. The evolution of the dragon. istic designs as the spiral and the volute, andnot improbably also of the swastika. Starting from the researches of Tiimpel, a distinguished Frenchzoologist. Dr. Frederic Houssay,^ sought to demonstrate that the cultof Aphrodite was based upon a pre-existing zoological philosophy .The argument in support of his claim that Aphrodite was a personifica-tion of the octopus must be sharply differentiated into two parts :first, the reality of the association of the octopus with the goddess, ofwhich there can be no doubt ; and secondly, his explanation of it,which (howe
. The evolution of the dragon. istic designs as the spiral and the volute, andnot improbably also of the swastika. Starting from the researches of Tiimpel, a distinguished Frenchzoologist. Dr. Frederic Houssay,^ sought to demonstrate that the cultof Aphrodite was based upon a pre-existing zoological philosophy .The argument in support of his claim that Aphrodite was a personifica-tion of the octopus must be sharply differentiated into two parts :first, the reality of the association of the octopus with the goddess, ofwhich there can be no doubt ; and secondly, his explanation of it,which (however popular it may be with classical writers and modernscholars) ^ is not only a gratuitous assumption, but also, even if it were ^ See Schliemann, llios, p. 435 ; and Siret, op. cit. - Siret, op. cit. supra, p. 59. Les Theories de la Genese a Mycenes et le sens zoologique decertains symboles du culte dAphrodite, Revue Archeologique, 3« serie,T. XXVI. 1895, p. 13. ^ It was adduced also by Tiimpel and others before him. i :l e. PlG. 22.—(a) Sepia , ai-tek Tryon, Ckphalopoda. (b) LOLIGO VULGARIS, AFTER TrYON. (c) The position usually adopted by the resting Octopus, after Trvon. THE BIRTH OF APHRODITE 169 based upon more valid evidence than the speculations of such recentwriters as Pliny, would not really carry the explanation veiy far. I refer to his claim that les premiers conquerants de la mer furentinduits en veneration du poulpe nageur (octopus) parce quils crurentque quelque-uns de ces cephalopodes, les poulpes sacres (argonauta)avciient, comme eux et avant eux, invente la navigation {pp. cit.,p. I 5). Idle fancies of this sort do not help us to understand the arbi-traiy beliefs concerning the magical powers of the octopus. The real problem we have to solve is to discover why, among allthe multitude of bizarre creatures to be found in the MediterraneanSea, the octopus and its allies should thus have been singled out fordistinctive appreciation, and also acquir
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