. The history of mankind . ings fetishism, settingup in all manner of complicated ways relationsbetween the countless tribe of souls and all pos-sible articles in which these take up their it is clearly seen that no straight road fromobjects of external nature to the soul of man isoffered by the fundamental lines of primitive religious systems—for we shall seekin vain for any direct relations between their teaching and the measure of extentand activity which the fetish-system has reached,•—but rather that the fancy,timidly searching around in the whimsical way in which the emotions
. The history of mankind . ings fetishism, settingup in all manner of complicated ways relationsbetween the countless tribe of souls and all pos-sible articles in which these take up their it is clearly seen that no straight road fromobjects of external nature to the soul of man isoffered by the fundamental lines of primitive religious systems—for we shall seekin vain for any direct relations between their teaching and the measure of extentand activity which the fetish-system has reached,•—but rather that the fancy,timidly searching around in the whimsical way in which the emotions of alarm areapt to express themselves ; for any support that may be at hand attaches itself toobjects often in the highest degree unworthy of its confidence. But interruptedexperiments, so to say, are tried with regard to supernatural agencies. Not onlyis search made after new spirits, as when curiously-shaped stones are laid by a treeto try if they will improve its bearing ; but old acquaintances are tested, as, for. Wooden idol from the Niger (Museumof the Church Missionary Society). RELIGION 45 instance, by giving them bad or putrid meat. Why have all the African negroessuch a predilection for horns, hanging them in quantities on the persons of theirmagic-men, while the high priests, who are the kings, keep their dreaded medicinesin them ? Whence comes the almost comic veneration for pots, displayed byDyaks and Alfurs ? Anything striking finds a place in the wilderness of curi-osities which hang about the neck and waist of a Kaffir magician ; indeed it wasin the leather pouch hung round the neck of such a person that the first greatfind of diamonds at the Cape, by an extraordinary coincidence, was is widely spread, but as a rule is connected with large uprightpieces of rock ; though in Africa any stone may become a fetish, and be decoratedwith rags of many colours woundround its neck. Among the Mus-gus, long poles serve for idols; theAzandeh prefer s
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectethnology, bookyear18
