72 



The Solar Theory of Myths. 



of the theory in our language are Max Miiller and the Rev. 

 Mr. Cox, men of most thorough learnmg and Christian 

 reverence. The division is now upon an entirely different 

 point ; one party claiming that the common origin of 

 humanity is proved by the accordance found in the myths ; 

 the other that the identity of natural phenomena is suffi- 

 cient cause for the resemblances noted, even though man- 

 kind came from several distinct sources. The latter, favoring 

 the views of a multiple origin of the race, has but few out- 

 spoken supporters ; but is rather favored by Tylor, the 

 most careful investigator of our years, and by Brinton, 

 the author of a well known work upon the myths of the 

 western continent. The former view, that of a common 

 origin of the different races, seems now to be the prevailing 

 one, and is supported by evidence, weighty, if not con- 

 clusive. 



In all parts of both hemispheres, among races differing 

 most widely in every distinguishing particular, we find the 

 same methods of burial, the same ceremonies attending 

 marriage, and like formulations of what seem to us arbi- 

 trary principles of law and morality. JSTot merely do we 

 find that Solomon's song, is written upon the same general 

 plan as songs of love among the Greeks, the Carmen 

 Amcebaeum of Horace and the love passages in Frithiof's 

 Saga ; but in South America, Africa, Polynesia and China, 

 we meet with like manifestations of the universal pas- 

 sion.^ Not merely does the reformation headed by Buddha 

 agree in its principles with the movement led by Luther, 

 but in Persia, Peru and Aztec Mexico did the same 

 causes, acting in a similar manner, produce like re- 

 sults. It seems scarcely probable that such coincidences 

 can be the result of mere chance, and we can hardly claim 

 them as the result of processes of thought necessarily in- 

 herent in man. The difficulty here is, that we find it 

 impossible to conceive of the path which speculation must 



^ Lange's Commentary :8ong of Solomon. N. Y., 1870. 



