MYTHOLOGIC PHILOSOPHY. 65 



owy, but its particulars are vividly before bis mind, and tbe certainty 

 witb wbicb be entertains bis opinions leaves no room to doubt bis 

 sincerity. 



But tbere is yet anotber jDbase of tbeism discovered. Sometimes 

 a particular mountain, or bill, or some great rock, some waterfall, 

 some lake, or some spring receives special worsbip, and is itself be- 

 lieved to be a deity. Tbis seems to be a relic of becastotheism. 

 Feticbism, also, seems to bave come from tbat lower grade, and all 

 tbe minor deities, tbe spii'its of mountains and bills and forests, seem 

 to bave been derived from tbat same stage, but witb tbis development, 

 tbat tbe tbings tbemselves are not worsbiped, but tbeir essential 

 spirits. 



From zoutbeism, as described, to pbysitbeism tbe way is long. 

 Gradually, in tbe progress of pbilosopby, animal-gods are detbroned 

 and become inferior gods or are forgotten ; and gradually tbe gods of 

 tbe firmament — tbe sun, tbe moon, tbe stars — are advanced to suprem- 

 acy : tbe clouds, tbe storms, tbe winds, day and nigbt, dawn and gloam- 

 ing, tbe sky, the eartb, tbe sea, and all tbe various pbases of nature 

 perceived by tbe barbaric mind, are personified and deified and exalted 

 to a supremacy coordinate witb tbe firmament gods ; and all tbe gods 

 of tbe lower stage tbat remain — animals, demons, and all men — be- 

 long to inferior tribes. Tbe gods of tbe sky — tbe sbining ones, tbose 

 tbat soar on brigbt wings, tbose tbat are clotbed in gorgeous colors, 

 tbose tbat came from we know not wbere, tbose tbat vanisb to tbe 

 unknown — ai'e tbe supreme gods. We always find tbese gods organ- 

 ized in great tribes, witb migbty cbieftains wbo figbt in great combats 

 or lead tbeir bosts in battle, and return witb much booty. Sucb is tbe 

 tbeism of ancient Mexico, sucb tbe tbeism of tbe Nortbland, and sucb 

 tbe tbeism discovered among tbe ancient Aryans. 



From tbis stage to psycbotbeism tbe way is long, for evolution is 

 slow. Gradually men come to differentiate more carefully between 

 good and evil, and tbe etbic character of tbeir gods becomes tbe sub- 

 ject of consideration, and tbe good gods grow in virtue, and tbe bad 

 gods grow in vice. Tbeir identity witb physical objects and phenom- 

 ena is gradually lost. Tbe different phases or conditions of tbe same 

 object or phenomenon are severed, and each is personified. Tbe bad 

 gods are banished to underground homes, or live in concealment, from 

 which they issue on their expeditions of evil. Still, all powers exist 

 in tbese gods, and all tbings were established by them. With the 

 growth of their moral qualities no physical powers are lost, and the 

 spirits of the physical bodies and phenomena become demons, subor- 

 dinate to tbe great gods who preside over nature and human institu- 

 tions. 



We find, also, that these superior gods are organized in societies, 

 I have said the Norse mythology was in a transition state from pbysi- 

 tbeism to psycbotbeism. The Asas, or gods, lived in Asgard, a 



