Release date is 2012-12-05

Buddhism, its origin and ceremonies -- Magianism: the Parsees -- Jewish superstitions -- Brahmanism -- Hindu mythology, and the Vishnu Purana -- In China: Confucianism, Taouism, and Buddhism -- Among the Malays, the Slamatan Bromok, the Dyaks, the Papuan tribes, the Ahetas -- The savage races of Asia: the Samojedes; the Mongols; the Ostiaks; in Tibet -- Some African superstitions -- The Zulu witch-finders -- Zabianism and serpent-worship -- Polynesian superstitions -- The Fiji islanders -- The religion of the Maories -- The North American Indians -- Among the Eskimos -- A mediæval superstition: the flagellants -- Scottish superstitions: Halloween -- Second sight; divination; universality of certain superstitions; fairies in Scotland.

E-text prepared by the Online Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) from page images generously made available by Internet Archive (http://archive.org)

"Curiosities of Superstition, and Sketches of Some Unrevealed Religions" by W. H. Davenport Adams is a historical account published in the late 19th century. The work delves into various superstitions and lesser-known religions from around the world, exploring their origins, rituals, and beliefs. This exploration provides readers with an intriguing look into how different cultures have understood and interacted with the divine through their unique practices and customs. The opening of the text introduces Buddhism and examines its distinctive prayer practices, particularly the use of prayer-wheels by Buddhists, which serve as a mechanized form of devotion. The narrative describes how these wheels allow practitioners to engage with their faith while attending to daily tasks. Additionally, Adams reflects on the ceremonial aspects of Buddhism and contrasts them with Christian prayer practices, positing that both can fall into perfunctory routines. This section sets the stage for a broader discussion of superstition and religious beliefs, inviting readers to consider the complexities and peculiarities that characterize human spirituality across different cultures. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

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