TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION H. 899 



the notion of ' air,' ' vapour,' ' shade.' Still more common is the idea of ' breath.' 

 Its seat is the heart or blood. 



The way in which death was regarded. — At the moment of dissolution, the soul 

 escapes through the mouth or nostrils ; it leaves with a groan ; it passes to the 

 ethereal regions. Death is often looked upon as a kind of sleep. Tlieir stoicism in 

 the face of death is attested by the frequency of suicide, or of substitution, or the 

 prohibition of mourning. This was because, e.g., of the dread of decrepitude, 

 assurance of the preservation of the family, frailty of life, and confident hope of a 

 life to come. Yet, early language is rich in e%iphemistic terms, e.g., to die is 

 ' to be missing,' ' to depart,' and the Goddess of Fate is ' The Sparing One.' 



II. 



The character of the spirit-iuorld. — The theory of a future life prevalent in the 

 animistic stage is that of continuance, the tastes and occupations being the same as 

 in this world, e.g., even Homer has not outgrown this. But this existence is 

 incomplete and dreary; the ghosts gibber and are doomed to silence. 



The influence of this idea upo7i ritual and belief. — The severance was not com- 

 plete, for the welfare of the spirit depended upon the proper treatment of the body ; 

 else it wandered disconsolate. (This notion is a leading feature of Indo-European 

 mythology.) («) Hence the observance of rites. At first the body was disposed 

 of by inhumation, probably to preserve the identity of the deceased, but in certain 

 conditions of life, e.g., during war or the chase, cremation was employed. At least 

 a handful of dust had to be sprinkled over the corpse before the spirit could obtain 

 repose ; its neglect was regarded with horror. The same motive dictated the 

 rearing of cenotajjhs, 



(b) The tomb was constructed on the model of the house ; this custom is not 

 confined to ' Turanians.' 



(c) The deceased was furnished with all necessaries for bis new home, 

 attendants and wives, dogs and horses, weapons, clothing, and earthenware. 



The abode of the dead. — (a) The earliest theory is that the soul became 

 ethereal, passing into the wind, or fire, or constellations. 



(S) A region somewhere upon earth. The exact locality was uncertain, because 

 of the nebulous character of their life, for they followed certain Great Spirits. 

 Then the region of bliss was placed in the "West. 



The influence of surroundings is noteworthy here; thus, to the aesthetic mind 

 of the Greek such a monotonous existence was repulsive, but it is not likely that 

 this was the original conception. At a later period an attempt was made to 

 combine these worlds. 



The germs of a theory of recompense and punishment are found early, e.g., 

 ^Xeyvat may be equated with the Indian Bhrigu (Weber) and Taprnpor with 

 taldtala (Benfey). No doubt the idea gained in clearness when they came into 

 contact with the Semites. Transmigration, regeneration, and puri/lcation belong 

 to a later time. 



III. 



The relation between the living and the departed. — In addition to the care taken 

 at burial, there was constant communication, e.g., in dreams. Hence the respect 

 shown to (1) kindly spirits, like the pitaras, fravashi, manes, &c. — the givers of 

 wealth ; (2) the evil-disposed, like the lemures or larvce. This gave rise to ancestral 

 worship, and is connected with the sustentation of the family ; children were buried 

 under tbe eaves of bouses, and did not need propitiation. Thus the worshippers 

 were actuated by (1) fear, (2) sympathy. 



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