  Despite its old age, Lisp remains mysterious to many of its admirers. The
mysteries on one hand fascinate the language, on the other hand also obscure
it. Following Stoyan but paying attention to what he has neglected or omitted,
in this first essay of a series intended to unravel these mysteries, we trace
the development of Lisp back to its origin, revealing how the language has
evolved into its nowadays look and feel. The insights thus gained will not only
enhance existent understanding of the language but also inspires further
improvement of it.
