﻿OF 
  THE 
  BUREAU 
  OF 
  ETHNOLOGY. 
  XXXVII 
  

  

  material 
  scattered 
  broadcast 
  through 
  the 
  literature 
  relating 
  to 
  

   the 
  North 
  American 
  Indians. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  course 
  of 
  these 
  ethnic 
  researches 
  an 
  interesting 
  field 
  

   of 
  facts 
  has 
  been 
  brought 
  to 
  view 
  relating 
  to 
  the 
  superstitions 
  

   of 
  the 
  Indians. 
  Already 
  a 
  very 
  large 
  body 
  of 
  mythology 
  has 
  

   been 
  collected 
  — 
  stories 
  from 
  a 
  great 
  number 
  of 
  tongues 
  which 
  

   embody 
  the 
  rude 
  philosophy 
  of 
  tribal 
  thought. 
  Such 
  philos- 
  

   ophy 
  or 
  opinion 
  finds 
  its 
  expression 
  not 
  only 
  in 
  the 
  mythic 
  

   tales, 
  but 
  in 
  the 
  organization 
  of 
  the 
  people 
  into 
  society, 
  in 
  

   their 
  daily 
  life 
  and 
  in 
  their 
  habits 
  and 
  customs. 
  There 
  is 
  a 
  

   realm 
  of 
  anthropology 
  in 
  this 
  lower 
  state 
  of 
  mankind 
  which 
  we 
  

   call 
  savagery, 
  that 
  is 
  hard 
  to 
  understand 
  from 
  the 
  standpoint 
  

   of 
  modern 
  civilization, 
  where 
  science, 
  theology, 
  religion, 
  med- 
  

   icine 
  and 
  the 
  esthetic 
  arts 
  are 
  developed 
  as 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  dis- 
  

   crete 
  subjects. 
  In 
  savagery 
  these 
  great 
  subjects 
  are 
  blended 
  

   in 
  one, 
  as 
  they 
  are 
  interwoven 
  into 
  a 
  vast 
  plexus 
  of 
  thought 
  

   and 
  action, 
  for 
  mythology 
  is 
  the 
  basis 
  of 
  philosophy, 
  religion, 
  

   medicine, 
  and 
  art. 
  In 
  savagery 
  the 
  observed 
  facts 
  of 
  the 
  uni- 
  

   verse, 
  relating 
  alike 
  to 
  physical 
  nature 
  and 
  to 
  the 
  humanities, 
  

   are 
  explained 
  mythologically, 
  and 
  these 
  mythic 
  conceptions 
  

   give 
  rise 
  to 
  a 
  great 
  variety 
  of 
  practices. 
  The 
  acts 
  of 
  life 
  are 
  

   born 
  of 
  the 
  opinions 
  held 
  as 
  explanations 
  of 
  the 
  environing 
  

   world. 
  Thus 
  it 
  is 
  that 
  philosophy 
  finds 
  expression 
  in 
  a 
  com- 
  

   plex 
  system 
  of 
  superstitions, 
  ceremonies 
  and 
  practices, 
  which 
  

   together 
  constitute 
  the 
  religion 
  of 
  the 
  people. 
  The 
  purpose 
  

   of 
  these 
  practices 
  is 
  to 
  avert 
  calamity 
  and 
  to 
  secure 
  prosperity 
  

   in 
  the 
  present 
  life. 
  It 
  is 
  astonishing 
  to 
  find 
  how 
  little 
  the 
  con- 
  

   dition 
  of 
  a 
  life 
  to 
  come 
  is 
  involved. 
  The 
  future 
  beyond 
  the 
  

   grave 
  is 
  scarcely 
  heeded, 
  or 
  when 
  recognized 
  it 
  seems 
  not 
  to 
  

   affect 
  the 
  daily 
  life 
  of 
  the 
  people 
  to 
  any 
  appreciable 
  degree. 
  

   That 
  which 
  occupies 
  the 
  attention 
  of 
  the 
  savage 
  mind 
  relates 
  

   to 
  the 
  pleasures 
  and 
  pains, 
  the 
  joys 
  and 
  sorrows 
  of 
  present 
  

   existence. 
  

  

  Perhaps 
  the 
  chief 
  motive 
  is 
  derived 
  from 
  the 
  consideration 
  

   of 
  health 
  and 
  disease, 
  as 
  the 
  pleasures 
  and 
  pains 
  arising 
  there- 
  

   from 
  are 
  forever 
  present 
  to 
  the 
  experience 
  or 
  observation. 
  

   Good 
  and 
  evil 
  are 
  also 
  involved 
  in 
  those 
  gifts 
  of 
  nature 
  to 
  

   man 
  by 
  which 
  his 
  biotic 
  life 
  is 
  sustained, 
  his 
  food, 
  drink, 
  cloth- 
  

  

  