DOG-LORE AND SUPERSTITION 



became Syama and Sabala, the two heavenly dogs, otherwise 

 known as the two four-eyed dogs of Yama, stated by Bloom- 

 field to be the sun and moon.* 



Similarly according to the Hindu belief, more ancient than 

 Buddhism, the dog is placed on the same plane as man. 

 " The wise look upon a Brahmana possessed of learning and 

 humility, on a cow, an elephant, a dog and a Svapaka, as 

 alike ".f Similarly, as there was no essential difference 

 between man and beast, the beast must answer for its 

 guilt. The mad dog or the dog which bit without bark- 

 ing, which wounded a sheep or man, paid for it as for wilful 

 murder.! 



Erh Lang in Peking is considered to be the protector of 

 the canine race. To this day, on the first and fifteenth days 

 of the month, native owners of dogs may be seen worship- 

 ping at the altar of the god. If their dogs are in danger of 

 death they bring miniatures in clay and lay them on his altar, 

 so that the god may, through the presence of a substitute, 

 suffer the owner to keep his pet yet a little longer. It is 

 possible that in this may be found a survival of the old idea 

 that not only a curse but also a blessing pronounced upon a 

 dummy counterfeit has effect upon the original. 



Kaempfer refers to a Japanese counterpart to the dog- 

 protecting deity, when referring to a visit to Fusimi, a suburb 

 of Miaco, on the first of the month : " The temples which we 

 had on our right, as we went up, being built in the ascent of the 

 neighbouring hills, were illuminated with many lamps, and 

 the priests, beating some bells with iron hammers, made 

 such a noise as could be heard at a considerable distance. 

 I took notice of a large white Dog, perhaps made of plaster, 

 which stood upon an altar on our left, in a neatly adorned 



* " Sacred Books of the East," vol. xlii, p. 500, f Ibid., vol. viii, p. 65. 



J Ibid., vol. iv, p. 159. 



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