of him； a kind of soul to be carefully concealed。 By pronouncing a name you bring the thing itself into being。 When Elohim would create Day 〃he called out to the Light 'Day；' and to the Darkness he called out 'Night'〃； the great magician pronounced the magic Names and the Things came into being。 〃In the beginning was the Word〃 is literally true； and this reflects the fact that our CONCEPTUAL world comes into being by the mental process of naming。 （For a full discussion of this point see Beck； 〃Nachahmung〃 page 41； 〃Die Sprache〃。） In old times people went further； they thought that by naming events they could bring them to be； and custom even to…day keeps up the inveterate magical habit of wishing people 〃Good Morning〃 and a 〃Happy Christmas。〃
Number； too； is part of the supersensuous world that is thoroughly religious。 We can see and touch seven apples； but seven itself； that wonderful thing that shifts from object to object； giving it its SEVENness； that living thing； for it begets itself anew in multiplicationsurely seven is a fit denizen of the upper…world。 Originally all numbers dwelt there； and a certain supersensuous sanctity still clings to seven and three。 We still say 〃Holy； Holy； Holy；〃 and in some mystic way feel the holier。
The soul and the supersensuous world get thinner and thinner； rarer and more rarified； but they always trail behind them clouds of smoke and vapour from the world of sense and space whence they have come。 It is difficult for us even nowadays to use the word 〃soul〃 without lapsing into a sensuous mythology。 The Cartesians' sharp distinction between res extensa non cogitans and res cogitans non extansa is remote。
So far then man； through the processes of his thinking； has provided himself with a supersensuous world； the world of sense…delusion； of smoke and cloud； of dream and phantom； of imagination； of name and number and image。 The natural course would now seem to be that this supersensuous world should develop into the religious world as we know it； that out of a vague animism with ghosts of ancestors； demons； and the like； there should develop in due order momentary gods （Augenblicks…Gotter）； tribal gods； polytheism； and finally a pure monotheism。
This course of development is usually assumed； but it is not I think quite what really happens。 The supersensuous world as we have got it so far is too theoretic to be complete material of religion。 It is indeed only one factor； or rather it is as it were a lifeless body that waits for a living spirit to possess and inform it。 Had the theoretic factor remained uninformed it would eventually have separated off into its constituent elements of error and truth； the error dying down as a belated metaphysic； the truth developing into a correct and scientific psychology of the subjective。 But man has ritual as well as mythology； that is； he feels and acts as well as thinks； nay more he probably feels and acts long before he definitely thinks。 This contradicts all our preconceived notions of theology。 Man； we imagine； believes in a god or gods and then worships。 The real order seems to be that； in a sense presently to be explained； he worships； he feels and acts； and out of his feeling and action； projected into his confused thinking； he develops a god。 We pass therefore to our second factor in religion：ritual。
The word 〃ritual〃 brings to our modern minds the notion of a church with a priesthood and organised services。 Instinctively we think of a congregation meeting to confess sins； to receive absolution； to pray； to praise； to listen to sermons； and possibly to partake of sacraments。 Were we to examine these fully developed phenomena we should hardly get further in the analysis of our religious conceptions than the notion of a highly anthropomorphic god approached by purely human methods of personal entreaty and adulation。
Further； when we first come to the study of primitive religions we expect a priori to find the same elements； though in a ruder form。 We expect to see 〃The heathen in his blindness bow down to wood and stone；〃 but the facts that actually confront us are startlingly dissimilar。 Bowing down to wood and stone is an occupation that exists mainly in the minds of hymn…writers。 The real savage is more actively engaged。 Instead of asking a god to do what he wants done； he does it or tries to do it himself； instead of prayers he utters spells。 In a word he is busy practising magic； and above all he is strenuously engaged in dancing magical dances。 When the savage wants rain or wind or sunshine； he does not go to church； he summons his tribe and they dance a rain…dance or wind…dance or sun…dance。 When a savage goes to war we must not picture his wife on her knees at home praying for the absent； instead we must picture her dancing the whole night long； not for mere joy of heart or to pass the weary hours； she is dancing his war…dance to bring him victory。
Magic is nowadays condemned alike by science and by religion； it is both useless and impious。 It is obsolete； and only practised by malign sorcerers in obscure holes and corners。 Undoubtedly magic is neither religion nor science； but in all probability it is the spiritual protoplasm from which religion and science ultimately differentiated。 As such the doctrine of evolution bids us scan it closely。 Magic may be malign and private； nowadays it is apt to be both。 But in early days magic was as much for good as for evil； it was publicly practised for the common weal。
The gist of magic comes out most clearly in magical dances。 We think of dancing as a light form of recreation； practised by the young from sheer joie de vivre and unsuitable for the mature。 But among the Tarahumares （Carl Lumholtz； 〃Unknown Mexico〃； page 330； London； 1903。） in Mexico the word for dancing； nolavoa； means 〃to work。〃 Old men will reproach young men saying 〃Why do you not go to work？〃 meaning why do you not dance instead of only looking on。 The chief religious sin of which the Tarahumare is conscious is that he has not danced enough and not made enough tesvino； his cereal intoxicant。
Dancing then is to the savage WORKING； DOING； and the dance is in its origin an imitation or perhaps rather an intensification of processes of work。 （Karl Bucher； 〃Arbeit und Rhythmus〃； Leipzig （3rd edition）； 1902； passim。） Repetition； regular and frequent； constitutes rhythm and rhythm heightens the sense of will power in action。 Rhythmical action may even； as seen in the dances of Dervishes； produce a condition of ecstasy。 Ecstasy among primitive peoples is a condition much valued； it is often； though not always； enhanced by the use of intoxicants。 Psychologically the savage starts from the sense of his own will power； he stimulates it by every means at his command。 Feeling his will strongly and knowing nothing of natural law he recognises no limits to his own power； he feels himself a magician； a god； he does not pray； he WILLS。 Moreover he wills collectively （The subject of collective hallucination as an element in magic has been fully worked out by MM。 Hubert and Mauss。 〃Theorie generale de la Magie〃； In 〃L'Annee Sociologique〃； 19023； page 140。）； reinforced by the will and action of his whole tribe。 Truly of him it may be said 〃La vie deborde l'intelligence； l'intelligence c'est un retrecissement。〃 （Henri Bergson； 〃L'Evolution Creatrice〃； page 50。）
The magical extension and heightening of personality come out very clearly in what are rather unfortunately known as MIMETIC dances。 Animal dances occur very frequently among primitive peoples。 The dancers dress up as birds； beasts； or fishes； and reproduce the characteristic movements and habits of the animals impersonated。 So characteristic is this impersonation in magical dancing that among the Mexicans the word for magic； navali； means 〃disguise。〃 K。 Th。 Preuss； 〃Archiv f。 Religionswissenschaft〃； 1906； page 97。） A very common animal dance is the frog…dance。 When it rains the frogs croak。 If you desire rain you dress up like a frog and croak and jump。 We think of such a performance as a conscious imitation。 The man； we think； is more or less LIKE a frog。 That is not how primitive man thinks； indeed； he scarcely thinks at all； what HE wants done the frog can do by croaking and jumping； so he croaks and jumps and； for all he can； BECOMES a frog。 〃L'intelligence animale JOUE sans doute les representations plutot qu'elle ne les pense。〃 （Bergson； 〃L'Evolution Creatrice〃； page 205。）
We shall best understand this primitive state of mind if we study the child 〃born in sin。〃 If a child is 〃playing at lions〃 he does not IMITATE a lion； i。e。 he does not consciously try to be a thing more or less like a lion； he BECOMES one。 His reaction； his terror； is the same as if the real lion were there。 It is this childlike power of utter impersonation； of BEING the thing we act or even see acted； this extension and intensification of our own personality that lives deep down in all of us and is the very seat and secret of our joy in the drama。
A child's mind is indeed throughout the best clue to the understanding of savage magic。 A young and vital child knows no limit to his own will； and it is the only reality to him。 It is no