“If the hunters think we do all things by chants and spells, they may believe so — it does not hurt them.”

—  Stephen Vincent Benét, book By the Waters of Babylon

By the Waters of Babylon (1937)
Context: If the hunters think we do all things by chants and spells, they may believe so — it does not hurt them. I was taught how to read in the old books and how to make the old writings — that was hard and took a long time. My knowledge made me happy — it was like a fire in my heart. Most of all, I liked to hear of the Old Days and the stories of the gods.

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Stephen Vincent Benét photo
Stephen Vincent Benét102
poet, short story writer, novelist 1898–1943

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