stated that the
ancient Aryan light-god, Mithra, was worshipped under the form of fire. I
point out that, in a representation published by Layard in his Culte de
Mithra and reproduced here (fig. 72, 1) from Mr. Goodyear's work, a man
and a woman are represented as worshipping a star, the scene so strongly
recalling the portion of the Hindu marriage ceremony where the pole-star
is pointed out, that an identity of scene suggests itself. Returning to
the swastika: its meaning in India appears to be forgotten; but, according
to Professor Thomas Wilson, a follower of the Jain religion expressed the
opinion that "the original idea was very high, but later on some persons
thought the swastika represented only the combination of the male and
female principles" (Thomas Wilson, On the Swastika, p. 803).

To the Hindu, holding this view and also accustomed to associate the
pole-star with the marriage rite, there must exist a curious band of union
and identity between Polaris and the swastika, both connected with the
combination of the male and female principles.

To treat of the Hindu calendar and division of time would be to transgress
beyond the limits of the present investigation which has already assumed
unforeseen dimensions. As I shall discuss it in detail in my monograph on
the ancient Mexican Calendar system, it will suffice to recall here that
Humboldt pointed out the resemblance between the latter and the Hindu
system, and that this has been further dwelt upon for instance in the
article on the subject in the Encyclopaedia Britannica. In the same work of
reference it is also stated that, "according to the conclusions of
Delambre, the Hindoo knowledge of astronomy was greatly inferior to that
of the Greeks, and it has been argued by Laplace, in opposition to the
previous opinions of Bailly, that the Indian astronomy is not of the
highest antiquity, but must have been imperfectly borrowed from the
Greeks." I may as well state here, however, that, in India as in Mexico,
the divisions of time were in accordance with the general scheme, and
enabled human activity and labor to be controlled and carried out by means
of rotation, and with strict impartial law, order and harmony.

Pausing here and with a clear realization of probable omissions and
deficiencies of material, I venture to believe that the foregoing data
suffice to establish beyond a doubt the point which is the main object of
the present essay, namely, that in Ind