HISTORICAL EVOLUTION OF MYTH AND SCIENCE. 171 



observes that they believe in a spirit or god of every 

 species of trees and plants. 



From these beliefs and facts, drawn from different 

 peoples and different parts of the world, we can 

 understand how a vague and inorganic fetishism 

 gradually became classified into types which consti- 

 tute the first phase of polytheism. The logical effort 

 which transformed the manifold beliefs into types 

 goes on, but from their vague and indefinite nature, 

 not only the power, but also the extrinsic form of 

 man is easily infused into them, so that they are 

 invested with human faculties and sensations, and 

 also with the anthropomorphic form and countenance 

 of which we have spoken elsewhere. In fact, when 

 the special fetishes which are naturally alike are 

 united in a single type, the object, animal, or phe- 

 nomenon which corresponds to it in this early 

 stage of polytheism is no longer perceived, but a 

 numen is evolved from this type, which has not only 

 human power, but a human form ; and hence follow 

 the specific idols of serpents, birds, and all natural 

 phenomena, in which the primitive fetish has been 

 incarnated.* 



In this second stage of polytheism, anthropo- 

 morphism appears in an external form, and the 



* Numen really means the manifestation of power, from nuere. 

 Vurro makes Attius say : " Multis nomen vestrum numenque ciendo." 

 In Lucretius we have mentis numen, and also Numen Auyusti. An 

 inscription discovered by Mommsen runs as follows : 



"P. Florus, etc. Dianae numine jussu posuit." 



