ir　exceeding　fruitfulness　would　in　their　hour　of　sacrifice　remind　old　mother　Earth　of　what　was　expected　from　her！　Moreover；　no　doubt　it　had　been　observed　that　the　scattering　of　dead　flesh　over　the　ground　or　mixed　with　the　seed；　did　bless　the　ground　to　a　greater　fertility；　and　so　by　a　strange　mixture　of　primitive　observation　with　a　certain　child…like　belief　that　by　means　of　symbols　and　suggestions　Nature　could　be　appealed　to　and　induced　to　answer　to　the　desires　and　needs　for　her　children　this　sort　of　ceremonial　Magic　arose。　It　was　not　exactly　Science；　and　it　was　not　exactly　Religion；　but　it　was　a　naive；　and　perhaps　not　altogether　mistaken；　sense　of　the　bond　between　Nature　and　Man。
  ＇1＇　See　Gilbert　Murray's　Four　Stages　of　Greek　Religion；　p。　29。
  For　we　can　perceive　that　earliest　man　was　not　yet　consciously　differentiated　from　Nature。　Not　only　do　we　see　that　the　tribal　life　was　so　strong　that　the　individual　seldom　regarded　himself　as　different　or　separate　or　opposed　to　the　rest　of　the　tribe；　but　that　something　of　the　same　kind　was　true　with　regard　to　his　relation　to　the　Animals　and　to　Nature　at　large。　This　outer　world　was　part　of　himself；　was　also　himself。　His　sub…conscious　sense　of　unity　was　so　great　that　it　largely　dominated　his　life。　That　brain…cleverness　and　brain…activity　which　causes　modern　man　to　perceive　such　a　gulf　between　him　and　the　animals；　or　between　himself　and　Nature；　did　not　exist　in　the　early　man。　Hence　it　was　no　difficulty　to　him　to　believe　that　he　was　a　Bear　or　an　Emu。　Sub…consciously　he　was　wiser　than　we　are。　He　knew　that　he　was　a　bear　or　an　emu；　or　any　other　such　animal　as　his　totem…creed　led　him　to　fix　his　mind　upon。　Hence　we　find　that　a　familiarity　and　common　consent　existed　between　primitive　man　and　many　of　his　companion　animals　such　as　has　been　lost　or　much　attenuated　in　modern　times。　Elisee　Reclus　in　his　very　interesting　paper　La　Grande　Famille＇1＇　gives　support　to　the　idea　that　the　so…called　domestication　of　animals　did　not　originally　arise　from　any　forcible　subjugation　of　them　by　man；　but　from　a　natural　amity　with　them　which　grew　up　in　the　beginning　from　common　interests；　pursuits　and　affections。　Thus　the　chetah　of　India　（and　probably　the　puma　of　Brazil）　from　far…back　times　took　to　hunting　in　the　company　of　his　two…legged　and　bow…and…arrow…armed　friend；　with　whom　he　divided　the　spoil。　W。　H。　Hudson＇2＇　declares　that　the　Puma；　wild　and　fierce　though　it　is；　and　capable　of　killing　the　largest　game；　will　never　even　to…day　attack　man；　but　when　maltreated　by　the　latter　submits　to　the　outrage；　unresisting；　with　mournful　cries　and　every　sign　of　grief。　The　Llama；　though　domesticated　in　a　sense；　has　never　allowed　the　domination　of　the　whip　or　the　bit；　but　may　still　be　seen　walking　by　the　side　of　the　Brazilian　peasant　and　carrying　his　burdens　in　a　kind　of　proud　companionship。　The　mutual　relations　of　Women　and　the　Cow；　or　of　Man　and　the　Horse＇3＇　（also　the　Elephant）　reach　so　far　into　the　past　that　their　origin　cannot　be　traced。　The　Swallow　still　loves　to　make　its　home　under　the　cottage　eaves　and　still　is　welcomed　by　the　inmates　as　the　bringer　of　good　fortune。　Elisee　Reclus　assures　us　that　the　Dinka　man　on　the　Nile　calls　to　certain　snakes　by　name　and　shares　with　them　the　milk　of　his　cows。
  ＇1＇　Published　originally　in　Le　Magazine　International；　January　1896。
  ＇2＇　See　The　Naturalist　in　La　Plata；　ch。　ii。
  ＇3＇　〃It　is　certain　that　the　primitive　Indo…European　reared　droves　of　tame　or　half…tame　horses　for　generations；　if　not　centuries；　before　it　ever　occurred　to　him　to　ride　or　drive　them〃　（F。　B。　Jevons；　Introd。　to　Hist。　Religion；　p。　119）。
  And　so　with　Nature。　The　communal　sense；　or　subconscious　perception；　which　made　primitive　men　feel　their　unity　with　other　members　of　their　tribe；　and　their　obvious　kinship　with　the　animals　around　them；　brought　them　also　so　close　to　general　Nature　that　they　looked　upon　the　trees；　the　vegetation；　the　rain；　the　warmth　of　the　sun；　as　part　of　their　bodies；　part　of　themselves。　Conscious　differentiation　had　not　yet　set　in。　To　cause　rain　or　thunder　you　had　to　make　rain…　or　thunder…like　noises；　to　encourage　Vegetation　and　the　crops　to　leap　out　of　the　ground；　you　had　to　leap　and　dance。　〃In　Swabia　and　among　the　Transylvanian　Saxons　it　is　a　common　custom　（says　Dr。　Frazer）　for　a　man　who　has　some　hemp　to　leap　high　in　the　field　in　the　belief　that　this　will　make　the　hemp　grow　tall。〃＇1＇　Native　May…pole　dances　and　Jacks　in　the　Green　have　hardly　yet　died　outeven　in　this　most　civilized　England。　The　bower　of　green　boughs；　the　music　of　pipes；　the　leaping　and　the　twirling；　were　all　an　encouragement　to　the　arrival　of　Spring；　and　an　expression　of　Sympathetic　Magic。　When　you　felt　full　of　life　and　energy　and　virility　in　yourself　you　naturally　leapt　and　danced；　so　why　should　you　not　sympathetically　do　this　for　the　energizing　of　the　crops？　In　every　country　of　the　world　the　vernal　season　and　the　resurrection　of　the　Sun　has　been　greeted　with　dances　and　the　sound　of　music。　But　if　you　wanted　success　in　hunting　or　in　warfare　then　you　danced　before…hand　mimic　dances　suggesting　the　successful　hunt　or　battle。　It　was　no　more　than　our　children　do　to…day；　and　it　all　was；　and　is；　part　of　a　natural…magic　tendency　in　human　thought。
  ＇1＇　See　The　Golden　Bough；　i；　139　seq。　Also　Art　and　Ritual；　p。　31。
  Let　me　pause　here　for　a　moment。　It　is　difficult　for　us　with　our　academical　and　somewhat　school…boardy　minds　to　enter　into　all　this；　and　to　understand　the　sense　of　（unconscious　or　sub…conscious）　identification　with　the　world　around　which　characterized　the　primitive　manor　to　look　upon　Nature　with　his　eyes。　A　Tree；　a　Snake；　a　Bull；　an　Ear　of　Corn。　WE　know　so　well　from　our　botany　and　natural　history　books　what　these　things　are。　Why　should　our　minds　dwell　on　them　any　longer　or　harbor　a　doubt　as　to　our　perfect　comprehension　of　them？
  And　yet　（one　cannot　help　asking　the　question）：　Has　any　one　of　us　really　ever　SEEN　a　Tree？　I　certainly　do　not　think　that　I　haveexcept　most　superficially。　That　very　penetrating　observer　and　naturalist；　Henry　D。　Thoreau；　tells　us　that　he　would　often　make　an　appointment　to　visit　a　certain　tree；　miles　awaybut　what　or　whom　he　saw　when　he　got　there；　he　does　not　say。　Walt　Whitman；　also　a　keen　observer；　speaks　of　a　tulip…tree　near　which　he　sometimes　sat〃the　Apollo　of　the　woodstall　and　graceful；　yet　robust　and　sinewy；　inimitable　in　hang　of　foliage　and　throwing…out　of　limb；　as　if　the　beauteous；　vital；　leafy　creature　could　walk；　if　it　only　would〃；　and　mentions　that　in　a　dream…trance　he　actually　once　saw　his　〃favorite　trees　step　out　and　promenade　up；　down　and　around　VERY　CURIOUSLY。〃＇1＇　Once　the　present　writer　seemed　to　have　a　partial　vision　of　a　tree。　It　was　a　beech；　standing　somewhat　isolated；　and　still　leafless　in　quite　early　Spring。　Suddenly　I　was　aware　of　its　skyward…reaching　arms　and　up…turned　finger…tips；　as　if　some　vivid　life　（or　electricity）　was　streaming　through　them　far　into　the　spaces　of　heaven；　and　of　its　roots　plunged　in　the　earth　and　drawing　the　same　energies　from　below。　The　day　was　quite　still　and　there　was　no　movement　in　the　branches；　but　in　that　moment　the　tree　was　no　longer　a　separate　or　separable　organism；　but　a　vast　being　ramifying　far　into　space；　sharing　and　uniting　the　life　of　Earth　and　Sky；　and　full　of　a　most　amazing　activity。
  ＇1＇　Specimen　Days；　1882…3　Edition；　p。　iii。
  The　reader　of　this　will　probably　have　had　some　similar　experiences。　Perhaps　he　will　have　seen　a　full…foliaged　Lombardy　poplar　swaying　in　half　a　gale　in　Junethe　wind　and　the　sun　streaming　over　every　little　twig　and　leaf；　the　tree　throwing　out　its　branches　in　a　kind　of　ecstasy　and　bathing　them　in　the　passionately　boisterous　caresses　of　its　two　visitants；　or　he　will　have　heard　the　deep　glad　murmur　of　some　huge　sycamore　with　ripening　seed　clusters　when　after　weeks　of　drought　the　steady　warm　rain　brings　relief　to　its　thirst；　and　he　will　have　known　that　these　creatures　are　but　likenesses　of　himself；　intimately　and　deeply…related　to　him　in　their　love　and　hunger　longing；　and；　like　himself　too；　unfathomed　and　unfathomable。
  It　would　be　absurd　to　credit　early　man　with　conscious　speculations　like　these；　belonging　more　properly　to　the　twentieth　century；　yet　it　is　incontrovertible；　I　think；　that　in　SOME　ways　the　primitive　peoples；　with　their　swift　subconscious　intuitions　and　their　minds　unclouded　by　mere　book　knowledge；　perceived　truths　to　which　we　moderns　are　blind。　Like　the　animals　they　arrived　at　their　perceptions　without　（individual）　brain　effort；　they　knew　things　without　thinking。　When　they　did　THINK　of　course　they　went　wrong。　Their　budding　science　easily　went　astray。　Religion　with　them　had　as　yet　taken　no　definite　shape；　science　was　equally　protoplasmic；　and　all　they　had　was　a　queer　jumble　of　the　two　in　the　form　of　Magic。　When　at　a　later　time　Science　gradually　defined　its　outlook　and　its　observations；　and　Religion；　from　being　a　vague　subconscious　feeling；　took　clear　shape　in　the　form　of　gods　and　creeds；　then　mankind　gradually　emerged　into　the　stage　of　evolution　IN　WHICH　WE　NOW　ARE。　OUR　scientific　laws　and　doctrines　are　of　course　only　temporary　formulae；　and　so　also　are　the　gods　and　the　creeds　of　our　own　and　other　religions；　but　these　things；　with　their　set　and　angular　outlines；　have　served　in　the　past　and　will　serve　in　the　f