THE IDEAS AND SOURCES OF MYTH. 3 



intensity and extent, not as a vague conception of 

 things due to the erroneous interpretation of words 

 and phrases, nor again as the fanciful creation of 

 ignorant minds ; but it will appear to be a special 

 faculty of the human mind, inspired by emotions 

 which accompany and animate its products. Since 

 this innate faculty of myth is indigenous and common 

 to all men, it will not only be the portion of all 

 peoples, but of each individual in every age, in every 

 race, whatever may be their respective conditions. 



Myth, therefore, will not be resolved by us into a 

 manifestation of an obsolete age, or of peoples still 

 in a barbarous and savage state, nor as part of the 

 cycle through which nations and individuals have, 

 respectively passed, or have nearly passed ; but it 

 remains to this day, in spite of the prevailing civili- 

 zation which has greatly increased and is still in- 

 creasing, it still persists as a mode of physical and 

 intellectual force in the organic elements which con- 

 stitute it. 



Nor, let it be observed, do I say that such a 

 mythical faculty persists as such only among the 

 ignorant masses in town or country, in the form of 

 those very ancient superstitions which have been 

 collected with immense labour by learned niythologists 

 and ethnologists ; on the contrary, I maintain that the 

 mythical faculty still exists in all men, independently 

 of this survival of old superstitions, to whatever people 

 and class they may belong ; and it will continue 



