Sacred Texts Africa Index Previous
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Religion and Myth, by James Macdonald, [1883], at sacred-texts.com
Abyssinia, priest of Alfai, 17; Paganism in, 42
Accra, king's father's spirit causes earthquakes, 177; consequent sacrifices, 178
Acts of worship, 184
Africans regulate conduct by faith, 207
Ancestors, worship of, 36
Animals, sacred, making compact by, 179
Ashantee, annual festivals of, 76; messengers to spirit land, 77; dances and abrogation of law, 78
Athens, 2
Australians, 9
Austrian, 9
Balaam, 100
Babylonia, temporary king crucified, 61
Bacchus worship, 47 Balac, 100
Balder, death of, 56
Bantama, festival, 79; mausoleum of kings, 79; messages to spirit land, 80
Baralongs, subjects, persons the king's, 14; oracles, 163
Barber's art, its dangers, 94
Bards sing of valour, 204
Baris, no clothing, 209
Bavaria, tree worship, 41
Bedouins, fighting wind, 9
Bible, 224
Black art, votaries cast no shadow, 30
Bodio, house of sanctuary, 177
Bongo, expulsion of demons, 124; oracle, 163
Borgie, mermaid of, 191
Brahmanism, 167
Breton, fighting wind, 9
Brüd's bed, making, 141
Buddhism, 167
Bulgarians, making rain, ix
Bullfights, 137
Bullom, oracles, 162
Burmah, woman's position, 196
Calicut, king killed every twelfth year, 29
Cannibalism, acquired taste, 208
Cattle-killing, mania, 69
Ceremonial, purity, 90
Chief, loyalty to, 205
Circumcision, 44; not performed with knife, 46, 90
Clothing, influence of, 219
Corn spirit, killed, 144
Courtesies, 204
Dahomey, king's name not mentioned, 14; priest descends to lower regions, 81; king enters lower world in state, 82; demons driven out wholesale, 105; bestowing wives, 183
Dakota, gods of mortal, 96
Dances, moon, 42; Ashantee, 76; warrior, 138
Death and sleep same, 34
Deification of king, 6
Demons, enter animals, 102, expelled by magicians, 102; by guile, 103
Devils, doctrine of, 81; "laid," 108; "raised," 109; driven out by girls, 111; incarnate, 116; water, 218
Divine man, killed to prevent loss of god spirit, 28
Diviner, incantations, fear of, 161
Dinka, guarding against evils, 86; expel demons by guile, 103 Doctor, witch, 118; rain, to
Dodola, 11
Dongolowa belle, how sought in marriage, 174
Dream, Kaffir, 65
Dress, Monbutto, 209
Drinking, King Chop, 178
Druids, Midsummer fires, 57
Egbo, concealed in an ark, 25
Engai, creator of men, 13
Ergamenes, killed priests, 29
Executioners, how they procure sacrificial victims, 75
Fairies, 130
Festivals, yam, 136; Pondo, 136
Fetish, human skulls, 47; power, 49
Finns, girls drive out devil, 111
Fire, sacred, not kindled, 211
Fladda, 9
Funerals, mock, cheating the devil, 155; Congo, Uganda, killing of wives, 156
Gallas, kill the king every eight years, 26; priests, snake mother of men, 40; sacrifices, 41 sacred animals, 42; gods, 42; expel demons by horse-whipping, 104
Gingane, high priest, 14
God man, 229
Gods, compounding with, 71
Gomba, sacrifice paraded, 76
Gondokoro, food bewitched, 87
Gowane marriage, 219
Grass, king, 41
Greeks, 11; legend, 197; ruled thought, 227
Guilds, secret, 158; priestly, 159
Ham, 232
Hannah, her prayer, 73
Harvest festivals, maiden, 140-143
Head, sanctity of, 93; sanctity of hair, 94
Headless Hugh, story of, 187
Hebrews, prophets of, 150
Hili, river spirit, calls souls, 35
Hlubies, 10
Hos, customs, 138
Hospitality, king responsible for, 205
Hottentots, 9; sacrifices, 117
Hunt, 5
Incanti, river spirit, 35
Incarnation, of founders of religion, 167
Inferno, descent to, 81
Iron, its dangers, 90; utility, 91; smelting, 210
Jaggas, king of, divine, 13; spit on guests, 176
Jews, building temple, 91; sacred books, 226
Kangomba, god of Mount Socki, 133
Kanjangeyerne, 73
Khonds, 40
Killimanjaro, 14; witchcraft, 86
King, 2; divine monarchs, 17; delicacy of organism, 20; refusing divinity, 26
Kings, departmental, 17; of fire and water, 18
Kordufan marriages, 201
Kra, kings’ spies or souls, 131
Kuda Lubare, head wife of great harems, 73
Lakonga, succession law, 16
Laongo, king worshipped called God, 16; his restrictions, 25; may not be seen eating, 87
Lightning, doctor of, 149
Lithuania, tree worship, 41
Loch Aline, 5
Loma, God of Bongo, 50
Lubare, 11; person possessed by Makusa, 15; offerings to, 74
Luck, 5
Magician, 78; Manganga can soar in air, detect by divination, 177
Maiden, Scottish, 140; Lochaber, 141; Dantiz, 142; Bavaria, 143
Makusa, spirit of Nyanza, 15
Man-god, 3; sacrificed, 62; substitution, 63
Mariners, 8
Marriage, earth, 40; Dongolowa, 174; Kordufan, 201; price of wives, 203
May-pole, a survival, 51; ceremonies, 60
Men of hide, devil bought, 193
Meriah, sacrifice to Tari, 51; how offered, 52
Mermaid, descendant of, 191
Mikado, descent of, 21; sanctity of clothes, 88; of food, 89; not to touch ground, 196
Ministers, prejudice against, 170
Mirrors, dread of, 35
Mitto, burial, signs, 195
Mlungu, 50; ancestor, god, 132
Monbuttu, king divine, 12; women aggressive, 199; no domestic animals, cannibalism, 208
Morality, 201
Morema, Bechuana god, cunning, 38
Moreo, king of, 150
Moses, teaching, 228
Mtesa, his ancestors’ tombs, 74; his generosity, 200
Muansa, earth divinity, 43
Murder, compounding for, 71
Nanna, wife of Balder, 56
Nende, 73
Neptune, 9
New Briton, 8
New Zealand, superstition of, 87
Niam-Niam, no religion, 125; burial custom, 175
Niass, 5
Old Town, king's soul kept in grove, 178; devotion, 185
Omens, Zulu, Wagogo, 70
Oracles, Bongo, Bullom, 162; Gallas, Baralong, Wayao, 163
Ovaons, tree worship, earth marriage, 41
Palaver, witch, woman, sauce, 126
Perthshire, messages to spirit land, 80
Peruvians, 139
Pig, 5
Pondo, abrogation of law, 78; festivals, 136
Priest, 7
Prophetess, detective of wizards, 122; Wanika, 176; may direct Lubare, 199
Prophets, God-possessed, 65; ghostly counsellers, 66; growth of order, 146; rivalry, 148; functions, 148; Jewish, 150; false, 150; foretelling events, 153, 160; practising augury, 154; duty to dead, 154; wise men of nation, 169; prejudice against, 170
Purra, processions of, 13
Queen, spring, of Bohemia, 59
Rab, Galla custom, 26
Reforms, works, blankets, Bibles, 215
Religion, 1; none, 125; acts of, 126; ordinary life, 181
Rice, mother, Peruvian, 139
Rome, 2
Roots, magic, 123
Ross-shire, rag on branch bans evil from water, 112
Ruhea, little leaf man of, 59
Russia, 10
Sacred Animals, 38
Sacred horn, 182
Sacrifice, human. 39; animal, 66; thank-offering, 67; Gomba, 76; Hottentot, 117
Samson, 189
Second sight, 153
Senjero, women only sold as slaves, 39; iron pillar, 39; slave drowning, 45
Servians, rain-making, 11
Shark Point, king of, secluded, 23
Shoa, worship of king of, 14
Shony, Celtic god, 58
Siamese, 195
Sleep and death same, 34
Sogomoso, heir secluded, 196
Sorcery, expulsion of soul, 36
Soul, stolen or strayed, 28, 35; journeying, 34; selling, 36; expulsion, 36; danger of, 185: safe keeping, 186; in pearl, 188; in parrot, 189; in egg, 189
Spirits, worship of, 36; inhabiting rivers, 37; evil, 37
St. Paul, 230
Stimulant, 217
Substitutes, sought by kings, 31
Swazies, 10
Talisman, for witchcraft, 130
Tari, goddess of Khonds, 51
Tein egin, customs connected with, 212
Theft, prevention, 42
Thunder, 7
Toad-day, 50
Tornado, 7
Tradition, persistency of, 170
Transformation to animals, 127
Trees may not be cut, 210; customs of Scotland, 215
Tyrolese legend, 197
Uganda, funerals, 156; succession, 157
Unyoro, king killed by his wives, 29; claimants fight for succession, 175
Urine, 7
Vedic, religion, 167
Waganda, omens, 154; clothing, 219
Wahunga, killing councillors to accompany dead chief, burying wife alive, 156
Wakamba, steal brides, 176
Waneka, expel devils by music, 104; arrival at manhood, 176; prophetess, 176; entering council, 178
Wanyoro, bewitched by footmarks, 87
War, enemies’ heart eaten, 68; odour of sacrifice inhaled by gods, 69
Warrior, dance, 138
Wathen, Druid offerings, 57
Wayao, oracles, 163
Wazeramas, expel demons by music, 103
Witchcraft, causing death, 70; punishment, 70; dangers of, 84
Witches, 8; who were? 115; doctors, 118; palaver, 126; trial, 212
Wizard, 9; discovered, 115, 120
Woman, palaver, 126, 194; regents, war doctor, may represent god-life, 195; danger of blood, 196
Work, panacea for ills, 217
Yam Festivals, Ashantee, 136; laws abrogated, 140
Yatuk, 8
Yoruba, evil spirits kept outside gates, 86
Zenana, 202
Zulus, 10; subjects’ persons the king's, 14; dread of reflecting surfaces, 35; omens, 72; girls, 196