he appears to be
connected with Vishnu rather than Siva. The magic dagger with which
Lamas believe they can stab demons is said to be a form of him. The
Mongols regard him as the protector of horses. (_b_) Yama, the Indian
god of the dead, accompanied by a hellish retinue including living
skeletons. (_c_) Mahakala, the form of Siva already mentioned. It
was by his inspiration that Pagspa was able to convert Khubilai Khan.
(_d_) Lha-mo, the goddess, that is Devi, the spouse of Siva. (_e_)
lCam-sran, a war god of somewhat uncertain origin but perhaps a
Tibetan form of Kartikeya. Other deities frequently included in this
group are Yamantaka, mentioned above, Kubera or Vaisravana, the
Hindu god of wealth, and a deity called the White Brahma (Thsangspa
dKarpo). This last is an ordinary human figure riding on a white horse
and brandishing a sword. He wears white clothes and a crown or turban.
He is perhaps Kalki who, as suggested above, had some connection with
the Kalacakra. The Eight Terrible Ones and their attendants are
represented by grotesquely masked figures in the dances and mystery
plays enacted by Lamas. These performances are said to be still
known among the vulgar as dances of the Red Tiger Devil, but in
the hands of the Yellow Church have become a historical drama
representing the persecution of Buddhism under King Lang-dar-ma and
its ultimate triumph after he has been slain by the help of these
ghostly champions.

Lamaist books mention numerous other Indian divinities, such as
Brahma, the thirty-three Devas, the Kings of the four quarters, etc.
These have no particular place in the system but their appearance in
art and literature is natural, since they are decorative though not
essential parts of early Buddhism. The same may be said of all the
host of Nagas, Yakshas, Rakshasas, etc. But though these multitudinous
spirits have been rearranged and classified in conformity with Hindu
ideas they are not an importation but rather part of the old folklore
of Tibet, in many ways identical with the same stratum of thought in
India. Thus the snake demigods or Nagas[1041] occupy in both countries
a large place in the popular imagination. In the higher ranks of the
Lamaist pantheon all the figures seem to be imported, but some
indigenous godlings have retained a place in the lower classes. Such
are rDo-rje-legs, at first an opponent of Buddhism as preached by
Padma-Sambhava but honoured as a deity after making due submi