Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 23, 1912.djvu/131

Rh When we point out that Baiame died, that he was deceived and wounded, Mr. Lang replies that ridiculous and degrading stories were also told about Zeus, and that his grave was said to exist in Crete. That is true, but to Zeus temples were built, offerings were made, prayers were addressed, and ceremonies were instituted. Of course we should not expect a people who had no houses themselves to erect temples, but Baiame had no offerings, no prayers, and no ceremonies. Hence the belief in him, however it may have originated, can surely not be called a "religion." Moreover Diodorus points out that the Jupiter whose tomb was in Crete was not the Jupiter of Olympus.

Mr. Lang admits that "There is an element of humour in all things. Mr. Manning, in 1882, appealed to his friend, Mr. Mann, to give testimony to the excellency of Black Andy, the native from whom he derived most of his notes, which were corroborated by other black witnesses. Mr. Mann arose and replied that "he had never met an aborigine who had any true belief in a Supreme Being." On cross-examination, they always said that they had got their information from a missionary or other resident."

In The Making of Religion, Mr. Lang expressed the opinion that Prof. Roskoff of Vienna, in his Das Religionswesen der Rohesten Naturvölker, had "confuted my statements." I am glad that as a result of my reply he says,—"I am happy to withdraw the saying."

That somewhat clears the ground.

He still, however, maintains that even the lowest savages have a religion. In his article he confines the question to the Australians, and theirs is certainly a good case.

I cannot ask for space to repeat all the evidence brought forward in my previous works. I will confine myself to a few of the best and most recent observers.

On such a question the opinion of Mr. Howitt is entitled to great weight. He began by supposing that the Australians believed in the existence of a supernatural being, who might reasonably be termed a deity. Gradually, however, more intimate acquaintance with the natives weakened, and finally removed, this view. There is no worship, he says, but, "although it cannot be alleged that these aborigines have consciously any form of