Thomas Bulfinch
Peru
Urubamba
Machu Picchu
John 3:5
“Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”
Chess: "Thomas Bulfinch" "Perรบ" "Urubamba" "Machu Picchu"
THOMAS BULFINCH SAYS OF THE ORIGIN OF MYTHOLOGY:
Having reached the close of our series of stories of Pagan
mythology, an inquiry suggests itself. "Whence came these
stories? Have they a foundation in truth, or are they simply
dreams of the imagination?" Philosophers have suggested various
theories on the subject of which we shall give three or four.
๐. ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ข๐ฉ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ฅ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฒ; according to which all mythological
legends are derived from the narratives of Scripture, though the
real facts have been disguised and altered. Thus Deucalion is
only another name for Noah, Hercules for Samson, Arion for Jonah,
etc. Sir Walter Raleigh, in his History of the World, says,
"Jubal, Tubal, and Tubal-Cain were Mercury, Vulcan, and Apollo,
inventors of Pasturage, Smithing, and Music. The Dragon which
kept the golden apples was the serpent that beguiled Eve.
Nimrod's tower was the attempt of the Giants against Heaven.
There are doubtless many curious coincidences like these, but the
theory cannot without extravagance be pushed so far as to account
for any great proportion of the stories.
๐. ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ข๐๐๐ฅ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฒ; according to which all the persons
mentioned in mythology were once real human beings, and the
legends and fabulous traditions relating to them are merely the
additions and embellishments of later times. Thus the story of
AEolus, the king and god of the winds, is supposed to have risen
from the fact that AEolus was the ruler of some islands in the
Tyrrhenian Sea, where he reigned as a just and pious king, and
taught the natives the use of sails for ships, and how to tell
from the signs of the atmosphere the changes of the weather and
the winds. Cadmus, who, the legend says, sowed the earth with
dragon's teeth, from which sprang a crop of armed men, was in
fact an emigrant from Phoenicia, and brought with him into Greece
the knowledge of the letters of the alphabet, which he taught to
the natives. From these rudiments of learning sprung
civilization, which the poets have always been prone to describe
as a deterioration of man's first estate, the Golden Age of
innocence and simplicity.
๐. ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐จ๐ซ๐ข๐๐๐ฅ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฒ supposes that all the myths of the
ancients were allegorical and symbolical, and contained some
moral, religious, or philosophical truth or historical fact,
under the form of an allegory, but came in process of time to be
understood literally. Thus Saturn, who devours his own children,
is the same power whom the Greeks called Kronos (Time), which may
truly be said to destroy whatever it has brought into existence.
The story of Io is interpreted in a similar manner. Io is the
moon, and Argus the starry sky, which, as it were, keeps
sleepless watch over her. The fabulous wanderings of Io
represent the continual revolutions of the moon, which also
suggested to Milton the same idea.
"๐๐ ๐๐โ๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐ค๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐
๐
๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ โ๐๐ โ๐๐โ๐๐ ๐ก ๐๐๐๐,
๐ฟ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐ก โ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ก๐๐๐ฆ
๐ผ๐ ๐กโ๐ โ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐'๐ ๐ค๐๐๐, ๐๐๐กโ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ค๐๐ฆ."
๐ผ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐
๐. ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐จ๐ง๐จ๐ฆ๐ข๐๐๐ฅ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฒ supposes that the different stories
are corrupted versions of astronomical statements, of which the
true meaning was forgotten. This theory is pushed to its extreme
by Dupuis, in his treatise "Sur tous les cultes."
๐. ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ก๐ฒ๐ฌ๐ข๐๐๐ฅ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฒ, according to which the elements of air,
fire, and water, were originally the objects of religious
adoration, and the principal deities were personifications of the
powers of nature. The transition was easy from a personification
of the elements to the notion of supernatural beings presiding
over and governing the different objects of nature. The Greeks,
whose imagination was lively, peopled all nature with invisible
beings, and supposed that every object, from the sun and sea to
the smallest fountain and rivulet, was under the care of some
particular divinity. ๐๐จ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐ก, ๐ข๐ง ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐ฑ๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง, has
beautifully developed ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ฐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ข๐๐ง ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ฅ๐จ๐ ๐ฒ.
"๐ผ๐ ๐กโ๐๐ก ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฆ โ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐, ๐ ๐ก๐๐๐ก๐โ๐๐
๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ก ๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐กโ๐๐๐ข๐โ โ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ข๐๐๐๐'๐ ๐๐๐ฆ,
๐๐๐กโ ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ข๐๐๐๐ โ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐;
๐ด๐๐, ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ก ๐๐ ๐ค๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ , ๐๐ โ๐,
๐โ๐๐ โ๐๐ ๐๐ค๐ ๐๐๐๐๐กโ ๐ค๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ก, ๐โ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ก๐ โ๐๐๐
๐ด ๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐๐ก ๐ ๐ก๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ค๐๐๐ก๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐ ๐๐ข๐๐๐
๐โ๐๐โ โ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ข๐๐ ๐๐๐๐, โ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐ก๐โ๐๐
๐ธ๐ฃ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐๐ง๐๐๐ ๐โ๐๐๐๐๐ก ๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐ ๐ข๐
๐ด ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ข๐กโ ๐คโ๐ ๐ก๐๐ข๐โ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ก๐,
๐ด๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐๐ข๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐ค๐๐กโ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ โ๐๐๐๐ก.
๐โ๐ ๐๐๐โ๐ก๐ฆ โ๐ข๐๐ก๐๐, ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ ๐ข๐ โ๐๐ ๐๐ฆ๐๐
๐๐๐ค๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ก ๐๐๐๐, ๐ค๐๐กโ ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ข๐ โ๐๐๐๐ก
๐ถ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐คโ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐ค๐๐
๐โ๐๐ก ๐ก๐๐๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐โ๐ก ๐ก๐ ๐ โ๐๐๐ โ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐ข๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ก;
๐ด๐๐ โ๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ค๐๐กโ โ๐๐ ๐๐ฆ๐๐โ๐
๐ด๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐ค๐ ๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐๐ข๐โ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐
(๐๐๐ก ๐ข๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ค๐๐กโ ๐ก๐ข๐๐๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐ก๐๐
๐ต๐ฆ ๐๐โ๐ ๐๐ข๐๐ก๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐)
๐๐ค๐๐๐ก ๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐ ๐ก๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐โ๐๐ ๐, ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ก๐๐๐
๐บ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐๐ข๐๐๐ โ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐
๐โ๐๐ ๐ค๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ค๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ก๐๐๐๐. ๐โ๐ ๐ก๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐
๐ป๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐๐ ๐ก ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ โ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ข๐๐ก, ๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐๐๐๐
๐โ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐. ๐๐ข๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ข๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐๐ก โ๐๐๐๐
๐บ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ค๐๐กโ ๐ โ๐๐๐๐ค๐ ๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐๐๐,
๐๐๐โ๐ก ๐ค๐๐กโ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ โ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ฆ, ๐๐ ๐ก๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐
๐ผ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ก ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ ๐ฃ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ฆ.
๐โ๐ ๐๐๐โ๐ฆ๐๐ , ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐, ๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐, ๐กโ๐๐๐ ๐ค๐๐๐๐ ,
๐ฟ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ก ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐ ๐คโ๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐ฆ ๐ค๐๐๐๐
๐๐๐กโ ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ ๐คโ๐๐ ๐๐๐. ๐๐๐กโ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ข๐โ๐ ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ ๐๐ข๐,
๐๐ก๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ก๐ค๐๐๐ ๐๐ฆ โ๐๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐,
๐น๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐กโ ๐๐ ๐ โ๐๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ก ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐กโ
๐ผ๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐ค ๐ฃ๐๐๐, ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐ก๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ข๐๐ก๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐;
๐ด๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ก๐๐๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ค๐๐กโ ๐ ๐ก๐๐๐๐๐๐ โ๐๐๐๐
๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐๐, ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ก'๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐;
๐โ๐๐ ๐ ๐ค๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐ข๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ก๐ฆ๐๐ , ๐ ๐ค๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐
๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ ; ๐๐ ๐๐๐ โ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐,
๐โ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ โ๐๐โ๐๐๐'๐ ๐๐ค๐-๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐."
All the theories which have bene mentioned are true to a certain
extent. It would therefore be more correct to say that the
mythology of a nation has sprung from all these sources combined
than from any one in particular. We may add also that there are
many myths which have risen from the desire of man to account for
those natural phenomena which he cannot understand; and not a few
have had their rise from a similar desire of giving a reason for
the names of places and persons.
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