The Project Gutenberg EBook of Myths and Myth-Makers, by John Fiske

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Title: Myths and Myth-Makers
Old Tales and Superstitions Interpreted by Comparative Mythology

Author: John Fiske

Posting Date: July 31, 2008 [EBook #1061]
Release Date: October, 1997

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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Produced by Charles Keller

MYTHS AND MYTH-MAKERS

Old Tales and Superstitions Interpreted by Comparative Mythology

By John Fiske

La mythologie, cette science toute nouvelle, qui nous fait suivre
les croyances de nos peres, depuis le berceau du monde jusqu'aux
superstitions de nos campagnes.--EDMOND SCHERER

TO MY DEAR FRIEND, WILLIAM DEAN HOWELLS, IN REMEMBRANCE OF PLEASANT
AUTUMN EVENINGS SPENT AMONG WEREWOLVES AND TROLLS AND NIXIES, I dedicate
THIS RECORD OF OUR ADVENTURES.

PREFACE.

IN publishing this somewhat rambling and unsystematic series of papers,
in which I have endeavoured to touch briefly upon a great many of the
most important points in the study of mythology, I think it right to
observe that, in order to avoid confusing the reader with intricate
discussions, I have sometimes cut the matter short, expressing myself
with dogmatic definiteness where a sceptical vagueness might perhaps
have seemed more becoming. In treating of popular legends and
superstitions, the paths of inquiry are circuitous enough, and seldom
can we reach a satisfactory conclusion until we have travelled all the
way around Robin Hood's barn and back again. I am sure that the reader
would not have thanked me for obstructing these crooked lanes with the
thorns and brambles of philological and antiquarian discussion, to such
an extent as perhaps to make him despair of ever reaching the high road.
I have not attempted to review, otherwise than incidentally, the works
of Grimm, Muller, Kuhn, Breal, Dasent, and Tylor; nor can I pretend
to have added anything of consequence, save now and then some bit of
explanatory comment, to the results obtained by the labour of these
scholars; but it has rather been my aim to present these results in such
a way as to awaken general i