Religious Fervour and 'A Tale Of A Tub'

TOPIC OF THE BLOG:-

This blog is a part of a Sunday reading given by Kavisha ma'am from English Department, MKBU, Bhavnagar. In this blog I am going to discuss about Tale of a Tub by Johnthan Swift and try to related to Indian or different religious fervour. 

• For better understanding on shitla satam visit this site (Click here).
• And also visit Kavisha ma'am blog site (Click here).

TALE OF A TUB:-

A Tale of a Tub written by Johnthan Swift. This work is considered as a prose, Satire and first major work but also a failure in Swift's life. He composed this work between 1694 and 1697 and published in 1704. His Satire style in this prose is really appreciated and witfull. If one don't have critical and satirical type of mind they don't even know that this is not only a story of 3 brothers and coat but it's a hidden satire on religion. It is said that he is Anglican Church in this work but mostly people think that he satiring every religion.

This work is divided in chapters as follow:-

For Original text of A Tale of a Tub by Gutenberg Click here.
In first he dedicated this work to John Lord Somers and gave him a message but at that time no one knows that he was Johnathan Swift. And than he gave message to the reader as a bookseller that:-

It is now six years since these papers came first to my hand, which seems to have been about a twelvemonth after they were written, for the Author tells us in his preface to the first treatise that he had calculated it for the year 1697; and in several passages of that discourse, as well as the second, it appears they were written about that time.

As to the Author, I can give no manner of satisfaction. However, I am credibly informed that this publication is without his knowledge, for he concludes the copy is lost, having lent it to a person since dead, and being never in possession of it after; so that, whether the work received his last hand, or whether he intended to fill up the defective places, is like to remain a secret.

If I should go about to tell the reader by what accident I became master of these papers, it would, in this unbelieving age, pass for little more than the cant or jargon of the trade. I therefore gladly spare both him and myself so unnecessary a trouble. There yet remains a difficult question—why I published them no sooner? I forbore upon two accounts. First, because I thought I had better work upon my hands; and secondly, because I was not without some hope of hearing from the Author and receiving his directions. But I have been lately alarmed with intelligence of a surreptitious copy which a certain great wit had new polished and refined, or, as our present writers express themselves, “fitted to the humour of the age,” as they have already done with great felicity to Don Quixote, Boccalini, La Bruyère, and other authors. However, I thought it fairer dealing to offer the whole work in its naturals. If any gentleman will please to furnish me with a key, in order to explain the more difficult parts, I shall very gratefully acknowledge the favour, and print it by itself.

In this he sais to readers that this work is came to him anonymously and recently I found that the author is died and that's why I am publishing this book.

And than he explained The Epistle Dedicatory To His Royal Highness Prince Posterity. And now he move towards to Preface and than start to explain the central or main part of the book he divided this into 11 cheaters and than he talk about History of Martin. 

JOHNTHAN SWIFT:-

Jonathan Swift was born on 30 November 1667 in Dublin, Ireland . And died on 19 October 1745 in Dublin, Ireland. He was an Anglo-Irish satirist, author, essayist, political pamphleteer (first for the Whigs, then for the Tories), poet, and Anglican cleric who became Dean of St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin. He has so many pen names or pseudonym name like:- Isaac Bickerstaff, M. B. Drapier, Lemuel Gulliver, Simon Wagstaff, Esq. His notable work includes A Tale of a Tub, Drapier's Letters, Gulliver's Travels, A Modest Proposal, etc. He mostly published his works under this name so that it's seems anonymously. According to Wikipedia He was a master of two styles of satire, the Horatian and Juvenalian styles.

SHITLA SATAM:-

Shitla satam know as a Festival in India. Everyone celebrate shitla satam as a Diwali, Holi, Navratri and other festivals. Shitla satam or I can say this festival's Devi is Shitlamata. 

In this photo we can clearly see that Shitla Devi holds Broom in her hand so can we say that this society always picturised women as a household workers. A frame or a Devi which they worshiping picturised as a work. I better say it's also looks like irony to me. 

What written in this photo also intresting that it is a important festival in Indian culture and worshipped as Devi as a Goddess. And on this day WOMEN fast for the whole day. So, here we also can add a feminine words.  As the same there were also other photos too. 

In this video we can see that, let's side for a time that what a stupid idea that some disease is a God that if you are not worshipping them you will get some kind of pox. But at the same time we can notice that Shitla is as a Mata not as pita. The second noticeable thing in this picture shitala Mata sitting on a donkey. Donkey considered foolish animal in earth indirectly society call female foolish as per my thinking. 

In the next picture Bhakt of the shitla Mata picturised her so many aspects.

~•• REGRESSIVE RITUALS AND PROGRESSIVE RATIONAL THOUGHTS:-

---SMALLPOX:-

According to Stefan Riedel, MD, PhD about smallpox written in Did you know? (Click here to know more) 

He says that smallpox inoculation is an ancient Indian tradition and was practiced in India before the West. In kitab of al-jadari wa'l-hasba (On the variola and the measles) by the great physician and alchemist Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Zakariya al-Razi (865 to ca.923 AD) gives an idea that these diseases and their differentiation in the Western world. But at the same time small in china noted earlier that Islam history in Chou hou pei chi fang (Handy therapies for emergencies) by great physician and alchemist Ko Hung about 340 AD, and revised by Thao Hung-ching (also a great physician and alchemist), in the around 500AD.

He further says that In ancient times in India smallpox was prevented through the tikah (inoculation). But around 1803-04 the British government banned this process. It's banning, undoubtedly, was done in the name of 'humanity', and justified by the Superintendent General of Vaccine (manufactured by Dr. E. Jenner from the cow for use in the inoculation against smallpox). For the antidote against small pox is WORSHIPPING THE GODDESSES. S. C. Dube (1955) says that in ancient times disease was regarded as a punishment from the god and goddesses, or the work of evil sprites, or supernatural powers.

There are some writing about smallpox as follows:-

• In 1731, Coult was in Bengal and he observed it and wrote:-

--- The operation of inoculation called by the natives tikah has been known in the kingdom of Bengall as near as I can learn, about 150 years and according to the Bhamanian records was first performed by one Dununtary, a physician of Champanagar, a small town by the side of the Ganges about half way to Cossimbazar whose memory in now holden in great esteem as being through the another of this operation, which secret, say they, he had immediately of God in a dream.There method of performing this operation is by taking a little of the pus (when the smallpox are come to maturity and are of a good kind) and dipping these in the point of a pretty large sharp needle. Therewith make several punctures in the hollow under the deltoid muscle or sometimes in the forehead, after which they cover the part with a little paste made of boiled rice. When they want the operation of the inoculated matter to be quick they give the patient a small bolus made of a little of the pus, and boiled rice immediately after the operation which is repeated the two following days at noon.The place where the punctures were made commonly festures (sic) and comes to a small suppuration, and if not the operation has no effect and the person is still liable to have the smallpox but no contrary if the punctures do suppurate and no fever or eruption ensues, then they are no longer subject to the infection.The puncture blacken and dry up with the other pustules.The fever ensues later or sooner, according to the age and strength of the person inoculated, but commonly the third or fourth days. They keep the patient under the coolest regimen they can think off befor the fever comes on and frequently use cold bathing.If the eruption is suppressed they also use frequent cold bathing. At the same time they give warm medicine inwardly, but if they prove of the confluent kind, they use no cold bathing, but (keep) the patient very cool and give cooling medicines.I cannot say anything of the success of this operation or their method of cure in this disease, but I intend to inform myself.

• Dr. J.Z. Holwell wrote:-

--- Generally so inconsiderable and trifling, as very seldom to require this indulgence. Their regimen is ordered to consist of all the refrigerating things the climate and season produces, as plantains, sugar-canes, water melons, rice, gruel made of white poppy-seeds, and cold water, or thin rice gruel for their ordinary drink. These instructions being given, and an injunction laid on the patients to make a thanks giving Poojah, or offering, to the goddess is a pund of cowries, equal to about a penny sterling, and goes on to another door, down one side of the street and up on the other, and is thus employed from morning until night, inoculating sometimes eight or ten in a house. The regimen they order, when they are called to attend the disease taken in the natural way, is uniformly the same. There usually begins to be a discharge from the scarification a day before the eruption, which continues through the disease, and sometimes after the scabs of the pock fall off, and a few pustules generally appear round the edge of the wound; when these two circumstances appear only, without a single eruption on any other part of the body, the patient is deemed as secure from future infection, as if the eruption had been general. Thus far the system of practice pursued by the Bramins will, I imagine, appear rational enough, and well founded; but they have other reasons for particularly prohibiting the use of these three articles, which to some may appear purely speculative, if not chimerical. They lay it down as a principle, that the immediate (or instant) cause of the smallpox exists in the mortal part of every human and animal form; that the mediate (or second) acting cause, which stirs up the first, and throws it into a state of fermentation, is multitudes of imperceptible animalculae floating in the atmosphere; that these are the cause of all epidemical diseases, but more particularly of the small pox.That the great and obvious benefit accruing from it, consists in this, that the fermentation being excited by the action of a small portion of matter (similar to the immediate cause) which had already passed through a state of fermentation the effects must be moderate and benign; whereas the fermentation raised by the malignant juices of the animalculae received into the blood with the ailment, gives necessarily additional force and strength to the first efficient cause of the disease.

These all are detailed in do you know? Site as pin it above.

Here is a video on smallpox available in YouTube:-

Source:- World Health Organization South-Asia region

CONNECTION BETWEEN A TALE OF A TUB AND SHITLA SATAM:- 

Not only in India but in every country, not only in this age but un every age there is believe on God or Goddesses that they can fix everything. And this connection or believe on God lead us to different religion. And in every religion there is a founder and leader of the particular religion. Here Jonathan Swift describe three religion through A Tale of a Tub. First is ROMAN CATHOLICISM, second is LUTHERANISM or ANGLICAN CHURCH and third is CALVINISM. Through this work he criticises evry religion in a sense. In his work every person follow the perticular religion and it's belief like that in Sheetla satam people follows blind belief of  yaar particular religion. Like above I mentioned in did you know article, S. C. Dube (1955) says that in ancient times disease was regarded as a punishment from the god and goddesses, or the work of evil sprites, or supernatural powers. People think that propitiation of the god or goddesses was the sure antidote against these diseases. Worship of goddess is also connected with the smallpox and organized annually in the South. The village community organizes this annual worship of Pochamma on Thursday or Saturday in the month of Shravan (July-August). The Muslims also participate in this festival but don't participate in worship, as they dont believe in Hindu god, but were as afraid of the village gods and goddesses as the Hindus. So it's not matter which religion we are following but there is something which is scientifical genetical aur physical that we connected with religion in tried to run away from situation by afraiding of mighty or God in which start worshipping them. So here Jonathan Swift's A Tale Of a Tub has some similarities with Shitla satam.

Note:- If you find any problem or question or suggestions please let me know ☺️ some of the information are collected from the different sources which I mentioned after the perticular lines.