harms--Sacred Stones--Omens of Evil--Sacrificing the Hair--Flight
of Birds--Compassing the Altar to the Right--Love secured by
Magic--Marriage Ceremonies--Way of protecting a Child from Evil
Spirits--Divers Magical Ceremonies--Laws as to Dead Bodies--Fingers
and Toes of Dead Men worn as Charms--Preparing a Body for
Burial--Swine and Swine's Flesh--Drinking Toasts--Prophets consulted
before Armies marched to Battle--Certain Words avoided--Sneezing--Evil
Omens--Throwing a Person overboard to save a Ship 26

CHAPTER VI.

Roman Delusions and Customs--Tokens of Futurity--Drawing of Lots--Events
foretold by reading the first passage that turned up on opening a
Book--Lucky and Unlucky Stars--Fortune-tellers--Dreams--Omens
drawn from the Appearance of parts of Animals offered in
Sacrifice--Sibylline Books, Charms, and Incantations--Spirits
observers of Men's Actions--Unlucky Days--Dress of a Bride--Anointing
Door-posts and crossing the Threshold--Fire and Water--Bridal Feast
and Nuptial Songs--Funeral Rites--Souls of Unburied Persons--Customs
at a Deathbed, and Funeral Observances--Hobgoblins--Purifying
with Water and Fire--Appeasing the Manes--Dead Bodies used for
Magical purposes 34

CHAPTER VII.

Ethiopian Superstition--Heathen Indian Gods--Superstitious
Observances at Marriages--Disposal of Dead Bodies--Different
Degrees of Glory after Death--Reverence for the Cow--Detecting
Criminals--Addressing Oracles--Astronomy--Eclipse of the
Moon--Magic--John Gondalez 39

CHAPTER VIII.

Wizard and Man-tiger--Man-lion--Sacrificing Children--Offerings
to the Ganges--A Rajah offering himself as a Sacrifice--Various
Superstitious Ceremonies--King's Wives and Retainers going with
the Dead Monarch into another World--An eternal Succession of
Worlds--Apes supposed to have Human Souls--Worshipping Demons--Drinking
Blood--Prognosticating from the Cries of Beasts--Witchcraft and
Magic--Singular Opinions and Customs--Foretelling Future Events
at the New Moon--Discovering a False Swearer--Offerings to the
Sea and Winds--Superstition in China--Superstition in Japan 48

* * * * *

HEATHEN GODS AND GODDESSES.

CHAPTER IX.

Classification of Gods and Goddesses--Primeval Parent
Chaos--Creation--Influence of Ether--Celestial Fire--Birth and
Banishment of Cupid--Fate--Eternal Decrees--