The weekly Arizona miner., 1878-02-08
fcontinued from first page.)

the people no room for fiocks and herd
 but an abundant harvest the Gods lost a
 relish for flesh, and became herbivorou
 and when men of rank began to give mol
 attention to the refined luxuries of life tina
 the cruoe necessities, the Gods ceased to es
 and drink, and confined their enjoyment i
 the perfume of flowers, incense and sanda
 wood, and the smoke of narcotic plant,
 simply because these were the luxur.es c
 the same Gods while in the flesh.
 When mythology was brought forward
 an age of great refinement, the raw materia
 Tor the manufacture of Gods was so ampl
 that human models were no longer needed
 ana they defied the earth. air water, fir
 and human ideas as fear, fortune, etc.
 As general rule, all old written histo
 ries--sacred or profsne, Jewish or Gentile-
 were liable to be compiled from or min gied with outstanding tradition alreadl very ancient; hence the written chronicle often point back to state of society diff ferIng greatly from the social condition a the date of the chronicle.
 From close inspection of antique tradi tion, 1t seems that the first ghost faith tha was established by visible outlines. onl, accredited departed spirits to the heroes o battle, while sach endowments to .omen and the common people were either unrec. ognized or considered worthless. While many of the Eastern tribes still believe that women have no future state, but men arc converted into animals, the Tonto Apaches believe that their warriors will, after death, be converted into beasts, while their women will all be changed into'fsh.
 The early mythologies of the Goths and Seandinavians and f,f tha Dolts. x..i.... habiting Gaul, Britain and Germany. ail bear close resemblance, and show a great improvement grafted on to the original bar barous superstition, as they admitted wo- men and the common people into a future state, as we'll as their war chiefs; and still war and plumber seemed to be the only honorable business of life, as no person was admitted into heaven except those who fell m battle or died with arms in their hands while those who died in peaceful quietude or of old age were consigned to the infer nal regions to pine away with want and hunger throughout all eternity. At the date of these mytlologies, the idea of soul or spirit was crude, not fully developed as We understand it. They used the term shade or shadow. They believed that when the body of hero passed away in death, That his shadow being imponderable, could float in the air or walk on the ground, could rise to the third heaven or descend at pleasure. The shadows of heroes were pie tured with face and wings, but no body The shadow of towards, that is, the peace ful, were pictured with distorted face, but neither wings nor body. These people be- lieved that the animals were endowed with shades, as we'll as men; and .he shades of heroes in the third heavens should be em- picyeo n hunting the shades of the stag and reindeer. But the sweetest pleasure enjoyed by the shades of heroes in heaven was to quaff nectar from the skulls of their enemies. This seems to point back to the cannibal age. They believed that the gods were born into this world in the persons of war chiefs, to die like other men; that they became chiefs by superior and wonderful physical ability. That superior strength of mind and body were the especial gifts of nature by which they were born to rule; and this gift being imparted to their shades, gave their shades right to rule in heaven: and so, the rulers who distinguished them selves on earth became promoted to thrones in heaven.
 The Scandinavian Bible, called the "Edda, written by inspiration, in Ice land, ,-gives a wonderful account of the great exploits of their Supreme Divinity. s sWoden,n to whom sacrifices were offered on the fourth day of the week, called sswod- l el's day. This God, while in the flesh. was so strong that he slew thousands | of men at one blow. And being too pow | erful to die by the hand of any other, when, by age he felt his time drawing nigh. he | assembled his companions and inflicted | upon himself nine deep wounds with his | own lance. While he was expiring he de- | ciared that he would arise to the abode of | the brave where he could take his seat among the Deities st the celestial banquet. and where he would receive as his only | Children all of those who died with arms in