It was to gain favours from the Occult Powers that donations from the
public were at first invited, then demanded; and the priests in this
manner accumulated vast fortunes. Later on, too, there sprang up, in
connection with these temples, colleges for the training of young
men--invariably selected from the wealthy classes--to the priesthood;
and from the parents of these youthful aspirants large fees, which in
course of time became exorbitant, were extracted, thereby furnishing
another source of revenue to the priests. The most famous colleges for
the training of priests in Atlantis were those of Bara-boo-rek[11] at
Keisionwo, Karaboro-rek at Diniangek, and Ballygarap-rek at Tijimin.
It was in the reign of Barrahneil,[12] fifty-first sovereign of the
Dynasty of Shaotak, that the evocation of spirits (from which modern
spiritualism takes its origin) commenced. Barrahneil was most eager to
see a superphysical manifestation. Being of a somewhat poetical turn
of mind he was particularly enamoured of fairies, and in the hope of
seeing one, constantly frequented their favourite haunts, _i.e._
woods, caves, and lonely isolated habitations. But all to no
purpose--they never would manifest themselves to him. At last, he lost
patience. Against the advice of his oldest and most trusty
counsellors, and accompanied by one or two of his favourite courtiers,
he went to an excessively lonely spot in the heart of a desert, and
besought spirits--spirits of any sort--he did not care what--to
manifest themselves.
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