Introduction to the History of Religions Part 41

[421] see above, -- 128.

[422] Hollis, _The Nandi_, p. 46 f.

[423] Gatschet, _Migration Legend of the Creeks_, p. 177 ff.

[424] Cf. the ceremony of the pharmakos in the festival of the Thargelia (Miss Harrison, _Prolegomena to the Study of Greek Religion_, p. 95 ff.).

[425] Frazer, _Golden Bough_ 2d ed., ii, 337 ff.

[426] This period has been generally held to be calendary.

Its calendary reality is denied by Legge (in _Recueil des travaux_, x.x.xi) and Foucart (in Hastings, _Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics_, article "Calendar [Egyptian]").

[427] A noteworthy instance of this persistence appears in the history of the Bene-Israel, a body of Jews living in the Bombay Presidency (article "Bene-Israel" in Hastings, _Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics_); they preserve the Jewish religious festivals, but under Indian names.

[428] See above, ---- 4, 7.

[429] The word "fetish" (from Portuguese _feitico_, 'artificial', then 'idol, charm,'), devised originally as a name of charms used by the natives of the West African coast, is often employed as a general name for early religious practices. Its proper use is in the sense of a dead object, as a piece of clay or a twig, in which, it is held, a spirit dwells. The fetish is often practically a G.o.d, often a household G.o.d; the interesting thing about it is that the spirit, generally a tutelary spirit, can enter the object or depart at will, may be brought in by appropriate ceremonies, and may be dismissed when it is no longer considered useful.

[430] Algonkin _manito_ or _manitu_ (W. Jones, in _Journal of American Folklore_, xviii, 190); Iroquois _orenda_; Siouan _wakonda_; Chickasa _hullo_ (_Journal of American Folklore_, xx, 57); cf. the Masai _n'gai_, 'the unknown, incomprehensible' (Hinde, _The Last of the Masai_, p. 99), connected with storms and the telegraph. Other names perhaps exist.

[431] Codrington, _The Melanesians_, Index, s.v. _Mana_.

[432] W. Jones, op. cit.

[433] It has therefore been compared to the modern idea of force as inherent in matter.

[434] The American _manitu_ is an appellation of a personal supernatural being. The Siouan _wakonda_ is invoked in prayer (Miss Fletcher, _The Tree in the Dakotan Group_).

[435] Judg. xiv, 19; 1 Sam. xix, 23; Ezek. x.x.xix, 29. Fury also is said to be poured out. Cf. Mark v, 30, where power (d??a??) is said to go out of Jesus.

[436] Cf. the Greek _energeia_ and _entelecheia_.

[437] Cf. I. King, _The Development of Religion_, chap. vi.

[438] Examples in J. H. King, _The Supernatural_. Cf. T. S.

Knowlson, _Origins of Popular Superst.i.tions_, etc.; T.

Keightley, _Fairy Mythology_.

[439] Cf. Tylor, _Primitive Culture_, 3d ed., ii, 229 ff.: article "Animals" in Hastings, _Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics_.

[440] This may have been simply the transference to them of human custom, or it may also have been suggested by the obvious social organization of such animals as bees, ants, goats, deer, monkeys.

[441] Turner, _Samoa_, pp. 21, 26.

[442] Batchelor, _The Ainu_, p. 27.

[443] W. R. Smith, _Religion of the Semites_, (new ed., see p. 106) p. 128 f.

[444] A. Lang, _Myth, Ritual, and Religion_, i, 117 ff.

[445] Spencer and Gillen, _Native Tribes of Central Australia_, pp. 389, 401. Some Australians believed in an original gradual transformation of animals and plants into human beings.

[446] On the conception of animals as ancestors see below, -- 449 f.

[447] A demon may be defined as a supernatural being with whom, for various reasons, men have not formed friendly relations. Cf. W. R. Smith, _Religion of the Semites_, new ed., p. 119 ff., on the Arabian jinn; De Groot, _Religion of the Chinese_, p. 13 ff., for the Chinese belief in demonic animals. On the origin, names, and functions of demons and on exorcismal ceremonies connected with them see below, -- 690 ff., and above, -- 138 ff.

[448] So the Eskimo, the Ainu, the Redmen, and modern Arabs in Africa; many other instances are cited by Frazer in his _Golden Bough_, 2d ed., ii, 386 ff.

[449] Examples are found in many folk-stories of savages everywhere.

[450] For other sacred animals see N. W. Thomas, article "Animals" in Hastings, _Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics_.

[451] Turner, _Samoa_, p. 238.

[452] Frazer, _Golden Bough_, 2d ed., ii, 430 ff.; Thomas, article "Animals" cited above; Shortland, _Traditions of New Zealand_, iv; Marsden, _Sumatra_, p. 292; Schoolcraft, _Indian Tribes_, i, 34; v, 652; Waitz, _Anthropologie_, iii, 190; Callaway, _Amazulus_, p. 196; A. B. Ellis, _The Ts.h.i.+_, p. 150; Mouhot, _Indo-China_, i, 252; J. Wasiljev, _Heidnische Gebrauche der Wotyaks_, pp. 26, 78, etc.; G. de la Vega, _Comentarios Reales_, bk. i, chap. ix, etc. (Peru); Miss Kingsley, _Travels_, p. 492.

[453] Turner, op. cit., p. 242; Castren, _Finnische Mythologie_, pp. 106, 160, 189, etc.; Parkman, _Jesuits in North America_ (1906), pp. 61 f., 66; Brinton, _Myths of the New World_, pp. 3, 105, 127, 161, 175, 272; cf. Acosta, _Historia de las Indias_, bk. v, chap. iv.

[454] So Zeus and bull, Artemis and bear, Aphrodite and dove, and many other examples. In such cases it is generally useless to try to discover a resemblance between the character of the G.o.d and that of the a.s.sociated animal.

There is simply, as a rule, a coalescence of cults, or an absorption of the earlier cult in the later.

[455] The particular conditions that induced this cult in Egypt escape us. See the works on Egyptian religion by Maspero, Wiedemann, Erman, Steindorff, and others.

[456] On the curious att.i.tude of medieval Europe toward animals as legally responsible beings see E. P. Evans, _The Criminal Prosecution and Capital Punishment of Animals_.

[457] Spencer and Gillen, _Native Tribes of Central Australia_, chap. x. Two superhuman creators are said to have transformed themselves into lizards (ibid. p. 389 ff.).

[458] Batchelor, _The Ainu_, p. 35 ff.

[459] Matthews, _Navaho Legends_, pp. 80, 223; Dixon, _The Northern Maidu_, p. 263.

[460] Brinton, _Myths of the New World_, p. 269; cf. article "Animals" in Hastings, _Encyclopaedia Of Religion and Ethics_.

[461] See above, -- 253, for the Egyptian cult.

[462] References to Stow's _Native Races of South Africa_ and Merensky's _Beitrage_ are given in Hastings, _Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics_, i, 522.

[463] Cus.h.i.+ng, in _The Century Magazine_, 1883; Tylor, _Primitive Culture_, ii, 243 f.

[464] Crooke, _Popular Religion and Folklore of Northern India_, ii, 213.

[465] Hopkins, _Religions of India_, pp. 527, 539; Crooke, op. cit.; Fewkes, "The Winter Solstice Ceremony at Walpi,"

p. 17 ff.

[466] For a fanciful connection between the sun-myth and the spider see Frobenius, _Childhood of Man_, chap. xxiii.

[467] A somewhat vague Naga (snake) being of this sort is noted (Hopkins, _Religions of India_, p. 539). The relation between the Australian supernatural being Bunjil (or Punjil) and the eagle-hawk is not clear. Cf. Howitt, _Native Tribes of South-East Australia_, Index; Spencer and Gillen, _Native Tribes of Central Australia_, Index.

[468] See below, -- 635 f.