370 PSYCHOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION. [PART II. 



other gods. This is, as regards religious belief, in many 

 cases the result of the conversion of such peoples, if peace- 

 fully effected. If the religion of the conqueror is forced 

 upon the conquered, the belief in the old gods continues for 

 a considerable time, as they are considered to have been only 

 temporarily defeated and banished by the new gods to caves or 

 distant mountains. The Mexicans shut up the gods of the con- 

 quered nations in a separate temple. 1 The facility of the adop- 

 tion of foreign gods among the native deities and the evocatio 

 deorum among the Romans afford similar instances. The 

 gods of the conquered peoples were by the old Peruvians 

 placed in the temple of the Incas. 2 



Hence it is clear that the religions of savages are incapable 

 of promoting civilization, but that, on the contrary, they im- 

 pede progress by attributing all that is to them unintelligible 

 in nature to the power of spirits, so that the fate of man de- 

 pends much less on his own exertions than on the changing 

 humours of mysterious, malicious powers. Opposed to them, 

 there remains nothing for man but to do them homage, to flatter 

 them, to enter their service, or (and this also sometimes hap- 

 pens) to over-reach or even conquer them. The most senseless 

 actions, the coarsest immorality are often supported by religious 

 motives, and the purely utilitarian objects which man pursues 

 in relation to his gods contribute to confirm him in his crude 

 egotism. 



In this stage of development the thought easily occurs of 

 making sacrifices to the higher spirits ; they are first made to 

 take their share in food and any other enjoyment. A further 

 step is to deprive oneself of something, and to sacrifice it to 

 the gods. Among some American tribes the religious feeling 

 is so intense, that they readily give up what is dearest to them, 

 and inflict upon themselves the greatest pain, in order to prove 

 their devotion : hence the vows, the strict fastings, and the self- 

 mutilations on certain festivals. In some places they produce 

 by long fasting an ecstatic condition, attended with dreams and 



1 Clavigero, "History of Mexico," translated by Cullen, vi, p. 11, 1787. 



GrarcilaSSO "TTist, rls Vrp,a.s " Ainsf, 1 737 Annafo. <e TTicf. /l^llo Tn/li/ 



Venet., 1596. 



