File:The history of mankind (1896) (14577054069).jpg

Identifier: historyofmankind01ratz (find matches)
Title: The history of mankind
Year: 1896 (1890s)
Authors: Ratzel, Friedrich, 1844-1904 Butler, Arthur John, 1844-1910
Subjects: Ethnology Anthropology
Publisher: London, Macmillan and co., ltd. New York, The Macmillan co.
Contributing Library: Wellesley College Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Wellesley College Library

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abovey-J the masses produces afalse ideal of divinegreatness. We have,too, the fable-makingelement, which exer-cises itself agreeablyin mythology, and hasspread over the wholeworld that other falseideal of the cunning divinity, outwitting others in adventures of love, war, evenbusiness. The priest is the embodiment of the world of spirits with whom he has to holdintercourse, whom he bans and exorcises. He is fitted for his duties by theexpulsion of the ordinary soul and the entrance of a new one ; he best adaptshimself to them when he differs mentally from the ordinary mass with a tendencyto mental derangement, epilepsy, hallucinations, and vivid dreams. The tradi-tions of the fetish priesthood are propagated by instruction, which is imparted tosuitable youths. As a transformation from the normal man to a controller of spiritswith magic powers, the training assumes the character of the miraculous, even a formof transmigration. Those whom the fetish loves are taken away by him into the
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Magicians of the Loaned Coast. (From a photograph by Dr. Falkenstein.) RELIGION 55 bush and buried in the fetish house, often for a long period. When the personthus carried off awakes again to life he begins to eat and drink as before, but hisunderstanding is gone and the fetish man must instruct him and teach him toperform every movement like a little child. At first this can only be done byblows, but gradually his senses return, so that it is possible to speak to him, andafter his education is completed the priest takes him back to his parents. Oftenthey would not recognise him did he not recall past events to their memory. The nucleus of his art lies in his intercourse with the spirits of the departed,but as sorcerer he is the receptacle of all knowledge, all memories, and all fore-bodings. Many Europeans have been in a position to appreciate the operationof his medicaments of herbs and roots. The position of the sorcerer is that ofthe doctor on a higher stage ; some doctors unders

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