s a popular delusion that the anthropological mythologists deny the
existence of solar myths, or of nature-myths in general. These are
extremely common. What we demur to is the explanation of divine and
heroic myths at large as solar or elemental, when the original sense has
been lost by the ancient narrators, and when the elemental explanation
rests on conjectural and conflicting etymologies and interpretations of
old proper names--Athene, Hera, Artemis, and the rest. Nevertheless,
while Mannhardt, in his works on Tree-cult, and on Field and Wood Cult,
and on the 'Corn Demon,' has wandered far from 'his old colours'--while
in his posthumous essays he is even more of a deserter, his essay on
Lettish Sun-myths shows an undeniable tendency to return to Mr. Max
Muller's camp. This was what made his friends so anxious. It is
probably wisest to form our opinion of his final attitude on his preface
to his last book published in his life-time. In that the old colours are
not exactly his chosen banner; nor can the flag of the philological
school be inscribed tandem triumphans.

In brief, Mannhardt's return to his old colours (1875-76) seems to have
been made in a mood from which he again later passed away. But either
modern school of mythology may cite him as an ally in one or other of his
phases of opinion.

PHILOLOGY AND DEMETER ERINNYS

Mr. Max Muller on Demeter Erinnys.

Like Mannhardt, our author in his new treatise discusses the strange old
Arcadian myth of the horse-Demeter Erinnys (ii. 537). He tells the
unseemly tale, and asks why the Earth goddess became a mare? Then he
gives the analogous myth from the Rig-Veda, {65} which, as it stands, is
'quite unintelligible.' But Yaska explains that Saranyu, daughter of
Tvashtri, in the form of a mare, had twins by Vivasvat, in the shape of a
stallion. Their offspring were the Asvins, who are more or less
analogous in their helpful character to Castor and Pollux. Now, can it
be by accident that Saranyu in the Veda is Erinnys in Greek? To this
'equation,' as we saw, Mannhardt demurred in 1877. Who was Saranyu?
Yaska says 'the Night;' that was Yaska's idea. Mr. Max Muller adds, 'I
think he is right,' and that Saranyu is 'the grey dawn' (ii. 541).

'But,' the bewildered reader exclaims, 'Dawn is one thing and Night is
quite another.' So Yaska himself was intelligent enough to observe,
'Night is the wife of Aditya; she vanishes at sunrise.' However, Ni