Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics, Volume 5: Dravidians - Fichte

A major early section examines the Dravidians of North and South India, discussing language, social organization, marriage customs, fertility beliefs, village deities, mother-goddess traditions, spirit worship, possession, sacrificial practice, festivals, caste relations, and the interaction between indigenous traditions and Hinduism. The extensive article on Dreams and Sleep compares psychological, religious, and divinatory interpretations across Babylonian, Egyptian, Vedic, and other traditions, including theories of prophecy, divine communication, dream symbolism, and sleep physiology.

The entry Dress provides a broad anthropological analysis of clothing, ornament, modesty, status, ritual purity, gender, social identity, mourning, ceremonial costume, and religious symbolism across many cultures. Further articles treat Drinks and Drinking, Druids, Drums and Cymbals, Drunkenness, and Dualism, combining historical, moral, legal, ritual, and philosophical perspectives. The discussions of dualism compare American, Celtic, Egyptian, Greek, Iranian, and Jewish traditions, while Duty examines moral obligation from philosophical and religious viewpoints. Overall, the volume illustrates the encyclopaedia’s comparative method, integrating textual, ethnographic, philosophical, and historical evidence across diverse religious traditions.