te 174: Figuier, The To-morrow of Death, p. 247.]

[Footnote 175: Here, as usually, the doctrine of metempsychosis comes
in to complete the proof. "Mr. Darwin saw two Malay women in Keeling
Island, who had a wooden spoon dressed in clothes like a doll; this
spoon had been carried to the grave of a dead man, and becoming inspired
at full moon, in fact lunatic, it danced about convulsively like a table
or a hat at a modern spirit-seance." Tylor, op. cit. II. 139.]

[Footnote 176: Tylor, op. cit. I. 414-422.]

[Footnote 177: Tylor, op. cit. I. 435, 446; II. 30, 36.]

[Footnote 178: According to the Karens, blindness occurs when the SOUL
OF THE EYE is eaten by demons. Id., II. 353.]

[Footnote 179: The following citation is interesting as an illustration
of the directness of descent from heathen manes-worship to Christian
saint-worship: "It is well known that Romulus, mindful of his own
adventurous infancy, became after death a Roman deity, propitious to the
health and safety of young children, so that nurses and mothers would
carry sickly infants to present them in his little round temple at
the foot of the Palatine. In after ages the temple was replaced by
the church of St. Theodorus, and there Dr. Conyers Middleton, who drew
public attention to its curious history, used to look in and see ten
or a dozen women, each with a sick child in her lap, sitting in silent
reverence before the altar of the saint. The ceremony of blessing
children, especially after vaccination, may still be seen there on
Thursday mornings." Op. cit. II. 111.]

[Footnote 180: Want of space prevents me from remarking at length
upon Mr. Tylor's admirable treatment of the phenomena of oracular
inspiration. Attention should be called, however, to the brilliant
explanation of the importance accorded by all religions to the rite of
fasting. Prolonged abstinence from food tends to bring on a mental
state which is favourable to visions. The savage priest or medicine-man
qualifies himself for the performance of his duties by fasting, and
where this is not sufficient, often uses intoxicating drugs; whence
the sacredness of the hasheesh, as also of the Vedic soma-juice. The
practice of fasting among civilized peoples is an instance of survival.]

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