70 



The Solar Theory of Myths. 



search, it was there that the theory was first broached, and 

 the general attention was first called to some of its conclu- 

 sions by Strauss, the author of " Das Leben Jesu.^' Taking 

 the most ultra grounds, drawing the most extreme conclu- 

 sions, he used the theory to overturn the authority of the 

 Bible, and to destroy entirely, as he supposed, the founda- 

 tion truths of Christianity. This naturally set the church 

 in direct opposition to him, and, as so often happens in 

 such cases, not merely doubtful conclusions, but well 

 grounded principles, were attacked with equal vigor. It 

 was soon seen that he had gone too far : and that, if his 

 reasoning were allowed, not merely religion, but history, 

 ancient and modern, would be annihilated. A learned 

 prelate,^ by a course of reasoning no more extreme than 

 that of Strauss, proved that Napoleon was a solar hero and 

 never had a real existence, while Washington was elimi- 

 nated in the same way from the ranks of mortals. Thus 

 came a division into two parties equally in error ; the one 

 believing that the solar theory completely overthrew Christ- 

 ianity; the other that the transformed story of Napoleon 

 and the historical proof of a large portion of the scriptures 

 as completely nullified the theory itself. But it was soon 

 seen that, even though the theory was accepted, many of 

 the conclusions of Strauss must be labelled " not proven ; " 

 and on the other hand that the clever travesties of well 

 known historical characters, were but warnings against 

 the misapplication of a principle, itself resting on too sound 

 reasoning to be lightly disregarded. While the expression 

 of a fact might be but the variation of a well known myth, 

 it was seen that it might clothe the story of real events, in 

 themselves important ; that, among unlettered masses, 

 nothing would be more natural, or in fact was more com- 

 mon, than to perpetuate the memory of men and events 

 by attaching to them attributes and exploits which had 

 long since lost connection with their source. But few 



* Archbishop Whateley. 



