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Diary and Journal of Pursees,
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DEC.
gian, however irreligious, and very much oftener by the religious and devout. They repeat the prayer with amazing rapidity, so that a stranger can scarcely make out anything from it. They are ac- customed to say this prayer from a very early age, about four, and thus it is fixed in their memories, without being understood. In each of the last five days of every year, they are required to repeat it, 1200 times, in addition to a great number of repetitions in their long prayer of pages..
Zoroaster, so called by the Greeks, meaning the 'living star,' is by the Persians called Zurtoste, Zuratpate, Zuzdoste, Zurdhoste, and Zurthost, all having the meaning of "bright deeds.' The Magians are distinguished by their sudrai, and coesty, the latter is called Ueveogunen in the Zend, and Ueveogaun in the Pehlvi. It is made of seventy-two threads of fine wool, denoting the 72 paragraphs com- tained in the sacred book of Izeshne or Izume.
In making it, six pieces are first formed, each of twelve threads, denoting the twelve chapters of the Dwazdeh Hummaus, one of the 21 books, and the six pieces, denoting the six intervals in which God made the universe, are made into one which forms a coosty. This done, the upside is turned round, showing that the dead will rise again in another world, that is in heaven. This coosty is required to be tied and united round the body eight times'in a day, and some- times oftener. In tying it round the body, there are three turnings, denoting Hoomut, Hooukht, and Hoourest, meaning, that he will not think, nor do, nor wish what is sinful There are four knots, two on the fore and two on the back part of the body: and in tying the first he says there is only one God, who has no partner or relative; in tying the second, he is satisfied with the Muzdyesné, and thinks it the best that exists; in the third, he believes in Zoroaster as the true prophet; and in the fourth, he says, as far as it may be in his power, he will always take the path that leads to virtue. Moreover, the four knots denote the elements. The sudrai is used to protect the coosty from touching the skin, and thereby making it impure; it is a law, there- fore, that every one wear it.
The magians have separate names for every day and month, and when both are of the same name it is a holy day.
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According to their law, God made the universe in one year, but at six different intervals, with periods of rest following each of them, 'The order of creation was this; first heaven was made;; second, wa- ter; third, earth; fourth, trees; fifth, brutes, &c,; and sixth, man.
Parsees, on account of their religious views, do not allow other
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