Traditions of ancient societies from "summary" of The Golden Bough by James George Frazer
The customs and beliefs that prevail among primitive peoples are apt to seem irrational and meaningless to us, because they are often based on a different view of the world from that which has been enshrined in the beliefs and practices of civilised nations. The savage, for example, finds it hard to believe that the wind, which he feels blowing against his face, is not caused by some invisible being who breathes upon him, and he naturally seeks to propitiate the being by prayer or sacrifice. In the same way the savage may think that the sun, which rises and sets, is a living creature who is born and dies, and that he can make the sun rise and set by his own act. These notions appear to us absurd; but they are the necessary outcome of the savage's view of the world, which is different from ours. The traditions of ancient societies are thus founded on a different basis from our own, and we must make allowance for this if we would understand them. It is only by putting ourselves in the place of the savage that we can hope to understand his beliefs and customs. We must not judge him by our own standard, but by his; and if we do this, we shall find that his customs are not so irrational as they appear at first sight. For they are the natural product of his view of the world, and they are perfectly consistent with that view. The savage is thus a child of nature, and his beliefs and practices are in harmony with the nature that surrounds him. His view of the world is simple and direct; he sees things as they are, and he does not try to explain them away by elaborate theories. He accepts the world as he finds it, and he seeks to live in harmony with it. This is the secret of his strength and vitality; for he is in touch with the forces of nature, and he draws strength from them. The traditions of ancient societies are thus the product of a simple and direct view of the world, which is very different from the complex and sophisticated view of the world that prevails in civilised countries. The savage lives close to nature, and he is in touch with the primal forces of the universe. He feels the sun on his face, and he hears the wind in the trees; and he knows that these things are real, and that they are the sources of life and power. He does not seek to explain them away by elaborate theories, but he accepts them as they are, and
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