In  early  times  the  festivals  seem  to  have  been  cheery  days
of  feasting  on  savory  sacrifices,  with  dance  and  song,  to  the  de-
light of  gods  and  men ;  but  as  the  religious  spirit  grew  stronger,
heavy  lugubrious  chants  and  mantras  were  prescribed  necessary
by  the  solemn  and  pious  old  Kishis.  The  favourite  prayer  was
the  so-called  "  Ten  Words  "  of  tbe  Gayatri :  "  We  meditate  on
the  excellent  glory  of  the  Divine  Vivifier.  May  he  stimulate
(or  enlighten)  our  minds."

The  Vedik  sacrificial  system  is  too  elaborate  to  be  here
described ;  it  is  so,  very  succintly,  by  Mr  R.  B.  Deshmukh  in
Bom.  Anthro.,  J.  I.,  ii.,  Oct.  86,  though  one  would  wish  he  had
told  us  something  as  to  its  source.  It  is  the  oldest  part  of
Aryan  history,  and  possibly  may  go  back  to  1700  B.C.,  when
Zoroaster  was  teaching  about  Attropatene.  One  of  the  earliest
sacrifices  mentioned  in  the  Vedas  reminds  us  of  that  by
Noah  after  the  quasi  deluge,  when  "Manu,  the  Son  of
God  "  (Brahma),  after  a  great  inundation,  performed  the  first
Agnihotra  or  "  household  fire  "  rite,  one  still  common  through-
out India.
Vedik  sacrifices  may  be  considered  in  two  groups  of  seven
special  classes,  the  most  important  being  the  Agni-stoma  or
that  of  Fire  and  Soma,  the  Purusha  or  Human,  the  Sulagava
or  Ox,  and  the  Asva-Medha  or  Horse  sacrifice,  a  grand  regal
rite,  and  perhaps  the  last  of  blood  and  feasting,  dance  and  song.
