the Talismans; and we have informed our readers more than once, that it is very probable the infinite number of ancient idols in general owe their rise to the Talismans, unless we are more inclinable to be lieve, that the Talismans themselves were originally idols. One of those of the Ostiacs, we are informed, was a brazen goose, with her wings extended, whose peculiar province it was to take care of their geese, ducks, &c. and protect them from all disasters. Another very remarkable idol is that which travellers have described under the denomination of the Old Man of Oby. His devotees oblige him to change his place of residence once every three years, and transport himself over the Oby, from one place to another, with abundance of solemnity, in a vessel made for that particular purpose. This Old Man of Oby is the guardian of their fishery. He is composed of wood: His nose, which resembles a hog's snout, has an iron hook in it, to denote, that he drags the fish out of the sea into the Oby. His eyes are made of glass, and his head is embellished with a pair of short horns. When the ice dissolves, and the river overflows her banks, the Ostiacs flock to him in a body to make their joint requests that he would be propitious to their fishery; but if the season does not answer their expectations; they load him with a thousand reproaches, and insult him after the most shameful manner; but on the other hand, if they prove successful, the god, by way of retaliation, is allowed his share in the booty. He has the very first fruits of their labour; for before they presume to touch one dish themselves at their general feast, they rub his snout with some of the choicest fat. After their entertainment is over, they conduct the soul of the god back again, by beating the air with their cudgels. But on the contrary, if the season has proved bad, or if they have met with any disappointments, they not only revile him, as we have before observed, but they strip him naked, and whip him, and throw him into the dirt, as an old, impotent, despicable deity. Those half-savage people treat their gods just as our children do their jointed babies. We have somewhere before observed, that even some polite nations have been so whimsical and extravagant, as to make devotion and resentment by turns succeed each other, these devout infidels are much like gamesters, who curse and bless their fortune in a breath, and can never refrain treating her with blandishments or invectives, since it affords them a kind of consolation, and gives a vent to their passion. As to the Samoides, they are idolators as well as the Ostiacs, but much more savage and unpolished. They adore the sun and the moon, to which they No. 19 add some idols wrought in such an artless manner, that one would scarcely imagine they had any intention to resemble the human speices. These idols are kept in their proper huts, or somewhere near them, or else hung upon their choicest trees; and they acknowledge according to De Bruyn, one Supreme Being, called Heya. The Czeremissian Tartars acknowledge one God. who is immortal, and the author of all good; and hold that there are evil spirits, or demons, who are the professed enemies of mankind, and take delight in tormenting them as long as they live; for which reason they offer up sacrifices to them, in order to appease their wrath, and tempt them, if possible, not to injure them. They take particular care to go in pilgrimages to a place, which the above-cited traveller calls Nemda, and to perform several other acts of devotion to their honour. There they carry their oblations to those malignant beings, and never presume to go empty-handed; being fully persuaded, that those who are so imprudent as to carry nothing with them, will infallibly pine away, and die at last of some lingering distemper. The sacrifices which are peculiarly devoted to their deity, are either oxen or horses. The manner of roasting the flesh of one of them is this; They first throw large slices of it into a dish with one hand, having a bowl full of metheglin, or some liquor of the like nature, ready in the other; and then cast both together into a large fire, made before the skin of the victim. This skin is extended upon a pole, which is laid crossways, and rests between two trees. They implore this skin to present their humble petitions to their God, and be a mediator for them, and sometimes make their addresses directly to it. The sun and moon, as being the authors of the products of the earth, are likewise the objects of their divine adora tion. These Tartars always perform their religious ceremonies near some rivers of rapid streams. This is all that can be said, with any exactness and appearance of truth, relating to the religion of these almost savage nations. It is no easy task to clear up the accounts of some of our ancient travellers, and to justify their remarks by those which we find in the writings of the moderns. The ignorance of the former, with respect to geography, their variations of the names of some countries they describe, and the imperfect and incurious accounts they have given us of the religion of these people, have all contributed towards this unhappy confusion. The moderns, though somewhat more exact, are notwithstanding chargeable with being too careless and remiss. It would be a fruitless attempt to search for the religion of the modern Tartars amongst the 5 R ancient ancient Scythians. Such a learned enquiry would be attended with nothing but mere conjectures. The ancients themselves had but a very imperfect idea of the Scythians, and all we know is, that they confound several nations under that name, as we do under that other of the Tartars; that these Scythians were Nomades, or Strollers, all over the countries, like the Tartars their descendants; that both the one and the other are people situated in Europe and Asia, to the north of Persia and the Indies; and in short, that the ancient Scythians spread themselves very far towards the east, as well as the modern Tartars. The Lamas, who are the regular priests of the greatest part of Tartary, have their heads as well as their beards shaved, nor are these the only characteristics or marks of their dignity; for they wear a yellow hat, and a yellow gown, with long sleeves, which they tie with a girdle of the same colour. In their hands they carry a yellow chaplet, which they are perpetually tumbling over, because, according to their rules, they ought to pray without ceasing. According to the same laws they ought to live in a state of celibacy, and devote themselves to the constant practice of all good works. There There are nuns, we are informed, of this order of Lamas, who are subject to the same law, and obliged to observe the same vow. The priests of the Tonguses have a principal or superior, whom they call Schamman, and devote themselves wholly to the study and practice of the black art; whereas the Lamas know little or nothing of it. The Schamman, in the exercise of his magical operations, observes the following strange method. After he has gone through his preliminary penances he puts on a kind of robe or covering, composed of divers pieces of old iron, some in the form of birds, others in that of beasts and fishes: and all are hung together by rings of the same metal. He puts on stockings of the same materials, and gloves likewise of the same sort, made in fashion of a bear's s'paws. He claps on iron horns likewise upon his head. Thus equipped, he takes a drum in one hand, and a little wand, embellished with the skins of mice, in the other; leaps and capers about, crossing his legs sometimes this way, and sometimes that, observing at the same time the tune, and accompanying it with the most hideous outcries. In all these movements his eyes are steadfastly fixed on a hole at the top of his hut; and as soon as ever he discerns a black bird, which, as is pretended, perches on the roof, and vanishes in a moment, he falls upon the ground in a kind of a trance, and continues for about a quarter of an hour entirely deprived, to outward appearance, of all sense and reason; and when he comes to himself, he resolves the queries of those who consult him. The priests of the Samoides, who are likewise magicians, when any one consults them, put a rope round their necks, according to De Bruyn, and tie it so tight, that they fall down as if they were dead. When they foretel any future event, the blood gushes out of some part of their faces, and stops again as soon as they have finished their prediction. Our author, by the rest of the description, seems to intimate that there is no material difference between these people and the Schammans, and other priests of the Tartars. We have already observed, that the Burates, when any one is to take a solemn oath, carry the party to a high mountain, and there make him swear with an audible voice, assuring him at the same time, that if he proves perjured, he will never get down again alive. The Ostiacs display all their instruments of war before the party who takes the oath, to intimate, that if he forswears himself, some one of those weapons shall infallibly, in a few days, be the instrument of his absolute destruction. The Tonguses clear themselves of any crime laid to their charge, by the death of a dog; thrusting a knife into his left thigh, and cutting him open to the very mouth; and after this they suck up every drop of his blood. The Ostiac takes his oath upon a bear's skin, spread upon the ground, whereon are laid a hatchet, a knife and a piece of bread, which is tendered to him. Before he eats it, he declares all he knows relating to the matter in question, and confirms the truth of his evidence by this solemn imprecation:--- 66 May this bear tear me to pieces, this bit of bread choak me, this knife be my death, and this hatchet sever my head from my body, if I do not speak the truth." truth." In dubious cases, they present themselves before an idol, and pronounce the same oath with this additional circumstance, that he who takes the oath, cuts off a piece of the idol's nose with his knife, his knife," If I forswear myself, may this knife cut off my own nose in the same manner, &c. The Mongals und Calmoucs give themselves but very little trouble with respect to the degrees of consanguinity, in their marriage engagements, for they make no scruple of lying even with their mothers. The issue of such incestuous matches are looked upon as legitimate, and have a right of inheritance, as well as any others; but in case they be the children of a Chan, or some other person of distinction, he who is born in honourable wedlock is preferred before them. It is insinuated, that if the son spares his mother, the father is not so scrupulous with re gard gard to his daughter, and they give this reason for their conduct: A woman is like the earth; and both the one and the other ought to be cultivated. They should never lie fallow; for nature had the same view in the formation of them both, with this difference only, that the culture of one is vain and fruitless after a certain number of years. They are not ignorant, that a soil, however exhausted, harassed, and worn out, will, by extraordinary care and artful management, become as fruitful as ever; but as for women their age is irreparable, they are lands but of short duration, they ought therefore never to lie neglected, as long as they are able to produce any crop. This is a specimen of the Tartars manner of reasoning; and in conformity thereto, they take particular care to find out young wives, for after they are forty years of age, they look upon them only as governants of their families, or even simply as their domestics, and the major part of the savage Americans observe the same custom. The other Tartars are as regardless of the degrees of consanguinity, as those we have already described. Some of their most conscientious indeed, will never marry either their mothers-in-law, or their sisters; but the Czeremissian Tartars make no scruple with regard to the latter. We have nothing more material to add, but that after a child is six months old, they give it the name of such object, whatever it be, as first presents itself before them. There is nothing very remarkable in the courtship and amorous adventures of these people. Love with them, and such as like them, is neither constrained nor polished; and the women, who, doubtless, have no idea of any state superior to their own, are as contented with their lot, as the rest of their sex are in other countries. The want of knowledge, and a narrow imagination, constitute the greatest part of human happiness in this world; and, if so, they, whose reason is bounded by their grossest bodily necessities, are much more happy than other people. But to return to the Tartarian gallantry: Their courtship of the young ladies consists in the purchase of them. Amongst the Ostiacs, the gallant sends one of his friends to his mistress's father, in order to agree about the price; and when the bargain is actually made, the intended father-in-law covenants to surrender and yield up his daughter at the expiration of a certain term therein limed; and during the whole courtship, the man must not, on any account whatever, presume to visit his mistress. If he pays his respects to her father or mother, he goes backward into the house, not presuming to look them in the face; and as a farther testimony of his esteem and submission, turns his head on one side whenever he speaks to them. At the expiration of the term of his courtship, the father according to his contract, surrenders his daughter to his son-in-law, and at the same time recommends them to a happy union, as the fundamental article of wedlock; but what the Ostiacs may mean by that expression is a nice point to determine. The Ostiac, as a trial of his wife's honour, cuts a handful of hair off a bear's skin, and presents it to her. If she be virtuous she accepts of the offer without the least reluctance; but if she be conscious of her own inconstancy, she ingeniously refuses to touch it, whereupon her husband immediately puts her away, and that is all the ill consequence that attends her illegal amours, and besides she has the liberty to marry whom she pleases after such separation. This ingenious confession of their wives is owing to their dread of being torn to pieces by the paws of the very bear, the heir of whose hide is made use of as an experiment to prove their chastity or falsehood. This bear, according to their notion, revives at the expiration of three years, in order to devour the bride, who is perjured and inconstant. This punishment of their infidelity is so moderate and easy to be borne, that it is scarce worth their while to prevaricate, in order to shun it. The mourning of children for their parents amongst the Tartars, in general, consists in weeping over them for several days successively; and during all that time they are obliged to abstain from all manner of amusements, and from the society of women for several months. The child must inter his father or mother with all the funeral pomp and solemnity his circumstances will admit of, and pay his annual respects to their respective tombs, which must be attended not only with tears, but loud lamentations. These people, as well as the Indians, Chinese, &c. make provision for their dead, and supply them with variety of apparel, The Wogulshes extend their charity to their very dogs; they inter them honourably, and erect a little hut on purpose for them, in order to preserve their memory. There is no other testimony of their respect omitted in commemoration of them, but that of making their formal lamentations round their mausoleums. Tonguses hang their dead upon some particular trees, and there leave them till they have nothing but skin and bones remaining, when they inter them. The little pieces of painted glass. Afterwards they carry them in solemn procession round their houses, and revere them as idols. they may become partakers of his fame and virtues Nay, they carry their superstition much farther; for they set open all their doors and windows that the soul may have an easy passage. To meet with such notions and practices among the ancient Heathens is not at all surprising, because ignorance of the true God leads to idolatry, and idolatry creates absurdities. Nor is it surprising to meet with such notions and practices among the modern Tartars, who are far more barbarous and brutal in their manners than most of the Heathen nations of old: but to meet with it in France is really surprising. A polite people to be slaves to superstition! Yes: But let us remember, that the learned are deists, and the ignorant enthusiasts.Nothing less than Divine grace can set bounds to human imaginations; nothing less than the power of God can keep human nature under proper restraints. The imagination roves from one object to another, and generally, consistent with its own capriciousness, fixes upon the worst. The Ostiacs either bury their dead, or hide both them and their bows, arrows, implements of household furniture, and provisions, in the snow, out of the very same principle as others do, who are habituated to these customs. A widow, to testify her unfeigned sorrow for the loss of her dearly beloved husband, takes an idol, dresses it up in the good man's clothes, lays it in the bed with her, and effects to have it always before her eyes, in order to aggravate her grief, and bring her departed husband to her remembrance; and can any thing be more natural? Our European widows would behave much after the same manner, did they caress their -deceased husband's pictures, kiss them, ask them a thousand endearing questions, and weep over them; and indeed some of them have been known to take up every individual thing wore in his lifetime, and blubber over every piece. The widows of the Ostiacs kiss the idols of the deceased husbands, and honour them as partners of their beds for a whole year together; and then they are looked upon as incumbrances, and thrown neglected by in some corner of the house; then there is no mention of their old bedfellows, and the time of their mourning is accomplished. The Samoiades, according to De Bruyn, hang their deceased infants that have not attained the age of one year, upon trees; but inter, between two boards, such as are of -a more advanced age; and drown or otherwise make away with their relations, who are superanuated, infirm, and entirely a burden to themselves and all about them. Near the place where they bury their dead, they hang up their fire-arms, their hatchets, their hammers, and, in short, all the other imple-gers to the covenant of promise, are destitute of the ments which they made use of whilst in the land of the living. It is remrkable that all these people in Tartary, notwithstanding their difference in many fundamental articles of religion, yet agree in believing the transmigration of souls. Some are of opinion, that the real souls transmigrate from one body to another; while others only imagine that the faculties transmigrate to animate another body. These last, in all probability, only imagine that there is an emanation of virtues; becaused they confounded the body and soul together. There is something like this to be met with even so near us as France. Thus, when a priest reputed for his sanctity dies, or any other person of uncommon merit, the people bring their children to the bedside, to hover over his face iarder to catch the last gasp of his breath, that What has been here advanced may, with great propriety be applied to the Heathen nations in general, but to none more properly than the Tartars. They are a numerous body of people, they are divided into a vast number of clans or hordes, and each tribe has something in its religion differing from the others. In their natural lives they wander from one place to another, without a settled habitation; and in their different forms of religion they wander from all that is truth; some of them worship devils, some images, and some are so ignorant that they have hardly any notion of the Supreme Being. Here the pious reader will be affected, when he hears so many of his fellow creatures, ignorant of the gospel of Christ, and stran peace of God which passeth all understanding, having no views of a future state, no hopes of a blessed immortality. To all this may be added, the many horrid barbarities daily committed by those of one horde or another, and all this is owing to the want of true religion in the soul, which, when properly cultivated, diffuses itself throughout every part of the conduct. As nothing has been attempted by the Christians in Europe towards the conversion of these Heathens, and as we have reason to believe, that previous to the second coming of Christ all the world will embrace the gospel, so we may rest satisfied that some great event yet waits to be accomplished. How, when, or by whom as the instruments, this important event will be brought about it is impossible for us to say, or even to form any con jecture jecture. But from what we know of the goodness of God, we have reason to believe it will take place; and as for the means to be used in conducting it, let us rest satisfied, that the judge of all the earth will do right. In the mean time, let us study to make a proper use of those inestimable blessings we enjoy; for from those to whom much is given, much will be required. DR AN ACCOUNT OF THE RELIGION OF LAPLAND. R. Smollet, in his ironical manner, calls the inhabitants of Lapland the fag end of the human creation, which illiberal and invidious expression, seems to arise from not considering, that these people have the same rational faculties as others, and only want the means to improve themselves. Now under such circumstances, let us seriously ask, whether these people are the objects of laughter and ridicule? Are they not objects rather of pity, especially when we consider that our ancestors were once as ignorant as they, and probably more barbarous. Nay-barbarity is not so much as imputed to the Laplanders, even by those who take a savage pleasure in ridiculing them for what is not in their power to prevent. That they are slaves to superstition is not denied, but that superstition never leads them to any thing of a cruel or barbarous nature. Secure in their simple huts, they live without give offence to each other; and if they have but little knowledge, they have but few sins to account for. The author of this thinks it no small pleasure to have been some years acquainted with a native of Lapland, who is now one of the most ingenious artists in London. In his early youth, he was brought from his native country to Stockholm, in Sweden, where he had the benefit of a liberal education, was baptized, and studied the theory and practice of music. From thence he came to England, and now resides in London. His ingenuity in the art he professes, his affability in conversation, sweetness of temper, and above all, his unfeigned piety, has created him many friends, but not more than his merit entitles him to. Thus we find that it is only owing to the want of cultivating the rational faculties, that the natives of such unhospitable deserts remain in a state of ignorance. Let those sovereigns, who claim a supremary over them, send some men of piety and virtue No. 19. to instruct them in the principles of learning and religion, and then they will be equally useful, and polite as the rest of their subjects. Lapland consists of a vast extent of land running from the westerly extremity of Norway on the north, to the easterly extremity of that part of Russia, which is in Europe. During one half of the year, the country is entirely frozen over, and in some parts there is a total darkness during four months, there being no light but what proceeds from the moon. But the transparent light of the moon upon the snow, makes partly an amends for this deficiency; and the poor natives, when they want to visit each other, are drawn on sledges by rein deer over the mountains of snow and ice. Such is the state of this country in general, which leads us to consider their religious sentiments and ceremonies. The natives of Lapland, excepting a few who live in the southern parts, are Heathens, and gross idolators. Their chief god is Thor, the same as was worshipped by the Anglo-Saxons, and in memory of whom we call one of the days of the week Thursday. This idol is represented as a warrior, placed on a pedestal like the square table of an altar, raised about three feet high, about a bow shot from their houses, and surrounded with pines to give it the air of a sanctuary. Subordinate to this deity, or rather idol, is Storjunkarr, who acts as vicar, or vice-roy to Thor. They believe that it is in and through his mediation that all temporal blessings are bestowed, and it is him who is the protector and guardian of all the beasts of the field; and consequently it is to him they make their applications for success in their pursuit of the chace. Storjunkarr is a kind of domestic deity, or houshold god, for every family has an image of him. 5.S They |