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"Modern Mythology" by Andrew Lang is a scholarly critique and exploration of mythological studies, written in the late 19th century. This work engages particularly with the theories of Professor Max Muller, challenging his philological approach to mythology and advocating for an anthropological perspective. Lang aims to establish that myths are not merely products of language development but rather reflect broader human experiences and primitive beliefs that have persisted through evolution. At the start of the text, Andrew Lang sets the stage for a critical examination of existing mythological theories, particularly those proposed by Max Muller. He comments on the nature of scholarly controversy, elaborating on his anthropological perspective, which sees myths as survivals from primitive beliefs rather than merely linguistic phenomena. Lang highlights the debate between anthropologists and philologists, emphasizing that myths of civilized cultures can offer insights into the collecti

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It may well be doubted whether works of controversy serve any useful
purpose. 'On an opponent,' as Mr. Matthew Arnold said, 'one never does
make any impression,' though one may hope that controversy sometimes
illuminates a topic in the eyes of impartial readers. The pages which
follow cannot but seem wandering and desultory, for they are a reply to a
book, Mr. Max Muller's Contributions to the Science of Mythology, in
which the attack is of a skirmishing character. Throughout more than
eight hundred pages the learned author keeps up an irregular fire at the
ideas and methods of the anthropological school of mythologists. The
reply must follow the lines of attack.

Criticism cannot dictate to an author how he shall write his own book.
Yet anthropologists and folk-lorists, 'agriologists' and 'Hottentotic'
students, must regret that Mr. Max Muller did not state their general
theory, as he understands it, fully and once for all. Adversaries rarely
succeed in quite understanding each other; but had Mr. Max Muller made
such a statement, we could have cleared up anything in our position which
might seem to him obscure.

Our system is but one aspect of the theory of evolution, or is but the
application of that theory to the topic of mythology. The archaeologist
studies human life in its material remains; he tracks progress (and
occasional degeneration) from the rudely chipped flints in the ancient
gravel beds, to the polished stone weapon, and thence to the ages of
bronze and iron. He is guided by material 'survivals'--ancient arms,
implements, and ornaments. The student of Institutions has a similar
method. He finds his relics of the uncivilised past in agricultural
usages, in archaic methods of allotment of land, in odd marriage customs,
things rudimentary--fossil re

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