Cultus Arborum: A Descriptive Account of Phallic Tree Worship with, Illustrative Legends, Superstitions, Usages, &C., Exhibiting Its Origin and Development Amongst the Eastern & Western Nations of the World from the Earliest to Modern Times with a Bibliography of Works Upon and Referring to the Phallic Cultus; Nature Worship and Mystical Series
London: Privately Printed, 1890. First Edition Thus. Hardcover. Small octavo. viii + 111pp.+ ipp advert. White parchment covered boards with red illustration and lettering, beveled edges. One of an unstated but apparently small limited printing. A volume from the "Nature Worship and Mystical Series" on phallic worship privately & anonymously published, but believed to have been authored by Hargrave Jennings (1817-1890) a British Freemason, Rosicrucian, and student of comparative religion. Jennings was best known for his writing on the subject of phallism (phallicism - phallic worship) and its place in the origin of all religions. The anonymity of this series would have been necessary because the subject matter of the work was considered much too controversial for public release at the time. Unfortunately this also makes it difficult to determine whether the books are first editions or not - a few in the series appear to have been first published under other titles, which is why we are calling it a "first edition thus." Jennings was also the author of 'Phallicism, Celestial and Terrestrial', 'The Rosicrucians: Their Rites and Mysteries ' among others. Someone - most likely Jennings himself - writing on behalf of the publishers described this volume as: "A Descriptive Account of Phallic Tree Worship with, Illustrative Legends, Superstitions, Usages, etc., exhibiting Its Origin and Development Amongst the Eastern and Western Nations of the World from the Earliest to Modern Times. This work has a valuable bibliography which will be of the greatest use and value to the student of Ancient Faiths. It contains references to nearly five hundred works on Phallism and kindred subjects." Both the binding and paper stock of the books in this series are notoriously fragile - the present volume is in unusually good condition. White boards darkened at edges, margins and spine (as common), a little rubbing to boards, corners lightly bruised. Endpapers unevenly browned, occasional foxing, heaviest at first and last few leaves, a match-head size chip to the edge of two leaves. Still a solid, about VG+ copy, and unusual thus. Item #69643
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