[81] Or is this phenomenon of a bird-shaped soul inhabiting certain trees to be explained by the “notion of a vegetable soul, common to plants and to the higher organisms, possessing an animal soul in addition”? and are we to take this as only “one more instance of the fuller identification of the souls of plants with the souls of animals”?—Tylor, op. cit. vol. i. pp. 428, 429. [↑]
[82] Professor Tylor’s pregnant phraseology in this connection is entirely applicable to the Malays, who “talk quite seriously to beasts alive or dead as they would to men alive or dead, offer them homage, ask pardon when it is their painful duty to hunt and kill them.” Cp. also his remarks upon this subject, ibid. p. 423.—Prim. Cult. vol. i. p. 422. [↑]
[83] Infra, Medicine, Divination, etc. [↑]
[84] Infra, Hunting charms. [↑]
[85] Infra, Fowling charms. [↑]
[86] Infra, Vegetation charms. [↑]
[87] Infra, Fishing charms. [↑]
[88] Infra, Mining charms. [↑]
[89] The central idea of this conception appears to be that these animals, birds, and trees were once human beings, but were turned into their present shapes by reason of some wrongful act for which they were not invariably themselves responsible. [↑]
[90] Vide introductory remarks to Hunting, Fowling, Fishing, Planting, and Mining charms. [↑]