Myth, Ritual and Religion — Volume 1 by Andrew Lang
page 5 of 391 (01%)
page 5 of 391 (01%)
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CHAPTER IX. -- GREEK MYTHS OF THE ORIGIN OF THE WORLD AND MAN. The Greeks practically civilised when we first meet them in Homer-- Their mythology, however, is full of repulsive features--The hypothesis that many of these are savage survivals--Are there other examples of such survival in Greek life and institutions?--Greek opinion was constant that the race had been savage--Illustrations of savage survival from Greek law of homicide, from magic, religion, human sacrifice, religious art, traces of totemism, and from the mysteries--Conclusion: that savage survival may also be expected in Greek myths. CHAPTER X. -- GREEK COSMOGONIC MYTHS. Nature of the evidence--Traditions of origin of the world and man-- Homeric, Hesiodic and Orphic myths--Later evidence of historians, dramatists, commentators--The Homeric story comparatively pure--The story in Hesiod, and its savage analogues--The explanations of the myth of Cronus, modern and ancient--The Orphic cosmogony--Phanes and Prajapati--Greek myths of the origin of man--Their savage analogues. CHAPTER XI. -- SAVAGE DIVINE MYTHS. The origin of a belief in GOD beyond the ken of history and of speculation--Sketch of conjectural theories--Two elements in all |
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