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Myths and Myth-Makers: Old Tales and Superstitions Interpreted by
comparative mythology by John Fiske
Scanned by Charles Keller with OmniPage Professional OCR software

MYTHS AND MYTH-MAKERS OLD TALES AND
SUPERSTITIONS INTERPRETED BY COMPARATIVE
MYTHOLOGY
BY JOHN FISKE

La mythologie, cette science toute nouvelle, qui nous fait suivre les
croyances de nos peres, depuis le berceau du monde jusqu'aux
superstitions de nos campagnes.--EDMOND SCHERER

TO MY DEAR FRIEND, WILLIAM DEAN HOWELLS,IN
REMEMBRANCE OF PLEASANT AUTUMN EVENINGS SPENT
AMONG WEREWOLVES AND TROLLS AND NIXIES, I dedicate
THIS RECORD OF OUR ADVENTURES.

PREFACE.
IN publishing this somewhat rambling and unsystematic series of
papers, in which I have endeavoured to touch briefly upon a great many
of the most important points in the study of mythology, I think it right
to observe that, in order to avoid confusing the reader with intricate
discussions, I have sometimes cut the matter short, expressing myself
with dogmatic definiteness where a sceptical vagueness might perhaps
have seemed more becoming. In treating of popular legends and
superstitions, the paths of inquiry are circuitous enough, and seldom
can we reach a satisfactory conclusion until we have travelled all the
way around Robin Hood's barn and back again. I am sure that the
reader would not have thanked me for obstructing these crooked lanes
with the thorns and brambles of philological and antiquarian discussion,
to such an extent as perhaps to make him despair of ever reaching the
high road. I have not attempted to review, otherwise than incidentally,
the works of Grimm, Muller, Kuhn, Breal, Dasent, and Tylor; nor can I
pretend to have added anything of consequence, save now and then
some bit of explanatory comment, to the results obtained by the labour
of these scholars; but it has rather been my aim to present these results
in such a way as to awaken general interest in them. And accordingly,
in dealing with a subject which depends upon philology almost as
much as astronomy depends upon mathematics, I have omitted
philological considerations wherever it has been possible to do so.
Nevertheless, I believe that nothing has been advanced as established
which is not now generally admitted by scholars, and that nothing has

been advanced as probable for which due evidence cannot be produced.
Yet among many points which are proved, and many others which are
probable, there must always remain many other facts of which we
cannot feel sure that our own explanation is the true one; and the
student who endeavours to fathom the primitive thoughts of mankind,
as enshrined in mythology, will do well to bear in mind the modest
words of Jacob Grimm,-- himself the greatest scholar and thinker who
has ever dealt with this class of subjects,--"I shall indeed interpret all
that I can, but I cannot interpret all that I should like."
PETERSHAM, September 6, 1872.

CONTENTS.
I. THE ORIGINS OF FOLK-LORE
II. THE DESCENT OF FIRE
III. WEREWOLVES AND SWAN-MAIDENS
IV. LIGHT AND DARKNESS
V. MYTHS OF THE BARBARIC WORLD
VI. JUVENTUS MUNDI
VII. THE PRIMEVAL GHOST-WORLD
NOTE

MYTHS AND MYTH-MAKERS.
I. THE ORIGINS OF FOLK-LORE.
FEW mediaeval heroes are so widely known as William Tell. His
exploits have been celebrated by one of the greatest poets and one of

the most popular musicians of modern times. They are doubtless
familiar to many who have never heard of Stauffacher or Winkelried,
who are quite ignorant of the prowess of Roland, and to whom Arthur
and Lancelot, nay, even Charlemagne, are but empty names.
Nevertheless, in spite of his vast reputation, it is very likely that no
such person as William Tell ever existed, and it is certain that the story
of his shooting the apple from his son's head has no historical value