The Phallus: Sacred Symbol of Male Creative Power

Alain Daniélou 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.

SEXUALITY / ART Worship of the phallus as a symbol of creative energy has been central to virtually every world culture, and strong traditions of phallic art exist throughout India, Egypt, Greece, and Northern Europe. Yet we in the West, hampered by modern taboos, have been unable to see this most fundamental of symbols for what it is—the image of the creator in mankind. Alain Daniélou, the foremost authority on the art and spirituality of India and the classical world, here unveils the religious impulse underlying art that at first seems purely erotic. The Phallus surveys a wide range of art, myth, and cultural customs, examining phallic...