Norwich bulletin., 1914-05-01

In this book we have a veritable | golden treasury of myth. legend, | folklore and tradition, concerning the l sun and its worship, which will have 1 its distinct fascination for the his | torian, the antiquary, the theologian and the litterateur, as we'll as a lively | interest for all who would realize how. intimately the present is related to the past. This is a day Of the study of origins. As our author well says: Tt is in reviewing past history that progress is best measured and interpreted
 It is evident to the thoughtful mind that many of our uncritical and pessi- mistic attitudes towards our, present problems and developments for ex- ample, would be revolutionized, if we only knew our history or brought it to mind in the formation of our judg- ments. And, on the other hand, many of our provincialisms and supersti tions would be deprived of their mar rowing and harmful effects, did we only know or keep In mind, their orl- gins. On these and such like accounts, few studies are more interesting or more valuable than those which con- cern themselves with the early beliefs, legends and traditions of cur race. The literature of the subject of this book is, as the author reminds us, "teeming with interest, linked as 1t is with the life story of mankind from the cradle of the race to the present day" That our author has exhausted this literature would perhaps be too much i to say. but that he has been able to l embody so much of it. drawn from | the annals of all ages and all na- | tions, in this volume, and to present | 1t so attractively, is an accomplish ment of no slight merit. The book l consists of thirteen chapters, and the subject Is treated under the following captions: Solar Creation Myths. An cient Ideas of the Sun and the Moon, 1 Solar Mythology. Solar Folklore, Sun 1 Worship. Sun-Catcher Myths, Solar Expectations, Solar Significance of Burial Customs, Orientation, Emblem l atic and Symbolic Forms of the. Sun, The Sun Revealed by Science. There Is a bibliography and an index. | It is impossible within the limits length. or to do more than call at tention to certain parts which may suffice to indicate what a feast the prospective reader has before him. The | present reviewer has been particularly impressed, for one thing, with the wealth of folklore and legend on the subject, current among the traditions
 of the North American Indians. Not only is it astonishingly abundant, but most fascinating in its romantic in- 1 thor's poetic instincts while always
 sympathetic with his subject, seem to be particularly at home among these
 Indian traditions, though his delinea-
 tion of the Greek mythology bearing
 on his subject can hardly be termed
 less happy.
 Our old friends, Helios, Phoebus
 Apollo, Heracles. Sisyphus and Tauta-
 Jus are most attractiyely portrayed as
 sun gods or heroes. and curious points
 of comparison are drawn between I Phoebus Apollo and Jesus Christ 1 There are charming stories of the sun and the moon as women. of the stars
 as children of the moon. of the marital
 troubles of the sun and moon. and oi
 the Indian sun dances. And the con-
 nection of the solar festivals with
 Christmas and other Christian festi-
 vals is most clearly presented.
 One of the most curious statements
 in the book is the following: "Among
 the Indians there seems to have beer
 an almost universal tradition that, sin
 gularly, men lived in a world of dark
 ness. or semi darkness, before the sur
 was placed in the heavens" A similar tradition Is found in Japan. In tht
 chapters devoted to sun worship many
 curious rites are mentioned, particu
 larly among the PeruvianS and Mex
 jeans. For example, The ancien
 Mexicans called themselves 'childreI
 of the sum- and daily greeted the ris ! ing sun with hymns of praise, anC
 offered to the solar deity a share O
 their meat and drink. Even to thi
 day the inhabitants of the interior O
 Mexico, as they go to mass, throw kiss to the sun before entering tn church.
 No review. necessarily as brief ant sketchy as this is, can pretend to d. justice to a book which gives evidence
 of wide reading and patient and schol ' arly research, as well as of a grasl of the subject which is always pen etrating and Illuminating. The clos : ing chapter of the book very fitting | ly deals with The Sun Revealed b.
 Science, thus bringing the subject u ! to date.
 ? In binding and typography the vol ? ume is most pleasing and it's illustra = tions are beautiful, many of them be | ing classics.