Morning journal and courier., 1885-06-12
Origin of Folklore.

Max Muller holds that all the stories of
 prineesses, imprisoned or enchanted, and de-
 livered by young lovers, ''can be traced back
 to mythological tradition about the spring
 being released from the bonds of winter"
 But he requires. first, to have the names of
 the personages of the story, because he
 traces the connection more by their etymolo-
 gy than by tpe incidents of the narrative.
 Of this we shall have to say something
 again. With regard to purely nursery or
 household tales, the question seems to re-
 solve itself pretty much into this: Are they
 the remains of an older and higher mytholo-
 gy, or are they the foundations upon which
 the priests and medicine men and minstrels
 of later ages built their mythss Are they, in
 short surviving relics, or were they germss
 The favorite scientific theory adopts the for
 mer view; we incline to the latter. There
 are many of the familiar folk-tales which it is impossible to explain, and there are many, doubtless, which are in some sort fragments of the old mythologies filtered to us through Greece But, on the whole, it is more req sonable to conclude that the simple stories of the marvellous irrational have their origin Gin the qualities of the uncivilized imagina- tion."
 Thus with regard to the current supersti- tions of our peasantry and of the Highland CTS, it is much more rational to consider them, Dr. Robert Chambers did, as 'tspringing from disposition of the human mind to account for actual appearances by some fmaginedahistory which the appearances suggest" than as relics of the old-world my thologies. The untutored mind disregards the natural even in these days of applied science. There is an old weir across the Tweed which the common people, forgetting the mill, which had disappeared, pointed &ba off of "a of l. chael Scott, the wizard. Wherever there are | ree-topped hills there is sure to be legend of the work of this same Michael or some other wizard. In the same way deep, clear lakes exist in various parts of the country, concerning which traditions survive of cities lying at the bottom, submerged for their wickedness or by the machinations of some evil spirit. Old buildings exist in many parts in snch unfavorable situations that I popular tradition can only account for the singularity by the operation of some un- friendly spirit transporting them from their original locality. Large solitary rocks of | the coast or on hill tops have been deposited there by witches. Water springing from a rock by the roadside has always been the re- suit of the stroke of some magician or saint. Large depressions hillsides are generally the footprints of giants, like the mark left | bv Buddha's foot as he ascended to heaven, which is still to be seen on a hill in Ceylon. | The circular marks in the fields are the rings drawn by the fairies for their midnight ! dances and a scaur or cliff bearing the | marks of volcanic action or of lightning is ! invariably associated with some tale of dl- l abolic action Almost every reader add l instances of natural appearances of effects ! ideaIized by the workings of the imagina- \ tion of uncivilized or uncultivated minds. British Naval officers and Their Cabin l Equipment.
 | The London Army and Navy Gazette says: ''For many years the British naval officer has I had to suffer the indignity of travelling about on railways and mail-steamers, and else where, with slop-pail and water-can as a conspicuous part of his personal luggage In addition to these items he may be seen l trying to lug about huge and unsightly canvas bag, which is an object Of some sur 1 prise to all his fellow-passengers The unln- l itiated have no idea that this bag contains | the gallant officers bed, holsters, pillows and bedding; and they would probably be aston l ished to learn that on board the ship he is l going to join no provision is made for him to ! sleep. wash or see himself in the looking glass. Yes; it is positive fact that the l only thing provided for his comfort on talk l ing possession of his cabin is bedstead ano I a cane-bottomed chairl Our sisters and oul
 cousins and our aunts,' let alone our fathers
 and our mothers, would not believe this stat,
 of barbarism existed on board the ships O
 the Queen at this time of day, if told it b.
 their young naval relatives who have to en
 dure it and prove it by personal experience
 unless it was there for them to see. Ina
 the life on board man-of-war should be st
 savage, as far as regards the commonest oe
 cencies and necessaries of life, must DC per
 fectly unintelligible and incredible 10 oue
 siders. who can hardly imagine the meannes 1 which eharacterizes the proceedings Of tn' . authorities in these and similar matters. l i was not long ago that an official order wa
 given on the China station that the allowance