New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1882-05-31
Evolution Of NagiA

magic had Its beginning An devil-wor.
ship. Savages in all coyd tries fear de-
mons and wicked sorceI ers before thew
think Of good God, many 81 them, IN
deed, looking down Nth contempt upon
. supreme being VINO could he friendly
to them, just as boys sheer at too In
dulgent school master. AZ Dean Swift
says, whereas orr desires prompt to
pray, the Wild Indian is oftener nut mn
on his knees BY his fears. Hence relie-
lon In ID primitive manifestations ID
pure magic, and nothing but magic, con-
sistipg, as we still find It In surviving
forms Of primeval Shamanism. in exor.
ci6ims or propitations Of evil spirits.-
30 long . mems own actions and inn
pulses are the only law they know, they,
IKE children, attribute human feelings
and intentions to allsubstauces, animafe
and tnanimate, and even to the natural
elements. There is no actual difference
between the logic Of the child who beats
the floor because, when he fell on It, he
bumped his head and that 81 the savage
Or ignorant Christian who maltreats and
browns the statute Of god OF saint be-
cause bis prayers have not been answer
%. The human struggle for existence
Is at tlrst as severe as that Of the lower.
animals, and, before man can worrv
himself as to his future destiny he must
concern himself about the present. Be
fore. he seeks to provide for his soul, he
must overcome the obstacles that lie in
the way Of his body; and, his associative
powers being in their infancy, his man
ner Of accomplishing this is illogical
IN 81
because their authority rests on imagin-
airy and dreaded power. They are sup
posed to control the elements, to send
health and disease, and to give both life
and death, some savages saying that If
there were no wizards then would men
live forever. Thus, they are honored
as the holders of the keys to human
happiness and prosperity. Butler says
truly in Hudibras,
doubtless the pleasure is as great
f OF being cheated as to cheat:"
for, in proportion as there are men ready
to invent absurd reasonings, credulous
people show their willingness to accept
their absurdities. Primitive magicians
invest sticks and stones with supernat-
ural power, and their followers at once
place all their faith therein; they declare
that screams and noises as Of Bedlam
let loose will influence and Danish the
demons, and the people celebrate reli-
gious ceremonies which consist Of wells
and dances, contortions and gesticula-
lions. In primitive magic there may
be germ Of the transcendental philoso-
ply Of the mystics, who could only de-
scribe the infinite as diametrically OPP
posed to the finite. If savages shrink
before shadows, then must shadows or
spirits cover before substances, their
fear increasing in proportion as these
are lifeless or soulless. Man lives in a
world of noise; hence the land of shad.
ows is, as New Zealanders believe and
European poets sing, silent one, and
at the beating of drums, the blowing of
whistles, the ringing Of bells. and the
shouting of human voices the evil spir-
its are bewilde, I'd and vanquished.-
There is q very beautiful and strange
South Sea poem, reminding one of q
picture by Carpaccio, and which, like
Salis's poem of 1.-The Silent Land.'' de-
scribes the invisible world as one of
utter stiffness.