The truth shall set you free > Religion
OUTLINES OP THE HISTORY OF RELIGION 1877 C.Tiele
Prometheus:
FOREWORD
OUTLINES
OP
THE HISTORY OF RELIGION
TO THE
SPREAD OF THE UNIVERSAL
RELIGIONS.
1877
https://archive.org/details/outlineshistory01carpgoog
more versions up to 1892 -1905 available
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By C. P.TIELE,
Prometheus:
OUTLINES
OP
THE HISTORY OF RELIGION
TO THE
SPREAD OF THE UNIVERSAL
RELIGIONS.
1877
https://archive.org/details/outlineshistory01carpgoog
more versions up to 1892 available
https://archive.org/search.php?query=Outlines+Of+The+History+Of+Religion&sort=date&page=2
By C. P.TIELE,
PREFACE BY THE AUTHOR
TO
THE ENGLISH EDITION.
What I give in this little boot are outlines, pencil-
sketches, I might say,—nothing more. In the present
state of our knowledge about the ancient religions, this
only can be reasonably expected from the students of this
branch of science, this only can be attempted with some
hope of success. The time for writing an elaborate His-
tory of Religion, even of Religions, has not yet come. Not
a few special investigations must be instituted, not a few
difficult questions elucidated, before anything like this can
be done. But it is useful, even necessary, from time to
time to sum up the amount of certain knowledge, gathered
by the researches of several years, and to sketch, be it here
and there with an uncertain hand, the draught of what
may at some time become a living picture. This is what
I propose to do. The interest of what is called by the
unhappy name of Science of Religions, let us say of Hiero-
PREFACE.
viii
logy, is increasing every day. Now, I think there is great
danger that so young a science may lose itself in abstract
speculations, based on a few facts and a great many dubi-
ous or erroneous statements, or not based on any facts at
all. For the philosopher who wishes to avoid this danger,
for the theologian who desires to compare Mosaism and
Christianity with the other religions of the world, for the
specialist who devotes all his labours and all his time to
one single department of this vast science, for him who
studies the history of civilisation—none of whom have
leisure to go to the sources themselves, even for him who
intends to do so, but to whom the way is as yet unknown,
a general survey of the whole subject is needed, to serve
as a kind of guide or travelling-book on their journey
through the immense fairyland of human faith and hope.
My book is an attempt to supply what they want. In a
short paragraph-style I have written down my conclusions,
derived partly from the sources themselves, partly (for no
man can be at home everywhere) from the study of what
seemed to me the best authorities: and I have added some
explanatory remarks and bibliographical notices on the
literature of the subject—very short where such notices
could easily be found elsewhere, more extensive and as
complete as possible where nothing of the kind, so far as I
knew, yet existed.
I am the more anxious to state this character of my
work as one of my critics (my friend and colleague Dr. H.
Oort, in his interesting notice of my work in the Dutch
Review de TydspierjeV) seems to have wholly forgotten it.
PREFACE.
ix
He sets up an ideal of a History of Religion, and then
tries my simple and modest outlines by that elevated
standard. Of course they are not able to fulfil sueh
great expectations, and they were not intended to
do so.
I lcnow that even this slight sketch is incomplete, and
it is so on purpose. I have limited myself to the ancient
religions, those which embrace a tribe, a people, or a race,
or have grown into separate sects, and I have left out the
history of the universal religions, Buddhism, Christianity,
and Islam. Only the origin of these religions is men-
tioned, as they form a part of the history of the religions
out of which they sprang, and which culminate in them.
A thorough study of this more modern religious history
would have occupied me for several years, and would have
deferred the publication of my little book for a long time.
So I have narrated the History of Religion “ till the spread
of the universal religions,” of Buddhism in Eastern, Islam
in Western Asia, and of Christianity in the Roman Empire.
As Buddhism only reigned supreme in Hindostan and
Dekhan now and then for a while, and was finally driven
out from both parts of the Indian peninsula, with the sole
exception of Ceylon, I could not break off the history of
Brahmanism at the foundation of the great rival church,
but had to relate what became of it in the centuries after
that event. I confess that this part of my sketch leaves
much to be desired, the sources being still very defective,
and the conclusions of Lassen, whom I have followed in
the main, being still very uncertain. Perhaps I may find
X
PREFACE.
occasion some time to give a better and more trustworthy
account of this period.
Not only the universal religions, but even some ancient
religions are passed over altogether. I have not said a
word on the old Keltic and the national Japanese reli-
gions. This, too, is an intentional omission. What is
commonly regarded as the history of those two religions
seems to me so very dubious and vague that I preferred
to leave them out entirely rather than to be led astray
myself, or to propagate mere conjectures, which might
prove errors after alL
But though mere outlines, my history is one of reli-
gion, not of religions. The difference between the two
methods is explained in the Introduction. It is the same
history, but considered from a different point of view.
The first lies hidden in the last, but its object is to show
how that one great psychological phenomenon which we
call religion has developed and manifested itself in such
various shapes among the different races and peoples of
the world. By it we see that all religions, even those of
highly civilised nations, have grown up from the same
simple germs, and by it, again, we learn the causes why
these germs have in some cases attained such a rich and
admirable development, and in others scarcely grew at all.
Still I did not think it safe to found my history on an a
priori philosophical basis. Dr. Oort is of opinion that I
ought to have started from a philosophical definition of re-
ligion. In this I do not agree with him. Such a definition,
quite different from that which I give in my first para-
PREFACE.
xi
graph, ought not to be the point of issue, but must be one
of the results of a history of religion. It forms one of the
principal elements of a philosophy of religion; in a history
it would be out of place.
Lastly, I may add a few words on this English edition.
It is thoroughly revised and corrected. Some of these
corrections I owe to my friend and colleague Dr. H. Kern,
who knows all, or nearly all, about ancient India, and who
has made such a profound study of German mythology
(see his kind notice of my work in the Dutch Review
de Gids). My own continued study of the religions of
Western Asia and Northern Africa has led to other correc-
tions and additions.
C. P. TIELE.
LuiDEtr, September 1877.
CONTENTS,
PaoK
Introduction ...... i
1. Object of the History of Religion . - i
2. Fundamental Hypothesis of Development . 2
3. Order of the abstract Development of the Religious
Idea ...... 3
4. Genealogical connection and Historic Relations of
Religions...... 4
5. Divisions of this History .... 5
6. Religion a universal Phenomenon ... 6
CHAPTER I.
Religion under the Control op Animism ... 7
I. Animism in its Influence on Religion in General . . 7
7. Religion of Savages the Remains of Earlier Religion 8
8. Animism ...... 9
9. Characteristics of Religions controlled by Animism 10
10. Place of Morality and Doctrine of Immortality . 11
II. Peculiar Developments of Animistic Religion among
different Races . , . . .12
11. Causes of Different Forms of Development . 15
XIV
CONTENTS.
non
12. Influence of National Character . , .16
13. And of Locality and Occupation . . . 17
14. Effects of the Mingling of Nations . . .17
15. Original Religions of America . , ,18
16. The Peruvians and Mexicans . . ,20
17. The Finns ... ... 23
CHAPTER II.
Religion among the Chinese . . . -25
18. Religion of the Old Chinese Empire . . 27
19. Doctrine of Continued Existence after Death . 28
20. Absence of a Priestly Caste . . .29
21. Reforms of Kong-fu-tse . . . .30
22. His Religious Doctrine . . . .31
23. Religious Literature . . . . 32
24. Meng-tse ...... 33
25. The Tao-sse .... -35
26. Lao-tse ...... 36
27. Later Writings of the Tao-sse . . .37
28. The Chinese and Egyptian Religions . . 38
CHAPTER III.
Religion among the Hamites and Semites. • . 39
I. Religion among the Egyptians . 39
29. Sources of our Knowledge .... 44
30. Ancient Animistic Usages .... 45
31. Polytheistic and Monotheistic Tendencies. . 46
32. Triumph of Light over Darkness . . .47
33. Doctrine of Creation . . . .49
34. Religion under the First Six Dynasties . . 50
CONTENTS.
xv
PACK
35. Under the Middle Empire . . . .52
36. Conception of Amun-Ed . . .54
37. Modifications under Influence of Greece . . 55
38. African, Aryan, and Mesopotamian Elements . 57
II. Religion among the Semites . ... 60
a. The Two Streams of Development . . .60
39. Southern and Northern Semites . . .61
40. Primitive Arabian Religion . . .63
41. Contact of Northern Semites with the Akkadians 65
42. Religion of the Akkadians . . . .67
b. Religion among the Babylonians and Assyrians . 69
43. Relation of Babylonians and Assyrians . . 71
44. Their Religion ..... 73
45. Akkadian Origin of Astrology and Magic . . 75
46. Different Developments of Religion . . 76
47. The Mesopotamian Semites reach a higher Stage . 78
48. The Sabeans ..... 79
c. Religion among the West Semites . . .79
49. Its Mesopotamian Origin . . . .81
50. Sources of Cosmogony and Myths . . .83
51. Special Character of Phenician Religion . . 84
52. The Religion of Israel . . . .84
53. Growth of Yahvism . . . .86
54. Adoption of Native Elements . . .87
55. The Prophets ..... 88
56. National Character of their Monotheism . . 88
57. Influence of Persia, Greece, and Rome . . 90
d. Isl&m . . . . .91
58. Religion in Arabia before Mohammed . . 92
59. His early Career ..... 94
xvi
CONTENTS.
1>*0*
60. His Conquests and Death . . . .95
61. The Five Pillars of Islam—the Unity of God . 97
62. Gloomy Conceptions of the World . . 99
63. The Divine Mission of Mohammed . . 100
64. Theocratic Character of Islamism . . . 101
65. Its Position among other Religions - .102
CHAPTER IV.
Religion among the Indo-Germans,excluding the Greeks
and Romans . . . . . .105
I. The Ancient Indo-German Religion and the Aryan Re-
ligion “proper ...... 105
66. Religion of the Ancient Indo-Germans . . 106
67. Formation of Separate Nations . - . 108
68. The Aryan Religion .... 109
II. Religion among the Hindus . . . .110
a. The Vedie Religion . . . . .111
69. The Religion of the Rigveda . . .112
70. Indra and Agni . . . . .113
71. Different Forms of the Sun-God . . .114
72. Rise of the Brahmans . . . .115
73. Ethical Character of the Yedic Religion . .116
b. Pre-Budhhistic Brahmanism . . . .117
74. Stages in the History of Brcthmanism . . 117
75. The Four Castes . . . . .119
76. Increasing Influence of the Brahmans . . 120
77. Religious Literature . • . . 122
78. Need of a Supreme God .... 124
79. Sacrifices . . . . . .126
CONTENTS. xvii
PAGE
80. Moral Ideal of the Brahmans - . .127
81. Their Social Ideal . . . . .129
c. The Conflict of Br&hmanism with Buddhism . . 130
82. Origin of Buddhism .... 131
83. Historical Foundation of the Legend of the Buddha 134
84. Relation of Buddhism to Br&hmanism . . 135
85. Spread of Buddhism . . . .137
86. Its Decline . . . . . .139
87. The Jainas ...... 140
d. The Changes in Brdhmanism under the Influence of its
Conflict with Buddhism . . . .142
88. Necessity of Modifications in Brahmanism . 143
89. Rise of Vishnu Worship .... 143
90. Doctrine of the Avataras .... 145
91. Krishna Worship . . . . .147
92. Vishnu as Rudra and Siva .... I49
93. Ganesa, Hari-harau, and the Trimdrti . .152
94. The Puranas and the Two Great Epics . . 153
95. Doctrine of the Authority of the Veda . . 154
96. The Six Philosophical Systems . . . 155
97. The Vaishnava and Saiva Sects . . . 157
98. The S&kta Sects . . . . .158
II. Religion among the Er&nian Nations—Mazdcism . 160
99. The Religion of Zarathustra . . .163
100. The Zend-Avesta and the Bundehesh . .165
101. Doctrine of Ahura Mazdao . . .166
102. The Amesha Spenta .... 168
103. Mithra and Anahit.. . . . .170
104. The Yazatas . . . . -171
105. The Fravashis . . . . .172
CONTENTS.
xviii
V10E
106. Dualism of Paxsism . . . .173
107. Its Influence on Worship and Life . . 175
108. Its Eschatology . . . . .176
109. Foreign Elements in later Zarathustrianism . 177
IV. Religion among the Wends or Letto-Slavs . .179
no. Position among the Indo- Germanic Religions . 179
in. Doctrine of the Soul .... 181
112. Doctrine of Spirits among the Old Russians . 182
113. Deities worshipped by Letts and Slavs . .184
114. Relation between Man and the Higher Powers . 186
V. Religion among the Germans . . . .188
115. Superiority over that of the Wends . .188
116. Its Cycle of Gods ..... 190
117. Odhinn, Th6rr, and Loki .... 192
118. Ethical Character of Germanic Religion . . 194
119. The Drama of the World . . . 195
12a Doctrine of the Soul, and Cultus . . , 198
CHAPTER V.
Religion among the Indo-Germans under the Influence
of the Semites and Hamites . . . .201
I. Religion among the Greeks . . . .201
121. The Religion of the Pelasgi . . . 202
122. Causes of Development of Greek Religion . 205
123. National and Foreign Elements . . . 207
124. Poetic Treatment of Nature-Myths . . 210
125. Civilisation of Asia Minor and Crete . . 212
126. The Homeric Theology . . . .213
127. Approach to Monotheism . . . .214
128. Growing Connection of Morality and Religion . 215
CONTENTS.
xix
PAOE
129. Influence of Delphi .... 216
130. Position of the Delphic Priests . . . 219
131. Decline of their Power . . . .221
132. Cultus of Dionysos and Athena . . . 222
133. Effect of Poetry and Sculpture . . . 224
134. Sokrates and the Decline of Hellenic Religion . 225
II. Religion among the Romans .... 228
135. Personification of Abstract Ideas . . . 228
136. Continued Development of this Character . 231
137. Transition from Polydsemonism to Polytheism . 233
138. Fusion of Different Elements . . . 235
139. Importance of the Cultus .... 236
140. Jupiter Optimus Maximus . . . 240
141. Introduction of Foreign Deities . . 241
142. Decline of the State Religion . . • 243
143. The Deification of the Emperors . . . 246
144. Rise of Christianity .... 248
Prometheus:
INTRODUCTION.
Literature.—Of the older works on the general history
of religion, the following may still be named: Meiners,
Allgeme'me kritische Geschichte der Beligionen, 2 vols.,
Hanover, 1806-7 (neither general nor critical): Benj.
Constant, De la Religion consider^ dans sa source, ses
formes et ses developpements, 5 vols., Paris, 1824-31. The
doctrines of ancient religion are treated by F. Creuzek,
Symbolik und Mythologie der alien Volker, 4 vols., with
Atlas, Leipzig and Darmstadt, 1819-21, and F. C. Baue,
Symbolik und Mythologie, od. die Naturrel. des AUerthums,
2 vols., 3 parts, Stuttgart, 1824-25. (Both works are
now antiquated. Their speculations are for the most
part founded on very imperfect or incorrect data.) L.
Noack, Mythol. und Offenbarung. Die Religion in ihrem
JFesen, Hirer geschichtl. Entwiclcel., &c., 2 vols., Darm-
stadt, 1845, more systematic than historic. A. VON
Colln, Lehrb. der vorchristl. Religionsgeschichte, Lemgo
& Detmold, 1853, still useful in some parts. J. H.
Scholten, Geschiedenis der Godsd. en Wijslegeerte, Leiden,
1863. 0. Peleiderer, Die Religion, ihr Wesen und Hire
Geschichte, 2 vols., Leipzig, 1869. Comp, also F. Max
Muller, Chips from a German Workshop, vols. i. and il,
London, 1867.
1. The history of religion is not content with describing
special religions (hierography), or with relating their vicis-
7 A
2
HISTORY OF RELIGION.
situdes and metamorphoses (the history of religions); its
aim is to show how religion, considered generally as the
relation between man and the superhuman powers in
which he believes, has developed in the course of ages
among different nations and races, and, through these, in
humanity at large.
The definition of religion as the relation between man
and the superhuman powers in which he believes is by
no means philosophical, and leaves unanswered the ques-
tion of the essence of religion. The powers are designedly
not described as supersensual, as visible deities would
thus be excluded. They are superhuman, not always in
reality, but in the estimation of their worshippers.
2. The hypothesis of development, from which the his-
tory of religion sets out, does not determine whether all
religions were derived from one single prehistoric religion,
or whether different families of religions sprang from as
many separate forms, related in ideas, but independent
in origin—a process which is not improbable. But its
fundamental principle is that all changes and transforma-
tions in religions, whether they appear from a subjective
point of view to indicate decay or progress, are the results
of natural growth, and find in it their best explanation.
The history of religion unfolds the method in which this
development is determined by the character of nations
and races, as well as by the influence of the circumstances
surrounding them, and of special individuals, and it
exhibits the established laws by which this development
is controlled. Thus conceived, it is really history, and
not a morphologic arrangement of religions, based on an
arbitrary standard, •
INTRODUCTION.
3
Compare J. I. Doedes, De Toepassing van de Ont-
viTckelingstheorie niet aantebevelen voor de Geschiedenis der
Godsdiensten, Utrecht, 1874. On the opposite side, C. P.
Tiele, “De Ontwikkelingsgeschiedenis van den Gods-
dienst en de hypotheze waarvan zij uitgaat,” Gids, 1874,
No. 6. In reply, J. I. Doedes, “Over de Ontwikkelings-
liypotlieze in verband met de Geschiedenis der Godsdien-
sten; ” Stemmen voor Waarheid en Vrede, 1874. Further, 0.
Pfleiderer, “ Zur Frage nach Anfang und Entwickelung
der Religion,” Jahrbiicher fur Protest. Theologie, 1875,
Heft i. In reply, C. P. Tiele, “ Over den Aanvang en
de Ontwikkeling van den Godsdienst. Een verweer-
schrift,” Theol. Tijdschrift, 1875, P- I7°> s11- On the
laws which control the development of religion, see
C. P. Tiele, “ Over de Wetten der Ontwikkeling van
den Godsdienst,” Theol. Tijdschrift, 1874, p. 225, sqq.
3. It is on various grounds probable that the earliest
religion, which has left but faint traces behind it, was
followed by a period in which Animism generally pre-
vailed. This stage, which is still represented by the so-
called Nature-religions, or rather by the polydiemonistic
magic tribal religions, early developed among civilised
nations into polytheistic national religions resting upon
a traditional doctrine. Not until a later period did poly-
theism give place here and there to nomistic religions,
or religious communities founded on a law or holy
scripture, and subduing polytheism more or less com-
pletely beneath pantheism or monotheism. These last,
again, contain the roots of the universal or world-
religions, which start from principles and maxims. Were
we to confine ourselves to a sketch of the abstract
development of the religious idea in humanity, we should
have to follow this order.
4
HISTORY OF RELIGION.
The polytheistic religions include most of the Indo-
Germanic and Semitic religions, the Egyptian, and some
others. The nomistic religions comprise Confucianism,
Taoism, the Mosaism of the eighth century B.c., and
the Judaism which sprang from it, Brahmanism, and
Mazdeism. The universal religions are Buddhism,
Christianity, and Mohammedanism. The pre-Islimic
religion of the Arabs was certainly not a nomistic
religion, but without Judaism, to say nothing of Chris-
tianity, Islitm would never have been founded.
4. But in actually describing the general history of
religion, we are compelled to take into account, also, the
genealogical connection and historical relation of religions,
which gave rise to different streams of development, in-
dependent of each other, whose courses in many instances
afterwards met and joined. It is inexpedient, for the sake
of a systematic arrangement, to divide these historic groups.
By genealogical connection we mean the filiation of
religions, one of which has obviously proceeded from
the other, or both together from a third, whether
this be known to us historically or must be referred
to prehistoric times. Thus the Vedic and old Eranian
religions sprang from the Aryan, Confucianism and
Taoism from the ancient Chinese religion, Buddhism
from Brahmanism, &c. In the course of history,
moreover, religions which are not allied by descent
come into contact with each other, and if their mutual
influence leads to the adoption by one of them of
customs, ideas, and deities belonging to the other, they
are said to be historically related. This is the case, for
example, with the north Semitic religions in reference to
the Akkadian, with the Greek in reference to the north
Semitic, and with the Roman in reference to the Greek.
INTRODUCTION.
5
5. For these reasons we divide our history in the fol-
lowing manner:—
(i.) From the polydfemonistic magic tribal religions
of the present day we shall endeavour to become ac-
quainted with Aqimism, this being the form of religion
which must have preceded the religions known to us by
history, and served as their foundation. The example of
the more civilised American nations (Mexicans and Peru-
vians) and of the Finns will show us what an advanced
development may be attained under favourable circum-
stances by an animistic religion, even where it is left to
itself. This forms the transition to the proper history of
religion, which will be treated in the ensuing order:—
(2.) Eeligion among the Chinese :
(3.) Among the Egyptians, the Semites proper, and the
northern Semites or Mesopotamians, in connection with
whom the Akkadian religion, which dominates all the
north Semitic religions, will be discussed :
(4.) Among the Indo-Germans who came little, or not
at all, into contact with the Semites, the Aryans, Hindus,
Eranians, Letto-Slavs, and Germans :
(5.) Among the Indo-Germans in whose religion the
national elements were supplemented and blended with
others of north Semitic or Hamitic origin, viz., the
Greeks and Eomans.
The history of the internal development of the univer-
sal religions and their mutual comparison lie beyond our
plan; they require separate study, and are too vast to be
included here. The • third division, however, will trace
the development of Islam out of the Semitic religion;
the fourth, that of Buddhism from Brahmanism ; and the
6
HISTORY OF RELIGION.
fifth -will indicate how European Christianity arose out of
the fusion of Semitic and Indo-Germanie religions.
A description of the. so-called nature-religions, which
belongs to ethnology, is excluded from our design for
obvious reasons. They have no history; and in the
historic chain they only serve to enable us to form an
idea of the ancient prehistoric animistic religions of
which they are the remains, or, it may be said, the
ruins. It must suffice, therefore, to recount here a
few of their chief features. Of the Japanese no men-
tion is made, because the history of the present form
of their religion belongs to that of Buddhism, and the
investigation of the old national religion (designated by
a Chinese name, Shinto, the way or doctrine of spirits,^
and perhaps itself derived from China) has not yet led
to any sufficiently satisfactory results. The latter remark
also holds good of the religion of the Kelts, which we
have also left out of consideration for the same reason.
6. The question whether religion is as old as the
human race, or whether it is the growth of a later stage,
is as little open to solution by historical research as
that of its origin and essence; it can only be answered
by psychology, and is a purely philosophical inquiry;
The statement that there are nations or tribes which
possess no religion, rests either on inaccurate observation,
or on a confusion of ideas. Ho tribe or nation has yet
been met with destitute of belief in any higher beings;
and travellers who asserted their existence have been
afterwards refuted by the facts. It is legitimate, there-
fore, to call religion in its most general sense a universal
phenomenon of humanity.
( 7 )
Prometheus:
CHAPTER I.
RELIGION UNDER THE CONTROL OF ANIMISM.
I.
ANIMISM IN ITS INFLUENCE ON RELIGION IN GENERAL.
Literature.—Tylor, Primitive Culture, 2 vols., London,
1871, and Researches into the Early History of Mankind,
London, 1865; Sir John Lubbock, Origin of Civilisation,
London, 1874; Fritz Schultze, Der Fetischismvs, ein
Beitrag zur Anthropologic und Religionsgeschichte; Theod.
Waitz, Anthropologic der NatwrvSlker, vol. i., “ITeber die
Einheit des Menschengeschlechtes und den Naturzustand
des Menschen,” Leipzig, 2d ed., 1877; Oscar Peschel,
The Races of Man, translated from the German, London,
1876, a book of the highest importance, and written in
attractive style. Much useful material may be found in
Caspari, Die Urgeschichte der Menschheit mil RucksicM avf
die natiirliche Entwickdung des friihesten Geisteslebens, 2 vols.,
Leipzig, 1873, 2d ed. ibid., 1877, and in (Rabenhausen)
Isis. Der Mensch und die Well, 4 vols., Hamburg, 1863. The
notions of Georg Gerland, in his “ Betrachtungen fiber
die Entwickelungs- und Urgeschichte der Menschheit,”
in Anthropologische Beitrdge, i., Halle, 1875, are altogether
peculiar, often hypothetical, but not always to be re-
jected. Adolf Bastian, of whose numerous works we
only name under this head Der Mensch in der Geschichle,
3 vols., Leipzig, i860, and Beitrdge zur vergleichenden
8
ANIMISTIC RELIGION.
Psychologic (“ Die Seele und ihre Ersclieinungsweisen in
der Ethnographie’’), Berlin, 1868, and whose ideas
deserve consideration, heaps up an ill-arranged mass
of examples, from all periods and nations, and nowhere
names a single authority, which almost prevents his
writings from being used. To this, however, his Besuch
an San Salvador makes a favourable exception. Compare
further M. Oarriere, Die Anftinge der Cultur und das
Oriental. Alterlhum, 2d ed., 1872 ; L. F. A. Maury, La
Magic et VAstrologie dans I’Antiquite et au Moyen Age, Paris,
i860, and C. P. Tiele, De Plaats van de Godsdiensten der
Natuurvolkeninde Godsdienstgeschiedenis, Amsterdam, 1873.
7. The belief that the religions of savages, known to
us from the past or still existing, are the remains of the
religion which prevailed among mankind before the
earliest civilisation flourished, and are thus hest fitted to
give us an idea of it, rests on the following grounds:—
(1.) The most recent investigations indicate that the
general civilisation had then reached no higher stage
than that of the present savages, nay, it had not even
advanced so far; and in such a civilisation no purer
religious beliefs, ideas, and usages are possible, than
those which we find among existing communities.
(2.) The civilised religions whose history ascends to
the remotest ages, such as the Egyptian, the Akkadian,
the Chinese, still show more clearly than later religions
the influence of animistic conceptions.
(3.) Almost the whole of the mythology and theology
of civilised nations may be traced, without arrangement
or co-ordination, and in forms that are undeveloped and
original rather than degenerate, in the traditions and
ideas of savages.
ITS ANTIQUITY.
9
(4.) Lastly, the numerous traces of animistic spirit-
worship in higher religions are best explained as the
survival and revival of older elements. We must not,
however, forget that the present polydaemonistic religions
only imperfectly reproduce those of prehistoric times;
since even they have not stood still, but have to some
extent outgrown their earlier form, which has conse-
quently not been preserved unimpaired^
8. Animism ,is not itself a religion, but a sort of .
primitive philosophy, which not only controls religion, l
but rules the whole life of the natural man. It is the
belief in the existence of souls or spirits, of which only
the powerful—those on which man feels himself depen-
dent, and before which he stands in awe—acquire the
rank of divine beings, and become objects of worship.
These spirits are conceived as moving freely through earth
and air, and, either of their own accord, or because con-
jured by some spell, and thus under compulsion, appearing
to men (Spiritism). But they may also take up their
abode, either temporarily or permanently, in some object, y
whether living or lifeless it matters not; and this object,
as endowed with higher power, is then worshipped, or em-
ployed to protect individuals and communities (Fetishism).
Spiritism, essentially the same as what is now called
Spiritualism, must be carefully distinguished from
Fetishism, but can only rarely be separated from it. It
is difficult to determine which of the two appears first:
in history they are equally old. Fetishism comes from
feilifo, agreeing not with fatum, chose fie (De Brosses), but
with fadilius, “ endowed with magic power,” from which
come the Old French faitis, and the Old English fetys,
IO
ANIMISTIC RELIGION.
i.e., well-made, neat (Tylor). Both are only different
aspects of the same thing, and to express their unity
I have chosen the word Animism, which is elsewhere
generally employed to indicate what I call Spiritism.
The derivation of the two last terms is sufficiently plain.
9 The religions controlled by Animism are character-
ised, first of all, by a varied, confused, and indeterminate
doctrine, an unoiganised polydaemonism, which does not,
however, exclude the belief in a supreme spirit, though
in practice this commonly bears but little • fruit; and in
the next place, by magic, which but rarely rises to real
worship. Yet,—or rather precisely from this cause, the
power possessed by the magicians and fetish priests is
by no means small, and in some cases they are even
organised into hierarchies. Moreover, among races the
most widely separated, the Negroes, Polynesians, and
Americans, there exist certain secret associations, types
of the later mysteries and sacred orders, which exercise a
most formidable influence.
Magic may be said to prevail where it is the aim of a
cultus not to worship the spirits, although homage may
also be offered to appease them, but to acquire power
over them by spells, and thus cripple their dreaded
influence. As higher conceptions are formed of the
divine beings, these enchantments give way to efforts to
propitiate them, or to calm their wrath. Among the
Brahmanic Hindus, however, the old conception may
still be traced in the well-known doctrine that it is
possible for man by violent and continuous penances to
force the devas into obedience to his will, and to strip
them of their supremacy. The tapas (literally, “ fire,”
“ heat,” and thence the glow of self-renunciation and self-
ITS CONNEXION WITH MAGIC.
II
chastisement) has here taken the place of magic, with
which it was at first confounded, It is a striking
example of the way in which a very primitive conception
has survived in an otherwise highly-developed religion.
Secret associations both of men and women exist
in great numbers among the Negroes. Among the
North American Indians the three secret societies Jossa-
kied, Meda, and Wabeno, seem, like the Greek mys-
teries, to transmit a certain doctrine of immortality;
their members, at any rate, are regarded as born again.
See Waitz, Anthropologie der Naturuolker, iii. p. 215,
sqq. The Areoi of Tahiti are of a peculiar constitution
—a body of distinguished men who preserve and propa-
gate the old traditions; they are regarded already as
gods upon earth, and are supposed to be elevated above
all the laws of morality. See Gerland in "Waitz, op. cit.,
vi. pp. 363-369.
10. In the animistic religions fear is more powerful |
than any other feeling, such as gratitude or trust. The
spirits and their worshippers are alike selfish. The evil
spirits receive, as a rule, more homage than the good, the
lower more than the higher, the local more than the
remote, the special more than the general. The allot-
ment of their rewards or punishments depends not on
men’s good or bad actions, hut on the sacrifices and gifts
which are offered to them or withheld. With morality *
this religion has little or no connection, and the doctrine
of immortality consists almost entirely in the representa-
tion that the earthly life is continued elsewhere (theory
of continuance), while of the doctrine that men will j
receive hereafter according to their works (theory of
recompense), only the first beginnings are to be traced.
12
Prometheus:
ANIMISTIC RELIGION.
II.
PECULIAR DEVELOPMENTS OF ANIMISTIC RELIGION AMONG
DIFFERENT RACES.
Literature. — General sources: Th. Waitz, Antlvro-
pologie der Nalurvolker, vol. i., 2d ed., Leipzig, 1877;
vols. ii.-v. part i., Leipzig, 1860-65; vols. v. (part ii.) -vi.,
continued by G. Gerland, 1870-72, an indispensable
work, evincing great industry and clear-sightedness.
The data, including those relating to religion, are always
to be trusted; not so constantly, the theories founded
on them by the writer. In this respect Waitz is far
surpassed by Gerland, especially in vol. vi. Fried.
Muller, Allgemeine Ethnographic, Vienna, 1873, very
brief, but generally to be trusted in everything con-
cerning religion. Peschel, Races of Man, London, 1876,
p. 245, sqq.
Separate races :—The Australians. Gerland-Waitz,
vi. pp. 706-829. George Grey, Journals of Two Expe-
ditions of Discovery in North-Western and Western Australia,
2 vols., London, 1841; of. Tylor, Primitive Culture,
i. p. 320, sqq.
Papuans and Melanesians. Gerland-Waitz, vi.
pp. 516-705 ; see the literature, ibid., p. xix., sqq. A.
Goudzwaard, De Papoeiva’s van de Geelvinksbaai, Schie-
dam, 1863. Van Boudijck Bastiaanse, Voyages Faits
dans les Moluques, a la Nouv. Guinee, &c., Paris, 1845.
Malays. Malays proper, Waitz, v. part i.; Micro-
nesians and North-West Polynesians, ibid., v. part ii.;
Polynesians, ibid., vi. pp. 1-514. Literature, ibid., v.
pp. xxvi-xxxiv; and vi. pp. xix-xxii. Oberlander,
Die Inseln der Siidsee, Leipzig, 1871, gives a good sum-
ITS DIFFERENT DEVELOPMENTS.
13
mary. C. Schirren, Die Wandersagen der Neuseelander
und dcr Mauimythos, Eiga, 1856; and Sir George Grey
(see above under Australians), Polynesian Mythology and
Ancient Traditional History of the New Zealand Race,
London, 1855 ; both works much to be recommended.
See also W. W. Gill, Myths and Songs from the South
Pacific, with preface by Max Muller, London, 1876.
Negro Eaces and allied peoples. Waitz, vol. ii. ;
literature, ibid., pp. xvii-xxiv. A. KaufmanN, Schil-
derungen avs Central Afrika, Brixen, 1862. An excellent
summary will be found in Ed. Sciiauenburg, Reisen
in Central Afrika von Mungo Park bis auf Dr. Earth und
Dr. Vogel, 2 vols., 1859-65 ; while Vogel’s travels are
described by H. Wagner, Schilderung der Reisen und
Entdeclcungen des Dr. Ed. Vogel, Leipzig, i860. W. Bos-
nian, Nauickeurige Reschrijving van de Guinese Goud- land-
en slavekust, 2d ed., 1709; very instructive and charac-
teristic. J. Leighton Wilson, History and Condition of
JVestern Africa, Philadelphia, 1859, excellent. Much
useful material in Brodie Cruickshank, Eighteen Years
on the Gold Coast, London, 1853. Important for the
knowledge of the priestly hierarchy, T. E. Bowditcii,
Mission to Ashantee, London, 1819. J. B. Douville,
Voyage au Congo et dans Vlnterieur de VAfrique Eguinoxiale,
3 vols., Paris, 1832, not to be trusted in the least. The
travels of Barth, Speke and Grant, and Sir Samuel Baker,
contain very few notices of religion. Comp, also Cameron,
Across Africa, 2 vols., London, 1877.
On the Kaffirs, Hottentots, and Bosjesmans, the first
authority is the admirable work of G. Fritsch, Die
Eingeboretien Sud-Afrika’s, ethnograph. und anatom, beschrie-
ben, Breslau, 1872. E. Casalis, Les Rassoutos, Paris,
i860, attractive.
American Eaces. Waitz, vols. iii. and iv.; literature,
14
ANIMISTIC RELIGION.
ibid., iii. pp. xix-xxxii; and iv. pp. vii, viii. The much-
used work of J. G. Muller, Geschichte der Amerikanischen
Urrdigimen, Basel, 1855, contains abundance of material,
and ideas and explanations which are sometimes very 4
just; but the writer’s abortive attempt to distinguish
everywhere a northern belief in ghosts or spirits from a
southern sun-worship, leads him occasionally to place the
facts in a false light. D. G. Brinton, The Myths of the
New World, New York, 1868, original, but one-sided.
The works of BrAsseur de Bourbourg, Catlin, and
Schoolcraft (see the literature in Waitz, to which may
be added Catlin, A Religious Ceremony of the Mandans)
still deserve to be consulted. H. H. Bancroft, The
Native Races of the Western Slates of America, 5 vols.,
London, 1873-75. For Ethnology, see further, H. E.
Ludewig, The literature of American Aboriginal Lan-
guages, with additions by Turner, edited by N. Trub-
ner, London, 1857.
On the religion of the Finns, see M. Alex. Castren,
Vorlemngen iiber die Finnische Mythologie, aus dem Schwed.
mit Anmerkk. von A. Schiefner, St. Petersburg, 1853.
Id., Kleinere Schriften, herausgegeben von Schiefner, St.
Petersburg, 1862 (containing an essay “ Ueber die
Zauberkunst der Finnen,” and also “ Allgemeine Ueber-
sicht der Gbtterlehre und der Magie der Finnen wahrend
des Heidenthums Compare further, A. Schiefner,
Ileldensagen der Minussinschen Tataren, rythm. bearbeitet,
St. Petersburg, 1859. The most complete edition of the
Kalevala is by El. Lonrott in 1849 (under the sanc-
tion of the University of Helsingfors. The second
edition contains 50 Bunes, as against 32 in the first
edition of 1835); translated by A. Schiefner, Kalewala,
das National-Epos der Finnen, nach der 2ten Ausg. ins
Deutsche iibertr., Helsingfors, 1852.
ITS DIFFERENT DEVELOPMENT,$. 15
11. The question of the relation in which the religions
of savages stand to the great historic families of religions,
has only just been opened; and not till it has been
solved with some degree of certainty, will it be possible
for the separate nature-religions to take their proper
places in the history of religion. At present they only
serve to give some idea of the religions which preceded
those of civilised nations, and their description does not
belong to this place. But while animistic religion is,
in its nature, and even in its ideas and usages, with
slight modification everywhere the same, it is necessary
to point out the special causes which have led to its
development among different races in such different forms
and degrees. Of these the principal are (1) the different
characters of these races, (2) the nature of their home and
occupations, and (3) the historic relations in which some
of them stood to their neighbours.
The question of the relation of the religions of savages
to those of the great historic families of religions, amounts
briefly to this:—Are the former entirely independent, or
is there reason for regarding them as the backward and
imperfectly-developed members of larger groups, to which
the recognised families of religion (such as the Semitic or
Indo-Germanic) belong ? There is real agreement between
the civilisation and religion of the Negroes, and those of
the Egyptians. Similar correspondences exist between the
Red Indians and Turanians. The Polynesians and Indo-
Germans, also, exhibit so many points of contact, that
Bopp even endeavoured, however fruitlessly, to prove the
original unity of their languages. Gerland {Anthropclog.
Beitrage, i. p. 396) has lately combined all the African
nations, Negroes, Bantu tribes (Kaffirs), Hottentots,
j6
ANIMISTIC RELIGION.
Berbers, Gallas, &c., together with Egyptians ar.d
Semites into one great race, which he names the Arabic-
African. "Were this conjecture to he established, we
should have to incorporate all the African religions with ,
those of the Egyptians and Semites. Without going so
far as this, E. Von Hartmann, Die Nigritier, vol. i., 1877,
endeavours to prove the unity of all the African races,
but he marks off the Semites from them very decidedly.
His demonstration rests at present chiefly on physical
grounds, but in the second volume, which has not yet
appeared, he promises to establish the unity of these
races in language and religion as well. But the inquiry
is still in its first stage, and it must be carried to much
more assured results before we may venture to make use
of it in the history of religion.
12. The joyous careless disposition of the sensual
Negro is reflected in Iris religion as clearly as the sombre
melancholy character of the American Indian in his.
If the latter is endowed with much more poetic feeling
than the former, whose mythology is of the poorest order,
and in this resembles that of the Semites, he is surpassed
by the poetic genius of the Polynesian, which displays
itself in his rich mythology. The great influence of
national character on religion is specially apparent among
peoples, which, though living in the same climate and
engaged in the same occupations—like the Papuans, the
Melanesians, and Polynesians—stand at such different
stages of development: while the religion of the Americans,
on the other hand, though they are spread over a whole
quarter of the globe, and diverge so widely in civilisation,
exhibits everywhere the same character, and is every-
where accompanied by the same usages.
ITS DIFFERENT DEVELOPMENTS.
17
13. The influence of the locality and the occupation
of the different peoples must also be taken into account.
Lowest in the scale stands the religion of the root-
digging Australians, who do, indeed, engage in hunting,
but show little skill in it, and that of the Bosjesmans,
who live largely by plunder. The religion of the Koikoin
or Hottentots, and of the Kaffirs, who are both for the
most part pastoral tribes, is mild, that of some of the
war-loving Negro tribes sanguinary and cruel; while
among those Negroes who are engaged chiefly in industry
and commerce, without neglecting cattle-breeding and
agriculture, a much more humane and civilised worship
prevails, in which however the spirit of trade shows itself
in a certain cunning towards the spirits. The myths of
the Polynesians at once betray that they have sprung up
among a people of husbandmen and fishermen, and their
religious customs correspond entirely to the beneficent
nature which surrounds them.
14. Even at this point of development, the mingling,
or even simply the mutual intercourse of nations, brings
about a transfer of religious ideas and institutions from
the one to the other. The mixed race of the Melanesians
may still be distinguished in many respects from the
Polynesians, but they adopted the religion of the latter,
though in a very degraded form. The Abantu or Kaffirs,
who are very near to the Negroes, but are only distantly
related to the Koikoin or Hottentots, borrowed from the
latter various religious conceptions.
That the Melanesians derived their religion from the
Polynesians is denied by Gerland in Waitz, vi. p. 675.
The statement is not strictly accurate, but the Melanesians
r b
i8
ANIMISTIC RELIGION.
are a mixed race of Polynesians and Papuans, among
whom the religion of the former maintained the ascendant
and was independently developed. Their supreme god
Ndengei is only a degenerate form of Tangaloa, the god
universally worshipped by the Polynesians, though the
Melanesians apply to him their own peculiar myths, which
are unknown to the Polynesians. From these they are
distinguished by their greater rudeness, and want of
poetic capacity, while on the other hand they are less
luxurious and unchaste. Their customs correspond much
more with those of the Papuans.
The religion of the Kaffirs bears a greater resem-
blance in character and conceptions to that of the
Hottentots than to that of the Negroes. The myth of
Unkulunkulu, “the great-grandfather,” the Creator, does
not in fact differ from that related by the Hottentots of
their chief deity, the Moon-god Ueitsi-eibib. The word
Utixo, moreover, the Kaffir designation of the highest
god, has been adopted from the Hottentots.
15. The original religions of America exhibit religious
Animism at every stage of development. In one and
the same race, whose religions possess everywhere the
same distinctive character, and have certain peculiar usages
in common, the richest variety of religious development
may he found. Among some tribes, such as the Shoshonee
and Comanches in North America, the Botokuds and Oto-
maks, the Pampas Indians, some of the Brazilian savages,
and the Terra-del-Fuegians of South America, hardly any-
thing more than the first germs of a cultus is to be traced.
A higher stage has been reached by the tribes of the
north-west of North America, by the Caribbees of
Central America, and, among the closely-allied Hyper-
boreans, by the Esquimaux. But they are far surpassed
AMONG THE AMERICANS.
19
by the savages of North America, on the east of the
Missouri, and the south of Canada. In mythology,
religion, and usages, these have attained about the same
point of development as the Polynesians; their worship
is directed for the most part towards spirits of a lower
rank, especially towards those which they fear, yet they
all acknowledge a great Spirit, Creator of everything
which exists. The Natchez, a small tribe at the con-
fluence of the Mississippi and Eed Eiver, had even
founded a theocracy, based on sun-worship, and appear
to have exerted great influence by their religion on the
neighbouring tribes.
The character of the American with his sombre ear-
nestness, his sagacity and silence, his passionateness
combined with a self-mastery which expresses itself out-
wardly in gravity and at least apparent indifference, and
enables him to endure the most terrible torments with a
smile, is reflected in his religion. This is characterised by
severe self-tortures and bloody ceremonies, which do not
give way even before a higher civilisation. The myth
of the hero avho is worshipped as the founder of this
civilisation (originally a sun-god) appears alike among
savage tribes and among peoples already settled, and the
national heroes everywhere resemble one another. The
following usages may be regarded as universal: the use
of the steam-bath for producing ecstasy, the sacred game
at ball, and enchantment with a rattle. The most
widely-separated peoples retain the practice of drawing
blood out of certain parts of the body, which are regarded
as the seat of the soul, a custom which probably served
as a substitute for human sacrifices, and among the
Cherokees, Aztecs, Mayas, and Peruvians, baptism ac-
companies the naming of children. This large agreement
20
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