24 
ETYMOLOGY OF SOME 
of miles as well as of their languages which, looked very 
different from each other. Under the guidance of the 
theories established by that young science and with the aid 
of the principles of psychology, researches in the domain of 
myths produced the most useful results and brought into 
existence the science of mythology. The two sciences go 
hand in hand, the elder assisting the younger. 
Like the science of language, the science of mythology 
has two aspects, one psychological and the other philological, 
and the investigator of myths must steer his course between 
these two poles. 
Having these two guiding points in view, I have laid 
down a method of investigation which, I may say, is almost 
new and has enabled me to arrive at the most useful and 
scientifically most important conclusions. 
I shall now describe what that method is. Every mytho- 
logical word is a common name ^ indicating some thing in 
general, a quality, an action, or any other attribute, as I have 
already shown in my Notes on Aryan and Dravidian Phi- 
lology, Vol. I. The word originally refers to one of such 
meanings, though this particular meaning is lost sight of in 
its application as a mythological name. All the mythical 
accounts which are given in connection with the name are 
the outgrowths of that nucleus. The whole superstructure 
is merely a psychological evolution of the simple element 
which we discover in the original signification of the name 
of the mythical personage. So long as we are ignorant 
of this element, we must be in the dark as to why tlie 
name is given to the being or person, and what is the som'ce 
of the various functions and attributes which are ascribed to 
him. But the moment this meanins: is ascertained with 
clearness and precision, a flood of new knowledge suddenly 
flashes on our understanding, and what was before in utter 
J'tde p. .xxix, lutrodurtion. 
