THE BEGINNING OF ANIMISM 23 



Our men of science now tell us that stones may have 

 life in them, and although we may not believe in their 

 magic influence it is certain that Africans as well as 

 ourselves use iron " to make us strong" as they say, 

 and many other minerals as medicines. 



Trees are planted over the graves of chiefs in Benin 

 City, and in many other places in Africa, and we may 

 presume that in many towns which once existed but of 

 which there are few traces the same custom held good. 

 These spots are in many cases covered with dense 

 bush, among which are the sacred trees, some of 

 which are still looked upon as the home of the soul of 

 some departed ancestor by his descendants now living 

 in other places. Trees are said to grant children to 

 women. 



" As in the case of trees," writes Hartland in Primi- 

 tive Paternity, " so also plants of smaller growth have 

 been referred to transformations of sacred or mysterious 

 personages. 



" The various legends of the origin of maize are too 

 well known to need repetition. The Brazilian legend 

 of the manioc is similar. It was a maiden born to a 

 chiefs daughter who had never known man. She 

 grew to maturity in a year, died without disease, and 

 was buried in her mother's house. The grave was 

 watered every day according to the ancient custom of 

 the tribe, and in due course a plant grew up from it, 

 flourished and bore fruit. . . . 



" A scene portrayed on the walls of a chamber in 

 the Great Temple of I sis at Philae represents the dead 

 body of Osiris with stalks of corn springing from it, 



