[Footnote 9: The Shamanism, the ancient religion of the
Samanaeans and Gymnosophists, has been driven by the more
popular Bramins from India into the northern deserts: the
naked philosophers were compelled to wrap themselves in fur;
but they insensibly sunk into wizards and physicians. The
Mordvans and Tcheremisses in the European Russia adhere to
this religion, which is formed on the earthly model of one
king or God, his ministers or angels, and the rebellious
spirits who oppose his government. As these tribes of the
Volga have no images, they might more justly retort on the
Latin missionaries the name of idolaters, (Levesque, Hist.
des Peuples soumis a la Domination des Russes, tom. i. p.
194 - 237, 423 - 460.)]