Religions of primitive peoples

About this book

This is the second of four courses of American lectures on the "History of Religions," two of which have been delivered, and the remaining two of which will be delivered in 1898 and 1899. Professor Brinton is second to none as an authority on primitive cults. He enunciates the theory that primitive religions emanate from the universal belief that behind natural phenomena lies the "ultimate, invisible, immeasurable power of mind, of conscious will, of intelligence, analogous in some way to our own ; and" he adds, "mark this essential corollary, -- that man is in communication with it." He insists on the term "religion" being applied "to the grossest rites of barbarism" as much as "to the refined ceremonies of Christian churches," and, moreover, is highly contemptuous of writers, such as Spencer and Lubbock, who assert that races exist with no religions ideas -- no such races are known. Professor Brinton also quotes with approval Bachanan's dictum that the similarity of religions beliefs is due to the identity in the mental construction of man; and also Hartland's observation that man's imagination ever works by fixed laws. Religions of Primitive Peoples is a wonderfully interesting and impressive little book. It puts with the clearest and most incisive expression the views of one who has studied closely the American races, and it draws attention to the beauty and grandeur of primitive beliefs. The ordinary reader views the savage as a very dirty and rather picturesque individual, and is quite unaware of the poetical beauties of the savage's imagination. We advise our readers to peruse Professor Brinton's work, which is studded with little gems of apposite quotation from the beliefs of savages and is by no means technical, but a most readable, fascinating book. - The Spectator, 1 October 1898.