130 THEOLOGY. 



deities ; and temples erected for their worship. In process of time, 

 heroes, and benefactors, or even destroyers of mankind, their deeds 

 being magnified by the dim light of tradition, came to be deified, as 

 gods, or demigods, and objects of adoration. The doctrine of Poly- 

 theism, or the belief of many gods, being thus disseminated, their 

 number increased surprizingly ; the gods of one nation being adopted 

 by another, and frequently their history and attributes mingled in 

 interminable confusion. Hence, Mythology is a labyrinth, now 

 dilapidated by the hand of time, and which probably can never be 

 perfectly explored. 



We proceed to treat of Paganism, under the heads of Egyptian, 

 Aramasan, Classic, Hindoo, Scandinavian, and Ind-American Mytho- 

 logy. 



1. The Egyptian Mythology, is partly illustrated by ancient 

 classic writers, and partly by the recent discoveries concerning Hiero- 

 glyphics; to which we have already alluded, (p. 49). The ancient 

 Egyptians believed the world to have been hatched from an immense 

 egg of matter, by the animating and genial power of the demiurgos, 

 or Supreme Deity. They divided the world into three zones ; the 

 first being the earth ; the second the air, in which the souls of the 

 dead were subjected to transient probation or punishment, before 

 entering the third zone, that of eternal rest. They believed in the 

 transmigration of souls ; and this probably led to their worship of 

 various animals, as incarnations of men or gods. The regions of the 

 dead they called JLmenti; and Elisout was the name of a cemetery, 

 beyond the lake Acherusia (or Acharejish) ; whence came the Grecian 

 fable of the Elysian Fields ; for Elisout, in Coptic, signifies rest ; and 

 Charon, a ferryman. 



The earliest gods of Egypt, appear to have been Chnoub, Neith, 

 and Phtha ; different personifications of the Supreme Being. Chnoub, 

 Chnouph, or Cneph, (Noub, Nouf, Nouv, or Nef), was the personi- 

 fication of goodness ; and the emblem of paternity ; represented by a 

 ram's head or horns. He was regarded as the demiurgos or creator, 

 and afterwards confounded with Amoun, and Jupiter. Neith, cor- 

 responding nearly to Minerva, was the personification of wisdom ; 

 and was once represented by a vulture, as the emblem of maternity ; 

 which symbol was afterwards applied to Isis. Phtha or Phta, cor- 

 responding nearly to Vulcan, was regarded by some as the first crea- 

 tor, but by others as the son of Chnoub. He was rather a personifi- 

 cation of solar light and heat; being represented by the sun, or by a 

 hawk, or having a hawk's head on a human body. Sate, correspond- 

 ing nearly to Juno, was styled daughter of Phtha, and queen of the 

 three regions ; and was represented by the sacred pshent, or head 

 dress with two horns. Sine, answering to Themis, was represented 

 as wearing a feather on her head, or symbolically by a serpent ; her 

 province being to lead souls to judgment. 



In later times, the sun was worshipped under the names of Phre 

 or Re, (or Ri), corresponding to Apollo; and still later, as Osiris, 

 corresponding to Pluto, the ruler of the infernal regions, or the sun 

 after its setting, hi like manner, the moon was worshipped, first 

 under the name of loh ; and afterwards as Isis, the wife of Osiris, 



