Ridpath's history of the world; being an account of the ethnic origin, primitive estate, early migrations, social conditions and present promise of the principal families of men .. . er husbandafter they had both gone to Brahma. 672 GREAT RACES OF MANKIND. For the credit of humanity, the systemwas never bligatrv. The sacrifice wasvoluntary; but the superstitious despot-ism over the mind of the victim wassufficient to enforce it with more energythan might have beenexpected even of civilauthority. India is full of dev-otees. In every popu-lous district and evenin waste places the trav-eler will
Ridpath's history of the world; being an account of the ethnic origin, primitive estate, early migrations, social conditions and present promise of the principal families of men .. . er husbandafter they had both gone to Brahma. 672 GREAT RACES OF MANKIND. For the credit of humanity, the systemwas never bligatrv. The sacrifice wasvoluntary; but the superstitious despot-ism over the mind of the victim wassufficient to enforce it with more energythan might have beenexpected even of civilauthority. India is full of dev-otees. In every popu-lous district and evenin waste places the trav-eler will find them. The from sin or impurity rests upon the soulof India like a pall. The space of achapter would not be sufficient to enu-merate all the forms of bodily degrada-tion and mutilation which the depravedingenuity of the devotees has inventedwherewith to mortify themselves andprepare for happiness hereafter. Onesuperstitious wretch will sit starv-ing in the dirt, or will take onlyso much food as barely to feedthe fire of life. Such emaciationand wretchedness are not to beseen otherwhere in the stands andrepeats senselessmutterino-sout of the. l\|i| \.\ DEVOTEES.—JOGEES WOUNDING Themselves. —Drawn by Emile Bayard, from a photograph. idea is similar to that which in the Mid-dle Ages drove the monksinflicted torture and anchorites into isola- of the devotees. , • -, . r^i tion and poverty. thenotion that the mortification of the bodyis meritorious as a means of salvation sacred books. A third goes about witha living snake drawn through a slit inhis tongue. Another hangs a weightto some bodily organ until it is drawnout of all semblance to nature. Anotherthrusts an arrow or a sword through his THE INDICANS.—RELIGION. .673 limbs, and still another holds up hishands with nails and spikes driventhrough them. The distortion of the body into someBelief that bod- horrible and repulsive form ily distortion • ,-\ i , 1 ~, is efficacious 1S thought to be most effi
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksub, booksubjectworldhistory
