The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-07-25
SECRET Of DDIENSN
Remarkable Discoveries Made
in Australia.
ALL OLD THEORIES UPSET
Regarding This Most Primitive
of All Cults.
ALL OLD THEORIES UPSET

New York, July 2.-The Journal says:
Totemism-the crude scheme of aboriginal
and primitive society--ls no longer mys-
terry. For a century or more it has baffied
the thonologists and anthropologists OF
both hemispheres.
The United States government, through
the bureau of ethnology and Smithsonian
Institution for the past two or three de-
cades, has done much labor in sending
on. special investigators to study the an
Gent customs and rites OF the aboriginal
race in America.
Now, however, the scientific world and
students Of anthropology are much
wrought up by the recent discoveries OF
the two Australian scientists. Professors
Baldwin Spencer. of the University Of
Melbourne, and his assistant, T. J. Gillen,
special magistrate, South Australia, who
have solved the secrets of totemism and
given to the world for the first time
full and authentic account of thoroughly
primitive saVages living in the totem
state, while their new theory of origin
and meaning Of totemIsm is the most
startling one ever presented, and has won
the support OF the Society of the Anthro-
biological Institute of Great Britain and
Ireland. one of the most noted institutions
of its kind in the world.
At recent meeting this new theory Of
totemism was explained by Professors
Spencer and GIllen. The Australian ma
tive. upon whom they made their studies,
has remained from time immemorial up
to the present day in a more aboriginal
and primitive state than any other peo-
pie elsewhere on the globe. The central
region is not only cut off from the outer
world by its position. but is also isolated
by natural barriers from the rest Of the
continent Here, in the center of the most
secluded continent 1t is natural to find
savage at his very lowest depths living in
the totem state and entirely unaffected
by modern influences.
There is scarcely an object, animate or
inanimate, to be found in the country oc-
cupled by the natives which does not give
its name to some totemic group of per-
mind the reader that a totem is a class of
natural phenomena or material objects.
most commonly species of animals and
plants, between which and himself the
savage believes that q certain intimate
relation exists. The two old universal
canons of totemism which have hitherto
been accepted by American and European
ethnologists, as well as the one praeticed
by the native tribes of the northwest
coast Of America, the totemic region of
our country, are as follows: First, the
taboo on the part of the native not to
kill and eat the totem animal or plant
with which he is identified; second, the
rule not to marry q woman Of the same
totem group as himself. In the new
Australian system occurs some novel and
extraordinary features, which set back
all the old views on the subject. The
prime and essential function of an Aus
tralian group Is that OF ensuring by
magic means a supply of the object which
is the name Of the totem group. Though
the native will Leaf OF his own totem
sparingly, he has no objection to other
people doing so, and will actually help
them to kill and secure It by means of
magic. He considers thatto eat none Of
his totem would produce an evil effect,
the same as If he were to eat too freely
Of It.
He thinks It is essential for him to par
take of his totem, so as to identify him
self closely with It, or else he would be
unable to perform the ceremony Of null
tiplying 1t for food purposes. Further,
there is no relation between totemism and
marriage. there being no restriction for
men of one totem to marry a woman of
another totem. This social aspect Of the
totem is one fthe remarkable Offsets to
alhheretofore advanced theories Of totem
ism. A man is just as free to marry a
woman of his ow ntotem as one of anoth-
er, and not only so. but, the traditions
of the tribes point clearly to a time when
men married regularly and by preference
women of their totem groups.
Each totem group Is charged with the
business of controlling some particular
department Of nature from which it takes
its name. For instance, the men of the
kangaroo totem have to see to 1t that
there are abundance of kangaroos. and
that the animals are duty hunted and
killed to furnish the community with
kangaroo flesh Likewise the men of the
water totem are bound to make rain
whenever it is NEEDED. Men of the seed
6AeAS SlpASun udNG 10 ldhS CdES lEdI u
plentiful supply of grass seed grows.
Each group is a band of magicIans work
ing b ymeans of spells and entertainments
toward the end of securing 3 plentiful
supply OF food for the tribe.
Such Is the main view and purpose Of
the Australian totem system as revealed
by the discoveries of Messrs. Spencer
and Gillen. 1t is the only clearly form
ulated scheme yet described which is in.
telligible and practical ut every step ac-
cording to the wants and neds of the
savage mind.
In their disclosures OF the Central Aus
tralian tribe Messrs. Spencer and Gillen
have completely thrown overheard all the
rubbish and coniectures that have ac-
cumulated In times past from superficial
thinkers and have established in their
place businesslike scheme IN the shape
OF an organized system to totemism
which by the aid of magic intended t.
procure for savage man plentiful supply
of all the natural articles OF food of
which he stands IN need Undoubtedly.
then. for the first time a new and uni
versal key TO totemism in general has
been found which has been readily ac-
cepted everywhere by the best students
who are interested in the habits of
primeval man and the beginning of So
ciety.