BELIEF IN A FUTURE LIFE. 121 



much be looked for. The practice of burying various articles ia 

 the grave and of placing a vase, the supposed receptacle of food, 

 beside the dead, has usually been looked upon as proof of a belief 

 in a future state of existence. It necessarily follows that if a 

 belief in a future state is proved by the occurrence of weapons, 

 implements, ornaments and food associated with the buried persons, 

 that second life must be supposed to have been similar in kind to 

 the first one which had just ended. In this future world there were 

 enemies against whom the warrior must be prepared in arms, there 

 were animals which he must be provided with the means of cap- 

 turing, there were husbands and friends to be charmed by the 

 added decoration of ornament and dress, there were happy hours 

 of childhood to be brightened by such simple pleasures as gladden 

 the young heart. It may well be that a hope like this took some- 

 thing of its sting from the dread forecast of death. A similar 

 belief has been shared by many a dififereut race, in ages far apart, 

 in many a varying clime, and under forms of religious faith which 

 have agreed in little beyond this natural expectation. The 

 evidence which the barrows afford cannot, however, be regarded 

 as perfectly conclusive in favour of this view ; and, indeed, there 

 is much that appears to be inconsistent with it. This objection, 

 which has already been stated, is one not easily to be set aside ; 

 namely, that if the different articles found with the bodies were 

 placed there to be of use in an after-state of existence, it is diffi- 

 cult to understand why the majority of persons were sent on their 

 journey entirely unprovided with those things which it was 

 thought were necessary for them when they had arrived in another 

 world. The subject, however, has been discussed previously, and it 

 is superfluous to say more here, than that the custom by itself does 

 not prove there was any belief in a future state of the same nature 

 as that which had been already gone through, still less does it 

 show a belief in any future of a different kind. At the same time 

 I think there is a very strong presumption in favour of the former 

 view, to which, I am bound to say, I myself incline. 



One of the most important and interesting subjects of enquiry 

 which a knowledge of the contents of the barrows has enabled us to 

 discuss is that of the people themselves, with reference to their 

 physical characteristics. Some description therefore of their form, 

 stature, and general appearance is necessary to complete, as far as 

 is possible, the imperfect picture we have hitherto been able to 

 present. There are, as has already been mentioned, two classes of 



