Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 17, 1906.djvu/24

 14 Presidential Address.

completion ; and I am glad to be able to tell you that the printing has already been begun. I hope it will be out this year.

So much for the collection and publication of materials. When we come to books which deal with those already published, theories and systems, we find a considerable variety. First let us take Germany, in order that we may not have a surprise visit from the Kaiser at our next meeting, to propose an international conference. Adolph Erman has published a summary of ancient Egyptian religion, Die Agyptische Religion (Berlin, Reimer) : a good book in a difficult and obscure department, where students have hitherto been obliged to grope amidst darkness. H. Hirt gives us the first volume of Die Indogerma?iejz, iJire Verbreitung, Urheimat, und Kidtur (Strassburg, Triibner). This is a highly speculative sub- ject, but it is interesting for more than a play of wits; and as Schrader hitherto holds the field, many will be glad to have independent light thrown upon it. Ch. Dieterich has a book on Mutter Erde, ein Versuch fiber Volksreligion (Teiibner), and a kindred article in the Archiv f. ReL- Wiss. on Sommertag. Another volume of W. Wundt's Volkerpsychologie, dealing with Myth and Religion, has also appeared (Leipzig, Engelmann). In the country which would naturally take precedence, but which courteously makes its claims subordinate to the comity of nations, the indefatigable Salomon Reinach has reprinted a number of his scattered papers on Cultes, Mytkes, et Religions (I. Paris, Leroux). Russia unhappily has more serious matters to think of, and her excellent folklore magazine {Zhivaya Starina) has not reached me for many months ; but it is interesting to see that Finland now has leisure to live the higher life. Two pamphlets have been published in Finland, both written in English by Finnish scholars, one on the Origin of Worship (Wasa), by R, Karsten, and one on