THE PEIMITIVB IDEA OF GOD. 273 



and also of the cave-like temples of ancient Egypt, of 

 the massive teocallis of Mexico and Central America, 

 and even of our own huge cathedral piles. All are 

 but the attempts of more civilized man to rival or 

 surpass the grottoes and sculptured rocks which were 

 revered by his remote ancestors as making more 

 apparent to their untaught fancies the reality of the 

 spiritual world with which fallen man seeks communion 

 by so many quaint and strange devices, ever seeking 

 to know God, yet ever confounding the creature with 

 the Creator. 



The fasts for manitous are connected with some of 

 the most poetical tales of the American Indians tales 

 which rival in felicity of conception those of the ancient 

 Greeks, however rude in expression. One of these, 

 belonging to the Chippewas, and given in detail by 

 Schoolcraft, may be summarised as follows : A young 

 man had reached the age proper for the manitou fast. 

 His mother built him a lodge in a retired place, and he 

 took up his abode therein and began his fast. At first 

 his mind occupied itself with the shrubs and flowers 

 around his shelter; and thinking of the goodness of 

 the Great Spirit in giving so many varied gifts to man, 

 he prayed that he might dream of something likely to 

 be of use to his people. On the third day, while lying 

 weak and faint in his bed, he saw a young stranger 

 approach, dressed in green robes and with a green 

 plume. He announced himself as a messenger from 

 the Great Spirit, sent to grant his request, and in- 

 vited the youth to a wrestling match. Weak though 



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