Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1851-03-29
DEMIGoDs OF AUSTRALIA.

"The worship of Baal ranks amongst the
Oldest and the most generally diflused OF an
oient supersiitions. 1t is the same as the
Bala of the Hindus. Ruler of the Air, Lord
and Professor of The Air, is its Specification
In ancient times the summit of hills were
dedicated 10 deities whose names had been
forgotten, but which were still held sacred
Hoe menus, hume, inquit, froudoso verticc COLLEEN
(Quis Deus incertum est3 habitat DcusEn. will 3'l'
In the eastern part of Australia the summit
of u mountain is called Bool-ga and Baai-
Baal is the name of place on the Murry
Baa is also the native word for fire. On the
Loddon river the natives speak OF deity
named Bin-Beal Sun worship was practised
among the inhabitants Of Port jackson when
first discovered, and was called Baal. Gov
ernor Grey, in mis- vocabulary of the Swan
River, gives 'Boyf.ya, a sorcerer, the black
witch Of Scotland, certain power Of w itch
craft Boyl-ya-gaduk, possessing the powe-
Of Boyl. These people can transport them
selves into the air at pleasure they can
render themselves invisible 10 all but other
Boyh ya.sadnks, II they have dislike TO II
native, they can kill him by stealing on him
at night and consuming his flesh All natural
illness is attributed TO these Boyl-ya- -gaduksa
The Australians reverence the two principal
stars in Orion, which they believe 10 have
been hunters, and the Pleiades TO have been
| young girls. They consider the moon TO have
| been black man named Taorand, and the
sun Gnoan, or Koan, 10 be his wife. When
a native fears he will be benighted on his re-
turn, he propi,ia,es the uminary, his Baal,
by placing lighted stick in the fork Of IA tree
facing the sun, in order to delay sunset, and
then in certain faith proceeds homewards -
The rites of Baai were marked by human
sacrifice Bal-lgan, in the Swan River dia-
ect, is the nfinitve mood OF the verb, to slay
There is another mysterious being known by
the tribes northwest of Moreton Bay, also
those at Adelaide and on the Swan Silver, who
is named Koen. He is held in great dread
aud terror. The name for The sun among
the tribes on the eastern coast is Koen The
IiCUicN "olN ioi pliCot 10 SOhSh' hC NV
Mr.. ThrekIkeld, in his grammer of the Ian.
guage Of the tribes at Lake M'Quarrie says
that 'Koen is al. imaginary being, in appear
ance like black fellow with an immense
abdomen, and painted over with white clay
carrying fire stick in his hand.' The koel
like the Boyl-ya-gaduks, seizes and consumes
people. The Koen precedes the arrival o
other tribes, and especially so when he as
sembles them to celebrate their mysteries
: The presence of the Koen is known only lc
the magicans or doctors of the tribe. Th,
Adelaide tribes believe in the existence o
: Kuin-yo, who is similar in form and complex
ion 10 Koen. He appears indeed TO be In
same as Koen, only his presence causes In
} death of some one in the tribe. Kuin-yo ais
means death, which is expressed at III
Swan River, by Kain-b-l ; but Kyn, or KUN
va, signifies the soul. At Port Jackson, III
tubes believe in the spirit named Mawn, an
fear 10 touch corpse lest the Mawn shoul
seize Oh them in the night"