The Origin of Man and of His Superstitions

by Carveth Read

[375] Northern Tribes of Central Australia, p. 181.

[376] Native Tribes of South-East Australia, p. 367.

[377] This is unjust to the Australians. Amongst the Dieri (L. Eyre) wizards with renewed entrails communicate with supernatural beings, interpret dreams and discover murderers; but they also recognise spiritual communication with ordinary men in visions; not ordinary dreams, which are mere fancies, but those that are repeated; and these come from Kutchi, an evil spirit (Howitt, op. cit., p. 358). We may be sure the Greeks were mistaken in supposing that it was Amphiaraus who instituted divination by dreams.

[378] Herodotus, I. cc. 107, 28.

[379] W. E. Roth, Ethnological Studies, p. 154.

[380] Kidd, The Essential Kafir, p. 193.

[381] De Div., II. cc. 33, 35.

[382] Polybius, VI. c. 2.

[383] Discourses, II. c. 7.

[384] De Div., II. c. 17; cf. c. 49.