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R E M A R K S , o n t he
RELIGION. received-in. this afîe.mbly o f the heavens; after-their.- demife;■ and^
perhaps this idea- is formed from the Tourooa- or meeting _ o f the ;
ftatesof the nation,, where only the higher ranks o f the.nation,
have a right to fît. Th e (outojis or lower fort o f people meet after
'death at die taya-hbhoo, w h ich I. am unable to explain'. . W e .
never heard that any b f thefe places was to be Csnfidered as a ftate.,
0p punifhment. Th e ^Tourooft-t t’mi teems; to he- a place o f
enjoyment and happinefe, in fome meafnte fimilar to the Valhalla;
o f the-Northern nations, where the heroes killed in battle met
at O d i n ’ s palace, feafted upon the meat o f the boar Serimner, *
and drank ale or, mead out o f the fkulls o>f their enemies. T h e :
addons o f men do not leern to. influence in. the lead; their future.:
ftate according to their dodtrine : but I am fully perfuaded, that,
the people o f thefe iflands. were frequently awed, from committing.
bad immoral addons by the fear o f meriting the difpleafure and -
the anger o f the Gods ;- for when I difcourfed. with them upon
various fubjedts, and in order to try their way o f thinking and
principles, aiked them why, they did not kill their children or any
other perfons, they always replied the Gods would he angry;:
when I continued to. alk whether this anger or difpleafure would
caufe
* See the E-dda, in various places, and likewife Jo. George "Keyjkr's Antiqtùtates Selefiai
Septentrionales, p, 14,9. feep
I I U M A N S P E C 1 E S. $55
•caufe puhiftiments to be inflidled, they conftantly anfwered in the r e l ig io n .
affirmative; when I aiked whether this anger would take place
after death, they ftill affirmed i t ; hut I never could obtain any
Information concerning the method, place and duration o f the
anger o f their Gods for fuch crimes. Nay, having one day
attempted to diffuade T e i n ama i from killing the child that Ihe
was Ihortly to bring forth, and feeing her obftinate in her defign,
I reprefented1 upon -this very ground to her, that the liatoba would
be angry (neoriddee) on that account againft her-; . but ihe veiy
coolly replied, that this might perhaps be the cafe o f the Eat00a
no Pretemee i. e. the Britifh God, but the EatOoa of O-Raiedea
knew her to be with child by an Arreeoy, whofe children mull
not live, and \vould therefore not’ be angry. From the above
account however I think we have reafon to conclude that they are
not quite without fome notions o f a future ftate attended with
rewards and puniihments. Their religion therefore is not altogether
•difinterefted, but greatly influences' 1 their morals; - and in my
opinion feems well adapted to the .weak and infant ftate o f their
reafon; and though they go through all the a£ts o f reverence and
adoration both by words and actions, they certainly perform them
with a childilh fimplicity and humility, from the little knowledge
they have early imbibed of the greatnefs, goodnefs, and excellence
■ of the Supreme Being, and likewife becaufe they have been taught
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