The Meeker herald., 1897-01-16
The CULT CT THE HoJsE.
How the Nos.c Animal Wa IcSsJlsd i
Cla-Tir,c Peoplcs.

ol.;-Tin,c Peopics-
II is, perhaps, small matter let won-
der that the nations who first fsirt1
the horse for riding attached .hlgs
lnnor to t.,c creature seotcd of.v LCsl
b;cl. they scourcd with fush sw 1t
ncas. The e..hilaration of riding is one
which custom does not E.sIe, anl
hich affects the civilized r.eerof to-
,lay, II he be Of an emotional nature,
li.uLaL!y almost as kcenly os II ditl III
arc,ont Seythian, German or Siar u
addition 10 this, neighborirg races ..ho
Lau no, t,iis art looked upon these wh1
had IL w.i.l a kind OF supeyst;tious y, ,5a-
der, weay,rg strange stores eloEs
them. The horsemen OF Thess;.ly ~
psared to the other CREEKS ti.ro ucii
mist of fable as centaurz. Eaf Isar,
hall brutc, but wholly divine. And in
thc srtnl. fashion of all primitive pe1-
II, the l;orseman gave Lack 10 the
horse tEe glory that he received r.
dccted from it, and made OF his ecai-
rade in var ard chase q kind OF deity
The ancient Germans too. oracle
from white horses, just as the Egyl-
lssi.k tssL .-Sl-A liitAA 1--Sa.
anlinals .Scse kept in grove. nrs, JraFe
agsury ~ acighing. Amorg tilesliSes
Tie sword combined with the hafse
10 foreieil f.;ure events. The weapOns
were planted in the grouIt, and the
horses led among them; by the mote
nrnis OF the beasts the Attending
,r!eais Judged the will of the gods
Among the Sorsemen the sacsi if:es oi
hor2e mi the eating Of its flesh wns
token cf sacra,uenfal elIesiaIce t.
Cdin. Among the oncient Irish, VIXEN
ltirg ua1 crowned in ulstcr, ii wa
customary 10 siay white mare aa'
boil ii In a vat. Into this vat thc ncyvI =
rl21c Ling descended, and there sat,
,!ignlii~ the broth and taztiBg sm. II
portions of The meat. The ccting o!
nor cncsh was so well recognized as
loethcu rite that the early c., lzt;ar:
lainls forbade 1t to their convert.
-tbioEg the Scythians the l,ocss was
deemed sacred to the sun, and its wor-
bip c-ossed the HirDalayas, end was
early cstGblished among the Eajpui
kings.
Next TO o human being, who probably
wus. 40 q matter CT fact, never sac
rihced in ancient India. the hors. was
lie mrGt acceptable offering 10 IL.
gods. 1t is laid down in the purana
that thc saerificer of hundred iioise.
oGats .rdra. the king of the gods, from
his thForc. and reigns in Paradise
(Swarg:.) in bis stead. There ~ no rec
ord. However, of any one having Garnet
this snrpassing felicity. Kings. on nj
tanning he throne, usually sacrificed
horse, their tributary princes per
forming the more menial duties con
nccted with the Aswamctilia Chors,
sacrifice). Indeed, even the Office. o
porter in this solemn rite could only
he assumed BY one of royal Blood. Oh,
OF the books of the great lI!ndoo epic
the Siahabharata, contains an account
of the Ashwumedhn held by Yudh;s
thira, king of the Paudus- wis- l..
he'd, by the defeat OF the kau-ayas
firmly established his ruie over north
ern India. The sacred horse was turIec
loose TO wagder wherever II listed ioi
4 year, vhiic the legal army followet
it everywhere at Il respectful d.stau ce
otner tf.bcs whose pastures it cross
were given the option CT either turn
ing out in force to join the triumph o
the horse. or of accepting wager of bat
tic. At the end of the year tho hoIst
was led back to the palace and ther,
sacriticed.-London Standard.