24 DEATH AND RESURRECTION. 



Aryans, as well as among the heathen 

 Norsemen, were closely allied with the 

 idea of cremation. Agni, the god of 

 fire, removed the dead man to a better 

 world, while the coarser body, with its 

 faults and defects, was consumed by 

 the flames. 



It was a matter of doubt, however, 

 whether liten, the inner body, would 

 suffer injury in the pyre. But this 

 doubt was removed partly by certain 

 formulas, believed to be protective; 

 partly by burning a buck together with 

 the body as compensation to the "flesh- 

 eating fire," the elementary Agni (the 

 hymns distinguish between the two), 

 so that he should not touch the subtler 

 body of the corpse. Through the com- 

 bustion, the lower elements were en- 

 abled to immediately follow the soul of 

 the deceased, and it was thought that 

 two advantages were gained thereby: 

 First, the second ego of the dead was 

 liberated from its grave-dwelling, which 

 was monstrous if his sleep were dis- 

 turbed either by craving for nourish- 



