CONTENTS
The Rescue of Andromeda in Märchen
Simplest form of the incident—Strong Jack—The Herdsman type—Menial hero in other tales—Punishment of impostors—Attacking the monster from inside—Faithless Sister type—Stolen Sister type—Underworld type—Fearless Johnny type—Helpful Animals—Change of sex—Rescue of youth—Omaha tale—Its European origin—Vira, the Tuscan forest-sprite.
The Rescue of Andromeda in Sagas
Classical stories—Saint George—The Pollard Worm—Cuchulainn and Devorgoil—Susa No and Inada—The Dragon of Deerhurst—Other British legends—Variants in the East and Africa—The Maiden her own deliverer—Christian legends—Chinese tale—Rescue of youth—Maiden rescued from thraldom only—Ragnar Lodbrog.
The Rescue of Andromeda: its Relation to Human Sacrifices
Legends of the slaughter of a monster are widespread—Origin of the conception of the monster—Totemism—Animal gods—The incident of the Rescue a record of the abolition of human sacrifices to animal gods—Examples of such sacrifices in Africa and the East—Relics of the same among the South Sea Islanders, the Greeks and Romans—Tales of dragons inhabiting springs and lakes—Human sacrifices to water in India, America, Europe—Legends pointing to the same practice in various parts of the world—Legends of rescue of human sacrifices to other divinities.
The Medusa-witch in Märchen
The Tzitzinæna—Petrifaction by the witch—Petrifaction on breach of various taboos—Power of the witch’s hair—Játaka containing the incident, its relations with the European tales—Petrifaction for preservation—The witch’s hair.
The Medusa-witch in Saga and Superstition
The witch’s hair—Other examples of the power of a hair—The Magical Fetter—The Magical Word—Power of a curse—Magical effect of an incautious word—The Magical Blow—Petrifaction by divine vengeance—Petrifaction as transformation—The Gorgonian power of petrifying by a look—The Evil Eye.
The Story as a Whole. The Problem of its place of origin. Conclusion
The origin of the story to be sought for among nations who have passed beyond human sacrifices to brutes—The story as a whole confined to certain parts of the Eastern Hemisphere—Differences between classical and modern stories—Relation between them—Traditional selection in classical times—The Helpful Animals—The Gift of Weapons—Cambodian märchen—Modern variants independent of the classical tale—The Impostor and the Tokens—Legend of Saint George—The Deliverer’s Sleep—Result of the inquiry—Bearing of some of the subjects discussed upon matters of Christian controversy—Conclusion.
[Table C. The Impostor and the Tokens]
[Table D. The Deliverer’s Sleep]