Demonology and devil-lore . ry of Persephone turns upon her hav-ing eaten the seed of a pomegranate in Hades, by whichshe was bound to that sphere. There is a myth very similarto that of Persephone in Japan. There is a legend in theScottish Highlands that a woman was conveyed into thesecret recesses of the men of peace—the Daoine Shi,euphemistic name of uncanny beings, who carry awaymortals to their subterranean apartments, where beautifuldamsels tempt them to eat of magnificent banquets. Thiswoman on her arrival was recognised by a former acquaint-ance, who, still retaining some portion of hu
Demonology and devil-lore . ry of Persephone turns upon her hav-ing eaten the seed of a pomegranate in Hades, by whichshe was bound to that sphere. There is a myth very similarto that of Persephone in Japan. There is a legend in theScottish Highlands that a woman was conveyed into thesecret recesses of the men of peace—the Daoine Shi,euphemistic name of uncanny beings, who carry awaymortals to their subterranean apartments, where beautifuldamsels tempt them to eat of magnificent banquets. Thiswoman on her arrival was recognised by a former acquaint-ance, who, still retaining some portion of human benevo-lence, warned her that, if she tasted anything whatsoeverfor a certain space of time, she would be doomed to remainin that underworld for ever. The woman having takenthis counsel, was ultimately restored to the society of mor-tals. It was added that, when the period named by her 222 FORBID DEN FR UIT. unfortunate friend had elapsed, a disenchantment of thiswomans eyes took place, and the viands which had before. Fig. 8.—Seth Offering a Branch to Adam. seemed so tempting she now discovered to consist only ofthe refuse of the earth. ^ 1 Dr. James Brownes * History of the Highlands, ed. 1855, i. 108. ADAM AND SETH. 223 The difficulty of tracing the ethnical origin of suchlegends as these is much greater than that of tracing theircommon natural origin. The effect of certain kinds offood upon the human system is very marked, even apartfrom the notorious effects of the drinks made from thevegetative world. The effects of mandrake, opium, tobacco,various semi-poisonous fungi, the simplicity with whichdifferences of race might be explained by their vegetarianor carnivorous customs, would be enough to suggesttheories of the potency of food over the body and soul ofman such as even now have their value in scientific specu-lation. The Jewish opinion that Seth was the offspring of thedivine part of Adam was the germ of a remarkable chris-tian myth. Adam, when dying, desired
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