N. B. The real Buskin was the Cothurnus, a very high Shoe rais’d on Soals of Cork, wore by the ancient Actors in Tragedy, to make them appear taller, and more like the Heroes they represented, most of whom were supposed to be Giants.
The Persians had no Temples, Altars, nor Images, holding such little Things improper for the high Gods. Therefore they worshipp’d upon the Top of Hills, where they offer’d Sacrifices to the Sun, Moon, and Stars. The Babylonians adored the Sun, to which the King offer’d every Day a white Horse richly furnish’d: The Sun was in high Esteem among the Phenicians, whose Priests were crown’d with Gold. The Tartars and Cathaians worship the Sun, and Stars, to which they offer the first Fruits of their Meat every Morning before they eat and drink themselves. They have divers Monasteries of Idols, to whom they dedicate their Children.
In Nova Zembla there is no Religion prescrib’d by Law, but they worship the Sun, so long as ’tis with them, and the Moon and North-Star in its absence. In China are great Numbers of sacred Temples, where the Priests have so much Power over their Gods, that they may beat them when they don’t answer their Expectation: Their chief Gods are the Sun, Moon, and Stars, where they are not christianis’d.
In the Philippine Islands, the Natives worship the Stars, which they hold to be the Children of the Sun and Moon: Their Priests, for the most part, are Women. The Japonians worship an Image, with three Faces, by which they mean, Sun, Moon, and the elementary World[[383]].
[383]. Acosta, and Jesuits Ep. in R. Oliver. Noort’s Navigation.
In America their chief Deities are the Sun and Moon; which they honour with Dances and Songs. In Virginia and Florida, when they eat, drink, and sacrifice, they use to throw up towards the Sun, some part of their Food: The Spaniards taking Advantage of this Superstition, made the poor ignorant People believe they were Messengers sent to them from the Sun; whereupon they submitted to the Spanish Yoke. Hacluyt, ibid. At Mexico, when they sacrificed a Man, they pull’d out his Heart, and offer’d it to the Sun.
In South-America, they worship evil Spirits in various Forms, and Sun and Moon. When it thunders, and lightens, they say the Sun is angry with them: When the Moon is eclipsed, they say the Sun is angry with her.
In Peru, next to their chief God, they worship’d the Sun, and after it, the Thunder. They took Sun and Moon for Husband and Wife. In the seventh Month they sacrificed to the Sun, and in the tenth to the Honour of the Moon.
The same Paganism was profest among the Europeans; yea the Greeks and Romans that were the most knowing and polite Nations, their chief Gods were Sun, Moon, and Stars.
The Air, and Meteors in it, were made into Gods: Thus the Persians ador’d the Wind; Thunder and Lightning were honour’d under the Name Geryon. Comets and the Rainbow also have been prefer’d from Meteors, to be Gods. Socrates deify’d the Clouds, if Credit may be given to Aristophanes.