Myth, Ritual, and Religion, vol 1 | Page 3

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MYTH, RITUAL, AND RELIGION
by Andrew Lang

Volume One

CONTENTS
PREFACE TO NEW IMPRESSION.
PREFACE TO NEW EDITION.
CHAPTER I.
-- SYSTEMS OF MYTHOLOGY.
Definitions of religion--Contradictory evidence--"Belief in spiritual
beings"--Objection to Mr. Tylor's definition--Definition as regards this

argument--Problem: the contradiction between religion and myth--Two
human moods--Examples--Case of Greece-- Ancient
mythologists--Criticism by Eusebius--Modern mythological
systems--Mr. Max Muller--Mannhardt.
CHAPTER II.
-- NEW SYSTEM PROPOSED.
Chapter I.
recapitulated--Proposal of a new method: Science of comparative or
historical study of man--Anticipated in part by Eusebius, Fontenelle,
De Brosses, Spencer (of C. C. C., Cambridge), and Mannhardt--Science
of Tylor--Object of inquiry: to find condition of human intellect in
which marvels of myth are parts of practical everyday belief--This is
the savage state--Savages described--The wild element of myth a
survival from the savage state--Advantages of this method--Partly
accounts for wide DIFFUSION as well as ORIGIN of
myths--Connected with general theory of evolution--Puzzling example
of myth of the water- swallower--Professor Tiele's criticism of the
method-- Objections to method, and answer to these--See Appendix B.
CHAPTER III.
-- THE MENTAL CONDITION OF SAVAGES--CONFUSION WITH
NATURE--TOTEMISM.
The mental condition of savages the basis of the irrational element in
myth--Characteristics of that condition: (1) Confusion of all things in
an equality of presumed animation and intelligence; (2) Belief in
sorcery; (3) Spiritualism; (4) Curiosity; (5) Easy credulity and mental
indolence--The curiosity is satisfied, thanks to the credulity, by myths
in answer to all inquiries--Evidence for this--Mr. Tylor's opinion--Mr.
Im Thurn--Jesuit missionaries' Relations--Examples of confusion
between men, plants, beasts and other natural objects--Reports of
travellers--Evidence from institution of totemism--Definition of

totemism--Totemism in Australia, Africa, America, the Oceanic Islands,
India, North Asia-- Conclusions: Totemism being found so widely
distributed, is a proof of the existence of that savage mental condition
in which no line is drawn between men and the other things in the
world. This confusion is one of the characteristics of myth in all races.
CHAPTER IV.
-- THE MENTAL CONDITION OF SAVAGES--MAGIC--
METAMORPHOSIS--METAPHYSIC--PSYCHOLOGY.
Claims of sorcerers--Savage scientific speculation--Theory of
causation--Credulity, except as to new religious ideas--"Post hoc, ergo
propter hoc"--Fundamental ideas of magic--Examples: incantations,
ghosts, spirits--Evidence of rank and other institutions in proof of
confusions of mind exhibited in magical beliefs.
CHAPTER V.
-- NATURE MYTHS.
Savage fancy, curiosity and credulity illustrated in nature myths-- In
these all phenomena are explained by belief in the general animation of
everything, combined with belief in metamorphosis--Sun myths, Asian,
Australian, African, Melanesian, Indian,