20 Rafael Karsten. [X:o 1 



and as to the prehistoric ages recent archaeological excavations 

 have brought into light evidences which seem to show that 

 the Mycenaean Greeks were totemists ^). As to the real nature 

 of this form of religion there is, however, as yet a diversity 

 of opinion among sociologists, and hence I shall not enter 

 into an investigation of Greek toteraism here. Only the leading 

 principles of auimal-worship in general, illustrated bj' some 

 well-established instances, will here be set fortli. 



It is a well-known fact that to people standing at a low 

 level of culture there is not the same difference between man 

 and auimal as to a civilised mind. The savage believes that 

 the brutes are like man endowed with a soul which survives 

 the death of the body and is powerful for good aud evil; he 

 ascribes to them feelings and intelligence, he recognises in 

 some of them a strength, courage, and cunning which often 

 exceeds his owa 2). There are many facts in support of the as- 

 sertion that the G-reeks largely shared the same primitive 

 view. Thus the rule in Plato's Laivs, which prescribes that 

 an animal who causes the death of anyone shall be prosecuted 

 for murder by the kinsmen of the deceased and after the 

 trial has been held be slain by them and cast beyond the 

 borders ^) clearly shows that animals were considered responsible 

 for their deeds. Moreover, wonderful faculties were often ascribed 

 to them by the ancients. „Nature", says Pliny, „has endowed, 

 most animals with the gift of forecascing winds, rain and 

 storm, and as to their power to foretell the destiny of man, 

 many observations could be made". They warn man by their 

 cries aud by their entrails which are often examined by people 

 who hope to foresee their destiny in them. On the other hand 

 they have often shown their power and their superiority to 

 man by causing him enormous harm *). 



') Crook, Animal-worship in the Mycenaean Age, in Jonrn. Hell. Stud. vol. 

 14, 1894, p. 81 etc. 



'^) Se Tjlor, Primitv-e Culture, II, p. 209. Frazer, The Golden Bough, 

 II, pp. 387, 435. Westertnarck, Origin and Development of the Moral Ideas, 

 1, p. 258. Karsten, Origin of Worship, p. 22. 



') Plato, Legg. IX, 873. 



*) Plin. Hist. nat. VIII, 28, 29, 42, 43. 



