Archives of aboriginal knowledge. Containing all the original paper laid before Congress respecting the history, antiquities, language, ethnology, pictography, rites, superstitions, and mythology, of (14578958757)

Identifier: archivesofaborig03scho (find matches)
Title: Archives of aboriginal knowledge. Containing all the original paper laid before Congress respecting the history, antiquities, language, ethnology, pictography, rites, superstitions, and mythology, of the Indian tribes of the United States
Year: 1860 (1860s)
Authors: Schoolcraft, Henry Rowe, 1793-1864. dn United States. Bureau of Indian Affairs. cn
Subjects: Indians of North America United States
Publisher: Philadelphia, J. B. Lippincott & co.
Contributing Library: University of Pittsburgh Library System
Digitizing Sponsor: Lyrasis Members and Sloan Foundation



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opher, while he contended for human rights and theclearest testimony, had attached to the crimes of heresy some doemoniacal traits — asubtle piece of policy of the then defenders of the faith. We are informed that in the days of Henry VIII. of England, it was enacted (Stat.33, chap. 8) that all witchcraft and sorcerj^ should be declared felony, without theIjcnefit of clergy. In the time of James I. (Stat. 1, chap. 12,) the death penaltyis assigned for invoking any evil spirit, or for consulting, entertaining, covenantingwith, employing, feeding, or rewarding any evil spirit; or taking up any dead bodiesfrom their graves, to be used in any witchcraft, sorcery, charm, or enchantment; orkilling, or otherwise hurting any j^erson by such infernal arts. These acts are equallyindicative of the belief of both the common and educated classes of society. The con-tinental nations Avere not a Avliit behind-hand in punishing this offence, and in limiting Vide Paul, Janncs and Jambres. ri:,f» ^K
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AND MAGIC. 485 their laws to the supposed measures of guilt, or the mariner in which it was profess-edly exercised. And it ^\as not till George II. (Stat. 91, chap. 5) that prosecution forconjuration, witchcraft, sorcery, or enchantment, was inhibited. When it is considered that the human mind, under its best phases, was so stronglyfettered by this superstitious belief of witchcraft, sorcery, and magic, it cannot be deemedstrange that similar delusions should have been found to prevail so universally amongthe Indian tribes of this continent. And the fact only serves more conclusively to showthat the Indian mind is of an ancient stock of the human race, of an epoch whena belief in magic and sorcery held midisputed SAvay, and Avhen it was distracted anddisturbed by polytheistic theories, and wild dogmas. This phasis of mind is consideredsomewhat at length in remarks which have been submitted under the title, MentalType, Sect. IL, Part I. The particular guise which the belief in the subt