Myths of China and Japan by Mackenzie Donald Alexander 1873-1936

Author:Mackenzie, Donald Alexander, 1873-1936
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Tags: Mythology, Chinese, Legends, Mythology, Japanese, Folklore, Folklore, Legends
Publisher: London, The Gresham publishing company ltd
Published: 1923-03-08T16:00:00+00:00

2o8 MYTHS OF CHINA AND JAPAN

the Ancient Egyptian furnace resembled " the Japanese furnace for copper, tin, and lead". The Etruscan furnace also resembled the Egyptian one. " From metallurgical considerations only", Gowland adds, "we would certainly be led to the Inference that the Etruscans had obtained their knowledge of the method of extracting metal from that (the Egyptian) source." British evidence suggests that the methods obtaining in ancient times were Introduced from " the Mediterranean region of Europe. . . . The actual process for the extraction of Iron from Its ores In Europe, in fact in all countries in early times, was practically the same."

Elsewhere, Professor Gowland has written : " It is important to note . . . that the type of furnace which survives In India among the hill tribes of the Ghats is closely analogous to the prehistoric furnace of the Danube, and of the Jura district in Europe".^

"Culture-drifts" can thus be followed in their results. Backward communities that adopted inventions In early times continue to use them in precisely the same manner as did those ancient peoples by whom they were first introduced. In like manner are early beliefs and customs still perpetuated In Isolated areas. But It does not follow that all these beliefs had origin among the peoples who still cling to them. Some so-called "primitive" beliefs are really of highly complex character, with as long a history of development as has the primitive type of furnace utilized by the hill tribes of India.

In the next chapter it will be shown that in the jade beliefs of China traces survive of Ideas not necessarily of Chinese origin—ideas that, in fact, grew up and passed through processes of development in countries In which jade was never found. For, as the Chinese bronze

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.