him. That
veneration for the moon which still forms a national or rather
religious characteristic of the Mahometans, may perhaps have its
foundation in the elder superstition, or pagan idolatry of the Arabs."
[154] No doubt this last sentence contains the true elucidation of the
crescent. For astrolatry lives in the east still. The _Koran_ may
expressly forbid the practice, saying: "Bend not in adoration to the
sun or moon"; [155] yet, "monotheist as he is, the Moslem still claps
his hands at sight of the new moon, and says a prayer." [156]

We come next to the Persians, whom Herodotus accuses of adoring
the sun and moon. But, as Gibbon says, "the Persians of every age
have denied the charge, and explained the equivocal conduct, which
might appear to give colour to it." [157] It will certainly require
considerable explanation to free from lunar idolatry the following
passage, which we find in the _Zend Avesta_: "We sacrifice unto
the new moon, the holy and master of holiness: we sacrifice unto the
full moon, the holy and master of holiness." [158] Unquestionably
the Persian recognised the Lord of Light _in_ the ordinances of
heaven; and therefore his was superior to many forms of blind
idol-worship. So far we may accept Hegel's interpretation of the _Zend_
doctrine. "Light is the _body of Ormuzd_; thence the worship of
fire, because Ormuzd is present in all light; but he is not the sun or
moon itself In these the Persians venerate only the light, which is
Ormuzd." [159] In fact, we owe to the Persians a valuable testimony
to the God in whom is no darkness at all. "The prayer of Ajax was
for light"; and we too little feel the Fire which burns and shines
beyond the stars.

In Central India the sun and moon are worshipped by many tribes,
as the Khonds, Korkus, Tunguses, and Buraets. The Korkus adore
the powers of nature, as the gods of the tiger, bison, the hill, the
cholera, etc., "but these are all secondary to the sun and the moon,
which among this branch of the Kolarian stock, as among the Kols
in the far east, are the principal objects of adoration." [160a]
"Although the Tongusy in general worship the sun and moon, there
are many exceptions to this observation. I have found intelligent
people among them, who believed that there was a being superior to
both sun and moon; and who created them and all the world."
[160b] This last sentence we read with gratitude, but not with
surprise. There is some good in all, if th