THE SACRED DANCE 1

II. THE MEANING OF THE SACRED DANCE 5

III. THE REASON FOR USING THE OLD TESTAMENT AS THE
STARTING-POINT IN THE INVESTIGATION 8

IV. THE SOURCES OF INFORMATION: 9

(1) Inscriptions 10

(2) Pottery, etc. 10

(3) Ancient Literature 11

(4) Modern Literature 11

CHAPTER II

THE ORIGIN AND PURPOSES OF THE SACRED DANCE

I. THE ORIGIN OF THE SACRED DANCE 13

II. THE PURPOSES OF THE SACRED DANCE 19

CHAPTER III

THE SACRED DANCE AMONG THE ISRAELITES

I. THE SACRED DANCE AMONG THE ISRAELITES 31

II. TYPES OF THE SACRED DANCE AMONG THE ISRAELITES: 35

(1) The sacred processional dance 36

(2) The encircling of a sacred object 37

(3) The ecstatic dance 37

(4) Sacred dances at Vintage and Harvest Festivals 39

(5) Dances in celebration of victory 40

(6) The sacred dance as a Circumcision rite 41

(7) The sacred dance as a Marriage rite 41

(8) The sacred dance as a Burial or Mourning rite 42

CHAPTER IV

THE OLD TESTAMENT TERMS FOR “DANCING”

I. CONSIDERATION OF SOME HEBREW ROOTS 44

II. THE MUSICAL ACCOMPANIMENT TO DANCING 51

CHAPTER V

THE SACRED PROCESSIONAL DANCE, AND DANCES IN
HONOUR OF SUPERNATURAL POWERS

I. THE SACRED PROCESSIONAL DANCE AMONG THE ISRAELITES 54

II. AMONG THE SYRIANS AND ARABS, AND OTHER SEMITES 56

III. AMONG THE HITTITES 59

IV. AMONG THE EGYPTIANS 60

V. AMONG THE GREEKS 63

VI. AMONG THE ROMANS 73

VII. AMONG ASIATIC PEOPLES 76

VIII. AMONG UNCULTURED RACES 77

SUMMARY AND CONSIDERATIONS 81

CHAPTER VI

THE RITUAL DANCE ROUND A SACRED OBJECT

I. AMONG THE ISRAELITES 88

II. AMONG OTHER SEMITES 94

III. AMONG THE GREEKS 97

IV. AMONG THE ROMANS 100

V. AMONG UNCULTURED RACES 101

SUMMARY AND CONSIDERATIONS 104

CHAPTER VII

THE ECSTATIC DANCE

I. AMONG THE ISRAELITES 107

II. AMONG OTHER SEMITES 115

III. AMONG THE GREEKS AND ROMANS 119

IV. AMONG UNCULTURED RACES 128

SUMMARY AND CONSIDERATIONS 135

CHAPTER VIII

THE SACRED DANCE AT VINTAGE, HARVEST, AND OTHER
FESTIVALS

I. THE ISRAELITE FEASTS 140

II. CIRCUMCISION FEASTS AMONG THE SEMITES 144

III. THE SACRED DANCE AT EGYPTIAN FESTIVALS 145

IV. THE SACRED DANCE AT GREEK FESTIVALS 146

V. THE SACRED DANCE AT ROMAN FESTIVALS 149

VI. THE SACRED DANCE AT FESTIVALS AMONG UNCULTURED
RACES 151

SUMMARY AND CONSIDERATIONS 154

CHAPTER IX

DANCES IN CELEBRATION OF VICTORY

I. AMONG THE ISRAELITES 159

II. THE ORIGINAL PURPOSE OF THIS TYPE OF DANCE AMONG
UNCULTURED RACES 167

SUMMARY AND CONSIDERATIONS 173

CHAPTER X

THE SACRED DANCE AS A MARRIAGE RITE

I. AMONG THE ISRAELITES, THE “DANCE OF MAḤANAIM” 177

II. AMONG SOME UNCULTURED RACES 184

III. SOME FURTHER PURPOSES OF THIS TYPE OF DANCE 189

SUMMARY AND CONSIDERATIONS 191

CHAPTER XI

DANCING AS A MOURNING AND BURIAL RITE

I. THE OLD TESTAMENT AND THIS TYPE OF DANCE 194

II. THE RITE AMONG MEDIÆVAL AND MODERN JEWS 198

III. THE RITE AMONG THE EGYPTIANS, ANCIENT AND MODERN 202

IV. THE RITE AMONG THE GREEKS AND ROMANS 207

V. THE RITE AMONG UNCULTURED RACES 209

SUMMARY AND CONSIDERATIONS 219

INDEX 223

ABBREVIATIONS

_DB._ Hastings’ _Dictionary of the Bible_.

_EB._ Cheyne’s _Encyclopaedia Biblica_.

_ERE._ Hastings’ _Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics_.

_GB._ Frazer’s _The Golden Bough: A Study in Magic and
Religion_ (3rd edition).

_JE._ _The Jewish Encyclopaedia._