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of its waters. One day Odin came and begged a draught of water 

 from the well, which he obtained, but was obliged to leave one of 

 his eyes as a pledge for it. This myth Finn Magnusen thinks 

 signifies the descent of the sun every evening into the sea (to learn 

 wisdom from Miniir during the night) ; the mead quaffed by Mimir 

 every mornmg being the ruddy dawn, that, spreading over the sky, 

 exhilarates all nature. 



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The Indian cosmogonic tree is the symbol of vegetation, of 

 universal life, and of immortality. In the sacred Vedic writings it 

 receives the special names of Ilpa, Kalpadrtima, Kalpaka-taru, and Kal- 

 pavriksha, on the fruits of which latter tree the first men sustained 

 and nourished life. In its quality of Tree of Paradise, it is called 

 Pdvijdta ; and as the ambrosial tree — the tree yielding immortal 

 food — it is known as Avirita and Soma. This mystic world-tree of 

 the Hindus, according to the Rigveda, is supernaturally the God 

 Brahma himself; and all the gods are considered as branches of 

 the divine parent stem — the elementary or fragmentary form of 

 Brahma, the vast overspreading tree of the universe. In the Vedas 

 this celestial tree is described as the Pippala (Peepul), and is 

 alluded to as being in turns visited by two beauteous birds — the one 

 feeding itself on the fruit (typifying probably the moon or twilight) ; 

 the other simply hovering, with scintillating plumage, and singing 

 melodiously (typifying perhaps the sun or daybreak). 



Under the name of Ilpa (the Jamboa, or Rose-apple) the cos- 

 mogonic tree is described as growing in the midst of the lake Ara 

 in Brahma's world, beyond the river that never grows old, from 

 whence are procured the waters of eternal youth. 13rahma imparts 

 to it his own perfume, and from it obtains the sap of vitality. To 

 its branches the dead cling and climb, in order that they may enter 

 into the regions of immortality. 



As the Kalpadriima, Kalpaka-taru, and Kalpavriksha, the Indian 

 sacred writings describe a cloud-tree, which, by its shadows, pro- 

 duced day and night before the creation of sun and moon. This 

 cosmogonic tree, which is of colossal proportions, grows in the 

 midst of flowers and streamlets on a steep mountain. It fulfils all 

 desires, imparts untold bliss, and, what in the eyes of Buddhists 

 constitutes its chief sublimity, it gives knowledge and wisdom to 

 humanity ; in a word it combines within its mystic branches all 

 riches and all knowledge. 



As the Soma, the world-tree becomes in Indian mysticism a 

 tree of Paradise, at once the king of all trees and vegetation, and 

 the god Soma to be adored. It furnishes the divine ambrosia or 

 essence of immortalitv, concealed sometimes in the clouds, some- 

 times in the billows oi the soft and silvery light that proceeds from 

 the great Soma, the great Indu, the moon. Hence this mystic 



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