Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1911-08-03
LECTURE ON FOLKLORE.
Its Part In Present Day Civilization
Discussed by Professor OuIc.

Nv tSTt III bETNCuN my ttyIItHG.tt OF
Discussed by Professor osIc.
Folklore, and its part in the civilization
Of the present time, was the theme dis
cussed by Professor Marbury b. Oslc
of the University of Vermont, in a lee
ture delivered last evening In the large
lecture room OF the Williams Science
hall, before a good-sizcd audience.
"The student of folklore said he.
must he n student OF mythology, re-
liRion and anthropology." Professor Ogle
then Outlined briefly the underlying prin-
ciples that give rise to folklore. en-
phasiaing the fact thai primitive peoples
imagine that all objects. animate and in
animate, have souls and exercise an Of
feet upon the material world. All the
forces OF nature, the winds, the lightning.
tho rising and setting of the sun. the
flow OF rivcrs-all these are believed to
be the acts of personalities more or legs
like man himself.
The belief that harm can he inflicted
upon q person by iniuring an image made
to represent that one, Is very Did. and
traces of 1t are found among the re-
mains OF tho earliest tribes OF which wa
know. Professor Ogle described a small
lead figure that had been discovered. The
head had been broken off. the hands tied
together behind the back. md the feet had
been tied together. ana through the body
OF the figure a nail had been driven. Wax
nguics were mnde and treated in SINH
lar ways. the idea being that TO mutilate
them would bring misfortune upon the
person represented. burning in effiev."
as is sometimes done when n man has
become unpopular, is n relic of this old
custom.
Among the supcrstitions Of ancient
folklore arc also others that survive In
even less modified form. Crossing the
fingers. to cause the miscarriage of the
plans OF another person. various Old
cures for tuinors, varts and other
bodily disorders. the IDEAS that death
can occur only AT the ehb Of the tide.
and that a person can ho born riSht only
ut the flow. and the belief that the wax
ing and waning of the moon has an
effect upon The growth OF crops and the
health Of the BODY. those notions still nrn-
vail to-day IN many parts of tho world,
and even anong people Of considerable
civilization.
Professor Og1e then spoke Of the belief
that " portions OF the body, such az tho
hair. nails and teeth. fall into the hands
~ another person. the destruction Of
these Will be harmful to tho one from
whOm they were detached. The ancten-s
also believed that the destruction OF the
footprints Of a man would have n bad
erect upon MN immediately.
Thu speaker classified these ideas as 2
FORM Z" magic ana then took up tho
consideration Of the principle that all
na'"'HI Phenomena are due to beings
n"'e VI less 'Ne man Anlmism' this
Is 'a''n'
'A''""'N W '"' "''''' OF me soul IN
'"' "!"''S III early races PROFESSOR oE'e
n1.'o ~ VI d ma" was 'IoHeIE
80 Nv nav VII" ms Sn7uo"'
,"'e "' "Pp''e' 10 the
rt.
.a,L :. ',d''7 AZ NE
ri,h .ha .ai-t, r,ia s. :
,b, h.,ios tho, a.. 49,, ~,
nv nov : ,ho ro.. ''''
Tho sou,s ot ,ho dauax.
~ viv,, III. .h -
existence unor eor+b and .ba snu,,a.t..
of q candIo the on.ri,r of doax .n0
barking of = dor wore houarod - h.
evidence of their nresence DREAMS vera
regarded as either the wanderings ~ tho
spirit during lifetime or tho visits ~ do
parted souls. returningamong their friends
Professor Ogle briefly compared these
IDEAS of the nature and after ufe OF the
soul with the principles Of spir,tnausm
which he said Is entitled TO general
respect, for It has enlisted the support Of
very eminent authority.
The ancients believed that mutila-
tons of the body resulted in cores
ponding mutilations of tho soul. That
is the reason Why a murderer often
took pains TO remove the head. hands
and feet of his victim. whose soul. he
tror tyl IT was wa also belt G q t n1' % rfo.