THE LOWER RACES OF MAN. 357 



the same reason the Eomaiis carefully concealed the name of the patron 

 saint of their city. 



In other cases it was thought sufficient to make an image to represent 

 the original. Thus, even in the 11th century, and in Europe, some 

 unfortunate Jews were accused of murdering a certain Bishop Eberhard, 

 by making a wax figure to represent him, and then burning it, whereby 

 the bishop died ; this indeed was a common form of witchcraft. 



Now, Fetichism seems a mere extension of this belief. The Xegro 

 supposes that the possession of a Fetich representing a deity makes 

 that deity his slave. 



A Fetich, therefore, differs essentially from an idol. The one is 

 intended to raise man to the contemplation of the deity ; the other to 

 bring the deity within the control of man. Aladdin's lamp is a fiimiliar 

 instance of a Fetich ; and indeed, if witchcraft be not confused with 

 religion, Fetichism can hardly be called a religion. 



Tiie low religious conceptions of the ISTegroes are well illustrated in 

 the general belief that the Fetich sees with its eyes as we do ; and so 

 literally is it the actual image which is supposed to see, that, when the 

 Xegro is about to do anytliing of which he is ashamed, he hides his 

 Fetich in his waistcloth, so that it may not be able to see what is going 

 on. Fetichism, strictly speaking, has no temi^les, idols, priests, sacri- 

 fices, or prayer. It involves no belief in creation, or in a future life, 

 and, a fortiori, none in a state of future rewards and punishments : it is 

 entirely independent of morality. 



T0TEMIS3I. 



The next stage in religious progress is that which may be called 

 Totemism. The savage does not abandon his belief in Fetichism, from 

 which indeed no race of man has yet entirely freed itself, but he superin- 

 duces on it a belief in beings of a higher and more mysterious nature. In 

 this stage everything is deified — stones, rivers, lakes, mountains, the 

 heavenly bodies, even animals and i^lants. 



Various theories have been suggested to account for the origin of the 

 deification of such objects. I believe that it arose principally in this 

 way : A chief being named after some tree or animal, say the Black 

 Bear, or the Eagle, his family would naturally take the same name. 

 They would then come to look on the animal after which they were 

 named, first with interest, then with respect, and at length with a sort 

 of awe. 



In Australia, we seem to find the Totem, or, as it is there called, the 

 "Kobong," in the very process of deification. Sir George Grey tells us 

 that each family takes some animal or plant as its sign or "Kobong." 

 No native will intentionally kill or eat his "Kobong,'' which shows that 

 there is a mysterious feeling connected with it; but we are not told that 

 in Australia the Kobong is regarded as a deity. 



In America, on the other hand, the redskins worship their Totem, 

 from which they believe themselves to be actually descended. 



If we remember how low is the savage conception of a deity, we shall 

 see that the larger and more iiowerful animals do, in fact, to a great 

 extent, fulfill his idea. 



This is especially the case with nocturnal animals, such as the lion 

 and tiger. As the savage crouching by the side of his camp-fire at night 

 listens to the cries and howls of the animals prowling round, or watches 

 them stealing like shadows among the trees, what wonder if he weaves 

 mysterious stories about them, and eventually fancies them something 

 jiore mysterious than mere mortal beings. 



