Page:A book of folk-lore (1913).djvu/169

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166
A BOOK OF FOLK-LORE

in traps. The tiger approaches, sees his reflection, enters to rub noses or to bite the beast of his species he sees. Primitive man had no greater degree of intelligence in the particular of his reflection than have peacocks and tigers.

Throughout the Aryan stock we find a belief in fetches, wraiths, or doubles, i. e. of man being attended by his duplicate, often considered as a guardian spirit; in a good many places we find also a belief in an evil-minded, mischievous genius as well. These are none other than a survival of old conceptions relative to the reflection and the shadow.

I have known children cry out with rage when a comrade whipped or stamped on their shadow, crying out that it hurt them, or at least was an insult.

The Greeks held that there were agathodæmones, good spirits, also kakodæmones, attached to men swaying them to this side or to the other; and Socrates took counsel of, and followed the guidance of, his dæmon. It was not till Christianity occupied the field that these demons were all comprehended as devils.

The Romans had their genii; every man had his genius, an attendant spirit; even the