The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1933-04-20
THE ARYAN MYTH AGAIN


threads OF the comic. 1t now is reported that
ne proposes to abolish the Old Testament and
introduce in its place the Nibelunglied and
the old Teutonic gods and sagas. He hopes
thereby to restore the primordial Aryan heri-
tage Of the Germans.
Whatever one thinks of the traits at
tributed to the ancient Teutonic gods in early
German mythology he hardly can question
the right Of the Germans to worship their
own national gods instead of the alien God
OF the Old Testament But when Chancellor
Hitler talks about the Aryan race and heri-
tage of the Germanic peoples, he is reviving
one of the most threadbare myths of anthro-
pology cultural history and patriotic fanati-
cism 1t was all threshed out and settled
among scholars generation ago.
The origins of the notorious Aryan myth
can be traced back as far as the lectures de-
hvered to the German people by the great
philosopher Fichte, at the University of Ber-
lin in 1907 Here he stated that perhaps the
most precious element in the German heritage
and culture was the unique Teutonic Ian
guage Ursprache.
The emphasis of Fichte and others on the
|
helped to produce modern scientific rhilology.
This made its appearance in the notable works
of Bopp, the Grimm brothers. Max Mueller
and others
This rising interest in the science of lam
| guage led scholars to study the similarties
between the languages of Europe and Asia.
They discovered remarkable Identities in the
root words and word structure, particularly
noticeable being the similarity between most
European languages and the Sanskrit of an
cient India
In establishing this affinity between Euro
pean and ASatic languages, the most i'm
portant figure was Franz Bopp, who published
his "Comparative Grammar" in 1885. To
these languages of Europe and the ancient
Iranian languages of Asia was given the name
Aryan.
So far, the scholars were on rather firm
ground. But they soon fioated off into the
mist of imagination. 1t came to be held that
these linguistic simiarities implied identity of
race-that the Aryan languages must have
been spoken by pure and united Aryan race
Then, in 1854, Count Joseph Arthur de
Cobineau published his fanciful but very
popular Essay on the Inequality of the HUI
man Races" In this he argued for the vast
superiority of the white race and the decisive
pre-erninence of the Aryan branch of this race
Immediately the patriots in the various
European countries proudly proclaimed their
Aryan race and cultural heritage But it still
was believed that most Europeans were
Aryans. Therefore, it did not appear that
any one nation had any monopoly on the
Aryan virtues.
In the seventies and eighties of the last
century, however. group of scholars, particu-
larly j. G. Cuno, Theodor Poesche and Carl
Penka showed that the assumption of any
identity between race and language was high
ly fallacious and misleading.
A fairly we'll unified and physical race like
the American Indians possess more than
hundred distinct stock languages On the
other hand. several distinctly different physi-
cal races have spoken the German, French
or English language.
From this time onward, it became appar-
ent then that not all Europeans necessarily
were Aryans because they spoke an Aryan Ian
guage. ThereupOn, there arose a feverish eff
fort on the part of patriotic writer's in every
European country to prove their compatriots
the only true Aryans and to show that their
neighbors were of inferior non-Aryan clay
In this way, the race myth contributed
vigorously to the super patriotism of the gen.
Grafton before the World war and helped on
notably the anti-Semitism of this period.
The fair minded scholars, however, quick
" demolished all this tissue of frenzied mag
ination. 1t was shown clearly that there never
had been any such thing as an Aryan race.
The term Aryan was proved to be applicable,
if at all, only to some linguistic stocks COM
mon to certain peoples of Europe and Asia
These Aryan languages were brought into
Europe by round-headed Alpine peoples who
came from western Asia and constituted the
forerunners of the modern Slavs and Celts.
Therefore, it was quite OBVIOUS that the
only Germans physically related to ancient
bearers of the Aryan languages are the round
headed south Germans of Bavaria and neigh
boring states
The tall, blond, long-headed Nordic Ger
mans of north Germany and Scandinavia,
who developed the old Tedtonic mythology
which Chancellor Hitler wishes to revive, bore
no physical relation whatever to the old
Aryan-Speaking peoples who came in from
Asia
The Nordics originally came from Africa,
and only later adopted the Aryan language of
their round-headed neighbors to the south
Chancellor Hitler can have his old German
gods if he Wishes but he will not get very far
beyond the realm Of humor in his effort to
make Germany pure 100 per cent Aryan
nation.