Page:The International Folk-Lore Congress of the World's Columbian Exposition, Chicago, July, 1893.djvu/40

22 cannot be confounded with any of these sciences, nor even form a mere chapter of them." But if Folk-Lore, in its extent, embraces the matter of the sciences, by the quality and the degree of knowledge which it expresses, it differs from them all. One of the greatest authorities has said in advocating a Folk-lore section of the British Association: "I think the time has come for this. Anthropology has long since been recognized there; Folk-lore should also, now be recognized, and independently."

The records of the survivals that go to make up this new science are, for the most part, to be preserved by the antiquarian scholar, and by the student collector, and published and studied by societies organized for the purpose. They form a part of the literature of the people, and must be separated and kept separate from other written records. The story, the song, the riddle, the rhyme of the nursery, illustrate this class of folk-literature. As literature itself is a science correllated to the others, Folk-Lore is at once a part of literature and of science, but ought to be preserved apart from any other study, and not merged into or made a portion of any other science.

I come now to what we have to offer you. The programme is before you, and its very length forbids my enumerating categorically the constituent essays therein. It will not, however, be out of place to call your attention to the wide range in time, in geography, and in variety of topic embraced by it, from the border lands of the most remote historical times, from Egypt and Greece, from the east of Europe, from the most advanced as well as the most primitive European states, from the oldest kingdom to the newest state, from heathen Africa, from distant India, from progressive Japan and stereotyped China, from placid South Sea isles and turbulent Hawaii, and from Alaska to Paraguay, on our continent, we bring you legends, myths, ceremonies, songs, and even natives. Many distinguished scholars from these lands have sent us papers, and some come to read their contributions. No department of the study of Folk-Lore is left untouched. It is a matter of congratulation that we have upon our programme a representative from every Folk-Lore society, and that officers and members of these societies are with us.