Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1890-11-24

read by the children Of the Saints,
parents will be greatly assisted
In their culture and in training
them up Ia that path which VIII
lead them to honor, health and hap
pincss In this world and eternal life
and glory in the world to come.
THE INDIAN MESSIAH"
The Expectation Of His Advent In
Harmony With the Traditions
OF the Red Men.
The following from the st. Louis
Po& Dsspdtch will, in consequences
of the present phenomenal move
mant among the Indians, be
read with much interest by good
many people:
.sFhere Is food for thought aud
speculation In the stories Of the
excitement among the Indian tribes
produced by the promise OF q
Messiah. It is not certain whether
or not these promiees are q part Of
the Indian mythology or whether
thew are the cunning contrivances
of white men hoping for profit from
the DISTURBANCES which are sure to
follow.
"rhis story Of the Messiah may
be looked upon as q revival OF the
old hero myth prevalent all over
the continent in one form or an
other. 1t is paralleled by the Cad
mus myth, partly Aryan, partly
Semitic. Cadmus Is simply the
Semitic word for the east. and the
legend il a slightly yelled account
of the origin and course Of light
aud life. In other words, 1t 10 one
of the thousand and one sun myths
which are plenty n poverty all the
world over. The Egyptian story
was that the heavenly light i'm
pr-ynated a virgin OF whom was
born a goldman, who fought his
twin brother, and was for time
conquered aud banished. But he
was sure to return like the morning
and rule the land as the SIN rules.
is worth noticing, too, that al
though the Egyptians were a brown
race their hero was slight colored,
white, or yellow.n In America
there Is the same virgin mother and
fbc .~-.a m. rx.p In DIFF. rant for,v.
followed by disappearance and q
promise Of return. The Peruvians
had large establishments where
they kept "virgips Of the sun, 'who
were pledged to chastity. Did one
Of them violate her pledge che was
put to death rs . criminal, but did
she declare that her offspring was Of
divine parentage, she was treat
cd with honor and her son
classed among the princes, "a Son
ofthe Sum-" In Central America q
maiden visited the underworld
whittier n God had been entice1 and
murdered. The head Of this god
cast forth spittle into the maiden's
palm whereupon she became preg-
nant and bore twins, Who performed
prodigies of valor and Afterward rose
10 the sky to grace . constellation.
both in America and the Orient.
says Brinton, ''the myths Of the
hero god born Of q virgin and that
of the descent into Hades are among
the most common. Their explaua-
ton rests on tire universally and
prominence Of tie process Of nature
which are typificd under these mar
ratives." The similarity Of these
myths to the Christian history made
q profound impression on the early
missionaries, and twas believed by
many Of them that the Indians
were either descendants Of the ten
lost tribes or that they had at some
time been In communication with
the Orient. But this impression
was removed when il was ascer-
tanned by travellers and explorers In
all other savage lands that the same
legends prevailed among the most
diverse and remote tribes.
"The Aztec hero, Quetsalcoatl.
high priest in the glorious city Of
Tular, the the teacher Of the arts,
the law giver. prince and Judge,
was the expected Messiah Of the
Aztecs. He was born Of . virgin,
played pretty much the same role |
In Aztec history that Cadmus did in
Greek and Semitic, and disappeared |
to Tollan, the Place OF the Sun,
whence he was to come again TO !
possess his own. The myth Is al |
mos. exactly the same, ~ that found |
among the ancient Britons. In the |
latter Arthur after fighting all day
and being sorely wounded, was car.
ried to the sea shore, where appeared |
a ship filled with virgins, who lifted |
the king into the craft and bore him
away to the island Valley Of Avilon, |
he promised to return and |
reign again. When Montezumai
heard Of the landing Of -Cortes, he |
aid: cit is QuetxAcoau returned |
rom Tdla." livery account he re- |
,eived Of the strangers confirmed /
him in this belief. They came from
he east; they were white and they
we're bearded. The legend required |
hese features. 1t has often been
as strange that Cortes,
With his handful Of adventures
ound the Mexicans sueh eIsy prey.
But 1t Is not at all strange. The na-
Ives we're stricken with awe and
They dared not strike too
iari because they knew not IL wa
! human invader AMI they feared
he vengeance Of outraged divinity.
Not even after the Spaniaris had
exhibited the most human Of hu-
nan weaknesses did the Mexicans
luck up courage. They fought
he Spaniaris, but they never e.
aped from the spell Of the Ieeerd
md were never quite nre they
vere not making an unpardouabje
"Wnen Cortes reached the City Of
d-xic0 the monarch acknowlsdRcd |
i'm as the emissary Of the Messiah.
We have known for . long time,
aid he, by the writings handed
own by our forefathesD that neither
nor any Who inhAhit this hand are
'atives Of IT, but foreigners who
anne here from remote parts. We
iso know that we were led here
y ruler, whoss saGects We all
'ere, who returned to hb country,
nd after . long time came here
gain and vished to tnke his people
way. But they had msfriod wives
nd built houses, and they would |
either go With him nor recognize |
Inn a. their King. TheFeSnfs be
'ent tack. We have ever beljeved
lat thoee who wetU o. hi lineaRo
'ould come md clAim thlD hnd -
b and US n hin vaSmb. Ftum thol
lreciion whence you came which