--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Surrounded and absorbed, we tread like…" description: "\"Surrounded and absorbed, we tread like Etruscans on the edge of useless law; we pray to the giver of prayer, we give the cane whistle in ceremony, we s..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/109/elizabeth-cook-lynn-65451_ceremony_surrounded-and-absorbed-we-tread-like-et_2563395.png" --- # Surrounded and absorbed, we tread like Etruscans on the… ![“Surrounded and absorbed, we tread like Etruscans on the edge of useless law; we pray to the giver of prayer, we give the cane whistle in ceremony, we swing the heavy silver chain of incense burners. Migration makes new citizens of Rome.” quote by Elizabeth Cook-Lynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/109/elizabeth-cook-lynn-65451_ceremony_surrounded-and-absorbed-we-tread-like-et_2563395.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/109/elizabeth-cook-lynn-65451_ceremony_surrounded-and-absorbed-we-tread-like-et_2563395.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/109/elizabeth-cook-lynn-65451_ceremony_surrounded-and-absorbed-we-tread-like-et_2563395.png) > “Surrounded and absorbed, we tread like Etruscans on the edge of useless law; we pray to the giver of prayer, we give the cane whistle in ceremony, we swing the heavy silver chain of incense burners. Migration makes new citizens of Rome.” Elizabeth Cook-Lynn ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A vivid, metaphorical description of cultural assimilation and the weight of tradition during migration. **In simple terms:** Migration blends cultures and burdens. Key Takeaway Respect and understand new customs. Themes migration culture identity tradition ritual Mood thoughtful poetic Type observation reflection When to use this quote - immigration - community building - cultural festivals - heritage preservation - legal integration Key Concepts anthropology history social dynamics Questions to Reflect On - What traditions do you carry forward? - How do you balance old and new identities? A Different Perspective May romanticize or oversimplify complex social changes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ceremony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ceremony/) [Chains](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chains/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Immigration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/immigration/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Migration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/migration/) [Prayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prayer/) [Praying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/praying/) [Rome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rome/) [Silver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silver/) ## Related quotes > [If we could survive without a wife, citizens of Rome, all of us would do without that nuisance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustus/if-we-could-survive-without-a-wife-citizens-of-rome-all-of-us-would/) [Augustus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustus/) > [Citizens of Rome might boast that the claim of 'Civus romanus sum' set them apart from barbarians and slaves, and it was true up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-korda/citizens-of-rome-might-boast-that-the-claim-of-civus-romanus-sum-set/) [Michael Korda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-korda/) > [“Growing as they did, however, out of the old earth, the flowers still sent a fresh and sweet incense up to their Creator...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-hawthorne/growing-as-they-did-however-out-of-the-old-earth-the-flowers-still/) [Nathaniel Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-hawthorne/) > [If upon this earth we ever have a glimpse of heaven,it is when we pass a home in winter, at night,and through the windows,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/if-upon-this-earth-we-ever-have-a-glimpse-of-heaven-it-is-when-we/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) > [There's a little book I'm thinking of writing - "Swan Song" is what I shall call it. The song of the dying. And my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maxim-gorky/there-s-a-little-book-i-m-thinking-of-writing-swan-song-is-what-i/) [Maxim Gorky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maxim-gorky/) > [The library was a little old shaby place. Francie thought it was beautiful. The feeling she had about it was as good as the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-smith/the-library-was-a-little-old-shaby-place-francie-thought-it-was/) [Betty Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-smith/) > [“The amount of perfume she had on was like a human sacrifice on Incense Night.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-moles/the-amount-of-perfume-she-had-on-was-like-a-human-sacrifice-on/) Stephen Moles > [His smell—the scent of a demon, cinnamon incense, amber musk—wrapped around me, filled my lungs. I felt like I could breathe again, without every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lilith-saintcrow/his-smell-the-scent-of-a-demon-cinnamon-incense-amber-musk-wrapped/) [Lilith Saintcrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lilith-saintcrow/) > [Alcoholism, the opium habit and tobaccoism are a trio of poison habits which have been weighty handicaps to human progress during the last three…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-harvey-kellogg/alcoholism-the-opium-habit-and-tobaccoism-are-a-trio-of-poison-habits/) [John Harvey Kellogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-harvey-kellogg/) > [No ashes are lighter than those of incense, and few things burn out sooner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-savage-landor/no-ashes-are-lighter-than-those-of-incense-and-few-things-burn-out/) [Walter Savage Landor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-savage-landor/) > [My writing routine is everyday I put a record on, the same one since 20 years. Then I burn a stick of incense, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-jodorowsky/my-writing-routine-is-everyday-i-put-a-record-on-the-same-one-since/) [Alejandro Jodorowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-jodorowsky/) > [It is by far the most elegant worship, hardly excepting the Greek mythology. What with incense, pictures, statues, altars, shrines, relics, and the real…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-byron/it-is-by-far-the-most-elegant-worship-hardly-excepting-the-greek/) [Lord Byron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-byron/) > [As soon as I find myself in the presence of a rich man, I cannot help looking upon him as an exceptional and beautiful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octave-mirbeau/as-soon-as-i-find-myself-in-the-presence-of-a-rich-man-i-cannot-help/) [Octave Mirbeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octave-mirbeau/) > [The praise of a fool is incense to the wisest of us . . .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-disraeli/the-praise-of-a-fool-is-incense-to-the-wisest-of-us/) [Benjamin Disraeli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-disraeli/) > [All philanthropy ... is only a savory fumigation burning at the mouth of a sewer. This incense offering makes the air more endurable to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-key/all-philanthropy-is-only-a-savory-fumigation-burning-at-the-mouth-of/) [Ellen Key](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-key/) ## More by Elizabeth Cook-Lynn > [“The journey through another world, beyond bad dreams beyond the memories of a murdered generation, cartographed in captivity by bare survivors makes sacristans of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-cook-lynn/the-journey-through-another-world-beyond-bad-dreams-beyond-the/) Elizabeth Cook-Lynn > [The joke used to be that in every Indian home, there is the mother, father, children, grandparents, and the anthropologist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-cook-lynn/the-joke-used-to-be-that-in-every-indian-home-there-is-the-mother/) Elizabeth Cook-Lynn > [The journey through another world, beyond bad dreams beyond the memories of a murdered generation, cartographed in captivity by bare survivors makes sacristans of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-cook-lynn/the-journey-through-another-world-beyond-bad-dreams-beyond-the-2/) Elizabeth Cook-Lynn Explore all 4 Elizabeth Cook-Lynn quotes ## More Ceremony quotes > [We do not want nowadays temples of worship and outward rites and ceremonies. What we really want is an Asram. We want a place…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabindranath-tagore/we-do-not-want-nowadays-temples-of-worship-and-outward-rites-and/) [Rabindranath Tagore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rabindranath-tagore/) > [Jesus never said a word about homosexuality. In all of his teachings about multiple things - he never said that gay people should be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-carter/jesus-never-said-a-word-about-homosexuality-in-all-of-his-teachings/) [Jimmy Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-carter/) > [It is merely the egoism of the man, who wants to bury a woman like a treasure. All attempts at using vows, contracts, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leopold-von-sacher-masoch/it-is-merely-the-egoism-of-the-man-who-wants-to-bury-a-woman-like-a/) [Leopold von Sacher-Masoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leopold-von-sacher-masoch/) > [Layla brought her arms around herself, no doubt because she was remembering the feel of another, stronger set. "I have wanted to, but he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-ward/layla-brought-her-arms-around-herself-no-doubt-because-she-was/) [J.R. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-ward/) > [There are ceremonious bows that repel one like a cudgel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-nestell-bovee/there-are-ceremonious-bows-that-repel-one-like-a-cudgel/) [Christian Nestell Bovee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-nestell-bovee/) > [The cocktail party - as the name itself indicates - was originally invented by dogs. They are simply bottom-sniffings raised to the rank of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-durrell/the-cocktail-party-as-the-name-itself-indicates-was-originally/) [Lawrence Durrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-durrell/) > [I am unable to distinguish clearly between your religious ceremonies and apparently identical behavior at the sporting and cultural functions you have transmitted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-c-clarke/i-am-unable-to-distinguish-clearly-between-your-religious-ceremonies/) [Arthur C. Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-c-clarke/) > [Politics resemble religion; attempting to divest either of ceremony is the most certain mode of bringing either into contempt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/politics-resemble-religion-attempting-to-divest-either-of-ceremony-is/) [Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/) > [Singing at the Opening Ceremonies of the Sydney Olympics in 2000 was amazing and, probably the highlight of this decade is the opening of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivia-newton-john/singing-at-the-opening-ceremonies-of-the-sydney-olympics-in-2000-was/) [Olivia Newton-John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivia-newton-john/) > [Nostalgia is also a trait of the organizations that I call lodges - everything from corporate cultures to religious sects. Their bonding power often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-james/nostalgia-is-also-a-trait-of-the-organizations-that-i-call-lodges/) [Jennifer James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-james/) > [Over the weekend, former Enron executives Jeffrey Skilling and Rebecca Carter married each other during a huge ceremony in Houston. The happy couple is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conan-o-brien/over-the-weekend-former-enron-executives-jeffrey-skilling-and-rebecca/) [Conan O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conan-o-brien/) > [“Japanese tea ceremony,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-berk/japanese-tea-ceremony/) Sheryl Berk > [Truth and ceremony are two things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/truth-and-ceremony-are-two-things/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [The trappings of a religious cult tend to fall into candlelit ceremonies and robes and group chanting and singing and prayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-durkin/the-trappings-of-a-religious-cult-tend-to-fall-into-candlelit/) [Sean Durkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-durkin/) > [No known human group... simply throw out its dead without any ritual or ceremony. In stark contrast, no animal practices burial of dead individuals…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodosius-dobzhansky/no-known-human-group-simply-throw-out-its-dead-without-any-ritual-or/) [Theodosius Dobzhansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodosius-dobzhansky/) [Browse all 534 Ceremony quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ceremony/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Surrounded and absorbed, we tread like Etruscans on the edge of useless law; we pray to the giver of prayer, we give the cane whistle in ceremony, we swing the heavy silver chain of incense burners. 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