XLIV REPORT OF THE BUREAU OF ETHNOLOGY 



WORK IN MYTHOLOGY 



As indicated in earlier reports, many of the pioneer observ- 

 ers of the Indians fell into not unnatural errors concerning 

 the religions beliefs and ceremonials of the Indians, some of 

 the observers considering formal ceremonies as nothing more 

 than sportive extravagancies, and others rinding therein sup- 

 posed evidences of definite spiritual and theistic concepts. As 

 investigation progressed it was ascertained that the various 

 tribes possess more or less definite religious svstems comprising 

 belief and ceremonial; and that the beliefs are interwoven with 

 the social organization and institutions, their influence even 

 extending far into everyday occupations and pastimes. The 

 researches in this direction have been richly repaid by inter- 

 esting ami important results. 



The researches in mythology, by Mr Frank Hamilton Gush- 

 ing and Mrs Matilda Coxe Stevenson, were continued through- 

 out the year. Mr Cushing was occupied chiefly in arranging 

 and collating material previously collected, with a view to 

 publication. An important result of his work is the demon- 

 stration of the fact that the mythic concepts, which form so 

 large a part of the intellectual life of primitive peoples, are 

 greatly modified by the bodily organs and functions exercised 

 in their expression. In some cases this relation between organ 

 or function on the one hand and concept on the other is so 

 intimate as to justify the ascription (if the modern concept to 

 dual causes, of which the first is intellectual, while the hardly 

 less essential second cause is physiologic; for example, it may 

 be shown conclusively that the decimal system forming the 

 basis of the arithmetic of certain southwestern tribes is essen- 

 tially indigenous and has grown up through successive gen- 

 erations from counting on the lingers in certain definite ways. 

 This relation between concepts and physiologic structure is 

 especiallv significant in its bearing on the development of 

 primitive mythology. 



Mrs Stevenson was occupied during a part of the year in 

 revising for the press her report entitled "The Sia," which 

 forms one of the accompanying papers in the eleventh annual 

 report of the Bureau, now in the hands of the printer. She 



