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PREFACE TO INTRODUCTION
In perusing the proof-sheets of Miss Garnett's Women of Turkey and their Folk-lore, it seemed to me that such an unique collection of facts was presented as should not only be found entertaining by the general reader, but might also be found serviceable by the scientific student ; and I have written the Introductory Chapters to this volume, and propose to write the Concluding Chapters of the nest, in the hope, at least, that I may thus, perhaps, make this collection of facts more suggestively instructive in relation to current theories. But facts cannot but be regarded from the point of view ot some hypothesis or other, either formulated or anformulated. And naturally, therefore, there will be found in these Introductory Chapters, not only the special ethnographical and other facts which it has appeared desirable to set forth, but outlines of that new ethnological theory of the Origin of Civilisation, and of the chief deductions therefrom, from the point of view of which I would myself regard the facts brought together in Miss Garnett's Chapters.
I have thus been led to express views, not only with respect to the Origin of Civilisation, but to the Origin of the Aryans, the importance of Eace-relations and -intermixtures, the Origin of Mythology, and the Method of Folk-lore, which are in direct opposition to the views now generally current, and to which the works of Professor Max Mliller, Mr. Herbert Spencer, and Professor Edward Tyler have given a certain orthodoxy. But it must be noted, that the characteristic views of these eminent antliors were for tlie most part formed, and even formulated, a quarter of a century ago; and that hardly any quarter of a centiiry can be named during which the results of scientific research have been so revolutionary in their bearing on formerly accepted theories. And if my present very narrow limits of space have obliged me, with an appearance of dogmatism which these limits made unavoidable, to express views more in accordance, as I think, with the results of later research, I trust that I shall not be deemed guilty of any sort of disrespect to authors the perusal of whose earlier works formed epochs in my life.
If, however, I must thus excuse my opposition to some scholars and thinkers, I must express my obligations to others for much encouragement and assistance, and particularly to Professor Sayce and Professor De Lacouperie. For they have seen that the main drift of my researches is to generalise that derivation of later Civilisations from Egyptian, and particularly from Chaldean Civilisation, which Professor Sayce has so admirably demonstrated in the case of Semitic, and Professor De Lacouperie in the case of Chinese Civilisation, and which I hope to be able to demonstrate in the case of the European Civilisations. And if, without implicating Professor De Lacouperie in my shortcomings, I may give myself the satisfaction of expressing my gratitude, I would especially acknowledge the quite invaluable assistance I have received from that distinguished scholar ever since I had the honour of making his acquaintance, on reading my first paper, in 1887, on the ethnological theory of the Origin of Civilisation.
J. S. S.-G.
The Shealing, Wimbledon Common, June 20, 1890.
The Women of Turkey
Inteoductory Chapter I
The Ethnography of Turkey
In the highest degree misleading is, T think, the hypothesis which dispenses with study of Ethnology as properly both an antecedent to, and a concomitant of, study of Folk-lore. This hypothesis, in the words of Professor Tylor, affirms that "it is both possible and desirable [in a scientific study of Folk-beliefs and-customs] to eliminate considerations of hereditary varieties or races of rnen, and to treat mankind as homogeneous in nature."' On this hypothesis are based all the presently popular collections of Folklore—collections of facts as to so-called " Primitive Culture," and the so-called " Origin of Civilisation," &c. And with this hypothesis is intimately associated another—"the thesis" which Dr.
Tylor "sustains"—" that the savage state in some measure represents an early condition of mankind out of which the higher culture has gradually been developed or evolved by …
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