  | PAGE. | | Chapter I. (Fishes) | 1 | | Frequent occurrence of the Fish Symbol—Fish Heraldry—Earliest devices—Fish devices on Churches and other public buildings—The Catacombs—Ichthus—Fish devices at Glastonbury Abbey, &c.—The Book-fish—Glasgow Fish-arms—The Fish and the Ring Story of Scotland—Solomon and the Fish and Ring—The Hermit’s Fish Pond of St. Neot’s—The Sacred Perch—The Dolphin—Neptune. | | | Chapter II. (Fishes) | 10 | | The Ancient Sacred Fish—Fish diet and its supposed effects—Fish and the Jews—The God Krodo—Oanes—Dagon—The Fish-god at Nimrod—Khorsabad—Fish Worship in Syria—Temple of Dagon at Azotus—The Dagon of the Bible—Adramelech—Abstinence from Fish-food—Ancient character of Fish Worship—“Paradise Lost”—The Irish demi-god Phin—The Fish as a Christian Symbol—Idea involved in Fish Worship—Holy Fish Ponds—Ancient Caledonian objections to Fish—Other anti-fish-eating nations—Ishtar. | | | Chapter III. (Flowers) | 25 | | Universal Love of Flowers—Indifference to Flowers—Excessive Love of Flowers leading to adoration—Myths and Legends connected with Flowers—The Flos Adonis, Narcissus, Myrtle, Silene inflata, Clover—The Hundred-leaved Rose—Worship of Lily species—Signification of the Lotos—Hermaphroditic character of the Lotos—The Indian Mutiny of 1857, part played by the Lotus during its instigation. | | | Chapter IV. (Flowers) | 33 | | Importance of the Lotos—Varieties of Lotos—Statements by Herodotus, Homer, Theophrastus, Dioscorides, Pliny, AthenÆus and others—The arborescent Lotos—The Sacred Lotos of the Nile—The Indian Lotos—Nepaulese adoration of the Lotos—Shing-moo, the Chinese Holy Mother—Lakshmi—The Queens of Beauty—The Loves of Krishna and Radha. | | | Chapter V. (Fire) | 43 | | Story of the Fire-god and his Secret—Growth of Fire Worship—Fire an essential in Hindoo Worship—The Chaldeans—The Persians—The Hebrews—Fire in Hindu Ceremonies—Duties of Hindu Life—The Serpent and Fire—Phallo-Pythic Solar Shrines—Fire and Phallic Worship—Leaping through fire—Fire-treading in Scotland—Fire-leaping in Russia—The Medes as Fire Worshippers—The Sabines—Fire and the Ancient Christians—The Roman Church and Fire—The Jews—Temple of Vesta—Fire Worship in Ireland—Phallo-fire-worship of the Greeks and Romans. | | | Chapter VI. (Fire) | 60 | | Fire Worship in the States of the Mediterranean—Special sacredness of the Public City-fire of Greece and Rome—The Sacred Fire of Tlachtga—Ceylon Fire Worship—The Parsees—Persian Monuments—Impiety of Cambyses—Cingalese Terms, Sanscrit, Welsh, &c.—The Yule Log—Fire Worship in England—Fire of Beltane—Druidical Fires—May-day Fires—November Fires in Ireland—Between two Fires—Scotland—The Summer Solstice-fire Ceremonies—Worship of Baal in Ireland—St. John’s Day—Bonfires—Decree of Council of Constantinople. | | | Chapter VII. (Fire) | 75 | | Paradise Lost and Moloch—The God of the Ammonites—The slaughter of Children by Fire, notices in the Scriptures—Fire Ceremonies and Moloch—Sacred Fire of the Phoenicians—The Carthaginians—Custom of Oziese—Sardinian Customs and Moloch—The Cuthites—Persian Fire Worship—House-fires of Greece and Rome—Sacred Books of the East—Laws of Manu—The Rig Veda and Hymns to Agni, the God of Fire—Vesta, Worship of—The Magi—Zoroaster. |
FISHES, FLOWERS, AND FIRE.
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