ANCIENT BELIEFS

Evening Star, Issue 22576, 18 February 1937, Page 2

ANCIENT BELIEFS

FOLKLORE AROUND TNE WORLD Folklore and fables, myths and fairy tales have always held a fascination for the peoples of the earth, whether civilised or primitive (writes \V. P«. Rudd, in the ‘ Sydney Morning Herald ’). In every country from time immemorial these tales have been handed down through the generations. Naturally there is a vast difference between ,the narratives of various countries. In most they appear to be of natural upgrowth embodying the convictions of a people as to their gods or other personages, their own origin and early history, and the heroes connected therewith ; they took on the character of the people. If warlike, the tales were heroic, and if pastoral they wore a more sylvan complexion. The Persian, Grecian, and Roman nations ' were amongst the most warlike, and their folklore abounds in heroes who were supermen. The legendary period of Persian history begins so -far back in the mists of time that it is impossible even to surmise what is fiction and what has a basis of truth. ATTRACTIVE LEGENDS. • Nevertheless, no country has more attractive legends than Persia, and while Rustem and Sohrab remain the national heroes, Persia will always live in an atmosphere' half legend, half reality. Modern Greece still dreams of her ancient greatness,. an,d the Romans seek to emulate the deeds of days gone by, but both are stimulated by the heroic tales handed down from former times. So wide apart and so general is the folklore habit that space will only permit mention of three or four countries addicted to the weaving of these fairy tales. Those of Siberia are simple, but worth studying, aijd among many that are good ‘ The Origin of Agriculture ’ stands out. In this beautiful legend wickedness is punished by Nature, and without human strife, showing how,

out of evil, good came to the whofle human race. A conquered o> enslaved people may lose many of their ancient characteristics, but they never forget their folklore. This is proven by the negroes in America, whose lives are still tinged by their ancient beliefs. It is a far cry from Africa to America and Europe, and the people in those gantries. and elsewhere, reading the wonderful adventures of Brer Rabbit, would scarcely credit the fact that this tale is folklore on the Gold Coast. Bushmen, from the Hottentot to the Pigmy, delight in weaving tales of ghosts and goblins; tales probably as old as the hills of Africa. Papua is rife with these ancient beliefs. The old women will relate them by the hour —lore that has come down through the centuries —but nearly every Papuan tradition has associated with it some incantation or magic verse which, invariably, is' chanted by the relater. In other parts of New Guinea it is a common habit, “ when the moon is dead,” for young married couples to sit in the dark and tell gruesome tales turn and turn about. These tales exhibit a marvellous ingenuity. The Australian aborigines are not behind other races in folklore. They have no warrior ancestors to deify, for the simple reason that when death -overtakes a tribesman he is never spoken of, and therefore his deeds cannot be extolled after the- final burial ceremonies are completed. Instead, thfcy weave their fables around animals, the shn, moon, and stars, and even reptiles and insects. Night after night, when there is no corroboree, old men with a reputation for story-telling will entertain the tribe with tale after tale about the different animals that are native to Australia, or that part of it in which they live, and the receptive audience is so engrossed that the recitals often continue until break of day. To the. white man such stories would probably seem childish, but all are based on fact, and enter so minutely into detail that they constitute, a lesson in natural history to the younger members of; the tribe, who thereby learn the habits and attributes of the animal around which the story is woven.

These tales are in a different category altogether from the corroboree, which is a totemic ceremony, celebrated by members of a particular totem in honour of the great ancestor who first allotted totems to the tribes. Then, distinct from tales and corrbborees, are the stories they weave about many of the everyday bush happenings.. One of these I will now relate. I was passing through the country at the headwaters of the Archer River, some 40 miles north of Coen, and, toward sundown, coming to a large lagoon, I decided to camp, and told my Black hoy to hobble the horses on the food grass near the lagoon. “ Orright, ass, by-an-by I hobble him. First time frog maken corroboree.” Not understanding what he meant, I asked for an explanation, and this is The story he related:— THE “OLD PEOPLE.” Long time ago, when the “ Old People ” (the Alcooringa)- walked about, these lagoons were infested with snakes, which-preyed upon the frogs so numerous around the water’s edge. So the frogs asked the Old People to kill _ the snakes or send them away, otherwise the frogs must soon be exterminated. The 1 Alcooringa listened to the little silver-and-green suppliants. and granted the request. Thereafter the snakes were to live in the rough and rocky ridges which were on either side of the chain of lagoons, and only come in to drink after dark, and at dusk all the frogs were to climb the paperback trees which grew- on the edge of the water. This so pleased the little frogs that they thanked the “ Old People,” and every night since they have “ sung ” their thanks as soon as they climbed the trees at dusk.. Just as the boy finished his recital a veritable frogs _ chorus hurst forth from the tall white trees. which lined the water, and, it may have been imagination on my part,—through all this pman of praise seemed to run a chord of joyful thanks. The corroboree ” lasted about 10 minutes, then sudden silence, and the singing frogs of the lagoon were not heard until the same time the following day.