Page:Transactions of the Second International Folk-Congress.djvu/259

 Astronomy. As in the Heavens, so, on the Earth, there have been movements—hot, as formerly beheved, only from east to west, but in all directions, east and west and north and south. Most, if not all of these movements have not only been directly or indirectly connected with the great centres both of the primary and of the secondary Civilisations, but have been going on —

as Goethe said of the planets—not for centuries only, but for millenniums, and probably for at least ten millenniums. And as discovery and recognition of the movements of what had been regarded as Fixed Stars renovated the Science of Astronomy, so, I believe, will recognition of the wonderful hither-and-thither movements of Human Races, and especially of the White Races, renovate the Science of Mythology.

But these remarks are only an application of the third set of facts I have indicated to the problem of Distribution. And we have now to see how all the three sets of facts indicated affect current theories of the Origins of Mythology. Note, then, that, in dealing with this problem on the bases of these facts of the Difference of Races, (2) the Migrations of Races, and (3) the Conflict of Races, we have to consider not only two different Ethnological Elements—a Higher and a Lower—but, as a consequence of this, two different Economic Elements—leisured and learned Classes, and labouring and unlearned Masses. Now, I am not here to dogmatise in any way about problems which the more they are studied seem only more difficult. I am here simply to submit to you certain facts, as I venture to think them, and then to ask you, as I would now proceed to do, whether, if we accept these facts of Difference, of Migrations, and of Conflict of Races, we must not very seriously question certain current theories with respect to the Origins of Mythology? And this I submit to you with the hope of gaining from your criticism light which may aid me in the further pursuit of my studies.

First, then, grant Differences of Races, Migrations of Races, and the Origin of Civillsation in the Conflict of Races, must we not exceedingly question current theories of Primitive Man, and of his being even approximately represented by contemporary