按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
he points which follow。
We are not concerned now with the ultimate effects of the 'Fall' of Man or with the present…day fulfilment of the Eden…curse。 What we want to understand is how the 'Fall' into self…consciousness led to that great panorama of Ritual and Religion which we have very briefly described and summarized in the preceding chapters of this book。 We want for the present to fix our attention on the COMMENCEMENT of that process by which man lapsed away from his living community with Nature and his fellows into the desert of discord and toil； while the angels of the flaming sword closed the gates of Paradise behind him。
It is evident I think that in that 'golden' stage when man was simply the crown and perfection of the animals and it is hardly possible to refuse the belief in such a stagehe possessed in reality all the essentials of Religion。＇1＇ It is not necessary to sentimentalize over him； he was probably raw and crude in his lusts of hunger and of sex； he was certainly ignorant and superstitious； he loved fighting with and persecuting 'enemies' （which things of course all religions to…dayexcept perhaps the Buddhist love to do）； he was dominated often by unreasoning Fear； and was consequently cruel。 Yet he was full of that Faith which the animals have to such an admirable degree unhesitating faith in the inner promptings of his OWN nature； he had the joy which comes of abounding vitality； springing up like a fountain whose outlet is free and unhindered； he rejoiced in an untroubled and unbroken sense of unity with his Tribe； and in elaborate social and friendly institutions within its borders； he had a marvelous sense…acuteness towards Nature and a gift in that direction verging towards 〃second…sight〃； strengthened by a convictionwhich had never become CONSCIOUS because it had never been QUESTIONED of his own personal relation to the things outside him； the Earth； the Sky； the Vegetation； the Animals。 Of such a Man we get glimpses in the far pastthough indeed only glimpses； for the simple reason that all our knowledge of him comes through civilized channels； and wherever civilization has touched these early peoples it has already withered and corrupted them； even before it has had the sense to properly observe them。 It is sufficient； however； just to mention peoples like some of the early Pacific Islanders； the Zulus and Kafirs of South Africa； the Fans of the Congo Region （of whom Winwood Reade＇2＇ speaks so highly）； some of the Malaysian and Himalayan tribes； the primitive Chinese； and even the evidence with regard to the neolithic peoples of Europe；＇3＇ in order to show what I mean。
＇1＇ See S。 Reinach； Cults； Myths； etc。； introduction： 〃The primitive life of humanity； in so far as it is not purely animal； is religious。 Religion is the parent stem which has thrown off； one by one； art； agriculture； law； morality； politics； etc。〃
＇2＇ Savage Africa； ch。 xxxvii。
＇3＇ See Kropotkin's Mutual Aid； ch。 iii。
Perhaps one of the best ideas of the gulf of difference between the semi…civilized and the quite primal man is given by A。 R。 Wallace in his Life （Vol。 i； p。 288）： 〃A most unexpected sensation of surprise and delight was my first meeting and living with man in a state of nature with absolute uncontaminated savages！ This was on the Uaupes river。 。 。 。 They were all going about their own work or pleasure； which had nothing to do with the white men or their ways； they walked with the free step of the independent forest…dweller 。 。 。 original and self…sustaining as the wild animals of the forests； absolutely independent of civilization 。 。 。 living their own lives in their own way； as they had done for countless generations before America was discovered。 Indeed the true denizen of the Amazonian forests； like the forest itself； is unique and not to be forgotten。〃 Elsewhere＇3＇ Wallace speaks of the quiet； good…natured； inoffensive character of these copper…colored peoples； and of their quickness of hand and skill； and continues： 〃their figures are generally superb； and I have never felt so much pleasure in gazing at the finest statue as at these living illustrations of the beauty of the human form。〃
＇3＇ Travels on the Amazon （1853）； ch。 xvii。
Though some of the peoples just mentioned may be said to belong to different grades or stages of human evolution and physically some no doubt were far superior to others； yet they mostly exhibit this simple grace of the bodily and mental organism； as well as that closeness of tribal solidarity of which I have spoken。 The immense antiquity； of the clan organization； as shown by investigations into early marriage； points to the latter conclusion。 Travellers among Bushmen； Hottentots； Fuegians； Esquimaux； Papuans and other peoplespeoples who have been pushed aside into unfavorable areas by the invasion of more warlike and better…equipped races； and who have suffered physically in consequenceconfirm this。 Kropotkin； speaking of the Hottentots； quotes the German author P。 Kolben who travelled among them in 1275 or so。 〃He knew the Hottentots well and did not pass by their defects in silence； but could not praise their tribal morality highly enough。 Their word is sacred； he wrote； they know nothing of the corruption and faithless arts of Europe。 They live in great tranquillity and are seldom at war with their neighbors； and are all kindness and goodwill to one another。〃＇1＇ Kropotkin further says： 〃Let me remark that when Kolben says 'they are certainly the most friendly； the most liberal and the most benevolent people to one another that ever appeared on the earth' he wrote a sentence which has continually appeared since in the description of savages。 When first meeting with primitive races； the Europeans usually make a caricature of their life； but when an intelligent man has stayed among them for a longer time he generally describes them as the 'kindest' or the 'gentlest' race on the earth。 These very same words have been applied to the Ostyaks； the Samoyedes； the Eskimos； the Dyaks； the Aleuts； the Papuans； and so on； by the highest authorities。 I also remember having read them applied to the Tunguses； the Tchuktchis； the Sioux； and several others。 The very frequency of that high commendation already speaks volumes in itself。〃＇2＇
＇1＇ P。 Kropotkin； Mutual Aid； p。 90。 W。 J。 Solias also speaks in terms of the highest praise of the Bushmen〃their energy； patience； courage； loyalty； affection； good manners and artistic sense〃 （Ancient Hunters； 1915； p。 425）。
＇2＇ Ibid； p。 91。
Many of the tribes； like the Aleuts； Eskimos； Dyaks； Papuans； Fuegians； etc。； are themselves in the Neolithic stage of culturethough for the reason given above probably degenerated physically from the standard of their neolithic ancestors； and so the conclusion is forced upon one that there must have been an IMMENSE PERIOD；＇1＇ prior to the first beginnings of 'civilization；' in which the human tribes in general led a peaceful and friendly life on the earth； comparatively little broken up by dissensions； in close contact with Nature and in that degree of sympathy with and understanding of the Animals which led to the establishment of the Totem system。 Though it would be absurd to credit these tribes with any great degree of comfort and well…being according to our modern standards； yet we may well suppose that the memory of this long period lingered on for generations and generations and was ultimately idealized into the Golden Age； in contrast to the succeeding period of everlasting warfare； rancor and strife； which came in with the growth of Property with its greeds and jealousies； and the accentuation of Self…consciousness with all its vanities and ambitions。
＇1＇ See for estimates of periods ch。 xiv； also； for the peacefulness of these early peoples； Havelock Ellis on 〃The Origin of War；〃 where he says 〃We do not find the WEAPONS of warfare or the WOUNDS of warfare among these Palaeolithic remains 。 。 。 it was with civilization that the art of killing developed； i。 e。 within the last 10；000 or 12；000 years when Neolithic men （who became our ancestors） were just arriving。〃
I say that each tribe at this early stage of development had within it the ESSENTIALS of what we call Religion namely a bedrock sense of its community with Nature； and of the Common life among its membersa sense so intimate and fundamental that it was hardly aware of itself （any more than the fish is aware of the sea in which it lives）； but yet was really the matrix of tribal thought and the spring of tribal action。 It was this sense of unity which was destined by the growth of SELF…CONSCIOUSNESS to come to light and evidence in the shape of all manner of rituals and ceremonials； and by the growth of the IMAGINATIVE INTELLECT to embody itself in the figures and forms of all manner of deities。
Let us examine into this a little more closely。 A lark soaring in the eye of the sun； and singing rapt between its 〃heaven and home〃 realizes no doubt in actual fact all that those two words mean to us； yet its realization is quite subconscious。 It does not define its own experience： it FEELS but it does not THINK。 In order to come to the stage of THINKING it would perhaps be necessary that the lark should be exiled from the ea