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Now, that he stole fire is of the essence of his myth; and this myth of the original procuring of fire by theft occurs all over the world. As Australian and American savages cannot conceivably have derived the myth of fire-stealing from the root manth and its double sense of stealing and rubbing, there must be some other explanation.
The Greeks, of course, made Prometheus mean 'foresighted, providens; but let it be granted that the Germans know better. The root manth likewise means 'to rob; and we can see in English how a fire-stick, a 'fire-rubber, might become a 'fire-robber, a stealer of fire. But Mr. Max Muller does not say one word about Prometheus as the Fire- stealer.
Whether his name 'Foresighted' is a mistaken folk-etymology from the root manth, or not, we have, in the ancient inevitable idea, that the original patentees of fire would not willingly part with their treasure, the obvious origin of the myth of the Fire-stealer.
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