I shall now proceed to show analogies in what will be admitted to be most unlikely ground--in the King of Dahome's celebrated "So-sin customs," described by Captain Richard Burton. Before, however, proceeding further, I must point out the following features in the ceremonies or customs as common to Grecian and antique pagan; to the Mandan (Indian of North America), and to the tropical African.[209] In the first place they are cyclical; they are all of a mournful character; all are interrupted at intervals by processions, dances, and songs of a traditional character; they all close in scenes of rejoicing or rather in Bacchanalian (yet still traditionally [_vide_ page 247, note Boulanger] Bacchanalian) scenes of riot and debauchery. The duration of the festivals varies from three and four to five days; the days have fantastic names, which, although different, still in their very peculiarity, and also in the drift and meaning of the names so far as it can be gathered, are suggestive of a common origin, _e.g_. the first day of the Anthesteria, at Athens was called "[Greek: Pithoigia, apo tou pithous oigein]," "because they tapped their casks." The fourth day of the King of Dahome's customs is named "So (horse) nan-wen (will break) _kan_ (rope) 'gbe (to-day)."--Burton, ii. 8. One part of the Mandan ceremony is called "Mee-ne-ro-ka-Ha-sha," or "the _settling down of the waters_," which name again closely corresponds to the ceremonies at Athens and at Hierapolis in Syria (_ante_), where water was poured into the opening where the waters of the Deluge were supposed to have disappeared. The fifth day of the Dahome customs is named "Minai afunfun khi Uhun-jro men Dadda Gezo"="we go to the small mat tent under which the king sits."--Burton, ii. 27. This approximates to the scene described by Catlin (p. 20) at the close of the bull-dance (fourth day), when "the master of ceremonies (corresponding to the king at Dahome) cried out for all the dancers, musicians," and "the representatives of _animals_ and _birds_," "to gather again around him." He is described as coming out of the mystery lodge and collecting them round "the big canoe."