The San Francisco call., 1897-04-04

@HE latest stage in that branch of
ss~,1 the science of mythology which
eyASS concerns itself with the scientific
origin of myths is due TO Professor B. K
Emerson, who, in a recent address before
the American association, traced SOM of
the best known and most beautiful myths
OF antiquity to scientific phenomena.
The identity OF the story OF Tantalus
with solar phenomena was long ago
pointed out by Rev George Cox. Tanfa-
lus was Phrygian myth. When he as
cended the heavens. il Was to consult with
the King OF Gods. When a drought came,
and burned up the fruits which the solar
heat had brought to light, the Phrygian
said that Tantaius was staying and wash
ing his child Pelops. His subsequent pun
ishment-his stopping to drink the water
which shuns bis approach, and 10 eat the
fruits which elude his grasp-points to
the drying up OF the streams and the
whitening of herbage by the fierce heat of
the sun. Hercules is another impersona-
lion of the sun; his labors are poetic YER
sions OF the suns contests with the clouds
and the rain. As he sinks on the funera;
pile, fiery mists embrace him and purple
vapors rush across the sky like streams of
blood rushing from the hero's BODY. while
violet-colored evening clouds cheer him
in his dying agony. Many incidents in
the most beautiful of all the Greek
, legends-those of Theseus and Perseus-
may also be traced to meteorological
origin. To the poetic mind of the Greek.
there was hero and drama in every
cloud and sunburst.
A myth whose origin may be easily
tracei TO a scientific source is that of the
chimera. According TO Homer the CHI
mera was monster, witt the tail of
dragon, the body OF a goat, the head
some SAID she had two or three heads-of
lion. She breathed fire and destroyed
vast numbers "f people till she herself
was killed by Belerophou. She ravaged
the mountains OF LYsia and ate the fiocks
her fevorlte home was mountain now
known as the Ianar Dagh. Recent trav-
elers in that region report that under the
mountain there is a reservoir of natural gas
from which streams have been flowing
and burning from time immemoriai; they
also mention that species OF mountain
lion is also abundant in that vicinity.
Here we have the genesis of the mon.
ster, the lion, which was familiar to the in
habItants, and TO which 1t was only neces-
sary in fancy to append the body OF a
goat and the tail of a dragon to call the
chimera into existence; and the fire, which
really bubbled out of the cracks in the
earth, and which heated Imagination
could readily have placed in the jaw of the
same beast. Petroleum and natural gas
abound in the region between the Mediter-
ranean, the Black and Caspian seas; they
will account for the fre-b breathing bulls
which Jason had 10 overcome before he
could possess himself of the golden fleece
at Colchis. II the early Britons had been
gifted with as rich a fancy as the Greeks
they would have filed the plains OF York
shire with fre-breathing creatures to ex-
Siain the inextinguishable jets of coal
gas which the traveller observes from the
raiiroad train as he passes.
Some of the ancient myths still await
explanation. One of these is the oracle of
Delphi. Throughout antiquity the priest
ess OF Delphi was supposed to possess the
gntS OF divination and prophecy; she