The weekly union record., 1864-04-23
The UNION RECORD.
Pagan SuperEtitions.

memphis. Situated on IHc Udiihc Oi
the Nile, nedr the Pyramids, was the
capital of Egypt before Alexandria was
built, and contained the Temple of
Apis, the ox-god, the tpye Of Osiris,
whose soul the Egyptians believed pas
sed into the body Of an OK. The great
festival Of tins god was performed with
the most magnificent ceremonies atMem-
phis, at the commencement OF the an
nual inundation Of the Nile, and lasted
seven days. The OK, selected to repre-
sent the god, was distinguished by par
ticular marks, which were, most pro
badly, the ingenious productions Of the
priests: the whole animal was black,
except a white crescent, or a mark
resembling the figure Of man, on the
right side and on the lack, the figure
Of an eagle; on the forehead was
white, square spot under the tongue
knot resembling beetle; and the hairs
Of the tail were double. This OK was
led in solemn procession, and having
made the round Of the city in order that
those who slnelIed his breath might gain
a knowledge Of futurity, and after
variety of other absurd ceremonies, he
was led to the river, and if he had at
tained to twenty-five years cf age, he
was drowned, and new Apis elected.
On this occasion, although the god was
purposely drowned, the priests shaved
their heads as an indication of mourn
ing cries and lamentation resounded
through the city; and these continued
until new Apis with all the character
istc marks, was found. This new rep
resentative of Osiris had to perform a
probation of forty days, before being
initiated in all his dignities during
which time women only administered
to him.
Bull and kline worship passed into
Egypt from Hindostan, and it is still
retained in the East for silva rides
upon white bull, called Handi and
Brahmany, or sacred buHs,are seen wan
dering unmolested in all the cities of
Hindostan. But the most curious Cir
cHmstance relating to bovine worship,
is the fact that it was practice in Eng
land in the fifteenth century: another
proof, among many, Of the difficulty of
shaking off old habits, and veri6cation
of the remark, that the early Christians
had ingratted some of the denominations
Of Paganism on their ritual. Major
Moor, in his Oriental Fragments, p. SIC,
has given the following translation of a
register of the monastery of st. Ed
mundsbury, contained in volume en-
titled Carolia raria, by the Rev. VIM.
Hawkins, of 1adleigh, Suffolk, printed
at Cambridge, 1854.
"This indenture certifes, that Mas
ter John Swarsham, sacrist, with the
consent of the prior and convent, demise
and let to - the manor called Hab-
yrden in Bury, and the said - his
executors, &C., shall find, or cause to be
found, one White BuN,every year Of his
term, so often as it shall happen that
any gentlewoman( mulierem generoS,m)
or any other woman, from devotion, or
VOWS by them made, shall visit the
tomb of the glorious martyr st. Ed
mund, to make the oblation Of the said
white bull, etc. Dated, the 4th of June,
in the second year of Henry VII. "a. D.
14S7.)" Two other indentures, nearly
similar, are of the eleventh and twenty
fifth of Henry VIII. Now, the worthy
Mr.. Hawkins informs US, that when a
married woman wished to make
this oblation, "the white bull, who was
never yoked to the plough, nor balted,
was led in procession through the prin-
cipal gate of tie monastery, attended
by all the monks singing, and shouting
crowd the woman walking by him,
and stroking his milk-white sides, and
pendent dewlaps. The bull being then
dismissed, the woman entered the church,
and paid her vows at the altar of St.
Edmond, kissing the stone, and en-
treating with tears the blessing of a
child" 1t is not easy to say how many
other equally ridiculous pagan superSti
tons deformcd the purityof Christianity
before this period.