The culture of the Old World never surpassed this highest range of Sun-worship in the New.
In Australia and Polynesia the place of the solar god or hero is rather in myth than in religion. In Africa, though found in some districts,[1] Sun-worship is not very conspicuous out of Egypt. In tracing its Old World development, we begin among the ruder Allophylian tribes of Asia, and end among the great polytheistic nations. The north-east quarter of India shows the doctrine well denned among the indigenous stocks. The Bodo and Dhimal place the Sun in the pantheon as an elemental god, though in practical rank below the sacred rivers.[2] The Kol tribes of Bengal, Mundas, Oraons, Santals, know and worship as supreme, Sing-bonga, the Sun-god; to him some tribes offer white animals in token of his purity, and while not regarding him as author of sickness or calamity, they will resort to him when other divine aid breaks down in sorest need.[3] Among the Khonds, Bura Pennu the Light-god, or Bella Pennu the Sun-god, is creator of all things in heaven and earth, and great first cause of good. As such, he is worshipped by his own sect above the ranks of minor deities whom he brought into being to carry out the details of the universal work.[4] The Tatar tribes with much unanimity recognize as a great god the Sun, whose figure may be seen beside the Moon's on their magic drums, from Siberia to Lapland. Castrén, the ethnologist, speaking of the Samoyed expression for heaven or deity in general (jilibeambaertje), tells an anecdote from his travels, which gives a lively idea of the thorough simple nature-religion still possible to the wanderers of the steppes. 'A Samoyed woman,' he says, 'told me it was her habit every morning and evening to step out of her tent and bow down before the sun; in the morning
- ↑ Meiners, 'Gesch. der Rel.' vol. i. p. 383. Burton, 'Central Afr.' vol ii. p. 346; 'Dahome,' vol. ii. p. 147.
- ↑ Hodgson, 'Abor. of India,' pp. 167, 175 (Bodos, &c.).
- ↑ Dalton, 'Kols,' in 'Tr. Eth. Soc.' vol. vi. p. 33 (Oraons, &c.); Hunter, 'Annals of Rural Bengal,' p. 184 (Santals).
- ↑ Macpherson, 'India,' p. 84, &c. (Khonds).
