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- 2026-01-30T20:48:09.927Z
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- lines of sphinxes and griffins, and many limbed images, a band of them,
in long flowing robes, began their morning chant.
“Awake Rarni! awake Foloona!
Awake unnumbered deities!”
With many similar invocations, to which the images made not the
slightest rejoinder. Not discouraged, however, the attendants now
separately proceeded to offer up petitions on behalf of various tribes,
retaining them for that purpose.
One prayed for abundance of rain, that the yams of Valapee might not
wilt in the ground; another for dry sunshine, as most favorable for the
present state of the Bread-fruit crop in Mondoldo.
Hearing all this, Babbalanja thus spoke:—“Doubtless, my lord Media,
besides these petitions we hear, there are ten thousand contradictory
prayers ascending to these idols. But methinks the gods will not jar
the eternal progression of things, by any hints from below; even were
it possible to satisfy conflicting desires.”
Said Yoomy, “But I would pray, nevertheless, Babbalanja; for prayer
draws us near to our own souls, and purifies our thoughts. Nor will I
grant that our supplications are altogether in vain.”
Still wandering among the images, Mohi had much to say, concerning
their respective claims to the reverence of the devout.
For though, in one way or other, all Mardians bowed to the supremacy of
Oro, they were not so unanimous concerning the inferior deities; those
supposed to be intermediately concerned in sublunary things. Some
nations sacrificed to one god; some to another; each maintaining, that
their own god was the most potential.
Observing that all the images were more or less defaced, Babbalanja
sought the reason.
To which, Braid-Beard made answer, that they had been thus defaced by
hostile devotees; who quarreling in the great gallery of the gods, and
getting beside themselves with rage, often sought to pull down, and
demolish each other’s favorite idols.
“But behold,” cried Babbalanja, “there seems not a single image
unmutilated. How is this, old man?”
“It is thus. While one faction defaces the images of its adversaries,
its own images are in like manner assailed; whence it comes that no
idol escapes.”
“No more, no more, Braid-Beard,” said Media. “Let us depart, and visit
the islet, where the god of all these gods is enshrined.”
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