[Rarebooks] FS: ORIGINE DE TOUS LES CULTES, 1795

[Michael John Thompson]

We can offer:

DUPUIS, Charles-Francois (Citoyen Dupuis).

ORIGINE DE TOUS LES CULTES; Ou, Religion Universelle. Three volumes and Atlas.

Paris: Chez H. Agasse, rue des Poitevins, No. 13. (1795).

First Edition, First Printing. First edition.

Quarto, bound in contemporary quarter calf over 
blue paste paper boards, the spines with gilt 
bands, gilt decorations in compartments, 
contrasting leather labels titled in gilt. xvi + 
556 + iv + 304 + iv +355 + 104 pp [Atlas: 16 pp + 
22 plates]. Three folding charts in Volume Three. 
Covers rubbed & scuffed, light wear at 
cornersspines bright and attractive. Text blocks 
square and tight. Pages crisp, light foxing, 
occasional spotting. Atlas volume, likely 
supplied from a different set, bound in 
contemporary quarter calf over brown paste paper 
boards, title label on spine, boards worn and 
bottom of spine chipped, corner clipped from 
corner of a preliminary blank, neat bookplate. Overall, a very good set.


¶ Rare, and very sought after in this large 
Quarto edition. Charles-François Dupuis 
(1742-1809), French Freemason, scientist, and 
scholar who held professorships at both the 
college of Lisieux (Paris), and the Collège de 
France. His "Origine de Tous les Cultes ou 
Religion Universelle" ("The Origin of all the 
Faiths, or Universal Religion") is a work of the 
greatest importance for the study of primitive 
religions and mythologies. In it he proposed that 
the mysteries of Greek religion and all other 
religions of antiquity have an ancient universal 
source - a tradition based on nature and the 
heavens. The names of the Gods were taken from 
the stars, and all mythology and religion, all 
legends and sages are an allegory of astronomical 
and astrological phenomenon. His work goes back 
to Ancient Egypt and forward to modern 
Christianity; Dupuis included a denial of Jesus' 
divinity which is perhaps why the book was placed 
on the Catholic Church's "Index Librorum 
Prohibitum" (The Index of Forbidden Books). The 
Atlas volume includes a fantastic allegorical 
frontispiece by Ducoudray and 22 double-page or 
folding plates depicting the Egyptian 
Astrological planispheres, The Tables of Mithra, 
the Calendar of Isis, the Distribution of the 
Four Elements, etc. There is much occult material 
contained within the book, including 
Astrological, Zodiacal, Cabalistic and Magickal 
tables of correspondences - not surprising as Dupuis was a Freemason.

Contents include: (translated, as the text is 
entirely in French): Volume One - First book, The 
Universal God. Worship of Nature proved by 
History. Remains of the Worship of Nature, marked 
in all Monuments. Second book: Tables of the 
Universe, its Divisions , and key Agents of 
Nature. Active and passive cause of Nature. 
Subdivision of the active cause or Uranus. The 
passive case and the action of Heaven on it. The 
two principles of Light and Darkness. The 
Universal Soul or animated world . The Universal 
Intelligence and its Parties . Third book: 
Héracléïde, Poem: Hercules or the Sun. Osiris or 
the Sun, Egyptian poem. Egyptian poem about Isis 
or the Moon. Théséïde, poem on the Sun under the 
name of Theseus or Hercules the Athenian. Jason 
Argonautica, Poem. - Volume II. Third Book: 
Bacchus, or the Dionysian Sun Poem. Ammon Omphis, 
Mnevis, Mithra, God forms of Taurus or mounted on 
the Taurus. Mendes or Pan, deities whose forms 
are borrowed from the Sheep and Goat. Apollo, the 
Sun God in human form. Orus, the Egypian Apollo. 
The Phoenician Adonis or Osiris. Atys, or the 
Phrygian Apollo. Asclepius, Serapis, Pluto, 
Esmun, Cneph, and all the attributes of Serpent 
Gods. Harpocate. God Day near the Winter 
Solstice. Canobus or the Sun God painted with the 
forms of Aquarius. The Sun and the Moon, Dagon 
Derceto, Atargatis, Oannes, the Goddess of Syria 
painted with the forms of fish. Syrian and 
Chaldean gods, Baal, Belus, Baal- Berith, 
Baal-gad-Phegor Beel, Beel-Zébut, Beel-Zephon, 
Adramelech, Anamelech, Moloch, Nergal, Nisroch, 
Nebo, Succoth - Fourth Book: Of Idolatrous Cults 
in general and in particular of the Cult of 
Living Animals. Cults of plants and stones. 
Statues and Pictures. Second part: Treaty of 
Mysteries. Philosophical examination of the 
Mysteries. - Volume III. The Christian Religion. 
Reparation. On the Unity and Trinity of God. 
Essay on the Great Cycles and Disasters. 
Consideration of a Phrygian Work known as the 
Apocalypse. Summary of Cosmogony and Theology of 
the Persians. Memoir on the Origin of 
Constellations. Part II: Historical Table, 
explanatory and register of the Zodiac Signs and 
Constellations. 2 Tables (Table of Zodiac Signs, 
their Geniuses and their influences / Table of 
the Months). A seminal work. Caillet 3420. Esoterica 1403.


$1,250.00 Cdn, post extra. Trade discount allowed.

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