68 UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO STUDIES 



80 on. Thus arose the world as it now is. Creation by metamor- 

 phoses seemed a reasonable way to account for the origin of things. 

 After this cycle of myths come the myths which attempt to describe 

 the present world as it now exists with all its happenings. These 

 are the action myths. They describe the conflicts and struggles en- 

 suing upon the creative metamorphoses. Light and darkness, heat 

 and cold, and heroes of all description struggle for the mastery. The 

 value of these myths is that by their means we gain an insight into 

 primitive modes of thought and action. The lives of the first people 

 are described in creation myths and presented as models (early educa- 

 tion) upon which faithful Indians fashion their lives at all times and 

 places. The lineal descendants of these and other myths often serve 

 suitably as mental food and appropriate social stimuli for the pupils 

 of to-day. 



In the tale of Dornroschen (Thorn -rose or Sleeping Beauty) we 

 have the modern representative of the story of Briinhilde, one of the 

 Walkiire, or garden spirits. Just as Dornroschen goes to sleep from 

 the prick of a spindle in the nursery tale, so Briinhilde goes to sleep 

 from the prick of the svefn-thorn or sleep-thorn. Spindles are an 

 essential characteristic of all the wise women of antiquity among 

 Teutons, Celts and Greeks. ^ So in the story of Jack the Giant- 

 Killer the hero was originally, I believe, no less than Thor, god of 

 our ancestors. 



Local gods also tend to become local saints and sometimes the 

 favorite by-words of merry banqueters and toast-drinkers. They be- 

 come patron gods and then symbols of the country and its greatness, 

 as, for example, St. George of England. Children still ascribe to 

 their gods exclusive, tribal notions. He is their peculiar god and 

 they are His peculiar chosen people. When Christianity came into 

 contact with the early religion of the Teutons many of the Teuton 

 gods and goddesses were transformed into demons or devils, and their 

 priestesses into witches who possessed great power w4th these outcast 

 devils. 2 The wise women of the tribes became outcasts living in 



'Grimm, op. cit.. vol. i. p. 419. ,, ^, , tt i ••• 



'Karl Pearson, The Chances of Death, "Woman as Witeh;" Grimm, German Mythology, Vol. in. 

 p. 986; Otis T.Mason, Woman's Share in Primitive Culture. 



