The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-10-11
BELIEF IN TALISMANS.
A Form of Superstition Dear to All
Sorts and Conditions of Men.
London Standard.

London Standard.
The belief in talsmans is universal,
feeling truly catholic, for it has always
prevailed, everywhere and among all races
of men. There are savage tribes, no DOUBT,
whose talismans have not been identified,
but we may be actually certain that this
Is because our knowledge of them Is not
sufficiently minute not because the things
do not exist. For the belief is an instinct,
implanted during those unrecorded ages
when the human animal was struggling
| upwards to the full use of its reason 1t
reappears whenever civilized man engages
in any pursuit OF absorbing interest where
luck is all-powerful, as in seeking for gold,
diamonds or treasure trove. One would
scarcely find a digger in South Africa who
had been fortunate without some object
which he cherished-commonly a diamond
of odd shape, but perhaps any bit OF rub
Dish which caught his eye at some mo-
ment of triumph. If man Of intelligence
and culture he would laugh at his own
fancy, but he would not part with the
thing. Diggers who were not fortunate
Knocked, but they fell into the groove fast
enough when their luck changed
The police tell that to find bit of
coal in the pocket of man arrested is suf-
fcient proof for them that he belongs to
upon his wits, at the mercy of chance. and
in ceaseless fear Of detection. He does not
ask how the coal will bring him plumber
and save him from the constable; he obeys
an instinct The proportion of elderly and
substantial citizens who do the like is not
to be computed, but doubtless it is large.
The fact is that belief in talismans de-
scends without break, from fetishism.
Sir John Lubbock defines that religion, so
to call it. as 'sthe stage in which man sup
poses that he can force the deities to COM
pIy with his DESIRES" 1t is not worth while
to ridicule the notion. nor to ask how on
earth a reasonable being could conceive
that the possession of something he picks
up upon the road, pebble, stick. bit
of twisted root, will give him power over
the gods. 1t is beyond our understanding
in this advanced age. After all his study
and meditation Sir John Lubbock can only
suggest that this case is akin to the belief
also universal in past times. that he who
gets into his hands any object belonging
to his enemy obtains authority over him.
1.-THE negro supposes that the possession
of a fetish representing a spirit makes
that spirit his servant" Obviously. how
ever, this is not all the explanation need
ed. For, IN most cases. the fetish Is not
made" but natural-a thing picked up.
as we have said. The question seems to
be a mystery insoluble now. But it was
Ineligible at certain stage in human
progress, since all mankind believed in
fetishes once. and in a measure, do still,
under the form of talismans
The most famous Of them, perhaps. in
authentic history-for we have space
for fables-is that discovered in the tomb
of Cnarlemagne, at AK la Chapelle. We
never met with a clear record of its adj
ventures. The story goes-aimost contem-
porary-that the ambassador of Haroun
Aira schid made it for the wife of Charlie
ma gne to keep her husbands love forever.
For this purpose 1t proved triumphantly
successful-we have left the domain of his
tory now When the lady died Charlie
rnagne could not allow her to be buried
until his confessor, guessing where the DIFF
ficulty lay. removed the tasisman Forth
with the priest rose in favor-became Arch
bishop of Mayence and Imperial chancel-
lor. Thinking his promotion enough, he
threw the unhalowed object into the Lake
OF Nigelheim. Instantly Charlemagne be-
gan to raise a palace on the bank. plum
derfng Ravenna to adorn 1t. nor would he
quit the lake until the Chancellor dragged
1t and recovered the talisman. BY what