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Show XXXVIII BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY chief sources of information concerning the tribal development; but as the work proceeded it was found desirable to verify doubtful and incomplete records by comparison with the tribal traditions, so that it became necessary to incorporate the traditional history of the tribe; and at the same time it was found desirable to rectify certain important misapprehensions, and even actual errors, connected with the people and the growth of knowledge concerning them. One of the more important rectifications relates to the route taken by De Soto in his memorable journey, and this alone cost much research among rare original publications in Spanish, in addition to involving extended personal acquaintance with the ground. The several verifications and corrections will doubtless serve to render this sketch the most trustworthy as well as the most convenient outline of Cherokee history extant. Although the myths recited in the memoir are those of a single tribe, the method of study is comparative; the Cherokee tribe is treated as a sophic type, and numerous parallels drawn from the author's personal knowledge as well as from-the literature of the aborigines are introduced. One of the ends of research among the natives of the Western Hemisphere is the systemization of knowledge concerning aboriginal beliefs and their attendant ceremonies; and Mr Mooney's memoir forms a step in the progress toward that end. Mr Mooney's collection comprises an extensive series of the myths and traditions of the type tribe, cosmogonic, historical, interpretative, and trivial; for among the Cherokee, as among other primitive peoples, the traditions vary widely in character and purpose. The collections are peculiarly valuable in that they are so complete as to indicate the genesis and development of the tribal traditions. It would appear that the parent myth usually begins as a trivial story or fable, perhaps carrying a moral and thus introducing and fixing some precept for the guidance of conduct. The great majority of these fables drop out of the current lore within the generation in which they are born, but those chancing to touch the local life strongly or happening to glow with local genius survive and are handed down to later generations. The transmitted fables form a part |
