Identifier: whatworldbelieve00raws (find matches)
Title: What the world believes, the false and the true, embracing the people of all races and nations, their peculiar teachings, rites, ceremonies, from the earliest pagan times to the present, to which is added an account of what the world believes today, by countries
Year: 1888 (1880s)
Authors: Rawson, Albert L. (Albert Leighton), 1829-1902 Hagar, George J. (George Jotham), 1847-1921
Subjects: Religions
Publisher: New York, Gay Brothers & company
Contributing Library: Brigham Young University-Idaho, David O. McKay Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Brigham Young University-Idaho

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ll the Moham-medans, by force of arms, established their own on its ruins. THE SCYTHIANS. The Scythians inhabited a large tract of country to thenorth of Europe and Asia. In early times their religionwas very simple : it taught the belief. of a Supreme God, towhom were attributed infinite power, knowledge, and wis-dom ; it forbade any representation of this being under acorporeal form, and enjoined the celebration of his worshipin consecrated woods. Under him, a number of inferiordivinities were supposed to govern the world, and presideover the celestial bodies. The doctrine of a future stateformed an important part of the mythology of these peo-ple ; and their fundamental maxims were, to serve theDeity with sacrifice and prayer, to do no wrong to others,and to be brave and intrepid. But in the course of time thereligion of the Scythians degenerated, a multitude of otherdivinities were introduced amongst them, and as they werea warlike people, they made the god of battles their favor-
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CRUELTY OF THE DRUIDS, The prieeteof <ir forefathers, fin- Celts, wew oall< 1 Druida, This *^gTUlnstratea i barbaroxu custom. This • ire i-i m • Ic of wicker • likeness <A man, and as manj is us wrr condemned to death for then off rises ware put into It, especially prisoners of war. If all I In- sufficient to till it, th.y tilled it with inno.-.-nt 18. It w.»s t uded With straw ami wood, and consumed with all it ooni THE SCANDINAVIANS. 91 ite deity; to him they consecrated groves of oak, whichwere held so sacred that whoever injured them was punishedwith death. A scimitar raised upon the summit of an im-mense wooden altar was the emblem of this god, to whomthey sacrificed horses, and every hundredth man taken inbattle; the first fruits of the earth and a portion oi thespoils gained in war, were the offerings made to the otherdivinities. The principal Scythian deities were—Tabite, theYesta of later times; Papius, the Jupiter; Apia, or theEarth, the consort of

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