PAGANISM. 135 



ship consists of visits to the Pagodas ; and of ablutions, sacrifices, 

 and tortures ; with cruel and horrid ceremonies, such as immolation 

 under the car of Juggernaut. 



Boodhism, or Budhuism, comprehends the worship of Budhu, in 

 Hindoostan, and the countries east and north of it. Budhu, we 

 have already mentioned, as the ninth avatar, or incarnation of Vish- 

 nu; whose era was about 544 B. C. He came, it is stated in the 

 Jatas, as an ascetic philosopher, to reform a corrupted religion. The 

 Boodhists say that four deities have already appeared, and Budhu is 

 the fifth; and that he is yet to reach a higher state of perfection. 

 Some of the sect, as in Ceylon, worship other Hindoo gods, as sub- 

 ordinate to Budhu ; but most of the Boodhists regard him as the 

 only god now claiming their worship. A sect called Jainas, have a 

 god Reshaba, who they say became incarnate nearly in the same 

 manner as Budhu. The Lamaism of Thibet, is but another form 

 of Budhism ; the Delai Lama, or grand priest, being considered as 

 an incarnation of Budhu, and worshipped also in Tartary. His idol 

 is called Muha-Moonee, in Thibet ; Godumu or Gotumu, in Ava ; 

 Shummunu, in Siam ; and Fo, in China 



The Chinese, as taught by Confucius, or Kung-foo-tse, about 551 

 B. C., worshipped the elements, as agents of the Supreme Deity. 

 About the same time Lao-Kung, (or Laou-Kiung), founded the sect 

 of the Tao-Tzee, (or Faose), who lived luxuriously ; worshipped 

 their own ancestors ; and pretended by means of a certain drink to 

 become immortal. Boodhism was introduced into China, about 

 A. D. 65. The idol Fo, (Foe or Fuh), is the same deity as Budhu ; 

 and his priests are called by the Chinese, Ho- Chan g ; by the Siam- 

 ese, Talapoins ; and by the Japanese, Bonzes. Some of the Chi- 

 nese worship other gods ; as Lui-Shin, the thunderer ; and Hoi- 

 Vang, the god of the sea. 



5. Under the head of Scandinavian Mythology, we include 

 that of the Normans and Saxons, forming an extensive and romantic 

 system. It was introduced from Asia, not long before the Christian 

 Era ; systematized by the scalds or bards, in their sacred poems, 

 which are included in the Edda ; but supplanted by Christianity, 

 before the end of the tenth century. It traces the origin of things to 

 a world of mist and snow, in the north, called Niffleheim, and a 

 world of light and fire in the south, called Mispelheim or Muspel- 

 heim ; the heat of which, melting the frost, produced the giant Ymir 

 and the cow Jiudumbla or (Edumla, on whose milk the giant fed. 

 From Ymir sprang the evil race of ice-giants ; but from the cow pro- 

 ceeded Bure, the father of Bore or Boer, who married Belsta, and 

 had three sons, Oden or Woden, Vile or Wile, and Ve. 



These brothers slew the giant Ymir, and out of his body created 

 the world ; after which, they formed the first man and woman, Jlsker, 

 and Emla. Then appeared Nott or night, riding on her horse 

 Hrimfaxi, or blackmane; and her son Dagur or day, on his horse 

 Skinfaxi, or shiningmane. Odin, the chief deity, was supposed to 

 dwell, with Frigga his wife, in the palace Valhalla, or war-hall, in 

 the city Asgard, the metropolis of heaven, approached only by the 

 bridge Bifrost, or the rainbow. There, heroes slain in battle, were 



