Myth, Ritual & Religion, Volume 1First published in 1887, this early work of comparative mythology remains a vital resource to students and devotees of ethnography, history, and world legends. Lang's stunningly comprehensive overview of pre-scientific thinking provides an important perspective on the worldviews that molded and continue to influence modern thought. In this, the first of two volumes, Lang begins with a minimum definition of religion-"the belief in a primal being, a Maker"-explores the differences between mythology and religion, discusses the problems of seeking the origins of the belief in a deity, and examines totem-ism, nature myths, and creation stories from around the globe, including Greece, Asia, Australia, Africa, and the New World. Scottish journalist and author ANDREW LANG (1844-1912), the son of the sheriff-clerk of rural Selkirkshire, was educated at Edinburgh Academy, the Universities of St. Andrews and Glasgow, and Balliol College, Oxford. A contemporary and friend of Robert Louis Stevenson, he produced a stunning variety and number of volumes, including books of poetry, novels, children's books, histories, and biographies, as well as criticism, essays, scholarly works of anthropology, and translations of classical literature. |
Contents
CHAPTER | 1 |
CHAPTER II | 29 |
THE MENTAL CONDITION OF SAVAGESCONFUSION WITH | 48 |
CHAPTER IV | 84 |
CHAPTER V | 122 |
CHAPTER VI | 159 |
CHAPTER VII | 206 |
CHAPTER VIII | 230 |
PAGB | 246 |
CHAPTER X | 280 |
CHAPTER XI | 305 |
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Common terms and phrases
Africa Ahone Aitareya Brahmana American ancestors ancient Andamanese animals Aryan Ataentsic Australian Baiame barbaric beasts belief birds borrowed Brahmanas Bushmen character chief Christian conception Creator Cronus deity Dionysus divine early earth element Euhemerus evidence evolution example existence explain fable fancy father folk-lore Garcilasso ghosts gods Greece Greek myth heaven hero Hesiod Homer human sacrifices hymns hypothesis ideas Incas Indra Ioskeha Kamilaroi later legend Lobeck magic Maori Max Müller medicine-man Michabo missionary moon moral Muir mysteries mythical mythology native natural origin Orphic Pausanias philosophers Pindar plants poets Popol Vuh Prajapati priests Primitive Procne Pund-jel Purusha recognised Red Indians regarded religion religious Rig-Veda rites ritual rude sacred savage myths savagery says shape Smith sorcerers spirits stars stone stories Strachey Strachey's supernatural survival swallowed temple theory things thought tion totemism tradition trees tribe Tylor Veda Vedic worship Zealand Zeus Zulus