DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.42067#0379
Literature, music, and dance
339
limited to a fairly definitely circumscribed area, namely Europe and
a considerable part of Central Asia. We have mentioned that in
America long, connected tribal traditions occur, but up to this time
no trace of a composition that might be called a romance or a true
epic poem has ever been discovered. Neither can the Polynesian
legends telling of the descent and deeds of their chiefs be designated
as epic poetry. The distribution of this form can be understood
only on the basis of the existence of ancient cultural relations. For
this reason Wundt’s analysis of the origin of the epic poem does
not seem adequate. It has a meaning only in so far as the in-
clination existed to express in song tribal history and the deeds of
heroes, a pattern that developed locally, but that is not of universal
occurrence.
On the ground of the' distribution of these types two conclusions
may be established: the one that these forms are not necessary
steps in the development of literary form, but that they occur only
under certain conditions; the other that the forms are not determined
by race, but depend upon historical happenings.
If at the time when Europeans first came to the New World the
literature of the Americans did not possess the three types of
literature which we mentioned, it does not follow that they would
have appeared at a later time. We have no reason whatever to
assume that American literature was less developed than that ot
Africa. On the contrary, the art of narrative and poetry are highly
developed in many parts of America. We must rather assume that
the historical conditions have led to a form different from that of
the Old World.
The wide distribution of most of these forms among Europeans,
Mongols, Malay, and Negro proves the independence of literary
development from racial descent. It shows that it is one of the
characteristics of the enormously extended cultural area, which
embraces almost the whole of the Old World, and which in other
features also appears in distinct contrast to the New World. I
mention here only the development of a formal judicial procedure,
339
limited to a fairly definitely circumscribed area, namely Europe and
a considerable part of Central Asia. We have mentioned that in
America long, connected tribal traditions occur, but up to this time
no trace of a composition that might be called a romance or a true
epic poem has ever been discovered. Neither can the Polynesian
legends telling of the descent and deeds of their chiefs be designated
as epic poetry. The distribution of this form can be understood
only on the basis of the existence of ancient cultural relations. For
this reason Wundt’s analysis of the origin of the epic poem does
not seem adequate. It has a meaning only in so far as the in-
clination existed to express in song tribal history and the deeds of
heroes, a pattern that developed locally, but that is not of universal
occurrence.
On the ground of the' distribution of these types two conclusions
may be established: the one that these forms are not necessary
steps in the development of literary form, but that they occur only
under certain conditions; the other that the forms are not determined
by race, but depend upon historical happenings.
If at the time when Europeans first came to the New World the
literature of the Americans did not possess the three types of
literature which we mentioned, it does not follow that they would
have appeared at a later time. We have no reason whatever to
assume that American literature was less developed than that ot
Africa. On the contrary, the art of narrative and poetry are highly
developed in many parts of America. We must rather assume that
the historical conditions have led to a form different from that of
the Old World.
The wide distribution of most of these forms among Europeans,
Mongols, Malay, and Negro proves the independence of literary
development from racial descent. It shows that it is one of the
characteristics of the enormously extended cultural area, which
embraces almost the whole of the Old World, and which in other
features also appears in distinct contrast to the New World. I
mention here only the development of a formal judicial procedure,