Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-07-22
COW IDOLS.

The many cow idols dug up by DIR.
Schlemann in the ancient palace at
Tiryns are apt to revive the interest in
a controversy from which he has GER
tainly come out as the victor
Animal worship is one of the Oldest
cults. Its remnants are t.-ceable in
India and Egypt, as well as in Troy
and Greccc-nay, among our Teutonic
forcfathers. Tho COW and the steer,
more especially. are to be met with in
the mythology OF many nations, as
symbols of a cosmOgonic force, in a
nourishing or creative sense. In the
oldest representations relating to the
creation Of the world, the COW, coming
forth out of the primeval waters, ap-
pears as the mother Of the young Sun
god. Hesiod's Gaia is both the COW
and the earth, the nourishing mother
of all forms of existence. So is the
Teutonic COW Audhumla, from whose
doings, in the rise and origin of all
things and beings, the very gods were
tabled to have sprung.
Sacred. gold-horned cows-remind-
ing us of the MyOnean idols-appear
in the lays Of the lcelandic Edda, even
as among the ancient IIindoo. In
German and scandinavian myth, cows
and steers play so largo a part that we
are impressed thereby in quite a My
cenean or Trojan manner. When the
Tcutons and the Cimbrians went on
their war raid, two thousand years
ago, they carried brazcn bull as q
sacred idol with them. Captive Ro-
mans, before being set free by them,
had to take an oath on that bulls i'm
age. A sea-stcer was said to be the
progenitor Of the Frankish royal race
of the Merowings. The kings of that
line, symbolically preserving the old
mythic tradition. drove about in car
drawn by a team of oxen. A golden
bulls head was found in King Chill
peric's tomb. Sacred cows were taken
by Morse kings into battle as divine
guides and protectresses. So 1t is re-
corded of tho Swedish king, Eistein
Bell, and his sacred cow, Sibilja. There
is similar record about King Oeg-
waldr. Cows were often used by the
Mortimer as prophetic leaders on inn
portant occasions.
Shall we then wonder that the found
er of Ilion Qlos, or II, whose name
possibly has contact with the Saxon
chieftain's name, Ella) was guided by
a speckled cow to the place to be
chosen for the settlement on the famed
hill in the Troadp
From his former work on Myccne
and Tiryns, which contains narrative
Of his first excavations there, it will be
seen that DR.. Schliemann had already
then unearthed great many COW idols
in gold, silver, and terra-cotta from
that once hallowed ground. 1t was
done, so to say, in consequence Of n
challenge offered to him. Having ex-
pressed an opinion that the "glaucopis
| Athcnc' OF the Trojans was originally
an owl-faced deity or idol, DR.. Schlie-
mann was ut first met with storm OF
dissent on the part Of some scholars
rash enough to mix up their notions of
the age OF Phidias with their Judgment
about prehistoric Troy. Among those,
! however, who would not at once re-
| ject the idea Of DIR. Schliumann was
| Max Muller, in himself host of learn
| ing. But before giving decided opn-
ion Of his own, the eminent Oxford
professor asked for II proof of "llcra
Boopis" having been cow-headcd
monster.
Upon that, the eycr-ready excavator
set to work at Tiryns and Myconc with
the most perfect coniidenc- for did
not both these cities lie close to the
ancient Heraion, or temple of HeraP
In truth, the result Of his diggings far
exceeded his own expectations. lie
found thousands of cows of tcrra-cotta; !;
also lifty-six cow-heads Of gold; one OF
silver, with gold horns; some cow
heads engrayen on gems; many hun
'dreds Of female idols. with crescent