Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 3, 1892.djvu/13

Rh for non-Christian origins. In the meantime cannibalism, cruelty, revenge, magic, and other similar qualities, mark the characters of the traditional märchen or folk-tale.

In custom and usage the evidence all points the same way. What can be more indicative of a dual system of belief than the cry of an old Scottish peasant when he came to worship at the sacred well?—"O Lord, thou knowest that well would it be for me this day an I had stoopit my knees and my heart before Thee in spirit and in truth as often as I have stoopit them afore this well. But we maun keep the customs of our fathers." And among the superstitions of Lancashire is one which tells us of the lingering belief in a long journey after death, when food is necessary to support the soul. A man having died of apoplexy, near Manchester, at a public dinner, one of the company was heard to remark: "Well, poor Joe, God rest his soul! He has at least gone to his long rest wi' a belly full o' good meat, and that's some consolation."

Special attention is needed to the characteristic of tradition which is not Christian, because there is an important factor to take count of on the other side, which, owing to some recent words of Dr. Tylor, is of some moment to us just now. It seems to be admitted that the influence of Christianity is here and there traceable among the traditional elements of savage and barbaric life. Thus the era of Christianity becomes a very important dividing line in folk-lore studies. On the one hand we have tradition in Christian countries going back to paganism; on the other hand we have tradition in pagan countries going back to Christianity; and necessarily, when we attempt the task of comparison, such phenomena must be taken into serious consideration. But if we are careful not to ignore the influence of Christianity upon savage beliefs, so must we be careful not to unduly accentuate it. It would account no doubt for some of the colouring matter, so to speak, of savage myth, but it would go a very little way in explaining savage ritual and belief. The important point