THREE FINGERED DEITIES. (From Our Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, August 2.

Otago Witness, Issue 2734, 8 August 1906, Page 14

THREE FINGERED DEITIES. (From Our Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, August 2.

_ Dr A. K. Newman, who has made,considerable research as to the reason why three fingers only are carved in Maori images of deities, 13 preparing a paper on _ the subject for the Philosophical Society. At a meeting of that body last evening he gave his general conclusions on the subject. He stated that after study of the emblems of ancient religions he had come to -the conclusion that the threefingeTed symbol was a recognised mark of divinity throughout the world. Every Old World religion had a trinity usually 6ymbolised in human form by father, mother, and son, ajid also contracted for convenience into what migTit be called shorthand. Thus the trinity was indicated by the priest holding up three fingers, and the three fingers were in turn represented by a sign like the capital E in various- positions. Developments of this symbol were found in the trident of Neptune, the broad arrow of England, and the tjiree feathers, the traditional emblem of Bohemia, now the crest of tho Prince of -Wales. In China, when English ammunition marked with the broad arrow was first* seen, the packets were handled by the natives With % great reverence on account of their heaving a sacred symbol. The sign of the trinity was shown as copied from Etruscan vases, from Assyrian and ""Egyptian monuments, Indian and Japanese antiquities, from South American and African monuments, from the Easter Islands hieroglyphics, and was a universal characteristic of Maori sacred art. But more than this, the three-fingered idol was practically universal in the ancient world, and still /survived, for rfligious emblems survived all manner of change?. Even an ancient English carving which had puzzled antiquaries, the " Lincoln Imp/ had this characteristic, and it was found on the figurehead of the ancient Viking '* canoe" unearthed in Norway a year or two ago. That it was a sacred emblem among the Maoris was shown by the fact that, carvings of mortals had always, had the fingers and^toes normal. It? was of no use to go to the 'Maoris for the reason; that had long been forgotten. Generally they would candidly admit, even though strictly following the old conventions, they did not know. The clue, ho was assured, could be found only in a, collation of the sacred emblems of the sacred world.