Indian Antiquary Vol 26

SR No.: 032518
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications
Publication Year: 1984
Total Pages: 360
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 15 MB

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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[NOVEMBER, 1897.
God's sight.70 The Skandinavians believed in spirits called Duergar who lived in hiils.77 Among the Fins and among the Samoiedes of North-West Siberia every object is full of small spirits called Maahinen, that is, earth-spirits. These spirits have power over everything. Under their influence crops grow, cows yield milk, and milk yields butter.78 In return milk and other good things are set apart for the Maahinen. Dolls also are made for them, because when the Maahinen go into any object and feel at home in it, they are kindly, and act as guardians.70 In Russia, the worship of the great spirit of cold, of which trace remains in the English Jack Frost, continues.90 The Croatians believe in spirits called Vilas, who float about and make storm and food. In North and North-East Earope, the belief in the forest spirit Rusialki, the wicked souls of unbaptised girls, is general. The Slavs pray: "Oh Rusialki, touch not our crowns." 82 But the terror of Rasialki pales before the Vampire, which is believed to be the spirit of a wizard or heretic, who, from his lodging in some corpse, steals in at night and sucks the blood of the living. The corpse in which the Vampire lodges should be taken out of the grave, a white thorn stake driven through the corpse at a single stroke, and the corpse burnt.83 Another leading Russian spirit is Domovoi, the house-spirit, who, though he bears the blame of any domèstic mishap, is of the guardian or helpful class like the English Brownie or Robin Goodfellow.84 In Brittany, in West France, in 1825, a class of tiny spirits called Gawrics danced and made passers dance among the standing stones, which were known as the Giant's Dance.85
The fairy spirits of the Irish were Shefro, Chericaune, Banshee, Phooka, Merrow, Dullahan, and Fir-darrig. The name Shefro was a generic name for the elves who lived in troops or communities, and were popularly supposed to own castles or mansions. The Chericaune was distinguished by his solitary habits. The Banshee, an attendant fairy or spirit, mourned the death of any member of a family to which she attached herself. The Phooka appears to be a modification of Robin Goodfellow or Pack. The Merrow was a mermaid. The Dullalian was a malicious sullen spirit or goblin, and the Fir-darrig a little merry red man.86
Old England (1000-1400) was full of fairies. Among them were Lade, Radiant Boys, Silky, Pick-tree Brag, Padfoot, Barguest, and Powries and Dunkers who inhabit forts.89 In the twelfth century, Gervase of Tilbury found in England, Portůni, goblins who leaped on horses and set the riders astray, Follets who were harmless, and Incubus which was the Roman Fawn. In 1290, a cavern in a castle of Lord Gifford was called Boh, that is, Hobgoblin, Hall.90 The English catechism of the fifteenth century states that some of the angels who
76 Scott's Demonolgy and Witcherast, p. 121. Tylor (Primitive Culture, Vol. I. p. 144) giver six classes, in Middle-Age Europe - fire, air, earth, water, under-earth, light-flyers.
11 Scott's Border Minstrelay, p. 4+1. 76 Compare Coleridge on the functions of the higher nature-spirite:
"Some nurse the infant diamond in the mine,
Some roll the genial juices through the oak; Some drive the mutinous clouds to clash in air, And rushing on the storm with whirlwind speed,
Yoke the red lightnings to their volleying car." - Reville's Les Religions des Peuples Nori-Civiliaés, Vol. II. p. 214. These are notable instances of the two laws: (n) a doll is an idol; (b) & guardian is a squared or housed fiend. 80 Ralston's Russian Folktales, p. 214.
81 Victor Tissot's Unknown Hungary, Vol. I. p. 287. 12 Folklore Record, Vol. IV. p. 56.
# Student's Ency., "Vampire." The union of two experiences compels the belief in the Vampire. (1st) The common grief for a young man or woman wanting in consumption as if the blood which is the life was sucked ont of them. (2nd) The oceasional unearthing of a long dead corpse from which when cut fresh blood flows. The sense seems to be the guardian white-thorn stake prisons the Vampire, and with the corpse the Vampire's power is consumed. In Bulgaria, it is believed that any one may become Vampire over whom a cat or boy jumps or & bird flies: that is, when they are above him an evil spirit may pass from the boy or the cat or the bird into the person overleapt, and so the spirit may become a Vampire.
M Ralston's Russian Songs, P. 124; English woman in Russia, p. 161. 85 Hone's Every Day Book, Vol. II. p. 981.
* Brand's Popular Antiquities, Vol. II. P. 608. # Leslie's Early Races of Scotland, VOL. I. p. 106.
# Henderson's Foll-Lore, pp. 256, 267-274. 89 Tyrwhitt's Chaucer, p. 189.
» Sharpe's Witchoraft, p. 24.