ABSTRACT
Among savages there is little speculation regarding progress, though many primitive cosmogonies explain the origin of death and evil. The Kafirs, of South Africa, say that after the creation of mankind a chameleon was sent to men to tell them that they were to live forever, and a lizard was dispatched with the message that they were to die. The chameleon tarried by the way to eat berries, and the lizard arrived first and delivered the message of death. Thus mankind became mortal. For the Hopi death was not part of the original plan of human life on earth, but was due to malign magic. “The Cheyennes have a tradition of a Golden age when war was unknown and universal peace prevailed. All strangers met in friendship and parted on good terms. Such a far-off time, when hostile encounters were unknown, is told of by many of the tribes of the northern plains.” 1 The Northern Iroquois say that “when the world was first made, men-beings did not know that they must die some time. In those days everyone was happy and neither men, women, nor children were afraid of anything. They did not think of anything but doing what pleased them.” 2
