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Show IQOO] INDIAN RELIGION * 57 first theory, that of degeneration, there is not the slightest evidence of such a lowering in the majority of the myths; and in reply to the last it may be said that in many, if not most, of the transformer stories the hero does bestow his favors for the express benefit of mankind, and for no other apparent reason. In other words^ ihe incongruity ^ till remains a problem. 1 An immense number of stories are also told which usually have to do with the animals in the days when they lived and acted like men; and these myths supplement the transformer cycles in the explanation of present conditions. Natural phenomena, social institutions, customs and ceremonies of all sorts are thus accounted for, and in the rehearsal of the myths the children were instructed and trained in the rules and duties which awaited them as adult members of society. \ Many of the elements in these myths can be traced from tribe to tribe for immense distances, some stories being found in practically every corner of North America. Some of these coincidences may doubtless be accounted for by independent growth under the influence of similar psychological conditions; but in other cases dissemination from a common source is the only reasonable explanation. It is to be expected that the aesthetic expression of the Indian will vary with the environment, and that different types of art will develop in different areas. In decorative art it is natural that a TOL. II.- 17 |