GEOGRAPHICAL DISTEIBDTION OF MYTHS. 331 



ternoon with, a fresli mane and tail, as a new horse. Of course 

 this is the same kind of diifusion of myths which has been 

 going on from remote ages among mankind, one of the very 

 processes which have preserved to Ethnology aids of such high 

 importance for the reconstruction of early history. It is only 

 unfortunate that its results in modern times, by confounding 

 the evidence of early and late intercourse between different 

 peoples, have done so much to impair its historical value. 



Among the stories found in circulation among outlying races, 

 there are many, beside those relating to a Deluge, which appear 

 to be really united by ancient and deep-lying bonds of con- 

 nexion with Biblical episodes, and the extreme difficulty, or 

 impossibihty, of separating a great part of these ancient stories 

 from those which have grown up in modern times under Chris- 

 tian influences, is a very serious loss to early history. Still it 

 is better to submit to this, than to base Ethnological arguments 

 on evidence that will not bear the test of criticism. It is not 

 only to Scriptural stories that this objection lies. Episodes 

 from the classics and other European sources may be carried 

 into distant lands by colonists and missionaries, and it may be 

 laid down as a general rule, that stories which may have been 

 transplanted in this way in modern times, must be rejected as 

 independent evidence of remote intercourse between distant 

 races among whom they are fomid. It is when a connexion 

 between two peoples has been already made probable by evi- 

 dence not liable to be thus impeached, that these stories can be 

 taken into consideration as secondary evidence, which, once 

 proved to be safe, may be of extraordinary interest and value. 



Before proceeding to the comparison of a number of Ameri- 

 can myths with their analogues in the Old World, it is to be 

 premised that the view of a connexion between the inhabitants 

 of America and Asia by no means rests on one of those vague 

 and misty theories, which have too often been allowed to pass 

 current as solid Ethnological arguments. The researches of 

 Alexander von Humboldt brought into view, half a century 

 ago, evidence which goes with great force to prove that the 

 civilization of Mexico and that of Asia have, in part at least, 

 a common origin, and that therefore the population of these 



