The Asiatic Origin of a Myth of the Northwest Coast

The purpose of this paper is to set forth certain suggestive parallels between the Asiatic Wandering Animals and Objects Tale2 and the story of Raven's War on the South Wind.3 The latter myth occurs in several variants among the tribes of the Northwest Coast of North America. Comparative analysis of the two tales reveals an internal congruity of form such as is more reasonably interpreted as the result of genetichistorical connection rather than fortuitous, non-significant similarity. Sir Edward Tylor first enunciated the methodological principle upon which this interpretation rests in his classic analysis of Asiatic and aboriginal American lot games.4 The principle was stated by Tylor in the following words, I have found it useful ... to attempt a definite rule by analysing such phenomena into constituent elements showing so little connection with one another that they may be reasonably treated as independent. The more numerous such elements, the more improbable the recurrence of their combination.5 Antti Aarne by use of a similar technique has long

Art · Connection (principal bundle) · Epistemology · Genealogy · Geography · Interpretation (philosophy) · Linguistics · Literature · Mythology · Parallels · Similarity (geometry) · Classics · Computer Science · Cross-Cultural and Social Analysis · Folklore, Mythology, and Literature Studies · Historical and Literary Studies · History · Mathematics · Philosophy

• Introduction

  Pauline Greenhill, Peter Narváez•Journal of American Folklore•2002

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