New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-08-08
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

crrr rSFs OF PRIMITIVE BEFlkt among .ne anoo,
European Races. BY ChARLes thtNN We. csa,les
the british Museum i2mo. PIP XXI, oSA Vnari0s
ssribner's Sons. ,.
The modern scientific method of treating the MS
tory of religion applies the principle OF developneh'
a. the exclamation of belief, and excludes the ny
,,otbesis of supernatural revelation, even whon"
docs not formally deny it, Mr. keary remarks III n'S
preface that there two lines Of inquiry ih'" ''
religions of the primitive races one Is by eoihpi"
tive mythology, which traces myth throuSh az i'
varieties and sub-speeies the other is by the his
torical study OF a single race, and the roiauonS"P
of these people to the world by which they are sur
rounded. The second is the course which he mas
sdopted. The facts of early Aryan oeliei nc
considers surely ascertainablo" y; ana saio
elew to their discovery is supplied ny
philology. There is "A close parallel In the us
tories of religion and of language All "oius a,
first expressed only the ideas OF dehnile ma'eii"i
objects. In time the name OF an inolVluuai 'ni"s
EXPANDED its meaning TO take in class Oh 'ninsS
And next a word ceased to be name ana pecanio
nm adjective OF attribute. In like manner rehgioh
BEGAN with the worship of some one material ooec"
snch AS an individual tree that is. with fetchlsn.
The next stage was the worship OF grove OF u
trees in cenerai then came the cult of some lnvisl
BILE belonging Of the grove as the mysterious SCUM"
of the forest or the wind among the boughs. FROM
the visible and tangible things OF earth reng'on
looked further AWAY to the heavenly bodies OF ~
the sky ITSELF and at last it emerged from 'n0 '
ture-worshpping stage and recognized an INV
God With this last phase OF benel INC Pi'
treatise is not directly concerned, MI he"9
subject being being the first ana seconu s'"sI
fatichism and nature worship but particularly INC
second He purSues his theme through tle H'oi
tures of India Greece and Northern Europe WIN
great Ingenuity of research and richness OF lus'Ia
zion: and he treats pretty fully the topic OF the
survival Of heathenism in the middle ages. and tho
connection between prehistoric supersutions ana
many popular legends and customs when SUN 9ui
viye. Mr.. Keary is clear, systematic and interest
ing and the evidences OF scholars MP III HIS WIN
are unmistakable Some caution, however must
be observed in accepting his conclusions III Pai'0u
lar instances as even those who concur III Ills gen
eral theory will readily admit. In explaining now
the worship of trees gradually contouhdeu 4'Soii
with the worship of the sky, he reasons tha' our
savage ancestors living on roots ana oerlicS
and so walking with their eyes Oh
the ground, chad not leisure to observe that inc
treetop was not really close against the sky" ana
NAV well have deemed that the upper branches
hid themselves IN infinitely remote etherea re-
cionsD This theory requires boldness OF imagina-
tion to which few of Mr.. Kearys readers VIII leel
eoual. Neither will many of them follow MN III
his contention that the indu gences celebrated IN
the Bacchic and Phalic ntes "as they are the man
autbors of a formulated worship and so one NAV
say of religion are likewise great instgators TO the
growth of morality" He is speaking, of course OF
the influence of excitement in developing emotion
in the primitive creeds; but in this sense his
assumption is at least questionable.