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SPIRIT BASIS OF BELIEF AND CUSTOM.
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rank among tutelary deities. Mr. McLellan traces clan-guardians among old tribes in South Europe. He suggests that the animals in the sky, the serpent, scorpion, dragon, horse, bull, dog, swan, ram, goat and fish were originally clan-guardians. But the origin of animal worship seems to have proceded the choice of an animal as a clan-guardian. The Celtic clans of Scotland have their badges, some of which are plants, as the Campbells' bog-myrtle and the Macdonalds' heather. Some of the Scotch borderers had the moon as an armorial bearing, meaning that they were gentlemen of the night, or minions of the moon. The clanguardian would seem to be the origin of the ensign and the crest."
8. Spirits are Mortals. It seems probable, from the examples given under the leading of Ancestor-worship, that all spirits were originally the spirits of men. It is also probable that all spirits were originally mortal.
According to the Vedas, offerings should be given to ancestors for three generations, is and so in Western India the higher class Hindus worship their ancestors for three generations. But among the lower classes uneasy głosts are rarely worshipped for more than a generation or two.
Ghosts are like men, and like men die and pass into powerlessness. The Kunbis of the Kônkan believe that a ghost cannot trouble a man for more than twelve years. In the Deccan there is a belief that ghosts do not live for more than three or four generations." The Midhis of the North-East frontier think spirits are mortal.50 The Kurkûs of the Central Provinces worship the dead for a year after death.51 In Siberia the ordinary spirit lived in a pillar for three years; a sorcerer's spirit was immortal.52 Among the Persians both the paris, or kindly spirits, and the déôs, or unfriendly spirits, were mortal.53 The Burmans believe that the victims, who are baried alive at the foundation of a tower and become guardians, last only for a time.5. Among the Chinese the common people sacrifice to the father and grand-father; the nobles to three generations; the petty kings to five; and the emperors to seven ancestors.55 The Zalus worship no ancestors except the father.56 The figures set up for the dead in Melanesia are either the lately dead or the great dead, People seldom pray to a soal they have not known in life. Most ghosts perish after a time.57 The Greenlanders believe that spirits are mortal.58 The Greeks and Romans held that the life of the tree-nymph was bound up in the life of the tree.5e In Europe the Middle Ages (1000-1500 A. D.) Cabalists believed in mortal sylphs, gnomes and andines.co In Scotland the elfin people were believed to die.ci
4. Spirits cause Disease. In early times the great fear which people entertained of the spirits of the dead was due to the belief that all diseases are caused by spirits; and the belief that spirits are the cause of sickness and misfortune is still entertained by many early tribes in India, as well as in other countries. Thus the Kolis of Thânà ascribe every sickness and death to the agency of the bhrits, or evil spirits, or to witchcraft.62 In the Kônkan, which is locally considered the hot-bed of evil spirits, among the lower classes ninety per cent of the sickness and diseases is ascribed to bhits, or evil spirits. The Mâhåder Kolis of Ahmadpagar believe that every malady or disease, which seizes man, woman, child or cattle, is caused either by an evil spirit or by
** Gibbon's Decline and Fall, Vol. I. p. 169. 15 Fort. Rev. Vol. VI. p. 568. +6 Scott's Dorier Minstrele, p. 28.
47 Fort. Rev. Vol. VI. pp. 418-569. 18 Maurice's Indian Antiguities, Vol. II. p. 189.49 From MS. notes. 10 Daltou's Descriptive Ethnology of Bengal, p. 21. 61 Hislop's Aboriginal Tribes of the Central Provinces, App. VI. 52 Early History of Man, p. 109.
03 Scott's Boriler Minstrels, p. 442. 4 Shway Yoe's The Burman, Vol. II. p. 209. Careri (1695) in Churchill, Vol. 1V. p. 361. 56 Tylor's Primitive Culture, Vol. II. p. 116. 67 Jorr. Anthrop. Inst. Vol. X. pp. 283, 285, 204, 58 Tylor's Primitire Culture, Yol. II. p. 22. 60 Smith's 62 Eur. Rat. Vol. I. p. 47. 61 Scott's Demonolatry and witchcrat, p. 128. 62 From MS. Dotes.
