CHAPTER VIII.

SUMMARY.

I. In the preceding pages we have tracedthe worship of the serpent from Babylonia ,east and west, through Persia , Hindustan,China, Mexico, Britain, Scandinavia, Italy , Illy-ricum, Thrace, Greece, Asia Minor, and Phoe-nicia . Again, we have observed the same idol-atry prevailing north and south, through Scythiaon the one hand, and Africa on the other.The worship of the serpent was, there-fore, universal. For not only did the sacredserpent enter into the symbolical and ritualservice of every religion which recognised thesun ; but we even find him in countries wheresolar worship was altogether unknown—as inSarmatia, Scandinavia , and the Gold Coast of