Atlantis: The Antedeluvian World - Ignatius Donnelly (short novels to read .txt) 📗

to the common heirloom of the Indo-European race, and their origin carries us back to the same distant past, when no Greek had set foot in Europe, no Hindoo had bathed in the sacred waters of the Ganges.”

And we find that an identity of origin can be established between the folk-lore or fairy tales of America and those of the Old World, precisely such as exists between the, legends of Norway and India.

Mr. Tylor tells us the story of the two brothers in Central America who, starting on their dangerous journey to the land of Xibalba, where their father had perished, plant each a cane in the middle of their grandmother’s house, that she may know by its flourishing or withering whether they are alive or dead. Exactly the same conception occurs in Grimm’s “Mährchen,” when the two gold-children wish to see the world and to leave their father; and when their father is sad, and asks them how he shall bear news of them, they tell him, “We leave you the two golden lilies; from these you can see how we fare. If they are fresh, we are well; if they fade, we are ill; if they fall, we are dead.” Grimm traces the same idea in Hindoo stories. “Now this,” says Max Müller, “is strange enough, and its occurrence in India, Germany, and Central America is stranger still.”

Compare the following stories, which we print in parallel columns, one from the Ojibbeway Indians, the other from Ireland: ------------------------------------+

THE OJIBBEWAY STORY. THE IRISH STORY. The birds met together one day The birds all met together one to try which could fly the day, and settled among themselves highest. Some flew up very that whichever of them could fly swift, but soon got tired, and highest was to be the king of were passed by others of all. Well, just as they were on stronger wing. But the eagle the hinges of being off, what went up beyond them all, and does the little rogue of a wren was ready to claim the victory, do but hop up and perch himself when the gray linnet, a very unbeknown on the eagle’s tail. So small bird, flew from the they flew and flew ever so high, eagle’s back, where it had till the eagle was miles above perched unperceived, and, being all the rest, and could not fly fresh and unexhausted, another stroke, he was so tired. succeeded in going the highest. “Then,” says he, “I’m king of the When the birds came down and birds.” “You lie!” says the wren, met in council to award the darting up a perch and a half prize it was given to the above the big fellow. Well, the eagle, because that bird had eagle was so mad to think how he not only gone up nearer to the was done, that when the wren was sun than any of the larger coming down he gave him a stroke birds, but it had carried the of his wing, and from that day to linnet on its back. this the wren was never able to fly farther than a hawthorn-bush. For this reason the eagle’s feathers became the most honorable marks of distinction a warrior could bear.

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Compare the following stories:

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THE ASIATIC STORY. THE AMERICAN STORY. In Hindoo mythology Urvasi came Wampee, a great hunter, once down from heaven and became the came to a strange prairie, wife of the son of Buddha only on where be heard faint sounds of condition that two pet rams music, and looking up saw a should never be taken from her speck in the sky, which proved bedside, and that she should itself to be a basket never behold her lord undressed. containing twelve most The immortals, however, wishing beautiful maidens, who, on Urvasi back in heaven, contrived reaching the earth, forthwith to steal the rams; and, as the set themselves to dance. He king pursued the robbers with his tried to catch the youngest, sword in the dark, the lightning but in vain; ultimately he revealed his person, the compact succeeded by assuming the was broken, and Urvasi disguise of a mouse. He was disappeared. This same story is very attentive to his new wife, found in different forms among who was really a daughter of many people of Aryan and Turanian one of the stars, but she descent, the central idea being wished to return home, so she that of a man marrying some one made a wicker basket secretly, of an aerial or aquatic origin, and, by help of a charm she and living happily with her till remembered, ascended to her he breaks the condition on which father. her residence with him depends, stories exactly parallel to that of Raymond of Toulouse, who