New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-06-26
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
pprurrIVF RFLIEFS.

DID, 1913. J. T. llplbcott 4" w.
OEn no, Cn,x.T New Edition Revised < Noi''
syo. Do. xvi, 42s Xii. AIS Henry hOi' w.
rho ,;,,o which Mr. Dorrnan preixes To ms doom
q. omh;ynous /; does not show whether hS u'se"
,,as IN treat OF the Origin OF Primitive SUPER
an the world generally, and the deveiolino"' "
4be.e superstitions into particular ooc'r'n'' """
practices among the American INDIANS VI '"''
.ons;dcr the origin of Indian superstitons ano the
80 aar;,ed from them In point of fact lac has
accomplished neither task so that his u''o IN iV'
nnIy ambguous but whichever meaning we "t,ao"
a.. 1, it,s too ambitious What he has done II th's
be has collected remarkable store OF lhloiii''o'
learing upon the superstitions ana rehsi"uS
,he tribes of North and South America anu mas
classified and arranged them II such way rs W w
bit the striking similarity in the aborigiai oeici'
which prevailed from Hudsons Bay 70 Ia'''so"".
With the conclusions dcducille fron TINS array %
facts he has not far made any serious a'''np' "
deal Iii his purpose or rather his hope 10 srace
nil superstitions, the world over 10 col"'i"i'
origin Int in the execution of this project ne mas
made less apparent progress than he seems 10 lu-
ogine ut is the aim of this book" he says IN MS
preface ito contribute facts to show the hoi"-
cenetv OF mans religious beliefs. Although INC
New World is the field of research III the present
volume the rudimentary forms OF behet are SHOW"
10 ,e the same there as elsewhere and their sys''-
matte development is also the same. Inns Is
strange statement, for Mr.. Dorinan has iel' inc '
portant subject OF the correspondence between INC
.,,ners,itions Of the Old World and the New I'M
tonched and in HE first chapter he expressly IT,
serves il for another time. His declared scheme u
snhstantiallv the same that Mr. +. b. Tylor wrought
ont ten wears ago in his remarkable work on fTim-
itive Culture and We can hardly help suspectlng
that but for Tylor Mr. Dorman would never nave
written. Proper Acknowledgements are made 10 the
author Of Primitive Culture both III the preface
10 the present volume and in the foot-notes out
Mr. Dorman's Indebtedness to his predecessor con-
sists still more in the influence which he mas
absorbed than in the theories iacts ana Api'SS'V"'
which he has openly borrowed.
In one important respect Mr. Dorinan goes iur'ner
than his master He starts with the postul''te that
all primitive religious belief is poybelstic" sav-
age man lives everywhere in terror of invisible
spirts and out of attempts 10 propitate them arise
all forms of worship. In the development OF cui-
ture. pantheiem succeeds polythesn, anu mohothe-
ism follows 10y SLOW steps, being not primitive beel'
but a gradual development from the Tudest supeiS"
ton In the progress Of the human race, surrstuoh'
are slowly eliminated though II Is doubtful whe'leI
fhe highest man will be able To ATE from
his nature every yestige of supcrstitcus dread "i
the supernatural. Now in the statement oil TINS
theory Mr. Dorman's dependence upon Mr.. 1ylor IL
NIT himself to the dogmatc declaration 10 conf
IDENTIFY put forth by his disciple According to the
antbor Of Primitive Culture the evidence that
the savage doctrine Of all pervading spirits, or
animsm as he calls il. was the primary form oil re-
Igion and not a degradation Of higher belief
.seems reasonably strong" e though not amounting
10 complete demonstration Dir. DOrman assumes
ii as the undisputed truth. Considering the I'M
portant bearing of this evolution theory upon inc
doctrine of divine revelation which 30 large part
Of the world has cherished for many ages We
should at least not be asked to accept 1t without
argument 1t is only indirectly. however, that any
argument in support Of il can be drawn from this
book. If It could he shown that the savages Of
America without intercourse with the rest OF the
world had developed the same polytheistc beliefs
which are found among tho rudest people every
where else then it night pausib!y be urged that
these beliefs were natural to the primitive state OF
man and not the relics of purcr forgotten creed
But MI Dorman does not attempt this lie informs
us in his introduction that he shall assume the
mythology of the Red Race to be purely indigenous.
This is begging the whole question. If the ancestors
of the American Indians came from Asia land
modern research seems 10 strengthen that theory
they brought some kind of mythology with them
for os Mr. Dormau, closely following MIR. 1yior,
correctly observes, no people has yet been found
entirely without religion.
Bat while we cannot set high valne upon this
work as philosophical disquisition, it has I'M
doubtedly importance as a collection of materials
which other schOlars-Vcrhaps Nr. Dorman himself
in a subsequent volumc-may use TO advantage.
The homngcneity Of the Indian supcrstitons is
traced first in their general belief IN the eXiscnce OF
spirits Of the dcad-ghos;s in fact-pervadiIig all
animate and inanimate nature; then in the worship
of ancestors in apotheoss IN felchisn, III the Nor-
shin of animals, Of iuaumate natural objects, and
of the heavenly bodies; Ia the alIlmlstlc theory of
mctcoroogy and in pricstcratt. Burial customs to
which a long and interesting chapter - devoted,
offer remarkable diversities, the modes OF dsposng
of the dead in various parts of the two Americas
being almost nnumcrablc. Mr.. Dormau rcconcIlcs
the apparent discrepancies by referring all Indian
burial customs to a desire tn preserve the bones
owing TO n belief that the soul dwelt III the bones.
This explanation, however, seems somewhat arbi-
trary.
The recent appearance Of n new edition OF hr
Conway's well known treatise on " Demonology and
Devil Lore may be appropriately noticed here, ioI
ut several points IT tOucss the same subjects IN
yolveti in Mr. Dormans study of primitive supersti
lions According TO NJ. Conway. IT is t0leraby
clear that the earliest emotion of worship was born
ont of the wonder with which man looked mp TO the
heavens above him. The splendors of the morning
and evening" the azure vault. painted with irescOc'
of cloud or biackehcd by inc STORM; the HiPI'
crowned with consultations: these awakened i'm
animation inspired awe. kindlcd admiration, ana al
length alteration, in the being WHO had reached IN
teryals In which his eye was lifted above the
earth Popping the celestial spaces with the forms
of ancestors or kings great men, the primitive
tribes evolved their crude panthcisic systems. out
of which dualism gradually aro>e, Is the universe
came to be regarded as the arena Of a tremendous
conflict between good and evil powers. 1t may
almost be affirmed that religion considered as scr