the Sun) is swallowed by a mighty fish, waiting for him at the
bottom of the sea. Then, when he appears again on the horizon,
he is _spit out on the shore_ by the sea-monster."[80:1]

The _Sun_ was called Jona, as appears from Gruter's inscriptions, and
other sources.[80:2]

In the _Vedas_--the four sacred books of the Hindoos--when _Day_ and
_Night_, _Sun_ and _Darkness_, are opposed to each other, the one is
designated _Red_, the other _Black_.[80:3]

The _Red Sun_ being swallowed up by the _Dark Earth_ at _Night_--as it
apparently is when it sets in the west--to be cast forth again at _Day_,
is also illustrated in like manner. Jonah, Hercules and others personify
the _Sun_, and a huge _Fish_ represents the _Earth_.[80:4] _The Earth
represented as a huge Fish is one of the most prominent ideas of the
Polynesian mythology._[80:5]

At other times, instead of a _Fish_, we have a great raving _Wolf_, who
comes to devour its victim and extinguish the _Sun_-light.[80:6] The
Wolf is particularly distinguished in ancient _Scandinavian_ mythology,
being employed as an emblem of the _Destroying Power_, which attempts to
destroy the _Sun_.[80:7] This is illustrated in the story of Little
_Red_ Riding-Hood (the Sun)[80:8] who is devoured by the great _Black
Wolf_ (Night) and afterwards _comes out unhurt_.[80:9]

The story of Little Red Riding-Hood _is mutilated in the English
version_. The original story was that the little maid, in her _shining
Red Cloak_, was swallowed by the great _Black Wolf_, and that _she came
out safe and sound_ when the hunters cut open the sleeping beast.[80:10]

In regard to these heroes remaining _three days and three nights_ in
the bowels of the Fish, _they represent the Sun at the Winter Solstice_.
From December 22d to the 25th--that is, _for three days and three
nights_--the _Sun_ remains in the _Lowest Regions_, in the bowels of the
Earth, in the belly of the Fish; it is then cast forth and renews its
career.

Thus, we see that the story of Jonah being swallowed by a big fish,
meant originally the Sun swallowed up by Night, and that it is identical
with the well-known nursery-tale. How such legends are transformed from
intelligible into unintelligible myths, is very clearly illustrated by
Prof. Max Mueller, who, in speaking of "the comparison of the different
forms of Aryan Religion and Mythology," in India, Persia, Greece, Italy
and Germany, says:

"In each of these nat