Beasts of Chase. 2 2 1 



the beginning of all." But he descended the stalk and came 

 upon Vishnu asleep. " Who are you?" he asked. " I am 

 the beginning of all things," was the reply. Then Brahma 

 raised his arm to strike. But on a sudden Shiva stood 

 before them. " What are you quarrelling about ? Ani not 

 I, Shiva, the first-born ? Which of you can see either the 

 crown of my head or the soles of my feet ? " Brahma stood 

 aghast ; but Vishnu without a word plunged down, and, 

 ripping up the universe, pierced below the infernal regions, 

 and lo ! the feet of Shiva. So the two others did obeisance 

 to him, the sharp-tusked one. 



It was one of the labours of Hercu'.es to kill a boar. 

 Meleager's hunt — 



" A great boar, that no man could withstand, 

 And many a woe he wrought upon the land " — 



gathered all the heroes of Greece together, and for the 

 trophy of the brute's hide cities went to war. Indras, in 

 that he slew the boar that guarded the Demons' treasure, 

 proudly wore its tusks. Mars protected it as the warrior 

 among the beasts : it was once the badge of Rome. 



Even the Christians' boar's head, " crested with bays and 

 rosemary," is said to have honorific origin, as a symbol 

 of gloomy winter slain at the solstice. " Aper significat 

 Diabolum," quoth Du Cange. 



He is always obtrusive, assailing. Gods and heroes are 

 perpetually after him. There is no guardian of a treasure 

 like him, except perhaps the griffin. It is no use tr}-ing to 

 pipe ht'fn to bed. He will see the whole of Argus asleep 

 and still be awake. He would have rooted Medea out of the 

 garden in no time and tusked Mercury if he had not been 

 too nimble with those heels of his. You never meet with 

 him, in myth, in an amiable mood. He is either red, the 

 colour of fury, or black, the hue of mischief, malignity, and 

 diabolism. He hurtles about bristling and demoniacal. 



