morality and decency, may be in fact only accentuated survivals of early practices. No authentic gathering of Indian tales can be free from unpleasant and sometimes repulsive features. But it is beside the mark to set down these as the primitive qualities of savage myth, thus appearing as irrational, while the agreeable aspects of the stories are under suspicion as superinduced.
In the fifth volume of these Memoirs, by a method of unusual completeness, the elaborate myths of a highly developed system have been set forth in connection with notices of the connected ritual. Scholars of the first rank have recently set forth, and continue to hold, the opinion that ritual is the only essential feature of religion, and that myth has little to do with its essence; the absurdity of such contention, discarding one of the two indissoluble components of worship, was demonstrated by the work of Dr. Matthews. The present work lacks this ritual element; it is not made clear whether the stories here presented are essentially connected with pious practice, or whether they only constitute fictitious narratives having a purpose purely intellectual. As we are told that the tribe does meet for ceremonial dances, and as the nature of these is not indicated, it is admissible to conjecture that some at least of these narrations will yet be found to be associated with faith and worship; it may be found that some of the histories exist in more detailed form, and are partially reproduced in dramatic representation. Such possibility merely emphasizes the importance of perfecting knowledge, even though the results should be negative. However this may be, the tales are sufficiently interesting in themselves, and the collector is entitled to thanks for a faithful record of material absolutely new.
One of the general questions affecting the theory of folk-lore and mythology has been the problem of origin. Until within a few years, especially in England, the tendency has been to presume that folk-tales are chiefly an inherited treasure ; that borrowing only takes place sporadically; and that the essential character of any individual story may be made out from its contents, without reference to historical comparisons. On the other hand, it has lately come to be generally allowed that popular tales do wander freely, irrespective of diversities of language, race, and culture. It now appears certain that the same principle holds in America; through vast areas roam incicidents and beliefs which enter into the mental furniture of the most different peoples, and which in each locality combine with independent matter. In effecting a new settlement, the details of the narratives are so modified as to be brought into accord with new environment, so that such agreement is no indication that the tale, apparently indigenous, may not in reality be of foreign extraction.
