(2) the use of a little
instrument, called turndun in Australia, whereby a roaring noise is
made, and the profane are warned off; (3) the habit of daubing persons
about to be initiated with clay or anything else that is sordid, and of
washing this off; apparently by way of showing that old guilt is removed
and a new life entered upon; (4) the performances with serpents may be
noticed, while the "mad doings" and "howlings" mentioned by Plutarch
are familiar to every reader of travels in uncivilised countries; (5)
ethical instruction is communicated.

First, as to the mystic dances, Lucian observes:(1) "You cannot find a
single ancient mystery in which there is not dancing.... This much all
men know, that most people say of the revealers of the mysteries that
they 'dance them out'" ((Greek text omitted)). Clemens of Alexandria
uses the same term when speaking of his own "appalling revelations".(2)
So closely connected are mysteries with dancing among savages, that when
Mr. Orpen asked Qing, the Bushman hunter, about some doctrines in which
Qing was not initiated, he said: "Only the initiated men of that dance
know these things". To "dance" this or that means to be acquainted with
this or that myth, which is represented in a dance or ballet d'action(3)
((Greek text omitted)). So widely distributed is the practice, that
Acosta, in an interesting passage, mentions it as familiar to the people
of Peru before and after the Spanish conquest. The text is a valuable
instance of survival in religion. When they were converted to
Christianity the Peruvians detected the analogy between our sacrament
and their mysteries, and they kept up as much as possible of the
old rite in the new ritual. Just as the mystae of Eleusis practised
chastity, abstaining from certain food, and above all from beans, before
the great Pagan sacrament, so did the Indians. "To prepare themselves
all the people fasted two days, during which they did neyther company
with their wives, nor eate any meate with salt or garlicke, nor drink
any chic.... And although the Indians now forbeare to sacrifice beasts
or other things publikely, which cannot be hidden from the Spaniardes,
yet doe they still use many ceremonies that have their beginnings
from these feasts and auntient superstitions, for at this day do they
covertly make their feast of Ytu at the daunces of the feast of the
Sacrament. Another feast falleth almost at the same time, whereas the
Christians observe