The Phallus: Sacred Symbol of the Male Creative Power

Description

Alain Danielou here unveils the religious impulse underlying art that at first glance seems to have no purpose beyond the erotic. Illustrated throughout with photographs and line drawings of European and Indian art, The Phallus celebrates the expression of the masculine in the religious traditions of East and West.

Alain Danielou (1907-1994) wrote more than thirty books about the philosophy, religion, history, and arts of India and the Mediterranean. Following a series of successful careers as a dancer, musician, and composer (Cocteau, Diaghilev, and Stravinsky were among his friends), Danielou settled in India and spent fifteen years there in the study of Sanskrit, philosophy, and music. After numerous university appointments in India, he returned in 1963 to Europe, where he established the Institute of Comparative Music Studies. Danielou's other books include The Complete Kama Sutra; Gods of Love and Ecstasy; Myths and Gods of India; and Virtue, Success, Pleasure, and Liberation.

"Danielou was one of the most distinguished contemporary orientalists, who brought the beauty of ancient texts and music to our unfortunate and increasingly barbaric continent. Our debt to his scholarship and humanity is immeasurable." * Times Literary Supplement * "The Phallus: Sacred Symbol of Male Creative Power is an excellent overview and introduction to a remarkable field of study, one as relevant to us today as to those who danced in the mists of antiquity." * Thor the Barbarian * "A great introduction to an often shunned aspect of religion." * Tony Mierzwicki, New Dawn, Mar-Apr 2006 *