DANCER AND MUSICIAN. 205 



ous, have become regular and ceremonial ; and while those 

 who perform them, no longer the people at large, have be 

 come a specialized class; two further changes have taken 

 place. Instead of being both singers and dancers, as the 

 primitive celebrants were, these permanent officials have 

 become differentiated into the two classes, singers and danc 

 ers; and, if not of the singers yet of the dancers, we may 

 remark that their performances, ceasing to be expressions 

 of welcome and joy before the ruler, have grown into dis 

 plays of agility and grace, and are gone through for the pur 

 pose of yielding aesthetic pleasiires. Among the Hebrews 

 this development had taken place in the time of Herod, 

 when the daughter of Herodias delighted him by her danc 

 ing; and a like development is shown at the present day 

 throughout India, where troops of bayaderes are appendages 

 of courts. 



672. That laudatory dancing and singing before the 

 visible ruler are associated with like observances before the 

 invisible ruler, the Hebrews have shown us. To the case of 

 the prophetess Miriam and her companions, may be added 

 the case of David dancing before the ark. Hence we shall 

 not be surprised to find such facts among other semi-civilized 

 peoples. Markham, describing a Puharrie festival, and 

 saying of a certain receptacle that &quot; in it the Deity is sup 

 posed to dwell,&quot; adds that &quot; upon this occasion the deptha, 

 or ark, is brought forth with much solemnity, and the people 

 decked out with flowers and ears of corn dance around it.&quot; 

 In an account of the Bhils we read, concerning a class of men 

 called Barwds who are votaries of the hill-gods, that 

 &quot; Their powers are, however, dormant, till they are excited by music; 

 and for this reason, they have a class of musicians connected with 

 them, who are proficient in numerous songs in praise of the hill 

 deities. When the recitation of these songs has kindled the spark of 

 spiritual fire, they begin to dance with frantic gestures.&quot; 

 An analogous use of dancing occurs in Abyssinia. The 

 duties of priests &quot; consist in reading the prayers, chanting, 



