238 TOTEMISM AND EXOGAMY 



the absurd things which are said about the beliefs 

 of Catholics ! The present writer calls to mind a 

 careful book written with no obvious anti- 

 Catholic bias in which it is gravely stated (i) 

 that every priest changes his name at his ordination 

 and (2) that the essential part of holy matrimony 

 with us is the partaking of Holy Communion at 

 the same time by the couple about to be married. 

 Where such ideas can be held about the customs 

 and beliefs of people of no obscure form of re- 

 ligion, what boundless possibilities of error must 

 arise in connexion with the savage tribes of, say, 

 Central Australia ? 



Leaving these warnings, let us turn to the actual 

 facts of the case. Professor Frazer founds his latest 

 theory on the assumption that the Aruntas are a 

 really primitive totemistic race. But are they so 

 primitive as he supposes ? Those who read the 

 account which Professor Frazer gives of them will 

 hardly be inclined to agree with him, and especially 

 if they also study the pages of Mr. Andrew Lang's 

 Secret of the Totem. 



Mr. Lang throws in his lot with those who 

 believe that in the name of a people lies the secret 

 of their totem, and the present writer thinks that 

 many persons will agree with him that Professor 

 Frazer is wrong in attaching too little importance 

 to the sanctity and mystery attaching to a person's 

 name amongst primitive people. It would be 

 quite impossible even to outline here the evidence 

 on this head. Suffice it to say that all the important 

 theories and ideas underlying that most weighty 

 " child's tale " of Tom Tit Tot go to show the truth 



