New-York tribune., 1873-02-25
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

,not ncrClI MYTHOLOGY Or, TIE lke.NS of
Tbe nresent work will be welcomed by stu
,ous readers curious example OF successiu Engnsh
composition by foreign writer and as an ingenious con-
tbution character and sgniheance OF the ancient
,rxtboloeie The author, who is Professor or sanskt
,nd Cmparative Literature in OF the highest sem
inaries of learning Florence Is scholar Of profound
erndion Of natural turn for speculative inquiry ana
Of sufficient sense 20 act as safeguard against
the fancul vagares which apt TO vitae 'he IA
iioua prosecution of the subject The ancient systems
az mythology he Justly remarks, have Oy no means
ceased TO exist They have only taken different shapes
and have been widely difused The name is
changed while the essence remains In losing ther ce
lestia reference they have become more earthly ana
less splendid and imposing but their vitays stl enor-
mems We might almost say Of the gods as OF the rehcs
NJ saints in the Catholic Church. that the more they are
divided the more they multiply. The mystery with
which the popular fancy delights TO envelope them
serves instead of the immortal amorosa, which miuls
tered to their heavenly hfe Nothing cngs TO the earh
more closely than superstition. scientific truth re-
,ir,s vears and sometimes centuries before 1t can OBJ
tain general acceptance The ancient myth gives us 'he
germ of many existing traditions ana III the SAME ma"
uer the current popular legends often explain Tue e"
NJ the CID celestial personhcatons'-ih 'ne Al''o' ~
mythology, the ancient Nedic texts serve "s '"o
star,r,-,oirt for comparative study The first no
tons Of Aryan mythology are found in thoso
pages OF natural poesy. But we cannot say th"' tue
Vede HYMNS contain all our mythology any more un'
of Language. Tney show how certain essehtlai hyths
ere formed before che dispersion of the Aryans, en-
bpc Us 10 reconstruct history OF those that remain
Ia analogy In respects the Greoian my thoiogy
and I'm others the SavOnan, the scandinavian aud the
German traditions, exhibit more clearly the orShal
myhie principles which they possess IN common with
india Indeed the Indian element in some cases Is al
solely wanting in the myth, while the European mani
esis extraordinary vitality and expansion Inc loA'
rcx,r,uc which I'm Europe forms the subject Of com
,le4e epos holds quite secondary place In the lndian
traditions which prefer to upon the cunning OF
he scrucnt Thisis explained by Geological geography
Which shows impossible that IN the hindoo le-
terist oN an animal less familiar 20 those regions
Ihoud become highest type of feminine malice while
or the same reason the elephant the giant ape the
gigantic turtle which occupy such important position
n the Bfahmauc mythology, could scarcely hh0 pace
The mythical legends of Europe, where these animals
are much less known. But though the various forms OF
mimals are frequently exchanged with each other Tor
teoglapLlcal reasons, the mythical motive on when
hey are based is everywhere the same The different
characters of the nations composing our race Leading
hem 20 adopt different homes and climates caused inc
neces thar what was desired and loved IN one place
should he feared and dreaded in another and the re-
Verse that an object should "a divine aspect IN
-2Be place which another would be considered demo-
uiacal: while the common basis belonging TO inns
variety OF my he forms is the observation OF the same
celestial phenomena. myth, moreover, which was
almost forgotten among one people, was held III hVey
recollection bv another aud often developed into greater
snd greater fIues Of meaning, and finish OF lorm 1he
difference due in part to the greater OF less I'M
preston produced the mind by the contemplation oI
seles al uhenOmeua, and partly 10 the different geo
yr.pbical conditions TO which they subject sun
IN The nuluCnsc variety Of forms which any special myth
parsed through always trace out the unity OF It's
pricn IN his description Of the animals % mythology
fbe author ASSUMES that the heavens the general
domain boz which they produced, and enact then re-
St,ccitve PARTS Tic time during which the mythical
action subject 10 many variations. II Is now the
day Of twelve hours that Of twentytour, now the
three witches Of the night At one time 1t is the lunar
month OF tweuty,even days az another the solar month
Of thirty; sometimes the year Of twelve solar and some
times that OF thirteen lunar months Tie drama OF
mythology has ITS origin always in the sky but the SKY
MAY be either clear gloomy; it Inay he iumned by
the by the obscured by the darkness OF
night or TIE condensation of vapbTs into CLOUDS. Ihe
rlear heavensragslme at times the appearance or
Amiy sea. giving nseo the idea of cow, ana hence
Tie mos splendid aspects OF the sky are often represented
NJ nocks herds Tue god who causes ram to fa taxes
The form n0gs of % ram, OF hull. The lightning
that nies like a winged arrow is represented sometimes
asa bird, sometimes winged hare Thus all the
shifting phenomena Of the heavens cake snccessvey the
forms oi animals. and at length become tue hero
himself or the animal that waits upon the
h6ro, and without which lac would possess no
preernLtural power Tlc cloudy the dark aspect OF
the sky the other hand assumed IN the myths the
form Of coto, den, stable tree. forest rock
mouuta,n 20 an ocean These having once taken root II
with soep COWS. and horses, the tree with buds the
fore, will deer aud Wd b0aTs, the rock with dragons
Who keep guard fountains and treasures, the noun
tain with srcts the with FISH and aquatic mon
siar.. In % single st&uzl OF % Nedic hymn the poet
gives "a whole mythical dama.-The author dwells with
pcrali1r cIuphasls the mine OF mythical wealth,
which, in e OF antique le- ends is yet TO be dug
up classic soil OF Italy. II is only within few
years tha the attention OF students has been directed 10
this su itc. The basis OF Italian belief in the opinion
of the author, Is Sti substantially PAGAN. The admirable
ladies, suggests whO most asslduous IN their at
Tendance great spectaclcs Of The Church, in
fact jealous guardians OF heather fables and
diabObc supersttOns. The old universal story has
changed base, hut retains its spirit. The ancient
tradition seem TO be heirloom Of the italian blood
Thus through the fancifu legends of different countries,
the OF the skycy influences
the roldg of the year, embodied in the
pcrsOnhctOus Of animal nature, and the curious.
and mostly crotesQue inventions Of poetry. He brings
great wealth Of learning 10 the illustration OF his sub
joct and although he follows the track which has been
opened with such signal by eCent previous wri
ters, he frequently Offers original glimpses in the dis
fant view, and clears up fresh path that had been
ovcrrun by thOruy grOwths.