TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 145 



the Australians, which consists of a mere unreasoning belief in the existence of 

 mysterious beings. The native who has in his sleep a nightmare, or a dream, does 

 not doubt the reality of that which passes, and as the beings by whom he is visited 

 in his sleep are unseen by his friends and relations, he regards them as invisible. 



In Fetichism this feeling is more methodized. The Negro, by means of witch- 

 craft, endeavours to make a slave of his deity. Thus Fetichism is almost the op- 

 posite of Religion ; it stands towards it in the same relation as Alchemy to Che- 

 mistry, or Astrology to Astronomy ; and shows how fundamentally our idea of a 

 deity differs from that which presents itself to the savage. The Negro does not 

 hesitate to punish a refractory fetish, and hides it in his waistcloth if he does not 

 wish it to know what is going on. Aladdin's lamp is, in fact, a well-known 

 illustration of a fetish. 



A further stage is that in which the superiority of the higher deities is more 

 fully recognized. Everything is worshipped indiscriminately — animals, plants, and 

 even inanimate objects. In endeavouring to account for the worship of animals, 

 we must remember that names are very frequently taken from them. The children 

 and followers of a man called the Bear or the Lion would make that a tribal name. 

 Hence the animal itself would be first respected, at last worshipped. This form of 

 religion can be shown to have existed, at one time or another, almost all over the 

 world. 



" The Totem," says Schoolcraft, " is a symbol of the name of the progenitor, — 

 generally some quadruped, or bird, or other object in the animal kingdom, which 

 stands, if we may so express it, as the surname of the family. It is always some ani- 

 mated object, and seldom or never derived from the inanimate class of nature. Its 

 significant importance is derived from the fact that individuals vmhesitatingly trace 

 their lineage from it. By whatever names they may be called during their life- 

 time, it is the Totem, and not their personal name, that is recorded on the tomb or 

 ' adjedating' that marks the place of burial. Families are thus traced when ex- 

 panded into bands or tribes, multiplication of which, in North America, has been 

 very great, and has decreased, in like ratio, the labours of the ethnologist." Tote- 

 mism, however, is by no means confined to America. In Central India " the 

 Moondah ' Enidhi,' or Oraon ' Minijrar,' or Eel tribe, will not kill or eat that fish. 

 The Hawk, Crow, or Heron tribes will not kill or eat those birds. Livingstone, 

 quoted in Latham, tells us that the subtribes of Bitshuanas (or Bechuanas) are 

 similarly named after certain animals, and a tribe never eats the animal from which 

 it is named, using the term ' ila,' hate or dread, in reference to killing it "*. 



Traces, indeed, of Totemisra, more or less distinct, are widely distributed, and 

 often connected with marriage prohibitions. 



As regards inanimate objects, we must remember that the savage accounts for all 

 action and movement by life ; hence a watch is to him alive. This being taken 

 in conjunction with the feeling that anything unusual is " great medicine," leads 

 to the worship of any remarkable inanimate object. Mr. Fergusson has recently 

 attempted to show the special prevalence of Tree and Serpent worship. He might, 

 I believe, have made out as strong a case for some other objects. It seems clear 

 that the objects worshipped in this stage are neither to be regarded as emblems, 

 nor are they personified. Inanimate objects have spirits as well as men; hence 

 when the wives and slaves are sacrificed, the weapons also are broken in the grave, 

 so that the spirits of the latter, as well as of the former, may accompany their 

 master to the other world. 



The gradually increasing power of chiefs and priests led to Anthropomorphism 

 with its sacrifices, temples, and priests, &c. To this stage belongs idolatry, which 

 must by no means be regarded as the lowest state of religion. Solomont, indeed, 

 long ago pointed out how it was connected with monarchical power : — 



" Whom men could not honour in presence, because they dwelt far off, they took 

 the counterfeit of his visage from far, and made an express image of a king, whom 

 they honoured, to the end that by this, their forwardness, they might flatter him 

 that was absent, as if he were present. 



'' Also the singular diligence of the artificer did help to set forward the ignorant 

 to more superstition. 



* Trans. Ethnological Soc. N. S. vol. vi. p. 36. t Wisdom, xiv. 17. 



1869. 10 



