Volume 1

Primitive culture : researches into the development of mythology, philosophy, religion, language, art and custom / by Edward B. Tylor.

  • Tylor, Edward B. (Edward Burnett), 1832-1917.
Date:
1903
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Primitive culture : researches into the development of mythology, philosophy, religion, language, art and custom / by Edward B. Tylor. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    LIFE, HEART, BREATH. gatory, ‘ It is not their heart that goes up above, but what makes them live, that is to say, the breath that issues from their mouth and is called julio.’1 The conception of the soul as breath may be followed up through Semitic and Aryan etymology, and #hus into the main streams of the philosophy of the world. Hebrew shows nephesh, ‘ breath,’ passing into all the meanings of ‘ life, soul, mind, animal,’ while Tuach and neshamah make the like transition from ‘ breath ’ to ‘ spirit ’; and to these the Arabic nefs and ruh correspond. The same is the history of Sanskrit atman and prana, of G-reek psyche and pneuma, of Latin animus, anima, spiritus. So Slavonic duch has developed the mean¬ ing of ‘ breath ’ into that of soul or spirit; and the dialects of the Gypsies have this word duh with the meanings of ‘ breath, spirit, ghost,’ whether these pariahs brought the word from India as part of their inheritance of Aryan speech, or whether they adopted it in their migration across Slavonic lands.2 German geist and English ghost, too, may possibly have the same original sense of breath. And if any should think such expressions due to mere metaphor, they may judge the strength of the implied connexion between breath and spirit by cases of most unequivocal significance. Among the Seminoles of Florida, when a woman died in childbirth, the infant was held over her face to receive her parting spirit, and thus acquire strength and knowledge for its future use. These Indians could have well understood why at the death-bed of an ancient Eoman, the nearest kinsman leant over to inhale the last breath of the depart¬ ing (et excipies hanc animam ore pio). Their state of mind is kept up to this day among Tyrolese peasants, who can still fancy a good man’s soul to issue from his mouth at death like a little white cloud.3 1 Oviedo, ‘Hist, du Nicaragua,’ pp. 21-51. 2 Pott, ‘ Zigeuner,’ vol. ii. p. 306; ‘ Indo-Germ. Wurzel-Worterbuch,’ vol. i. p. 1073 ; Borrow, ‘ Lavengro,’ vol. ii. ch. xxvi. ‘ write the lil of him whose dook gallops down that hill every night,’ see vol. iii. ch. iv. 3 Brinton, ‘Myths of New World,’ p. 253 ; Comm, in Yirg. ZEn. iv. 684 ; I-2 F