62 Buddhism and Odinism. [No. 1. 



been supposed to be an imitation of the Vaishnavite saligram. 

 After adverting to these, M. Holmboe dwells at some length on the 

 peculiar veneration with which the Buddhists and the Odinists hold 

 the adoration of trees. The Bo tree of India is the prototype 

 of the birch of Scandinavia, and we find them both as unfailing 

 attendants of topes and haugs and equally the objects of almost 

 divine veneration. 



In the neighbourhood of topes may be noticed a large number of 

 cells or caves which formed the dwellings of the officiating priests, who 

 from their vicinity, in the palmy days of Buddhism in India, chanted 

 forth their adoration toPrimevai Intelligence Adi Buddha. Their coun- 

 terparts are not quite so abundant in Scandinavia. Dwelling-houses 

 there were generally built of wood and othereasily perishable materials, 

 which cannot be expected to leave traces behind them after the decay 

 of centuries. We nevertheless find there remains of houses and caves, 

 whose situation indicates that they must have been attached to 

 some sacred monument. The cells around the Oushaug has been 

 already adverted to. From them a road six feet broad and a hun- 

 dred feet long, leads to two houses which most likely were at one 

 time the domiciles of priests. A number of caverns have been noticed 

 by Bishop Newmann in the diocese of Bergen, — a place which seems 

 to have been at one time the head quarters of Odinism in Norway. 



# " Dragons or imaginary serpents having limbs of different ani- 

 mals and even of man, play a prominent part in the mythology 

 and the ornamental arts of the ancient Scandinavians. They may 

 be seen on their Bracteates of gold and on divers ornaments of 

 gold and silver. Even after the introduction of the Christian reli- 

 gion, sculptors transported figures of dragons on their household 

 goods and on a large number of sepulchral stones ; and the walls and 

 the doors of our ancient churches had no commoner ornament than 

 interlaced dragons. 



" The serpent does not occupy a remarkable place among the 

 animals of Scandinavia; it becomes difficult, therefore, to explain 

 how it came to enjoy that high position on their monuments, 

 unless we suppose it to have been borrowed from some country 

 where it attracts a large share of attention, as is the case in 

 * Holmboe, p. 58. 



