And Horns on the Toads Page: 77
238 p. ; 24 cm.View a full description of this book.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
SOUTHPAWS, PSYCHOLOGY, SOCIAL SCIENCE
The risen Christ was to sit at the right hand of God, it was
widely known. He was, of course, from a theocratic viewpoint,
next highest in honor.'3
Following in this tradition of dextrality, Virgil has Aeneas
say in the Aeneid, "Dextra mihi deus" (My right hand is to
me as a god).14 Aeneas was, of course, a fictitious folk-hero, one
who acted aright and redressed wrongs. In eighteenth-century
Ireland there was a real folk-hero, an insurgent leader whose
nom de guerre was Captain Right and whose actual identity
was a most carefully kept secret. As a matter of fact, over a
period of years the title was used by more than one person.'"
Thus it is seen that the words left and right have symbolic
associations in both religious and profane circles. According
to G. A. Gaskell, in most religions the left hand symbolizes the
externally passive incoming energy of the soul, while the right
hand symbolizes the externally positive outgoing energy-that
which does the evolutionary force from within outward.'6 This
idea is in keeping with dextrality. The right hand is the stronger,
the doer, the giver. It is analogous to the scriptural advice in
Matthew 6:3-4:
But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand
know what thy right hand doeth;
That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father
which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.17
It is also analogous to the customary Hebraic manner of bless-
ing offspring, as seen in Genesis 48 in the story of Manasseh
and Ephraim, the elder and younger brother respectively. It
seems that their grandfather Israel, who was to give his bless-
ings to these two sons of Joseph, apparently got mixed up and
violated the custom of placing the right hand upon the elder
and the left hand upon the younger boy; but it turned out that
he knew what he was doing:
And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim's
head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh's head,
guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh was the firstborn....77
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This book can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Related Items
Other items on this site that are directly related to the current book.
And Horns on the Toads (Book)
Volume of folk stories and tall tales about the horned toad and other Texas folklore. The index begins on page 235.
Relationship to this item: (Has Format)
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Book.
Boatright, Mody Coggin. And Horns on the Toads, book, 1959; Dallas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc38856/m1/90/: accessed May 8, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Press.