FLORAL ANTIQUITIES OF THE EAST. 
197 
The grass is the key to the symbol, and while hinting 
that man is still close to nature, upholds the mystery of 
a consecration of the powers of the w T orld, as visible 
emblems of the Lord of all things. 
Thus, through all the mythologies and symbol images 
of the old world, the green things continually peep out, 
adding to the w T ild beauty of these aboriginal forms, 
which, begot in the infancy of the world, are full of that 
freshness of feeling, that love of allegory and symbol, 
which characterizes infancy in the individual man. In 
these devotions there is a largeness of character which, 
shames the contracted piety of our own day and genera¬ 
tion, and much as we may dread the features of those 
ancient faiths, and shrink, horror-struck, from their 
details of barbarity and absurdity, we must at least con¬ 
fess that faith had there a home. The legend of Eawana 
the good Brahmin, exhibits, in a powerful light, the sin¬ 
cerity of that age of idols. It was the wont of Rawana, 
to offer daily one hundred flowers to the god Ixora; and 
once, to prove his zeal, the god secretly took from the 
sacrifice one of the flowers, and then complained that 
the gift was too small. Eawana counted the flowers, and 
finding only ninety-nine, offered one of his eyes to supply 
its place; when the god, convinced of his piety, restored 
the flower, and blessed him for his confiding faith. 
Soma, the moon, is, in the Indian mythology, as in 
those of the northern nations of Europe, a male deity ; 
he is “born of the sun,” and is the king of herbs and 
flowers. “ Eain is produced from the moon,” says the 
Eigveda; * and a Hindoo commentator on this passage 
* “ Asiatic Researches,” Vol. viii., p. 406, 
