. The Mythology of all races .. . chof primeval forest, and interest themselves in the affairs ofmen. As often as not they are dead ancestors, the originatorsof the tribe or caste, with a vague following of distinguishedor insignificant descendants. Indeed, some scholars are con-vinced that the worship of death is the basis and root of allreligions, and Grant Allen, in his History of Religion, main-tained that all the sacred objects of the world are either deadmen themselves, as corpses, mummies, ghosts, or gods; orelse the tomb where such men are burled; or else the temple,shrine, or hut whic
. The Mythology of all races .. . chof primeval forest, and interest themselves in the affairs ofmen. As often as not they are dead ancestors, the originatorsof the tribe or caste, with a vague following of distinguishedor insignificant descendants. Indeed, some scholars are con-vinced that the worship of death is the basis and root of allreligions, and Grant Allen, in his History of Religion, main-tained that all the sacred objects of the world are either deadmen themselves, as corpses, mummies, ghosts, or gods; orelse the tomb where such men are burled; or else the temple,shrine, or hut which covers the tomb; or else the tombstone,altar. Image, or statue standing over it and representing the PLAIT. IV Shrine of the Tree-Spirit This spirit-shrine is shaded by a pipal-tree (Ficusreligiosa), which is associated with spirits in Indiaas well. The sheds of the bazaar may be seen justbehind the shrine, which is about fifteen miles northof Loilem, one of the district head-quarters of theSouthern Shan States. Cf. Plate PEOPLES AND RELIGIONS OF INDO-CHINA 255 ghost; or else the statue, idol, or household god which isfashioned as the deputy of the dead; or else the tree whichgrows above the barrow; or else the well, or tank, or spring,natural or artificial, by whose side the dead man has been laidto rest. Families worshipped their first and subsequent an-cestors; villagers worshipped the man who founded the village,and from whom they all claimed descent. In similar fashionHerbert Spencer was persuaded that the rudimentary formof all religion is the propitiation of dead ancestors. Mythsare woven round the history of their lives; illness and mis-fortunes of all kinds are attributed to their influence; there isa general belief in magic and witchcraft, and a ritual is devisedwhich elaborates the legend. Wizards are employed to deter-mine the cause of trouble and to remove it, either by incanta-tions and exorcism, or by placating the offended ghostly beingby a suitable sac
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