THE BIBLE NARRATIVE AND HEATHEN TRADITIONS. <J 



soon as we know that it tells us the story of our own race, of our own family, 

 nay ! of ourselves. 



Many things are still unintelligible to us, and the hieroglyphic language of 

 antiquity records but half of the mind's unconscious intentions." Yet there are 

 many things to be learned by comparing these mystic phrases, and it may be that 

 we shall yet gain an interpretation of these earliest records which will throw a flood 

 of light on the dark problem of man. Even these traditions and beliefs which 

 were at the time not half understood, may in the light of later days, become sig- 

 nificant of many important lessons. 



There is a deep philosophy even in the unconscious workings of the human 

 mind, and even fragments of thought are sometimes valuable as giving the 

 key to the great arch which is so mysteriously being constructed. It may be 

 that traditionary lore will yet prove to be a sort of universal language among the 

 human race — a language not of words but of conceptions, and that these con- 

 ceptions have become mingled with the earliest thoughts and views and 

 practices of the various races, and then expressed themselves in their myths. 



Nor does it matter whence these traditions sprung, whether from a common 

 historical origin or from the inspiration of nature — the teachings of that great- 

 good mother who teaches all her children alike. It is not essential whether we 

 hold to the opinion of a nature basis for them all, or maintain the Historical 

 origin ; the resemblance of these traditions is really the point for us to consider. 



We have in this essay, however, taken the position that these resemblances 

 are evidences that there was a common historical basis or origin to them, and yet 

 in taking this position we do not enter into a discussion of the subject with any 

 controversial spirit, but with a sincere desire to know what is the truth. 



The difficulty, however, is in the magnitude of the subject; no department 

 of study involves a more extensive and more universal range of reading than 

 does this. 



To go over the many volumes which have been written on Folk-Lore alone 

 is a formidable task, and yet no conclusion can be reached except as this field is 

 thoroughly traversed. Max Miiller has mentioned many of these, such as Kel- 

 ley's Folk-Lore, Dasent's Tales of the North, Dasent's Deccan Days, Tales from 

 the West Highlands, Popular tales from the North, Zulu Nursery Tales, and 

 others, and has found in them certain traditions which could be explained on no 

 othe resupposition than that of a common historic origin. 



The number of books on this subject is, however, increasing rapidly, and 

 scarcely a periodical appears but that mention is made of some new volume. The 

 researches of antiquarians, the observations of missionaries, the testimony of in- 

 telligent travelers and explorers, are constantly furnishing new material. 



It is said that Jacob Grimm was the first to mention the importance of col- 

 lecting all that could be saved of popular stories, customs, sayings, superstitions, 

 and beliefs, and his Dutch Mythology is a storehouse of such curiosities ; bu: 

 since his day it would seem as if every land had been searched for these strange 



