ORIGIN OF FETICIIISM. 45 



served general fact is transformed into the theory that at 

 first they must so conceive them a theory for which the 

 psychological justification attempted, seems to me inade 

 quate. From our present stand-point, it becomes mani 

 fest that Fetichism is not primary but secondary. What 

 has been said above almost of itself shows this. Let us, 

 however, follow out the steps of its genesis. Respecting 

 the Tasmanians, Dr. Milligan says : &quot; The names of men 

 and women were taken from natural objects and occur 

 rences around, as, for instance, a kangaroo, a gum-tree, 

 snow, hail, thunder, the wind, flowers in blossom, etc.&quot; 

 Surrounding objects, then, giving origin to names of per 

 sons, and being, in the way shown, eventually mistaken 

 for the actual progenitors of those who descend from per 

 sons nicknamed after them, it results that these surround 

 ing objects come to be regarded as in some manner pos 

 sessed of personalities like the human. He whose family 

 tradition is that his ancestor was &quot; the Crab,&quot; will conceive 

 the crab as having a disguised inner power like his own ; 

 and alleged descent from &quot; the palm-tree &quot; will entail be 

 lief in some kind of consciousness dwelling in the palm- 

 tree. Hence, in proportion as the animals, plants, and 

 inanimate objects or agents that originate names of per 

 sons, become numerous (which they will do in proportion 

 as a tribe becomes large and the number of persons to be 

 distinguished from one another increases), multitudinous 

 things around will acquire imaginary personalities. And 

 so it will happen that, as Mr. McLennan says of the Fee- 

 jeeans : &quot; Vegetables and stones, nay, even tools and weap 

 ons, pots and canoes, have souls that are immortal, and 

 that, like the souls of men, pass on at last to Mbulu, the 

 abode of departed spirits.&quot; Setting out, then, with a be 

 lief in the still-living other self of the dead ancestor, the 

 alleged general cause of misapprehension affords us an 



