Cox, George - Aryan Mythology Vol 2.pdf

BOOK
II.
Utter impossibility
of the
Swiss
story.
MYTHOLOGY OF THE ARYAN NATIONS.
but the documents which have preserved the terms of peace
simply define the bounds of the imperial authority, without
questioning that authority itself. In all this there is no
real need of the exploits of Tell or rather there is no room
for them, even if the existence of the Confederation were
not traced back to a time which according to the legend
would probably precede his birth.
This legend, which makes Tell not less skilful as a boatman
than as an archer, is not noticed by chroniclers who would
gladly have retailed the incidents of the setting up of the
ducal cap by Gesler in the market place, of TelPs refusal to
do obeisance to it, of his capture, and of the cruelty which
compelled him to shoot an apple placed on his son's head, of
his release during the storm on the lake that he might steer
the skiff, and finally of the death of Gesler by Tell's unerring-
shaft. When examined more closely, all the antiquities of
the myth were found to be of modern manufacture. The
two chapels which were supposed to have been raised by
eye-witnesses of the events were ' trumpery works of a much
more recent date,'—and if the tales of the showmen were
true, the place had c remained unchanged by the growth and
decay of trees and otherwise for six centuries and a half.'
Further, the hat set on a pole that all who passed by might
do obeisance is only another form of the golden image set up
that all might worship it on the plains of Dura, and here, as
in the story of the Three Children, the men who crown the
work of Swiss independence are three in number.
Yet so important is this story as showing how utterly
destitute of any residuum of fact is the mythology intro-
troduced into the history even of a well-known age, that I
feel myself justified in quoting the passage in which M.
Rilliet sums up the argument proving the absolute impossi-
bility of the tale from beginning to end.
'The internal history of the three valleys offers to the
existence of a popular insurrection which freed them from
the tyranny of King Albert of Austria a denial which the
consequent conduct of this prince and that of his sons fully
confirms. A revolt which would have resulted not only
in defying his authority, but outraging it by the expul-