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by Merodach, the god of light. In the Persian account it is a "dev," or evil spirit, which tempts

Meshia and Meshiana, the first man and woman.

The Eden legend is probably a reminiscence of the early homes of the great races, to the east of the Sea of Aral, for it is noteworthy that the Semites placed the 'garden' in the east and the Hindus to the north.

(4) The fourth legend, the most widely spread and perhaps the most interesting of all, is that of the Deluge. The discovery of the Babylonian version in 1872 caused intense public interest and curiosity, especially as the resemblances to the Jewish story are very striking. But we miss in the Babylonian account the beautiful and poetical ending of the rainbow, which is peculiar to the book of Genesis.* At present we are unable to account satisfactorily for the origin of this legend. It has been doubted whether the Persian story of Yima is in reality a Deluge tradition. Yima, the King of the Golden Age, forms, by the direction of Ahuramazda, a square garden or fenced estate, whereby to preserve mankind and their flocks and herds from the floods and frosts of winter. He is commanded to bring into this district the seeds of all forms of life, both animal and vegetable. (Vendidad, ch. ii.) If this is indeed a story of the Flood, it presents a remarkable variation from the other accounts; but it corresponds to a certain degree with the Babylonian version, which is found in the eleventh book of the great national astronomical epic, this book corresponding to the

* See G. Smith, Chaldean Account of Genesis, 2nd edit., 1880; Records of the Past, vol. vii.

sign Aquarius and the rainy month of the year. It would almost be strange if the half-civilised and primitive tribes of mankind, who manufactured mythical stories out of almost every power and influence of Nature, had not invented some legend corresponding with the rainy season which is so marked a feature in many parts of the world. This appears to me to be a rational and probable conjecture, and the idea of a punishment of mankind would so naturally connect itself with the destructive influence of rains and floods, that the moral element found in many versions of the story would not present any insuperable difficulty.

The Tower of Babel is not so universal a legend as those we have been considering, and therefore has not been included in the diagram. But the "Tower of Tongues" was one of the most ancient Chaldean stories, and one of the national traditions of the Armenians.*

THE EARLY LITERARY HISTORY OF RELIGION.

(1) The earliest literary period of Religion, Law, and mythology begins when each nation begins to weave its religious, historical, and other traditions, fables, and legends into a connected form, which often takes the shape of a great national epic, this being at first preserved in the memories of the people or their minstrels, and not for some time reduced to writing. It is important here to observe that though it is true that there can be no literature in the exact meaning of the word, which does not consist of written works, yet for the purpose of our survey we must extend that meaning. For instance, in India a literature does not necessarily consist of written works, for nearly the whole of the enormous sacred literature of Hinduism has been for centuries preserved in * Lenormant, Ancient History of the East, i., 22.

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