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ion of man to non…human Powers。 Imagine a young dancerand the admitted age for ritual dancing was commonly from about eighteen to thirtycoming forward on the dancing…ground or platform for the INVOCATION OF RAIN。 We have unfortunately no kinematic records； but it is not impossible or very difficult to imagine the various gestures and movements which might be considered appropriate to such a rite in different localities or among different peoples。 A modern student of Dalcroze Eurhythmics would find the problem easy。 After a time a certain ritual dance （for rain） would become stereotyped and generally adopted。 Or imagine a young Greek leading an invocation to Apollo to STAY SOME PLAGUE which was ravaging the country。 He might as well be accompanied by a small body of co…dancers； but he would be the leader and chief representative。 Or it might be a WAR…DANCE as a more or less magical preparation for the raid or foray。 We are familiar enough with accounts of war…dances among American Indians。 C。 O。 Muller in his History and Antiquities of the Doric Race＇1＇ gives the following account of the Pyrrhic dance among the Greeks； which was danced in full armor：〃Plato says that it imitated all the attitudes of defence； by avoiding a thrust or a cast； retreating； springing up； and crouching…as also the opposite movements of attack with arrows and lances； and also of every kind of thrust。 So strong was the attachment to this dance at Sparta that； long after it had in the other Greek states degenerated into a Bacchanalian revel； it was still danced by the Spartans as a warlike exercise； and boys of fifteen were instructed in it。〃 Of the Hunting… dance I have already given instances。＇2＇ It always had the character of Magic about it； by which the game or quarry might presumably be influenced； and it can easily be understood that if the Hunt was not successful the blame might well be attributed to some neglect of the usual ritual mimes or movementsno laughing matter for the leader of the dance。
＇1＇ Book IV； ch。 6； Section 7。
＇2＇ See also Winwood Reade's Savage Africa； ch。 xviii； in which he speaks of the 〃gorilla dance；〃 before hunting gorillas； as a 〃religious festival。〃
Or there were dances belonging to the ceremonies of Initiationdances both by the initiators and the initiated。 Jane E。 Harrison in Themis （p。 24） says； 〃Instruction among savage peoples is always imparted in more or less mimetic dances。 At initiation you learn certain dances which confer on you definite social status。 When a man is too old to dance； he hands over his dance to another and a younger； and he then among some tribes ceases to exist socially。 。 。 。 The dances taught to boys at initiation are frequently if not always ARMED dances。 These are not necessarily warlike。 The accoutrement of spear and shield was in part decorative； in part a provision for making the necessary hubbub。〃 （Here Miss Harrison reproduces a photograph of an Initiation dance among the Akikuyu of British East Africa。） The Initiation… dances blend insensibly and naturally with the Mystery and Religion dances； for indeed initiation was for the most part an instruction in the mysteries and social rites of the Tribe。 They were the expression of things which would be hard even for us； and which for rude folk would be impossible； to put into definite words。 Hence arose the expressionwhose meaning has been much discussed by the learned〃to dance out （） a mystery。〃＇1＇ Lucian； in a much…quoted passage；＇2＇ observes： 〃You cannot find a single ancient mystery in which there is not dancing 。 。 。 and this much all men know； that most people say of the revealers of the mysteries that they 'dance them out。' 〃 Andrew Lang； commenting on this passage；＇3＇ continues： 〃Clement of Alexandria uses the same term when speaking of his own 'appalling revelations。' So closely connected are mysteries with dancing among savages that when Mr。 Orpen asked Qing； the Bushman hunter； about some doctrines in which Qing was not initiated； he said： 'Only the initiated men of that dance know these things。' To 'dance' this or that means to be acquainted with this or that myth； which is represented in a dance or ballet d'action。 So widely distributed is the practice that Acosta in an interesting passage mentions it as familiar to the people of Peru before and after the Spanish conquest。〃 ＇And we may say that when the 'mysteries' are of a sexual nature it can easily be understood that to 'dance them out' is the only way of explaining them！＇
＇1＇ Meaning apparently either simply to represent； or； sometimes to DIVULGE； a mystery。
＇2＇