Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-05-23
BY TOLL AND RISK.
What the TaIismans at the National
Museum Mean.

Museum Mean.
Since the necklace of human fingers,
the capture of which ended the Big
Horn and Yellowstone campaign of
1876 with the Indians, was mentioned
in the Washington Post as among the
lstrking exhibits of the National Mu-
scum there has been much inquiry to
see it. AS a result of this interest, the
men of science of the museum have
suggested that something furthed be
| written on the subject of taismans and
Icharms among savage tribes, which of
all phases of savage life is least under
| stood by civilized people. Speaking of
the matter. one of the leading anthro-
biologists of the United States, and a
resident of this city, said:
THE life of the savage, far from be-
ing as many people suppose, one of
| care-free abandon. and the most COM
plcte moral and mental liberty, is
bound down and hedged about by a
W orld of superstitions, beliefs, myths,
customs. and fears, which anthrOpolo-
gists are oftentimes years in learning
and collecting. If an Australian native
| should marry a woman out of a GER
j ten gems or totem class, he would at
once be set upon and killed, and the
Indian who violates the dietary laws of
his tribe is banished from the borders
| of it's domain.
| 1t matters not to them whether the
man who marrieS into forbidden to-
| tenn loves the woman of his choice or
that the person who eats forbidden
meat may be starving at the time, and
does so to save his life, for unlike civil
lized beings, savages take no account
of eXtenuating circumstances. Their
laws are unreasonable and their penal
ties cruel and memorable, and if one
wants to experience real slavery, moral,
mental. and physical let him live for
a time among the uncivilized. This is
all the more apparent when it comes to
a matter of charms talismans, idols,
and those things which the magma
ton of the savage has clothed with SUI
pernatural powers.
THE National Museum is noted far
and wide, especially in Europe, as one
Of the museums particularly rich in
material of this character, and yet, in
all our large collection there is not an
idol, a charm, nor q wizards outfit that
does not represent long struggle for
it's possession. The wealth of the
Rothschilds could not buy one of these
things from a tribe of savages. Some
that we possess were taken in war and
Others were secured as a result of some
anthropoIogists becoming a member of
the tribe in question, joining their sec
ret societies, and undergoing tests and
ordeals. which in several cases ruined
| thnir and brought nrpm1 tllre
death.
THE death last year of Mr.. Frank
Gushing in the bloom of manhood, was
due entirely to the terrible tests. hard
ships, fasts, and dances which he had
to undergo in order to become mem
Der and learn the inner secrets of the
mystery and medicine cults and So
cieties of the Zuni Indians. The fact
that the Indian war of 1876 was in real
lily brought to an end by the capture of
the necklace of human fingers is no
new thing in the history of wars with
barbarous tribes. AS a matter of fact,
the whole future and destiny of the
English race turned upon the possess
sion of one of the most celebrated
charms in Northern Europe.
During the reign of Alfred the
lGreat. the great civilizer of the Eng
Ilish, the people of Scandinavia and
Denmark. variously known as Sea-
kings, Vikings, Norsemen, and Danes,
possessed a wonderful banner, which, it
is said. was woven in day and a
night by the three daughters of cele-
brated Morse cheftain, of the race of
lYnglings, said to be descended from
the god Odin. These three girls pos
sessed secrets unknown to the common
run of mankind. being deeply versed in
the lore of the gods, giants, dwarfs,
and norns. and in the center of the ban
ner they placed a raven, the bird Of
Odin. wonderfully life-like and realis-
tic The superstition was that the re-
suit of a battle was foretod by this
raven, which if victory was to fall to
the possessors of the banner, held its
head and bill in an upright position.
"By observing this banner the Danes
so the story ran, in three years time
had won twenty seven important bat
ties. going into action only when the
raven looked skyward. If the bird
looked droopy and held it's head low
: they remained in camp or at home, or
, | if in action. and the attitude of the
raven SuuucIly tIldiiSSu, lllC
: from the field.
, alfred and the English had made
sufficient progress in civilization tt
. realize that alismans and charms, sucf
as this banner, were worthless, but a
t the same time understood that thu
f power of imagination was such that a!
$ long as it remained in their hands thu
q Danes would be twice as bold as the!
r would without it. When, therefore
e the Danes came with redoublet
strength after many defeats, and bor