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Article THE UNIVERSALITY OF SUPERSTITION. ← Page 4 of 20 →
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The Universality Of Superstition.
head , is a higher creed . Ascending from a purer form , that of Booclhism , xve have Lamaism , embodying more of priestcraftand , finally , xve reach Mahometanism ; xx-hich system , of pagan belief , most resembles the faith in one true and only Gocl . It is not the purpose here to discuss at length these various
systems ; indeed , the Suttee , xvhere the Hindoo wife is burnt upon the husband's funeral pile—the multitude who flock to the Ganges , ancl incur risk of death in the hope of curing their diseases—the devoted suspended in agonies for the recoA'ery of a lost caste , will be generally familiar to the reader . It is believed that seventy thousand beings have been sacrificed to
the Suttee since 1756 , the date of the establishment of British power in India ; but , owing to the exertions of the Governor-General , Lord Bentinck , similar catastrophes have been in a great measure prevented in our possessions . A case occurred very shortly before these steps xvere taken , in xA'hich a rajah ' s funeral was honoured by the burning of his eight-and-txventy AA'ives .
In our West India colonies the most severe legislative enactments have been made to suppress the negro witchcraft called Obi , or Obeah . Any one AA'ho desires to be rex'enged upon a foe , compiles a ball of leaves , earth from a grave , egg-shells , alligators' and serpents' skin , and other mystic ingredients , which he secrets in his victim ' s house . The discoverer sinks
beneath the terrors of a superstitious fear , and begins to experience the fatal effects of the spell AA'hich he believes to be upon him . AVhen such result is not apparent , secret poison is commonly administered , AA'hich effects the desired object , and preserves the reputation of the Obeah sorcerer . This practice Avas brought into notice upon an insurrection of the Gold-coast
negroes at Jamaica , in 1760 , when it was found that an old man of then * number had administered the Fetiche or solemn oath to the insurgents , accompanied Avith a magical compound for the purpose of rendering them secure against external injury . So firmly rooted was this practice , that severe punishments , year after year , failed to clo aAvay Avith it . It has been
conjectured that the Obi is connected Avith the Avorship of Oboui , the evil deity of the Africans—the term signifying serpent , and derived from the old scriptural serpent , Satan . According to this vieAv the origin of negro sorcery , ancl of our OAvn , is evidently identical , a supposition xvhich some other facts render probable . For instance , the sorcerers of Brazil , transported there to slavery from Africa , impart virtue to green beads , or contas verdas , which are worn round the neck by the Brazilian colonists , for the purpose of preservation from evil of
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Universality Of Superstition.
head , is a higher creed . Ascending from a purer form , that of Booclhism , xve have Lamaism , embodying more of priestcraftand , finally , xve reach Mahometanism ; xx-hich system , of pagan belief , most resembles the faith in one true and only Gocl . It is not the purpose here to discuss at length these various
systems ; indeed , the Suttee , xvhere the Hindoo wife is burnt upon the husband's funeral pile—the multitude who flock to the Ganges , ancl incur risk of death in the hope of curing their diseases—the devoted suspended in agonies for the recoA'ery of a lost caste , will be generally familiar to the reader . It is believed that seventy thousand beings have been sacrificed to
the Suttee since 1756 , the date of the establishment of British power in India ; but , owing to the exertions of the Governor-General , Lord Bentinck , similar catastrophes have been in a great measure prevented in our possessions . A case occurred very shortly before these steps xvere taken , in xA'hich a rajah ' s funeral was honoured by the burning of his eight-and-txventy AA'ives .
In our West India colonies the most severe legislative enactments have been made to suppress the negro witchcraft called Obi , or Obeah . Any one AA'ho desires to be rex'enged upon a foe , compiles a ball of leaves , earth from a grave , egg-shells , alligators' and serpents' skin , and other mystic ingredients , which he secrets in his victim ' s house . The discoverer sinks
beneath the terrors of a superstitious fear , and begins to experience the fatal effects of the spell AA'hich he believes to be upon him . AVhen such result is not apparent , secret poison is commonly administered , AA'hich effects the desired object , and preserves the reputation of the Obeah sorcerer . This practice Avas brought into notice upon an insurrection of the Gold-coast
negroes at Jamaica , in 1760 , when it was found that an old man of then * number had administered the Fetiche or solemn oath to the insurgents , accompanied Avith a magical compound for the purpose of rendering them secure against external injury . So firmly rooted was this practice , that severe punishments , year after year , failed to clo aAvay Avith it . It has been
conjectured that the Obi is connected Avith the Avorship of Oboui , the evil deity of the Africans—the term signifying serpent , and derived from the old scriptural serpent , Satan . According to this vieAv the origin of negro sorcery , ancl of our OAvn , is evidently identical , a supposition xvhich some other facts render probable . For instance , the sorcerers of Brazil , transported there to slavery from Africa , impart virtue to green beads , or contas verdas , which are worn round the neck by the Brazilian colonists , for the purpose of preservation from evil of