Hungarian Psycho-Analytical Society—Report of the Society for 1921 (Continued)

October 3, 1921. Dr. Géza Róheim: Stone-shrine and Tomb. (Ethnological Remarks on Totemism and Cultural Stages in Australia.)

The totemism of the Northern and Central tribes of Australia differs from the similar forms of the Southern and Eastern groups chiefly with respect to these three distinguishing features: the ideas concerning conception, the eating of the totem and the Intichiuma rites. In connection with this positive totemism (Róheim designates as negative the totemism of the Eastern tribes distinguished by the taboo of the totem-animal) appears a definite form of stone civilization (P. W. Schmidt); sacred stones occupy the chief place in the ritual, more especially in the magic of fruitfulness. The traditions of the Arunta indicate the northern origin of these tribes, and it appears that a connection might well be established between the stone civilizations of Central Australia and that of Indonesia (J. W. Perry). In Indonesia as well as in Central Australia the establishing of stone civilization is ascribed to divine powers. In Indonesia, as well, round stones having magical significance are to be found; they bear a definite relation to the tomb and are taken along on migrations in place of the corpse. If one could accept similar customs for the tribes considered to be the ancestors of the Arunta, the origin of Churinga would be easy to explain. The migrating tribes could not drag the corpse with them, therefore the stone took the place of the body. Since there persisted among the Arunta a faint memory that these ancestors used to be buried