The Hindoos make images of their gods. Brahma is represented as riding on
a goose; Vishnoo on a creature half-bird and half-man; and Sheeva on a
bull.
Sheeva's image looks horribly ferocious with the tiger-skin and the
necklace of skulls and snakes; but Sheeva's _wife_ is far fiercer than
himself. Her name is Kalee. Her whole delight is said to be in blood.
Those who wish to please her, offer up the blood of beasts; but those who
wish to please her still more, offer up their own blood.
[Illustration: THE SWING.]
Her great temple, called Kalee Ghaut, is near Calcutta. There is a great
feast in her honor once a year at that temple. Early in the morning
crowds assemble there with the noise of trumpets and kettle-drums. See
those wild fierce men adorned with flowers. They go towards the temple. A
blacksmith is ready. Lo! one puts out his tongue, and the blacksmith
cuts it: that is to please Kalee: another chooses rather to have an iron
bar run through his tongue. Some thrust iron bars and burning coals into
their sides. The boldest mount a wooden scaffold and throw themselves
down upon iron spikes beneath, stuck in bags of sand. It is very painful
to fall upon these spikes; but there is another way of torture quite as
painful--it is the swing. Those who determine to swing, allow the
blacksmith to drive hooks into the flesh upon their backs, and hanging by
these hooks they swing in the air for ten minutes, or even for half an
hour.
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