Page:The Folk-Lore Journal Volume 5 1887.djvu/277

Rh evidence produced from all parts of the world that the incidents in the Cupid and Psyche tale are almost universally human in early conditions of society, Mr. Lang pauses, and for the time rests content. How the Greeks fashioned the tale as we know it, how it became stereotyped into a deathless form, is a portion of the history of märchen which Mr. Lang does not feel called upon to investigate, because, as we suppose, though he does not explicitly say so, this belongs to a department of folk-lore dealing with its relationship to early literature.

It will be seen by this short summary of Mr. Lang's method that it materially differs from the school who declare themselves to be orthodox in their scientific exposition of märchen. Of course our readers well know that Mr. Lang is the pioneer of the new school, and that he has set his face against those who see in folk-tales nothing more than the personification of nature. Now what do these authorities say of the Cupid and Psyche story? Fortunately two distinguished scholars have in The Academy recently restated with sufficient clearness their exposition of this story. Canon Isaac Taylor says "the meaning of the tale is transparent" as a lunar myth, wherein Cupid is the dark side of the moon, who lies clasped in the arms of the slender Psyche, who is the bright and beautiful crescent moon. In the daytime Cupid vanishes, so does the dark side of the moon. The scar on the shoulder caused by the burning oil and the mark of Psyche's touch on the thigh are the spots seen on the moon. The disappearance of the bridegroom and the alteration of Psyche's form from being with child correspond to the later development of the moon; while its disappearance at the fourth quarter is the journey of Psyche into Hell. Thus the story is being enacted every month during the year, and we agree with Canon Taylor in his opinion that it is a lovely myth as thus expounded.

But there are fatal objections to this "scientific exposition." The Greek form of the story is only one form, appearing in its overshadowing force because of its place in literature where it has become stereotyped. Evidence to be adduced from it must depend upon the entire formula of the story, the sequence of events being as important as the events themselves. And then we have to ask what are we to do with those numerous instances where incidents of the Cupid and Psyche