Chapter XI: The Great Mythic Systems of the World (2)

Although the sun appears to have been their chief deity, the Choctaws conceived Esaugetuh Emissee, or the 'Master of Breath,' as the creative agency, at least where man was concerned, so that he may have acted as a demiurge. This deity has many counterparts in American mythologies, and appears to be the personification of the wind, the name being onomatopoetic. The deification of the wind as soul or breath is common to many mythologies.

We see a totemic significance in the fact that the alligator was worshipped, or at least venerated, by the coast and river tribes of the Muskhogeans, and never by any chance destroyed by them. The myth of the horned serpent was also in vogue among them, and was practically identical with that told by the Cherokees to Lieutenant Timberlake; and the charm which they presented to their young men when they set out on the war-path was composed of the bones of the panther and the horn of the fabulous horned snake.

This snake dwelt in the waters, and the old people went to the shore and sang sacred songs to it. It rose a little out of the water; the magic chant was repeated, and it then showed its horns. They cut off the horns, and, when occasion necessitated, placed a fragment of them in their 'war-physic,' to ward off the arrows of enemies.

The priests of the Choctaws, as is usual among Indian tribes, were medicine-men and diviners. The office of high priest, or 'Great Beloved Man,' as he was called, was kept in one family, passing from father to eldest son. The junior priests are described as dressed in white robes and carrying on their head or arm a great owl-skin stuffed very ingeniously, as a symbol of wisdom and divination. They were distinguished from the rest of the tribe by their taciturnity, grave and solemn countenance, and dignified carriage, and went about the settlements singing to themselves in a low, almost inaudible voice. They possessed an apparently esoteric language, which examination by competent scholars has proved to be merely a modification of the ordinary speech. It contains some words unknown in the idiom of daily life, but they are archaisms, or borrowed from other peoples, along with the ceremonies or myths to which they refer.

ARAUCANIAN MYTH

One of the best examples of a South American religion is that of the Araucanian Indians of Chile. Early accounts credit them with a fairly exalted theogony, with a supreme being, the author of all things, called Pillan--a name derived from _pulli_ or _pilli_, 'the soul,' and signifying Supreme Essence. Pillan is, according to the Austrian missionary Dobrizhoffer,[6] their word for thunder. They also called him Guenu-pillan, 'the Spirit of Heaven,' and Annolu, 'the Infinite,' besides many other lesser names. The native tribal life was but a microcosm of his celestial existence; everything was modelled upon the heavenly polity of Pillan, who was called, in his aspect of Supreme Ruler, Toquichen, or 'the Great Chief' of the invisible world. He had his _apo-ulmenes_ and his _ulmenes_, or greater and lesser sub-chiefs, like the chief of any prairie confederacy; and to them he entrusted the administration of his affairs of lesser importance.

In Pillan it is easy to trace a mythological conception widely prevalent among the indigenous American peoples. He is unquestionably a thunder-god, similar to such deities as the Hurakan of the Kiches of Guatemala, the Tlaloc of the Mexicans, and the Con or Cun, the thunder-god of the Collao of Peru. The gathering of clouds round great mountain peaks like those of the Andes, and the resultant phenomena of thunder and lightning, kindle in the savage mind the idea that the summits of these mountains are the dwelling-place of some powerful supernatural being, who manifests his presence by the agencies of fire and terrifying sound. Supernatural beings of this kind are usually described by the Indians as red in colour, having neither arms nor legs, but moving with incredible swiftness, difficult of approach because of their irascibility, but generous to those who succeed in gaining their favour. They are in general placated by libations of native spirit poured into the pools below the snow-line, and in case of drought are roused from inactivity by the sympathetic magic of 'rain-making,' in which the magician or priest sprinkles water from a gourd over the thirsty soil.

The _apo-ulmenes_, or greater deities, subservient to Pillan are several in number. The chief is Epunamun, or god of war, whose name is apparently of Peruvian origin. He may have been a type adopted from the Incan sun-idol Punchau Inca, or the 'Sun-Inca,' depicted as a warrior armed with darts. There can be little doubt that the mythology of the Araucanians, as opposed to their mere demon-worship, was highly coloured by, if not altogether adopted from, that of their Peruvian neighbours, the Aymara. And when we find that this Peruvian sun-idol was originally brought to the Incan court by a chief of the Collao who worshipped Cun (adored by the Araucanians under the name of Pillan), it would seem as though Epunamun, with his Peruvian name and probable likeness to Punchau, was also of northern origin, or had been adopted by the Araucanians from the Aymara. Other inferior deities were Meulen, a benevolent protector of the human race; and the Guecubu, a malignant being, author of all evil, also known as Algue or Aka-Kanet--at least, the similarity between him and the deities or demons bearing these names is strong, although Aka-Kanet, throned in the Pleiades, sends fruits and flowers to the earth, and is called 'Grandfather.' As Müller remarks: "Dualism is not very striking among these tribes"; and again: "The good gods do more evil than good."[7] Molina, who lived among the Araucanians for many years, says, speaking of Guecubu: "From hence it appears that the doctrine of two adverse principles, improperly called Manicheism, is very extensive, or, in other words, is found to be established among almost all the barbarous natives of both continents."[8] He goes on to compare the Guecubu with the Persian Ahriman, and states that, according to the general opinion of the Araucanians, he is the cause of all the misfortunes that occur. If a horse tires, it is because the Guecubu has ridden him. If the earth trembles, it is because the Guecubu has given it a shock; nor does anyone die who is not suffocated by the Guecubu. The name is spelt 'Huecuvu' by Falkner in his _Description of Patagonia_, and is translated as 'the wanderer without,' an evil demon, hostile to humanity, who lurks outside the encampment or on the outskirts of any human habitation for the express purpose of working malignant mischief upon unwary tribesmen--a very familiar figure to the student of anthropology and folklore.

It is not clear to which of their gods the Araucanians gave the credit for the creation of all things, and it is probable that they imagined that one or other of the totemic beings from whom they were supposed to be descended had fashioned the universe. They had, however, a very clear tradition of a deluge, from which they were saved by a great hill called Theg-Theg, 'the Thunderer,' with three peaks, and possessing the property of moving upon the waters. Whenever an earthquake threatens they fly to any hill shaped like the traditional Theg-Theg, believing that it will save them in this cataclysm as it did in the last, and that its only inconvenience is that it approaches too near the sun. To avoid being scorched, says Molina, they always kept ready wooden bowls to act as parasols.

The _ulmenes_ or lesser spirits of the celestial hierarchy of the Araucanians, are the _gen_ ('lords'), who have the charge of created things, and who, with the benevolent Meulen, attempt to stem the power of the Guecubu. They are of both sexes, the females being designated _amei-malghen_, or spiritual nymphs, who are pure and lead an existence of chastity, propagation being unknown in the Araucanian spiritual world. These beings, especially the females, perform for men the offices of familiar spirits, and all Araucanians believe that they have one of these minor deities or angels in their service. "_Nien cat gni amehi-malghen_" ("I still keep my guardian spirit") is a common expression when they succeed in any undertaking. These minor deities remind us forcibly of the totemic familiars who are adopted by the members of many North American Indian tribes at puberty, and appear to them in dreams and hypnotic trances to warn them concerning future events; and it is probable that the _gen_ and _amei-malghen_ are the remnants of a totemic system.

The likeness between things spiritual and things material is carried still further by the Araucanians; for, as their earthly _ulmenes_ have no right to impose any contribution or service upon the common people, so they deny to supernatural beings worship or gifts. Thus no outward homage is ordinarily paid to them. There is probably no parallel to this lack of worship in the case of a people possessing clearly defined religious ideas and conceptions of supernatural beings. "They possess neither temples nor idols, nor are they in the habit of offering any sacrifice except in some severe calamity, or on concluding a peace."[9] Upon such occasions the offerings were usually animals and tobacco, the latter being burned as incense and supposed to be peculiarly agreeable to their gods. This custom recalls that of the North American Indian peoples, with whom the Araucanians exhibit some points of resemblance in the ceremonial use of tobacco, such as blowing the smoke to the four cardinal points, as a sacrifice to the god of the elements, probably Pillan. On urgent occasions only were these sacrificial rites employed, omen Pillan and Meulen chiefly were adored and implored to assist their people. The absolute indifference of the Araucanians to mere ritual was well exemplified by the manner in which they ignored the elaborate ritualistic practices of the early Roman Catholic missionaries, although they displayed no hostility to the new creed, but tolerated its institution throughout their territories.

Although the Araucanians did not practise any rites, they were not behind other American aboriginal peoples in superstition. They were firm believers in divination, and paid marked attention to favourable or unfavourable omens. Appearances in dreams, the songs and flight of birds, and all the usual machinery of augury were pressed into the service of their priests or diviners; and the savage who dreaded naught on the field of battle would tremble violently at the mere sight of an owl.

The priests, or rather diviners, were called by the Araucanians _gligua_ or _dugol_, and were subdivided into _guenguenu, genpugnu_, and _genpiru_, meaning respectively 'masters of the heavens,' 'of epidemics,' and 'of insects or worms.' There was also a sect called _calcu_, or 'sorcerers,' who dwelt in caves and were served by _ivunches_, or 'man-animals,' to whom they taught their terrible arts. The Araucanians believed that these wizards had the power to transform themselves at night into nocturnal birds, to fly through the air, and to shoot invisible arrows at their enemies, besides indulging in the malicious mischief with which folklore credits the wizards of all countries. Their priests proper they believed to possess numerous familiars who were attached to them after death. Thus they resemble the 'magicians' of the Middle Ages. These priests were celibate, and led an existence apart from the tribe, in some communities being garbed as women. The tales told of their magical prowess lead us to believe that they were either natural epileptics or ecstatics, or excited themselves by drugs. The Araucanians also held that the knowledge of their real personal names gave dangerous magic power over them.

They firmly believed in the immortality of the soul. They held that the composition of man was twofold--the _anca_, or corruptible body, and the _am_ or _pulli_, the soul, which they believed to be _ancanolu_ ('incorporeal'), and _mugcalu_ ('eternal' or 'existing for ever'). So thoroughly a matter of everyday allusion had these distinctions become that they frequently made use of the word _anca_ in a metaphorical sense, to denote a part, the half, or the subject of anything. They differed about details of life after death. All held that after death they would go west, beyond the sea--a conception of the soul's flight held by many other American tribes. The west, the 'grave' of the sun, was supposed also to be the goal of man in the evening of his days--a place where the tired soul might find rest.

"The old notion among us," said an old chief, "is that, when we die, the spirit goes the way the sun goes, to the west, and there joins its family and friends who went before it."[10] The country to which the Araucanians believed their dead went was called Gulcheman, 'the dwelling of the men beyond the mountains.' The general conception of this Otherworld was that it was divided into two parts, one pleasant, and filled with everything that is delightful, the abode of the good; and the other desolate and in want of everything, the habitation of the wicked. Some of the Araucanians held, however, that all indiscriminately enjoyed eternal pleasures, saying that earthly behaviour had no effect upon the immortal state. The amount of spirituality in their belief is shown by their funerary practices.

The relatives of the deceased person seated themselves round his body and wept for a long time, afterward exposing it for a space upon a raised bier, called _pilluay_, where it remained during the night. During this time they watched over and 'waked' it, eating and drinking with those who came to console them. This meeting was called _curicahuin_, or the 'black entertainment,' as black was the symbolical colour of mourning with them. About the second or third day the body was laid to rest in the _eltum_, or family burying-ground. The _eltum_ was usually situated in a wood or on a hill, and the procession to it was preceded by two young men on horseback, riding full speed. The bier was carried by the nearest relatives of the deceased, and surrounded by women who mourned and wept during the entire ceremony. On arrival at the _eltum_ the corpse was laid on the ground and surrounded by arms in the case of a man, or by feminine implements in that of a woman. Provisions, _chica_ (native spirit), wine, and sometimes even a dead horse were placed beside the deceased to serve him in the Otherworld. The Pehuenches believed that the Otherworld was cold, and so sought to warm the corpse with fire, after which they bound it to a horse, placed the bridle in its hand, killed the steed, and buried both together in the grave. The relatives and friends of the dead man then wished him a prosperous journey, and covered the body with a pyramid or cairn of stones, over which they poured large quantities of _chica_.

After they had departed, an old woman called Tempuleague came to the grave in the shape of a whale, and transported the soul of the deceased to the Otherworld. Probably the Araucanians of the Chilean coast were acquainted with the spermaceti, or southern variety of whale, and regarded it as the only method of locomotion for a spirit across the great waters, or it is probable that they borrowed the conception from the Peruvians of the coast, who regarded the sea as the most powerful among the gods, and called it Mama-cocha or 'Mother Sea.' The whale was a general object of worship all along the Peruvian coast, while each of the Peruvian coastal districts worshipped the particular species of fish that was taken there in the greatest abundance. This fish-worship was not mere superstition, and it was very elaborate, the fish-ancestor of each variety or 'tribe' of fish holding a special place in the heavens in the form of a constellation. The Collao tribes to the south, on the shores of Lake Titicaca, some fifty miles or so from the Chilean frontier, also worshipped a fish-god; so that in all likelihood the fish-goddess of the Araucanians was originally borrowed from the Collao, who were probably ethnologically akin to the Araucanian tribes. This theory is confirmed by the nature of the fish-deity worshipped by the Collao; its name was Copacahuana, 'valuable stone to be looked upon,' the idol being carved from a bluish-green stone, with the body of a fish surmounted by a rude human head. This deity, like Tempuleague, was female.

The deceased, however, must pay a toll to another old woman, of malicious character, for permission to pass a narrow strait on the road; otherwise she would deprive him of an eye.

The life after death was very similar to earthly existence, but without fatigue or satiety. Husbands had the same wives as on earth, but had no children, as the Otherworld was inhabited by the spirits of the dead alone.

Certain vestiges of sun- and moon-worship were known among some tribes, who called the sun Anti, and the moon Kayan; but recognition of these luminaries as deities was intermittent and probably seasonal.

[1] See p. 32.

[2] _Commerce of the Prairies_, vol. ii, p. 235.

[3] Heart, _Trans. Am. Phil. Soc._, vol. iii, p. 216.

[4] _Prehistoric Man_, vol. i, p. 276 (London, 1876).

[5] _Myths of the New World_, p. 101 (1896).

[6] _Abipones_, vol. ii, p. 101 (London, 1822).

[7] _Amer. Urreligionen_, pp. 265, 272 (Basel, 1855).

[8] _History of Chile_, vol. ii, p. 85 (1809).

[9] Molina, _op. cit._, vol. ii, p. 87.

[10] Hawkins, _Sketch of the Creek Country_, p. 80 (Savannah, 1848).

INDEX

A

ABALL, Celtic term for apple, 95
Abella, city of Campania, 95
Accadian concept of the abyss, 34-35; sun myth, 155
Adjacent method in mythology, the, 83
Adonis represents revival of vegetation, 135
Aeracura, Celtic deity, 294
Æacus, son of Zeus and Ægina, 206
_Æneid_, Servius's commentary on the, 78
Ængus, Irish deity, 295
Æolus, Greek wind-god, 133
Ætiological (explanatory) myth, 15 _n_.; story of Orestes an, 79;
Jevons on, 86-87; Marett on, 89
African myth, Lang on, 71; ideas of future life, 216
After-life, ideas of, 195 _et seq._
Agamedes, builder of Apollo's palace, 121
Agave, mother of Pentheus, 243
Agni, Hindu fire-god, 52, 130, 131, 256, 259; birth of, 160
Agricultural gods, 113, 128-129
Ahriman, Persian evil principle, 169; Molina on, 310
Ahts Indians, beast myth of, 145; creation myth of, 147;
fire-stealing myth of, 149; flood myth of, 153
Ai and Edda, dwarfs in Norse myth, 262
Aimon Kondi, deity of Arawak Indians, 139, 179
Ainu (Japan), soul myth of, 152
A-Kikuyus, myth to account for customs and rites of, 157
Alatnir, Slavonic magical instrument, 208
Albiorix, Celtic (Gaulish) deity, 204
Algonquin Indians, belief in destruction by fire, 139; myth of birth
of gods of, 144; dualistic myths of, 145; dismemberment myth of, 146;
creation myth of, 147, 177; culture myth of, 150; fire myth of, 152;
belief in after-life of, 212
_Algonquin Legends of New England_, Leland's, 271
Allatu, Queen of Assyrian Hades, 201-202, 288
'All-Father,' gods and sky-gods; 74 _n_.; Lang's theory
of the, 67-71, 73-74
Alligator as totem of Muskhogean Indians, 307
Ama-terasu, Japanese sun-goddess, 120, 168, 260
Amaethon, British deity, 296
_Amei-malghen_, guardian spirits of Araucanian Indians, 311
Amen, Egyptian god, 114
America, anthropological theories applied to myth of, by Payne, 84;
mound-building in, 305-306; sun-worship in, 305. _See also_
Brazil, Mexico, South America, _etc._
American Indians, North, myths of, 31; flint-gods of, 26 _et seq._;
fire myths of, 139; myth of origin of man of, 143; place of reward of,
153; star myth of, 156; creation myths of, 174-186; ideas of
after-life among, 211-215; mythic writings of, 270
Ancestor-worship, 104, 110-112
Andaman Islanders, fire-stealing myth of, 149
Andes, thunder-gods of, 122-123
Animal worship in Egypt, 45
Animatism, definition of, 22 _n._
Animism, definitions, 17, 22, 52; Tylor on origin of, 23 _n_.; place
in mythic development, 31; Tylor's theory regarding, 58-59; causes of,
according to Spencer, 59-60; Lang's criticism upon theory of, 72-73;
universal nature of early, 82; and the supernatural idea of water, 97;
definite form of, developed in Egypt, 97; origin of, Elliot Smith's
theory of the, 97; distinction between, and polytheism, 109; animistic
conception of thunder, 122; and corn myth, 129-130
Animistic myth, classes of, 23
Anthropological school of mythology 51; its criticism of Müller's
theories, 52-53; recognizes gender-termination as survival
from animistic stage, 53; its position, 54-55; Tiele on, 65-66;
'ignorant camp-followers' of, 66
Anthropomorphism, 20, 110, 119, 125 _et seq._
Anti, Araucanian sun-deity, 315
_Antike Wald- und Feldkulte_, Mannhardt's, 53
Antis Indians, dismemberment myth of, 146; culture myth of, 150;
flood myth of, 153
Anu, Babylonian deity, 166, 251, 288
Anubis, Egyptian god, 285
Apep, night-serpent in Egyptian myth, 99
Aphrodite, mandrake cult of, 93; description of, 285
Apollo, as fire, 41; apple cult of, 93, 94-95; as mistletoe, 95;
origin of, 95; as sun-god, 119; solar myth of, 121; as wielder
of lightning spear, 124, 127; as guardian of crops, 129; Homer
on, 258; described, 283-284; Celtic gods equated with, 294;
Bilé equated with, 296
_Apo-ulmenes_, 309-310
Apple-trees, cult of, 95
Apsaras, Hindu nymphs, 291
Apsu, Babylonian monster, 34, 166, 296
Aqas Xenas Xena, American Indian myth of, 214
_Aradia, the Gospel of the Witches of Italy_, Leland's, 236
Araucanian (Chilean) Indians, 308 _et seq._; Peruvian
influence upon myth of, 309-310; deluge myth of, 310-311;
lack of worship among, 311; castes of priests among, 312;
beliefs regarding the soul among, 313; place of the dead
according to, 313; funeral practices of, 313-314
Arawaks of Guiana, fire myth of, 139, 152; legend of world-tree
among, 141; culture myth of, 150; flood myth of, 153; creation
myth of, 177-179
Arianrhod, British deity, 296
Arician grove, cult of, 76; priest of, as incarnation of
tree-spirit, 77. See also _Golden Bough_
Aricoute, Tupi-Guarani hero, 183
Arran, sacred stone of, 27
Artemis, as moon, 41; mugwort cult of, 93; as moon-goddess, 127;
Homer on, 258
Arthur, King, as sun-hero, 122; his Round Table as the sun, 122
Aruru, creatrix of Eabani in the Gilgamesh epic, 250
_Ascent of Olympus, The_, Harris's, 93
Aschochimi Indians, beast myth of, 145; flood myth of, 153
Ashtaroth, or Astarte, compared with Venus, 285
Askr and Embla, Norse Adam and Eve, 170
Asshur, Assyrian god, 286; described, 288
Assyrian Hades, 201-203
Astrology and myth, 202
Athapascan Indians, creation myth of, 147, 179;
fire-stealing myth of, 149
Athene, Homer on, 20, 258; the name, 47 _n._; as owl, 94;
described, 284-285
Atius Tirawa, Caddoan creative deity, 181
Attys, vegetation god, 135
Augustine, St, on myth, 43
Aurora, Greek divinity, 50
Australia, early isolation of, 36-37
Australians (aboriginal), myth of moon of, 19; Lang on, 68; beast
myth of, 145; dualistic myth, of, 146; myth of origin of man of,
148; culture myth of, 150; taboo myth of, 150; death myth of,
151; star myth of, 156
Avaggdu, British deity, 296
Aztecs, war-god of, 32, 298; fire myth of, 152; myth of place of
reward of, 154; sun myth of, 155; moon myth of, 156; abode
of dead of, 211; deities of, 299.
_See also_ Mexicans

B

BAAL, Bealltainn sacrifice believed to be to, 240
Babylonians, creation myth of, 34-35, 146, 165-166, 173; dualistic
myth of, 145; culture myth of, 149; deluge myth of, 153;
place of punishment of, 154; myth of journey through
Underworld of, 154; food of the dead myth of, 155;
sun myth of, 155; moon myth of, 155; star myth of, 156,
252-253; general description of myths of, 286
Bacchus, connected with the earth, 134; Leland on invocation to, 237
Bacon, Francis, his interpretation of myth, 45
Bakairi Indians, star myth of, 140; and Orion, 141; creation-myth of, 182
Balder, his journey to Hel, 196
Balor, Celtic god, 294-295
Banier, Abbé, historical treatment of myth, 45
Bast, Egyptian goddess, 110
Bat-god of Kakchiquel steals seeds of fire, 268
Bealltainn, Scottish festival of, 240 _et seq._
Beast myths, table of, 144
Beelzebub, Syrian deity, 44
Beetle as creative agency in Egypt and South America, 181, 183
Bel in Gilgamesh epic, 253
Belenos, Celtic (Gaulish) deity, 294
Belial, 44
Bellerophon, Hellenic sun-hero, 122
Bel-Merodach, Babylonian god, 34; description of, 287-288
Belus, supposititious connexion of, with Bealltainn festival, 241-242
Beowulf, myth of, 121-122
Berecyntia, goddess of Autun, 294
Bhaga, Indian deity, 256
Biblical narrative, how it colours myth, 37
Biblical creation story, 167
Bilé, British god, 242, 296
Bird myths, 31-32
Birth of gods myths, table of, 144
Blood, natural food of spirits, 106
Blue Jay, god of Chinook Indians, myths of, 31-32, 68, 301-302
Boag, Johnny, legend of, 234
Boat-language of Scottish fishers, 235
Bohemian festival, return of summer, 136
_Book of the Dead_, 246
Boreas, Harris on, 95; as wind in Greek myth, 133
Bornean ideas of after-life, 216-217
Bororo Indians and Milky Way, 141
Borvo, Celtic (Gaulish) god, 294
"Bragaræthur," the, a portion of the Edda, 260
Brahma, Hindu deity, 115, 256, 290-291; as creator, 160, 162;
his mythological side, 291
Brahmanas, savagery in, 20
Bran, British deity, 296
Brasseur de Bourbourg, Abbé, French translator of _Popol Vuh,_
187-188, 290
Brazilian Indians, earth myth of, 134; fire myth of, 139; moon
myth of, 156
Bres, Celtic god, 295
Bretons, fire-stealing myth of, 149
"Brewing of _Ægir_, The," Norse myth, 262
Brigit, Irish goddess, 296
Brinton, Professor D. G., his _Myths of the New World_, 190-191;
mentioned by Leland, 270
Britain, totems in, 28
British gods, 296 _et seq._
Brounger, myth of, 26; folk-song on, 27 _et seq._
Browny, a goblin, 44
Bryant, Jacob, his _Analysis of Ancient Mythology_, 46
Buddhists, place of reward of, 153
Bull-roarer, 19; gods evolved from, 24
Buri, Norse primeval deity, 170
Burnt-offerings to spirits, 106-107
Burry Man, the, 135-137
Bushmen, myth of Kwai Hemm among, 19; dismemberment myth
among, 146; creation myth of, 147; myth of origin of man of,
148; culture myth of, 150; death myth of, 151; star myth
of, 156; moon myth of, 156
Buyán, isle of, 208

C

CABRAKAN, earth-giant in Kiche myth, 265 _et seq._
Cadmus, Greek solar hero, 122
Cahrocs, fire-stealing myth of, 149
Californian Indian creation myths, 180
Camulos, Celtic (Gaulish) tribal god, 294
Carayas Indians, culture myth of, 150
Caribs (Bakairi), their name for Earth-Mother, 134; name for
Milky Way, 141; (of Guiana) star myth of, 142; (Antillean)
beast myth of, 145; dismemberment myth of, 146; culture myth
of, 150; flood myth of, 153; place of reward of, 154; place
of punishment of, 154; creation myths of, 182
Castor and Pollux, their human form, 156
Caturix, Gaulish war-god, 294
Celtic myth of origin of heroes, 149; culture myth, 150; place
of reward, 153; place of punishment, 154; adventures in
Underworld, 155; sun myth, 155; creation myth, 169, 194;
Otherworld, 209-210; mythic system described generally, 294
_et seq._
Centeotl, Mexican maize-god, 134
Central Africans, death myth of, 151
Centzon Mimizcoa, Mexican name for the star-spirits, 211
Cephalus as sun, 50
Cerberus, dog guardian of Latin Hades, 44
Ceremonies representing details of myths, 87
Cherokee Indians, culture myth of, 150
Chiapas Indians, culture myth of, 150
Chicomecohuatl, Mexican maize-goddess, 299
Childhood, conservatism of, 64
_Childhood of Fiction_, Macculloch's, 222
Chinese creation myth, 166-167, 193
Chinook Indians, myths of, 31, 300-304; beast myth of, 145; myth of
journey through Underworld of, 155; food of the dead myth of, 155;
idea of after-life among, 213-214; mythic system of, 300-304
Chippeway Indian belief in after-life, 212
Choctaw Indians, myths of, 304; creation myth of, 306-307;
Paradise of, 307; priests of, 308
Cingalese, soul myth of, 152
Cipactli animal in Mexican myth, 98
Classification of myth, 138 _et seq._
Codex Regius, MS. of the Edda, 261-262
Coem, hero of Tupi-Guarani Indians, 183
Comes, Natalis, his interpretation of myth, 45
Compact with gods, 112-113, 117-118
Comparative mythology, 47
Comparative religion, 13
Comparative tables of myths, 144-157
Complementary process in folklore, 233
Con or Cun, thunder-god of the Collao of Peru, 309, 310
Conservatism of childhood, 64
Cook, Professor A. B., 89
Copacahuana, fish-goddess of Peruvians, 125-126, 315
Corn-sheaf, rites connected with, 128
Corn-spirit, 113-114; distinction between, and god, 128;
abode of, 129-130; as ruler of Underworld, 218
Cosmic egg in Japanese myth, 168
Cosmogony generally, _see_ Chapter VI, pp. 158 _et seq.; also_
Creation myths
Cosmogonies, relationship of, 187-193
'Covent Garden' school of mythology, 75
Cox, Rev. Sir G. W., advocates universality of the sun myth, 50;
on relationship of mythology to folklore, 223
Coyote, evil principle in Maidu
Indian creation myth, 180
Creation myths generally, _see_ Chapter VI, pp. 158 _et seq_.;
Babylonian, 34-35, 165-166; table of, 146-147; Egyptian, 163-165;
Chinese, 166-167; Jewish, 167; Japanese, 168; Iranian, 169;
Celtic, 169; Norse, 170; Mexican, 171-172; Peruvian, 173; American
Indian, 174-186; South American, 177-179; relationship of, 187-193;
conclusions on, 192-194; of the Choctaw Indians, 306-307
_Creation Myths of Primitive America_, Curtin's, 174
Creuzer, on religious nature of myth, 46
Cronus, and savage element in Greek myth, 18; as principle of time, 41;
deposed by his sons, 206; shares sovereignty of Elysium with
Rhadamanthus, 207
_Cult of Othin_, Chadwick's, 198
_Cultes, mythes, et religions_, Reinach's, 85, 109
Culture-heroes, 119
Culture myths, 149-150
Çupay, Peruvian lord of the dead, 212, 218
Cupid and Psyche, myth of, 143
Curtin, Jeremiah, his _Creation Myths of Primitive America_
quoted, 174-177
Custom, reasons for its adoption inspired by tradition, 96
Customs or rites, myths of, classified, 157
Cythrawl, Celtic evil principle, 169-170

D

DAGDA, Irish deity, 295
Dakota Indians, soul myth of, 212
Dancing and myth, 238-239
Danu, Celtic goddess, 295
Darmesteter and meteorological myths, 51
Dea Domnann, Celtic goddess, 295
Dead, the, as gods, 42
Death, myths of, 142, 150-151
De Brosses, his explanation of myth, 45
Delphi, Apolline garden at, 95
Deluge myth, 36-37; classified, 153; Babylonian, 252-253;
Araucanian, 310-311
Demeter, myth of, 129-130, 288, 304
Déné Indians--_see_ Tinneh
Departmental gods, 116, 117, 118
_De præstigiis dæmonum_, Wierus's, 232
Deucalion, 178
_Deutsche Mythologie_, 90
_Deutsche Sagen_, Brothers Grimm's, 90
Devetinus, a devil, 44
Dharma, Indian god of duty, 256
Diana, temple of, 78, 79; as moon-goddess, 127; Leland on, as
goddess of old religion, 237
Diana Nemorensis, priest of, 75
Diancecht, Irish deity, 295
_Dictionary of Mythology_, Spence's, 226
Dindje Indians, dismemberment myth of, 146
Dionysus, ivy cult of, 93, 94-95; and dismemberment myth, 143;
the rites of, 242 _et seq._; Homer on, 258
Dismemberment myths, 143; table of, 146
Distribution of myths, 70
Dragon, earth-, Great Mother evolved from, 98
Dragon legend, Elliot Smith on, 97-98
Dualism, 143-144
Dualistic myths, table of, 145-146; in Tupi mythology, 184
Duat, Egyptian Hades, 200-201
_Du culte des dieux fétiches, ou parallèle de l'ancienne religion de
l'Égypte avec la religion actuelle de Nigritie_, De Brosses's, 45
Durga, Hindu goddess, 291
Dyaus, Hindu Vedic deity, 289

E

EA, Babylonian deity, 126, 287; creation of, 166; in myth of
Ut-Napishtim, 253, 254
Eabani, type of primitive man in Gilgamesh epic, 250 _et seq._
Earth-gods, 133-135
Earth-Mother, 133; evolved from earth-dragon, 98
Eclectic system in mythology, rationality of, 115
Eddas, the, 260-262; the Younger or Prose, 260; the Elder or Poetic, 261
Editing of myth, Peruvian example of, 16; Babylonian instance of, 34-35
Egg, cosmic, in Indian myth, 162; in Egyptian myth, 165
Egyptians, Plutarch on gods of, 15; animal-worship of, 45; dualistic
myth of, 145; dismemberment myth among, 146; culture myth of, 149;
soul myth of, 152; flood myth of, 153; place of reward of, 153;
place of punishment of, 154, 200-201; myth of journey through
Underworld of, 154; sun myth of, 155; moon myth of, 155; star myth
of, 156; creation myths of, 163-165, 193; Paradise of, 198-200;
mythic writings of, 245-248; general description of myths of, 285-286
Elf-arrow, 27
Elixir of life, and dragon, 97; as human blood, 97
Elysium, 206-207
Enigohatgea (Bad Mind), in Iroquois myth, 191
Enigorio (Good Mind), in Iroquois myth, 191
En-lil, Babylonian thunder-god, 124; creation of, 166, 287
Eos, as dawn, 50
Epona, Celtic (Gaulish) horse-goddess, 294
Eponymous animals, 125
Epunamun, Araucanian deity, 309-310
Esaugetuh Emissee, Choctaw creative deity, 306-307
Eskimos, soul myth of, 152; star myth of, 156
Ethical influences upon myth, 217-218
Euhemerus, his system, 42
Evolution of gods, 102 _et seq._; associated with conception of
spirit, 102-104
_Evolution of the Dragon, The_, Elliot Smith's, 96
"Execration upon Vulcan," Jonson's, 280

F

_Faerie Queene_, mythological references in Spenser's, 278
Farnell, Lewis, his criticism of _The Golden Bough_, 81-83
Father May, May Day character in Brie, 136
Fauna, Latin rural deity, 135
Faunus, Latin rural deity, 135
Faust, Scottish, 228-233
Fetish, definition of, 24 _et seq._; difference between god
and, 25; development of, 104-108; air the element of, 106-107;
work of, 108; sale of, 108; religious ideas connected with,
lack force and permanence, 108; hunting, 116-117; sacrifice to, 116
Fetishism, in Greece, 20; nature of, 24 _et seq._; and evolution
of idea of god, 104, 107
Fiji Islanders, death myth of, 151
Finns, forest-god of, 76; dismemberment myth among, 146; creation myth
of, 147; food of the dead myth of, 155
Fire-gods, 130-131
Fire myths, 139; preponderance of American examples in, 139;
classification of, 152; myths of fire-stealing, 140, 149
Fire-stick, 94
Fisher beliefs of Scotland, 234
Fish-gods of America, 314-315
Fladdahuan (Hebrides), sacred stone in, 27
Flint-gods, 26
Flood myths, 36, 37; classified, 153; Babylonian, 252-253;
Araucanian, 310-311
Folklore, definition of, _12 et seq_.; and myth, 221 _et
seq._; complementary process in, 233
_Folklore as an Historical Science,_ Gomme's, 14 _n_.,
15 _n_., 90, 221, 233
Folk-tale, definition of, 12; appropriated by mythologists, 92;
and history, 92; dependence of, upon custom and superstition, 93
Fomorians, mythical Irish race of Titans, 294
Food of the dead, 37; myths of, classified, 155; the eating of, 304
Frazer, Sir J. G., definition of religion, 14; his _Golden Bough_,75;
his method founded on that of Mannhardt, 75; his thesis, 75-77;
criticism of, by Lang, 77-81
Freya, Teutonic goddess, 262, 292
Funeral practices of the Araucanian Indians, 313-314; of Pehuenche
Indians, 314

G

_GÆA_, Greek earth-goddess, 18, 134, 283
Gallinomero (Californian) Indians, place of punishment of, 154
Gandharvas, Hindu deities, 291
Ganesa, Hindu god, 291
Garnega, St, in _Sir John Rowll's Cursing_, 44
Garog, in _Sir John Rowll's Cursing,_ 44
Garonhia, Iroquois Indian deity, 305
Garuda, Hindu deity, 256
Gaul, gods of, 294
Gayatri, Hindu deity, 256
Gayomart, Persian Adam, 169
Gehenna, Hebrew Hell, 203-206
Gelfion, in Scandinavian myth, 260
Gender-terminations, effect of, in beliefs regarding natural
phenomena, 52; anthropological school regards, as early survivals, 53
_German Myths_, Mannhardt's, 53
Germany, myths of, 90
_Ghastly Priest, The_, Lang's essay on, 75-81
Gilgamesh epic, 248-255; astrological aspect of, 254-255
Glooskap, central figure of New England Indian legends, 270 _et seq._
God, idea of, not animistic, 72; conception of soul not essential to
idea of, 72; original idea of, as 'magnified non-natural man,' 73-74;
idea of, developed from deified king, 97
Gods, in animal shape, 19; dialectical misunderstandings alter
nomenclature of, 30; grouping of, into a pantheon, 30; alien,
identified with national, 34; as elements, 41-42; developed
from the dead, 42; graves of, 42; names of, no guide to their
nature, 52; of vegetation, 75; totems attached to, 109; compact
with the, 112-113; of the chase, later secondary position of, 113;
agricultural, 113, 129; departmental, 116, 117, 118; of the sea, 125;
idea of, as dwelling in the sky, 219
_Gods of Egypt, The_, Budge's, 165 _n._
Gog, in _Sir John Rowll's Cursing_, 44
Goibnin, Celtic smith-god, 263, 295-296
Golden bough of myth situated in the Arician grove, 76; Virgil
on, 77-78; Servius on, 77-78;
Virgil's idea of, equated by Lang with mystic sword of romance, 77, 81;
human sacrifice and, 78, Proserpine and, 78; temple of, 78; what is
the? 80-81
_Golden Bough, The_, Frazer's, 75 _et seq._; criticism of,
by Lewis Farnell, 81
Gomme, Sir G. Laurence, on traditional narrative, 91; his standpoint,
90-92; on folklore and myth, 221-222; on restoration of myth, 233-234
Gorgon's head, Shelley's poem on, 279
Govannon, Celtic smith-god, 263.
_See also_ Goibniu
Græco-Roman myth, 282-285
Grannos, Celtic (Gaulish) god, 294
Great Mother, cowrie-shell as, 99
Greeks, mysteries of, 19; early religion of, 93; myth of birth _of_
gods of, 144; beast myth among, 144-145; dualistic myth of, 145;
dismemberment myth of, 146; creation myth of, 146; origin of man myth
among, 148; myth of origin of heroes among, 149; fire-stealing myth
of, 149; culture myth of, 150; taboo myth of, 150; death myth of, 151;
soul myth of, 152; flood myth of, 153; place of reward of, 153; place
of punishment of, 154, 206-207; myth of journey through Underworld
of, 154; food of the dead myth among, 155; sun myth of, 155; moon
myth of, 156; star myth of, 156; myth to account for rites among, 157;
ideas of Elysian fields among, 207
Green George, St George's Day character in Carinthia, 136
Grimm, J. L. K., 90
Grimm, W. K., 90
Grubb, W. Barbrook, on Lengua Indian creation myth, 180-181
Guaracy, Tupi Indian sun-god, 184
Guatemalans, place of punishment of, 154
Gucumatz in Kiche _Popol Vuh_, 265
Guecubu, demon of Araucanians of Chile, 310
Gulcheman, Araucanian Indian place of the dead, 313
Gwion Bach, British god, 296
Gwydion, British deity, 296
Gylfi in Scandinavian myth, 260

H

HADES, Greek, 206-207
_Hahe_, Samoyede fetish, 105
Haida, American Indian thunder-god, 123
Hanuman, monkey king in Hindu myth, 289
Hare or Hare-skin Indians--_see_ Tinneh
Harog, Teutonic god or spirit, 45
Harris, Dr Rendel, his view on myth, 93-95; Elliot Smith on views of, 96
'Harrying of Hell,' myth of, 31
Hartland, Sidney, his theories, 92-93
Hathor, Egyptian goddess, 27
"Hávamál" Norse mythological hook, 261
Heaven, idea of, 195 _et seq._; localized in the sky, 218-219
Hebrews, myth of origin of heroes of, 149; taboo myth of, 150;
soul myth of, 152; fire myth of, 152; flood myth of, 153; creation
myth of, 167; place of punishment of, 203-206
Hecatæus of Miletus, his interpretation of myth, 42
Hecate, infernal goddess, 278
Heh, Egyptian sky-god, 165
Hel, the Teutonic Hades, 196-197
Hel, Teutonic goddess of death, 196, 197, 218
Hell, idea of, 195 _et seq._; localized as beneath the
earth, 219-220. _See also_ Places of punishment
Hephæstus, as fire, 41, 130-131, 284
Hera, Greek deity, as air, 41; mother of Hephæstus, 130;
Homer on, 258; wife of Zeus, 283; described, 284
Herman, G., explains myth by etymology, 48
Hermes, Greek deity, 284
Hermitten, Brazilian Indian hero-god, 183
Hero myths, classified, 149. _See also_ Culture myths
Herse, Greek deity, as the dew, 50
Hindus, dualistic myths of, 145; creation myths of, 147; myth of
origin of man among, 148; myths of origin of heroes among, 149;
death myth of, 151; flood myth of, 153; sun myth of, 155; star
myth of, 156, 159-160; gods of, 20, 289 _et seq._; mythical
literature of 255 _et seq._
History, its relation to myth, 15 _n._, 42, 58, 92
_History of the Affairs of New Spain_, Sahagun's, 210, 264
_History of the New World called America_, Payne's, 83, 84, 105
Hiyeda No Ra Rae, reciter of Japanese myth and history, 259
Homeric period, religion of, 258
Horus, Egyptian god, 29-30, 122, 198-199; confused with Great
Mother, 98; described, 286
Hottentot beliefs, 71; dualistic myths, 145; death myth, 151
Hun-Apu, Kiche god, adventures of, in _Popol Vuh_,265 _et seq._;
overcomes giants, 266, 302
Hunhun-Apu and Vukub-Hunapu, adventures of, in _Popol Vuh_, 266
_et seq._
Hunting gods, 116-117
Hurakan, Kiche creative god, 172, 309; in _Popol Vuh_, 265
Huron Indians, myth of the birth of gods among, 144; dualistic
myth of, 145; myth of the origin of man of, 148; culture myth
of, 150; death myth of, 151; moon myth of, 156; belief in
after-life of, 212
"Hymn to Proserpine," Swinburne's, mythical references in, 280

I

IKANAM, Chinook creator, 301
Ikenuwakcom, Indian thunder-god, 302
_Iliad_, the, 20, 257-259
Imagination, theory of the universal resemblance of human, 93
Incas (Peru), dualistic myth of, 145; creation myth of, 147
Indians of Nicaragua, their mode of sacrifice, 107
Indra, Hindu god, myth of, 20; as a quail, 123; birth of, 160;
mentioned, 130, 256, 289, 291
Inniskea, Irish island, sacred stone of, 27
Inspiration, value of, in mythic elucidation, 293
_Introduction to Mythology and Folklore,_ Cox's, 50, 133
_Introduction to the History of Religion,_ Jevons', 86
Ioi, sister of Blue Jay, in Chinook myth, 301
Ipurina Indians, their belief about Orion, 141
Iranian creation myth, 169
Irin Magé deity of Tupi-Guarani Indians, 139, 183
Iris, Xenophanes on, 41
Irish gods, 294 _et seq._; myths, 295 _et seq._
Iron, spirits' dread of, 234-235
Iroquois Indians, dualistic myth of, 146; creation myth
of, 147, 179-180; myth of the Two Brothers of, 191;
belief in after-life of, 212
Ishtar and Tammuz, myth of, 251; described, 288
Isis, Egyptian goddess, 129-130, 246, 286
Italapas, coyote-god of the Chinook Indians, 301, 303
Italy, modern magic in, 236-237
Ivy, as sacred plant, 94-95
Izanagi, Japanese creative god, 168
Izanami, Japanese creative goddess, 168

J

JACK-IN-THE-GREEN, 137
Jacy, Tupi Indian moon-god, 184
Japanese, creation myth of, 147, 168, 194; culture myth of, 150;
place of punishment of, 154; adventures in Underworld of, 155;
mythic literature, 259-260
Jevons, Dr F. B., on myths, 86; his _Introduction to the History of_
_Religion_, 86
Joskeha (White One), Huron Indian deity, 37, 191
Jötunn, Norse giants alluded to in the "Völuspá," 261, 293
"Journey of Skirnir, The," Norse mythic book, 261
Juno, 80; as mother of Vulcan, 279
Jupiter, myth of, as swan, 28; equated with Zeus and Tyr, 48;
as thunder-deity, 124; Leland on invocation to, 237; in Shelley's
_Prometheus Unbound_, 276; in Milton's _Paradise Lost_, 277;
Spenser on, 278
Jurupari, Brazilian Indian deity, 192

K

KALI, Hindu goddess, variant of Durga, 291
Kame, Carib Indian hero-god, 182
Karaya Indians, star myth of, 140; their myth about Milky Way, 141;
their myth about Orion, 141
Karma, Hindu deity, 159
Kartikeya, Hindu god, 256
Karu, hero-god of the Mundruku Indians, 183
Keri, hero-god of Bakairi (Carib) Indians, 182
Keridwen, British goddess, 227, 296
Khepera, Egyptian creative deity, 163; Osiris takes form of, 164
Khnemu, creative acts of, 165
Kiche Indians (Guatemala), creation myth of, 147, 172, 264-265; their
myth of origin of man, 148; their myth of origin of heroes, 149,
265-268; Underworld of, 212; mythical history of, 268 _et seq._
_Kinder- und Hausmärchen_, Brothers Grimm's, 90
King, as tree-spirit, 76
_King of Tars, The_, English romance, mythical references in, 43
Kingu, Babylonian monster, 35
Klaatsch, Dr, on Australians, 37
Kneph, Egyptian god, 298
Kodoyanpe, Maidu Indian creation myth of, 180
_Kojiki_, Japanese mythic book, 259
Krimen, Tupi-Guarai Indian hero, 183
Krishna, Hindu deity, cult of, 257
Kuhn, and meteorological myths, 51
Kuni-toko-tachi, Japanese god, 168
Kuvera, Hindu deity, 256

L

LADAKS of Tibet, place of punishment of, 154
Laestrin, his interpretation of myths from nebular phenomena, 51
Lafitau, his interpretation of Indian totems, 29; indicates savage
element in myth, 45
Lang, Andrew, on solar myth, 54; on Spencer's theories, 60; works
of, 66 _et seq._; his position, 66; distrust of Müller's
conclusions, 66; on 'disease of language,' 67; on the sacred and
frivolous in religion, 67; his conception of myth, arguments
against, 69; his general thesis, 69; his theory attached to
evolutionary systems, 70; his three stages of myth, 70; his
_Modern Mythology_,71-72; his anti-animistic hypothesis, 72-73;
his _Making of Religion_, 72-74; his 'All-Father' theory and
sky-gods, 74 _n_.; his criticism of Frazer's _Golden
Bough_, 75-77
Language and formation of myth, 56
Lares, the, 237
Latin earth-gods, 134
Laurel as sacred plant, 94
"Lay of Hoarbeard," Norse mythic book, 261-262
Leda, Roman goddess, 28
Legend, definition of, 12; Gomme's definition of, 90
_Legend of Perseus, The_, Hartland's, 93
Leland, C. G., his _Aradia_, 236-237; his _Kuloshap the
Master_, 270-271
Lengua Indians of South America, creation myth of, 180-181; ideas
of the after-life among, 214-215
Leto, mother of Apollo, as darkness, 121
Life-index, the, 247 _n._
Lightning spear, the, 124
Lithuanian May Day festival, 136
Little May Rose, Alsatian May Day character, 136
Little Leaf Man, Thuringian May Day character, 136
Llud Llaw Ereint, British deity, 295
Loki, Scandinavian deity, 131, 292-293; as fire-god, 293
Lox, Algonquin deity, 143
Lug, Irish god, 295
Lunar gods, 126-127; their qualities, 127; connexion with water, 127

M

_Mabinogion_, Welsh mythical book, 262
Macculloch, Dean, on folk-tale and myth, 222-223
Macha, Irish war-goddess, 296
McLennan, J. F., his writings on totemism, 59
Madagascar, dismemberment myth of natives of, 146
_Magic and Religion_, Lang's, 75
Magic, in modern Italy, 236-237
_Mahabharata_, the, 257
Maire, Tupi-Guarani deity, 183
Maize-gods of Mexico, 299
_Making of Religion, The_, Lang's, 66, 71, 72
Makonaima, Arawak creative god, 177-178
Malays, soul myth of, 152
Malsum the Wolf in North American Indian legend, 271-272
Mama Allpa, Peruvian earth-goddess, 134
Mama-cocha ('Mother Sea'), Peruvian goddess, 125, 314
Mama Nono, Carib Earth-Mother, 134, 182
Man, primitive, irrationality of, 17; his thirst for knowledge, 21;
'magnified non-natural,' regarded as earliest type of god by
Lang, 73-74; imagination of, 93; not an inventive animal, 96;
myths of origin of, classified, 148; creation of, _see_