June 15, 1915. 
Canada 
Geological Survey 
Museum Bulletin No. 16. 
ANTHROPOLOGICAL SERIES, No. 6. 
Literary Aspects of North American Mythology. 
By Paul Radin. 
INTRODUCTION. 
The mythology of primitive people was for so long a time 
identified with folk-lore and philosophy, that practically all the 
problems discussed were those that developed from an exclusive 
occupation with this aspect of the subject. Only within the 
last two decades have ethnologists seriously applied themselves 
to the examination of primitive mythology from its literary side. 
Although it is no longer necessary to demonstrate the k priori 
existence of literary elements in mythology, it appears to me 
quite essential to demonstrate their precise nature. Certain 
attempts in this direction have been made by Boas, Lowie, 
Dixon, and Swanton. Ehrenreich and Boas have likewise 
inspired a considerable amount of work in connexion with the 
tabulation of motifs. 1 . All these studies have, however, for the 
most part concerned themselves with a mechanical analysis of 
myths and the tabulation of the motifs, episodes, and themes of 
1 Boas, in numerous scattered papers; Lowie, “The test-theme in North American myth- 
ology," Journ. Amer. Folk-lore. Vol. XXI, pp. 97-148; and “Catch-words for mythological 
motives,” ibid, pp, 24-27; Dixon, “The mythology of the Central and Eastern Algonkins,” 
ibid, Vol. XXII, pp. 1-10; Swanton, “Some practical aspects of the study of myths,” ibid., Vol. 
XXIII, pp. 1-8; Ehrenreich, “Die Mythen and Legenden der Siidamerikanischen UrvOlker,” 
1905; "GOtter and Heilbringer,” Zeitschrift filr Ethnologie, Vol. 38, pp. 536-610; and “All- 
gemeine Mythologie," 1910. 
