The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-02-14
FAIRY TALES, FOLK LORE.
MYTHS OF THE PAST THEME OF
An INTERESTING LECTURE.
Rev. II. II. Gowen Discusses the sto-
ries of Childhood and Analyses
Their Meaning TO show Their Ef-
feet I'm Unifying Men and Women.

Fairy Tales and Folk Lore was the
subject of the fourth lecture OF the pres
ent series by the Rev. II. II. Gowen, pre-
scented at Collins hall last night
The lecturer began by speaking OF the
breadth and depth OF the subject. 1T was
like knocking at the door OF little cot
tage In a wood expecting 20 see Mother
Bunch or Mother Goose and finding one
self ushered at once, without time to put
on court dress, into the presence of an
assembly including all the gods and
heroes OF olden times, in a landscape in
which appears the Nile, the Euphrates.
the Tiber. the Rhine and the Mississippi.
You attempt to apologize and withdraw.
but find yourself surrounded by vast
number OF grave. specialized professors.
very infallihle and very irate. waving
books, monographs, theses and magazine
articles, and shouting out theories in
which the words ghosts. fetlches. totems.
Jatakas, sun-myths and such like are
prominent
Two things. at any rate. can be learn
ed; the first the slenderness OF our human
knowledge, the second the fact that the
entrance into true philosophy is not only
through the lore OF the metaphysicisn,
but also through the common sayings
and thoughts of common men, the nur-
sery rhymes, ballads and stories of the
women spinning In the cottages and the
men toiling in the forests. No fairy tale
could be more striking than the story OF
Miss Cinderella Folklore. brought up
with the woodsmen and old wives and re-
vealed at last as the beautiful princess
with all the learned of the world seeking
the honor OF her hand"
The history of folklore as n science
was then briefly traced. including men,
ton of Herder's collection of German folk
songs. Grimm's Klaus und Kinder Maer-
chem Dasent's Stories From the
Morse" and such. The discovery of the
unity of the Indo-European languages
made the collections valuable. and In a
short while the learned were running hel.
ter-skelter in pursuit OF the fragments OF
old traditions and folklore, arrayed in
cap and gown, was admitted into tho Sc.
lect order of the sciences, instead of be.
ing suspected OF witchcraft.
The lecturer dwelt upon the essential
unity OF folklore stories, instancing sto.
ries like those of william Tell, Geliert
Jack the Giant Killer" and others
tracing the migration of fables from one
land to another and dwelling upon theiI
common features
Whence came this unityY was mex,
asked. and in turn the various theories
were discussed. such as the sun-mytt
theory, the theory that fables have re.
suited from disease of language. the
theory that they have coms from misin.
depreciation of phenomena, the beast.
fable theory and many others. A grea,
many illustrations were given OF the so
lar myth theory, and warning uttered
against Its exaggerations Several famous
stories were examined In detail. such a.
Cinderella" Beauty and the Beast,
Tannhauser." Lohengrin" and others
In conclusion, the vanishing of fairylant
was spoken of and lessons drawn from
the subject to enforce the teachings oil
the unity OF mankind, the unity of ma
ture and the desire on the part OF all mer
for good TO triumph. giants and ogres I.
be defeated and lovers 10 live happil,
ever aftsrward