51 The Rev. W. W. Gill tells me that the Maori word for bone is _iwi_,
but he suspects a foreign origin for the fable founded on it.
_ 52 Tree and Serpent Worship_, by James Fergusson. London, 1868. Very
similar opinions had been advocated by Rajendralal Mitra, in a paper
published in 1858 in the _Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society_,
“Buddhism and Odinism, illustrated by extracts from Professor
Holmboe’s Memoir on the _Traces du Buddhisme en Norvège_.” How much
mischief is done by opinions of this kind when they once find their
way into the general public, and are supported by names which carry
weight, may be seen by the following extracts from the _Pioneer_
(July 30, 1878), a native paper published in India. Here we read
that the views of Holmboe, Rajendralal Mitra, and Fergusson, as to a
possible connection between Buddha and Wodan, between Buddhism and
Wodenism, have been adopted and preached by an English bishop, in
order to convince his hearers, who were chiefly Buddhists, that the
religion of the gentle ascetic came originally, if not from the
Northeast of Scotland, at all events from the Saxons. “Gotama
Buddha,” he maintained, “was a Saxon,” coming from “a Saxon family
which had penetrated into India.” And again: “The most convincing
proof to us Anglo-Indians lies in the fact that the Purânas named
Varada and Matsy distinctly assert that the White Island in the
West—meaning England—was known in India as Sacana, having been
conquered at a very early period by the Sacas or Saks.” After this
the bishop takes courage, and says: “Let me call your attention to
the Pâli word _Nibban_, called in Sanskirt Nirv_âna_. In the
Anglo-Saxon you have the identical word—Nabban, meaning ‘not to
have,’ or ‘to be without a thing.’ ”
53 See _Buddhaghosha’s Parables_, translated by Captain Rogers, with an
Introduction containing Buddha’s Dhammapada, translated from Pâli,
by M. M., 1870, p. 110, note.
54 Hare, “On the Names of the Days of the Week” (_Philol. Museum_, Nov.
1831); Ideler, _Handbuch der Chronologie_, p. 177; Grimm, _Deutsche
Mythologie_, p. 111.
55 A writer in the _Index_ objects to my representation of what
Josephus said with regard to the observance of the seventh day in
Greek and barbarian towns. He writes:—