Indian Antiquary Vol 15

SR No.: 032507
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: John Faithfull Fleet, Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications
Publication Year: 1984
Total Pages: 446
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 20 MB

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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[OCTOBER, 1886.
in fact a pure novel, the work has long been noted myths. Everything is traceable to a myth about for containing a mine of archeological lore regard- the sun or the moon or the elements. Mr. Fiske ing Carthage and the Carthaginians, as the result is in fact, a follower of Prof. Max Müller, and of the most laborious and painstaking researches believes that the names of the actors and heroes extended over several years. The corr:ctness of in legends, myths and folktales, enclose the secret Flaubert's knowledge of details was several times of their origin. To our mind this is an exceedassailed by French critics, but he always turned ingly umsafe criterion, and dependunt at the best round upon them and showed that he was prepared on etymologies, which are, to say the least, doubtwith authority for every statement, and that he ful and far from being conclusive. To limit, in well knew what the real facts were whenever the first place, folklore to folktales forces us to he took a liberty with history for literary effect. treat such matters as proverbs, customs, and The story of Salammbo, daughter of Hamilcar beliefs, as the debris of folktales, just as Mr. Fiske Barca and sister of Hannibal, arises out of the would treat folktales as the débris of myths, and struggle between the Carthaginians and the myths as the outcome of "an unlimited capacity mercenaries they so ill-treated during the period for believing and fancying." Now, to our thinking, separating the Second from the First Punic War. folktales are only a portion of folklore, and to Though hardly coming within the scope of this seek therefore a special origin for folktales apart Journal, the book is worth study as an accurate from the rest of. folklore is to treat the subject picture of life closely connected with matters piecemeal-always a most unsafe proceeding. Oriental. The translator may be fairly congra- The rest of the theory, besides being capable of tulated on successfully accomplishing the difficult proof only by a process that is indecisive, is based task of rendering a work into English which has on a notion that has not yet been proved to be hitherto been held to be untranslatable.
correct, vix., that the power of imagination of the
ancients was unlimited. Why should the untuMYTHS AND MYTH-MAKERS, by JOHN FISKE. Boston;
tored man of antiquity be held to be endowed with Houghton, Mifflin & Co.
a finer fancy than his modern cultivated descend The full title-page of this now popular book- ant? The fact is, that the cultured imagination "Myths and Myth-makers, Old tales and Super- of the modern student, fascinated by the beauty stitions interpreted by Comparative Mythology"- that he puts into an ancient myth, has led him has an ominous sound about it, especially since to lend his savage forefathers a mental capacity the whole method of the philological school of they never could have possessed. The "Maxcomparative mythologists has become so much dis- Müllerian " theory contains indeed three fatal credited of late. Nor is confidence restored by the errors: it treats a part of the subject as the whole statement in the preface:-"I have not attempted of it; it rests upon an uncertain and highly disputto review otherwise than incidentally the works able basis; and it invests the savage with mental of Grimm, Müller, Kühn, Bréal, Dasent and Tylor : capacities of civilized and indeed cultivated man. nor can I pretend to have added anything of con- If the cravings for ascertained truth, now 80 sequence, save now and then some bit of explana- strong in the scientific student, are to be satisfied, tory comment to the results obtained by the soine other plan for explaining folklore must be labour of these scholars, but it has rather been my adopted, and Comparative Mythology, after a fair aim to present these results in such a way as to trial, may be looked upon as played out. Mr. Fiske awaken general interest in them." Now it is the says that the once fashionable theory of Euhemewritings of Professors Max Müller and Kühn, as ros is dead beyond recovery, and he must forgive the chief exponents of what is known as the philolo. us for saying that the days of its successor are gical theory of comparative mythology, that are already numbered, and that before long the 80 very unsafe,' and the ideas that the general Philological Theory of Comparative Mythology reader will imbibe, under their guidance, regarding will itself be counted as among the slain! the genesis and life of folklore, are not likely Having so far expressed ourselves as to the gene. become any safer' by undergoing the process of ral tenor of Mr. Fiske's work, and our ideas as to being made popular.
the value of the theory to which he is devoted, we The Origin of Folklore' is the title of the first have nothing but admiration for the manner in subject which the author discusses, and a glance which he has put it before the reader. Whether over this will sufficiently inform us as to the line his conclusions are warrantable or not, his ideas of argument he has pursued and the manner in are clearly expressed, and each portion of his which he proposes to trace Folklore to its source. book put together with a skill that has won its With him Folklore' and 'Folktale' are apparently reward in the popularity of his series of short synonymous, and folktales are the debris of native essays.