In 1941, as the world was gripped by the anxieties of global conflict, a quiet revolution was being published in London. T. Werner Laurie Ltd. released an ambitious, multi-racial, and utterly frank volume titled Phallic Worship: A History of Sex and Sex Rites in Relation to the Religions of all Races From Antiquity to the Present Day, written by George Ryley Scott.
This volume, appearing at a time when sexual discourse remained deeply intertwined with moralistic Victorian hangover and wartime Puritanism, was a profound act of intellectual courage. It was not intended as titillation, but as a comprehensive, if controversial, attempt to map the global spiritual roots of generative power.
An Anthropological Odyssey
The primary achievement of Phallic Worship is its staggering scope. Far from focussing on a single geographical area or historical period, the book undertakes a sprawling, comparative journey across continents and eras. From the ancient Egyptian reverence for the god Min and the Greek rites of Dionysus, through the complex fertility symbols of Hinduism (such as the Linga and Yoni), to the indigenous traditions of the Americas and Africa, the work argues for a fundamental, universal stage in human spiritual development: the worship of life-giving power.
The text posits that the phallus, and by extension, the sexual act, was not seen by ancient peoples primarily as a source of shame or private pleasure, but as the clearest, most tangible manifestation of the divine creative force—the engine of cosmic and agricultural renewal.
In this sense, the work acts as an essential antidote to purely theological histories of religion. By grounding ritual practice in the corporeal realities of harvest, generation, and survival, the text illuminates how the most explicit symbols were often the most sacred.
Fairness and Context: The 1941 Lens
To fully appreciate this book, one must consider it as a product of its time. Published before the formalisation of modern cultural anthropology and during a period when much information about non-Western cultures relied on colonial accounts—often biased or incomplete—Phallic Worship inevitably reflects certain limitations.
Fairly assessed, the balance of the book lies in two key areas:
Its Intentional Objectivity: The authors (often kept loosely anonymous or listed as “by a student of the subject”) strive for a non-judgemental historical narration. This radical attempt to treat sex rites as legitimate anthropological data, rather than “savagery” or “perversion,” is its greatest positive contribution. It aims to demystify, not sensationalise, challenging the prevailing narrative that such rituals were mere moral failings.
The Struggle with Sources: While the book is exhaustive in its compilation of historical references—often drawing on obscure classical texts and early archaeological reports—it sometimes suffers from the difficulty of separating genuine religious ritual from highly stylized or exaggerated reports filtered through a 19th-century European lens. The interpretations, viewed through modern psycho-religious theory, might seem simplistic, yet their very assertion that these rites deserved serious study paved the way for future scholars like Mircea Eliade and Joseph Campbell.
Shifting the Sacred Landscape
Phallic Worship is ultimately a powerful argument for unity in human spirituality. It demonstrates that the impulse to harness and celebrate generative power transcends race, nation, and established dogma.
By detailing the symbolic transition of the phallic principle—from literal carvings and ritualized sexual acts in antiquity to the sublimated, often highly veiled, symbols found in modern Western churches and esoteric traditions—the book provides a continuous thread of meaning. It argues successfully that no history of religion is complete without acknowledging this foundational element.
While the modern reader may find the prose dated or the structure rambling, the spirit of the work remains vibrant and essential. It challenged the rigid boundaries of what was considered appropriate for serious intellectual inquiry, forcing a dialogue on the deep, messy, and undeniable connections between sex, life, and the sacred.
For those interested in comparative mythology, the anthropology of fertility, or the publishing history of controversial subjects, Phallic Worship is not just a historical curiosity; it is a vital, pioneering document that dared to bring the light of scholarship into the shadows of taboo. It remains a testament to the fact that the most profound human truths often lie in the symbols we are most hesitant to discuss.
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Phallic Worship, by George Ryley Scott is available to read on the Internet Archive.
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