ook," begetting words so various as sceptic, bishop, speculate,
conspicsuous, species, and spice, we must expect to find a simple
representation of the diurnal course of the sun, like those lyrically
given in the Veda, branching off into stories as diversified as those
of Oidipous, Herakles, Odysseus, and Siegfried. In fact, the types
upon which stories are constructed are wonderfully few. Some clever
playwright--I believe it was Scribe--has said that there are only seven
possible dramatic situations; that is, all the plays in the world may be
classed with some one of seven archetypal dramas. [109] If this be
true, the astonishing complexity of mythology taken in the concrete, as
compared with its extreme simplicity when analyzed, need not surprise
us.

The extreme limits of divergence between stories descended from a common
root are probably reached in the myths of light and darkness with which
the present discussion is mainly concerned The subject will be best
elucidated by taking a single one of these myths and following its
various fortunes through different regions of the Aryan world. The myth
of Hercules and Cacus has been treated by M. Breal in an essay which
is one of the most valuable contributions ever made to the study of
comparative mythology; and while following his footsteps our task will
be an easy one.

The battle between Hercules and Cacus, although one of the oldest of the
traditions common to the whole Indo-European race, appears in Italy as
a purely local legend, and is narrated as such by Virgil, in the eighth
book of the AEneid; by Livy, at the beginning of his history; and
by Propertius and Ovid. Hercules, journeying through Italy after his
victory over Geryon, stops to rest by the bank of the Tiber. While he is
taking his repose, the three-headed monster Cacus, a son of Vulcan and
a formidable brigand, comes and steals his cattle, and drags them
tail-foremost to a secret cavern in the rocks. But the lowing of the
cows arouses Hercules, and he runs toward the cavern where the robber,
already frightened, has taken refuge. Armed with a huge flinty rock, he
breaks open the entrance of the cavern, and confronts the demon within,
who vomits forth flames at him and roars like the thunder in the
storm-cloud. After a short combat, his hideous body falls at the feet
of the invincible hero, who erects on the spot an altar to Jupiter
Inventor, in commemoration of the recovery of his cattle. Ancient Rome
te