Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 20, 1909.djvu/126

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be called for beforehand. In such a case I would urge upon Professor Mair that some indication, however brief, of his opinion concerning the date and nature of the Hesiodic poetry and its relation to that of Homer would be more useful than the Byzantine testi/nonia which occupy several pages of his Intro- duction, I would also invite his reconsideration of the passage in which he criticises the late Dr. Adam's interpretation of Works and Days, vv. 113 seq. Dr. Adam had illustrated the Hesiodic phrase 'alike in hand and feet' by a reference to Symposium (189 E), where Plato speaks of primitive man as androgynous and round, with four hands and four feet. Professor Mair demurs, doubtless rightly, but adds, " The notion of primitive man going on all fours ... is, so far as I know, quite un-Greek ; there is nothing in Aischylos's account of the state of primitive man whom Prometheus rescued — who lived like ants in sunless caves — to suggest that they did not walk erect." Mr. Bevan translates the passage in question (11. 452-54),

But burrowing huddled, like to wind-borne ants, Far down in holes beyond all reach of day,

where the rendering q{ a-iyrvpoi by "wind-borne" may be criticised. The whole passage, if I may be allowed to express an opinion, is suggestive of a profound difference between primitive man and man as taught by Prometheus, and contains nothing in- validating the hypothesis that he went on all fours. Indeed it might plausibly be contended that by his parallel with ants Aeschylus did imply as much.

One final instance of the interest folklorists may find in Hesiod. Readers of Ktdhwch and Olwen will recall Sgilti Lightfoot. " During his whole life a blade of reed-grass bent not beneath his feet, much less did one ever break, so lightly did he tread." The same gift is Caoilte's in the Ossianic cycle. Now of Iphiklos Hesiod reports " Over the top of the ripened ears would he run and break them not : over the wheaten ears would he run with his feet and injure not the crop" (p. 93).

Alfred Nutt.