tion, let us look more closely at some of the practical precepts or symbols which he laid down for the guidance of life.
One of his precepts, as we have seen, was this: “Do not poke the fire with a sword.”[1] The precept commends itself to us, but hardly on the grounds on which it did so to Pythagoras. To understand his reasons we must go to the Tartars, who abstain from thrusting a knife into the fire on the ground that it would cut off the fire’s head.[2] The Kamchatkans also think it a sin to stick a knife into a burning log, and so do some of the North American Indians.[3]
Again, Pythagoras told his disciples never to point the finger at the stars.[4] This is a very common superstition in Germany, where one reason given is that by pointing a finger at the moon or stars one would put out the eyes of the angels.[5] Another reason given is that one’s finger would drop off.[6] If one has pointed at the stars, the only way to save one’s finger from dropping off is to bite it.[7] The reason for so doing is explained by the statement of
- ↑ Hippolytus, Refut. omn. haeres., vi, 27; Jamblichus, Adhort. ad philos., 21; Diogenes Laertius, viii, 1, 17; Porphyry, Vit. Pythag., 42; Plutarch, Isis et Osiris, 10; id., De educ. puer., 17; Suidas, s. v. “Pythagoras”; Athenæus, p. 452 DE.
- ↑ De Piano Carpini, Historia Mongalorum, ed. D’Avezac (Paris, 1838), c. iii, § ii.
- ↑ Steller, Beschreibung von dem Lande Kamtschatka, 274; Schoolcraft, Indian Tribes, iii, 230. All three passages have been already cited in illustration of Pythagoras’ maxim by Dr. E. B. Tylor, Researches into the Early History of Mankind³, 277.
- ↑ Fragmenta philosoph. Græc., ed. Mullach, i, p. 510.
- ↑ Grimm, Deutsche Mythologie, iii, p. 445; E. Meier, Deutsche Sagen, Sitten und Gebräuche aus Schwaben, p. 499; Haltrich, Zur Volkskunde der Siebenbürger Sachsen (Wien, 1885), p. 300.
- ↑ Grohmann, Aberglauben und Gebräuche aus Böhmen und Mähren, p. 32, No. 175; Kuhn und Schwartz, Norddeutsche Sagen, Märchen und Gebräuche, p. 458, No. 426.
- ↑ J. W. Wolf, Beiträge zur deutschen Mythologie, i, p. 235, No. 417.
