Totems Of The Tribes

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 66, 19 March 1938, Page 12 (Supplement)

Totems Of The Tribes

IN an age when the one ambition of so many seems to be to do as little for as much as possible, it is refreshing merely to turn to a list of the titles of Sir James G. Fraser's works and to reflect while reading on the tremendous effort of which the human mind is capable when thoroughly organised and spurred by the altruistic desire to accomplish something which will increase the sum of knowledge and of understanding. In his own particular field—the study of inngic, religion, fo'k-lore totemica. myth and primitive philosophy Sir James staggers student and general reader alike by the tremendous range, of his bearing, by the manner in which he has systematised his knowledge, and by the clarity of his reasoning in summing up the origins, evolution nnd meaning of the myriad forms of primitive beliefs and religions. He has increased the debt which every reader who has the least interest in the history : of his kind owes to him by his newest volume, "Toteuiica, A Supplement to Totemica and Exogamy" (Maemillan). j The ")00-page volume is an examination of research into toteniism since the author's "Toteniism and Exogamy." a four volume study of the most primitive forms of tlie rules of human conduct, wns published in 1010. All over the world experts have been carrying on the work of research since then, and in the fulness of his knowledge and with keen penetrative instinct Sir lias ■weighed up and properly "placed" the many disroverics. More than half the

book deals with Australian tribal customs, beliefs and rules, a tribute to the stream of information which has flowed from the island continent, ajid to the fact that it is to Australia to which "we must ultimately look if we are ever to find a clue to the problem of the origin and meaning of the institution." The researches of Professor A. P. Klkin. of Sydney University, are highly valued by Sir James Fraser, whom he quotes ;is saying "that toteniism is our key to the understanding of the aboriginal philosophy and the universe— a philosophy which regards man and Xature as one corporate whole for social, ceremonial and religious purposes, a philosophy which, from one aspect, is pre-animistic, but from another is animistic, a philosophy which is liisJtorical, being formed on .the heroic acts I of the past which provide the sanctions j for the present, a fhilwsophy which indeed passes into the realm of religion and provides that faith, hope and courage in the face of his daily needs which man must have if he is to preserve and persist both as an individual and as a social b«yng." Sir .Tames comes to the conclusion that the totem —any Statural object adopted bv a tribe and leader as a symbol of the relation of tribe with its unseen and halfgiirnpsed beliefs —preceded exogamy, that is the distribution of tribes into two. four or eight subdivisions in which , I men may not marry women within their , own subdivision. It is interesti:iur to observe that on the question whether j close inbreeding is injurious or not to -the stock that practises it, a question on which modern science is still divided, ijthe very primitive aborigines of Australia have adopted so decided an ! 'opinion of the extremely prejudicial!

1 tendency of close inbreeding that they 1 have from time immemorial instituted an elaborate and very effective form of i social organisation for- the express purpose of preventing it. For any serious breach the usual penalty was death. Ala king Melville Island his jumping off place, because of its situation and the intensive practice of toteniism by the natives. Sir James Fraser follows the star of his survey through the west, along the south coast and up to Queensland. Of particular interest to Now '/inlanders are his quotations from the discoveries of Sir (ieorge (irev, who, when Governor of South Australia, made interesting excursions into the totemic painted caves of tile west. The author summarises the general results as only a master of the subject could, stressing the importance of the ceremonies aiming at the increase of the totems and of the food supplies which they symbolised. The magical content of these exhortations convinced the author that in primitive days an age of magic preceded the age of religion. The beliefs and ceremonials vary surprisingly with the dif feient tribes, and the differences arc defined and described with a sympathy and sureness of touch which makes the : volume a very interesting addition to the literature of toteniism. Leaving Australia, the author proceeds through j Melanesia. New Guinea. Africa, India. ' and Xorth America, placing each of the | totemic beliefs in its proper perspective and thereby adding much to anthro--1 pology in general and to the science of belief in particular. Every chapter raises 1 issues and questions which will exercise 1 the minds of all intelligent readers, and • for this alone the author deserves ■ thanks, quite apart from the richness i of his endowment to "the proper study !of mankir.J."

i Ifis eyelids flickered. "l>o you want to speak now?" I repeated several times over, striving to pie roe tlie mist* that clouded his fading intelligence. "J.isten — we are your friends—it is not too late to speak.'' Tlien his eyes opened, staring into mine. T thought to catch a plimpse of recognition, and hent my car close to his lips. He was mumbling something. One half of my brain was striving with all it* might to catch the import of his utterance; the other half was cursing the crowd for its racket in this moment of crisis. Swtat was standing out on my forehead. "The name of tlie castle!" I said, delil>erately. ' What is it?" The last breath of poor Ballard's life wa* ebbing out in little gusts against my cheek. My nerves, tingling and pricking with the maddening sharpness of apprehension strained to the breaking point, were almost flying out of my skin. "The castle! The girl! Speak, for fiod s sake!" I said. "We'll avenge you, if we can!"' An awful, dragging pause. Then Ballard made his; last supreme effort. "StreliSen ..." lie said, thickly, and a bloody froth bubbled on his twisted lips. "Strelsen-d ..." The word died in a choking, strangled cough—and Ballard died with it. "Strelsen—Strelsen-d," he had said. This was meagre, and probably incomplete, but it might prove a clue. He had done his best to tell me, in that moment of finality. And now he would never speak again in this world. As I lifted my head, the shrill soreechinj* of a woman assailed my ears. Jn the local dialect, parts of which I could not understand, she was accusing somebody of the murder. "There lie Is—with the blood on his clothes—T saw hiir use the knife!" shrilled the voice, silencing all others in the immediate vicinity with its vibrant urgency.

The sounds of pursuit were growing fainter. Once a dull-eved labourer, lurching from a doorway, strove to bar our pulli. Him we sent sprawling in the gutter, and raced on. "iou'll have ... to leave . the town." panted Dollmann, slowing his pace to u walk. "T may have been recognised liv somebody in that crowd . . . seen with yon . . . The 'Cross Keys' may be visited by the police." We agreed that he was right. We must get to the inn at once, board the Rolls, and hit for the open country. "They tried a. frame-up," grunted Surface. ".Vow that we've escaped a lynching, Sheen may put that old witch of his tip to laying information before the police. And if the police find out the number of the Rolls . . ." I caught Dollmann's arm. "Got us to the inn, my friend. We must leave Stealth at once, and hide the car. If you can suggest a place— ?" "Where better," said the innkeeper, in a flash, "than at the farm of my brother Adolf—whom I had been visiting this afternoon, before you saved me from the bandits.?" "Will he allow it?" "I will send him a letter, by you. He will be glad to help my friends." "fjead on." said I. We brushed our clothes into some semblance of cleanliness, and, keeping to the quieter streets, made for the inn by the back way. While Dollmann wrote his letter. Busby unlocked the stable and drove the Rolls out into the yard. "'Ad a scrap, sir?" inquired Busby, as lie saw the condition of my clothes. "Hell of a fight," I told him, grimly. "Ballard's dead, and we've got to run for it. One of Sheen's crowd got him." "I always do miss the fun," complained Busby wistfully. (To be continued Saturday next) ■