furthermore, a certain chrematheism, as we have elsewhere[20] ventured to call it, which pervades the Rig Veda, the worship of more or less personified things, differing from pantheism in this,[21] that whereas pantheism assumes a like divinity in all things, this kind of theism assumes that everything (or anything) has a separate divinity, usually that which is useful to the worshipper, as, the plough, the furrow, etc.  In later hymns these objects are generally of sacrificial nature, and the stones with which soma is pressed are divine like the plant.  Yet often there is no sacrificial observance to cause this veneration.  Hymns are addressed to weapons, to the war-car, as to divine beings.  Sorcery and incantation is not looked upon favorably, but nevertheless it is found.

Another class of divinities includes abstractions, generally female, such as Infinity, Piety, Abundance, with the barely-mentioned Gung[=u], R[=a]k[=a], etc. (which may be moon-phases).  The most important of these abstractions[22] is ‘the lord of strength,’ a priestly interpretation of Indra, interpreted as religious strength or prayer, to whom are accredited all of Indra’s special acts.  Hillebrandt interprets this god, Brahmanaspati or Brihaspati, as the moon; Mueller, somewhat doubtfully, as fire; while Roth will not allow that Brihaspati has anything to do with natural phenomena, but considers him to have been from the beginning ‘lord of prayer.’  With this view we partly concur, but we would make the important modification that the god was lord of prayer only as priestly abstraction Indra in his higher development.  It is from this god is come probably the head of the later trinity, Brahm[=a], through personified brahma, power; prayer, with its philosophical development into the Absolute.  Noteworthy is the fact that some of the Vedic Aryans, despite his high pretensions, do not quite like Brihaspati, and look on him as a suspicious novelty.  If one study Brihaspati in the hymns, it will be difficult not to see in him simply a sacerdotal Indra.  He breaks the demon’s power; crushes the foes of man; consumes the demons with a sharp bolt; disperses darkness; drives forth the ‘cows’; gives offspring and riches; helps in battle; discovers Dawn and Agni; has a band (like Maruts) singing about him; he is red and golden, and is identified with fire.  Although ’father of gods,’ he is begotten of Tvashtar, the artificer.[23]

Weber has suggested (V[=a]japeya Sacrifice, p. 15), that Brihaspati takes Indra’s place, and this seems to be the true solution, Indra as interpreted mystically by priests.  In RV. i. 190, Brihaspati is looked upon by ‘sinners’ as a new god of little value.  Other minor deities can be mentioned only briefly, chiefly that the extent of the pantheon may be seen.  For the history of religion they are of only collective importance.  The All-gods play an important part in the sacrifice, a group of ‘all the gods,’ a priestly manufacture