i66 FLORA OF THE 



trident, or other similar symbol, would again admit of 

 two interpretations : 



(a) Ordinary water ; (<^) holy water. 



If we consider it as ordinary water, going into the 

 mouth of a bull, as representative of their cattle, it 

 might mean /uck in finding water for their flocks, to 

 protect them from death by thirst. 



When a drought occurs in India, as elsewhere, all 

 the pools and tanks which had been filled by rain get 

 dried up, and cattle have to wander long distances to 

 find ^^"ater. In such cases it must have been a matter 

 of life and death to those people, who lived largely on 

 the produce of their flocks. There can be no possible 

 doubt that those ancient people put immense faith in 

 the magical virtues of horns, as protectors against those 

 evil spirits by which they fancied themselves ever sur- 

 rounded. Their cylinders show struggles with devils 

 and wild animals. 



To find water by the good luck of horns would, 

 then, mean salvation for their flocks and for themselves. 

 Had they not, however, two large rivers, the Euphrates 

 and the Tigris ? Yes, and so have the Indians the 

 Ganges, the Jumna, the Brahmapootra, and five rivers 

 in the Punjab, nevertheless a drought there means 

 destruction to crops, cattle, and to population. 



But suppose it is meant for holy water — what then ? 

 Then the holy-water theory would seem to fit all cases. 



