HISTORICAL EVOLUTION OF MYTH AND SCIENCE. 203 



hand. This is the case in Thibet, in Siam, and 

 cognate languages, in the Indian Archipelago and in 

 the whole of Oceania, in Africa, and in many of the 

 American peoples and tribes, where it is the origin 

 of the decimal system. In Homer we find the verb 

 TTSjUTra^av, to count in fives, and then for counting in 

 general ; in Lapland lokket, and in Finland lukea, to 

 count, is derived from lokke, ten ; and the Barnbarese 

 adamj, to count, is the origin of tank, ten. 



When the numerical idea of five was first grasped, 

 the conception was altogether material, and was ex- 

 pressed by the image of the five-fingered hand. In 

 the mind of the earliest rude calculators, the number 

 five was presented to them as a material hand, and 

 the word involved a real image, of which they became 

 conscious in uttering it. The number and the hand 

 were consequently fused together in their respective 

 images, and signified something actually combined 

 together, which effected in a material form the genesis 

 of this numerical representation. But the material 

 entity gradually disappeared, the image faded and 

 was divested of its personality, and only the phonetic 

 notation five remained, which no longer recalls a 

 hand, the origin of the several numerals, nor words 

 connected with it. It is now a mere sign, apart from 

 any rational idea. The same may be said of the 

 other numerals. 



We give these few examples, which apply to 

 all words, since they all follow the same course, 



