Sketch of the mythology of the North American Indians

Sun and Moon.— The Ute philosopher declares the sun to be a living personality, and explains his course across the heavens along a particular way by giving an account of a fierce personal conflict between them. The philosopher of Oraibit tells us that when the people ascended here by means of the magic tree which formed the ladder of the lower world, they found the firmament, the ceiling of this world, low on the earth - the floor of this world. Mit/ration of birds.— The Algonhian philosopher explains the migration of birds by relating the myth of the battle between Kabibo-iwld and Xliilit/apis, the prototype or progenitor of the water-hen, one of their animal gods.

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These illustrations may suffice to show the main features of the two methods of philosophy, and though they cover but narrow fields, it must be remembered that each philosophy deals with the whole cosmos. Abstractly, the level of demarcation between the two methods of philosophy can be sharply drawn, but practically we find them strangely mixed; mythological methods reign in cruelty and barbarism, and scientific methods reign in civilization.

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All the earlier literature of mankind deals largely with these gods, for it is an interesting fact that the development of psychotheism in the history of every civilized man is roughly synchronous with the invention of an alphabet. In the earliest writings of the Egyptians, Hindus, and Greeks, this stage is discovered, and Osiris, Indra, and Zeus are characteristic representatives. The paleontologist, who studies the rocks of the mountains and the rocks of the mountain, discovers, lifeless stones, the life form of the old earth.

The geologist, in the study of the structure of valleys and mountains, discovers groups of facts which lead him to knowledge of more ancient mountains and valleys and seas, of geographical features buried long ago, and followed by an old land with new mountains and valleys, and sea of news. The philologist, who studies the earliest writings of men, not only discovers the thoughts deliberately recorded in those writings, but is also able to go back into the history of men many generations, and with even greater certainty the thoughts to discover some of the more ancient people who made the words. Thus the writings of the (gates, the Hindus and the Egyptians, which give an account of their psychic gods, also contain description of an earlier theism which was unconsciously recorded by the writers themselves.

We always observe different methods of explanation existing side by side, and the type of a philosophy is determined by the predominant characteristics of its explanation of phenomena. So in the study of any philosophy which has reached the psyche-hoteist age, stains from the earlier philosophy are always seen.

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Everywhere we find fragments of philosophy which suppose that all inanimate nature is alive; that mountains and hills, and. The philosophies of many of the lowest tribes of mankind are yet unknown, and Hekastotheism might be discovered; but at this time it is not fair to say that any tribe regards this philosophy as the greatest wisdom.

OUTGROWTH FROM MYTHOLOGIC PHILOSOPHY

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If the views of the world were determined solely by the principles of mythological philosophy, the affirmation would become so powerful that nothing would be believed other than what was affirmed in ancient times. Ancientism is developed on the basis of collected life experiences; through the growth of the story in repeated telling; by the steadily increasing power of affirmation and by respect for the authority on which the institutions of society are based; they all accumulate as they come through the generations. As people come to believe that the "long ago" was better than the "now," and that the dead were better than the living, philosophy must necessarily include a theory of degeneration, which is a part of aucientism.

Thcistic Society. - Again, the actors in mythology-philosophy are characters and we always find them organized in society. The social organization of mythology has always been found to be essentially identical with the social organization of the people who entertain philosophy. Spiritism.—in the earliest stages of society of which we have prac- knowledge through acquaintance with men themselves, the belief in the existence of spirits prevails—a shadowy, immaterial existence, which.

The work of the human mind during periods of unconsciousness leads to thoughts that are forced by many physical phenomena. First, we have the activities of the mind during sleep, when man seems to go out of himself, converse with his friends, witness strange scenes, and have many wonderful experiences.

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Necessarily they are a strange working people, aud having been endowed with these magical powers in all the stories given in mythical accounts of their doings on earth, we find them performing the most wonderful feats. I mean that part of their history which relates to the workings of nature, for the gods were created to account for these things. Religion. - Again, since human welfare is deeply involved in the operations of nature, man's main interest is in the gods.

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THE COURSE OF EVOLUTION IN MYTHOLOGIC PHILOSO- PHY

Perhaps the myths of the Shoshouians have been more thoroughly collected than those of any other tribe. These are still unpublished, but the manuscripts are in the library of the Bureau of Ethnology. Powershas has recorded many of the myths of different stocks in California, and the old Spanish writings give us a fair collection of the Nahuatlau myths of Mexico, and Eink has presented an interesting-.

All these tribes are in the higher stages of savagery or in the lower stages of barbarism, and their mythologies are zootheistic among the lowest, plistheistic among the highest, and a large number of tribes are in a transitional state: for zootheismis. Today's wolf is a howling pest, but the ancestor of this wolf - the first of its kind - was a god.

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It is a curious fact that every Indian endeavors to conceal the knowledge of his god from all. He admits no system, but speaks indiscriminately, now of one, now of another god, and with him the whole theory as a system is vague and shadowy, but its details are clearly before his mind, and the certainty with which he defends his opinions leaves no trace room to doubt this sincerity.

MYTHIC TALES

THE VIN-AU-AV BROTHERS DISCUSS MATTERS OF IMPORTANCE TO THE PEOPLE

Let me tell you what you must do: When aman dies, bring him back when the morning comes, and then all his friends will rejoice." Then he knew that the young man had killed his child, and he was very angry and sought to destroy him, and in anger the earth shook, underground groans were heard, darkness came, raging storms were kindled, lightning was kindled, thunder was kindled to his brother and father. ', for protection.

ORIGIN OF THE ECHO

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This made To-go'-avery sick, and he begged her to withdraw, but she would not, for she was very afraid.

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Now the lad had seen in his dream of three days' sleep a magic cup, and had brought it with him from his journey among the nations and the So'-Jcus Wai'-un-dts carried among them. The Gm-au'-av walked on their right and the To-go'-a on their left, and the nations followed in the order they had been. But So'-lcih Wai'-un-dtshadbeen told him the wondrous dream of the suffering to be endured, and that the water they carried in the cup would be used only for a great need, and the brothers said to each other, "Now it's time to drink the water."

But Gm-au'-av was dead, and all the people mourned, for he was a great man. The brothers held the cup over him and sprinkled him with water, when he was heard and said to him: "Why do you trouble me? The next day, being without food, they were hungry and all were about to suffer; and again they murmured with the brothers and they cursed them.

But the So'-Ms Wai'un-dts saw in the distance an antelope, standing on a hill in the plain, in strong relief against the sky;

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The next day they came close to the enemy's house, and the brothers reconnoitred in proper person. She tried to dissuade them from making war against Stone Shirt, telling them that no arrow could ever penetrate his armor, and that he was a great warrior and had no other pleasure than killing his enemies, and that his daughters were too equipped with magical bows and arrows. , which they could shoot so quickly that the arrows filled the air like a cloud, and there was no need for them to aim, for their missiles went where they pleased. During the night the So'-lcus Wai'-un-ats turned themselves into mice, went to Stone Shirt's house and found the magical bows and arrows that belonged to the girls, and with their sharp teeth they cut the sinews on the back of the bows and nibbled on the bow.

When dawn came to heaven, Tmn-pwi-nai'-ro-gwi-nump, the Stone Shirt-man, arose and went out of his tent, exulting in his strength and safety, and sat down on the rock under which To-go' -overshadowed ; and he, seeing his opportunity, sinkhisfangs into the flesh of the hero. The conquerors buried the maidens by the shore of the lake; but Tum-pwi-riai'-ro-gwi-nump was left to rot, and his bones remained in the sand, and the ashes had left Si-kor'.

TA-VWOTS 1 HAS A FIGHT WITH THE SUN

53 When they continued with these diggings until they were completely underground, Ta-mcots, standing on the rock above, hurled the magic ball which he was accustomed to carry with him, and the ground above the diggers struck, it poured into the earth, and they were all buried. A'-nier ti-Uk'-a-niimp kwaik-ai' -gar" (fighting eat . tool Isay; that's so!), and he went on meditating. The next day he saw two men arrowheads of hot making rocks and coming close to him observed their work for a time from a position where he could not be seen.

Hold me on these hot rocks, and if I don't burn, let me do the same to you.' Nasty. A'-nier ti-tik'-a-nump Icwaikai'-gar.'' And sounding the war cry he continued on his way . The next day he came to the place where two women were gathering berries in baskets, and when he sat down they brought him some of the fruit and placed it before him.

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By this time Ta-vwots' had seated himself on the rock at the entrance to the thede, and as the bear's head protruded through the hole below, he threw his pa-riim'-o-lcwi. Ta-vwots' obeyed, and struck with all his might, and marveled that Ku-mi'a-pots was not killed; but he urged the Ta-vicots to strike harder. At last Ta-vicots understood the nature of the club and guessed the ku-mi'-a-pot's cunning, and raising his arms in case he should strike again, deftly substituted his magic ball and killed him.

Now to reach the top of this cliff it is necessary to climb a mountain, and Ta-vwots could see three holes or notches in the mountain, and he went to the left one; and he demanded. Bach in turn praised his own qualities, the most important of which in any case was its value as fuel.