The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-03-13
HUMAN GODS OF THE DAY
SOME LUCKY HHATHEN GENTLE-
MEN.


Students of primitive man contend
that he was unable to distinguish the
nature of deity from that of human
kind. AS gods had all the passions and
Weaknesses of men, so men might pos
sess all the functions and powers of
gods And such blessed being was
worshipped accordingly. The list of
examples is imposing, drawn from all
quarters of the world.
Mr.. Selous reports 81 real human del
ty in Mashonaland. This is Mondoro,
the Lion Cod" a very old man at that
time; but his functions are hereditary
The great chief Mokoto dared not re-
ceiVe the traveller until he had permits
sion from this mystic potentate, who
is the only god Of the Mashonas, as Mn.
Selous understood, living at ZimbabWt.
The license came after a long wait
the chief with whom he was staying
received instructions to take the white
man by the hand and lead him to Mo
lIOtO. But I have no more information
about the Lion God of the Mashonas.
1t is common rumor that the chief of
the Senoussiya sect of Islam is Wor-
shipped by his followers. but we may
safely pronounce that story absurd.
OF all the sons of men, Moslem Puri-
tans would be least likely to set up an
idol. That is a most interesting organ
i2ation, assuredly. The Sheik dwells at
Djerboub, the old Oasis of Ammon,
guarded, they say, by three thousand
warriors. In Algeria alone he is credi-
ted with one hundred and fifty thou
sand disciples sworn to do his bidding
the Khouane, of whom We hear from
time to time. But few are the Euro
peans who have any real knowledge of
the sect.
The Tseang Teen-sze, head of the
Taouist faith in China, is a human god
if the account of that parsonage by the
Rev. Mr.. Cobbold, lately Archdeacon OF
Ningpo, be exact. He, a married man.
performing apparently the usual duties
of citizen, is supreme over the gods:
Before any deity in the temple of any
Heen city throughout China can eXer-
else his functions, he must receive his
appointment under the seal Of this
spiritual ruler When we remember
that these cities, more than twelve
hundred in number, occupy different
centers throughout the eighteen prov
inCes, or, in other words, that three
hundred and sixty million people come
more or less under their influence; that
their temples, more than any others
on every new and full moon, attract
the worship of the people and the man
darins, we may gather an idea of the
significance of the fact stated in two
brief lines above"
Unfortunately Mr.. Cobbold gives few
details, and I, at least, never heard MOI
read any notice of this most interest.
ing potentate elsewhere. For more
than thousand years, as it is stated
the family of Tseang has exercised its
super~divine power from father to son
1t does not descend by primo-g eniture
however. Certain marks upon the
body, undescribed. point out the sor
whom heaven designs-we should rath
er say fate, perhaps, since heaven is
under control of the Tseang dynasty
When thus identified, the boy receives
the title of his office, Teen-sze Divine
Messenger" affixed to the family name
Tseang. We may suspect that the
claim to thousand years possession
of this singular authority is much ex-
aggerated. The Chinese love a roun(
number. That would carry back toe
near the origin of the creed, in the
sixth century. Confucius mentions its
founder with respect. 1t claims to be
the Religion of Reason, and to set 8
mortal above the gods is about as I'm.
reasonable as could be.
Mr.. Cobbold "often 1onged to wander
off in the direction of this High Priests
sanctuary" Would he had yielded tt
the impulse! It Is Somewhere in the
province of Keangsoo A number OIL
huge jars stand in the courtyard
wherein malignant spirits are confined
For Tseang Teen-sze has power over
devils also, of course-by-the-Way Sin.
ologues would spell it T'ien-tze at this
date; Mr.. CobbOld was master of Chi.
nese, but he studied in the pre-scientifit
era. 1T is women especially who claim
the mangods personal assistance
when in trouble. Their diseases are
causes by possession. A Taouist priest
identifies the feud. and, upon proper
payment, denounces him to Tseana
Teen-sze; and that deity, we are told, il
the necessary fees be forthcoming, is
bound to impTisOn him in one of his
jars.
In March, 1888, M. G. Potanin read ar
account of his explorations in Mong0
liza before the Geographical society OF
st. Petersburg. Among other interest
ing matters, it contained report upor
certain human gods and goddesses
Worshipped in that region. There arr
eight of the former, called Darichous
They live in Buddhist converts, for t.
that faith they are attached. but theil
wealth is great, and they spend it as
they please. NJ. Potanin was told il
some districts that the Gyguens live
upon tea, sugar and perfumes: in 9th
ers that they are gluttOns and drunk
ards and so forth. Each account may
be true enough locally; since they are
chosen by blind chance in babyhood
and, irresponsible, some would grow
into aSCeticS and some into debauchees
But the natives appear to reverence
both classes equally. The character OF
conduct of a Gyguen signifies nothing
Who shall criticise the actions of 6
god? All that he does is wise ant
right, and beyond our comprehension
So the Tartars explained. A Koolir
Brahman is equally above the laws OF
right and wrong in India.
The divine essence of a Gyguen pass
es at death into a child still unborn
like that of the Dalai Lama at Thibet