Bunjil, Baiame, or Daramulun in different tribal languages, but who in
all is known by a name the equivalent of the only one used by the Kurnai,
which is Mungan-ngaur, or 'Our Father.'" {45} This Father is conceived
of in some places as "a very great old man with a long beard," enthroned
on, or growing into, a crystal throne. Often he is served by a son or
sons (Apollo, Hermes), frequently regarded as spiritually begotten;
elsewhere, looked on as the son of the wife of the deity, and as father
of the tribe. {46a} Scandals connected with fatherhood, amorous
intrigues so abundant in Greek mythology, are usually not reported among
the lowest races. In one known case, the deity, Pundjel or Bunjil, takes
the wives of Karween, who is changed into a crane. {46b} This is one of
the many savage aetiological myths which account for the peculiarities of
animals as a result of metamorphosis, in the manner of Ovid. It has been
connected with the legend of Bunjil, who is thus envisaged, not as "Our
Father" beyond the vault of heaven, who still inspires poets, {46c} but
as a wandering, shape-shifting medicine-man. Zeus, the Heavenly Father,
of course appears times without number in the same contradictory aspect.

But such anecdotes are either not common, or are not frequently reported,
in the faiths of the most archaic of known races. Much more frequently
we find the totemistic conception. All the kindreds with animal names
(why adopted we do not know) are apt to explain these designations by
descent from the animals selected, or by metamorphosis of the primal
beasts into men. This collides with the other notions of descent from,
or creation or manufacture out of clay, by the primal Being, "Father
Ours." Such contradictions are nothing to the savage theologian, who is
no reconciler or apologist. But when reconciliation and apology are
later found to be desirable, as in Greece, it is easy to explain that we
are descended _both_ from Our Father, and from a swan, cow, ant, serpent,
dog, wolf, or what you will. That beast was Our Father, say Father Zeus,