Читать книгу Primitive Time-reckoning. A study in the origins and first development of the art of counting time among the primitive and early culture peoples онлайн

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In two or three instances I have derived material of great value from personal communications. For very interesting details of the time-reckoning of the Kiwai Papuans I am indebted to Dr. G. Landtman of Helsingfors, and Prof. G. Kazarow of Sofia has sent me valuable information as to the Bulgarian names of months. Dr. C. W. von Sydow of Lund has communicated to me details of the popular time-reckoning in Sweden.

An exhaustive examination of all the material obtainable would doubtless lead to a more exact conception of the details of primitive time-reckoning. Above all, large districts with similar peculiarities in time-reckoning could be more accurately defined. The Arctic regions form a district of this nature. South America again differs characteristically from North America; Africa, the East Indian Archipelago, and the South Sea Islands all have their peculiarities. The borrowings which have undoubtedly taken place on a very large scale would be at least in part pointed out. This working up of the material is however the task of the ethnological specialist; my object is simply and solely to attain the above-mentioned goal of a general foundation.