Union

with Tao is the aim of contemplation. ‘Tao is the “ way,” truth, and light: it is heaven (Tien), and before heaven it existed. It is the Rita of Vedas, and the Asha of the Avesta. We must imitate Tao, and act without thought (chap. lxiii). We must not resist evil\chap. xlix), a doctrine which Confucius combatted, saying we should meet evil by justice. Lao-tsze denounces the wisdom of those who seek justice, benevolence, integrity, and “ propriety” (that is to say, Confucian ethiks), and insists on personal salvation by contemplation (see Hypnotism). He taught that all things sprang from a formle e ence— but this was not Tao; and he was Agnostik as to the means of such creation (chaps. xix-xx), speaking however of ‘To as the “ great mother.” The Tao-teh-king was first translated into Latin in 1788, and has since been studied by several great scholars. See details in our Short Studies. Laps. Lapps. Lapland is now the N. coast of Sweden, adjoining Finland which lies S.E. of it. The Lapps are Turanians like the Finns (see Japan), coming probably in pre-historic times from Central Asia. They are now said to number only 27,000 to 30,000, and are much mixed with Finns and Aryans. The pure Lapp is short legged, rather dark, and with a very short head, high cheek bones, deep-set small eyes, and scanty but glo y waving hair. ‘They are cla ed as fisher, mountain, and forest Lapps. They do not, however, use this name, which is Swedish for “ enchanter,” but call themselves Same-lats, and their country Same—perhaps the Finnish Swome for “swamp.” They came, according to their own tradition, from the East, and they may be Samoyeds; they have rude legends of conflicts with the Norsemen on the W., and the Karelians on the E. [The early Neolithik race of Auvergne in France resembled the Lapps, and like them had tamed the reindeer and probably the dog—Ep.] The word lappah signifies a “cave,” and they have been regarded as prehistoric cave men: but lappi means “the end,” and they were a people who had reached the land’s end in Europe. Their civilisation was mainly derived from the Skandinavians. Christianity was pre ed on them in our 13th century, and they are now reckoned as Luther an Protestants, being under Sweden. The Lapp language is of the same stock with Finnish, and like it has become full of Aryan loan words, while retaining its Turanian grammar. It was reduced to writing in our 17th century, when the songs and sagas of the Lapps were found to be much like those of the Finns. In one sfga (or “ saying”) about ‘Pishan son of Peshan” there is said to be a distinct reference to “Lake Baikal and the Altai mountains” (see Hneyclop. Brit.). ‘Uhe Lapps have always been famous as enchanters, holding ecstatic meetings like other Asiatics, and using the Kana or divining drum (see Drums). This has been adopted by Finns (see Folk-Lore Quarterly, March 1893): it is square shaped, and hung with charms, tufts of wool, teeth, and claws. The surface is divided into three parts, celestial, terrestrial, and human, The sun is represented by a square; and Thor (borrowed from the Aryans) by two cro ed banners. The figures of Christ, the Virgin, and the Holy Ghost, are now added. An Arpa, or divining rod, is laid on a definite part of this drum, which is then struck with Thor's hammer. Any grown person may strike the drum, when desiring to divine. The Lapps worship earth as Mada (Akkadian Mad “ earth”), and have many other deities good and evil, such as the wise god of the meadows (Gied-degoes-galggo), and the foolish but beautiful Njavis-cedne, who was deceived by Hakis: she was the daughter of the sun, and her story is connected with the taming of the reindeer. Lar. Lars. Lares. In Etruskan Lars (from the root Lar) meant “Lord”; and the Roman Lares, or ancestral spirits, were of Ktruskan origin. [In the Ka ite texts the Akkadian word lar is rendered B'elu, “ lord” in Semitic speech.—Ep.] The Etruskan language was Turanian, and Acca-Larentia (see Aka) thus signifies “mother of Lars,” or “ noble mother,” being the name of the nurse of Romulus. The Lares were represented by small human images (Teraphim) such as are equally common in W. and E,, and still used in many death rites: they may be seen in niches in Hindu houses, especially near the hearth, as images of ‘household gods. They are usually of baked clay (like those found in Babylonian and Pheenician tombs) and are brought out, and cleaned for worship, at festivals of Siva. 467