Encyclopedia of Religions - In Three Volumes Vol. II: E-M: 2

In Egypt Seb-the earth-is a goose the great cackler who lays the gold egg-the sun. The goose was early tamed by Egyptians though they had neither ducks nor fowls as domestic birds. In India Brahma rides the goose (see Hansa) and in mythology it is often confused with the swan which is the great emblem of white and snow clouds. The goose is an emblem of Frey and the swan of Freya among the Norse. The swan was sacred to the sea god Niord. Russian folk-lore abounds with tales of geese swans and ducks. Wedding gifts always include geese which are symbolic of conjugal fidelity. -from Goose This 1906 classic of comparative literature hard to find in print today was the first English-language project to approach the worlds religions from an anthropological perspective. The work of thirty years for Scottish author JAMES G. R. FORLONG (1824-1904) it was originally published under the now-antiquated title A Cyclopedia of Religions and produced at the authors own expense so strongly did he feel about the need for it despite the reluctance of the publishing houses of the day to produce it. A road engineer by trade Forlong traveled the world learning seven languages and becoming an avid amateur student of native culture-his labor of love was gathering in this three-volume set a comprehensive academic knowledge of the totality of human religious belief. Volume II: E-M includes entries on such gods peoples places practices symbols and concepts as: - Easter Isle eggs fear and fetish - gipsies gorgons Helene and horse - incubi inspiration Jacob and Japan - Kadesh Kant lion and logos - Maia Maimonides and Mennonites - and much more.