Ventriloquism is almost as old as the world, or at least as old as intelligible spoken language, but just when and where in the dim and misty ages of the past it had its origin will forever re­main unknown. Unlike other arts it was not brought to perfection through the slow develop­ment and accretion of years. From its very nature it must have sprung into existence full grown, like Venus from the sea. Under various guises its practice may be traced by the student in those venerable chronicles which faintly echo the long-vanished life of antiquity.

Although proof positive is wanting of the fact, it is fair to assume that many of the occurrences involving the assistance of an apparently super­natural voice, by which many of the old supersti­tions were fostered among the early races, were feats of ventriloquism. Such marvels are inex­plicable, if they are not pure fiction, except as the work of deception through the aid of ventriloquism.

So common indeed at one time was this belief in a ” second voice,” or ” familiar spirit,” as it was often called, that it took the form of divination by which the supposed spirit was evoked and con­sulted as to the right course of conduct on impor­tant occasions; and this divination, which was practiced in a variety of ways among the differ­ent semi-barbaric races of the ancient world, can be traced through a long period of time.

From the book Ventriloquist Secrets Revealed – a book that experienced ventriloquists have kept to themselves – until now.

 

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