Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 27, 1916.djvu/467

 Reviews. 439

part often claimed for the Mongols in the transmission of Indian tales to the West. But neither of them alludes to what is to many students the most interesting aspect of the incident. They are rather concerned with tracing the transmission of the incident than with its meaning. It is clear, however, that it is founded on the value attached in the lower culture to a name as part of the personality of its owner, and the consequent prohibition (on which the Third Commandment is founded) of heedlessly pronouncing the name of a supernatural being, or of the dead. To do so is to summon the owner, for the knowledge of his true name gives power over him. This belief is perhaps most familiar to us in the Bantu practice of Hloiiipa. A student who recognizes the founda- tion of the incident will discount to some extent the evidence of transmission. For it is clear that where the exigencies of a stpry demand the summoning of a supernatural being, to pronounce a word which by accident, so to speak, sounds like his name is an easy way of doing so ; and it is apt to become a commonplace of the story-teller. It is difficult, therefore, to assign the birthplace of such an incident to any one people. It might spring up any- where, for it arises from a superstition held by all.

A similar observation applies to other incidents founded on beliefs or customs widely known or practised. This, of course, does not apply to every incident in a folk-tale ; but it should be allowed its weight in considering the question of transmission. Professor Halliday is not insensible to the importance of the matter, pointing out, for instance, the special significance of the purchase by the hero of animals which are going to be put to death "in Moslem countries, where such an act is regarded as of high religious value and as conferring great merit," and the identity of the king's command in some of the stories that if the booty found be of value it shall belong to his followers, if it be a human being it shall be his, with the actual arrangement between a Kurdish chieftain and his followers in war.

Whatever view they may take on these questions, all who are interested in the problems of folk tales will be grateful to Mr. Dawkins and Prof Halliday for a substantial contribution to our knowledge of the folk-tales of the Nearer East.

E. Sidney Hartland.