The origins of art; a psychological & sociological inquiryHirn, Y. (Yrjö)
Philosophy
The origins of art; a psychological & sociological inquiry
Hirn, Y. (Yrjö)
Aesthetics; Art -- Philosophy; Art, Primitive
The same virtues have also been admired in Australian dancing. See
_e.g._ Fraser, _Aborigines of N.S. Wales_, p. 66; Smyth, _Victoria_, i.
p. 168; ii. p. 294; Woods, _Native Tribes_, pp. xxxii., xxxiii., 272.
Cf. also Dalton, _Ethnology of Bengal_, pp. 254, 255 (Oráons); Lewin,
_Wild Races_, p. 227 (Kumis); p. 313 (Shendoos).
[424] Fritsch, _Eingeborenen Süd-Afrikas_, p. 91 (Ama Xosa); Casalis,
_The Basutos_, p. 147 (Kaffir and Basuto dance).
[425] Fritsch, _l.c._ p. 328. The authority of Herr Fritsch gives
sufficient credit to this assertion, although it is in direct
opposition to the statement of Kolbe, _Reise_, pp. 530, 531. Herr
Fritsch’s account of Hottentot dancing is, moreover, in substantial
agreement with Sparrman’s description, _Resa_, i. pp. 375, 376.
[426] Cf. with regard to the employment of horns, drums, pipes, etc.,
as military signals, Wallaschek, _Primitive Music_, pp. 88, 99, 100,
104, 111-113.
[427] See, for instance, the descriptions of Khond warfare in Spencer,
_Descriptive Sociology_, Division I. Nr. 5, p. 17 (quoting Campbell,
_Khondistan_, p. 42), and the reflections of Mr. Bidwill on Maori
courage as dependent upon musical and saltatory stimulation, _Rambles
in New Zealand_, pp. 82, 83. As these instances refer to tribes which
have been noted for the personal bravery which they develop when
excited, the need of artificial excitement must be far stronger among
timid tribes.
[428] Cf. the acute reflections of Cook, (1st) _Voyage_, p. 344.
[429] Beecham, _Ashanti_, p. 211; Schoolcraft, _Information_, i. pp.
79, 80 (Dacotas); Wood, _Nat. Hist. of Man_, i. p. 116 (Kaffir war
medicine).
[430] Kubary on Micronesian war tattooings in Joest, _Tätowiren_, p. 80.
[431] Mann in _Trans. Ethn. Soc._ N. S. v. p. 295 (Kaffirs);
Livingstone, _Miss. Travels_, pp. 198, 199 (Makololo dance
demonstration as a preparation to an intended fight); Schoolcraft,
_Information_, iv. p. 62 (Dacotas dance when they come in the
neighbourhood of the enemy’s country); Schomburgk, _Guiana_, ii.
(Macusis); Cook, (1st) _Voyage_, pp. 467, 468, and Angas, _Savage
Life_, i. pp. 328, 329 (Maoris); Cahusac, _La danse_, i. p. 108, on the
ancient Ethiopians, quoting Lukianos.
Ethnological literature affords numberless descriptions of dances
performed as an exercise to battle. As in the present connection we
have only to deal with means of stimulation, which immediately precede
the real action, all these instances are not to the point.
[432] Carver, _Travels_, pp. 174, 175; Schoolcraft, _Information_, iii.
p. 187, quoting Colden (of 1747) on the Iroquois; Acosta, _History
of the Indies_, ii. p. 444 (Peru); cf. also Lang, _Australia_, p.
29; Blumentritt, _Filippinen_, p. 16 (Tagal excitement during the
performance of war-pantomimes).
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