File:The history of mankind (1896) (14761613494).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

View Book Page: Book Viewer
About This Book: Catalog Entry
View All Images: All Images From Book
Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book.

Text Appearing Before Image:
might reproduce their species. This is the belief of the Dieyeri. In other ways, also, the human and the animal world are variously inter-mingled in the legends of creation, and this is connected with the Kobong ortribal cognisance. When the dancing ancestors of the Narrinyeri were makingthe hills and pools of Mutabarringa the strong Kondole was invited, and as heconcealed his fire he was wounded by Rilballe in the neck with a spear ; they alllaughed, and were accordingly changed into animals, while Rilballe placed the fire ■in the grass-tree. The creation of a number of fish from the bits, into which withthe help of his hunting companions he had torn a big fish, is related of the samedeity. He produced a species of flat fish by throwing a flat stone into a pond.Everywhere it is imagined that a more powerful race was first created. ToWyungaree, the hunting companion of Nurrundaree, is ascribed the creation ofsmall kangaroos by tearing up and strewing abroad the fragments of a giant
Text Appearing After Image:
Australian Shields.2 C RELIGION OF THE AUSTRALIANS 387 kangaroo, and corresponding to this the gods and heroes were, as may be supposed,of the nature of giants. To these creative legends are attached a whole list ofsmaller beast legends, of which the wish to interpret striking properties was theostensible parent. But these, too, are at bottom mythological. In South Australiait is related that the tortoise originally had poisoned fangs, and the snake none ;so the snake asked the tortoise to give her its fangs, as she could make a betteruse of them. The tortoise exchanged its fangs for the snakes head, so snakeshave poisoned fangs, and tortoises have snakes heads. The Narrinyeri mythabout the origin of rain is original, and seems to be a weakened form of a delugelegend. An old man lived with two younger friends ; one day these, having madea good catch of fish, took the best for themselves, and set aside those of inferiorquality for the old man. He went straightway into his hut and shut-

Note About Images