The Portland daily press., 1899-03-07
NEW puslloArloNs.

Creation Myths Of Primitive America
in Relation to the Religious History and
Mental Development Of Mankind. BY
Jeremiah Curtin, Author Of Myths and
Folk Lore Of Ireland. etc. Translator Of
Quo Vadis. With Firs and Sword, and
tho other works OF Henryk Sienkiswicx
Mr.. Curtin's new book is his first on
tbs unwritten mental productions of
primitive America. 1t contains twenty
long myths taken down word: for wor
by him from Indians who knew no re-
the chief Of whom had not seen white
man until years Of maturity. These
myths are all Of remarkable beauty and
exceptional value. Among the more note
worthy Is Olelbis, containing an account
OF the creation Of the heavenly house
In the Central Blue. the highest point
In the sky above us. In this myth is de-
soribed also the great World Fire which
was extinguishsd by a food; ami next a
reconstruction of the face of the earth.
which gave the form existing at present;
second, the great tale of Norw an, which,
with an incomparably greater wealth of
incident, resembles the Helen Of Troy
story. This tale gives the origin of the
first war in the world, not among men,
however, but among gods. A woman is
the cause, as in Homer's epiI 1but this
woman. Norwan, is light.
The struggle between the sun and the
Lightning Hero; the stealing of the three
swan Maidens from their father, Wipsjusi
by Hakakaina OF the North; the great
musical contest of the ogods at the man
sion of Waidadikit; the marvellous wan
behring's of Norwanchakus and Kerihai
the ascent to the sky Of little Lasaswa and
his conversation with the sun; this road
to Immortality, begun by the Hus
brothers and interrupted by Sedit, will
not soon be forgotten by any reader.
In addition to their Intrinsic beauty,
these masterpieces of the primitive human
mind in America antedate by many ages
the earliest forms of thought represented
tosus In the reoords..of Egypt and Assyris,
hence their value may be easily inferred /;
they explain to us things which had be-
come unintelligible to the priests Of Egypt
and Assyria In the religious systems
when they themselves taught and studied
The volume contains anlelaborate intro.
duction and all necessary notes Boston:
Little, Brown and Company; Portland:
Loring, Short q Harmony
In the Biographical Edition of W. Nj.
Thackeray's Complete Works, the latest
books published are The Virginians, A
Tale of the Last Century, with illustra-
tions by the author; and The Adventures
of Philip; to which is preiixed A Shabby
Genteel Story, with illustrations by the
author and Frederick Walker. In each of
these volumes as in the preceding ones,
memoir, forming an Introduction, has
been written by Mrs. Anne Tbaokeray
Richie. Thaokersy's sorrowing daughter.
These introductions seem almost to in
vest the pages that follow with the charm
of personal confidence. For the first
time we learn where Thaokeray found the
originals of his famous characters. The
Illustrations are repr oduotions Of steel en-
cravings and wood engravings. together
with new drawings and sketches by the
author, and several faosimiles OF his
manuscript, as we'll rs portraits of the
author hitherto unpublished. The fol-
lowing volumes will complete. the edition
Dennis Duval, etc., and Miscellanies.
New York; Harper Il brothers; Fort.
land; Loring, Short g. Harmon.