7.1~1.

1-

/
TI-IJa

IN THREE COURSES OF LECTURESi

RITES AND CEREMONIES,

DOCTRINES AND DISCIPLINE,
or ALL THE

SBCRET AND MYSTERIOUS INSTITUTIONS

or THE

ANCIENT WORLD.

BY GEORGE OLIYER,
VICAR OF CLEE; P. G, CHAPLAIN JIOR THE 'coUNTY or LINCOLN; A11'D DOIIESTIC
CHAPLAIII' TO THE RIGHT BON. LOilD ltEI'ISIII'GTOllf.

LONDON:
PRINTED FOR THE AUTHOR;
AND PUBLISHED BY BRO. WASHBOURN,
48, &u.hry SqtUJre, FlettStrtet.
MDCCCXXIX.

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CHARLES TENNYSON, EsQ., M. P.,

M-. A., 11'. B. s,, F. A. S., &c. &c.
i'a.OYIMCI.U.

GRAND MASTER OF FREE AND ACCEPTED ldA.SON8

FO& THE COUNTY OF LINCOLN,

ll'hilst I was assiduously engaged io arnagidc tbfJie

Papers for the Press, I received the gratifying intelligence
that the friend and supporter of all my literary labours had
been elevated, by His Royal Highness the Duke of Sussex,
to the superintendence of this Masonic District, in the capacity

of its Ptovincial Grand Master.

It required no deliberation

to determine at whose feet these Lectures should be placed ;.

for duty and inclination alike concur in the propriety of inscribing. tbem to you, as the ostensible guardian o( Masonry
withio Ole PrONiaee* aod the

kp~

patroa of aW ib

co.llateral p.wtuitL
To your energies, Sir, I confidently look tor tlie spread of
:Masonry in this extensive County.

From your enlightened

understanding and vigorous superintendence I anticipate measures that will secure to the man of lett.ers a profitable employment for his time in

~he

tylcd recesses of the Lodge; for

it may be fairly presumed that if his mind be not deeply

interested in the investigations, he will soon bid adieu to
Freemasonry.

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DBDICATIO!'l

Expetieaee is a species of wisdom that is seldo. erroaeous;

aad it amply coafirms dte opinion that a masoaie Lodge is
{oUDded upon an iaseeare basis i( it rejects froa its illastratioos dte philosophy, ud eoateats itaelf' with the teehninlities

of dte Science; like one possessing the keys of a rich casket

o( -tleodid jewels,

which be does not po!III!SS the coriosity or

dte promptitude to opea, that dteir rarity or nine ma.y be

correctly

.-..ted.

It is well known that in our Lectures, much scope is domed

for amplification both in science and morals ; it cannot thea be

a (utile expectation, while knowledge is making such a rapid

progress in the present age of free inquiry, that, by the
judicious rule and masterly elucidations of our legitimate
governors, our lodges will maintain their proper character of
schools of virtue and dispeosers of the liberal arts.
Imbued with these eentiments, it affords me no inconsiderable
depee of pleasure to associate your name with these Lectures,
assured as I am that it will recommend them to the notice of
the fraternity.
I have the honour to be.
Sir,
Your obliged
And most obedient Servant,
And Brother~

G:EO. OLIVER.
Grlmlby1 Mar.1 1 ~29.

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:ANALYTICAL TABLE OF CONTENTS.

PttBPACB; explaiuing the iudispe118able qualificatiout of the Muter of a

Lodge, xi.
TBSTIJIONlBS ia favour of fonuer pllblicationa by the Author, u.

FIRST COURSE..
THE ASI.ATIC AND GRECIAN MYSTERIES.

LECTURE I.
GEJUUL IJI'BODU01'IOW.-Antiquity of iuitiation, 1. Tokent, when &rst

adopted, I. Enoch the inventor of books, ( n.) ib. Employment of the

first freemasons, I. Peculiar meanbig of Darkxnt, 4. Initiations
penerted, 6. ProgreBB of the false iuitiations, 6. The universal
deluge, 8. Origin of the metempsychosis, 10. Decay of Masonry, 11~
Esscnes take charge of it, 12. Nature of the idolatrous initiations, 14.
The candidate wu a representative of Noah, 15. Hieroglyphics of the
myateriea, l6. Terron; of initiation, 18. Felicities of initiation, 19.
Initiation the only means of acquiring knowledge, 20. Human victims,
21. Black, an emblem, (a;) ib. Places of initiation described, (n.)
21, 24. The mysteries abolished, 26.

LECTURE JI,
PLACES OP CELEBRATION IN HIND08TAN.-0rigin of India, 27. Sects, 28.
Deities, 29. Mysteries, ib. Places of initiation iu Hiudostan, SO,
Caverna of Elephanta, Sl. and Salsette, 32.

LECTURE Ill.
CEREMONY OF INITIATION AMONG THE BRAHMINS.-Periods of iuitiation,
34. Four degrees, ib. Firat degree, 35. Investiture of the Zennar,
ib. Instruction, 36. Second degree, austerities of, 17. Ceremony of
initiation, 38. llewailings, 42. Terrible ceremonies, 43. Illuminated
aacellum, 46.

LECTURE

IV~

JNVESTITURE ANn PRII.OsOPHY OF THE INDIAN MYSTERIES.-Peculiar cere

. moniu, 4.9 . Amuleta1 ..";0.

Su~lime Name,

lil .

a1fJ

A. U. M. 62.

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Lecture from the Archbrahmin, ib.

Vlrlue and

soience recommeaded, 14. Symbolical inRraotiGD, 16.

Fourth degreea, 67.

ThUd ad

LECTURE V.
VARIETIES IN (:RIIfA AND JAPAN.-Chinese WOrship, 5!). Confucius, ac~
couut of, (n.) ib. Pl~tces of initiation, 60. Amulets, ib. Magical
words, 61. Proo!lpts, ib. Mystical syubola, 62. Japanese accoun~
of the creation, 68, Caverns of initiation, M. Probll.tious, ib,
Paatoa, 65. Amulets, 66.

LECTURE VI.
THB IIYSTBRIE& or PEBSJA.-Birth of Zoroaster, (n.) 61. Account of his
education, 68. Reforms the Persian religion, 69. The s~tcred lire, 70,
Cave of initiation, 11. Its splendours, 12. Numerous initiatious, 14.

LECTURE VII.,
PREPARATION AND IIUTJATIO!i OF CANDIDATES.-Prob&tion, 75. Rigoflnl
of, 16. Preparation, ill; The Simorgh of Persian m} t:1ology destribed,
(n.) 11. Seven stllges of initiation, 78. The terrific process. minutely
deseribed, 19. Its actual dangers, so. Torments, 83. Grotto of
Elysium, 84.

LECTURE VIU.
INVESTITURE AND PHILOSOPHY OF THE PERSIAN MYSTERIES.-Amulets and
talismans enumerated, (n.) 56, The diyine Lights, 87. Account of the
creation, 88. Contests of the two powers, 89. 'l'beogony, ib. :Legend,
90. The son of a virgin procl~timed, 92. Incestuoue connections, 93.

LECTURE IX.
ON TRE DIONYSJACA OR MYSTiiRIES OF DACCIJIIS.-Tbe Grecian mysteries
divided into leBSer and greater, 94. Eleusinian, 96
Officers, 96.
Internal purity required of the c!lndiuate, 97. The initiations were
preceded by a public festivw, ib. Preliminary rites, 98. Circumambulation, 99. Procession, 100, Madness of the Bacchantes, lOt;
Intoxication, 103. Conclusion of the feast, ib.

LECTURE X.
CERBMONIBS OF INITIA'J'ION INTO TRE Jl(YSTEiliES or BACORUS.-PJace of
initiation, 104. Description of, 105. Incantation, 106. The aspinat
puri11ed, lCI'J, Fol'lllllla of exclueioll, ~ MaciWlery oC iDitiatioa lts,

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The aplwiina, 189. .Lamelltationa, 110. Wud.eringll ttl Rhea, 111.

M;yatic dance, 112. The . enresis, 113. Descent into the infernal rep011s, Jl4. Elysium, lUi. Doctrines, 116. :Fables referring to the
deluge, (n.) 117. Investiture, Jl8. Symbols, 119. Pollutions of the
mysteries, 121. Their abolition, 122.

LECTURE XI.
VAUETIES IN THB SYSTEMS OF PYTHAGORAS AND PLAro,.:._Pythaggraa
initiated, 122. His penances, 123. Privileges of initiation, 126.
Scienees tttughl to the esotericb, 126. Instruction b' Dl)sticlll3eotencea,
(n.) 1i1. Syrubols, (n.) 128 . System of Plato, 129. Three degteea,
110. Creation lUid destruction, 131. Deluge, 132.

SECOND COURSE.
THE CELTIC MYSTERIES.

LECTURE I.

or

lJlTllODI!CTOAY .RBMARitB ON TUB IIIY8Talts

DRUIJ>IS!II.-Derivation of
tile name of druid, 134. The mysteries, arkite, u.;. Copious illustration of the onmbH.ooeun,(n.) ib. Natu1e of the t:eremooies,13~. Oio,;in
of the Britons, 13!1. Objects of worship, 141. Sacred rocks, islands,
and lakes, 142. Legend of an hc.l1 lake, ( n.) 143. Water of purification, 144,

LECTURE II.
011 THB PLACIS OF INITIATION IN lltJTAIN.-Groves of oaks, 146. Moun tains, 141. Form of temples, . 149. Circular, ib, Stonehenge, (n.)
150. Oval, 131. I..ong Meg and ber daughters, (n.) it., Serpentine,
ib. Abury, ( n.) ib. W ingtd, 153. Cruciform, ib. ( :lassemis, ( n.) ib,
How constructed, 154, Caer Sidi, lli6. (;a~ei'DB of initiation, how
fitted up, 167. Arthur's round table, (n.) US. Giant's cave in Cumberland, ( n.) l69. Grotto at Culleton, 160.

LECTURE III.
011 TRE rRI!PARATION OF CANDIDATES IN Br.JTAIN.-Periods of initiation,
161. May eve, 162. Sun at its mtridian, 163, Pl'eparation, ib.
Robes of the candidate, 165. Confinement in ilie cromlech, 100.

LECTURE IV.
C&BE~!IIBII

OF IIUTIATIOII

(;ireaJar ,~,._l68.

THB TWO FIRST DilOREES .,...Hymn, 167.

Oath, MO. Tr.&IIICormations, 170, Dark-

INTO

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neBS and IIIJiteriOWI noilee, 1'72. Parification of the ea of Djlu, ltS,

Light, 11.&. Preeentation to the Archd~ 174,' IIIIIIUactklll, ib.
Investiture, 1'16.

LECTURE V.
CEREMONY OF I'NIT1AT10N INTO THK THIRD DKOilKK.-Death of the 111)'8
teries, 177. Terrific and dangerous progre88 to perfection, 119. Rejection, 180. Triumph, ib. Thrice born, 181. Extensive privileges
of the perfectly Initiated candidate, 182.

LECTURE VI.
ON DRUIDICAL VAT1CINATIO'N.-Various methods of augury, ISS. Lots,
184. Number tl&ree, 185. Set>t11, i6. One hundred and forty-seven,
186. :Mystical orchard, ib. Power of the druids, 187. Logan or
rocking stone; .(n.) ib. Magic, }.88.

LECTURE VII.
ON THE SYIIIBOLB or DR'CIIIISM.-Antiquity and utility of symbols, 18~.
Anguinum, 100. Various symbols illustrated, 192. The oak, 193.
:Misletoe, 194. Symbolical language, 195.

LECTURE VIII.
DoCRTINI!S AND MORALITY or DRUIDISM.-'Phe unity Of the godhead, 197,
Cr:-ation and deluge, immortality and a future state, ib. Place of
punishment, 198. The liberal sciences,199, Botany, medicine, and
languages, 200. Morality and truth, 201.

THIRD COURSE.
THE GOTHIC .AND .AMERICAN MYSTERIES.

LECTURE I.
ON 'THE INSTITUTION OF THil GoTHIC MYSrt!RIF.S.-Introduced by Sigge or
O<lin, 202. His system, 203. Human vi~;tiBIS, 204. Power of lite
Drottea, 203. lntroductioJI of CJu:istijlqity, ib,

LECTUUE II.
TIMBS AND PLACEB or GoTHIC JNITIATIO!I.-The Rllnual fllltivaia, 206. Yule, !1107, Origin of Yule-cakes, Christmas-boxes,
New-year'&rgifta, (n.) ib. Origin of healtaaad-pled!es; (-a.) JOS.

011 THE

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Palaee of Thor, 109. Natural cave of initiation in Norway, (a.) i6.

Illuatrati.OD of the palace of Thor, 210. KiDgdom of Thrudwuger,
112.

LECTURE III.
CEJ,ItiiiOHY or IRITJATIO!f.-PreparatiOD of c&Ddidatea, 211. Deeceat
1o the tomb of Volva, ll14. Invocation and magical ceremonies, 215.
Bewailing& for the death of Balder, 216. Account of his death, (n.)
i6. Progress through the subterranean passage of initiation, ll17.
Twilight of the gods, 218. Door of expurgation, lll9. lllumiDated
sacellum, 220. Oath, 221. Inestiture, ib. Sign of the cross, Ull.
Talismanic ring of Balder, llliS.

LECTURE IV.
0!1 THI ARTS fi!COMMBI'iDED OR TAUGHT TO THE ASPIRANT.--Charge,
Jlla. Symbolll, 224. Magic, 226. Charms, 221. Amuleta, 228.

LECTURE V.
0lf THE DOCTRII'ii!S AND MORALITY OP THE GoTHIC MYSTafiii!B.-()ne
god, 2SO. Idols multiplied, 211. Temple of the tri-une god OdiDTbor-Frea, 212. Creation, 211. Deluge, 214. End of the world,
lll.'i. New creation, 236.

LECTURE VI.
ON TRB ORIGINAL POPULATIO!f AliD DEITIES OP AMRilJCA.-When America
was peopled, liST. Myvteries, 239. Deities, 240. Vitzliputzli, the
god of mercy, 241. Teecalipuca, the god of vengeance, 142.

LECTURE VII.
RITU flP PflnARATIOif AISD INITIATIO!f.-8ystem of the Mexir.aJUJ; barbarous, 244. Serpents, (n.) i6. Painful probations, 246. Bloody
purifications, 247. Manner of sacrificing a human victim, (n.) 248.
Deecent into the fearful caYerns of initiation, 249. Honible sightll
there displayed, 260. Regeneration, 262. Indecency of these rite,
JS3.

LECTURE VIII.
l!isnucnoN A!ID DOCTRINES llf MEXJCO.-Symbolical, liM. Creation
and destruction, 265. Cosmogony of the American savages, ( n.) 266.
Triad, 267. W anderinga of the lint settlers iD Mexico, 268. Bieroglyplaa. 219. Amule~ 260.

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LECTURE IX.
CaiiiiMONIEB or TRB PnUVIANa.-Introduced by Manco Capa~ *'!ld
Mama Ocello, 261. Triad, 202. Annual festival, 263.- Ceremonies
and proce~~&ions. 264.

LECTURE X.
GBNBRAL CONCLUIION.-Additional Ceremonies, 267. Rod of Bacchus,
ib. Waler produced by striking a rock, ll68. Serpenta, ib. Liaht
and Darkness, ib. Candidate made to personate tbe Indian Avaters,
269. Hindoo penances, 211. Machinery,of the Apocalypse, (n.) 214.
fiaperiority oC Revelation over reason. 216.

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PREFACE.

TitE' exctDent Preston Rays, with much j_ustice, " Many are
deluded by th~ vague supposition, that . our mysteries. are
merely nomina[; that the practices established amongst us are
frivolous; and th~t our ceremonies may be adopted or waived
at pleasure. On ' this false basis we find too many of the
:Brethren hurrying through all the degrees of the Order, with.out adverting to the propriety of one step they pursue, or
possessing a single qualification to entitle them

to advance-

ment. Passing through the usual formalities, they consider

themselves authorised to rank as masters of the art, solicit and
accept offices, and even assume the government of the lodge,
equally unacquainted with the rules of the institution that they
pretend to support, aod the nature of the trust which they are
bound to perform. The consequence is obvious; anarchy and
confusion ensue, and the substance is lost in the shadow:. Hence mea, who are eminent for ability, rank, and fortune,
frequently view the honours of Masonry with indifference;
and, when their patronage is solicited, either accept offices
. with reluctance, or reject them with disdain.
" Masonry has long laboured under these disadvantages,
and. every zealous friend of the Order must earnestly wish for
a correction of the abuse.

Of late years, it must be acknow-

ledged, our assemblies have been

iti general better regulated;

of which the good effects are sufficiently displayed, in the

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PREFACE.

judicio1l8 selection of oar members, aad the proper oheernace

of our general regulations.
" Were the Bretbem who preside . at oar

...mp to be

properly instructed previo1l8 to their appoiatutetat, ud dwly

apprised of the offices they are choeea to 1111~ a geaeral
re:nmation would speedily take place. Thia cooiuct wOllld
establish the propriety of our governmeat, aad lead mH to acknowledge that our hoaoura were DOt udeserYedly coaferred;
the ancient coasequeDce of the Order would be restored, aad
the reputation of the Society presened.. Till !9J~aine merit
shall distinguish our claim to the honours of Muoary;

ud

.regularity .Q{ deportment display the iaftoence and utility of our

rules, the world in geaeral will not be led to recoucile our proceediogs.with our profeions."

Ia coincidence with these seutimeuts, I am decidedly of

.opinion that much general knowledge is necessary to expand
the mind, and familiarise it with masonic discuions and
illustrations, before a brother can be pronouncecl competent

to undertake the arduous . duty of governing a Lodge. A.

Master of the work ought to have nothing to learn. Be
should be fully qualified, not only to instruet the youoger
brethren, but to resolve the doubts of those who ve mote
advanced in masonic kaowledge; to reconcile apparent eoatradictions; to settle chronologies, aod to elucidate obscure
facta or mystic legends, aa well aa to answer the objections
and to render pointless the ridicule of our uninitiated adversaries.
lllaatr. p. II. Edit. xili.

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xiii

PRBFACL

. Impreteed wi&b these ideas t.t a very early period of my

masonic career, it soon occurred to me that some aid was
waatier to ooavey a species of information on the subject of
our antiquities which was not generally attainble in the commoa routiae of our Lodge pursuits; alld that desideratum I
eatertained the ambition of attempting to supply.

How far-I

Jtave suoceeded must be submitted to the fiat of the literary

aad iMelligeat portion of oar community. The series is before

them,- and to their decision I implicitly bow.
The comprebeasive nature of the enquiries embraced in the
present Volume has not been without its difficulties.

The ar-

rangemeat is in a great measure new, and proportionably

abstruse, aad therefore I have advanced with much caution
and haTe not Yentured to introduce any single fact withOut its
acoompaaying authority.

Bence any person who may Qe

desirious of following in the same track, will be comparati..ely

free from the intricacies with which I have been surrounded :

and may refer without difficulty to the original sources from
wbence I have draWB my information.

It is to be hoped that this work will display the beauty of

Christianity with some degree of effect, by poartraying the
abhorrent superstitions and revolting customs which w-ere introduced amongst all nations during the prevalence of idolatry,
and the absence of LIGHT from the mind; for during the entire
period from the Dispersion to the Advent of Christ; the whole
world, with a very inconsiderable exception, sat in DARKNEss
AND THE SHADOW

OF

DEATH, and were enveloped in a veil

of delusion so impervious that all the exertions of their wisest

philosophers were ineffectual to obtain the least glimmering ot'

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PREFACE.

Light, until it burst upon the world with eft'ulgent glory in r:he
person of our blessed Redt!8mer.

It will be seen by those who have J>erused the Prospectus,

that I have altered my original plan, and hav:e substituted
LECTUREs for CHAPTE~s, that the arraogeJDeat may conespond with the former Volume. Some of them are neceRsarily
short; but this will be amply compensated for by the extent.
and variety of the Notes with which each Lecture is accompanied. By tbi:1 me'lns I have been enabled .to etubody.a eoo-.
siderable portion of interesting matter, without swelling out
the volume to au uowieldly nod inconvenient size; aad I
flatter myself thaL the general readet will meet w.ith a fund of:
entertaining information which will materially assiilt him in,
any researches he may be inclined to ma.ke, either into the
antiquitity of 1\'lasonry, or the parallel institutions of the
heathen world.
As the Lectures are numerous and the Subjects scientifically
arranged, I have introduced an analytical 'fable of Contents
in preference to an Index, as I think it will aftord a more
comprehensive view of each particular division, and give au
equal facility of reference to the ceremonial, doctrinal, or
symbolical portions of the respective Systems which have
fallen under our notice.

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TESTIMONIES
SIGNS .AND SYMBOLS.

;rom the Get~tlentan' Magazirte, .April, 1828, p. 323.

~be Lecture on the Cheru him is a happy specimen of
;sful industry and persevering research; and, placing

1ry out of the question, merits the attention of every

who feels the power of religion in his soul.':
7

e think the book is well written, and merits a place in

rentleman's library, whether be be a brother or not."

1 the whole, though in some points we differ from the
author, we have yet been highly gratified hy the
of his book; and wait anxiously for the promised aPe of the Second Volume, in which we hope to see some
ore objectionable doctrines fully handled; as we con-
t it is desirable to becompletely satisfied that Masonry .
ed on the strong and imperishable basis of religious

n Croaky, Esq. P. G. M.fur tl&e Erutem Dim.un& of

LaRCa~hire.

r Lectures on Freemasonry promise fair to be of

ility to Masonry in general, and to the Members

particular."

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TBSTtM'OJUEII.

Bro. J. Willon, E1q. Arundel, Pa. P. G. S. W.for Stultz.

" I have perused the whole of your Maooic Publications

with attention, and I may add with infinite delight: they are,
according to my bumble judgment, decidedly the best Works
on our beautiful Order that I have yet read or aeen.-I therefore regard them as a Treasure."
Bro. T. Preston, Blq. Manchester, P. G. Sec. E, La'MAI/lire.
"It is very pleasing to say, that [have beard your Books

frequently spoken of among masons, and the ' popular world,'

in terms the most gratifying: for my own part, I consider
these publications to ha:ve done much good in the craft, and .
hope your labours for the cause of Masonry, au~ the benefit of
the Christian world, will not end here."
Bro. Jame1 Cornish, Falmouth.

" I beg leave to express my acknowledgements for . the

curious and interesting information your research into Masonic Mysteries has given to the world(
Rt1'. Gilmour Robimon, P. G. Chap. Kirkham, _LanCtJihire.
" I have it in command from the Lodge in general, to ex-

pres!! to you their Thanks for the valuable zeal and talent
which you have displayed in your last, as well as previous
works, in the cause of pure and genuine Masonry. You
have been the means of enlightening many persons (ignorant
of the design of Masonry,) in my own immediate neighbourhood, and of persuading them that ' Men may

disgra~

Masonry, but that Masonry can oever disgraCe tbem'.'~

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Bro. Jaaa DoiM,

.&q~

Beiti, &otltJad.

It is decidedly the best Masonic production I have

met with."
41

Bro. JUH Lie, Twuael Lock,

M~.

" Your Lectures have been read with great pleasure and
satisfaction by many of our brethren in 1\fanchester, who
bestow upon them every encomium they so deservedly command. 1\fuch good has, I believe, been already done by their
promulgation, and more I anticipate will arise as they become
more extensively read, and for which you are highly worthy
of the thanks of all the .Fraternity."

Bro. C. H .

Watling~

&q. ilenu CoUege, Ozford.

'' We wish that you may largely reap the fruits of your e~
cellent and praiseworthy efforts."
B1o. William Ti.ffen, Hythe, Kmt.

" I have derived so great pleasure from the perusal of your

several publications on Free-Masonry, that I cannot refrain
tendering you my best thanks, as a mew her of that body, for
.the laborious research you have manifested therein, and the
satisfactory conclusions you have enabled studious brethren to
arrive at.
I beg to thank this gentleman for the medallion which he was 8o
kind as to forward to me after the publication of illy former Volume. 1

.-u prellel'f& it u

ali hoDOallhle..CMtimoar athil---.

TESTIM()NiBs.

From Bro. T. Pear10n, &cretary of tlt6 Rogal B~

Lodge, 666, Sl&effield.

" At a general Meeting of the Brethren of this Lodge,

it was proposed by Brother William Padley, seconded by
Brother StY!ing, and resolved unanimously, that a Vote
of our most sincere and grateful Thanks be fresented to
Brother the Rev. G. Oliver, in testimony of the high opinion
we entertain of his talent as manifested in his Works on Freemasonry ;-for the instruction which we have individually
derived from their perusal ;-and for the further ex tension of
the valuable Science of Freemasonry, which \Ve anticipate .
will be the happy result of his arduous and unremitted exertions in so good a cause."

Bro. John Williams, Esq. Live1pool. P. G. S. W. Westene

.l)ivision, Lancashire.
" Although I differ much from many of your views and
_sentiments contained in the ' Antiquities of Masonry,' which
I think you have strained, (pardon the freedom of the ex.pression, it is honestly meant,) to make Masonry appear as
_connected with Christianity-when I think the history of our
Order proves the contrary-yet I confess you have made ample
amends in your last work, the Signs and Symbols,' which I
bave no hesitation in asserting is decidedly the best Masonic
.work etrer published in this country, and exhibits more lea,ming and research than have usually been bestowed on works
purporting to illustrate our order."

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TBI'EI-JUBio

Btto. lV. llartre,, &e. LiN Rocl Lqdge, 747, Clitltero

., Your Lectures have b;een read iu. the Lodge here, and
received with the utmost pleasure and satisfaction ;-and, it is
devoutly to be wished that the circulation of them may be
rapid and extensive."

Bro.

Sarnel Joka~Ma, Esq.

Belmont,

ShretDBbtm,J.

" Permit me to avail myself of the present opportunity to

express to you the pleasure and information the Members of
dle Salopian Lodge have derived by the perusal of the
Lectures; and their earnest hope, that the work may have
the desirable tendency to prove to the world that Freemasonry has religion for its basis, and morality inculcated
by enforcing the practice of the sublime and social virtues."

Bro. N. Highmore, &q. Sherborne, Dorsetshire.

" Is it still your intention to publish the continuation of the

Masonic History, from your Antiquities' down to the present
time? If your materials are sufficiently arranged to enable
you to circulate a Pro3pectus when you distribute your forthcoming publication, you could then ascertain, at a very trilling
additional expence, what the probable sale would be, and
whether it would be likely to repay you for your very
laborio.us, though pr~iise-worthy exertions in the cause : and,
if you resolve on publishing, you would at least know the
number of copies that could be immediately disposed of, so as

to determine on the additional quantity, (if any) you might

chuse to have priD~ for sale.- I .should think, and for the

,_,
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honour of Masonry really 'hope, that 'it would> f111ty....S.er

your expectations; as a good connected History 'Of our
II.Dcient and honourable Institution could not fail te prove-ut
invaluable acquisition to the frateraity at large.-Formyeelf~
I can only add, how truly gratified I should feel in possessing
the entire work,-and would most willin~ly become a S.b
acriber for that purpose.''
Bro. Jolrn. Eyre, Elf}. Marlborough, P. G. S . W. Wiltal&ire,

" Y oilr former excellent Works I have read with so

much pleasure and satisfaction to myself, and the Lodge 110der
I have received many enquiries about the two additional Grand
Periods of l\Insonry to complete my former Volume of Antiquities, ending
with the advent of "Jesus Christ. I bee to answer here that these tVIo
Periods have been long ready for the Ircss, but of themselves would
scarcely be sufficient to form a Volume. I have also been requesten by
many Ur0!hrcn to publish an uniform Edition of my 1\Jnsonic Sermons;
and hy others to edite a Volume of orip,innl i\Iasonie Poetry. I am apprchcnsin: howc1er that none of these desi;;ns would of itself ell'er n circulation sufficiently extensil c to tempt me into the men sure; but perhaps
the union of them all mio,ht l.Je ~cmrally desirable to the brethren, and at
the same time remunOI'Ilte the publisher. I therefore propose, if it meet
the wishes of the fraternity, to compile a conclucling Volume of the same
size and price as the present, which shall contai.u, 1. The two Grand
Periods of Freemasonry, from the Dedication of King Solomon's.Temple
to the ,Birth of Christ; 2. A complete Edition of Masonic Sermons, il-
lastrated by Notes and References; nnd s. Original Poetry Oil the
811bject of Masonry; for the latter department of which I now iaTite
cqntributions. And I think it further necessary to state, that l ahall .
issue no Proposal~ for the publication of this Volume, hut shall Jlrint it
without Subscribers if I find a competent number of brethren of .opinion
that eucha Work wwld be aeceptabletothe Graft.

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TBeTlllJ)Iflll

_.. we aeth-ed -.ch a &o\JJ'ce of gratification, well a.s in:formation, on \he subjec~ of our ~xcellent Institution from them,
~t

I ,beg you will be pleased to add my name as a sub-

~- to

your new publicatiou."

BH. Williol Mea, &q. P. S. W. GTarul.

Lotulma.

&~ord'

Lodg,

" Those friends with whom I have conversed on your former

Work, the Lectures, have expreBSed thellijlelves well pleased
wlth its execution, and with the research manifested ia its
pages, and we confidently expect equal gratification . in th~
which you have announced."

Bro. C. Maddison, Esq. Pa. P. G. S. W. BatT&.

" I receind with great pleasure your Prospectus for a
Work, which, like all your former publications, cannot fail

to be highly valuable to the craft-instructive to all, and

peculiarly interesting to those who search deeply iuto the spirit
of our beautiful institution."
Bro. Sauel Noble, P.M. Charltoo, Kent.
" I retum you my sincere thanks for the opportunity you
have afforded us to become more intimately acquainted with
the ancient mysteries of our Order; being assured from a
peru~l

of your Prospectus, that it will confer on the fraternity

an additional obligation, and tend to restore Masonry to its
original purity, silence the scoffer at its mysteries, and render

the good Muon more devoted to its interests."

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xxli

TEIITJMON IES.~

Bro. RolJert HudiM~-, P.M.&. John' Lodge, lot, &tl&friland, Ireland.

" Your Lectures have been bailed by the fraternity here,
with every demonstration or' joy, as one of the most useful
publications on the subject they have ever .seen, and one
mucb. called for at present, for there is no place in which
Freemasonry is more misrepresented than in this country.
Your book has been put into the hands of respectable and
intelligent persons, not freemasons, who have admitted that
your Lectures have given them an idea of the Order they
never conceived before."

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LIST OF SUBSCRIBERS.

GRAND OFFICERS.

HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE DUKE OF SUSSEX,

MOST WORSHIPFUL GRAND MASTER,

The Right Hon, Lord Dundas, D. G. M.

C. Tennyson, Esq. M. P., M. A., F. R. S., F. A. S., &c.
P. G. M. Lincolnshire, Patron, 20 copie1.
The Right Hon. Earl Ferrers, P. G. M~ Warwickshire.
The Right Hon. Lord Durham, P. G. M. Durham.
John 'Easthope, Es~!. M. P.-8. G. W.
B. )), Cabbell, Esq. J. G. W. and Dep. M. Lodge of
Antiquity.
Thomas Wildman, Esq. P. G. M. for Nottinghamshire.
John Crossley, Esq. F. A. S.-P. G. M. Eastern Division
of Lancashire.
W. Williams, Esq. P. G. M. Dorset.
John P. Larkins, Esq. P. G. M. Bengal.
Rev. G. A. Browne, P. G. M. Counties of Cambridge and
Huntingdon.
S. MGillivray, Esq. P. G~ M. Upper Canada.

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H. R. Len, .F..q. P. G. JL s-tra..

:.;;, W. Jaaes, Bart. Pa. P. G. ll. :aadL
H. P~al, Esq. Pa. S. G. lT. ud .Pa- D. lL LJ.i,;e of
A lltiquity.
J . Ram.OOUO., Fsq. Jl. P.-Pa.. S. G. lT.
W. Meyrick:, Esq. G. B~
T. J. Pettigrew, Esq. F. R. S., F. S . ..A_ 4-c.---S. G. D.
ReY. ~l. Baroeu, D.P. G. ll. Liaeola.
John Eyre, &q. P. G. S. W. Wilts..
Edward Lombe, .Esq. P. G. S. W. ~ocfolk..
Robert Cropper, Esq. P. G. S. W. I~ 'e.
Charles Madcliso, Esq. P. G. S. W. &aiL
T. Wilson, Esq. P. G. S. W . .F..asten Dirisioa ofl.aw:astaire.
John Williams, Esq. P. G. S. W. Westrm Diri9oa of
Laacashire. 2 eepia.

Thomas Bailey, Eaq. Pa. P. G. S. W. Easter. Dirisioa of

l..aDcubire.
John Wilson, Esq. Pa. P . G. S. W. ~. 2 cwpier.
William Mados, Esq. Pa. S. W. Gl'lUid Stewvda J:.oqe;
P.M. :Lodge of Uaion, 27:J, aad W. Jl. St. Aibua
:I..oqe, 36, London, 2 eopia.
John Standring, Eeq. P. G. J. W. F..aalent Division of
Lancashire.
John Soder, Eeq. P. G. J. W. Bath.
John Eastwood, Eeq. Pa. P. G. J. W. Eastern Dirision of
l..ancuhire.

Rev. Henry Foster, P. G. Chap. Eastern DiVision of

Lancashire.
ReT. G. Robinson, P. G. Chap. Western Division of
Lanca11hire.
R. G. Ayerst, Esq. P. G. Trea. Bath.
John Midgley, Esq. P. G. Trea. Eastern Division of
Lancuhire.
Jlcwr Longsden, Esq. Pa. P. G. Trea. Eastem Division
of Lancashire.

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SUBSCRIBERS.

Isaac Jones, Esq. P. G. Reg. Eastern Division of Lancashire

Thomas Preston, Esq. P. G. Sec. Eastern Division of
Lancashire.
Bro. Geo. Capes, Pa. P. G. Sec. Lincolnshire.
Robert Longworth, Esq. P. G. Sup. '\l'or. Eastern Division of Lancashire.
Richard Lane, Esq. Pa. P. G. Sup. Wor. Eastern Division of Lancashire.
Holden Hammerton, Esq. P. G. S. D. Eastern Division
of Lancashire.
Jesse Lee, Esq. Pa. P. G. S. D. Eastern Division of
Lancashire.
Robert Stanfield, Esq. P. G. J. D. Eastern Division of
Lancashire.
- - Barlow, Esq. M. D.-P. G T. D. Bath.
William Chaffer, Esq. P. G. Sw. Be. Eastern Division of
Lancashire.
William Bebberd, Esq. P. G. Sw. Be. Hampshire,
2_copiu.
L. Moorhouse, Esq. P. G. Stand. Be. Eastern Division of

Lancashire.
Joseph Petty, Esq. P. G. U. Eastern Division of Lancashire.
Clark Rampling, Esq. Pa. P. G. U. Eastern Division of
Lancashire.
Daniel Stone, Esq. P. G. Steward, Eastern Division of
Lancasliire.
John Schofield, Esq. P. G. St. Eastern Division of
Lancashire.
Samuel Riley, Esq. P. G. Steward, Ea!ltem Division of
Lancashire.
Bro. John Bentley, P. G. Steward, Eastern Division of
Lancashire.
Bro. Thomas Car:itt, P. G. St. Lincolnshire.

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IUBSC:ittBERfi,

lJto. l!. li. Carritt, Pa. P. G. St. Lincolnshire.

George Eccles, Esq. Pa; P. G. St. Eastern Division of

Lancashire.
Thomas Higginson, Esq. Pa. P. G; St. Eastern Division
of Lancashire.
James L. Threlfall, Es<t. Pa. P; G. St. Eastern 'Division
of Lancashire.
Bro. Thomas Hollins, P. G. l. G. Eastern Division of
Lancashire.
Bro. Richard Hargraves, P. G. Ty. Eastern Division of
Lancashire.
C. Simpson, Esq. Pa. ~. W. Lodge of Antiquity.
Bro. L. Thompson, Lodge of Antiquity.

LODGES.

No.

55 Royal Cumberland Lodge, Bath.

70 Hope Lodge, Rochdale, Lancashire.

72 Howard Lodge, Aurundel Sussex. 2 copie1.
103 Lodge of Eleusinian Mysteries, Norwich,
131 Scientific Lodge, Cambridge, 2 copiu.
212 Royal Gloucester Lodge, Southampton, 12 copic1.
397 Ionic Lodge, Old Charlton, Kent.
498 Salopian Lodge, Shrewsbury.
516 Lodge of Tranquility, Newchurch, Lancashire.
530 Amity Lodge, Haslingden, Lancashire, 2 copiu.
644 Apollo Lodge, Great Grimsby.

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No.

556
669
661
793
798
803
815

Harmony Lodge, Todmorden, LancaaJUr.e.

~iag'a Friends' Lodge, N antwich.
Royal Brunswick Lodge, SheBield.
Apollo Lodgf, .Beccles, Suffolk.
Wellington Lodge, Rye, 8usaex.
Royal W elab Lodge, Pembroke Dock.
Lodge of Honour, Bath.
Fylde Union Lodge, 'Freckleton, Lancashire.
Lodge of Prudence, Halesworth, Suffolk.
Maaonic Llbt:ary attached to St. John's Encampment.of
K. T. Arbroath, Scotland.

Bro.

Acton Edward F., lodge of Unity, Low.estoft.

Alderton P. Caple. Scientific lodge, Cambridge.
Allen 1'. Esq., lodge of Good Fellowship, Lynn.
Armstrong J., Pa. J, D. lodge of Honour, Bath.
Ashby J., P.M. lodge of Friendship, Lynn.
Batchelor .Esq. surgeon, Southwell, N ottinghamshire~

653

Barber Simon, W alcet, Salopia.n lodge, Shrewabury.

Barnes Richard, l<><!ge of Unity, Lowestoft.
BarrowS., J, D. lodge of Honour, Bath.
Baskett Benj., secretary, New Forest lodge, Lymingtoo.
Baxter-, Bingham, Nottinghan1shire
BealeeR., K. T.-J. W. lodge of Prudence, Haleswortb.
Bingham c .. R.N.-I. G. lodge of Honour, Bath~
Bird W., Scientific lodge, Cambridge
Birds Rev. D., Ellesmere, Salopian lodge, Shrewsbury.
Bloxam - Esq. aoticitor, Ellesmere, King's Friends'
lodge, N aotwich.
Boardman,It.R., P. M.lodgeofEleusinianMys.Norwich.
Boole R., s. W. King's Friends' lodge, N autwich
Borret G., P. ~L and Trea. Ionic lodge, Old CharltoD.
Browne.Charles, J, W. New Forest ~odge, Lymington .
Bruin Thomas, Pa. Z. Jerusalem Chapter, 308; P.M.
lodge of Peace and Harmony, Swithin'slane, London.
B\a~"'ol1b ~~ami11, s. W. Hope lodge, Rocbd"'e ..

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Sl1B8CRIBBRS.

Bro. Cant Thomas, Pa. Z. Mount Sinai Chapter, 66: P. M'~

of Albion lodge, 9, and Enoch lodge, 11, Londbn.
' Carritt Thomas, w. M. Apollo lodge, Grimsby.
' Carline J. jun., P.M. Salopian lodge, ~lirewsbury
CarterS.T.Lieut.RN-S.W. lodgeofUnity, Lowestoft.
Cartwright John, Salopian lodge, Shrewsbury
Cashen E., Phrenix lodge, Portsmouth.
' Caslon Henry, Esq. London.
Chaston D., J. D lodge of Unity, Lowestoft.
Clement W. J., J. W. Salopian lodge, Sh1e'Wsbuty
' Cocking T. Esq. !!olicitor, Caistor.

Cogswell Rev. Norris, Keelby, Lincolnshire.

' Cole .c. c., J. W. Howard lodgo, Arundel.
Colley J. Astley, Salopian lodge, Shrewsbury.
' Colton R . R., P.M. and Z. lodge of Good }'ellollship,
Lynn.
' Cooke R, Royal Cumberland lodge, Bath
' Cooper William, P . M. Salopian lodge, ShrewsbUI)t
Copestick T, P. M. King's Friends' l~dge, N antwich.
. Corbet A. V. Esq., P.M. Salopian lodge, Shrewsbury.
Do.
' Corbet Robert, :Esq. Adderley,
Corbet Richard, Esq. Do.
Do
' Cornish Mr. London.
Crees T., w. M. Howard lodge, Arundel, 2 copia.
' Crockett John, J. D Phrenix lodge, Portsmouth.
' Croohall G. M., Fylde Union lodge, Freckleton.

'
'
'
'
'
'

Davies John, Salopian lodge, Shrewsbury.

Davies John, S. w. Scientific lodge, Cambridge
Dawbiney William, Phrenix lodge, Portsmouth.
Day WilJiam, P.M. Royal Cumberland lodge, Bath.
Dession F S., Trea. Pbrenix lodge, Portsmouth, 2 oopia.
Dobie J. Esq. W. M. St. John's lodge, Beitb, Scotland.
Dunnett Daniel, lodge of Unity, Lowestoft.

' Eglin Joseph, Esq. Cottingham, 2 copiu

' .Eiph Joba; P.M. and Trea lodge of Uaity, l.oweatof'-

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x:nii

SUBICIUB&R-.

Dm. ErcaU H., Salopian lodge, Shre1tabury

- Evans David,
Do.
EVt'Ut William, lodge of Unity, Lowatc>ft,
Farrenden - , Pa. S. W. Howard lodge, Arundel
Fennell Richard, lodge of Prudence, Haleawortb.
' Fenton Rev. Richard, P.M. Apollo lodge, Grimsby.
Fisher George, oftbe.Norfolk 'llleatre
Fletcher William, lodge of Union, 275, Londoa.
Franklin Col., P.M. lodge of Honour, Bath.
Friend, A, by the Rev. N. Cogswell, Keelby, 11 copi~.
4
Fuller Rev .I. J., Chap.lodge of Elewtiuian Mys.Norwieh.
Giffard Juhn, Trea. Scientific lodge, Cambridge, 3 copi~.
Gilbert James,
1\1. King's Friends' lodge, Nantwich.
Oislot P., s. W. Royal Cumberland lodge, Bath.
Gobbet Daniel, J.D. lodge of Prudence, Halesworth.
Gooldcn John, Maesburg, Salopian lodge, Shrewsbury.
Grasley Thomas, S. D. lodge -of Unity, Lowestoft.
Graves Thomas, P.M. Salopian lodge, Shrewsbury.
Groucott Matt., Trca. King's Friends' lodge, Nantwich.
Guute~ Thomas, s. w. lodge of Prudence, Halesworth.

w.

'

Hairby William, Esq. Hundleby, Lincolnshire

Hairby James, Esq. 1\'1. D. Spilsby; Do.
Rail William, Treasurer, lodge of Honour, Bath
Hardwicke llev. William, P.M. lodge of Good Fellowship, Lynn.
Harris Rev. Daniel, Chaplain, Apollo lodge, Grimsby.
Harrison J. Esq Grimsby. .
Hearle R. F., Sec. lodge of Benevolence, Shf>rbourve.
Hcnvile Rev. James, J.D. Phomix lodge, Portsmouth.
Highmore N. Esq w. M.lodge -of Benevolence,- Sberboume, 3 copia.
Hodskinson Richard, Trea. Salopian lodge, Shrewsbury.
Hogg H. Esq P.M. lodge of Good Fellowship, Lynu.
Holden Thomas, Rochdale, 3 copies.
Holliurake Abraham, New~p laue, Lancashire

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Bro. Hoole Thomas, W. M. Fylde Ulaioalodge, FNCkleleli.

Howaith James, J. W.Hope lodge,. Roebda&.,
Hubbc~sty Nathan, Salopian lodge, 8brewsbery.
Bulley T., Pa. s. W. Royal Cumberland lodge, Bath.

.,

'

Jackson "William, W. 1\1. lodge of Union, 276, London.

Jefferies- Esq surgeon, Keelby, Lincolnsbire.
Johnson ~a.muel, P. JH. 8alo~,>iau lodge, Shrewsbury.
Johnson Samuel, lodge of Unity, Lowestoft
Johnson Edward, Dunham-on-Trent, N ottingbamshtre.
Jones John, SalopiBD lo(}ge, Sllrewsb.lry,
Jones Edward,
Do
Jones Willia!D,
Do.
Joys Robert, Esq. Apollo lodge, Grimsby.

Kent William, Esq. surgeon, P. M. King'a Friends'

lodge, N antwich.

Lacy Rev. n. Whiston Rectory, Yorkshire.

Lark \V. N., lodge of Unity, Lowestoft.
Lawercnce 'f., W. 1\f. Salopian lodge, Shrewsbury.
Lawrenson Peter, P. 1\f. Fylde Union lodge, Freekletou.
Lay John, lodge of Prudence, Halesworth.
'
Leggett James, Howard lodge, Arundel
Leuox Lord, J. G.-s. w. Phrenix lodge, Portsmouth.
Long Willil\m, s. D. lodge of Honour, Bath.

1\fanger A P., Royal Cumberland lodge, Bath.

Mant w. B., Apollo lodge, Oxford
Manthorpe Robert, lodge of Unity, Lowestoft.
Marsh Charles, w. M Royal Cumberland lodge, Bath.
Mathews R. B. Lieut. R N.-w. M.lodge of Unity,
Lowes toft.
Melmoth J. P., s. W. lodge of Benevolence, Sherborne.
Millard Ph., Union lodge, Norwich.
Millington w., P. M. and Z lodge of Friendship, Lynn.
Moody John, Esq. Grimsby.
Moore James, s. w. Salopian lodge, ShreWibary.
Morris George, P. M
Do.

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111BieJltBBR.I.

Bro. Nevile- &q. Thomey llalJ, Lincolnshire.

1
Newham William, P. M. lodge of Friendship, Lynn.
Niehol110n John, W. 1'<1, Pbrenix lodge, Portsmouth.
Nickle~s J., S. D. lodge of Eleusinion l\1ysteries, Norwich.
Noble~ . 1'. 1'<1, Ionic lodge, Old Ch,ulton, 5 copie~.
Norton Edward, P.M. lodge of Unity, Lowestoft.

Oliver Edward, Salopian loc.lge, Shrewsbury

Oliver Rev. s., Wbaplode, Apollo lodge, Grimsby
Qliver G. E:tq. surgeon, Duuham-on~Trent.
Outram Edward, Eeq Scientific; lodge, Cambridge.
Parish William, Howard lodge, Arondel
Payne Alex., Sec. lodge of Unity, I.owestoft.
Penny ,V. \V., lodge of Ben~volence, Sherborne.
Percy E. T., P; M.
Do.
Pleiton J. B. Esq. P.M. lodge of Good.Fellowship, Lynn.
Pratt W. Esq. Scientific lodge, Cambridge.
Prince r..icbard, Phrenix lodge, ~ortsmouth.
Rainger G. H. Esq. Norwich, 3 cPpiel
Reily G., lodge of Peace and Harmony, 82, London,
Reynold Acton, Esq. P. M. Salopian lodge, Shrewsbury.
Rogers Henry, Pa. Z. St. George's Chap. and P. M.
St. George's lodge, 6, London
Rogers John, Prince Edwin's lodge, Bury.
Roper .C. B. Trevor, Esq. W. M Flintsbire lodge, Mold,
4 copies.
Rounce Thomas, J. G. lodge of Prudence, Halesworth.
Rowe William, P. M. Scientific lodge, Cambridge.
Rowe Henry Francis,
Do.
Rutter J. 0. N ., w. M. New Forest lodge, Lymington.
Sanders - Spilsby
Shedden Robert, Sec. Harmonic lodge, Dudley
Sbqll Rob. P. M.lodge of Union, 276, London.
Simpson Thomas, lodge of Unity, Lowestoft.
Skelton William, 8. W. Apollo lodge, Grilljshy
Skinner Mr. John, Grimsby.
I

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XXX

Bro.

SUBSCRIBERS.

Skipworth Philip, Esq. Laceby,

Smedley Joseph, comedian, Apollo lodge, Grimsby.
Smith Benjamin, jun. Ionic lodge, Old Charlton.
Smith G. P ., J. w.Iodge of Honour, Bath.
Smith C. Britiffe, Esq. 2, Featherstone building's, Bedford row, London.
Smith- Crewn Inn, Southwell, Nottioghamsbire
Soutbwell H E., w. M.lodgc of Prudence, Halesworth.
Spooner c., J. W. lodge of Benf'volcnce, Sherborne
Stanes J. Lieut. R.N. Ionic lodge, Old Charlton
Steedman Edward, Salopian lodge, Shrewsbury
Stevenson w. Esq. Grimsby.
Stibbing George, P. M, Phrenix lodge, Portsmouth.
Sydeuham John, P.M. lodge of Amity, Poole.

Teece C. Bowen, Sec. Salopian lodge, Shrewsbury.

Thomas E. F. Lieut. R.N. Trea.Apollo lodge, Grimsby.
Thorpe J . Esq. P.M. and z. lodge of Friendship, Lynn.
Tomlinson R. S. Trea. Union lodge, Norwich.
Trory William, P.M. lodge of Eleusinian Mys. Norwich.
Turner 1\Iatthew, bookseller, Beverley.
Twemlow John, Hatherton, J. W. King's Friends' lodgs,
Nantwich.
Veevers John, W. M. Harmony lodge, Todmorden
' Venfield John, Old Charlton, Kent.
'

Warry George, P. M. lodge of Benevolence, Sherborne.

Washbourne Henry, bookseller, London, 60 copies.
Wheeler John, s. D. Howard lodge, Arundel.
Whiting WiJliam, Old Charlton, Kent.
Whitney James, Salopian lodge, Shrewsbury.
Wimble John, S. W. Howard lodge, Arundel.
Wood John, Embrey, Salopian lodge, Shrewsbury.
Woodgate William, Old Charlton, Keht.
Worthington W. Collins, lodge of Unity, Lowestoft.

Yeeles J., lodge of Honour, Bath.

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THE FIRST COURSE.

LECTURE I.
GE!Ii EBA.L

INTRODUCTION.

INITIATION may be traced to a period -of the

most remote antiqtlity. In the infancy of the world
the ceremonies would be few and unofltentatiou~
.and co.psist perhaps, like that of admi~ion . into
christianity, of a simple lustration, confeJ1l"ed alike
QD all, in the hope that all would practise the .social
duties of benevolence and good will to man, and
unsophisticated devotion to God.* It was after the
stream of iniquity had inundated the world, and
bad men had converted a sacred institution into
'ridicule from .its simplicityt and easiness of access,
This was doubtless primitive Masonry; -in reality nothing more than
the practice of those simple moral precepts which were enjoined by a religion, pure as it came from the hand of God, and unadulterated by
foreign innovations.
t Warburton says, that it was an universal opinion that the heathen
My1terie11wereinstilutedpure; (Div. Leg. vol. i. p.l12.) referring doubtle88 to the primitive ScieRce here deacribed.

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that some discrimination became necessary, and the

rites assumed a higher and more imposing form.
The distinguished few who retained their fidelity,
uncontaminated by the contagion of evil example,
would soon be able to-estimate the superior benefits
of an isolated institution which afforded the high
advantage of a select society, and kept at an unapproachable distance, the profane scoffer, from
whose presence their pure devotions and social
conv~se would be polluted by impiety, or interrupted by contumelious language or unholy mirth.
To prevent such intrusion therefore, the rites of
initiation would become progressively more complicated, and some distinctive tokens would be
adopted as infallible tests to separate the pious
worshipper from the licentious worldling; and enable the former to detect with uneving certainty
the truth or falsehood of any pretensions to a fraternity with the faithful followers of the true God.*
The divine Enoch gave to these rites a decisive character, and added

to the practice of divine worship. the study and application of humaa

science. " Enoch was the first who invented booka and different sorts or
writing. The ancient Greeka declare that Enoch is the same as Mercury
Trismegistus, and that he taught the sons of men the art of building cities,
and enacted some admirable laws. In his days 180 cities were built; of
these, that which was the least, was Edessa. He discovered the knowledge
of the Zodiac and the course of the Planets; and he pointed out to the sons
of men, that they should worship God, that they should fast, that they
should pray, that they should give alms, votive offerings and tenths. He
reprobated abominable foods and drunkenness, and appointed festivals
for sacrifice~ to the Sun at each of the Zodiacal Signs, &c. &e." (Bar
Hebneus, cited by Wait. Orient. Ant. p.lS2.) It will be observed that
in the .latter part of the above quotation, Enoch is converted into an
idolater; but the author evidently blend into one, the characters of
Enoch IUid Enos.

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Their ordinary employment was in the noble improvements of human nature,* literature, and true
religion, the knowledge or contemplation of God
and his wisdom in making, ordering, and governing the world; together with the study of the
motions of the heavenly bodies, and the sciences of
astronomy and geometry therein employed ; which
are the noblest studies, and suppose or involve some
skill in Letters, first used in writing and in numbering.t The study of Astronomy was indeed a
favourite pursuit with the pious racet who flourished '
before the deluge, and from its sublimity would
doubtless be one of the Sciences inculcated on the
initiated. Whether it led to the practice of the
Sabean superstition is matter of conjecture; but
According to the Bechinath Happerushim, the doctrine of the Patriarchs
before the llood conaiated of traditions of the Creation, Paradise, the Seventh
day, the Fall of Man, Cain's fratricide, &c. to which, after the dood were .
added the Seven precepts of Noah. Vid. Wait. ut supra. Pref. p. viii;
and the Antiquities of Freemasonry, by the Author of this Work. p. 132.
t Cumb. Sanch. p. 226.
~ This was the race which the Freemasons of the present day re~d as
their most early predecessors in the practice of rites, to which ac~ident
gave the name of Masonry. vid. Ant. of Masonry. p. 17.
Bishop Cumberland says, " the chief suggestion which Moses has
given us concerning the beginning of idolatry before the tlood is in Gen.
iv. 26. the words being translated ~ in the margin of our bibles, thtfl,.
tOllile Etao6 lifletl, film began to caU THEMSELVES by the Kame qf the Lord;
i.e. to be deified." (Cumb. Sanch. p. 304.) Maimonides however was .
decidedly of opinion that the antediluvians were addicted to the solar and
aideral worship. These are his words: In the days of Enos the son of
Seth, men fell into grievous errors, and even Enos himself partook of their
infatuation. Their language was, that since God had placed on high the
heavenly bodies, and used them as his ministers, it was evidently his will,
that they should receive from man the same veneratioa as the servants of.
a great prince justly claim fro~ the subject multitude. Impressed with .

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we h~ve no reason to believe that it produced any
surreptitious rites bearing a charactistic similar to
the polluted Mysteries of the postdiluvians.* .. Such
was Initiation in these primeval ages, and thus
it passed through the hands of the antediluvian
patriarchs unalloyed by any innovations which
might timd to vitiate its benefits, or circumscribe
its blessings..

But after the flood the altar. of Darknesst was

th.i8 nbtion, they began to build temples to the stars, to sacrifice to them
ud to worship them, in the vain expectation that they should thus please
the Creator of all things. At fil'l!t indeed thej' did not suppose the iltars to
bit the only deities, but adored in conjunction with them, the LOrd God
Omnipotent. In process of time however, that great and venerable Name
was totally forgotten, and the whole human race retained no other religion
than tlu! idolatrous worship of the host of heaven/' {Maim. de lioo.. apud
Fab.l\Jys. Cab. vol. i. p. 10.) The patriarch Noah however should have
been excepted from this general charge of idolatry, for we know from an
authority higher than that ofMaimonides, that Noah was a just man and
walked with God. (Gen. vi. 9.)
The early attachment to this science thus displayed, produced some
very curious fables in subsequent ages. Thus Atlas is represented as suppo~g the h~vens on his shoulders; a fiction arising entirely out of his
reputed knowledge of astronomy, for Atlas was but a personification of
Enoch, who is said to have invented or greatly improved this sublime
scie.nce. He_raclitus (de inc red. c. 4.) tells us that Atlas was the first
eminent astronomer of the antediluvian world, and Eupolemus in Eusebius
(Prrep. Evan. 1. ix. c. 17.) ascribes the invention of astronomy to Enoch,
which .is no inconsiderable proof of their identity.
t It may be observed here, that in all the idolatrous systems, Darkruu.
was honoured with peculiar marks of veneration, by reason of its superior
f!Jltiquity; and was identified with the Great Mother, (!or Venus and
Night were the same individual deity, Orph. Hymn. 2.) who, representing
equally the earth !Wd the ark of Noah, remained enveloped in the blackest
shades of darkness, both before the creation, and during the prevalence of
~e diluviao waters._ (Vid. Signs and Symbols, by the Author of this
Work. I. vi. p. 104.) And this awful goddess was no other than the Isis, or
Ceres, or Rhea, or Ceridwen of the Mysteries. (Signs and Symb. pref. xiv.)

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aJTayed against the altar of Light; the patri~rchal

ordinances were perverted; the rites of Buddha
were engrafted on the pure ceremonies of the masonic ritual, and the plains of Shinar resounded
with the frantic yellings of the rebelJious Cuthites.*
By subsequent corruptions, the arkite rites thus
boldly introduced,t ,at length assumed the more
complex form of Brahmenism,t and were at length
Faber contends that idolatry commenced at Babel, from that passage
in which " the prophet of the Apocalypse styles Babylon or Babel, the
mothll'r of harlots and abominations of the earth; (Rev. xvii. 5.) by which
is meant, in tOO figurative language of scripture, that all the abomination_&
of apostate idolatry originated from that city as from a common parent."
(Pag. Idol. vol. i. p. 77.)
t Signs and Symbols. p. 81.
t The mysterious systems of polytheism branched oft' into two great
sects, which have been distinguished by mythologists, under the names
of Buddhism and Brahmenism, each possessing its own peculiarities
which marked a distinctive character; separating their professors from
each other by confliCting ordinances, and often producing inextinguishable
hatred and sanguinary hostility. The mixed tribes who emigrated from
Shinar _u nder the direction of a Cuthite priesthood and nobility adopted
the latter system, while the unmixed tribes adhered to the former. (Fab.
Pag. Idol. vol. ii. p. 361.) ''fhe Indians, the Greeks, (except Pythagoras, who pmctise:d a modification of Buddhism,) and the Britons were
Brahmenists, while the Chinese, the Japanese, the Persians, and the
Saxons were Buddhists. In all 'the general principles of idolatry they
were substantially the same; but the latter was a more warlike system,
and its followers partook of the martial spirit of its founders, the ant:ierit
Sac~. The distinctions between these two sects were arbitrary. The
Buddhists were Magians, the Brahmenists were Sabians; and, how
abhorrent soever it may apppear from the mild and bloodless charaCter of
the primithe Buddha, ihe former maintained their superiority by the
sword, the latter were peaceable and addicted to the arts of civil and
social life ; they also professed to pay their devotions to one supreme
God, while the Buddhists held the figment of two independent
principles of Good and Evil, who were deemed to be perpetually at
iarianee with each other. In some nations the two systems became, in

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'solell!nized with such splendour of ceremonial pomp

and imposing magnificence of decoi"8.tion, that they
excited universal notice, and their peculiar symbols
were introduced into the celestial sphere.* The
apostacy was attractive, and the spurious initiations
succeeded almost perfectly in extinguishing the onpresuming blaze of truth, which is now denominated
Masonry, supported only by the unpopular recommendations of silent devotion to God and unoffending simplicity to man; accompanied by a Jife which
shrunk from the ostentatious expressions of public
applause, without any distinctions in this world,
but such as emanate from piety and virtue. At the
dispersion, the impious architects of Babel travelled
into distant countries, each tribe under its ostensible
leader, bearing the sacred Ark of the favourite deity,
under whose protection they penetrated into unknown dimes without dread or dismay.t The surreptitious initiations of idolatrous observance swept
through the world with the force and _vigour of a
mighty whirlwind, involving nation after nation in
their gigantic focus, until they literally covered the
earth as the waters cover the sea.t They sprang
subsequent ages, so intimately blended, that the minute distinctions of
each were swallowed up in the broad outline of the general scheme. Of
these, the Indians and the Britons may be marked out as the chief.
Fab. Mys. Cab. vol. i. p. 20S.
tIt is evident from Josephus, (Ant. Jud. 1. i. c. 4.) that a regular idolatrous priesthood was established prior to that dispersion; for he says,
citing from Hestireus, " the priens qf Jupiter the c011queror, surviving the
general destruction, having preserved the holy vessels and ornaments, repaired with them to Babylon."
; Zosim. 1, iv. apud Warb. Div. Leg.

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'8.p in the East like some insignificant plant, but

grew and enlarged with such prodigious I'apidity
and strength, that soon their vigourous branches
spread from east to west, from north to south.
The continent of Asia was pervaded. in every part
of its v-ast and spacious surface; the shores of Africa
basked under their shade, and . disseminated their
abominations;* they imputed activity to the adventrous designs of the Phenician merchants, and
gave distinction to the Greek and Rc?man .name;
the distant isles of Britain and Hibernia; the cold
and inhospitable regions of Scandinavia and Iceland
alike yielded subserviency to their imperious sway;
and even the distant and unknown colonies which
peopled the woods and forests of the new world,
felt and acknowledged their utility in enslaving and
reducing to abject submission the savage nature of
their fierce inhabitants.t
I may be allowed.to observe, as a reason why, in the following ilh\S
trations, I have not devoted any formal section to the Mysteries of Egypt,
that those of Ceres and Bacchus were borrowed from that country, ( Warb.
Div. Leg. vol. i. p.l77.) and were so exactly similar in all their ceremonies,
that their introduction would have been an instance of tautological repl'li
,tion exceedingly tedious, if not disgusting. I have been particularly
.copious in my illustration of the Greek Mysteries, and the few peculiarities
by which Egypt was distinguished will find a place in the following pages.
t The Mysterie.s, after they were once instituted, which probably took
place on the plains of Shinar before the dispersion of mankind, spread
over the world with a rapidity which is truly astonishing. They were in.troduced into India by Brahma, into China and Japan by Buddha, info
Egypt by Thoth the son of Mizlaim, (Ant. Mas. p. 148.) into Persia by
Zeradusht, (Pococke. Spec. Hist. Arab. p. 147.) into Greece by Melampus,
(Herod. I. ii. c. 4.) or Cadmus, (Epiphan.adv. Hrer.l. i.) into Breotia by
Prometheus and his son, (Etnreus, Pausan, Breot. p. 300.) into Crete by

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T-he universal Deluge wQuld produce a tremendouseffect on the minds of the survivors; and as a k.J)ow..
ledge of this terrible event was propagated amongst.
their posterity, it would naturally be accompanied
by a veneration for the piety; and afterwards for. the
person of the (avoured few who were preserved from
destruction by the visible interference of the divinity.
This veneration increasing with the march of timeand with the increasing oblivion of the peculiar
manner in which their salvation was accomplished,
at length assumed the form of an idolatrous worship,
and Nimrod, the first open apostate, instituted a
series of divine honours to Noah and his triple
offspring, who were identified with the Sabian
worship, and gave the original impulse. to the belioarkite superstition. Hence the Sun and Noah were
worshipped in conjunction with the Moon and the
Ark,* which latter subsequently reptesented the
Minos, into Samothrace by Eumolpus or Dardanus, (Bp. 1\larsh. Horie
Pelasg. p. 9.) into 1\fessene by Caucon, (Pausan. Messen. p. 2Sl.) into
Thebes by Methapus, into Athens by Erectheus, into Etruria by Philos~
tratus, (Apoll. Bibl. I. iii. c. 5.) into the city of Arene by Lycus, into
Thrace by Orpheus, into Italy by the Pelasgi, (Bp. Marsh. Hor. Pel&llfJ.
p. 9.) into Cyprus by Cinyras, into Gaul and Britain by Gomer or his
immediate descendants, into Scandinavia by Sigge or Odin, into Mexico
by Vitzliputzli, (Purch. Pilgr. b. viii. c. 10.) and into Pem by Manco
Capac and his wife. ( Garcilasso. b. i. c. 15.) Hence it will follow by a
clear induction that all the Mysteries throughout the world were the same
in eubatance, being derived from one source, and celebrated in honour of
the same deities, though acknowledged under different appellations.
Mr. Faber conceives that " the ancient mythologists considered the
whole frame of the heavens in the light of llll enon110111 1llip. In it they
placed the Sun as the fountain of light and heat; and assigaed to him as
the acknowledged representative of the greo.t father, the office of pilot."
(Pag. Idol. vol. i. p' S6.)

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female principle, andwas acknowledged in difFerent

natious. under. the various appel1ations of I sis. Venus;
AstarJ;e,. -Ceres, P.ro~erpine, Rhea, Sita, Ceridwen,
Frea, &tc. while the former, or male principle, assumed the names ofOsiris, Saturn,J upiter,N eptune,
BH.<lChns, Adonis, Hu, Brahma, Odin, &c. which by
degrees introduced the abominations of the phallic
worship-; while Vesta represented the Ark itself,
Minerva the divine wisdom_and justice which produced the delnge and preserved the Ark -upon its
w~ters, lris was the .rainbow, and Juno the arkite
dove. On these rude beginningR the whole compli-eated nUJcki'l'ter!J of the Mysteries was formed,
which-completely banished from the political horizon
of idolatry the true knowledge of God, and of a
su~rintending pt'Ovidence. Each of these deities
had legitimate and appropriate symbols, which ultimately became substituted for the anti type, and in:.
t.;oduced amongst mankind the worship of animals,
and the inanimate objects of the creation. Added to this,_ the doctrine of the influences of
the heavenly bodies over the affairs of men was assiduously inculcated, and as the supernal deities
were consecrated into the principal stars, their
priests were supposed to be invested with a power
of directing those influences at pleasure; a1~d the
high rewards of a residence with them in the same
happy mansions was held out to all the virtuous wko
embraced their opinions; which may afford an additiofi:al _re~son ~hy the system extended itself sQ

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generally over the face of the earth; for the prie~ts.

thus potent and despotic, would not fail to consign
to universal execration and contempt in the present
world, and eternal torment in the next, the reputed
impious contemner of their rites, while rewards
and honours would be accumulated on those who
distinguished themselves in the defence of their
apostacy from the simplicity of primitive worship.*
And the triumph of this diabolical system was
complete by the invention of the Metempsychosis,
in which they were taught to believe that the unhappy soul of the wicked despiser of the Mysteries
was doomed to a transmigration of three thousand
years duration. This doctrine was a fearful engine
in the hand of a politic priesthood to enslave the
mind through the influence of imaginary fears.
What could be more terrible than the contemplation
of a punishment which degraded the human soul
beneath its natural superiority of character, and consigned it to a long succession of transmigrations
through the polluted bodies of ravenous beasts, or
loathsome reptiles ?t And who would be bold
Maurice 8B8ert8 from Porphyry in Euaebiua, that iu the moat early
times, " tpe whole Thebaia united in ackuowledging a supreme, preaidlng
Spirit, whom they called Cneph, wpon which accout they ltltf'e ezt:Uedfroa
paying the public ta:r:es, levied to defray the expencea of maintaining the
sacred animala adored in the cities of Egypt.'' (Ind. Ant. vol. iv. p. 612.)
Cneph
a serpent-deity, and waa affirmed to be the Cre&Wr of the
world. (Euseb. prllep. Evan. I. iii. c. 11.)
c t Thua in the ordinances of Menu it ia decreed, that, " a man who
designedly takes away the property of another, or eats any holy cake not
first presented to the deity at a IOlem rite," in defiance, I suppose, or
contempt of the holy ordinance, " &h~ inevitably aink to the condition of

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enough to reject or contemn a system which bore

the ensigns of su<:h a dreadful retribution ?
Meanwhile the true Light of Masonry glimmered
in the socket ;-feebly and more feebly were its
beams emitted as the overpowering domination of
its earth-born* adversary made all nations and
a bmte." (Sir W. Jones. Works. vol. iii. p. 453.) "The slayer of a
Brahmin must enter, according to the circumstances of his crime, the
body of a dog, a boar, an ass, a camel, a ball, a goat, a sheep, a stag, a
bird, a chandala, or a pucassa." (Ibid. p. 451.) He U?lw lteall the gold
qf a prielt, shall p4u a tho~Unnd times into the bodies qf 3pider1, of -~
G.d cllameleon, of crocodile and other aquatic 1110118ter, or qf milcllinloru,
lllood-l*kiftg demotu." (Ibid. p. 451.) In the Bhagvat Geeta this degrading species of punishment is still more pointedly denounced on the despisers
~f the sacred Mysteries. " Because of their folly," says the god Criahna,
" tltey ddopl fu doctritae tJIId COIItiae to liw the life qf impvrily, therefore
I cast down upon the earth those furious abject wretches, those evil beings
who thus despise me, into tlw! wombs qf et~il1pirits and tmclean bealt. Being
doomed to the wombs of Assoors (dmmons) from birth to birth, at length,
~otinding 11111, ~y go into the most infernal region,." (p. 11(), 117.)
I have denominated the surreptitious initiations earth-born in contradistinction to the purity of Freemasonry, which was certainly derived
from above. And to those who contend that Masonry is nothing more
than a miserable relic of the idolatrous mysteries, ( vid. Fab. Pag. Idol.
vol. iii. p. 190.) I would reply in the emphatic words of an inspired
:Apostle; "Doth a fountain send fm:th at the same place sweet water and
bitter l Can the fig tree bear olive berries? either a vine figs? so can no
fountain both yield SlUt water and fresh. The wisdom that is from above
is first pure then peaceable, full of met'CY and good frv.iU. (James iii.
11, Ill, 17.) I wish to be distinct and intelligible on this point, as some
millapprehensions, probably wilful, are afloat respecting the immediate
bbject of my former volume of Signs and Symbols, and I have been told
that the arguments there used, alford an indirect sanction to the opinion
that Masonry is derived from the Mysteries. In answer to this charge, if
it require one, I only need refer to pages 4, 5, ll, 217, of that volume; and
to declare explicitly my firm opinion, founded on intense study and
ahetrue reaearch, that the Science which we now denominate Speculative
Masonry was coeval, at least, with the creation of our globe, and that the
fat-famed Mysteries of idolatry were a subsequent i118tit11tion, founded on

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people and languages bend before it, until the
flickerings of the dying flame gave portentious.
intimation of its approaching decay; and nought
earthly could have saved it from utter extinction,
if, at the critical moment when its departing ligM
made a last expiring effort for renewed existence, ,
it had not been reinvigorated by the Essenes, a
well-intentioned sect of people amongst the Jews~
who took eharge of the forsaken institution,*
cherished it in their bosom, until its rays of light
once more began to illuminate the surrounding
darkness; and it thence continued to enlighten a
naiTow and restricted path, terminating however:
in the broad and glorious blaze of splendour that
dissipated the unholy shades of idolatry in the person
of Jesus Christ.
Long, long antecedent to the time when this
benevolent dispensation was promulgated which
brought life and immortality to light, and clearly
revealed those important truths which the metaphysical reasonings of heathen philosophy could never
fathom, were the practices exhibited which form
the subject of the following pages. In those distant
times, and amongst the people who had renounced
the homage which the creature owes to the Creator~
the rites of initiation were so indispensable, that no
one could rise to any degree of celebrity in the
similar principles with the design of conveying unity and permanence to
tbe false worship, which it otherwise could never have acquired.
Vid. The. ProgreJS of Light, a SeJ'Ilon,. by the Author o( tl&ia Work.

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religions or political institutions of polytheism, but

by passing through this preliminary form; it was
the only avenue to honour, wealth, or fame; and
the peculiar blessings of immortality were restricted
to those alone, who had borne without shrinking or
complaint, the privation and actual terrors of this
rigorous ordeal. To despise the Mysteries, or to
omit the process of initiation, were to relinquish
all the title to preferment; and even the comforts
and charms of domestic life were scarcely attainable
without this indispensable qualification, which was
supposed to restore the fallen soul to its original
state of perfection ;* for the uninitiated person was
virtually an outcast from society, an eternal object
of suspicious jealousy and almost without the pale
of legal protection. Hence the extreme utility, in
these times of superior light, of investigating a subject of such extensi\'e application and high importance towards elucidating many abstruse points
- in the history and mythology of the ancient world
which are at present wrapt up in the mantle of
obsc1;1rity, and need this Master-Key to bring them
into light. The Casket, which contains a splendid
collection of antique jewels of inestimable value, has
long been closed, and its riches inaccessible to the
eager eye of curiosity; but by the prudent use of
this talismanic key, the bolts may be withdrawn,
Plato. Phllldone. The Orphic mysteries were dignified with the high
appellation of ~lite, because the initiated were usured:of certain
llappilleu in a future state.

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and the contents exposed to the penetrating gaze

of antiquarian research.
Initiation involved all the profuse and complicated
mechanism of heathen mythology; and many of the
political and domestic customs of antiquity may be
traced to the same inexhaustible and prolific source.
It was considered to be a mystical death, or oblivion
of all the stains and imperfections of a corrupted
and an evil life, as well as a decent into hell, where
every pollution was purged by lustrations offire and
'water; and the perfect Epoptes was then said to be
regenerated* or new bol'n, restored to a renovated
existence of life, light, and purity, and placed under
the divine protection. This was a fig-Urative representation of the descent of Noah into the Ark,
which was a place of refuge from the punishment
inflicted on the sins with which the old world. was
stained. Here he remained in darkness and solitude, impressed with feelings of horror and apprehension, not unaptly termed death, until the earth
had been purified by. a general lustration ;t and

This Regeneration originated the very curious ceremony of the

Taurobolium and Criobolium, or the bloody baptism of the Bull and
Ram. (Vid. Ant. of Masonry. p.ll5.) The ram as well as the bull Willi
a legitimate symbol of the Ark of Noah, and hence the motives which
produced the superstition will not be difficult to account for
If the theory be correct which supposes the lltJt1&ral cause of the delllfe
to be the near approach of a powerful comet to the earth, as is advanced
by Mr. Whiston, whose power of attraction not only elevated the tides to
a prodigious height above their cUBtomary level, but burst the ceDtral
ahyBB and caused the waters to rush out with a dreadful concussion,-then
the lostration may be said, as it actually was in the Mysteries, to have
been accoDipliahed by fire Cllld water; and it .is reulalk.able ~t aU the

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then with the seven just persons who were incarcerated with him, he emerged into the light and
hope of a new and perfect world on which the
favour of heaven once more smiled, as it did on the
first created man in the garden of Eden. The
candidate, at his initiation, was a representative of
the patriarch during his enatic voyage and subsequent delivery from destruction.* Like Noah,
heathen accoanta or the deluge, ascribe that event to the agency or fire.
(Ovid. Metam. 1. i,) And the account in Hesiod's Theogony of the
destruction of the Titans, who were no other than the impious antediluvians, is replete with the same terrific machinery; thunder, lightning.
fire, and water. In the highly figurative account of the deluge exhibited
in the Courma Avater of the Hindoos, the mountain 1\'Iandar, which represents the earth, is said to be involved in ~ .flmtua which spread
destraction on every side. (Bhagvat Geeta. p. 148.) It was indeed a
common belief amongst all nations that the deluge was accompanied by a
torrent of fire. " Pionus who suffered martyrdom in the year 250, under
the Emperor Decius, among other things, spake thus to his unbelieviag
persecutors ;-ye yourselves, from your old traditions, acknowledge that
the deluge of Noah, whom you call Deucalion, was mingled with.firt, yet
do you but half understand the real truth of this matter." (Pontoppidon.
Hist. Norway. p. 62.) Sale, from AI Beidawi says, that the waters of
the deluge were reputed to have burst from a hot-ooen at Cufil; (Koran.
Edit. 1826. vol. H. p. 44, in notl. b.) and the Parsees similarly fabled that
the waters proceeded from the Ao(-ot"en of an old woman called Zala.
(Hyde de Rei. vet. Pers. c. 10. Vid. etiam Plat. Tim. p. 22. Plin. Nat.
Hist. J. ii. e. 26. Cedren. Hist. Comp. p. 10. Strabo. Geogr. p.l97. Cudw.
Intel. Syst. p. 128. Willdns. Bhagvat. Geeta. p. 147. Fab. Pag. Idol
..-ol. ii. b. iii. c. 4. Myst. Cab. vol. i. p. 82. Dav. Celt. Res, p. U7.
Maur. Ind. Ant. ..-ol, ii. p. 844. Edda Snor. Fab. 82. Mal. North. Aat.
..-ol. ii.)
The Mysteries, in all their fol'llill, wete J-t41. They celebrated
the mystical death and revivification of some individual, by the use of
emblem~~ at once impious and disgusting. David accuses the Israelites of
this abominable practice in the 106 Psalm. (v. 28, to.) "They joined
themsel..-esto Baal Peer, (Di--, Orph. Hymn6.) and ate tlte llllef'ijlce
qf tlte ckad. Thus ~ey pro..-oked Him to anger with theirinventions."

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he beheld, in a figurative manner, the uncontrolled

licence of the iron age,* the vicious anarchy and
lawless contentions of the impious race before the
ftood, onder the despotic sway of their prince
Opbion,t furious as wild and ravenous beasts eontending for their prey ;-like Noah, he descended
into Hades or th~ Ark, a place of solitude and
darkness, and here in safety heheard the dissolution of the world, the rush of waters, the dismemberment of rocks and mountains, the bitter cries
and shrieks of the despairing race of sinners in the
agonies of remorse and death ;-like Noah, he
passed unhurt through the purifying element; and
being thus regenerated, like the diluvian patriarch
he emerged into a new life of purity and perfection,t and rejoiced in the distinction which, he was
taught to believe, his piety had conferred.
A new language, mysterious and syinbolical,
was adapted to these celebrations ; and a system of
hieroglyphics, legible only to the initiated, placed
Vid. Orid. Metam. I. i.
. t Apollon. Argon, I. i. Ophion was no other than the illfemal Serpent,
the equal foe of God and mlln.
'
The aspirant.figunztit,ely, like Noah in rwlity, was thuna.id to be an
inhabitant of two worlds; .and to be equally aequ&inted with thinga past,
present, and to come; in prreteritorwn meDioria et providelltia .futurorum.
Cic. de Senect.
Thus introduced to all the blessiags of a new mythological existence,
the aspirant to the Egnltian myilteriefi was represented under the figure
of a new bom infant seated on the lotos or water my. But the 'infant and
lotos was an emblem of the. Sim, (Plut. de Jei.d. et Otir. p. 155.) and
therefore the regenerated aspirant was an emblem of the Sun; whicb
agreee with the patriarch Noah in the helio-arkite &Upentition.

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the learning, the morality, and the politics :ofevery

nation as decidedly out of the reach of popular ac..;
quirement, as if they had been incased in a rock of
adamant.* And the jealousy of the hierophants,:
or dispenset'S of these Mysteries, became at length
so strongly excited, that, trembling for their Secret,
they subsequently invented a new hieroglyphic or
sacred symbolical charactert and language, which
was .exclusively appropriated to the highest Degree
of their Order ;t in which it is probable that nearly
the s~me symbolical cllaracter.~ were made use of,
but the hidden meaning attached to each was entirely changed; so that even those who had been
initiated into the preliminary Degrees, aQd niade
acquainted with the common curiologic and tropical
hieroglyphics, were as completely ignorant of the
nature and 'secrets of the ineffable degrees, to which
but few were admitted, as the uninitiated themselves.n So artfully were these mysteries designed,
and so complimited and inexplicable was their construction, that they were perfectly understood by
Vid. Pococke. Descr. of Egypt. vol. i. p. 227.
t Herod. I. ii. 36.
t So elfectually was the meaning of these hieroglyphics hidden from all
but the distinguished few, that in process of time the interpretation wa8
entirely loet. At the invasion of Cambyses it was bot imperfectly understood; and in the time of Alexander the Macedonian, none could be
found to shew ~he meaning of, or design anew, a hieroglyphical inscription.
Thus, if in the comlllOII hieroglyphic, a hawk signified the .\umaJt
..z, in the sacred hieroglyphic it would stand for Expedition; and thus
-ntially would the signification of every particular emblem be altered.
11 An opinion was industriously promulgated that the sacred hieroglyphic
and language wu the same as was used by the celestial deities. (Jamb!.
de Myst. ~ 1. c~ 4~)

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none but the hierophants and mystagogues, whose

interest and personal welfare were bound up in
their concealment; and they succeeded so effectu..
ally in establishing an absolute control over their
votaries by the fascinations of a seductive eloquence,
united with the influence of visionary and }>reter..
natural terrors, that the very name of INITIATION,
though possessing a wild charm, whose effects on
the mind were indescribable,* yet would conjure
up unheard of fears, and bhlllch the cheek with
_ imaginary apprehensions. Its process, by .artful
changes, introduced at different periods, by shades
so delicate as to be unobserved, had become revolting; its probations were severe. Innumerable
ceremonies, wild and romantic, dreadful and appalling, bad been engrafted on the few expressive
symbols of primitive observance; and instances
have occurred where the terrified aspirant, during
the protracted rites, has absolutely expired through
excess of fear.t
It has been obServed that the priests were peculiarly interested. in the general dissemination of the
Mysteries, and therefore it is no wonder that they
should endeavour to induce as many as possible to
participate in the advantages which were ostensibly
attached to the process of initiation. For this purpose the Mysteries were proclaimed the beginning .
Wheoce the Greek proverb ~Ilea IUlY one waa tnuusported with ex~
tnordinary aeaaationa of pleaanre, 'ErorT'tvt'n I'D' &.tw, I feel aa.
tbrea&h I had lleen initiated. (Vid. Warb. Div. Leg. vol. i. p. lOG.)
t Vid. iafra. Lect.. vii,

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of a new life of reason and virtue;* and the initiated,

or esoteric Companions were said to entertain the
most agreeable anticipations ..respe<;ting death and
eternity ;t to comprehend all the hidden mysteries
of nature ;t to have their soul restored to the state
of perfection from which it had fallen, and at their
death to be elevated to the supernal mansions of the
gods. They were believed also to convey much
temporal felicity, and to afford absolute :security
amidst the most imminent dangers by land or
water.ll On the other hand a public odinm was.
studiously cast .on all, without exception, who refused the rites;~ the wretched exoterics were con-_
sidered as profane wretches, unworthy Qf public
employment. or private confidence;** were pro-.
scribed as obdurate atheists,tt .and 'finally con-,
demned to everlasting punishment.tt These motives were stl'engthened by that undefined principle.
of curiosity .which. is ahfays excited by a system
in which secrecy forms a prominent feature; for the
human mind, reaching forward to extended jp.for-:
mation, seeks for it in those recepta,cles .where it is
supposed to be preserved; and the.knowledge wbid1
is enveloped in the web of mystery, is frequently.
eourted 'vith greater eagerness than that which i!l
Cic. de Leg. I. ii. c. 14.
t lsoc. Paneg,
t Clem. Alex. Strom. 5.
Plat. Phred.
HSchol. in Aristoph. lren. y. 275. Thus the Argonauts are fabled to
have been Initiated at Samothrace to procure an auspicious voyage;
(Apollon. Rh<ld. Argon.)
f Warb. Div. Leg. vol. i. p. 140.
Plat. Ph~~ed.
tt Lucian. Demon. .tt Orig. cont. Cels. I. viii.

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open to public inspection. We esteem not dte
sciences or languages which we know, equally with
- others of which we are ignorant; and those are
always deemed the most abstruse, of which we
possess the least degree of information. From the
prevalence of this general feeling was public curiosity attached to the mysteries. They professed to
be a short and certain step to universal knowledge,
and to tlevate the soul to absolute perfection; but
the mea1ts were shrouded under the impenetrable
mask of secrecy, sealed by oaths and penalties the
most tremendous and appalling.* This feeling was
not a little encouraged by the mysterious hieroglyphical characters with which the walls, columns,
and ceilings of the m~st sacred temples were curiously decorated. !.laudable thirst after knowledge
prompted the youth of all ranks to aspire to the
ambition of decyphering the meaning 'and illustration of these obscure synihols, which were said to
have been communicated to the priests by revelation from tb~ "celestial deities. Initiation was the
only means of acquiring this knowledge, and it is
therefore ,no wonder that initiation was so much in
request.
There was also another quality of the mind which
served to recommend the mysteries ;-that strange
at~achment, to the marvellous by which human
nature in all its grades, from savage ignorance to.
the highest stage of refin~ment, is universally
Meura. ElepaiD: c. 10.

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'iWnyed. To excite this sentiment in all its sublimity of horror, the initiations were performed at
dead of night (Ell aKoT'w ~eaa vvKT't. )* No severity .of
probation could deter- the bold and determined aspirant from encountering terrors and actual dangers
which l~d the way to gratifications of a supernal
character; and the shades of darkness imparted
vigour to the passion which looked forward to a
recompence of such an exalted nature.
But the potent spell which sealed the authority
of the _-hierophant was the horrid custom reso11ed tp
in times of pressing danger or calamity, of immolating human victims, t the selection of whicb was
commonly the prerogative of the. chief hierophant.t
It, is difficult to pronounce with any degree of precisio.~, w_hat was the origin of this revoltipg practice,
alt,hough it might probably have arisen fl'Om an in~
perfect knowledge of tlie prediction of the 1\-fessiah ..
Thus were the initiated placed, by the sanction of
supernatural apprehensimis, at the absolute disposal
of the hierophant; and the most exalted rank was
Enrip. Bacchant. Act. 2. Black the emblem of night, was considered
the proper colour to shadow the mysteries; (Strabo. Geogr,l.17.) and
lienee the early idolatry of most nations was directed to a black 11t011e;
(Porph. apud. Euseb. prrep. even. I. iii. c. 3. Appollon. Rhod. Argon. I. i.
1176.) and when this stone was in the form of a Cube, it was emblematical
of the altar of Noah. E,en the detached tribes of wandering Arabs
Tenerated the black 1t011e Kaabah, which is described as being originally
" whiter thaa snow and more brilliant than the sun." At the time of the
flood, say the Arabian writers," it was taken up to heaven, or elsewhere,
where God chose, and restored to Abraham, by the angel Gabriel, when
be.built the temple," AI Azllli, cited by Wait, Orient. Ant. p. 41.
t Diod. Sic. I. v. Strabo. I. iv. Euseb. Orat. ad Const.
t Sammes. Brit. vol. i. p. 104,
' Vid, Ces. bel. Gal. I. vi. c. 16.

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~ot exempt from 'the subser\rlency imposed by superstition, and cemented by fearful oaths, and heavy
. and destructive penalties.* Few, however of the
myriads, who sought and obtained admission into
the lesser Mysteries, attained to the higher and
more perfect Degrees, for here were imbedded
the real secrets of the institution.t The 'most careful selection and preparation were necessary tt>
determine who were fitted for these important dis.closures; and for this purpose they were subjected
to a lengthened probation of four years,t before it
was considered safe to admit them into the Sanctum
SanctOruin, to become depositories of those troths,
the disclosure of which might endanger, not only
'the institution, but also the authority of the civil
magistrate. Hence to reveal the Mysteries was the
highest crime a person could commit, and was
usually punished by an ignominious death, embittered by denunciations of the hottest seats in
Tartarus in another worid.ll
. The inviolable oath of Jupiter, by Styx, waa referred to in the initiations, and is thought by Mr. Faber, to bear a reference to the oath of God
at the deluge, that he would no more drown the world; " for which
reason, Iris, the rainbow, the daughter of Thaumu, ia represented by
Hesiod, B8 hovering over the broad surface of the ocean, when thiJ oath
of Jupiter wu taken. Now that such a phenomenon appeared immediately after the deluge, we are expreBSly informed by Moses; and it is
observable moreover, that it wu made a special sign of God's oath to.
Noah. Vid. Gen. ix. IS." Faber. Mya. Cab. vol,i. p. 261, and see Fab.
Pag. Idol. vol. i. p. 872, with authoritiea.
t Clem. AieL Strom. 6.
t Tertul. adv. Valentin.
Clem. Alex. Strom. 2. Sam. Petit. in lege Attie, p. SS. Si qU
aJIPanre mystel'ia Cereris sacra vulgAaaet, lege murti addicebatur.
ft Virg. lEn. I. vi.

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The places of initiation were contriv~ with much

art and ingenuity, and the accompanying machinery

with which they were fitted up, was calculated to excite, in its most elevated form, every passion and affection of the mind . . Thus the hierophant could rouse
the feelings of horror and alarm; light up the fire Q{
devotion, or administer fuel to the flame of terror and
dismay; and when the soul had attained its highest
climax .of shuddering apprehension, he was furnish.ed with the means of soothing it to peace by phantasmagoric visions of flowery me~ds, purling streams
of water, and all the tranquil scenery of nature
in its most engaging form, accompanied with strains
of heavenly music, the figurative harmony of the
spheres. These places were indiffetently a pyramid,*
The pyramids were doubtless erected very soon after the dispersion,
as copies of the great phaHic tower on the plain of Shinar; and as the
latter was designed for initiation, so were the former. We are told by an
acute obse"er, that the second pyramid has two elaborate pieces or
cavem architecture attached to the north and west sides, thirty feet tn
depth, and fourteen hundred feet in length, hewn out of the solid rock on
.which the pyramid rests; and hollowed into an extensive range of apartments. The entrance is narrow, and the construction of the cells intricate,
all involved in darkness, w1d many of them closed up with an accumulation of dust aud rubbish. They had a communication with the interior of
the pyramid, which cannot now be discovered, as many of the cells are
entuelychoked up; (Greaves. I'yram. vol. iil' 34.) and it may be added,
that perhaps the only entrance was from the caverns beneath, into which
the egress from the pyramid was by a sh~ft or well; for we know that
pita or wells were occasionally llsed in the mysteries, (Fab. Pag. Idol.
vol. iii. p. 187. Maur. Ind. Ant. vol. v. p. 1061.) and a well did actually
exist in the pyramid, the use of which is otherwise unknown. " At the
extremity of one of the passages," says Sir n. Wilson," is a well, the depth
of which was never ascertained.'' (Vid. also I'ococke's Descrip. of the
East. vol. i. p. 243.) Mr. Greaves thinks that these appartments were for
the priests to lodge in; but inde1Hmdently of the consideration that such

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a pagoda, or a labyrinth,* furnished with vaulted
.-ooms, extensive wings connected by open and
spacious galleries, multitudes of secret vaults and
dungeons, and vistas terminating in adyta,t which
were adorned with mysterious symbols carved
on the walls and pillan~, in every one of which
was enfolded some philosophical or moral t.ruth4
Sometimes the place of initiation was constructed
in a small island the centre of a lake; a hollow

in

extensive excavations would never have been made out of tile hard roelc
with the chissel (or mere dwellings, when buildings on the su.r(ace would
have been erected at one hundredth part of the labour and expence, it is
clear from the internal construction of these spacious caverns, that they
were intended to contain the apparatus of initiation.into the m,.Urle8,
and were exclusively devoted to this important purpose.
The labyrinths of Egypt, Crete, Lemnos, and Italy, were equally
designed for initiation into the mysteries. (Fab. Pag. Idol. vol iii. p. 26&.)
t Pint. de lsid. et Osir. p. 639.
f In the Divine Legation of Moses, the learned Warburton has given
some plates from the Bembine Table, which is an invaluable specimen of'
the secret symbols concentrating the leading principles of Egyptian
politics, learning, and religion.
One of the most sacred places which ancient Egypt could boast, was
the small island of Phile in the Nile, near the cataracts. The whole
island was dedicated to Osiris and Isis, and appropriated to their worshi~;~; and a superb temple was erected, which almost covered its entire
surface, where the relics of Osiris were said to be preserved. " Through~
out the whole ofthis famous island," says Mr. Maurice, (Ind. Ant. vol. iii.
p. 536.) "where anciently the solemn and mysterious rites of Isis were
celebrated with such distioguished pomp and splendour, there appeared
to Mr. Norden to run subterranean passages. He attempted to descend
several of the steps that led down into them, but was prevented by the
filth and rubbish with which they w;re filled, from penetrating to any
depth. . 4 was in these gloomy caverns that the grand and mystic arcana
of this goddess were unfolded to the adoring aspirant, while the solemn
hymns of initiatim1 resounded through the long extent of these stony
recesses. It was there that superstition at midnight waved high her
ft3ming torch before the image of Isis borne in procession; and there that
her chosen priests, in holy ecstacy, .chaunted their sweetest symphODies/

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ca'tem natural or artificial, with sounding domes,
tortuous passages, narrow orifices, and spacious
sacelli ;* and of such mngnitude as to contain a
numerous assembly of persons.t In all practicable
instances they were constn1cted within the recesses
of a consecrated grove~ which, in the torrid regions
of the east conveyed the united advantages of secrecy
and shade; and to inspire a still greater veneration_
they were popularly denominated Tombs, or places
of sepulture.t
Thus invested with tremendous powers, and holding in their.hands the fetters of an abject superstition,
which assigned to them the province of executing
the high behests of the infernal, as well as the celes'tial deities, these potent priests became possessed
of absolute authority, and inflated with the pride of
conscious preeminence, as .the accredited agents of
invisible beings, they beheld even monarchs crouching at their feet, and submitting, without murmur
or complaint, to their arbi!rary or wanton inflictions,
against which indeed the~e was no appeal. Thus
Plut. de laid. et Osir. p. 619.
In the pct~ticular mysteries of every nation,
tbeee places will be described with some degree of minuteneSB; suffice It
to say here, that such complicated excavation& are common iii every part
of the world, and were indubitably used as places of initiation. (Vid.
Fab. Pag. Idol. vol. iii. p. 254.) Even the stable, or rather the cave at
Bethlehem,- in which Jesus Christ was born, if we may credit the testiIIIOQY of the learned Calmet, was afterwards devoted by the Emperor
Adrian, to the celebration of the myateries of Thammuz or Adonis. (Cal.
Diet. in v. Bethlehem.)
Jul. F'mn. de. error. p. 4. Dlod. Bibl. p. 194. Hence were the
pyramic of Egypt aocoUJlWd to be Tomlle.
t Strabo. Geogr. 1. ix.

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 despotic, it is scarcely to be supposed that this

proud hierarchy would exercise its enormous influence with moderation 1 They had the privilege
of nominating human victims ; but as the devoted
offering might he redeemed by a heavy fine proportionate with his wealth or rank, it is reasonab.le to
believe that the ransom W()old be embraced, even
though the unbounded avarice of the priest might
assess the penalty at a large proportion of his temporal possessions. Thus they controlled . senators
and kept monarchs in awe; and as they increased
in riches. the inevitable result of the system, they
imbibed a corresponding predilection for iucre~
magnificence and luxury. The . crimes and indecencies of their order were soon transferred to the
initiations; and at length this haughty priesth()()d
fell with greater rapidity than.it had .risen; for the
open debaucheries of the one, and the unbound~
licentiousness which pervaded the other, excited
public horror and avers~on, against the effects of
which their wealth and power were equally unavailable to afford them pr-otection. At this period
of their degeneracy and degradation, the b.laze of
C bristianity, like a glorious PILLAR 9F FIRE, penetrated into their darkest recesses; the demons fled,*
Strabe. 1. vi. tella ua, that In

the time of .Augulltua ee.&r,

theOraele

ceased to give responses; and to the IIUDe .ell'eclS!lidN.(iD voc. Delplai.)

eays, that after the birth of Christ, Auguallla, e114airiag oC the Oracle
whom he should appoint as his successor to the imperial diadem, wu
.answered, that the God of gods wu i.ucarnate IUIIOngst tho HebrewJ,
and bad commanded him to return to hil place; thatho couldnotdilobe)',

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at the approach of irresistible Truth, and the institutions which they upheld, finally sank to nse
no more.

.L ECTURE II.

PLACES OF CELEBRATION IN HINDOOSTAN.

INDIA is a very ancient nation; derived, if its

own annals are deserving of credit, from the seven
Rishis or penitents, whose exemplary virtues elevated them to a residence in the stars. These seven
holy persons, according to the Abbe Dubois,* were
the seven sons of J aphet,t who formed colonies in
and therefore ~o reaponaea would be given. (Vid. A.ntiq. of Masonry.
p. 82.) And the christian has no reason to doubt the accuracy of this
account, from the numerous instances, in his own scriptures, of infernal
.,iriie beiag ejected at the eo~d of Christ and h1 Apostles.
Description of India. pt. i. c. 6.
t The Indian RecordS present us with this information in language very
similar to our own sacred writings. " It ia related in the Padlll&Pooraull
that Satyavrata, whose miraculous preservation from a general deluge ia
told at large in the Matsya, had three sons, the eldest of whom was
named Jyapeti, or Lord of the Earth ; the others were Charma and
Sharma; which last "ords are in the vulgar dialects usually pronounced
Cham and Sham, as we frequently hear Kiahn for Chrishna. The royal
patriarch, for such ia his character in the Pooraun, was particularly fond
Jyapeti, to whom he gave all the regions to the north of Himalaya, or
the Snowey Mountains, which extend from sea to sea, and qf 10hicll.
CIUU:CIIIII il a parl; to Sharma he allotted the countries to the south of

of

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the neighbourhood of Mount Caucasus, and from

thence their posterity spread Qver thevast continent
of ancient India.* And .Mr. Maurice is of opinion
that they proceeded thence to the remotest regions
of the west. These primitive inhabitants pra~sed
the patriarchal religion, and consequently worshipped the true God, until they were oonquered
and subjected to the yoke by the idolatrous Cuthites
under Rama the victorious son of Cush;t a;nd then
the diluvian Mysteries were introduced, with . all
the horrible rites and disgusting superstitions which
had polluted the religion of the descendants of Ham.
The system of divine worship, after this. innovation,
soon became divided into two discordant Sect&; tb~
one mild and benevolent, addressed to Vishnu; the
other, which proclaimed the superiority of Siva,
was a system of terror and penan~e, barbarity and
blood. The professors of these sectarial divisions
bore an irreconcilable hatred to each other, and
were equally distinguished by feelings of inter.:
minaJ.>le hostility; if an individual of ea:ch advers~
party accidentally met, they considered themselves
polluted, till by some purifying rite o.f devotion,
they had obliterated the stain.t
those mountains; but he cursed Charma, because when the old monarch
was accidentally inebriate<! with strong liquor made of fermented rice,
Charma laughed ; and it was in consequence of his father's execration
that he became a slave to the slaves of his brothers." (Maur. Hist, Hind:
vol. ii. p. 45.
It is highly probable however, notwithstanding the authority in the
text, that the seven Rishis were the seven persons who were preserved
with Noah in the Ark.

t Geu. x.7.
: Maur. Ind. Ant. vo), v. p; 863.

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The chief deity of this vast empire was the tri-une

Brahma-Yishnu-Siva,* who was said to dwell
on the holy mountain Meru, whose three peaks
were composed of gold, silver, and iron; the central
peak was appropriated to Siva, and the two others to
Brahma and Vishnu.t But the Indians" saw God
in every object under the sun," and had consecrated
and paid divine honours to such' a multitude of different substances, that their Pantheon is said to
have contained three hundred and thirty millions
of deities.t
The mysteries of India formed one of the earliest
corruptions of the pure science which is now denominated Freemasonry, and bore a direct reference
to the happiness of man in paradise, the subsequent
deviations from righteousness, ~nd the destruction
This triad was.variously represented by emblems in this quarter of
the globe. The mystical zennar was a cord of three threads; the emblem
borne in the hands of some of these deities was a tridtllt, similar to that of
the Grecian Neptune; the mode of worship was ternary, and consisted of
bowing the body three times; the principal deity in the cavern of Elephanta
was depicted with three heads; the summit of the massive pyramidal
pagoda of Tanjoru is swmounted by three peaks; &c. &c.
.
t Fab. Pag. Idol. vol. iii. p. 205. This custom of accounting the three'
peaked mountain holy was not confined to the idolatrous nations, so called~
"ut was venerated by the Jews. Tlaus Olivet, near the city of Jerusalem,
had three peaks which were accounted the residence of the deity Chemosh
-Milcom-Ashtoreth. (2 Kings xiiii. 13.) See also Zechariah (xiv. 4.)
where, by a sublime figure, the feetofthe Almighty are placed on the
outer peaks of this mountain, during the threatened destruction of Jeruea~
lem; while the mountain itself is made to split asunder, by a tremendous
concussion, at the . centre peak from east to west, leaving a great valley
betll:een the.divided parts.

t Statues of the principal Indian gods may be seen in the Museum of

tile Aaiatic Society, Loudon.

two

'

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accomplished by the general deluge.* They were

celebrated in subterranean caverns and grottost
formed in the solid rock by human art and industry;
or in the secret recesses of gloomy pyramids and
dark pagodas ;t and the adoration of the Solar Fire,
and the reputed perfection which its worship conveys to the initiated, appear to have been the object
and end of this pel'V~rted institution. These caverns
were ftequently excavated in the bosom of a grove
of trees, which was thus converted into a permanent
residence of the deity i and became asource ofhigh
and superstitious terror to all the world besides. A
brief description of the caverns of Erephanta and
Salsette, both situated near Bombay, will afford a
competent specimen of the innet apartments exhibited in the places -of secret celebration which
abound in the vast continent of ancient India.
These stupendous edifices, carved out of the solid
rock, and charged with statues of every description
and degree of magnitude, are of doubtful origin.
Their antiquity is enfolded in the veil of obscurity;
and the name of the monarch, whose bold and
aspiring mind could project, and whose power cou,ld
execute such imperishable monuments of human
iugenuity and labour, is lost and forgotten in the

lethean stream of time.n

Vid. Signs and Symbols, p. 87.

ft

t Fab. Pag. Idol; vol. iii. p. 184. 254.

t Fab. Cab. vol. ii. p. 386.
Fab. Pag. Idol. voJ. iii. p. 161.
They may probably be ascribed to the first Cuthite conquerors of

India, whose enterprising genius would be applied, in times of peace; tO

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The cnem of Elephanta, the most an<:ient tern.;

pie in the world framed by the hand of man, is one
hundred and thirty-five feet square,t and eighteeD'
feet high. It is supported by four massive pillars,.
and it'i walls are covered on all sides with statues
and carved emblematical.decorations.t Maurice~
says, that" some of the figures have on their heads
a kind of helmet of a pyramidal form; others wear
crowns, rich in devices and splendidly decorated
with jewels; while others display only large bushy
ringlets of curled or flowing hair. Many of thetu
have four hands, many have six, and in those
hands they grasp sceptres and shields, the sym.:
bois of justice rmd ensigns of religion, the
weapons of war and the ttophies of peace." The
auch stupendous works as might practically exhibit a striking indication
o( tlleir superiority over the vanquished people.
. Ma.ur. Ind. Ant. vol. iv. p. 736.
t Goldingham in Asiat. Res. vol. iv. p. 407.
f All the temples and pagodas of Hindoostan were ornamented in the
aame style. The temple of Jagannath " is a 11tupendous fabric, and truly
commensurate with the extensive sway of Moloch, horrid king. As other
temples are usually adorned with figures, emblematical of their religion,'
.., Jagan-nath has representationa, IWmerou ad .:wu, of that vice
which constitutes the essence of his worship. The walls and gates are
~vered with iDdecent emblems, in massive and durable sculpture.''
(8ucbau. Rea. m Asia. p. 111.)
; IDd. Ant. Yol. ii. p. ~. " Some of these figures have aspects that
iDspire the beholder with terror; and in the words of LiDschoten, are
distorted into rich horrible and fearful fonns, that they make a IIUlll'tl
hair stand upright; others are distinguished by a placid serenity and
benigai&y.of cOUBtenance; and others betray evident marks of d~p dejection.aJHI ia'ft.J!d oguisb. 'l'he more oonspicuous figures are a11.gorgeously arrayed at'Ur the Indian fashion with beary jewels in their eare,
with sUpel'lJ collara of \wecioua stones, .with belts sumptuously wrought,
and with rich bracelets oq their.~& and lO'i&tl.'! (I~id . )

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adytum, placed at the western extremity of this extensive grotto, was accessible by four entrances,
eah guarded by two gigantic statues, naked', and
decorated with jewels and other ornaments. In
this sacellum, accessible only to the initiated, the
deity was represented ~y that obscene emblem,
which was used in a greater or less degree by all
idolatrous nations to represent his generative power.*
On each side were ranges of cells and passages, constructed for the express purpose of initiation ;t and
a sacred orifice as the medium of t;e~neration.t
The caverns of Salsette, excavated in a rock
whose external form is pyramidal, and situated in
the bosom of an extensive and fearful wood, infested
by enormous serpents and ravenous beasts, very
greatly exceed in magnitude, those of Elephanta;
being in number three hundred, all adorned with
an abundance of carved and emblematical characters.n The largest cavern is eighty-four' feet long,
forty-six broad, and forty high; full of cavities on
all sides, placed at convenient distances for the arrangement of the dteadful apparatus of initiation,
which was so constructed as to overwhelm the
unconscious aspirant with horror and superstitious
dread. The different ranges of apartments were
connected by open ga1leries ; and the most secret
Maur. Ind. Ant. vol. ii. p. 332.

* Fab. Pag. Idol. vol. iii. p. 185.

t Arch~eol. vol. vii. p. lll81.

This orifice ia uaed at the prqeat

day for the same flly&terioua purpose.

; Maur, !Dd. Ant. vol. ii. p. 273. ArchleOI. vol. vii. p.
R Vid. SigDa ud Symboll. p. 171.

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caverns which contai~ed the ineffable symbols, were

accessible only by private entrances, curiously contrived to give greater effect to certain points in the
ceremonial of initiation; and a cubical cista for the
periodical sepulture of the aspirant was placed in
the inmost recesses of'the structure. In every cavern was a carved bason to contain the consecrated
-water of ablution, on the surface of which floated
the flowers of the lotOs, this element being considered
the external medium by which purity was conveyed.
And amongst an innumerable multitude of images
and symbolical figures with which the walls were
covered, the Linga* or Phallust was every where
~onspicuou~; often alone, and someti~es in situatiop.s too disgustiQ.g to be mentioned;t. and typified
equally by the petal and calyx of the lotos, the
point within a circle, and the intersection of two
~quilateral triang\es.
Manr. Ind. Ant." vol. v. p. 033.
thia obscene emblem is prescrYed in the Mn8enm of
the Asiatic Society, London.
t ''The tower of Jaggemant," says Dr. Buchanan, (Res. in Asia.
p. 145.) "is eonredwith -indeeent emblems which are newly painted
when it is exhibited in public, and are objects of sens.:~d ;!,,. , h!1 li t .\
t

A specimen of

zt!l.''
' Vid. Signs and Symbols. p. 180.

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LECTURE III.

CEBEHONY OF INITIATION

AJION~ST

THE

BRAHMINS.

'

periods of initiation were regulated by the

increase and decrease of the moon;* and the mysteries w~re divided into Four Steps or Degrees
called C.nar Askerum, which were equally the
dispensers of virtue in a greater or less degree. t
The candidate might perform his first probation at
the early age of eight years.t It consists of an inTHE

I do Bot and what partic'lllar &tap wu tlle meet aupic:ioae ior tru.
purpose, except it was the ninth day of the decrease; at which time begaa
the great festival in honour of the goddeaa Darga, who waa the IIUDe u
Juno, or perhaps the Minerva of the Greek~. Tile ritea of lhia goddeat
bore a great similarity to those of Egypt and other natioll.8. After varii:>UJ
ceremonies, the image of the goddees was COIDIIlitted to the Ganges, anll
her mystical death was celebrated with lamentatiou; while the utmost
joy prevailed when the idol emerged from the purifying stream. A great
annual festinl was held in January, on the seventh day of the New
Moon, which was celebrated in honour of the Sun. (Holwell. Gent.
Fast. p. 184.)
t "Let enn the WJetched man," eays the Hitopadesa, 41 practise
virtue, tcllerutler 1u ertiOJ ,., qf l1u lhre1 or 1- r1lifrjou Derr-; let
him be even-minded with all created things, and that disposition will k
the source ofvirtue." (Hitop. b. h.)
Ordin. of Meou. Sir W. Joee~. W Olkl. vel. iii. p. 88.

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35.
vestiiu.re with the Zennar, or sacred cord of three
threads, which was' explained to refer to the three
elements, earth, fire, and air; for water, according
to the Brahmins, is only air in a condensed form.*
This investiture was attended with numer01,1s cere
monies; with sacrifices to the Solar fire, to the
planets, and to the household gods; with aqueous
ablutions, and purifications with the dung and
urine of the cow ;t and ended with an extended
lecture from his preceptor, usually too abstruse for
his juvenile comprehension j the principal suoject
of which was the unity of the godhead; the manage:.
Jilent of the consecrated fire, and the holy .rites of
morning, noon, and evening.t He was then clothed
in a l~nen garment without seam; a cord was put
over his right ear as a medium of purification, and
he was placed under the exclusive care of a Brahmin,
who was thence termed ' his .spiritual guide, to be
instructed in the necessary qualifications for the
Second Degree. He was inured to hardships, and
suffered the infliction of rigid penances!! until he
attained the age of twenty years; he was restricted
Maur.Ind. Ant. vol. v. p. 966
.. t .'i' They .use cowdvng in purification, because it is the medium by
which the barren soil is rendered prolific; and therefore reminds them of
the famous Indian doctrine of corruption and reproduction.'' (Maur, Ind.
,bt. vol~ v. p. 936.)
.
Ordin. of Menu. Sir W. Jonea. Works. vol. iii. p. 92.
.
Maur. Ind. Ant. vot v. p. 969.
fTheae penance& were indeed rigid, it Mr. Maurice be'correct in his
information, for he aaya, (Ind. Ant. vol. iv. p. 674, in not!.) that the
caadidatea were pllinged in alternate baths of lire and water I

D2

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from all indulgences whether carnal or intellectual,

and passed the whole of his time in prayer and
ablution.* He was taught to preserve the purity
of his bocly, which was figuratively termed the city
with nine gates in which the soul is imprisoned,t
,by avoiding external defilements; to eat becomingly ;t and was instructed assiduou11ly in all those
minuter ceremonies which were adapted to every
act of his future life, and by the use of which he
was to be distinguished from his fellow men. Much
of his time was devoted to the study of the sacred
books; for a competent knowledge of the institu.tions, ceremonies, and traditions of religion were
an essential qualification for another Degree.
When he had attained the specified age, if he
were found, on due examination, perfectly master
of all the mythologicallore of the First Degree, he
was admitted to enter on the probationary ceremonies for the Second, which was called Gerishth.
Here his austerities were doubled, he was obliged to
support life by soliciting charity; his days were passed in prayer, ablutions, and sacrifice. and his nights
in the study of Astronomy; and when exhausted nature sternly demanded repose, he stretched his body
un~er the first tree, II snatched a short sleep; and rose
Ayeen A.kbery. Maur. Ind. AnL vol. ii. p. 346.
t Bhagvat G~eta. p. liS. The rame gates are the avenues of evacuation,
u the nose, mouth, ears, &c,
.,: A phrue meaning literally a total abstinence from animal food .
Maur. Ind. Ant. vol. v. p. 972.
8 Ayeen Akbery. vol. iii. p. 219.

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37

speedily to contemplate the monsters of the skies,

personified in his imagination by the appearance
and situation of the Fixed Stars.t " In the hot
season he sat exposed to five fires, four blazing
around him, with the Sun above; in the rains he
stood uncovered, without even a mantle, where the
clouds poured- the heaviest showers; in the cold
season he wore wet clothing, and went on increasing by degrees the austerity of his devotion."t His .
probation being at )ength completed, he was admitted by initiation to participate in the high and
supernal privileges which the Mysteries were believed to confer.
He was sanctified by the sign of a Cross, which
was marked on every part of his body, and subjected
the probation of Pastos,ll which was denominated
the door of Patala, or hell. His purification being
The singular arrangement of the Fixed Stars) into Constellations by
the ancient Indians was of a nature calculated to enoourage the in
dulgence of this feeling.
t ~aur. Ind. Ant. vol. vi. p. 974.
f Ordin. of Menu. Sir W. Jones. Works. p. 228.
~ The Christian reader may start when be beholds the . sacred emblem
of his faith used as a symbol of heathen devotion; but it is even so. The
holy Cross pointed to the four quarters of the compass; and was honoured
u a striking emblem of the universe by many ancient nations. It is found
engrann on their monuments; and even the erection of many of their
temples was conducted on the same cruciform principle. The two great
pagodas of Benares and Matbura are erected in the form of vast crosses of
which each wing is equal in extent, (Maur. Ind. Ant. vol. Iii. p. 360.
S77.) as is also the pyramidal temple ofN ew Grange in Ireland. ( Ledwich.
Ant. IreI. p. S16.) and many others. A specimen of the Crux Ansata may_
Ito seen in Pococke's elaborate description of the East. Plate 69. fig. 19.
II Signs aDd Symbols. p. 112,

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completed, he was led at the dead of night to th~

gloomy cave of mystery, which had been duly prepared for his reception.
The interior of this holy cavern blazed witb a light
equal to that of the meridian Sun, proceeding from
myriads of brilliant lamps.* There sat in rich
and costly robest the three chief hierophants,t East,
West, and South, to represent the great In~ian
triad Brahma-Vishnu-Siva. The attendant
~ ystagogues, clad in sacred vestments, haVing
their heads covered each with a pyramidal cap,
emblematical of the spiral flame, or the , soll!l"
ray, were seated respectfully around. Thus disposed in solemn guise, the welHmown signal from
the sacred Bell II summoned. the aspirant into the
centre of this august assembly; an1l the initiation
commenced with an anthem to the great god of
nature, whether as the Creator, Prese..Ver, or
Destroyer. The sacred business was then solemnly
opened with the following apostrophe to the Sun:
" 0 mighty being, greater than Brahma, we bow
down before thee the prime Creator! Eternal god
of gods! The world's mansion! Thou art the incorruptible being, distinct from all things transient!

as

Maur. Ind. Ant. vol. v. p. 898.

t Ibid. vol. ii. p, $67
.f Signa and Symbols. p. no.
When the Sun rises in the eaat, he is Brahma; when he gaiu hi8
meridian in the south, he is Siva; and when he seta in the weet, he ia
Vishnu. (Aaiat. Res. vol. v.p. 254. Moor. Hind. Panth. p.m.)
II Ramayuna of Valmic. Saib Ibn Batric pretends that Noah Jaad a
bell in the Ark made of the wood of the IDdiaD pl""e. (Wait. Orient.
Ant. p. 81.)

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Thon art before all gods, the ancient Pooroosle,

and the supr~me supporter of the universe! Thou
art the supreme mansion! And by thee, 0 infinite
.form, the universe was spread abroad!"t
The aspirant, already weakened by abstinence
and mortification, was overawed by the display now
exhibited before him; but resuming his courage
during this apostrophe, he prepared himself for the
active business of initiation, in some doubt as to
~hat results this unexpected scene would lead. His
reflections were interrupted by a voice which called
()Jl him to make a formal declaration, that he will
be tractable and obedient to his superiors; that be
will keep his body pure, have a tongue of good report, observe a. pas8ive obedience in receiving tb~
doctrines and traditions of the Order, and the firm~st
secrecy in maintaining inviolable its bidden and
abstruse mysleries. This declaration having been
assented to, be was sprinkled with water; mantra
or incantation was pronounced over him, or more
frequently whispered in his right ear ;t he was

Pooroosh literally means no more than ma~~; but in the Oeeta it is a

term in theology used to express the vital soul, or portion of the universal
tpirit of Brahm, inhabitin( a body. (Vid, Wilkin&. Notes on the
Geeta. p. 142.)
t Bhagvat Geeta. p. M.
: The_,_ is merely an invocation of the deity. According to Mr.
Ward, in hia "View of the Hindoos," the initiatory incantation was
thia ; " Haree, Haree, Haree, Ra_ma, Haree, Rama, Rama, Rama,
Haree, &c. ;" which is merely a repetition of the two names of the deity;
(V.id. Bhagv.a t Oeeta. p. 166.) and they believe that this repetition hilS
abundance of merit; and that, like fire, these names will consume and
deatroy their most innterate sins. How contrary to the timple command

40

divested of his shoes,* that the consecrated ground

on wh.icb he stood might not be polluted, and was
made to circumambulate the spacious cavern three
times, in reference to the Trimurti, whose repreaentatives were stationed triangularly in the east,
west, and sooth points of the circumference of the
mystical circle. While performing this ceremony
he was taught to exclaim, on his arrival each time
in the south, " I copy the example of the Sun, and
follow his benevolent course." This being com..
of the true God, " Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in
vain!" The Hindooa are further persuaded that by meditating on the
perfections of the deity, and pronouncing those meritorious names, they
are enabled to penetrate into futurity, and to obtain every wish of their
hearts.
This was the common practice of antiquity. "Moses at the Bush,
and at the Mount, was enjoined to take the shoes from off his feet,
because the place on which he stood was holy ground. Herodotus and
Diodorus Siculus assure us, that when the Egyptian priests adored pny
of their deities, their feet were uncovered. According to Strabo, such
was the practice with the sacerdotal order among the Germans; and such
was the case in the worship of Diana and Vesta, which the fathers assert
to have been borrowed from Moses. Silius Italicus, (Bel. PIUI.l. iii.)
11ays of the priests of Hercules,
---ll!ec discolor ulli
Ante aras cultus: velantur corpora lino,
Et Pelusiaco prretulget stamine vertex,
Distinctia mos thura dare, atque, a lege parttdum,
Bacrificam, Ia~ vestem distinguere clavo.
]>es nudiUI, tons<rque coma, castumque c11bile,
Inrestricta focis servant altaria fiammre.
In 2 Chron. xxviii, 15, the captives taken by the children of Israel from
the cities of Juda and Jerusalem are depicted as barefooted, previously
to the harangue of Oded; and Iaaiah walked barefooted to typify the
captivity in Babylon. Several gentile philosophers affected to do th4
same to enforce reverence from their disciJ.Iles." (Wait on Jewish, &c,
,ADtiquitier, P 69.)

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41

pleted, he was again placed in the centre and solemn

ly enjoined to the practice of religious austerities
as the efficient means of preparing his soul for
ultimate absorption; and was told that themerit of
such works will emit a splendour which renders man
not only superior to the gods, but makes those immortal beings subservient to his wishes.*
After this admonition the aspirant was placed
under the care of his gooroo or spiritual guide, and
directed to observe a profound silence during the
whole of the succeeding ceremonies, under the
denunciation of summary punishment from the presiding Brahm a, who, he was told, .possessed unlimited power, even to strike him dead on the spot
with a malediction should he presume to violate the
injunction now imposed upon him. Thus instructed,
the subdued candidate endeavoured to preserve the
ntmost equanimity of temper during the process of
initiation; fearing, lest hy any involuntary expression which might imply cowadice or disapprobation,
It is no uncommon thing to read in the Puranas, and other writings,
of a religious ascetic, who has attained the high distinction of Brahma's
blessing by the performance of the prescribed observances, tyranizing
ovel' the whole host of deities, and commanding them to perform the most
menial services to gratify his curiosity or to amuse his imagination.
These austerities do not necessarily include the practice of morality ; for
the Hindoos hold that though they live in the habitual commission of
every known sin throughout the whole period of their lives, yet if they
are able to repeat the name of a god with their dying lips, it is a certain
p8118port to heaven. Mr. Ward, (View of the Hindoos. b. i. c. 2. 11.)
says, "A Hindoo shopkeeper one day declared to the author, that he
should live in the practice of adultery, lying, &c. till death; and that
'ben repeating the name Krisbnu, he should without difficulty ascend to
beaven !" How nearly allied is this to the creed of some Christian sects r

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he should elicit the dmaded resentment of this p9tent
-avenger; for the gooroo was usually posseSsed of
much discriminatian, and was always prepared to
punish the indiscrete disciple who should -fail in any
point either of deference orrespect; or betra.yed any
symptoms of dread or irresolution.
_
The bewailings for the loss of Sita then began.*
The aspirant was passed through sevent ranges of
dark~ and gloomy caverns, amidst the d~n of
howling, shrieks, and dismal lamentations, torepresent the bewailings of Mahadeva, who is fabled
~ have circumambulated the world seven times,
with the remains of his murdered consort on his
shoulders. Amidst all this confusion a sudden
explosion was heard which seemed to rend the
mountains whose gloomy recesses they were now
exploring, and this was instantaneously followed by
a dead silence. Flashes of brilliant light s~ed
before their eyes, which were succeedt:d by the
blackest darkness. To his utter astonishment the
In some of these celebrations, the death of Cama was lamented
with solemn dirges and bewailinga. Thia god, who was the Cupid of
Hindoostan, ill said to have been slain by Iswara, and committed to the
waves inclosed in a chest, like the Grecian Bacchus, and the Egyptiu
Osiris. The chest was swallowed by a fiah, which being caught the infant was taken from its entrails, and nUJ"tured by Reti, &c. (.Asiat. Rea.
vol. iii. p. 187.)
t Niebuhr. Voy. in Arab. tom. ii.p.JS.
*MaUl'. Ind .Ant. voL v. p. 9'14,
.Another account atates that when Mahadeva received the cune ot
some deTotees whom he had distUJ"bed at their devotions, he was deprived
of his Lingam, which in the end proved fatal to hia life. BiB consort
wandered onr the earth and filled the world with her bewailing&.
Mahadeva was at length restored under the (otJil of Iawara, and unitocl .
once more to lais belond Sita.

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eandidate now beheld shadows and phantoms of

various and compound shapes, surrounded with
rays of light, flitting across the gloom.* Some
-with . many hands, arms, and legs; other~ without
any of those appendages ;-here a shapeless trun~,
there a human bo()y with the head of a bird, beast,
or fish; now a human trunk with bestial extremities,
succeeded by the body of an animal with the head
of a man. Some with "fiery eyes, yellow bodies,
red faces, long ears, armed with tridents and axes
in their right hands, and holding human sculls and
vases in their left. Others having three eyes and
.strings of human sculls suspended round their necks,
with long, straggling, frightful teeth."t Amongst
these he saw one terrible figure who had " a gorgeous
appearance, with a thousand heads, arid on each of
them a crown set with resplendent gems, one of
which was larger and brighter than the rest; his
eyes gleamed like flaming torches, but his neck, his
tongues, and his body were black; the skirts of his
habiliments were yellow, and a sparkling jewel
hung in every one of .his ears; his arms were extended and adorned with rich bracelets, and his
)lands bore the holy shell, the radiated weapon, the
mace of war, and the lotos."t This was no other
than Mahadeva himself in his character of tke
Destroyer. These appearances were explained as Vid. the wisdom of Solomon, (c. xvii.) in the Apocrypha of our Bible,
where this part of the ceremony of initiation is minutely described.
t Calica Purana. Aaiat. Res. vol. v. p. soo.
~ lu .W. Joaeaw &be ioda of qreace. Aaiat. .ae...vol. i. P 24.0. '

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44
tile fint generation of the . gods; for the body of
Sita, while carried by the sorrowing .Mahadevrt,
bursting, the gods contained in her capacious
worn b* were scattered over the face of the earth;
and the places where each of them fell were tic.:.
counted sacred.t
Having reached the extremity of the s~~et1t
mystic caverns, a cheerful peal of bells was heard
to ring ;It which he was iniitructed to believe would
expel the evil demons from these dark caves, wh6
might be inclined to disturb, by an unpropitious
intrusion, the sacred ceremonies in which they weM
engaged.~ Before the candidate was enlightened
BliagvatGeeta.p.90.
: J: ;.' :
t Vid. Asiat. Res. vol. vi. p. U7.
Vid. Signiland Symbols. p. 147~
These seven caverns bore an allusion to the metempsychosis, as well
as to the seven places of reward and punishment which different nations
have received into theil' creed. And it may perhaps be alllleJied wj~out
profanation, that the Chri.s tian system gives a sanction to the same hypothesis. If an inspired Apostlt- speaks or a third .heaven; (2 Cor. xii. 2.)
of the righteoWI differing from each.other in glory as one. star dUfers from
another; (1 Cor, xv. 41.) if the pluralnnmberbe commoneyused by Christ
and his apostles when speaking of the place of supreme bliss; (1\fark." i. 10.
Acts. vii. 66. Eph. iv. 10. Heb. i. 10. ll Pet. iii. 5. &c.) and if the
Saviour himself should acknowledge that heaven contains many mansiona;
(John xiv. 2.) then we may also conclude that aS there 'a re many heavens.
1!0 there are also degrees of reward proportioned to the measure of man'e
faith and obedience.
U From time immemorial, bells were employed in religious rites all OveT
tlle eastern world. (Wait. Orient. Ant. p. 83. See also the Ramayana
of Valmic.) In India no religious ceremony was esteemed efficacioa& if
unaccompanied by this indispensable appendage. (Maur. lud~ Ant. vol.
v. p. 900.)
'r These wicked and mischievous beings were said to be struck with
horror at the sound of a bell ; and even the undulations of the air produced by it were 10 dete&table to them1 that they woultllee with preeipita

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and introduced :into the presence o the holy Altar, he

was told that_" whatever is performed withoutfaitk.
whether it be sacrifices, deeds of charity, or mortifications of the flesh, is not for this world or that
which is above;" and was strictly admonished
against the commission of five crimes, which wer~
prohibited under heavy penalties in thi~ life, and
puni,shed with eternal vengeance in the next. And
these p~rticulars form a part of the Oath under
which he. was now solemnly bound. He swears,
in addition to the usual points relating to secrecy,
that he will never have. any carnal knowledge of
his mother, sister, or daughter, but will always extend his protection towards them; that he will not
assassinate a Brahmin, or rob him of gold or other
property, but rather relieve him; that he will not
be addicted to intemperance in eating or drinking;
and that he will not associate with any person who
has polluted himself by the commission of these
crimes; and seals his Oath by a sacred ablution.
The awfnl moment was now arrived when the
ceremony of initiation had attained its highest
degree of interest; the pealing Conch was blown,t
the folding doors were suddenly thro.wn .open, and
tion from the hated spot, and take refuge in deep caves and inaccessible
.recesses to avoid a sensation at which their natqre revolted. (Sacontala.
Translated by Sir W. Jones. Wor)ls. vol. vi.) The Christians . of this
country, before the Reformation, were addicted to the same superstition.
Bhagvat Geeta. p. 123.
t Vid. Bhagvat Geeta. p. 29. This sacred Shell had nine valves or
foldings in memorial of th~ nine incarnations of Vishnu. (Maur. Ind.
Ant. vol. v. P 906.)

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the candidate ~as introduced .into Cailasa or Para:..

dise,* which was ~spacious apartment blazing with
a thousand brilliant lights ;t ornamented with
statues and emblematical figures, scented with the
rich ftagrance of odorous flowers, aromatic gums
and costly drugs ;t decorated profusely with gems
. and jewels; the unsubstantial figures of the airy
inhabitants of unknown worlds carved on the roof
in the act of volitation ; and the splendid sacellum
thronged with priests and hierophants arrayed in
gorgeous vestments and crowned with mitres and
tiaras of burnished gold.!l With eyes rivetted on
the altar, he was taught to expect the descent of the
deity in the bright pyramidal fire that blazed upon
This was the actual name of one of the grottos in the subterranean
temple of Elora, and is supposed by Faber (Pag. Idol. vol. iii. p. 265.) to
have been the illuminated sacellum into which the aspirant was introduced
at the close of his initiation.
t Maur. Ind. Ant. vol. ii. p. 281.
t Ibid. vol. v. p. 801.
Philost. in vit. A pollon. 1. ii. p. 2.
HThe riches of many of these temples is incredible. The pillars were
covered with pl&tes of gold, intermixed with precious stones. (Maur.
Ind. Ant. vol. iii. p. 368.) The images were of gold and silver, and
many thousands were often found in the same temple. (lb. p. 369.) And
when Mahmed broke in pieces the idol of Sunmaut, to his astonishment
he founl the lu!Jlow body full of " liamonds, rubies, and pearls, of a
water so pure, and of a magnitude so uncommon, that the beholders were
filled with surprise and admiration.'' (lb. p. 37S.) The idol of Krishna
in the temple at Mattra had two great rubies in the place of eyes ; and
the fioor of the hallowed temple at Nangracut was covered with plates of
gold. (Mandeslo. Travels. p. :U.) The principal idol in the pagoda at
Benares was decorated with chains of precious atones, some being rubies,
others pearls, and others emeralds. (Voyage de Tavernier. tom. iv.
p. 1111.) In some of the pagodas the ears of the monstrous idols were
gilded and full of jewels, their teeth and eyes of gold. (Purcb. Pili"
vol. L p. 619.)

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n..

The sudden sound of this:shell or trumpet;f:

'&&- wruch the hollow caverns reverberated long and

continued echoes ; the expansion of the .folding

doors; the brilliant display so unexpectedly exhibited before him; the instantaneous prostration of
the prieSts, andthe profound silence which followed
this ceremony, filled the mind of the aspirant witli
admiration, and lighted up the, holy fervour of de..
votio:n in his heart ; so that, in the moment of
enthasiasm, .he could almost pensuade himself that
he actually beheld the expected descent of the great
Bl"ahma, seatec;l on the lotos, with his four headst
" God ia in the fire of tbe altar." (Bhagnt Geet.a. p. 54.).
t Vid. 1. TheBS. iv. 16. where the Judge of all the wo1ld. ia repre
-~ as dlliiC8DdiJig to tbe.aoUDd. of the atemal tnlmpet.
The foar beada of Brahma repteaent equally the four eleDU!DU,.aad
the four quarters flf the. globe. The hiatory of the p~uction of these
four.heada is somewhat curio111, and. I tberef~ introd:uee it here .from
the Mataya. Purana, in Fab. Pag. Idol. vol. i. p. 31Q. " When BrahPia
IUI&umed a mertal shape, he was pleuecl to muifeat h~ in Caalunir.
Here.ODe lWfof hia body sprang from the o\het,. which yet experi!Jnlled
ao diminution; and out of the severed moiety he framed a woman, .den~
minated Iva and Satarupa. Her beauty was such as to excite the love
of the god; but deeming her hia daughter he was ashamed to own hia
passion. During thia. conftict between shame and love he remained
motionleas with his eyes fixed upon her. Satarupa perceived his situation, and stepped aside to avoid his ardent looks. Brahma, being
unable to move, but still desirous to aee her, 11""" j~~~:e 'f1'l'll'l&' llf&t 11p01a
lim towarda the object o! his desires. Again she shifted her situation,
Cllll t11Wtller j~~~:e emaMied jf'O'm the ~~~amoured god. Still she avoided
IUs gaze, until the incamate deity, become ~- toifh jOIIf' j~~~:e
directed to the four quarters of the world, beheld her inceasantly, to
whatever side she withdrew herself. At length ahe recovered her self
posaession, when the other half of his body sprang from him and became Swayambhun or Adima. Thus were produced the first man
and woman, and from their embrace were bom three aoua, in wheal
the Trbaurti became incamate.''

48
and arms; and bearing in his hands 'the usttul emblems of eternity and uncontrollable power,* the
Circle,t and Fire.t
Maur, Ind. Ant. vol. v. p. 852.
t The Circle or Ring was receiveil as an expressive symbol of the Ark
all over the world ; and as the great Father was Aiddela within its incloaure
during the prevalence of the dilu'!'ian waters, many fables sprang out of
this connection. I shall mention only one, the mysterious Ring of Gyges,
which waS reputed to render the wearer invisible. " Gyges, according to
Plato, found a bra,zen horse in a cavern. Within the horse. was. hid the
body of.a man of gigantic stature, having a brazen ring on his fing_e r. _T his
ring Gyges took and found that it rendered him invisible. The cavern, the
ring, and the giant, shew pretty evidently whence this fable originated.
The mare was a form of Ceres or Hippa, the mystic nurse of the ark-exposed
Bacchus or Noah; the man therefore was the Ark. The dead giant. is
the gigantic Buddha, or the great father during the period of his deathlike slumber while inclosed witliin the Ark. And the cavern was one of
those sacred groUos within which the mysteries were perpetually celebrated ; and from which both he and his initiated votaries were feigned
to be bom again." (Fab. Pag. Idol. vol. ii. p. 440. in notA. 1.)
. t " Suddenly a golden temple appeared, containing a chain of wrought
gold. On the ~~m~mit of the temple Brahma alighted, and held a canopy
over the head of Sacya; while lndra, with a fan in his hand; Naga,
prince of serpents, and the four tutelary deities of the four comers of the
univ~rse, attended to do him reverence and service." ( Asiat. Res, voL

ii. p.IW.)

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LECTURE IV.

INVESTITURE,

AND PHILOSOPHY OF THE

INDIAN MYSTERIES.

BY the fatigue attending these protracted ceremonies the aspirant became exhausted; and therefore to renovate his spirits, he was made to drink a
fermented liquor out of a human scull. And now
being fully regenerate, a new nanie was given him,
expressive of his recently attained purity, and he
was introduced to the Chief Brahmin, in the midst
of the august assembly, who received him as a broth.er and associate, invested him with a white robe
and tiara, seated him in an elevated situation, and'
solemnly delivered the Signs, Tokens and Lectures
of the Order. His forehead was marked with a
cross,* which was explained as symbolical of the
four points of the compass. An inverted level was'
inscribed on his breast,. to express his recently acquired dignity, by which be was advanced to an
equality with the superior order of the priests. He
The secta.rial mark on the forehead is called TiiU4, (Valmic.
lQmayuna. p . 2.) Mr. Maurice (Ind. Ant. vol, v. p. 549,) says he hu.
no doubt but thia mark was the hermetic cross.

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60
was invested with the sacred sash or belt, the
consecrated Chaplet, the Kowsteke-Men, or Kowstoobh,t and the talismanic label for the left arm.
The salagram,t or magical black stone was delivered to him as an amulet which would insure to
him the protection ofVishnu,whose multiform shapes
he was emblematically said to have assumed; and the
serpent stone, an amulet similar to the anguinum
of the Druids, was presented as an antidote against
the bite of serpents, or other venomous reptiles.!!
. He was then instructed in the secret art of composing amulets for his own personal protection,~
Mr. Maurice is very particular in his description of this sacred Cord.
It can be woven by no profane band ; the Brahmin alone can twine the
hallowed threads that compose it, and it is done by him with the utmoat
solemnity, and with the addition of many mystic rites. Three threads,
each measuring ninety-six hands are lint twisted together; then they are
folded into tlree and twisted again, making it consist of 11i11t, i. e. tltru
timu three threads; this is folded again into three, but without any more
twisting, and each end is then futened with a knot. Such is the :en11ar,
which being put on the left ahoulder, puses to the right side, and hangs
down u low as the fingen can reach. (Ind. Ant. vol. iv. p. 740.)
t Vid. Signs and Symbols. p. 190.
t Specimens of the Salagram may be seen in the Museum of the
Aaiatic Society.
Maur. Ind. Ant. vol. v. p. 008.
ft Ibid. vol. iv. p. 660
.. "A branch of Suuhi (Euphorbia) in a whitened veasel, placed with
a red llag on the house top, on the fourteenth dayofthedark halfChtlrlra,
drives away sin and disease!' (Rijamartanda, in Aslat. Res. vol. iii.
p. 279.) A charmed paste to procure good fortune, is said, in the Drama
of Sacontala to be prepared as follows: " I have filled," says Anus6yi,
" the shell of a cocoa nut, which you see fixed on aa Amra tree, with the
fragrant dust of Nllgac~saras; take it down and keep it in a fresh lotos
leaf, whilst I collect some G6rachana from the forehead of a sacred Cow,
some earth from the consecrated ground, and some fresh Cusa gr&118, qf
IIIIUch I toUl .at 11 pate to e1t111re 6ood/orlwlte.'' (Sir W. Jones. Works.
1'01. vi.)

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and incantations to procure the tortnre or destrUC
tion of his enemies,* and being now fully invested,
the candidatewasent111sted with the sublimeNAM:E,t
which was known only to the initiated; and which
signified the Solar Fire, or more properly the Sun
itself, the sacred emblem of the supreme deity; and
united in its comprehensive meaning the great
Trimurti, or combined principle on which the ex
is~nce of all things is founded, this wor~ was OM ;t
This was a most horrible ceremony in a country where tJie people
were superstitiously addicted to the belief of pretematural acquirements.
We are not informed what was the absolute nature oftbis charm; but the
following was considered sufficiently efficacious to destroy an enemy.
He who wished to use it, waited patiently for the ceremony of burning a
widow on the funeral pile of her husband ; from the fiames. of which he
snatched the half consumed bamboo lt'ver by which the bodies had been
secured, and retreated rapidly to his hut. Here in the dead of night he
formed this purified bamboo into a bow, and having set up a clay image
to represent his unconscious adversary, he aims an arrow at its breast,
which is believed to inflict a similar wound on his enemy, that would
undoubtedly prove fatal unless averted by a counter incantation. The
Hindoos used charms on every occurrence in life, and generally had the
Lingam suspended from their necks. (Maur. Ind. Ant. vol. v. p. 935.)
For protection against serpents and ravenous beasts; to cure-diseases; to .
ensure success in litigated suits; to appease or destroy an enemy, &c. &c.
The remnant of this ancient superstition is observable amongst the uneducated rustics in almost every part of Europe; but in India it still
exists in all its primitive force.

t The Mahometans, in common with the Jews and Idolaters, attach to

the knowledge of this sacred Name the most wonderful powers . " They
pretend that God is the Lock of the Ism Allah, or Science of the name of
God, and Mohammed the King; that consequently none but Mohammedans can attain it; that it discovers what passes in -distant countries;
that it familiarizes the posseBSOrs with the genii, who are at the command
q( the initiated, and who instruct them ; that it places the winds and the
seasons at their disposal; that it heals the bite of serpents, the lame, the
maimed, and the blind.'' (Niebuhr, cited by Southey, Thalaba. vol. i.
p. 198.)
Vid. Aaiat. Bl:s. vol. i. p. 186.

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or as it was expressed in a triliteral fonn fn the

mysteries AUM,* to represent the creative, pre..
serving and destroying power of the deity,t personified in Brahma-Yishnu-Siva, the symbol of
which was an equilateral triangle.t This ineffable
word formed the subject of incessant and pleasing
coritemplation, which could be indulged only in
silence and seclusion; for the pronunciation of this
awful Name A. U.M. ~ ,11 was said to make eartl~
! In the Oracles ascribed to Zoroaster is a passase whK:h pronounces.
the sacred Namu used in the Mysteries to be inelfable, and ont to be
changed, because revealed by God himself.
. t Wilkina. notes on Bh~vat Geeta. p. 142. This mystic emblem o(
the deity OM, is furbidden to be pronounced .b ut in silence. It is a syllable formed of the letters

3\ a, "3' oo, which in COnlposition eoa1esce,

~nd makes{\ ii, and the nasal consonant'Jl, m. The first letter stands
for the Creator, the second for the Preserver, and the third for the
Destroyer.
' t Maur. Ind. Ant. vol. vii. p. 628. The perfections of God are thus
described in the last book of the Ramayan, translated by Sir W. Jonu.
(Works. vol. vi.) "Vishnu is the being of beings; one substance i11 three
f!W'm8; without mode, without quality, without passion; immense, incomprehensible, infinite, indiYisible, immutable, incoxporeal, irreaistible.
His operations no mind can conceive; and his Will moves all the inhabitants of the universe, as puppets are .moved by strings." It must be
observed, however, that the same is also true of the other two persons in
the divine triad ; for as these three are in fact but one person, the aboYe
attributes were ascribed to him, under what name soever he might be
designated.
Bhagvat Geeta. p. 74.
. 1 Mr. Faber says, that this cipher graphically exhibits the div;ine triad
Balrama, Subhadra, and Jagan-nath. In an old Purana, as we learn
from the Abbe Du Bois, the following passage is found, which shews
the veneration displayed by the ancient Indians for this tremendous word :
" All the rites ordained in the Vedas, the sacrifices to the fire, and all
other solemn purifications shall pass away; but that which shall never
pass away ia the wo1d OM; for it ia the sjmbol of t4e Lord of all thingp."
'
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tremble, and even the angels of heaven to quake

for fear. When it was. thus perfectly com.muni.:
cated, the arpirant was directed to meditate upon
it with the following associations, which are the
mysterious names of the seven worlds, or manifestations of the power of OM, the solar fire.
" OM! Earth, Sky, H~aven, Middle region,
Place of births, Mansion of the blessed, Abode of
truth."t
The Arch Brahmin, making a sign to the initiated
to be silent and attentive, now entered on the explanation of the various emblems which were arranged around him; with the arcana of the hidden
science enfolded under the holy gloom of their mys..
terious veil; the names and attributes of the several
deities whose representations were sculptured on th~
cavern walls; and an elucidation of the mythological
..figures which (Wery .where abounded; emblems Of
Wisdom, Strength, and Beauty; Temperance,
.Fortitude, Prudence, aud Justice, and every other
commendable virtue.
The science of Astronomy occupied a proportionate share of attention dtll'ing this display; but
1\lr. Wilkins infonns us from the BhagntG.e eta, (p.122.) that in addition
to the above cipher, which signifies Om, the combination of two others,

(f"(\. Tat, and ~ S~, are necessary io compose the mysterious name
of the deity. An Eleph~~;nt's head was the visible emblem of this awful
'Name.
OM is termed by Dara Shekoh, the Seal by which secrets or ~ys
teries are revealed. (Vid. Wait. Orient. Ant. p. 86.)
t Porph. de Ant Nymph. p. 268.. Asiat. Res. vol. v. p. ~48.

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its more abstruse problems were hid from common

investigation by the enigmatical obscurity with
which they were studiously invested. Thus a horned
elephant's head symbolized the Son, and a rabbit
the Moon;* but the Sun and Moon were termed in
.their sacred dialect, the two eyes of god; therefore
the forebi'Oing emblems.were mystically the two eyes
of god. Geometry was very early practised in: India,
as is evident from the tme proportions of those stupendous caverns which have been alreadydescribed.t
The Brahmins were consequently acquainted with
the science of Arithmetic; they understood Music,
and Mr. Maurice thinks they were the inventol'S of
Algebra. Their sylvan residence imparted a taste
for the study of Botany, which exemplified itself in
the practice of Medicine and Surgery; nor were
they ignorant of Chemistry, Mineralogy, Metallurgy; and excelled in many 9ther abstruse arts, as
well as those domestic manufactures which are attendant on civilization, and contribute their aid to
the refinements of social life.
An extensive system of Symbolical instruction
was used in the Mysteries, and the veil by which
they were covered was too dense for the uninitiated
to penetrate. Eternity was symbolized equally by
a Serpent and a Wheel; Fire by a Trident ;t
Wisdom, Strength, and Beauty by a Circle of
horned Heads; Benevolence by the Cow; Friend Heetop. p. 177.
t Vid. ut supra. p. 31.
t Maur. Ind. Ant. vol. v. p. 867.
The Cow was also a 'fmbol of the great mother; (Herod. I, ii. c. 41.

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abip by the Buccin~m or Conch; Wisdom bythe

Chakram;* the Lotost was an emblem of the soul~s
,fteedom wh~ liberated from its earthly tabernacle,
.the body; for it takes.root in the mud deposited at
the bottom of a river; vegetates by degrees from
thE) germ to a perfect plant; and afterwards rising
prpudly above the waves, it fioats in air as if independent of any extraneous aill. The Bull was an
- ~~.ofReligion, his four legs being representa.tions ot Purity, Compassion, Penance, and T_ruth;
_and the triple headband with which he was usually
. bound, denoted that he was to be woi'shiped morn.ing, noon, and night. A Spear was a symbol of
:et<ViLt~it

i, 5.) for this animal W&ll usually identified with the Ark.
father is i~dilf!)rently said to be bom from a Cow and from

'l'Juia.:~~

the M'k".~

.
- Krishna is described in the Geeta, (p. 91.) as " of infinite shape;
1'ormed with abwulut arms, and bellies, and mouths, and eyes; crowned,
and armed with a club and Chakra; a mass of glory darting refulgent
beams around." "TheChakram is a round or circular machine, of which
many devotees of Vishnu bear the emhlem, imprinted on their shoulders
with a hot. iron. It is still used in some places as a weapon of war, and
is nothing more than a large circular plate of iron, the outer edge of which
is made very sharp. Through the centre a shaft passes, by means of
which a rotatory motion is given to the plate, which whirls with great
rapidity, and cuts whatever it approaches." (Dubois on the lust. oflnd.
p. S.c. 11.) It is also used without the shaft, for Mr. Wilkins In his
~otes on the Geeta, (p. 96.) describes it as " a kind of discus with a sharp
edge, hurled in battle from the point of the fore finger, for which there is
a hole in the centre.''
t This plant had the good fortune to be lleld sacred in most countries,
In Egypt it was called the Lily of the Nile; and 1\fr. Savary, (vol. i.
p. 8.) say.s it still maintains its prfstine veneration in that country. It
was the great vegetable amulet which distinguished the. eastern nations.
Their gods were always represented as seated on the lotos; it was the
sublime throne of oriental mythology, and referred induLitaiJly to the
Ark of Noah.

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Omnipotence, as Rays of Glory were of blessings

from the gods. . A Serpent bearing-a
globe in its folds, rep1esentetlthe union of Wisdom
and Etemity; and pointed to the great father
and mother of the renovated world; the Egg and
Lunette* symbolized the gene1-ative principle, in.
the persons of the same progenitors; tor the moon
and egg were equally symbols of the Ark from which
they issued when they became the parents of a new
race. The triangle within a circle referred to the
Trimurti ;t and the Trident had a similar allusion.
It was the Ark of Noah, which as a lunette sym-
bolizerl the female principlt>, with the linga, or
male principle for a mast; for according to the
Brahmins, it was under this form that the two prin':"
ciples of generation:j:were preserved at the universal deluge. Thus were religion and philosophy
veiled under the impervious shade of hieroglyphical
symbols; unintelligible to the profane, and intended to lead them into a maze of error, from which
it was difficult to extract a single idea which bore
any resemblance to the original truth. These symbols were publickly displayed in their temples, and
beamed streams of radiant light to the initiated;
while to the profane they were but an obscure mass
of unintelligible darkness.
~anating

Siva ia called'' the god with tht!'C!-eacent." (Bhagvat Geeta..p. 81.)

t Moor's Hind. Panth. p. 400.

f The fact is that the em tire worship of these idolaters, was, and still
continues to be, nothing less than a disgusting scene of lasciviousness,
obscenity, and blood. (Vid. Buchanan. Researches in Asia. p. 129-141.)
Asiat. Res. vol. vi. p. 62S.

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Here the mitiation eooed, and . the oonclidate

was allowed to nntrry and to bring up his family.
His third probation, or Banperist/,, commenced
when his children were all capable of providing for
tbtmselves, and he was weary of the trollbles and
vexations of active life. He returned with his wife
into the recesses of the forest; renounced all other
society; lived in the open air; ate only vegetables;
practiced every kind of ablution known in his caste;
used all the daily p.rayers witho~t any omission, and
occupied himself principally in sacrificing to the
gods.* And from this point of time he was said to
he twice born,t and was considered as a being of a
super~rder.t
,
Til , urth Degree was believed to impart an
extreme portion of merit to the intrepid sage who
possessed courage enough to undettake the performance of its daties. After being formally in.:.
stalled by a~ assembly of his caste, he was solemnly
bound by oath to the following observances: to rub
his whole bod'y every morning with ashes; to avoid
the company of women; to wear heavy and inconvenient clogs, made of wood; to subsist entirely on
a,l~; .to renounce the world and ali his former connections, and to exercise himselfin incessant contemplation. This, added to an endless catalogue of
other duties, penances, and mortifications, was
believed capable of transforming the happy San Maur. Ind. Ant. vol. v. p. 977.
. t lbltl. p. 9S.

t Valmic. Ramayan. p. 00.

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nyase* into .the divine nature,t and to secure
celes~ial gods.t

.him a residence amongst the

LECTURE V.

THE

V~RIETIES

IN CHINA AND .JAPAN.

THE mysteries ofChina and itsdep~ndencieswere

essentially similar to those of India; being derived
from the same source, and containing the same
rites, founded on the same general principles; for
ancient India comprehended the whole of that vast
continent. A recapitulation of the ceremony of
initiation will therefore be unnecessary, and I shall
confine my notices of China and Japan to the
detail of a few prominent facts, which constituted
the shades of difference between them and other
Asiatic nations.
The Chinese practised Buddhism in its most
The word Sannyue meaJI8 a total abetractioD from all worldly thiDp.
(Bhagvat Geeta. p.lU.)
t Ordin. of Menu. Sir W. Jones. Works. vol. iii. p. 461.
"Higleer VJOf'ldl," say the Ordinances of Menu," are illllmiwtd teitla
llle 61MJ qf 1/ual - , who puees from his house, iato t/W /Oflrlh Orlkr,
giving exemption from fear to all animated beings, and pronouncins tiN
fltYW toordl of the Veda. (Sir W:. Joaea Works. vol. ill. p. 230.)

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'69

simple form, and worshipped an invisible God,*

until a few centuries before the Christian era, .when
tiisihle objects of adoration were introduced ;t and
so rapid was the march of innovation, that in the
course of a very short period, China was as famous
as any other idolatrous nation for the number and
variety of its objects of popular adoration.t It is true
Martinius. in Maur. Ind. Ant. vol. v. p. 791.
t Lao-Kiun, who flourished about the year A. C. 600, introduced a
aystem which bore a striking resemblance to that of Epicurus, and his
followers styled themselves Immortals. (Maur. Ind. Ant. vol. v. p. 807.)
They were materialists, but addicted, notwithstanding, to the worship
.. of idols.
t Confucius attempted to reform the abuses which had crept into their
religious mysteries; but licentiousness long indulged, could not quietly
submit to the mortifying castigation of austere and unbending virtue.
The Emperor IUid his grandees disregarded his admonitions; the Manda
. rins hated him for projecting a reformation in those abstruse mysteries,
which in their present state were the chief source of all their wealth, and
all their power; and one of them actually m~e an attempt .upon his life.
And the great philosopher, who was afterwards adored as a gOd by his
countrymen, was obliged to fly from civilized society to escape from the
dreaded machinations of his powerful opponents. He retired into the
desert, and formed a school of philosophy, to which he invited all who
were inspired with a love of virtue and science ; and the genial effects of
his improved system were reserved for the enjoyment of posterity.-One
prominent misconception however counteracted the benefits which might
reasonably be expected to result from this great man's improvements.
On his death bed he predicted that there should arise in the westem part
of the world, a GREAT PROPHET, (Couplet. p. 78.) who should deliver
mankind from the bondage of error and superstition, and establish an
universal system of religion, which should. be ultimately embraced by all
the nations of the earth. His followers erroneously concluded that this
great and powerfnl being was no other than Buddha or Fo himself, who
was accordingly installed into their temples in a visible form, (Asiat.
Res. vol. vii. p. 299.) with solemn pomp, as the chief deity of the Chinese
empire. This procet~ding opened a door to other idolatrous innovations;
. and ideal objects of worship, attended with indecent and unnatnral rites,
{Martin. Sinic. Hist. p. 149.) accumulated so rapidly1 that China 10011

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tbat many abuses had crept, by gmdunl approaches,

into their former system of worship; and the people,
debased by superstition, were prepared for any novd
scheme which might gratify their pride, or satiate
their ctll'iosity. The priests, intoxicated with the
elevation they had attained, converted the profound
veneration of the worshippes to their own aggran
disment; and successive changes tended, in the revolution of ages, greatly to deteriorate the primiti.ve
simplicity of their unsophisticated devotion.
The initiations were performed in a cavern; after
which, processions were made round the 'I'an or
altar,* and sacrifices offered to the celestial gods. .
The chief end of initiation was a fictions immortality, or absorption into the deity ;t and to secure
this admirable state of supreme and never-changing
felicity, amulets! were delivered to the newly initiated candidates, accompanied by the magical words
became celebrated for the practice of every impurity and abominatioll
-which characterized the most degraded nation of the heathen world.
Bryant. Anal. vol. i. p. 94.
t Gros. Chin. vol. ii. c. 5.
t The most valuable amulet they can poesess is a amall idol _eDlolded
in a sheet of consecrated paper. To his neck and arms are appended
bracelets composed of a hundred small beads and eight lar~e osea; and
in a conspicuous situation is placed a large bead in the shape of a gourd.
The happy po88esaor of this trinket on important occaaioaa counted tb
beads pronouncing the mysterious words 0-mi-to Fo I accompanied by
many genufiections. The performance of this ceremony ia recorded by
marking a red circle round the neck of the genius ; and at the death.. of the
devotee, the aggregP.te number of these circles, as indisputable teaUQIOai
ala of the divine favour, or of deliverance f1om danger, are minutely attested
and sealed by the officiating Bonze. The Whole ia then deposited in ,a
11111all box and buried with the deceased as a passport to hcavlUl, and a
~ deliverance frQJD the dreaded evil of suci:~ive tr<UlamigraUODII.

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61
0-Mi-TO Fo,* which denoted the omnipotence or
the divinity; and was c<\nsidered as a m6St complete
purification, and remission of every sin, Their
J;Dorality was limited to five precepts. The first
k>tbids mutder; the second, theft; tbe third, external impurity; the fourth, lying; and the fifth,
drunkenness. They particularly recommended the
candidate to afford protection to .the borules,t that
by the prayers of these holy men, they might be
exempted from the fea1-ful. punishment of their
transgressions; which, they were told, would otherwise consign their transmigrating souls to the purifying medium of a horse, a mule, a dog, a cat, a rnt,
w of a loathsome and insignificant reptile.
:Much merit was attached to the possession of a
~nsecratec;l symbol representing the great triad of
the gentile world. This was an equilateral ttiangle,
said to afford protection in an cases of personal
danger and adversity. The mystical letter Y was
also much esteemed ftom its allusion to the sameui-une god ;t the three distinct lines of which it is
Orrtito was ;lerived, says :Sir W. Jones, (Asiat. Res. vol. ii. p. 374.}
fmm the S11.11scrit Armida, immeasurable; Knd Fo was only another name
for Buddha; or more properly, the same name softened down by a diverlily of language a:nd pronunciation; See Faber's Pagan Idolatry, (vol.
ii. p. 342.) where .the grades are traced by which the one became trans-~
formed into the other.

t These artful priests used magical ceremonies tO delude the multitude,

and to direct the tide of popalar projudice -in their favour through the'
medium of superstition. They boasted of their power over the winds and~
elements, and proclaimed themsehes the ]lOIS68110rs of the philosophers.
stone which would transmute the baser metals to gold, and convey the
ble~~~mg of iminortality.

t Fab. Pag. Idol. vol. i. p. 248. " Tao, or reiUIOil hath produted ou;

oompo!ed fonning tJM, and the one is three.* This

was in efl"ect the ineffable "Narne of the deity ; the
Tetractys of Pythagoras, and the Tetragrammaton
of the J e~s. A ring, supported by two serpents,
was emblematieal of the world protected by the
power and wisdom of the Creator; and referred to
the dilnvian patriarch and his symbolical consort,
the ark; and the ark itsdf was represented by a
boat, a mouth, and the number eight.t
The Rainbow was a celebrated svmbol
in these
..
mysteries, and doubtless originated in the history of
the deluge ; for it was believed that the father of
their radiant god Fo-hi was a rainbow,t which miracoloosly surrounded his mother while walking by
a river's side. The aspirant, however, was the
representative of Noah; and the ark, which was
accounted his 11UJtker as well as his wife, was actually surrounded by Rainbow at the time of his
deliverance or new birth; and hence he was figuratively said to be the offspring of the Rainbow.
The Japanese held that the world was inclosed in
an Egg before the creation, which floated on the

one hath produced hDo; two have produced three; and three have
produced all things." (Du Haide, China. vol. ii. p. so. Le Comte.
China. p. SJ8.)
We JIDd here again a 111perstitious veueration for odd numbers, u
containing divine properties. Thus while the sum of the eveu numbers,
1+4+6+8+1o=S0 designated the Number o! E4rth; the sum of the odd
numbers, 1+1+5+7+9=21 was dignified with the appellation o( the
Number o( H-~
t Fab. Mys. Cab. vol. i. p. 251,
f Vid. Sigus and SymbolS. p. 101.
~ The Egg wu ~ways esteemed an emblem of the earth.

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surface of the waters.* At this period a pricklef

appeared ~mongst the waves which became spirii,
and was called Kunitoko-datnw-Mikotto; from
from whence sprang six other spirits ;t who, with
their wives were the parents of a. race of heroes from
whom proceeded the original inhabitants of Japan.
The history is thus siven in the Ceremonies aud Religious Customs
of various Nations. (p. 417.) "There is a pagod.p. at Micao consecrated
to a hieroglyphic Bull, which is placed on a large square altar, and composed of solid gold. His neck is adorned with a very costly collar; but
that indeed is not the principal object that commands our attention. The
most remarkable thing is the Egg, which ho pushes with his horns, as he
gripes it between his fore feeL This Bull is placed on the summit of a
rock, aud the Egg lloats in some water, which is enclosed within the
bollow space of it. The Egg represents the Chaos; aud what follows is
the illustration which. the doctors of Japan have given of this hieroglyphic. The whole world. at the time of the Claaoe, was encloeed
within this Egg, which swam upon the aurface of the waters. The MooD.
by virtue of her Light and her other in11uences, attracted from the bottom
of these waters a terrestrial snbstauce, which was insensibly converted to
a Rock, and by that means the Egg rested upon it. The Bull, observing
this Egg, broke the Shell of it, by goring it with his horns, and so
created the world, and by his breath formed the human species. This
fabJe may in .soDle measure be reconciled with truth, by supposing that
an ancient tradition had preserved amongst the Japanese, some idea of
the .c reation of the world ; but that being led into an error. in process of
time, by tbe ambiguous meaning of the name of the Bull, which in the
Hebrew language is attributed to the Deity, they ascribed the Creatiqa
of the world to this animal, instead of the Supreme Being."
t To this source may be referred the Gothic idol Seater, which
Verstegan, from Johannes Pomarius, thus describes. (Restitution of
Decayed Intelligence. p. 78.) First, on a pillar was placed a pearcA, 1111
the sharp prickled lxu:k whffeqf stood this idol. He was lean of visage,
having long hair and a long beard; and was bareheaded and barefooted.
In his left hand he held up a Wheel; and in his right he carried a pall o(
~ater, wherein were 11owers and fruits. His long coat was girded unto
him with a towel of white linen. His standilig on the sharp finna of thia.
fish, was to signify that the Saxons for their serving him, should paaa
ateadfastly and without harm in dangerous and di11icult places, &c."
~ The good deity was called Amidas; the evil, Jemma.

~ Krempf. Japan. b. iii. c. 1.

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They worshipped a deity who was styled the son of
the unknown god, and considered as the creator of
the two great Lights of heaven.*
The cavernst of initiation were in the immediate
vicinity of their temples, because one of their old
deities was said to be born from a ca\'e ;t and genetally in the midst of a grove and neat to a stream
of water. They were furnished with large mirrors
to signify that the imperfections of the heart are as
plainly displayed to the sight ,of the gods, as the
worshi ppe1s behold their own image in the glass.
Hence the mirror was a significant emblem of the
AU-observing Eye of the god Tcnsio Dai Sin. They
were also decorated with a profusion of hieroglyphical designs cut in white paper, as striking symbols
of the purity acquired by initiation.
The term of probation for the highest degrees wa.'l
twenty years; and even the hierophant was not
competent to perform the ceremony of initiation
until he himself had been initiated the same period;
and his five assistants must necessarily have ~d
each ten years experience from the date of their admission before they were competent to take this
subordinate part in the initiations. The aspirant,
during the term of his trial learned to subdue his
In some of the representations of this idol be was pourtrayed sitting

on the Lotos, with four arms, referring to the four Seasons of the Year,

each of which bad its appropriate emblem. In others be bad seven heads,
aymbolical of the seven days of the week, and thirty arms, which repreaented the period or cycle of thirty years. His image Wbll made of solid
gold, to denote his eternity and imperishable nature.

t Aliat. Res. vol. vii. p. 422.

Krempf. Japan. p. 151.

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passions; .devoted him:self" to the. practice of auste.o
rities, and studiously abstained from every carnal
indulgence.* In the closing ceremony of prepara,tion he was entotnbed within the Pastos or place of
penance; the door of which was said to be guarded
by a terrible divinity armed with a drawn sword, as
the vindictive fury or god of punishment. During
the course of' his probation the aspirani sometimes
acquired such a high degree of enthusiasm, as in.:
duced him to refuse to quit his confinement in the
pastos; and to remain there until he literally perish-
ed with famine. To this voluntary martyrdom was
attached a promise of never-ending happiness in the
paradise of Amidas. Indeed the merit of such a
sacrifice was boundless. His memory was celebra.;.
ted with annual rejoicings. The initiationst however were dignified with an assurance of a happy
immortality to all who passed through the rites
honourably and with b~coming fortitude.
Amuletst were delivered to the initiated as a
He was .obliged t11 renounc:e the use of flesh, and to subsist wholly
upon vegetable food ; to use numerous ablutions daily; and a,e lt is ex"
pressed by Keempfer,kneeling down on the ground, with his buttocks to
his heels, and clapping his hands over his head, to lift hi.mielf up seven
hundred and fourscore times every day.
t Vid. Signs and Symbols; p. 101.
. :t The amuletll within their dwellings were numerous ; every disease
and misfortune having ita appropriate c:harm. There was also one, 8ays
Keempfer, (Hist. Japan. b. v. c. 4.) against Poverty; and this author
quaintly remarks, " houses with this last mark must needs be very safe
from thieves and housebreakers." But one of their most efficacious
amulets was the Ofarrai or Indulgence, which was usually presented to
the devout pilgrim who had performed his devotions at the temple of the
moat high god Tensio Dai Sin, at lsge. " Thill Ofarrai is a small oblong

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certain source of protection ~n all dangers and ~

versities. Amongst these, two were the most venerated; a ring or circle of gold, as an emblem of
eternity, rituallyc<>n&ecrated, was supposed to convey
the blessing of a long and prosperous life ; and a
~haplet of consecrated flowers or sacred plants and
boughs of trees; which being suspended about the
doors of their apartments, prevented the ingress of
impure spit-its.; and hence their dwellings were
exempted from the. visitations of disease or calamity.
aquare box, about a span and a half long; two inches broad, an inch and
a half thick, made of small thin boards, and full of thin, small sticks,
some of which are wrapped up in a bit of white paper, in order to remind
the pilgrim to be pure and humble, these two virtues being the most
pleasing to the gods. The name of the temple Tai Singu, that is, the
temple of the great God, printed in large characters, is pasted to the front
of the box, and the name of fhe Canusi who gave the box, for there are
great numbers that carry 011 this trade, to the opposite tide, in a smaller
character, with the noble title of Taiju, which is as much as to say,
MetSengera of the gods, a title which a11 the olllcera of Mias assume to
themselvea. This Otarrai, the pilgrims receive with great tokens of retpect and humility, and immediately ~e it under their hats, in order to
keep it from the rain. They wear it just under their forehead, and
balance it with another box, or bundle of straw, - much of the same
weight, which they fasten to the opposite side of the hat. Those that
travel on horseback have better conveniences to keep and to hide it.
When the pilgrims are got safe home, they take especial care for the pre:servation of this Ofarrai, as being a relic of very great moment and con
eequence to them. (KIIeDlpf. Japan. b. iii. c. 4.)

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LECTURE VI.

ON THE MYSTERIBS. OP PERSIA.

' T:HE Persian mysteries were indebted to Zera..:.

d~sht, or Z~roaster for much of the celebrity which
they attained. This great reformer is said by Hydet
and
to be a Jew by birth, and to.have
.. .
.Prideauxt
:
.
_; '~

... :- l:le was called by the Persians, Zeradusht, and by the Greeks~
,ZOroaster. The question of the identity of Zeradusht and Zoroaster will
form no part of the present undertaktng. Such a person, under one of
thesenames did actually fiourish in Penia, and reform its religion about
the latter end of the Babyoniah captivity, and I am little concerned iA
this much agitated question. The curious reader may profitably consult
Hyde on the Religion of ancie11t Persia; Richardson's Disaertation, 2;
Prideaux Connection, p. 1. b. iv.; and Faber's Pagan Idolatry, b. iii. c. S
. . . t Hyde. Rei. vet. Pe111. p. 814.
Prid. Con. vol. i. p. 21S.
., ; The Pel'llian historians have shewn much anxiety to establish the
supernatural perfection of this great prophet's birth. " A Persian author
has declared," saya,jir John Malcolm, (Hist. Pers. c. 7.) "that the reJi..
poue, among theflttowe111 of Zoroaster, believed that the soul of that
holy person was created by God, and hWig upon that tree from which all
that is celestial bas been produced .. .. 1 have heard, this author observes,
the trise .ud holy Mobud, Seerooeh declare, that the fatlllir of ZOroatter
had a cow, which, after tasting some withered leaves that had falleu ~..
the tree, never ate of any other: these leaves being her sole food, all .tbe
milk she produced was from them. The father. of ZMouter, who~e IWIIO
was Poorahasp, was entirely supported by this milk ; and to it, in con
eequeDce, they refer the pregnancy of his mother, whose name , was
Daghda. Another account saya, this cow ate the sonl of Zoroaster, as it
bllllJ to the tree, ud that it puaed, ~gh her milk, to .tlut fathm: of ~t

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received his education in the elements o the true

worship amongst his countrymen in Babylon. He
afterwards became an attendant on the prophet
Daniel, and from him received initiation into aU
the mysteries or the Jewish doctrine and practice.
His abilities being of a superior cast, he made a
rapid progress in his studies, and became one o the
most learned men of his age. Perceiving that the
homage paid to his master was inspired by his extraordinary endowments, Zoroaster was desirous of
Converting his own acquirements to the same purpose; and as he wa<J not enabled to prophesy by the
aid of God's Holy Spirit, he had recourse to the
study of magic, which he prosecuted under the
Chaldean philosophers, who oonf~rred upon him
the privilege of initiation into their mysteries. This
brought him into disgrace with Daniel,* who
banished him from the land, and prohibited his
return on pain of death.t He fled to Ecbatana,
prophet. The apparent object of this atatemeot is to prove that Zoroaster
wu bom in innocence ; and that not even vegetable life was destroyed to
-give him existence. When he was bom, he burst into a loud laugh, like
the prince of necromancers, Merlin, ud auch a light shone from his body as
Uluminated the whole room. This ancient tradition respecting Zoroaster,
which we meet with in Persian books, is mentioned by Pliny."
Hyde. Rei. vet. Pers. p. 114.
t J have given the above account of the early life of Zoroaster on the
authority of Hyde and Prideaux, although I myself entertain some doubts
of its probability. Whoever this extraordinary character might be, it is
certain that he po88e8sed an extensive .knowledge of all the sc;ience and
philosophy then known in the world and had been initiated.intothe peculiar
Mysteries of evt~ry nation, to qualify himself for the distinguished part he
was now about to act on the great theatre of Ohe world. I think also it it
highly probable that two dittinct pel'IIOJlageB of the aame ll&Jil6 lourjpecl

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and giving out that he was a prophet, set about the

arduous and dangerous design of reforming* the
Persian religion; the character of which, by a series
of gradual and imperceptible changes, had become
subverted ftom its primitive objec~t; and the Sabian
system had almost prevailed over the ancient Magian
form of worship. Professing to be a rigid Magian,'
this plausible impostor, like other bold innovators of.
all ages and nations, soon found himself surrounded
by followers in every rank oflife, who entered into.
his schemes with all the enthusiasm usually excited.
by novelty, and gave their most strenuous support
to his projected plan of reformation. He was op~nly
patronized by the monarch, Darius Hystaspes,t who
accompanied him into Cashmere for the purpose of
completing his preparatory studies by the instruction
of the Brahmins, from whom he had previously re-
ceived initiation.t After having obtained a complete
knowl~dge of their theological, mathematical, and
astronomical system, he returned into Bactria, arid
took up his residence with'his royal patron at Balk.
He began with their religion. Before his time
the Persians worshipped in the open air, and resisted
in Persia at diiFerent eras, the former perhaps the inventor of a system
which the other improved. (Vid. Justin. I. i. c. 1. Plin. I. xxx. c. 1.
Diog. Laert. in Proem. &c. Prid. Con. mi. i. p. 212. Stanley on the
Chaldean Philosophy, c. 2.; and Richardson's Dissertation. 2nd edition,
p. 230.)
.
Pococke. Specim. Hist. Arab. p. 147.
t Hyde. Rei. vet. Pers. p. 323.
t Am. Marcell. I. xiii .
~ Prid. CoD. vol. i. p. 220.

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10

the innovation of covered temples,* long after they

were adopted by other nations; for they thought that
an immaterial Being could not be confined in buildings erected by the hand of man; and therefore they
considered the broad expanse of heaven as the sublime covering of a temple consecrated to the deity.t
Their plact:ls of sacrifice were of an open and very
simple nature, being elevated on hiils,t and composed principally of irregular circles of unhewn
stone, like those of the northern nations of Europe.
They abominated images, and worshipped the Sun
and Fire,U as representatives of the omnipresent
deity. Zoroaster succeeded in prevailing on them
to preserve the Sacred Fire, which by burning on
the highest hills, was liable to be extinguished by
storms and tempests, in covered Fire towers~ which
The PeraiiUUI were not singular in this custom; for the early Egyptiau,as well as the Druida and others, worshipped in uncovered temples.
(Clem. Alex. Strom. 5. Lucian de Del Syria.)
t Vid. Cic. de Leg. I. ii. c. 2.
t Strabo. I. xv.
~ Herod. Clio. I. i. Yet, " according to the Zinat o'ttawarikh, idolatry
first arose in Persia from survivor&.Jire&erving the busts and images of
their deceased friends; which, in subsequent ages were venerated with
divine honours by their posterity." (Wait. Orient. Ant. p. 11.)
II Even the Jews in their idolatries were not exempt from the superstition& adoration of this element, a practice which they pretended to
justify from their own acriptures. God, say they, appeared in the
Cherubim over the gate of Eden as CJ jlCJming ~Word, (Gen. iii. 24.) and to
Abraham as CJjiCJmt qf fire; (Gen. xv. 17.) and again to Moses as CJ fire
at Horeb; (Exod. iii. 2.) and to the whole assembly of the people at
Sinai, when he descended upon the mountain in fire; ( Exod. xix. 18.) and
they further urged that Moses himself had told them that their God wu
a eotUtmlillg fire, (Deut. iv. 24.) which was reechoed more than once;
(Dent. ilt, 8.) and thence the Jews were weak enough to worship the
DJ&terial subetance, in lieu of the invisible and eternal God.
f Hyde de Rei. vet. Pen. c. 8, et passim.

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71

were circular buildings, with a dome, anda small

orifice at the top to let out the smoke. In these ihe
sacred flame, where God was supposed to .reside,
was kepi perpetually alive. Thus the building represented the Universe; and the central fire which
constantly blazed within it, was figurative of the
great luminary, the Sun.
He then proceeded to remodel the Mysteries;*
and to accomplish with the'greater effect, his ambitious designs, he retired t o a circular cave or grotto
in the mountains of Bokhara,t which he ornamented.
with a profusion of symbolical and astronomicalt
decorations, and solemnly consecrated it to the
Middle god or Mediator Mitbr-As, or as he was
elsewhere denominated; the invisible deity,N the
parent of the universe, who was himself said to be
hom, or produced from a cave hewn out of a rock.
Here the Son,** represented by a burning gem.
Pococke. Speo. Hist. Arab. p. 147. t Porj)h. de Ant. Nymph. p, 254.
f There do not exist two opinions respecting the early knowledge of'
astronomy in this quarter of the globe. Indeed Pliny says, (N!!.t. Hist.
I. i. c. 26.) Bel us inventor f'uit sideralis scientilll; and Belus was the
grandson of Ham.
The Persians were so deeply impressed with this amiable oharacteristic of their god, that they denominated every pt>rson woo aettd p thf
capacity qf a. med.Uzt,. between two conteadllig parties; Mithras. (Plut.
lliid. et Osir. p. 4S.)
ft Mithras, whether corporeal or incorporeal, wu unquestionably ~li
by the Persians Cor the Supreme Deity, according to that of Heaychius,

Mt8pac 7rpWTOC w DE~atc ~EOC; Mitbras th~ fint god among

the Persians; who was therefore called in the inscription (Apnd Gruter.
Tbesaur. lnscrip. p. 84.) Omnipotenti Deo Mithne. (Cudw. Intell. Sys.
I. i. c. 4.)
, Juat.Mut. d.illl cum Tryph. p. 296. Porpb. de Ant. Nymph. p. 265.

72.

-which beamed forth a lustre insupportably splendid

and powerful,* occupied a conspicuous situation ia
tke centre of- tlte roof; the planets were displayed
in order round him, in studs of gold glittering on a
rich ground of azure; the zodiac was splendidly re.
presented in embossed gold,t in which the co.nstellations Leo, or Leo Mithriaca,t and Taurus with the
Sun and Lunette emerging from his head or back
in beaten gold, as emblematical of the diluvian
father and mother issuing from the .ark, bore a distinguished chamcter. The four ages of the world
were represented by so many globes of gold, silver,.
brass and iron. Thus bedecked with gems and .
precious stones, and knobs of burnished gold; the.
cave appeared to the enraptured aspirant, during
the celebmtion of the mysteries, illuminated, as
it was, by . innumerable lamps which reflected a
thousand different colours and shades of colour,ll
like the enchanting vision of a celestial palaee.~
In the centre of the cave was a marble fountain
Maur. Ind. Ant. vol. ii. p. 28.
t The tomb of Osymandyas in Egypt, was surroun4ed with a broad
circle of beaten gold, three hundred and sixty-five cubits in circumference,
to rePE-nt the number of days in the year. (Diod. Sic. p. 44.)
Maur. Ind. Ant. vol, v. p .986.

The Bull and Sun were emblematical of the great father or NQ&h.
riding in safety in the Ark; for Noah was the Sun, and the Bull was an
&&knowledged symbol of tht~ Ark. (Porph. de Ant. Nymph. p. 265.)
Hyde (de Rei. vet Pers.) says, that the Mogul emperors use this device

on their coins. Sometimes however Leo is'substituted for Taurus.

UMaur. Ind. Ant. vol. v. p. 987.
f See the Story of the Second Calendar in the Arabian Nig~
&tertainments.

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73
of water,* transparent as crystal; to supply the
numerous basons with which the grotto was furnished for the purpose of ablution and ceremonial
purifications.t The. cavern thus ornamented, furnished, and disposed, was an emblem of the widely
extended univer.se,t supported by the three grand
Pillars of Eternity, Fecundity, and Authority; and
the symbols with which it was profusely adorned referred to every elem~t and principle i~-nature.11
. Every preparation being completed, Zoroaster
caused a rum our to_ be propagated that he had been
favoured with a celestial vision, received up into
the abode of the Most High,~ and permitted to
converse with that awful Being face to face, who,
he said, was encircled with a bright and ever living
:tlame of fire; that a system of pure worship had
beea revealed to him, which he was directed to
communicate to thos~ oply who possessed sufficient
Maur. Ind. Ant. vol. v. p. 900.
t Porph. de Ant. Nymph. p. 261.
Ibid. P i54.
Signs and Symbols. p. lSI.
1 And let it not be thought that these riches and this refulgent splen
dour are inconsistent with probability, for the Persians of this age were
a magnificent people, and possessed an abundance of wealth, which they
used with great profusion, The palace of Ecbatana, the imperial residence of Shah-in-Shah is thus described: "The w~lls and ceilings were
overlaid with gold, ivory, and amber, exhibiting the noblest designs,
wrought in the most exquisite taste. Its lofty throne of pure gold was
raised on pillars refulgent with jewels of the richest lustre. The monarch's
bed, also of pure gold, Wl\8 shaded with a golden vine and palm tree,
on whose branches hung clusters of emeralds and rubies. He reposed
his head on a casket containing five- thousand talents of gold, which
was oalled the king's bolster; and )lis feet rested on another, containing
three thousand talents of the same metal, &c. &c." (Maur. Ind. Ant.
wJ. vii. P 481.}
t Prid. Con. vol. i . p. 216,

14
'Virtue io re8ist the allurements of the world, and
were willing to devote themselves to the study of
philosophy, and the pure and unmixed contemplation of the deity and his works.
In the most secret recesses of this hallowed cave,
he now commenced the celebration of ihose famous
rites which exalted his name to the highest summit
of celebrity. E very person who wished io attain a
knowledge o f the Persian philqsophy resorted to the
Mithratic cave for initiation. The fame ofZoroaster
spread throughout the world. Numbers &om the
most distant regions* came to hear his Lecmres;
and, it is said, even Pythagoras travelled from Greece
for initiation by this celebl"ated philosopher.t His
doctrines however were a continued tissue of allegory, which none could understand but thoSe who
were qualified by initiation; and his System embraced all sciences, human and divine.

The commentary on the book of Zeratllsht in the Deaatir contains

many curious instances of these visits, which ~nifonnly ended in con:
veraion.
t Sir W. Jones thinks "it is barely possible that Pythagoras knew
him. The Grecian aage," aays he, " must have been far advanced in
years; and we have no certain evidence of an intercourse between the two
philosophers." (Asiat. Res. vol. ii.) On the other hand, Dean Prideaux
observes, " that they who write of Pythagoras do abDost all of them tell
na, that he was the scholar of Zoroastres at Babylon, and learned of him
most of that knowledge which afterwards rendered him so famous in the
west. So aaith. Apuleius, and so aay Jamblichus,"Porphyry and Clemena
Aluandrinus/' (Conaeet. vol. i. p. 228.)

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LECTURE VII.

~~ttOD trSED IN THE PREPARATION AND

..,

i : .' ~
l~ITIATION

: . 'I J

OF CANDIDA'l'ES IN PERSIA

.!ffo.prepare the candidate for initiation, numerous

lustratiolis were performed with water, fire, and
honey.* It is said by some that .he went through
ftw.ty degrees of probation,t by others eigldy~
which ended with a fast of fifty days continuance.
These intense and protracted trials were endured in
the gloomy recesses of a subterranean cavern, where
he was condemned to perpetual silence, wholly secluded from society, and confined amidst cold and
nakedness, hunger and stripes,ll accompanied with
an extreme degree of refined and brutal torture.~
The unbending severity of this stern noviciate, was
in some instances attended with fatal effects;** m
Lucian in' Necyom.
t Nonn. Dion. p. 97.
Porph. de Abstin. p. 150.
Nicretas, cited by the Abbe Banier. Myth.
Jl Maur. Ind. Ant. vol. v. p. 992.
f " The dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty."
Psalm lx.xiv. 20.
When a candidate died under the inftlction of these rigid penances,
an event by no means uncommon, his body wu cast into an inner caem,

and he was never more heard of. In the fifth century of christianity, ac-

oordial to tho report pf Soaratel, a cJuietiaa wri&er, (Hiat. Eocl11. 1.~.:

,'~
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otbers, the candidate sufFered a partial derangement

of intellect; bot tbe few, whose robust nerves enabled them to rise superior to tbe moat extreme suffering of a fully extended probation, were eligible
to the highest honours and dignities; and received
a degree of veneration equal to that which was paid
to the supernal deities. But the unhappy novice~
who suffered his courage to forsake him through
excess of fatigue or torture. was rejected with the
strongest marks of infamy and contempt, and for
ever accounted profane and excluded from society.
The successful probationer, at the expiration of his
noviciate was brought forth into the cavern of. initi-
ation, where he entered on the point of a sword .
presented to his naked left breast, by which he
was slightly wounded,* and then he was ritua11y
prepared for the approaching ceremony. He
was crowned with olive,t anointed with oil of
e. 2.) " the christians of Alexandria having discovered a e&Yem tAct W
beea couecralld to Mitltnu, but for a long period closed up, reaolved to
explore it, and examine what remnants of that superstition it coDtaiDed;
when to their astonishment, the principal thing they found in it wu a '
great quantity of human sltulll and other bones of men that had been thus
sacrificed; which were brought out, publickly exposed, and excited the
utmost horror in the inhabitants of that gJeat oity." (Mav.llld. Ant.
vol. v. p. 96:5.)
Tertull. apud Maur. lttd. ,Ant. vol. " p. 991.
t " The olive in the mysteries wu commemorative of the olive branch
brought back to Noah by the dove; and it wu the propitious omen that .
the patriarch and his family would speedily emerge from tae gloom of the.
Ark to the light. of day ; that they would each eoon be able te exclaim, I
have escaped an evil; I have found a better lot. With a siJIIjlar allusioa
to the history of the deluge, the priestaofMithruwere atyled.HieroooNCe~~,
01 eaored R4wu; and the oracalar pr.iealelilel of Bmmoa, :hleiaclea, .

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&em,. anda.mled with encbante<larmomt by his gttide,

:whowasthe representative ofSimorgh,. a monstrous
griffin,t .and an important agent in the machinery
of Persian mythology, and furnished with talismans
that he might be ready to encounter all the hideous
monsters raised up by the Dives to impede his progress to perfection.ll Introduced into an inner
.pne; while ia consequence of the clesc connection of the lknle and the
olil'e, a particular species of that tree was denominated

Colomb~.''

(P.ab. Mys. Cab. c. to. with authorltiea.)

Berhani .Kattea. Th& oil of be is the balaam of Bezoin. (Wait.
Orient. Ant. p. lW.)
t Rich. Dessert. p. 1'70.
:t "The Simorga," aays Wait, (Orieat. Ant. p. 165.) "whose name
implies that it is.of the size of thirty birds, appears to ha,e been a speciea
of Eagle.'' In Richardson's Dictionary it is thtts described: " It correllpoods in some respectS with the idea of the Phoenix, one o'u(r of the
Jpecies being supposed to exist, ancllike the G rillia in shape and monstrous
size. It is fancied to be rational, to have the gift of speech, !lnd to ha\e
reigned as queen on the fabulous mountain of Kaf. The Caharmb
ni\mah ~vee an accouet of a couvensatioB which tllat hero had with bel)
in which she informed him of h~r having lived several ages before Adam,
end seen. many :wonderful revolutions of different species of beings that
inhabited the globe before the creation of man. It is described by naturalists aa a creature whose name is known, its body unknown;" and is
probably but a duplicate of the Arabian Roc, (Vid. Arabian Nights'
Entertainments; Tales of Sinbad.) for the Arabian word for the Simorgh
was Rakahi; (Rich. Disliert. p. 114.) the EgyptianPhniz(Ovid. Metam.
l. xv. v. S92.) or tke Indian GCII"IICM. ( Asiat. Res. vol. i. p. 248.)
' " The most fameus taliamaus, which rendered the heroes of Persian
romance proof against the arms and magic of the Dives, (or wicked genii,)
were ,..lulr SoliJJIGai, or the seal of Solomon Jared, the ifth monarch of
~e world, .which gave to its posaeuors tile eommaad of the elemen~
demons, and of every created thing ;-the 8iper or buckler of Ju~bell.
J im, DIOre famous in the eaat thBJi tlae shield of Achilles among the
Greek.s;..-the Je~Mit, or the ioq)enetiable cuirus;-and the ~Ia clith, or
the laJBiug &word.'' ( Diseert~ p; i?lt.)
R The preparati!Jn fur theae eneciwlters couiated of spells as a defeJlOC
qailllt enahaatment; accoJDp&Diaclwita ce~OIIiel .dill'eriDt little tiolll

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78
apartmenth~was. pnrified : with fire andwater;* .and

solemnly pu~ through the SEVENtSTAGES ofiniti

ation.t First he beheld a deep and dangerous
vault from the precipice where he stood, intO which
a single false step might precipitate him down to
the" throne of dreadful Necessi~," which was an
emblem of those infernal regions through which he
was about to pass. Threading the circuitous mazes
of the gloomy cavern, he was soon awakened from
his trance of. thought, by seeing the sacred fire, at
intervals, fearfully flash through its recesses and
illuminating his path ; sometimes bursting from
beneath his feet;. sometimes descending on his head
in a broad sheet of white and shadowy flame.
Amidst the .terror thus inspired, his admiration was
excited by the distant yelling of J'avenous beasts ;
the roaring of lions, the howling of wolves, the fierce
those. practised by our European Knig~ts errant, when setting out oa
their adventurea to reacue distrest dllliiSel& from the power of necro.
mane)ers or giants. (Vid. Rich. Dessert. p. 280.)
.Mav. lnd. Ant. vol. v. p. 991.
t This is represented as . a high Ladder with seven steps or ~
(Orig. con. Cels. I. iv. Vid. Signs and Symbols. p. 148.) The use of
the number 8ef!ft forms an important feature in all the illstitutions of
antiquity, wheijler their tendency be idolatrous or otherwise. The re..
fere.ace might probably be to the seven antediluvians who were saved
with Noah in the Ark. The conjecture bears strong marks of truth &o1a
tile extruntill&ry fact, that almost .every ancient idolatrou .nation ad~ the .rites of divine worahip to . Seven hero-gods. (See tbe eeOOild coune; lee. 1.)
t Tlrill part of tile oerem011y .might probably bear some all~ to the
IIOUl toiling through the~ towards perfection oil~
beatitude; for Hyde informs us, (de Rei. nt. Pers. p. IN.) tbat thia
doctrine was ~ IIIII iD tile Persian mysteries.
~ Cela~, .cited by Maar,. 1114. Allt. vol. iv. p. OU..

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;;md threatening bark of dogs.* Enveloped il)
blackest darkness,t be was at a los.s where to turiJ.
for safety; but was impelled rapidly forward by his
attendant, who maintainetl an unbroken silence,
towardi tl,l~ quarter front .wh~nce the appalling
sollnds proceeded ; and at the sudden opening of .a
door he fqund himself in a den of wild beasts,~
diQlly eq.lightened with ~single lamp. His con-:c}uctQr ex;horted him to courage, and he was im~
~eqiately attacked, amidst the most tremendous
upr.oar, by the initiated in the forms of lions,U tigers,
wolves, griffins,~ and other monstrous beasts; fierce
dogs appeared to rise from the earth, and wi~
~readful howlings endeavoured to overwhelm th~
aspiraqt. with alarm;** and how bravely soev~r h~
In the Zoroutriao Oracles, theBe dogs are said to apriDg out of the
earth, aod bay tremendously before the upiraot.
t DarkneBB wu a symbol of Secrecy, and hence it wu adored, 8lld
hailed with three cMm. (Vid. Signs and Symbols. p. 112.)
t To such miserable expedients were these idolaters reduced to perpetuate their system, that even these farcical representations were encouraged to give ell'ect to the mysterious celebrations.
Rich. Dissert: . p . 110.
.
0 Mr. Maurice thinks that real lions and other savage beasts were lD-:
troduced; (Ind. Ant. vol\ v. p. 997.) but this terrible conjecture mtiat be
admitted with great reluctaoce, from the imminent daoger with which it
would have been accompanied.
f Vid . Signs and Symbols. p. Ul.
Pletho, in his notes on the magic oracles ofZoroa.Ster, aay11 Mona. de
G!lbe~ apeak~ ~so of the dogs which are me.ntioned by Virgil. It was
the custom he adds~ in the celel!ration ~f the Mysteries, t~ place before the
&Qiraot, Jl~toma in the figure of dogs, aod other monstrous spec~ ao~
appiU:itions. (Mopd~. Primitif. to111. iv. f 336. Vid. alsoWarb. Dh:. ~~'
voJ! ~.,p, ~~),A}l9lJ~~i)U\ 11pe~ o!the ~e t~~

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ooui-age might sustain him in' this ~~
he Meldom escaped un'bmt.
L ., ., ~ : rT ~~
Being hurried through this cavern iB.tO ano~her,
he was once more shrouded in darkness. A dead
silence succeeded, and he was obliged to proceed,
with deliberate step, meditating on the danger he,
had just escaped, and smarting under the wounds .
he had received. His attention, however, was 8ooa
roused from these reflections and directed tO other .
dangers which appeared to threaten. An un~.
fined rumbling noise was heard in a distant ra~ef
cavernst which became louder and louder is g
advanced, until the pealing ihunder* seemed. t&
rend the solid rocks and burst the caverns around
him ;t and the vivid and continued Bashes of ligb.t-.:
Brimo up rises from the laud of shades:
: ~ "'' .
Snakes, wreath'd in oaken boughs clirl'd round herltalr," ' '"' ~~,;'
And gleaming torcllea cast a dismal glare.
.A :
To guard their queen the hideous dop of hell,
, #1 . "' :
Rend ibe dark welkin with incessant yell;
" ,, " " 1soft,.
The heavillg ground beneath her footsteps shaket,
~!J:-mT
Load shriek the Naiads of the neighbouring lakes; &c.
li.: '-'' '
F.untES.
~i
They wereaquainted witla a chemical proeeas to imitate tlnmder .....;
li&htoillg.(Philostret. Vita Apollon.I. 2. SS.)
''' ..
t This was intended to represent the tremendou1 conteata- between tM .,
Peris and the Dives, which shook the earth to ita fowidation, Thae '
fabulous struggles for preemillence. ran thr011gh the whol& ayatem tit
Peniao romance, which indeed derives its principal attraotieu by 1tle ule
of this machinery. In general the Peris or good genii ha_-re die 111,.,..~ '
riority, but "when they are in danger of being onrpowered by tbeirfoet; '
they I!Oliclt the aasi&taoce of some mortal hero; and 1o puthim 011 a root-"
ing of prowess with the gigantic dives, or evil genii, he Ia armed with
enchanted talismans, and mounted on some tremend<iug mouter. One of
the moat famou1 adventurenl in fairy-land i& Tahmuru, an ancial\ Persiaa
king. The Peril honour him with a 1plendid embusy; ud tla&-Di-ree;

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81

ning,* in streaming sheetS or fire, rendered .visible

the flitting shadest of avenging genii, who, frowning displeasure, appeared to threaten with summary
destruction these daring intruders into the privacy
who dread him, send also anot,her. He consults the griffin Simorgh; she
speaks ~1 l.aDguagea ll!ld knows future eventa. She counsels him to aid
the Perla ; informs him of the dangers he will encounter, and gives him
instructions how to proceed. She offers her assistance to conduct him to
Jbnristan; and as a token of friendship, pulls some feathei:s from her
breast, with which he ornaments his helmet. He then mounts the
Simorgh, and armed with the buckler of Jan ben Jan, Cf'OBI/e& tl~e dark
aby, which mortals cannot pus without supernatural assistance. He
arrives at Kaf: he defeats Arzahenk; and also another Dive still more
fierce, called Demrush; whose residence is described as a gloomy cavern,
where he is surrounded with vast piles of wealth amassed by plunder.
Here Tahmuraa, amongst other rich spoils, finds a fair captive, the
Peri Merjan, whom the Dives h!ld carried oft', and her brothers had long
searched for in vain. He chains the vanquished demons in the centre of
the mounain; sets Merjan at liberty ; and . then in the true spirit of
kaight errantry, fties, at the Perla reqneet, to the attack of another
powerful Dive, called Houdkonz ; but here Tal)muras falls. In the
Shah name, the celebrated Roetam, many ages afterwards, engages the
Dive Arzehenk, who had eecaped from tlie chaw of Tahmuraa, ud kills
him after a fierce battle. Arzshenk is there painted with a body somewhat human, and the head of a bull, which RostaD! strikes oft' at a blow.
The Dive Munheru is wimnded with an arrow in the mouth bY Gershab~
the lllSt king of the Pishdadian dynasty; and he is afterwards put to
death by Sobrab, the son of Rostain. In the first encounter he has the'
head of a hog; but in the next he ia pictured as a:bifroa;
side re-:
sembling the head of a lion, the other that of a wild boar. Rostam,
who is coneidered ae the Hercules of Persia, among many other Dives~
dragon, and enchanters whom he deetroys, kills a deiiiOil called the DIVe
Sepid ; &Del Father Angelo mentions bavlng seen a etupendous n10nument:
iD the midst ol a .plain, near tbe city of. Fehelion, between Shuster and
Shiraz, euppoeed to be commemorative of this combat; whic.h wu cut into.
a adllmgolar fortilcatioli, with auoh regularity, that it had the appearance of being formed of one entire stone!' (Rich. Disll. p. 110, 111, 112.
aad eee 8.igns and Sjlubole. p. 149, uo, 151, 1$2.)
Maur. Ind. Ant. vol. v. p. 996.
t It bas been .thought that theae illusions gave the fint impul11e te the.
practioeof'magic. (Wait. Or.i4lat. Ant. p. 1~.) .

one

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Of dieit chDten abodes. Scenes like these were

m11ltiplied with increasing horror, until nature could
no longer endure the trial; and when the aspin.nt
was ready to sink under the effects of exhaution
and .mental agony, he was conveyed into anoth~r
apartment to recruit his strength. Ha-e, a vFrid
illumination was suddenly introduced, and his
outraged feelings were soothed by e sooad of
melodious music,t and the flavour of gratefulperfnmes. Seated at rest in this apartment; his guide
explained the elements of those invaluable Secrets
which were more fully developed when his initiation was complete.
Having pronounced himself disposed to proceed
through the remaining ceremonies, a signal was
given by his conductor, and three priests immediately made their appearance; one of whom cast a
living Serpentt into his bosom a& a token of regeneration; and opening a private door, there
issued forth such how lings and cries of lamentation
and dismay, as struck him with new and inde- _
scribable emotions of terror. He turned his eyes
This was the emblematical FIERY GATE of heaven, through which
souls descended in transmigration, under the conduct o( Mercury, the
celestial messenger of the gods. (Hom. Odyss. 1. 24. Virg . .!En. I. 4.
Lucian. dial Mai. et. Mere.)
t Zoroaster introduced Music into the Persian Mysteries, which gave
them a more imposing effect. (Stra'bo. 1. 17.)
t Sometimes a serpent of ductile gold was used; but I am inclined to
think from the analogy of other nations, that the snake was generally
alive. Compare Maur. Ind. Ant. vol. v. p. 992, with vol. vi. p. 209.

t .S.t e -tao Teath Leoture.

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:wifll arl'involuntary motion to the place from wftence

these miserabie'hewailings appeared to proceed, and
beheld dhibit.ed, inevery appaling form, the torments of the wicked in Hades.* Tuming with
di"sgust from this scene of woe, be was passed
through sonic other dark caverns and passages ;t
until, having successfully penetrated through this
denous labyrinth ronsisting of seven t spaciom
vaults; connected by winding galleries,H eaCh open:
. ..

M,aur. Ind. Ant. v9l. 'ii. p._675.

In

t Tale of Rustam," in Fab. Pag. Idol. vol. iii. p. 328.

t ' coil'fbhnlty with thelie ~en subterraneoiis caverns, the Persiaaii

held the doctrine of Mltn classes of demons. First, Ahriman their chief;
~econd, tJle spirits who inhal!it the mqst distant re~ons of the air; third,
those who .traverSe the dense and stomzy regions which are nearer the
euth, but still at an iJmueastlll\ble di,ta~ce; fourth, the malignant 11.0cf
p<;l~a!'- spirits.1'fho hover over the ~~rfe . of t)le eartyth, the ~piJita
of the " vasty deep," which they agitate with storms and tempests;
~th, the iabtemmean
demons who dwell in charnel vaults
.
.-and caverns,
.
t.;rmedvhoula, ~hp djl;voqr tAe corrupt~ ~n.~ts q(the ~av.; and excite
earthquakes and convulsions in the globe ; and seventh, the spirits wllo
held a solemn reign of dar"kness in the centre of the earth. (Vid~ M~u.r.
~ A11t. vql.
p. ~.) .From :this dncmne probably emana ted iae
~~lu;metan )>elif;f of~~ h~lis, or sta~es of JrUn~s~D;t ~n Jhe inf~l]!~
regions; (Vid. Sign.s and ~ymbols~ p, 153.) and Bel1tlll .heavens, in the
highest of whic~ the Table of Fa1e iS suspended,.ud ..!' guarded fro~
demon11, leat they.should ch&nJe or corrupt any thing thereon. llts lenth
is so great, as is the space between heaven and earth ; its breadth equal
to the di&taaee frOm .the eiWt to the weSt;. and it is made of .one pearl~
~e, divine pen
~ I>Hhe li11~r of,God: ,that is ~80 of pearls;
a,nd of .s uch length and br,e a!I$ tltat a s~ift ho~ could lle&rcely galloP,
ro\111d it in five hundred years I It is 80 e_ndowed, that self-ino~ec,l it
~ all thlu81,, p,Ut, pi'eaent, and to come. .Ligllt ia ita hlk; and tile
language which it uses, only the the angels can un~erstand. " (Maracci, in
Southey's T)lalaba. vol. ii. p, 247.) The 8nltlll hells of the Jewish Rabbiea
Were founded OD the.&Uea names of hell contained . in their Seriptnrea,
( Baauage. Hilt. Jews. p. 189~)
~ ;Sipuud.BJ!Ubola. p .. ~
U P.orpb. d,.e Ant. .Nymph. p. 261.

w..

wu

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ing with a uarmw stooe portal, the ~ el 80!De

penlous adventure; and hariag, b the exercise of
fortitude and penner.wce, beeD &rituopbamtly borne
through this accumulated mus of diflieulty and
danger; the doors of the Sac:ellom were thrown
open, and his darkness was ch.mged into light.*
He was admitted into the spacious and lofty cavern
already described, which was denominated the
sacred grotto of Elysium. This consecrated place
was brilliantly illuminated, and sparkled with gold
and precious stones. A splendid Snn,t and starry
system emitted their dazzling radiance, and moved
in order to the symphonies of heavenly music.t Here
sat the Archimagus in the East, high elevated on
throne of burnished gold, crowned with a rich
diadem d~ with myrtle boughs, and habited
in a fio~g tunic of a brigh_t cerulean tincture ;R
round aD were arranged m solemn order the
Presules,~ and dispensers of the mysteries; forming
altogether a reverend assembly, which. covered the
awestruck aspirant with a profound feeling of v~ne-
ration; and, by an involuntary impulse,. frequentiy
produced an act of worship. Here be was received
with congratulations; and after. having entered i.Qto
the .usual engagements for keeping secret the solemn
rites of Mithras,
tile sacred WoRDS were entrusted.
.
.
to him; of which the ineffable TETRACTYS, or Name.
of God was the chief.

. '' !.' .

. Porph. de Ant. Nymph. p. 251.

t Apal. Metam. L 1.
t Strabo. L 11.
~ Herod. 1.1.
Maur. beL Am. vol. v. p. JOOC.
1' H;rdo 4e Bel. vet. Pera. p;l80.

LECTURE Vlll .
':

.i'

. ..

, , INVESTITURE, AND PHILOSOPH): OF THE

PERSIAN liYSTERIES.
~

' l

THE splendour and importance of the heathen

inyste'ries gave them such a vast and overwhelming
ihfluEmce, even with the principal nobility of every
an'cient nation, that the high born youth displayed
the utmost anxiety to endure the fatigue and danger
of initiation, ;that they might be assimilated with
that' distinguished society, into which no other
forinula could introduce them. For this purpose
ever' peril was braved, and every risk cheerfully
encountered; and loss of life in the process was
preferred to the dishonot1r of remaining voluntarily
amongstthe uninitiated and profane. Nothing but
this unconquerable principle could have induced
inen to press forward through such a series of opposing difficulties, as we have just enumerated.
The _'aspirant, however, having gloriously surmounted them, now claimed Investiture* and Instruction. An abundance of amulets and talismans

The ceremony of Investiture is described in Signs and Symbols.

'
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was delivered to him after his investiture; and he

was even taught the secret of constructing them,
that he might be exempt from all assailing dangers,
both in his person and his property.* Every Emblem
These potent auxiliaries were veey llllmerous and applied to every
transaction in life, how trivial soever. I subjoin an enumeration of many
of them from Richardson. (Dissert. p. 275.) "Nruhret was an amulet
for preventing or curing inslmify, or other malady. Kebk; a philtre- by
which necromancers pretended to reconcile enemies~ Gleukgltaw were
tufts made of the hair of sea cows, and hung round the necks of horses to
defend them from fascination. Shebarik, a tree of which they make
amulets for the same purpose. .Azimet,- an amulet, incantation or spell
against serpents, disease or other evil. Sulwanet, shells, rings, or beads
used as amulets. Sulu:an denotes water taken from the grave of a dead
man, pourecl from a kind of shell upon the earth, which they drink to
the health of a person as a cure for love, or any severe aftliction. .At(et
or .Ant<fet, smail beads hung by women round their neeb, as a charm to
pin the atreciion of lovers. .Akret, a spherical amulet worn by some
women round their waists to prevent pregnancy; and by others to favOQJ'
a conception. .Akhzet, an amulet in form of a knot, which women wear
$o keep their husbands faithful. Nirenk, nirek, htmail, tawiz, mikrld,;
mutemmim, gezz, kherez, kehal, w(jihet, rab, kyrzelaUt, ~~~awiz, berina,
Signify amulets made of shells, beads, tufts of wool or hair, dead men'ti
bones, &c. N(iu, ferhe8t, reki, muh, latet, ne:ret, 4'c. imply fascination
or malignant eyes. Kherchare is an ass's head placed on a pole in a
garden, &c. to guard against fa.scination. Bazwr and bazubend signify
iunulets or any kind of ligatures used in enchaatment, because they are
in general fastened round the arm, which the latter word impliea.
Chu.hm bemun, an amulet for averting the fa.scination of malignaat eyes.''
Thus far Richardson, but I beg leave to quote a very curious piUIII&ge on
this subject from Odoricus, in Hakluyt, cited by Southey, in his fine
poem ofThalaba, (vol. i. p. 114.) although the Note is already somewhat
too much extended. "In the country called Panten or Tathalamasia,
there be caaes called Cassan, which overspread the ellrth like gra.e;
and out of every knot of them spring foorthe certaine branches, whicJa
continued upon the ground almost for the spa(:e of a mile. In the
aayd canes there are found certaiae stones, one of which 1tone~~whoeoeYel
carryeth about with him, cannot be wounded with any yron; and there,
fore the men of that country, for the most part carry such stones with
. them, withcrsoever they goe. Many also cause one of the armes of~
children while they are young, to be laUPced, puUing oDe .of .the &ay4

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87

displayed to.. his .view by tile D~ Lig'At* in

t.his YW1t and diversified eavern ;t every incident
which ~ ezcited

.his astonishment during the tedious

process elf .initiation, was now converted to :a moral
purpose, and explained in a series of disquisitions,.
calculated to inspire an irrevocable attachment,
alike .t o the mysteries, and to the persons of their
administrators.
.: The candidate was taught that the benign in-
tluence of the superior light derived from initiation,
irradiates the niind with some rays of the divinity;
and inspires it with a degree of knowledge which
is unattainable without this distinguishing privilege.
He Wa$ instructed to ador.et the consecrated fire,
the gift of the deity, as his visi~le residence.!! He
st9oea into tbe wound, healipg also and closing up the sayd wound with
~~ powder af a cer1,ain fish, (the name whereof I do not know,) which
powder. qoth immed~tely consolidate and cure the sayd wound. And
b;y the vertne of tlleee 1ton81!, the people aforesaid doe, for the most part,
qi~pb boJ,h pn sea and land."
Thill di&play was denominated 'AvT'I)\:Jt'a, as we learn from
Pitllns in hill Notes on tile Oraclt's of Zoroaster.
t He was taught the hierogiyphlcal character, or sacred cipher, in
which l!ieir mysterious dogmata were perpetuated ; specimens of which,
according to Sir W. Jones, ( Asiat. Res. vol. ii; p. 61.) still remain.
t Ramsay on the Theology of the Pagans. p. 276.
Hyde. Rei. vet. Pers. p. 160.
0 The throne of the deity was believed to be in the Sun, (Hyde ut
eupra. p.Iei.) which was the Persian paradise; but he was equally supposed' tobe resident in the Fire. In the Bhagvat Geeta, (p. 54.) KrishRa
llliys, '' God i8 in the ~re of t'he altar; and some of the devout, with their
o.-erings, direct tJteir mor&hip u11to god in the fire." The priest alone waa
ellowed to appear in the presence of this Shekinah; and he was obliged
Btst to purify himself1 by washing from head to foot, and being clothed in
c 111hite gr111e11t aa an emblem of ceremonial cleanness.- H& then ap.
proached the IIUlred ele:alent with the utmost .oreneration ; waa careful not

r.

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88;.

taught .the exiitence of two -independent'a.d,

equally powerful principles, the one essent.iallyG~
the other irreclaimably ETil;* and the~ouy.
was this: Ormisd.a, the supreme IJOUrceGfLight and
Truth,t created the -world at aix different. pericxJa..t
:frirst, he .m ade tl1e . he,ave~; seoond, ,the waters;
third, the earth; foul'th, trees aJld plan~; fifth,.am,
m~s; and sixth,m~ Or rather a being.compoaaded
of a man and a bull. This.newly.ereated being lived .
in a state of purity and happiness for many .age&, but'
was at last poisomd by the temptatipns of. a .subtle
serpent-genius, named Ahrim~n,ll who inhabited the .

Wt\8

to polute it by the use of any metal tool, but used an instrument made of .
tile purest wood divested of its bark. Even his breath was supposed to
convey pollution; (Vallimcey. Aac. ~ JreL.p. 20a.} &!ld tNrercw.
while offering up his petitiolls for the public good, h_e covered hie mouth
with a linen cloth to prevent the possibility of profanation. TIR venera~
tion of the Persians for Fire waa 10 unbounded, dlat -ita pollution waa
strictly forbidden, even in private dwellings; the richest noble, equally
with the meanest slave, would not dare 10 much aa to spit in the tire;
and if his dwelling, and every thing it contamed wel'e perishing t~y:this
d,evouring element, he waa prohibited from controlling ita progress by the
use of water, which waa also held sacred by the people, and waa allowed
merely to smother it by throwing earth, stones, or any similar anticombustible substance on it. The Par&is of Guzerat still practice the 8811l8
superstition. (Strabo. 1. 15. Perron's Zendavesta. vol. ii. p. 567. Notelt
on Richardson's Dissertation. p. 277. )
Vid. Berhani Kattea, cited by Wait. Orient. Ant. p. 841.
t Porph. in vit. Pyth.
Perron. Zendavesta. vol. iii. p. 1184. Prid. Con. vol. i . p. 225.
"Mezdam/' says the prophet, " separated man {rom the o.ther animals
by the distinction of a soul, which is a free and independent substance,
without a body or any thing material, indivisible an.ll without position, by
which he attaineth the glory of the angels. The Lord of Being created
his servant/ret; if he doeth good 1u glliltetlt. lt.e11:11ett; if fril, lie lltCIIIRetla'
i)JAGbif!Dtl qf leU." (Desatir. Book of Abad.)
ll Diog. Laert. in Prooem

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~om oE.cJarkness, -and was the authOr ofeVil;*

~ his asoendency upon earth became at length so

g.reatas:to create an almost general rebellion against

tbetereatorOrmisda; by woom, however hewas at
le.ngth 68.bdned. To.coanteraetthe effects of this re..aneiatioo of virtue anotherpore being was created,
oompowaded, as before, of a man and a bull, called
TtielYerror Mithras,t by-whose intervention, with
the assistance of three assoeiates,t a flood of waters
was produced to purify the earth, by prodigious
showers of rain, each drop as large as the head of an
~ which produced a generdllustration. A tempestuous_ wind which blew for three successive days from
tb~ same q\larter, dried the waters from the face of
the earth; and when they were completely subsided,
a new germ was introduced, ftom which sprang the
present race of mankind.
This Theogony was also inculcated. Ormisda
created six benevolent gods, and Ahriman formed
the same number of malignant spirits, who were
always engaged in_ a violent contention for preeminence. The evil spirits at length succeeded in
gaining the dominion over one half of the year, which
the celestial deities were contented to resign to their
This Persian doctrine was the foundation of the Manichean heresy,
""hicli vexed the Christian Church from the fifth to the ninth century,
(Vid. Bower. Hist. of Popes. vol. ii. p. 19.)

t This being was denominated MeatT'Ol; Owl;, and referred to the Sun.
t Here we find another evident duplicate oCNoah and his triple olfspring.
Vid. Perron's Zendavesta. vol. iii. Hyde. Rei. vet. Per&. P 160.
~lpllt Anal. vol, ill. and Fall. Pag. Idol. b. iii. c. s.

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superintendence. A fablelfbioh.'hean:an uadenbted:

reference to the change and variety of -theseat!OD&j .
and represented the manner in w:hiob the year. was.
geverned by the successive recurrence of .Summer
and Winter, or Light aa'l Thnkness; tbesi:x summer, and the like.numberofwinter months,.t point-ing also to the twelve signs of'the Zodiac,, whiah'
were emblazoned on the roof of the 1\Iithratic. cavern..
The mysterious emblem which-served to typify these
perpetual contests for superiQrity was, tttJO Seryentat
OO'Rtending for an. Egg, the former being sym- .
bolical of the powers of Light and Darkness, and
the latter of the W orld.ll

On these legends m~my wild .and improbablefictions were engrafted. The Archimagus related to
the initiated, bow the world had been-seven. times
Plut. de. lsid. et Osir. p. 6S.

t Thus e-fery month was under the peculiar gurdianshp of a genius,

from whom it received its name; (Rich. Dissert. p. 183.) and a particular
day of each month was dedicated to him by festal rites and ceremonies.
t The deity was frequently represented a1 involved in the f014s of a
f!_erpent, (Mont. Ant. Supplem. p. Ill.) in reference to the solar super
stition, t'or the Serpent was a symbol of the Sun', and hence was often
depicted in the form of a ring with its tail in its mouth, as a striking emblem of the immortality of the deity, fur w)l0111 th!s repdle was ofteD substituted. Much may he seen on this subject in Signs and Symbois, lect. ii,
Vid. Montfauc. I'Antiq. Expl. tom. ii. p. 2. where il a plate of this
emblem, which has also been copied by Maurice into the fOurth -volume oC
his Indian Antiquities.
: H Calmet q.ys, that the Persians " offered sacrifices of tlml~ ta
Oromazes; and to Ahrintanes, sacrifices to qwrl mitf~~rtwaa. They $ook
an herb called Omomi which they bruiled in a mortar, invoking at the
same time the god of bell and Darkness; they mingled with it the blood'
(Jf a wolf which they had killed, and carried this composition to a place
where the rays of the sun never entered, here they threw it down 'll;!llllet\
itl' (Diet. in "'Dem6ne.)
-
-

it

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J.'l
created ud deMroyed;* bow 8iiDOI'g'h, the om..niscient griffin,t who had existed through all those
revolutions of ages, revealed to a hero, called Ca.bermasrrt that the first inhabitants w~re the Peris; or
good beings, and the Dives; or wicked ones, who
waged eternal war with each other,11 and though the
former were the most powerful,~ their contestS for
superi&rity :were sometimes so violent as to throw
Orient. Coil. vol. i. _p. 119. This doctrine ia ilet fot"th in aa ancient
Pers~ book, calied the Desatir~ which ha5 been recently discovered and
ttaJislated into English. " In the begmning of each Grand Period, a
n,ew Ql'de~: of things commence~ in the low.er world. And, oot indeed
the very forms, and knowledge and events of the Grand Period that hath
elapsed, but othel'l! prumly similar to tltem will again be prodaced; And
~iJ. Gilllad Period tltat ccinaeth, re.aeathlelh /riWII 6tgi1tlti1tg to ettd the
Grand Period that is past. At the oqnclusion of a Grand Periodt only
tWo persons are left in the. world, one man and one woman; all the rest
i1l D181lkiri pe~sh ; and hence maliklliC!' denve tlleir origi.D from the
woman and man who s.rviTe, and from whose loias numbers issue in the
new Grand Period." (B1iok of Abad, and Commentary.)
t Rich. DiBserl. p. If~J,
f Vid. Caherman n~
. " Those who wish for success to their works qf thir life, worship the
Devatas" (Dives.) (Bhagvat Geeta. p. 52.) To the same efi'ect says the
Saviour of' mankind ; (Luke xv i. 9.) Make to yourselves friends of the .
miun.nion of unrighteousness, &c.
.
.
U D'Herbelot in voc. Peri. Rich. Dissert. p. 169.
1f The following description of a meeting between two of these imaginary beings, from the Arabian Nights' Entertainments, will shew this'
fact. " As Maimoune mounted high to the middle region of the air, she
heard a great flapping of wings, which made her fly that way; and when
she approached, she knew it was a genie who made the noise; but it was
cine of those that are rebellious against God. As for Maimoune, she
lie longed to that class whom the great Solomon compelled to acknowledge
Him. This genie, whose name was Danhasch, knew Maimoune, and waa
leiied with. fear, being sensible how much power she bad over him by her
iuhmission tO the Almighty. He would fain have avoided her, but she
was 110 near, h.e m!Ut eitlaer fight or yield/' (Amours of Carmaralzaman

&lid BailOura.}

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Bature into convulsions;* and oov:el'- tile uniyeriJe

with distnay;t Then succeeded an animated11c-.
count of the valour and prowess of certain Persian
heroes, who dis8olved enchantments; vanquishe d
giants, destroyed the power-of magieians; and made
hostile fairies obedient to their will. .Aad at the ronelusion of the ceremony; as a last, great secret, the
initiated were taught that important prophecy of
Zoroaster, which his early instruction had ;ta.ugld
him; that, in future times, a great prophet should
appear in the world, the desire of all oatioDi, whoshould be the son of a pure virgin, and wholse advefit
should be proclaim~ to the world .by a new:.aacl
brilliant star in the heavens, shining with eelestial
brightness at midday. The newly initiated candidate was ,strictly enjoined to follow the direetioa of
this supernatural appearance, if it should happen in
his day, until he had found the new born babe, to
There is a good account of these Peria and Divea in CaJmets His.
torical Dictionary, under the word Dmmons, bt too dilruae. for ineer
tion here.
t " The Peris are described aa beautiful and benevoluat, and though
guilty of errore which bad offended omnipotence, they.are auppoeed, in
consequence of their penitence, still to el\ioy diatinguished marks of
divine favour. The Dives, on the contrary, are depicted aa hideous ill
form, and malignant ill mind; differing only from the infernal demo11s iii.
not being confined to bell ; but roaming for ever around the world to
scatter discord and wretchedness among the,sou of Adam. la tle Perla
~.. find a ~onderful reselJII>lance to the fairies of thJI European oatione;
and the Dives or Genies differ little from the giants aud savag8!1.of the
middle ages; the adventures of the eastem heroes breathe all the wildness of achievement recorded of the knights in Gothic romance ; &ocl
. the doctrine of enchantments in both, aeem toclaim one common source."
(Rich. DiNert. p. 167.)
'

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whom he was ~ commanded to offer rich gifts and

saorifices, and to fall prostrate before him with devout humility as the Creaoor of the world.*
' This celebrated System, like all others which
have not the revealed Word of God for their basis,
'branched out into numerous abominable rites, to
IIUlction the vicious practices of potent individuals,
wh(J'Se IOOUntenance was found necessary or useful
11& aid the extension of its -schemes; and thus the
iDitiations graduallybecame so corrupt, as to serve
uta cloak for licentious indulgences. Here the
Phallus was a consecrated Symbol, which led to
tile .grossest obscenities. To conciliate the Persian
JlWilarchs and nobility; who were much addicted
to incestuous connexions ;t these were at length
sanctioned, and even encouraged in the mysteries ;t
and it became an axiom in religion, that the prodace of a son and a mother was the best calculated
" fur the office ofa Priest!

.,

' Abulfarag. Hyst. Dyna8t. p. 64. Hyde. ReL vet. Pers. p. 382.
t Vid. Fab. My!. Cab. vol. i. p. 182.
:t '~ TMP~ ...,fAftrMIItAer, the Egyptians their sisters; and
Chrysippus, in his treatise of Policy, asserts, that the father may lie with
die daqhter, the. mother with the 110ft, and the brother with the slater;
bllt Plato more nniversaH:t eaith, that all wives ought to be in common.':
(Stanley's Lives. vol. ill. p. 94.)
~ Stnbo. 1. 111. Dlog. Laett. ill Prooem. Ainost appalling description
oldae Uo.iila.tlona neceellarilyreeultillg from such pernicious te~~enta ill
displayed in the Apocryphal Book 1 called the Wildom of Solomon. (xiv.
Jl-1'1.)
.
.
.

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tingoisbed popularity. and were eonweqaently invested with a proportionate degree of splendour
and magnificence.
The chief hierophant or dispen&er o( the mymries
was habited to represent the Demiurgos, or Creator
of the Universe,* and led a retired life of perpetual
celibacy, that he might he entirely at liberty to devote himself to the stady and contemplation of celestial things, and thus become a perfeet master of
every science embraced by the iastitotion of which
be was the despotic heacJ.t The next superior
the stratagems of JllllO, in a Yllriety of sports with wllicla tbat period o(
life Ia ao vehemently allured; and among the rest be w1111 particularly
Captivated with beboldiug bia image in a mirror; during hia admiration
qf which, he Willi mieerably tom in pieces by the Titalla; -who, not eootent with tbia cruelty, first boiled hia members in water, and afterwarda
roasted them by the lire. But while they were luling bia llesh, thus
dressed, Jupiter, excited 'by the st.eam, and per:eeiving the cruelty of the
deed, hurled bia thunder at the Titans; but eommtued his members w
Apollo the brother of Bacchaa, that tlaey JDiPt be properly interred. And
this being properly performed, Dionysus, whose heut, daring Ilia Jacera. tion, wu snatched away by Pallas IUI'cl preaerYed, by a...., &egeeeratlon, again emerged, and being restored to bia priatine life and integrity,
be afterwards Jllled up the JnUDber of die gods. Bat in the - . time,
6om the exhalatioaa ....... fna the lllllea of dle.IJana.iDc llodiee of the
Titans, mankind were produced!'
Euaeb. ~ eftL 1. iiL c. 11.
t To accomplish this abetndioD 'lridl the pMter certalaty, it
cutomary for these dignilled priesa in the earlier perieda of their history,
tO mortify the Jlesh by the use of certa.ia llerba which were repated to
..,.._.the 'rirtue ofl'llpe)lipg aH - . a l wri' ..._ Nay, 10me WfiN
10 rigid in this respect, u literally to pnceed to. the expedieat of emu-
culating themselves, that all inclinatioD to illWt p'-aures migltt be
ef'ectually subdued. This practice wu esteem.~ hicJaly .-1~. It
was an axiom that 1rilat ia moat valuable to ~MD ihould be of'ewe41 in
aacrillce to the gods; and hence castration was ilh'eated with a high
depee of aupereroptory merit.. Hell8 we _,1DW by........, (de~

wu

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97

eiBcers weTe the Torchbearer, (Daducbus,) the

Herald, (Ceryx,) and the attendant on the Altar,
(0 Epiboma.)* Three other officers represented
theSon, the Moon, and the planet Mercury; be-
sides whom there were fotlr inferior 8.ttendantsto
whose care the less -important departments of these
mysteriellil celebrations were committed. They were'
denominated -Epimelitre.t
. The aspirant was required to possess a character
of irreproachable morality;t for as the system was
repuled to be without stain of impurity, so a dissolute candidate was uniformly rejected with contempt, as calculated to bring disgrace on the institution, and involve it in all the opprobrium of'
public scorn. The probationary tests were -strict and
solemn. The most minute colloquial examinations
were instituted -to corroborate the testimony of
others; so that it would require all the arts of sue-;
cessful imposture to elude the rigid investigations
of the mystagogue into the aspirant's former life,:
character, and conduct.
'
The initiationswere preceded by a pn blic festival;:
and the candidates, whether niale orfemale,ll were
ClJ.refully purified in the pellucid waters of arunnihg
Sy,ria.) that in Syria, during the celebration of their most solemn rites,
th11. p5ieaJe wollld eutrer themeelves til be aUired in female habiliments,
and. aubmit to the cuti~ knife, in the presence of the assembied
crowd l Such. ia l.he power of enthuaiaam I
Sigas.aad Symbols. p. 201.
t Meurs. Eleullin. c, 15.
Hence they were h.abited in W/&ite, because white was an emblem of
bmoceuce. (Cic, de Leg. et Vid. Pers. Sat. ii~ v. 40.)
. 1'111&. ia Apo~ et.Lacon.
MApul. Metam. 1. 11,
H

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stream, and endured the rigours of a nine days preparation; after which the cerem~ commenced
with prayer aad sacrifi~. During the eontinuan~
of these preliminary rita, the aspira.Dts were exhorted to ab~t th~ir a~tion from every liglat.
and worldly subject, and ~- fix their minds intensely
on the high_ and supernal celebrations which were_
perforined under the actual inspection ol the in~
mortal gods,* to an iJJtimate upion and comm11nion
with whom they were now abo~t to be admitted.t,
The p,riests then p:roceeded to invoke a blessing by_
prayer; for the petitionary sacrifices (Am,r,'~ec&) of.
heath4m nations were used at the commencemept ()(
every important undertaking; and success was an-.
ticipated in proportion with the degree. of sincerity
that was used in supplicating thefavQur of the god~

and tie sterling t~alue !Jf tlu: .accmn~ging ojferinga.t The ceremonies were opened by the of...,_
ficiating priest, whQ asked publickly, " Who is fit.
to be prese!lt at this ceremony?" To whielt it was
answered, " Honesi, good, and harmless men;"
and he then rejoined, " Holy things are fol' holy
people;" and cried witt. a loud voice, " Let us
pray ;''U and then proceeded in due. form to make.

Am.. DileeJt. ). iii.,e. liO. Cic. u Leg.l. ii. c. 14.

t Ploc:J. ~ Raap. Pia~ I. i.
Pill&. .Ti--.
9 Kellet. Trica~~~. C. . . p. 548.
I At the commencement aC tb~ llel"ficet -UlQDpt tM no-a, ,..._
clamation was made, llf/IIM'f!ltli,.,.;., that tluJ.people elleuld gevem thei1r
tengud; Uti at ~e eoncluaion, before tbeywere eufl'er.ed to deput,. the~
were enjoined~ et jwgi;. ~.to abstain fl'OIIl kawls aad quar...
rela. D~!~& . die whlll~ G011tin1l4Uice o Ul.o.c.tb:al. the llricteal ~ualltJ

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the requests of the attendant o.spirants known to the

benevolent deities. Then the sacrifice was offered
w'i th the customary formalities, seasoned with salt,
because salt was an emblem 'of hospitality and fl'iendship;- andthe priest augured from the entrails of the
victim, whether the gods were propitious -to their
prayeri. While the sacrifice was burning, the wor~
shippers clrcum,ambulated the al~ by a religious
dance, which bad ' an astronomical reference,t
singing the sacred hymn ;t and after the sacrifice a
pnblic procession was .formed. First were arranged
persons bearing the consecrated vessels; after these
cimie virgins of the first families in the State, called'
wiia ~td~ aild;a heaVy- fin~ wa8 i~posed on auy opulent ~ison who
4!Ddeuoured to distinguish himself by an equipage. .But when the celebration was ended, and every person resumed his ordinary station in life,
the gradation& or rauk. were defined aad observed with thetr accastomed
teplarit)'.' -(Pliru Nat. Hiat. 1. x:i.Vili. c."l; Hor. I.
Od. 1. jU:venal.
Sat.-11.).
.
The' earliest religious dimce with which we are acquainted, was a
Wild and trantic movement, accompanied with ~e clashing of swords and
shields, called Betarmns; symbOliclll, according to Bryant, of the con--
t\asion which occurred when the Noetic family quitted the Ark. "But
ia process of time, when the Sablan worship was engrafted upon the rites
of _the Ark, its inJluence ~xtended also to the sacred, commemoratived~e. Though the wildness of the primitive Betarmus was scrupulously
retained -b'y the Cabiric priests, as far as their own gestic alations were
Concerned, yet its general iiregalarity, in point of figure, was 11ow systelll&tically exchang~. for order, till at length it became tile circular dance,
and as such was cie-touUy perfonned in honour of the Sun, and the re'folVing host of 'heaven. Aeeordingly, in \his its .last modification it re- ~ived the name- of Pyrrhic, trom P'Ur, the solar fire. These martial
4ances were used by the priests of the Corybantes, when they were abotd
~ iftitiate a11y penlllll itato thdr .M!Pferih!' (Fab, Mys. Cab. vol. ii. p.UO.)
t Signa and SymbOls. p. 224. Maur. Ind. Ant. vol. v; p. 921.
CleD4 Alex. Cohort. ad Gentes.

m:

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100
the Canephone," carrying golden vases full of the
choicest fruits, amongst which serpents were entwined,* allusive probably to some indistinct tradition of the fall of Eve~ Then followed the
Periphallia, who were furnished with long poles,
which they elevated high in air, . to- exhibit Tt)vc
tjlaAAsc; which were affixed to the end.t These conspicuous personages were crowned with abundarn:e
of ivy, a herb sacred to Bacchus, and sang songs
of no very delicate nature, if the 'SUbject matter may
be gathered from the name, which was .;a>..>..uctJ
aCJI"ITa.t An abundance of females bearing the
Thyrsis graced and accompanied the procession.
Now came the Ithyphallis habited as women,U but
performing all the brutal and disgusting actions of
drunken men. Then followed the elevation of a
boat or ark~ in allusion to the deluge, which was
furnished with secret symbols of the generative.
faculty by which the world was repeopled after'
Euseb. pmp. Evan; 1. i, c. 10.
t Maur. Ind. Ant. vol. ii. p. 26$.
t Athenreus, (1. i.) states distinctly that Priapus aud Dionysus were
one aud the same person ; which accounts for the grOSB obscenity of these
rites.
The Thyrsis was a long pole adomt>d with garlands aud riboon8. in-'
termi:s.ed with sprigs of the vine aud leavea of ivy, (Eurip. Bacch. v.l76,
et passim.) aud having at the end a conical fruit like .a pomegrauate:
or pine.

A This abomination was expressly forbidden to the Iaraelites in the

law of Moses, which points out the very early date of a cuitom .which
was the source of many licentious pollutions. (Deut. ~. $.) "The
woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a
neither shall
man put on a woman's garment, for all thlll do 10 llt'e llboMi!IIIAoa llllfo lAc
Lord lhy God.,.

..
,. Plut. d~ laid. ~;~t Oair. l' 816,..
-

man,

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fOl
that event; the phallus,* the navel of the gteat;
mother,t some ripe pomegranates,t and other indecent emblems. After which came that indispensable symbol, the Liknon, or mystical van of
Bacchus, which was carefully and conspicuously
elevated, and regarded with the highest degree of
respect and veneration.U To render the god propitious, music of every kind accompanied this celebration ;~ for it was thought that his passions might
be soothed by the charms of melody, and the harmony of sweet sounds. This extended train swept
along the streets of Athens in mock solemnity until
the approach of night, when the-revellers fled to the
woods, some with torches, others with cymbals,

Vjd. Bishop Culllberland's Treatise on Sanchoniatho's Pbenician

History. p. 68. The phallus amongst the Egyptians waa the symbol of
fertility. (Savary's Letters on Egypt. vol. H. p. 40.)
t We find Pindar (Nem. Od. 6.) aBSerting the dignity of the great
mother, where he says that '8.11 th6 gOds aa well aa men sprang from her
fruitful womb.
t Clem. COhort. ad G.entes. p. 12.
~ ''In memory of the ark, the ancients were not only accustomed to
tarry about small navicular shrines, but sometimes even built their temples in the form of ships. Diodorus Siculus mentions that Seso11tris con
Jtructed a ship, which waa :280 cubits long; and adds that it waa made
of cedar; that it was covered with plates of gold and silver, and that it
waa dedicated to Osiris or Noah, at the city of Theba, or the Ark. It is
sufficiently evident, both from the -preceding description of this ship, from
its being dedicated to Osiris, and from its being placed in the inland
district of the Thebais, that it waa never designed for a voyage at sea.
It waa, in fa~ an immense navicular temple, built in imitation of tho
Ark, mad de~tirted for the tolt11111 perj017114ftce qf the dilllt1ian Mynerie1.
Hence the Greeks dellignated a temple and a ship by the same word Na1111
or Noo1; and hence, what is doubtless a: relic of the primeval arkite
idolatry, we still call the body of a church, in contradistinction to the
ehaDcel, the Nau, or ship." (Fab. :Mys. Cab. vol. i. p. 215.)
UApuleiult 1. ii.
-II Diod. Sic. 1. v. c. 3.

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making " tlte welkin" resound with fr.mtic ~~~ a.qd,

invocations of the deity. Evoe!* Sabai!t B~(:hi!
Hues!t Attes! Attes! Hues! and the rites ended
as they began, with systematic ~nclean~ and
obscenity, drunkenness and prostitution~ll
A banquet was prepared in the temple, at which.
the bacchantes danced in a state of nudity,1f e~citing
the passions, and producing those abomi~ations
which Amobius, Epiphanius, Tertullian and others
so justly teproba.te and condemn. At these feasts
Or Eva, from Eve the first sinner, says Clemens Alexandrians.
(Cohort. ad Gentes. p. 9.)
t Aristoph. Vespr. Schol. v. 9. Sabaziu was a 118D11C of Baed!.ns.
(Cic. de nat. deor.l. iii. c. 23.) Some think the above excl!Unation was
corrupted from Jehovah &bfttJII&. Sir W. Jones says it correspoods with
the Indian Siva.
t Or YHS. Another name of Bacchus; aa is also Attes. (Clela.
Alex. Protrept.)

~ Diod. Sic. I. iv. c. S. These exclamations are said by Strabo to haTe

originated in the East; and hence Dr. Wait, (Orient. Ant. p. 214.) tbu.
writes the passage in the Sanscrit;
c.,

Aho !

~-

S1v~ !

u
I sa ! Ad'hisa ! Adye seva!

--

"'

--

which is thus translated ; " Hail! 0 Siva I Lord I Supreme Lord I

Salutation to the finlt existent l"-It is more probable however that this
species of invocation was borrowed from the patriarchal worship. See
Exodus, (xxxiv. 6, 1.) where God himself announces his ilivinlty bJ
eleven appellation&.
I Sophocles addreBSes Bacchus as the
" Immortal leader of the maddenbag choir;
Whose torches blaze with unextinguish'd .fire;
Great son of Jove, who guld'at the tunefwl am,ng,
Thou who presidest o'er the nightly aong;

Come with thy Naxian maidf, a festive train,

Who, tcild tcit1&joy ad nr,ring o'er tAt plci7a,
For thee the dance prepare, to thee devote the atraiD...
Fa.ucJtuN:' !>
f Plat. de Legibua. 1. vii.

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great quantities of wine were usually consumed;

excessive drinking being esteem~d an irrefr.:agable
proof of superior piety to the gods; and to retire
from a sacrifice p~rfeetly sober, was considered as
an indelible mark of infamy.* At the conclusion
of the feast, the priests filled two earthen vessel.s
with w.ater or wine; and placing them due east and
west. after certain ceremonies perfectly consonant
with their situation, tlley. .overturned them as a
libationt to the gods; a very appropriate rite at the
winding np of a drunken party.t
, Leaving these frantic revellers to enjoy their
abominations; let us now more particularly enquire
into the rites of initiation; always bearing in mind
that the mysterieS were accessible to both ~~es, and
were celebrated at dead of night in sec~ places,
carefully guarded against intrusion.
This practice is e1plicitly cow:lemned by Plato; who, speaking of
the abominati<lll of the Dionysiaca, says that he was present . at one of
these celebrations, ann &aw the whole eity qf .Athem in a state of beiVIIlJ
dnatketU!eiB. (De Leg. 1. i.) Hence th" p.rophetical figure us.ed in the
threatened destruction of Babylon. " In their heat I will make their
feasts, and I tvill tllldle th.e1A dnmken, that they may rejoice, and sleep a
perpetual sleep, and not awake, saith the Lord." (Jerem. li. 119.)
t Atheneus, apud Fah. Pag. Idol. yoJ. iii. p. 171. Mr. Faber conceives that the vases alluded to the Ark, and the libation to the deluge;
and hence the emptying (lf them properly concludes the mystic festival,
&ad represents tile retiri!lg_of the diluvia.a waters.
t The most outrageous excesses were frequently committed by the
temale Bacclaantes when inflamed with wine, lust, and .enthusiastic fury,
(Eurip. in B~h.) wlaicli they mistook for the inspiration of the jolly god.
It is recorded that the daughters of Minya, under the nuim1s impetus of
this diabolical fervour, actually slew a young man named Hippasus, and
.served up his body as a banquet to the company. (Auton. 1\fetlllll. L x.)

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LECTURE .X.

CEREMONIES OF INITIATION INTO THE MYsTERIES. OF BACCHUS.

THE place of initiation was a gloomy cave,* or

rather a connected range of cavems,t fitted up
The Nympheum, or place of initiation in Greece ia thus brie11y
described by Homer.
'
" Hi ;h at the head a branching olive gzowa,
AI d croWllll the pointed cliffs with shady boughs.
Bt De Lth, a gloomy grotto's cool recess
Delights the Nereids of the neighbouring seas;
Where bowls and urns were form'd of living stone,
And massy be&nis in native marble ahone:
On which the laboura of the Nymphs were roll'd,
Their webs divine of purple mix'd with gold.
Within the Cave the cl!Ut'ring Bee attend
Their waxen works, or from the roof depend.
Perpetual water o'tr the Jllll'fl'ltftl glide;
Two marble doors unfold on either side;
Sacred the south, by which the gods descend;
But mortala enter at the northern end."
Pope. Od. I. xili. v. 122,
The gate.of entrance for the aspirant was from the north; but when
purged from his corruptions, he was termed indifferently, new bom, or
immortal, and the sacred sovth door was from thence acce&Sible to IWJ
atepa.
t Vid. ut supra. p. 24. Plut. de laid. et Osir. p. 639. The most celebrated of these Greek caverns, were the caves of Eleusia, Athena, the
grotto of Trophoniua at Lebadea in Beotia, and the horQ!l iullterraaeoue
dens of Samothm.ce.

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with a series of terrific machinery that might display, .with full effect, all the terrors of the process.
Streams of water ran through various parts of its
dismal area; 'whichser'Ved equally for the purposes
of lustration, and to shadow out the diluvian waters
pervading the material world. The cavern was
ritually consecrated* and secreted from vulgar ob-
servation by being the reputed residence of the
vindictive deities, whose vengeance, it was believed;
would undoubtedly descend on the fated head of the
unfortunate intruder, who, by accident or design~
should penetrate unbidden within the sacred precincts.t Here the priests, crowned with serpents,
In Ep'pt and other nations, the place of initiation was a pyramid
erected over a subterraneous cavern. It appears to have been dedicated
to that po.rpoee with an intensity or labour that produced the solidity
which bids.defiance to the ravages of time. The.Arabians have a tradition,
says Greaves, in his Pynuui,dographla, that the Egyptian pyramids were
built by Saurid Ibn Salhouk, king of Egypt, tc>M liMI three hadrtd yecr
IJV'ore the Floed r The pyramidal form of building was adopted alike for
its firmneaa and durability ;and its symbolical reference to the Sun from
an imitation of the spiral ftame. And what are the Spires of our present
churches but an imitation of this primitive system of pyramidal archi-
tec:ture7
t MaUDdrell has accurately described one of these places of initiation
near Tonosa, which however he erroneously conceives to be a double
sepulchral monument. " The ftrst antiquity that we observe," says he,
" was a large dyke, thirty yards over at top, cut into the firm rock. Ita
aides went sloping do'I!Jl witll stairs formed out of the natural rock,
descending gradually from the top to the bottom. The dyke stretched In
a direct line from east to west, more than a furlong; bearing still the sam&
iiJnre of stairs running in right lines all along its aides. This dyke was
on the north aide of the Serpent Fuwttain." (Pinkert. Collect, of Travel&.
vol. x. p. 815.) Mr. MaUlldrell then describes a spacious court cut in
the rQOk containing an altar or cromlech, and two pyramidal towers at
the distaace of about half a mile from it. " Each of these towers," says
be, " hu Wider it eeveral sepulc:hre&, the entrance11 into which are on the

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the symbols of initiation, performed theirdread(fd

and unhallowed rites. Their ineantations com~
menced with the conSecration of an Egg, to commemorate equally the ereation of all .'thiag's, which
were traditionally believed to have sprung from an
.

aouth side. It cost us aome time and paiD8 te get into them, the avenue&
being obstructed first with briars and weeds, and then with dirt, but we
nmoved both these obstacles. Going down seven or eight aepe ''JOW
eome to the mouth ef the sepulchre, whea crawliag in, you urive in a
Clhamber which is -11ine feet two inches broad and eleven feet Ions.
Turning to the right hand, - '~ ,....,. ......,.,
you come
to a second room, which is eight feet broad and ten loRg. I a tl&U ~~~
4t'e BEVBII eeU. for corpses, two over against tile entrance, four on the left
Mad, and one ujlaia\ed on the risht- fteee eeHs were heWn di1'ec!tly
into the lirm rock. We meuured several of them aud found dum eight
feet and a half in length, and three feet three inches aquue, I would
Bot infer fNm ll.enee that the corpees deposited thete W11re, of sach a
sigantic size as to ill up such large colllD8; tlaough at the same time why
should aRY ,men be so prodigal of their labour as to out theee c&'f'enlll into
so hard a rpck as tJU, was, Dmch far&er than neotil!elty reqeired.'' (Tire
fact is, tllfy. were never intended for cerpeea, bat as con'ft~ for .the
&errilic machinery of initiatien.) "On the soadl aide of the first chamber
was a narrow p~U~B~~ge of seven feet loeg, leadiag into a third rooa, w1lolle
dimenaions were Dine feet in breadth, and twelve in leRgtla. ll W
c~ of somewhat a lese sble thaa the iDrmu, lyiag at equal
diatance all round about it. Puaingout of the first room foreright, , _
have hDo flan'OID ~. each se-v:en feet long, into a fourth room. TIUit
apartment was nine feehquue; it Jw1110 cella ia itlike the odun, &01'
any thing remarkable but only a Mid cat aU almig ita side 011 tM
left hand." This wu the aa.cellam. (MawudreU. 11t lllpr&. p. Sl.. )
8everal other .w.ilar raagea of Hbteriaa~ canl'llll are ~ . 'ill
the ll8lQe Beighbourllood wiUeh might be, and paoelia.bq were ~
&ogether.
Plat. SYJilpoa. 1. ii. ~ a. ~' H:FPna has pn111~neh ~ tnclitini
1re8pecting the AsayriaaVean,ill whiela the arkite dcme, o4 the mulkluae
make a very ~us ap~. .An egg of ~I magnitude was reported to have fallea n- hea- iatD .ch river I!Wf~
and to have been rolW bJ fiahea to the bank. Upoa it:.&t dovee>; allcf
out of it was at length produced tMt .Venus; who was afterwatde styled
the Syrian goddess." (Fah. Mya. Cab. voL i. P 81. with avdaoritid.)

,.....e

.zew.

w.

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107.

fqrmed by the deity; and the renovation .of,

mankind by tire great father.
The first actual ceremony amo_n g .the Greeks was
~ purify, the .aspirant with water, a~d to crown him
,.-jth myrtle,t because the myrtle tree was sacred to
Prose_rpin~.t .He was then introduced ~nt.o a small
ca,v~ or vestibule to be invested with the sacred
habiliments; after which his .conductor delivered.
hinl.over to th~ Il).ystagogue, who f:hen commenced,
the ini~ation with the presc,ribed foi'Jilula, E.:e~,,
~Ka~, ECJTE_ ~fl).oc, ;Depart h.ei;lce, all ye profaDe;
(~Jld the guide addr~d the ~pira.nt by exhorting.
\l~J;D. ~ call forth all hi~; courage apd f(),rti tude, as Vtd. Grot. de Verit. i. s. 16. in nota,-k.
t Schol. Arialoph. Rania.
t The machinery of these mysteries is thua described by Psellus in a
Greek. MS. quoted by Taylor in his Diasertatioc on the Eleuainiail and
&cchic mysteriee. (P~phleteer. vol. viii,) " The Elell(linian 111111teriee eonsiated in representing the fabulous narration of Jupiter mingling
with Ceres and her daughter Proserpine. But as venereal connectioni
take place al011g with the initiations, a _marine Venus is represented u
arising from certain fictitious genital parts; afterwards the celebrated
marriage of Proserpine with Pluto takes place, and those who are
Initiated aing, ' J have eat out of -~e drum, I have drank out of the
~bal, I hir,ve bome the myatic cyp, I Ae et~tered illto the bed."' (This
is evidently the Paatos of the mysteries, in which the aspirant for the
h.igher degreee was immured during the period of his probation.) " But
the pregn..t throe& likewise of Ceres are represented.,. (Here Ceres ii
the ark; and her pregnant throes refer to the dismemberment of that
aacre4 vessel, .and the egreSB of the hero gods.) " H~nce the supplic:atione of Ceres are exhibited ; her drinking of bile, and the pains
the
heart. ...... After aU this, the honours of Bacchus succeed; the ciata,
and the cakes with many bo88ea like thoae of a shield ; likewise the mysteries of Sabuius, divination~ of. the priestesses of Bacchus; a certain
eound of the Theaprotian kettle, the Dodonoean brass; another Corybaa,
anc1 ~ther P_roaerpine, who are resemblances of de~s, &c. &c.


~ Chrys. Orat. 12,

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108

the process on which he was now about to' eliter~

was of the most appaling nature. And being ledforward through a series of dark passages and di$mal caverns, to represent the erratic state of the ark
while floating on the troubled surface of the diluvian
waters,~ the machinery opens upon him. He first.hears the distant thunder pealing through the vault'
of heaven,t accompanied by the howling of dogsf
and wild beasts; an apt _representation of the confusion which prevailed amongst the multipliciiy of
domestic and ferocious animals during the periodof Noah's confinement in the Ark. These terrific
noises rapidly approach, and the din becomes
tremendous, reverberated, as it doubtless was, in
endless repetitions, from the echoing v~ults and
lofty caverns within whose inextricable mazes he.
was now immured. Flashes of vivid light now
broke in upon him, and rendered the prev~ling:
darkness more visible; and by the momentary-il...
lumination he beheld the appearances by which
he was surrounded. ~Ionstrous shapes and ap-.
paritions, demonical figures, grinning defiance at
the intruder; mystical visions and :Bitting shadows,
It was a rude and fearful march through night and darkness.
(Stobreus. apud Warb. Div. Leg; vol. i. p. 235.)

t It has been asse~ted that the Egyptians, and hence probably the
Greeks were acquainted with some cl1emical process to produce an explosion like gunpowder. (!\faur. Ind. Ant. vol. vii. p. 671.)' Ir 'this be
correct, the imitative thunder is easily accounted for.
f St. Paul admmushes the heathen converts to beware qf dogi. (Phil;
tii. 2.)
' - '
Monstrum, horrendum, informe, ingena cui lumen ademptum. (&.
l. vi;)

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unreal phantoms of a d9g-like fonn,* overwhelm

him with terror.t In this state of horrible ~pp~
hension and darkness, he was kept three da!JS and

.ights.t
With passions thus excited, the aspirant was now
made to perform tke apkaninn, or ceremoni~s commemorative of the mystical death of Bacchus. He
was covered with the Pastos or Bed; or in other
words he. was subjected to confinement in a close
ceJI, that he might reflect seriously, in solitude and
darkness, on the business he was engaged in; and
be reduced to a proper state of mind for the reception
Pl~tho. Schol. in Orae. Zorout. p. lSI. The celebrated Bcrker
AnubiS (latratorem, eemicanem deuin. lEn. L viii.) was exhibited;
~erberus, . th~ infernal monster, was here represented in mimic shew
with his thi'~Je heads, which are said by Porphyry to have referred to
the riling, aoatbing, and setting of the Sun; (Apud Euseb. pnep. Enm.
1, iii.) and hence it is a reasonable conjecture that this noisy, latratorJ
porter of heU was nothing more than an emblem of the solar orb.
t Proclus. In Plat; Theol. 1. iii. c. 18. Dion. Cbrys. Orat. 12. Ori&"
eont. Cels. 1. ~v.

t Fab. Pag. Idol. vol. iii. p. 156. This ceremony had a particular and
intimate connection with the Egyptian plague of darkne118, says Faber.
" The scriptural account of it is very brief, yet it sets forth one circumetaooe of high importance. There was a thick darkness in all the land
of Egypt three dey; they saw not one another, neither rose any from his .
place for three day. It appears then that the duration.of the preter-
natural darkneu was precisely equal to that of the darkneu of 'the "
Mysteries." (Fab. ut supra.)
Ol- Oiiris; for Bacchus and Osiris were one aad the same mytho-
logical personage, ( Auaon. Epig. 30.) as were al&O Ceres and Isis; ( D~
Sic. 1. i.) and a. such they wm be considered throughout this descriptioD .
ohhe mysteries of Greece. (See on this point, Fab, My11. Cab.vol. i. p.
156.) The slime rites were also celebrated by the Phrygians and Bybliana .
in honoUT of Attls and Adonili or ThammUz. (Lucian de del SyriA.. a.~'
'~ .Vld. An~ oUluoDry. p. 104.)

110

of sublime and mysterious truths;* This 'was the

symbolical death of the mysteries ;t and the deliverance froni confinement was the act of regene~
tion or new-birth; and hence the renovated aspira.nt
was termed 8up1171~ or twice hom; 01ice _from the
womb of his natural mother, and again from the
Pastos of initiation. During the Period of his illlo~.~
prisonment in the cell, he was alarmed by a c~Ji
resembling the rush of mightY waters bnrsti~g
with sudden impetuosity from a deep abyss, or the'
deafening fall of a tremendous cataract; for now
was the representation displayed of the overwhelm-'
ing waters of the deluge breaking forth from Hades
to inund~te the globe. .T he monstrous Typhon;t
raging in quest of Osiris, disrovered the ark in
which he }lad been secreted, and violently rending .
it asunder,IJ scattered the limbs of his victim Mer
the face of the earth amidst the din of dissolving
nature.~
The aspirant heard the lamentations
In some of the mysteries a statue resembling a dead boily, (Jul. Firm.
de error Prof. Rei. p. 45.)was enclosed within an ark, (Plut. de Isid. et.
Osir. p. 368.) shaped like a crescent; to represent the mystical death of
~oah when enclosed in that sacred vessel. (Apuleius.l. ii.) In Egypt
the symbol in which Osiris was feigned to be ilicarcerated was sometimes
GtoOOden cow, because that animal was emblematical of the ark. (Fab.
Pag. Idol. vol. i. p. 34. and refer to plate 42 of Pococke's Description of
tfi.e East. vol. i. p. 108.) An oration was pronounced OfJet' the body by th(l .
hierophant,. relating IJ!-Ost probably to the deluge. (Dii>d, Sic. I. i.) .,

t Orph. Argon. v. 28.

Typhon was a personification of the sea, (Plut. de lsid. and Osir~ p.
163.) or the deluge, as Osiris was of the patriarch Noah, (Fab. My1.
C_ab; vol. i. l' 151.) and hence the propriety of the fable; however en- .
velol!ed in mystery by the ritual of initiation.
' 'Jainbl. de Myat. s. vi. c; 5.
J1 Plut. ut supra. p. 864.
.
f In thia allegory we mu.t.view Osiris aa the ark itself rather thaD tht

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whioh were in!Uituted for the death of their god,.

whose , representative he was, accompanied with
clQlef-.1 cries .and. howling& of men, women and
anitnals, .to symbolize the. death shrieks and exd.NUations: of terror, OORStemation, and despair,
"'hleh prevailed .throughout tbe world at the universal des.tru.ction of animated nature, and which
w.ould unquestionably salute the ears of Noah while
enclosed within .the vessel of safety. Then commenced the wanderings of Rhea in search of the
remains of.Bacehus, her body begirt with a serpent,
~:a flaming torch in her hand, with lamentatiQust for.the loss; accompanied with frantic shrieks
nd .furious gesticulations; which continued, aceQtnpanied by many minute ceremonies;t !or a coniiw..ian patriareh,

and his ecatteretllimba, ita contents; which supplied

the whole euth with men and. uimals after the waters had subsided.
Tb. ceMIOoaiea, however, were; in many respects, so contradictory to
each other, that there exists much difficulty in reducing them to order.
Mlnuc. Fel. p. 168.
t Tbeee l11J1181ltatlont were ftguratinly said to eontfuue forty days, in
commemoration, probably of. the period in which the waters o( the deluge
lriaally increased upon the -earth. (Gen. vii. Ill.)
The following account of a disgusting ceremony, quoted by Mr.
TaylM from Amobius, will show one of the practices used both In Egypt
and Gneile, at the peried of initiation. " The goddess Ceres, when
Mal'Ciainc through the eartllfor her daughter; in the course of her wantleriagil &rl'Wed at &he homadariell ef Eleueis, in the Attic region, a place
which wu then inhabited by a race of j,eople called adochthlnu, or ;
deMelided rrom the earth, whose names were a11 follows ; Baubo and
TriptQleJDaa; Dyualee,. a gciat-berd; Eubalue, a keeper of swine; and
Eumolpas, a shepherd, from whom the-race of the Eumolpid~e descended,
and the illustrious name of Cecropidee Wall derived; and who afterwards
loariel1ed u bearers of the Caducev.t; Hieropbante, and Cryers belonging
to. ihe acred rites. Bauho therefore; wllo was of the iemale sex, received
Ce*,wearied witll ~empnc.ted etilt, aa hez'&ueat; and endeavoured to

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siderable period. The initiated, l'dlether males or

females, some habited in splenoid attire, with crown~t
or mitres on their heads; others covered with very
little clothing,* now mixed promiseoously; and
danced to the sound of musical instruments played
by the Corybantes;t blended with the howlings of
despair for the dismemberment of their god~ The
dance progressively increasing in rapidity and Wild;
ness, soon degenerated into a miserable scene of
dire confusion. The whole party, as if under the
influence of some supernatural fervour, incontinently
threw off the remaining articles of tlteir apparel,
rushed amongst each other as if they were dis-;
tracted ; and vociferating that their god had been
murdered by the Titans;t threw themselves inro.

ihi.

soothe her sorrows by 9bsequious ~d flattering attendance. For

purpose she entreated her to pay attention to the reheahmeat of her body,
and placed before her a miscellaneou8 potion to assuage the vehem6Jle8
of her thirst. But the sorrowful goddeBB was averse from her solicitations,
and rejected the friendly o.fliciousneBB of the hospitable dame. The matron
however, who was not easily repulsed, still continued her entreaties,
which were as obstinately resisted by Ceres, who persevered in her refusal with unshaken constancy. and jnvinoible rigour. B11t when Banbo
had thus often exerted her endea.vous to appease the sorrows of Ceres,
but without any eft'ect, she at length .changed her arts, and determined to'
try if she could not exhilarate.by .~ It mind which .she was aot abla
t9 allure by serious attempts." And in this she succeeded by u ex-
p.e dient too obscene to be detailed here, which was imitated in. the illitations. (Pamphleteer. vol. viii;)
. Ovid (Metaun. I. iv, v. 6.) says that they had the llkin& of beullthrown over their naked bodies. The baoch&Dij.ts are geaerallJdepict.ed
on gems, either naked, or merely covered with a thin transparent.garzqeat.;
. t Wait. Orient. .Ant. . p. 218.
t It was of this period of initiation .that David s~ .when lunentin.g
that the Israelites ate the oft'erings of the dead, during the dilgrace?al
worship of Baal Peor~ (Psalm
JS.. Signs~ SJmbols. P 178.} . I

en.

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ns
I&SciviQue postares,* alid..-~'iced the ~aost -abominable filthine8s.t
-In the midst of all this confusion, a signal from
the hjet'Qphant gave a sudden tum to the feelings
and,e,xprel!lsions of the Mystre; tbeir .mQuming was
chang~ into.joy, .and the aspirant was emancipated .
frpm his. confinement amidst peals of laughter and .
deafeni,ng shouts of Evpf1Kapev, Evyxatpo,uv, We
have found it!_ Let us rejoice together !t for now
t]].e Euresis; or discovery was celebrated, and it was
announced that the mangled corpse was found, and
restored from the darkness of death to life and hope.
A living serpent wa.S inserted into the .bosom of the .
~righted candidate, which passing through , his ;
garments .was .taken out at the skirts of h~s robe;U :
and being conducted onwards, without time to re- .
&ct, the descent into the infental regions~ was the ,
next .adventure l~e was fated to accQIDplish. On the .
j

.. '. :

August; de Civ. Dei. I. 'ri. c. 9.

t . Clem. Alex. COhort. ad GenL p. 11.

t Athen. Leg&J. p. 88; et vide etiam PluL de hid. et. O&lr. p. sf.
.Clem. Alex. Cohort. ad Gentes. p. 11. Some sa:y that a serpent of
ductile gold was used. (Fab. Pag. Idol. vol. iii. p. 116.)
_
8 Thia ceremony was said to he .commemorative. the ravishnient of
Proeerpine by Jupiter in the form of a serpent; (Euseb. pra~p. evan.) or,
Jlllm' pioperly to signify that as the parent of the present race of men ~as
regeaerated by his confinement in the ark, symbolized by a serpent which
JXI8IIIl8MI the. power of aelf regeneration by emerging periodically from its
Qld akin an~ coming forth in all the beauty and vigour of youth ; so the
~t was purified and born anew by the sympathetic efficacy of the
IIIUII8&DiJilal brought into close _contact with hia naked body, when delivered from the Pastoa
. 'I Thus HefCJll,ea, ~fore ius descent into hell, was initiated into the
q~)'lterie& of Cer (Apollod. ~ibl: ~ i.i. c_. a.)_

of

banks of a sluggish stream he w~ shewn a multi- ,

tude of disembodied spirits, thronging to procure a
passage over the river, and clamorous at being refused; which represented the turbulent race of antediluvians who perished in the flOQd. Then the
aspirant, having crossed the river in a boat, was
shewn the torments of those miserable wretches,.
who, for their vices had been committed to the
destiny of everlasting punishment.t Here, during
the intervals of howling and lamentation, the wild
and furious shrieks of woe by which those lost crea- .
tures vented the unavailing sorrows of bitter repentance, his attendant explained the nature of .
the crimes which led to this dreadful termination ;
amongst which, the highest degree of punishment
was assigned to the impious race who either refused
initiation, or betrayed the mysteries.t Leaving this
place of horror and despair, the aspirant was conducted forward to the sound of heavenly music, and
soon entered on the plains of ravishing del~ght which
are the reward of the virtuous initiated. The per Fab. Mys. Cab. vol. i. p. 278.
t lEn. 1. vi. v, 752, 818.
Warb. Div. Leg. YOl. i. p. ns.
~ " The first stage of initiation,,. says an ancient writer, pTellelYed b:J
Stobams, " is nothing bnt errors and uncertainties; laborious waader
ings ; a rude and feart'ul march through night and darloleu. And now
arrived on the verge of death and initiation, every thing wears a drealdftll
aspect. It is all horror, trembling, sweating, and alfriglltment. Bt tltiiJ:
scene once past, a miraculons and divine ligltt dillcloeee Ule1f; aad
shining plains and !lowery meads open on all hands before them. Here
they are entertained with hymns and dances, with the sublime doctrines
of sacred knowledge, and with reverend and holy visions. And IIO'W become pert'ed and i&litiated, they are Fau, uul DO l011p1 uader reRraiDta;

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turbanon ol liis spirits was here allayed by scenes

in which were depicted the ever-verdant plains of
Elysium; and the souls of the just were exhibited
in the enjoyment of those pure delights which con-
stitute the reward of piety and virtue. The herOgods passed in review before him, and he enjoyed
the exhilarating vision, animated further by a hymn
which was chanted on the subject of the prevailing
.
mythology.
.At this stage of the initiation the hierophant delivered a lecture on the nature and design of the
m,ysteries; accompanied by certain significant tests,
the insignia of the Order, which served to distinguish
the initiated from the rest of the world. The aspirant
then t~nderwent a lustration,* and having been purified, he was introduced into the sacellum~ brilliantly
illuminated and shining with a divine splendour,t
as a striking symbol of the mind of the initiated, now
emerged from pristine darkness into a full scientific
and moral illumination ;t for he was greeted by the.
envied appellation of Epoptes, being fully instructed'
in the nature and attributes of the divinity, and the:
but crowned and triumphant, they walk up 'and down the regions of the
blessed, convene with pure and holy men, and celebrate the 11acred
llf,.ateriel at-plea.n~." (Warb. Di'v. Leg. vol. i. p.IS5.)

8opat. in divis. Qu!llst.

t Aputem., (Metam. p. 27S.) says that at the close of his initiation
le> . . , tu .s.. fit midlligAt 1h.iAi~~g toith a gloriou bright.us, (nocte
medio :ridi Solem candido coruecantem lumine;) and Plato denominates
tile UlUIIllnated aacelhun, pICaptav O..!ltv, a beatific vision. (Phlled.
p. 1224.
.
Themiat. Orat. in Patrem. apud Warb. Div. Leg. vol. i. p. 231. '
\ '"Augustine, in the eighth book, de Civitate Dei, (c. 5.) tells us that

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doctrine of a futur.e state. The unity ofthe g-Odhead :

was inculcated;* and during the process of celebra-
tion the following truth was repeatedly proclaimed:
"Jupiter is King; he is the primitive somce of all
thi~gs; there. is ONE God r ONE power, and ONE
Ruler over all !"t These disquisitions were mixed up
with the doctrines of purgatory, transmigration, and .
a series of mytholQgical allegories that darkly sha-
dowed out the events of the deluge,t acc.ompanied
A:lexaader wrote to his mother, that et:ll& the go!U qf the higher nutk,
Jllpiter, J1111o, Saturn, 4'c. were en; and that thia secret waa laid open
to him by Leo the great priest of Egyptian sacred things; requiring the
letter to be burnt after it had revealed this to her. . The like Cypriaa
affirms, only he saith it wu written to his mother iuiglli tHilllmiae, in a
famoua volume, that the memory of their greater kings wu preserved,
and hence aroae the.custom of aacri1icing; the priest confes,ing to him
this secret. And that we may not suspect these Chriatian writers, Tully,
iB hie Tuaculan Question&, not far from the beginning owns . that those
who are initiated muat know that they worshipped men'& aouls departed
from their bodies into heaven; and that mqjorum gentium dii were such;
and that almoat all heaven wu filled l\'ith men. I doubt not but :
Alesander, Cicero, and Atticu, aad Sanchoniatho alao, were admitted
to be acquainted with the Greatest Myateriea in the ,.;,ligioua initiations of
the heathens;. and.that they have truly told U8 that this worship of such
great men u were the founders of arts and ci'fil government, was the.
grand secret of it; which wu not communicated even to those that were'
initiated into the Lesaer Mysteriea." (Cumb. Sanch. p. US.)
Euseb. Pl<rP evan. I. xiii. Cudw. Intell. Syat. c. iv. a. 18.
t Proclua (in Tim. p. 96.) mentions a gem of Serapis which bears an
inscription to the same purport, E&(; Zev(" ~apar&(, On J ........
Serapis. Many testimonies to this effect may be seen in Grotias. de
Veritate. I. i. s. 16.
To enumerate these legends would require a volume. The faltle of
the Titan& making war on Jupiter wu an instance of the al)egorishlg
epirit of Idolatry, for the rebellious Titans were no other than the whole
antediluvian race of mankind, except' eight peraone, who were hcece
..,metimes distinguished by the appellation of thejut Titans; . Hesiod
tenoe them gQds. (Theog. v. 8S8.) :rhe former by _their impiet1 Mh&de-

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with diffuse and mysterious strictures on the abstruse

points of human generation, of which the visible.syinbols were Phalli, described as emblems of the mystical regeneration and new birth attained by the
:w ee the divine power and jqltice, and were lost in the llood.

To the.aame
elf'e~ was the tradition of the contest between Jupiter and the giants, in
which the latter were destroyed. (A pollod. Bibl.l. i. c. 6.) The overthrow
ef Typhon wu but a representation of the retum of the diluvian waters
into their aubterranean receases. (Ovid. Metam. I. v.) The wanderings
of Io, Isis, Rhea, Ceres, &c. as we have already seen, were but figu
rative allegories of the erratle and desultory voyage of the ark; anti the
Ame event i8 referred to in the fable of the wanderings of Lyeippa,
'lphinoe, and lphianasaa the three daughters of Pretus or Minyas. who
were struck with madness for having despised the Baechle Mysteries.
The murder of one of the Cabiri by one of his brothers, like the death of
Osil'is and Bacchus, related to the symbolical death of Noah. The expedition of the Argonauts might have a reference to the deluge, as Mr
.ftryant and Mr. Faber are decidedly of opinion; the story of the birth of
,Bacchus amidat the thunder and lightnillg which destroyed his mother
Semele; (Ovid. Metam. I. iii.) and his being inclosed in the thigh of
Jupiter, was only the fable of the deluge, and the preservation of Noah
in the ark, for Arech, an ark, and YartcA, a thigh, might easily; by the
fanciful genius of polythelBtD, be substituted the one forthe other. (Vld.
Diod. Bibl. p. 12S.) The descent of Hercules to bell; and the restoratioll
of Hjppolitue to life were derived from the regeneration of Noah in the
ark, as was also the descent of Orpheus in search of his wife ; and ill
like manner, as the animals spontaneously followed Noah into the Ark,
80 Orpheus is said to have drawn aftet him the brtlte creation by the
force of harmony. (Apoll. Argon. 1. i.) The fable of the rape of Europa
alford a another view of the same transaetiO'D ; for a buU was the symbol
of Noah or the god of the Ark, (Fab. Mys. Cab. vol. i. p. 177.) as a cow
was an t>mblem of the Ark itself; the legend of Hercules sailing over the
wwld in a gol<lea Cup bean a decided reference to the deluge, for
. HereoJee wu the artdte god and the Cup was the ark; and th~ sub.
mereion of the island of Atlantis is a plain description of the same event.
The .account of the deluge of Deucalion however is le!lll imp~gnate\l with
~JBtery than.any of the preceding. During the reign of this pr~nce over
the kingdom of Thtl81aly, a general deluge i!lundated Ul.e earth; and
deatroyed. the whole ~ace of .men e~cept him,self 1111d Pyrrl!a ~s ~fe,
who were prei!erved in a ship which liaally reste<t' on' the summit of
:P,uiiUIWI . When the waters had subsided, this iDaulated pair were

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aspirant from the divine qualities of the process Qf ini tiation.* He was then crowned and enthrone4;;
clad in a purple vest with golden ~ones; ud pronounced in a state of pure and ineffable Light, Q.Dd
safe from henceforth under t]le protection of the
celestial deities. Amulets were then delivered to
him as preservatives against personal danger,t and
commanded by an oracle to restore the human race by casting behind
them the bonea of their mother, which referred to the looee etollea wbie1t
layecattered on the eurface .o f the earth. l.oeiDg ao time to provi4e tM
renovated globe with inhabitants, they cast behind them a mnltitnde of
atones, and were utoniehed to behold the crowd of men and women, by
whom they were epeedily urrounded. (Ovid. Metam. 1. i.) It req:airea
little ingenuity to interpret thie fable ; and accordingly it was delivered
without disguise to the Epopt, or perfectly initiated candidate.
This emblem was one of the abominatioas which dellled the mJIteriee, and as we have already see11, ( ut eupra. p. 100.) was exhibited,
with ehamelese impudence, even in public proceuione. Ita origin hu
been variously explaiDed; but it certainly aprang, eitlaer from the in of
Ham, or the myterious doctrine that the Ark wu the common mother of
the human race; and Noah, by what name eoenr he might be distinguiehed, the father.
t With, thie anpentitinns people, a relic, ritually co!IHC1'8ted wu
believed to insure the special favour and protection of the deity, with
whom the prieats were rep:ated to hold an intercouree. Thus if sickneu
were inlli.cted by a hostile god, an amulet conaecrated to a superior deity,
and auspeaded from the aftlicted pereon's neck, would speedily reJDOYe
the diaeue. Young pereone wore enchanted girdlee to excite love to.
warda them in the other sex. The garmllllts which had been worn during
initiation were accounted aaered, and able to protect the wearer in every
emergency. These invaluable relica were therefore used by the fo~
JIOIIIIeiiiOr until they were resolved to rap; and afterwards children were
illveeted with the tattered remaante, as undoubted preservatives froiD the
malign elfects of all diaeuee to which their tender age is by natuJe U.
posed. It was also accounted lucky to collect remnants of the aacriJicee,
which were denominated

VYE& 1(JI.1, because they were thought conducive

lo Moltl. The emblem of flyE/a.&' Health, amonget the Pythagoreane

wu a triple triangle, becaqae _beh:lg altuna&elT colljoillOd wi&hill illelf,

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119
'he was instructed in emblematical knowledge ; for
the morality of the Mysteries was involved in a series
of "risible Symbols, for the purpose of directing the
enquiries of the uninitiated into a mistaken channel,
'and leading them to conclusion~ widely distant from
the truth. Thus the figure of a hawk was used to
i'epresent the Sun; a crescent typified the Moo01;
the omniscience of the deity was symbolized by an
-Eye placed in the centre of an endless Serpent; an
ubligated aspirant by a Grasshopper; knowledge
by an .Ant; impossibility by two naked feet walking
. on the sea.* The dove was a conspicuous symbol
and had been introduced with great propriety, for
this bird was the diluvian messenger ofpeace, and
hovered over the retreating waters like a celestial
harbinger of safety. Hence.a lunette floating on
'the surface of the ocean, attended by a dovet with
an olive branch in its mouth, and encircled by a
Jtainbow, formed a striking and expressive Symbol
which needs no explanation.+ .After these and other
it

~nstitutea a figure of jlN liw1, ~

(Lucian pro. laps. in sal.

admiss. apud Stanley. Lives. vol. iii. p. 62.)

, Hence the incident of Christ walking on the sea is a striking proof
of his divinity; (Matt. xiv. 25.) for what is impossible with man, is possible with God; (Mark x. 27.) and Jol,l says that God alone treadeth Oil
the waves of the sea. (Job ix. 8.)

t The white dove was much esteemed by the Jews, and held in sacr~d
reverence, because they believed that Noah's dove was of that colour.
:t From the circumstance of the patriarch reaching out his hand to
seize the dove, and bring it into the ark before the waters had subsided,
(Gen. viii. 9.) the Greeks invented many fictions, which subsequentl;r
became establiahed principles in their system of mythology. The fable of

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 iUustralioDS of the like tendency, the aspirantwas

dismissed through the 6eautiful gate of the tem.
plet with the two barbaroUs wordsKoy~ andtO,U..alf,
. which are said to mean, WA'I'CH and A'uSTAJW
PROM EVJL,t as a per8on mysteriously regenerated~
and placed in futur.e under the protection af the!
celestial gods.
Such was. the. splendid importance attaehed t0
these deteriorated mysteries. They were plaees ofIll~
signation to the lustful, and consequently fatal; w
the CaliSe of virtue and mo~lity ;u And yet, strangeto tell; no woman was qualified for the honoor of
.

,.

lxion bore this reference. He is said to. have attempted to dellower Juno,,
but embraced in her stead, a cloud, for which ofl'encie . he wu cui mtb
hell. Now Juno is JtUUl, the dOve, (Fab. Mys. Cab. vol, i. it.-81.)
which was seized by Noah; and his puniahment on a .MHilflilrK tM/ttl in
hell, merely referred to his descent into the Hades of the mysteries; an4
his circumambulating progreu through the e&Tems of .initiation.
A profusion of Symbols which adomed these mysteries may be foqpd
in my former volume on " Signa and Symbols."
t The cavems of initiation had two gates; one called the . ~tto
hell, the other the e~~ent of the just; which, in the pauage already cited
from Homer, are inaccurately described. Mr. Pope has inverted the
~~ense of the original, where he makes the gods, or in other wolda the
Epopla} deleelld insteadof aleelld, aad mortals nUt' instead of llacM4.
Thus, corrected, the reference is perfectly easy to the destruction of the
antediluTians and the safety of the eight just perBOnl; who, henee have
been dignilled with the name of~. (Vid. ut supra. p. 104.)
. : Vid. Bib!. Univ. tom. Ti. p. 86, Warb. Div. Leg. vol. i. p. U6.
" When the rites of the east were imported into Greece," 8&J8 Mr. Faber,
;, a strong charge was given that barbaric names should never be
changed; coaceming which injunction it is observed by Peellus, that
there are MJCJ'ed _ , qf ineffable iaport, pruert1ed in flte Mrlteriea ttl etlei'J
~~~~~iota, and delivered to them immediately by the gods ; a c~IUII8tance
which makes it unlawful to translate them into the Greek language.~
(Mys. Cab. vol. i. p. 116.}
t Vid. iv. 19.
UClem. Alex. Cohort. ad Gentes. p. 1~.

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.~iating at \he celebration of .this miserable apoJogy for religion, except sbe were able to testify on
Qa.th that sbe was free from all manner of poiluMoo.* Several eminent men in different ages endeavoured. to purge these orgies of their indecency,
bat without success. Orpheus and Pentheust are
mythologicallyt said to have been tom in pieces by
the lilacchantes for their exertions to stem the torrent
ofdepravity and licentiousness which pervaded every
nmk and description of people whO were engaged in
tbeee celebrations. The rites passed however, with
all their oontaminations, from Greece to Rome, and
remained a lasting stain to the empire long after
tlie establishment of Christianity. At length the
The idea which the8e worthiea entertained of penonal purity may be
COI'I'ectly deduced from the following custom, preserved by Herodotua.
Thill writer telll ua, (1. i.) that all the female votaries or Mylltta, who
wu the 18111e with Cerea and laia,. without excepting the moat dignified
virgius, were obliged to prostitute themselves, at least once in their nves
ia theporeh of the temple; u an indispensable act. of devotion I without
:which they were acc:ounted polluted or unclean. " Amongst the Egyp,
tians it i8 honowable for women to prostitute the111selves; and those who
ha'f4! laiD with DI&DJ men ~d to wear a bracelet about their ancles as a
badge of honour I Moreover, ainonpt them, virgina before marriage
ultld to gain a dower by prostituting themselves." (Stanley. Line. vol.
ill, p. 94.) It was in .allusion to these and still more unnatural practices
that induced St. Paul to exclaim with indignaijola; " it is a ahQ~e nen
to apeak of thoee things which are done of them in secret!" ( Eph. v. 12.)
AJid the aame intrepid Apoatle enumerates these abominable Sins in his
Epistle to the Romana. ( i. 26 to end.)
t Eurip. Bacch. Virg ..n. 1. iv. Ov. Metam. I. xi.
t I aay fllyt~lg, for the fact appeara doubtful respecting the
ioleDt death .of Orpheus; notwithatanding the aboe authoritie11. It
rather appeailthat he was ~ill~ by lightning; . a death, . es~emed by
the ancienls, as beillg fraught with peculia.r Jelicitx. {Diog. Lat:rt.
Procl!Dl.)

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bold and frequent censures of the Christian fathers

roused the people to a sense of shame ;-by a publie
edict the excesses sanctioned by the mysteries were
restrained within more decent bounds; and soon
afterwards they were altogether suppressed un~
heavy penalties.

LECTURE XI.

V AlliETIE8 IN THE SYSTEJIS OY PYTHAGQB.A$

. AND PLATO.

received the rudiments o( tllat

knowledge which afterwards elevated bini to .such
a distinguished rank, from Anaximander the Mileaian.* His first initiation took place at Sidon;t and
he was so impressed with the idea that something
more was intended to be conveyed by this solemnity
than the priests were able or willing to explain, that
he resolved to devote his life to the discovery. He
travelled over the world for \mowledge, and was
initiated into the mysteries of all nations, that by
analyzing the peculiarities of each system, he might
discover the source of truth. Hence his improved
PYTHAGORAS

Apul. Florid. L ii.

t Jambl. c. 11.

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.123
,my~ies

were the. most perfect approximation to

.the original science which could be accomplished
.h_y an idolatrous philosopher. bereft of the aid of reveJ,ation. Some parts-of his scheme would have been
.j).D.~COWltable, but from the facto{ his Jewish initiation; and instruction in sacred things by Ezekiel
the prophet.*
He eQjpined upon his candidates a probation of
five years abstinence and silence ;t for he esteemed
the latter virtue ~W an unobjectionable proof of wisdom.t This extended trial, called a quinquennial
.silence, was intended to abstract their minds from
.sensible things, that they might be enabled to reflect
on the nature of the deity with a pure and undivided
attention. This probation embraced many important particulars. The candidate was rejected if
found passionate or intemperate, contentious or am " Nuartus the Assyrian, one o{ Pythagoras' maaters waa by some
upposed to be the prophet Ezekiel; which opinion Clemens, (Strom. 1.)
.oppu~ 1 nevertheless, aa Mr. Selden observes, the most accurate chronology teacbeth that Ezekiel and Pythagoraa llouriahed together, betwixt
the 50th and 52nd Olympiad ; and therefore the account hinders not but
this Nazaratus might be Ezekiel." (Stanley. Life of Pyth. p. 7.)
t Diog. Laert. in vit. Pyth.
i Apul. Florid. 1. ii. Bence the Engliah proverb, a atjll~Mtpe marks
a wise head.
; Clem. AieL Strom. 5. This probationary silence differed essentially

.~ that which wu de110minated 11'a1'1'EA'l '~ e'XEJ4v6u' a, which implied that the initiated were bound to conceal from all the world the
of the institution. The former waa peculiar to the exotericks, the
latter to the Uflttricb. The probation of five years was sometimes partly
temitted to those who by their age and well known prudence were supposed to JMI8ellll the requisite qualilleatlons. With thei!E', two years were
deemed a aa11iciellt lrial.
J~eCreta

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124
bitious of worldly honours and distinctions. Pythagoms made particular enquiry as to the kind of society in which the aspirant had passed his time ;t
he tried his fortitude and con tancy by the infliction '
of bodily wounds with an iron instrument heated
red hot, or with the point of a sword, or. other sharp
weapon.t And if he endured these torments without shrinking; and proved in other respects worthy
of admission, he was allowed to receive the first
Degree, conformably to the system of Grecian initiation; and as an exoterick, was ranked among the
Acousmatici.t After the lapse of another cons1t Ibid. c. 17.
Jambl. c. 20.
thi11 rigid probation, Pythagoras had no sooner
established his system at Crotona, than in a very short time he had six
hundred candidates for initiation. ( J ambl. c. 6.) And " soon all Italy
was filled ~ith his disciples; and though before obscure, it was after
wards, in compliment to Pythagoras, denominated MagnaGrecia." (Ibid,
c. 29.)
~ The Oath propo'undE'd to the aspirant was made on the number
Foua or Tetractys, which was expressed by ten commas or Jods, (supposing it to be derived from the Tetragrammaton of the Jews,) disposed
in form of a triangle, each side containing four; as follows :

* Notwithstanding

Monad, Fire, or the active principle.

Duad, the passive principle.

_ Tt'iad, the world proceeding from their union.

QIUlternary; the liberal Sciences.

This triangle, some authors suppose, bore a reference to the tri-une God,
whence it was termed, Trigonon mysticum. (Jennings. Jewish Ant. b. i.
c. 12.) Jamblichus gives us the words of this Oath. (De vit. Pyth. c.29.)

Ov !J.a TOV apETEflfl, &c. By the Great Tetractys, or name Jao, wbe
l1ath communicated the fountain of eternity to our souls, &c.

ll

Jamb!. c. 17.

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space of time, they were admitted to the

secJolidDegree, and were termed Matkematici; and

afterwards, on receiving the third Degree; they were

elothed in white garments as emblematical of puri-
ty ;'* WeN entitledto all the privileges of esotericks, .
andadmitted within the screen, or intn the SanCtum
SAnetorum of the philosopher; and from henceforth
received the ~ppellation of Pytlaagorean.s, as having
had perfect initiation into the mysteries of Pytha~ and fully inetructed in the abstruse principles
of his philosophy.f
. In his Lectar'es, Pythagoras defined his system,
the true method of obtaining a knowledge of divine
apd humanIaws,t by meditation on death, by purifying the soul of its imperfections, and by the dis-
oo.v~ of truth, and the pa-actice of virtue; thus
imitating the perfections of God, as far as is possible
in a human being.ll He taught the Mathematics
Peraiua. Sat. 2 .,. 40.
t " Pythagoras went to Phlius, and made a great display of hfidearnbig before Leo the pdnce of lhe Pblhlsians. The prince, charmed witll.
his diBcourse, asked him whai Art he professed f He answered that he
kaew no art, buf was a P'mlOitlpller. Leo, anrpriwed at thia new name~
uked, what are Pit~ and wherein do they dift'er .Crom otbera t
Pythagoras answered, ~ human life ia like the Olympic Games, lOme

. attend for glory, some foJ: profit, and some to obaerve curiotlaly what is:
there ,P~~rformed. Thele daapile both glory and profit, .and employ thea.aelvea atudioualy to enquire into the cauaea of all thfnga. These ate
epquirera after Wiedom, or Philosophers." (Cicero Tuscul. quat. li.)
Valerius Muimua relatea also, that when Pythagoras foiulded his school, .
he was u ....ed what waa the n~e hie System f and anawered, I am not
&1pi&H, wiae; but Pl&iloM~pfw, a lover of willdom ; and my ~llowera
lhaJl be called ;lhfloeophen.

-
PaelL compead. de 1000. . .
~ Hienm. ad
I Stobeu. Serm. ,

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126
as a medium whereby to prove the existence of God
from the results of reason and observation, and toconvey happiness to man. G1amrnar, Rhetoric,
and Logic were taught to cultivate and improve
the human reason; and A1itlm~etic, because he
conceived that the ultimate benefit of man consisted
in the science of Numbers.* He thought the Creation of the world was effected by the harmony of
numbers,t and that they existed in the regions of
the blessed before the world began.t Odd numbers
he assigned to the celestial gods, and hence all
sacrifices to those beings ought to be in odd numbers. Even numbers were for the infernal deities.
Geometry, Music, and Astronomy were inculcated,
because he conceived that man is indebted to the e
sciences for a knowledge of what is really good and
useful. He accounted his system vain if it did not
contribute to expel vice, and introduce virtue into
the mind;ll and he taught that' the two most excellent things for man, were theoretic and practical
virtue; i. e. to spealc the truth; and to render benefits to each other. The several heads to which he
The Pythagorean system of Numbers may be found in Signs and
Symbols. p. ITO. to which I may add that the great Pythagoric Symbol
was ONE and Two, which were used as the names of propagation, 011e
being the father, two the mother. The multiplication of unity and dMity
(once twice two) make Foua, the Tetractys, the Idea of all things, which
are consummated in the number TEN. (Stanley. Lives. p. 106.)
t Stob. Physic. I. ii.
; Nicom. Arith. c. 5,
Serv. in lEn. 3, How did Pythagoras reconcile this doctrine of odd
and e1:en numbers, with his known axiom, that the numbers four and tell
were the Tetractys or sacred Name of God f
11 .Stob, Serm.

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reduced these virtues* were, Institution, Silence,

Temperance, Fortitude, Prudence, and Justice. He
p~ed to inculcate the omnipresence of God, the
e 'one' of the methods which Pythagoras used to eD.force on his dis
ciples the practice of moral rirtu.e, was by the use of short and pithy
~~' 11r~c~. were eymbolical of 10me great moral duty. The following l8 a epeeimen of this mode of instruction :-Sit not vpcm 4 Cluni:e,
~\Maot without initiation; and be not initiated without contem
plation and diacipline ; for initiation, without previous preparation and
II'A~u~~t ~ilige~ce, is but to enjoy a faint shadow of Light, and is
wlnle~ fOfal dar\:nesa.-Tn1Mli11g /rom Taomt, ta"' not IHu:k, 'lor tu
Jrttriu.j. -.. wiiA f" A greater than Pythagoras hath said, " no maa
h11,ving put hie hand to the plough and looking back, is tit for the kingdom of God." (Luke ix. 62.) Pythagoras meant the aame thing applied
to u. inferior purpose. It was au exhortation to hie foUowen to pue
~~)' through eTery Degree of his Syetem, that they might attain to
perr.ietioJi .;...r.,.,. cncay fro thyV every edge. Use prudence and abstaia ,,_. .ugovernable paMion.-Take off tftr rigAt 8ItH fir#. Thia
~ ,~ Prudence.-P- 1101 owr 4 bala, referred to Juetice and
ECjuality.-Wtc~r 110t 4 Riftg. Bind not your 10ul about with the chain
otitpolimee u the finger is. bound with a ring, bat be initiated into
P~r, which eeparates the mind from terreetrial consideratioas,
and fits it for the contentplation of high and immortal things.-Look 1101
ill 4 "- bg taltdleliglat. Beware of that state of twilight which consists
ia ...,erkial knowledge; Cor this is wone than absolute ignorance; but
-.rclt lor the true light, that you may be enabled to find out the nature
ot' 'the.Deity, and estimate his infinite perfections.-Lay 1101 1aold qf e'Dtf1l
rrrulily ll'itA tile rigW Aad. Try and prove every one before you .
~~ . into JOur society as a friend and brother.-.&t 1101 tlte heart.
Bill aoi 1M braill. . Do not rend asunder the social bond, which unites
~~ty, by Unnecell&l'Y disputes or useless dirilions.-Pvt not meat
ia a~. Commanicate not your myster.ies to au idle or foolieh.
penon, for such an one will disgrace and betray you.-Skep IIDI al11-.
Shut not .your eyes againet the Light o( knowledge at.a time when its
~ -~ are 11101t clearly displayed before you, lest the remainder of
~ life ~ passed amidst the uncertain glimmering of twilight, or the
shades of midnight darkne11s; the mists of imperfect information, or the ,
dark clouds of total ignorance.-The curious reader who wishes to punue
this au}Ut:et farther, may find aU the Symbolical Sentences of Pythagoras
in Stanley's Livee of the Phil010pben, from which celebrated work the
~eU.v.e betll ~ted.

128

immortality of the soul, and the necessity of perJJonal holipess to .qualify mankind for admission into. _
the. society of the gods; and declared 'his opinion
that no man can be accounted happy or ruiserab)e
till the day of his death; because, in his most exalted.
moments he is not able to pry into futurity, or to
divine to-day what evils ~morrow may bring upon
him.
He taught that_man is endowed with eight ~rgans .
of knowledge to which symbolical institution might .
be usefully applied;* and ~hese were, Sense, Ph~n The following are some of the Symboll of Pythagoras :-The- eqwildn r
lriagle, a perfect figure, refers to God, the principle and author of all
sublunary things; who in his body resembles Light> iuld in his soul Tnltl.
He was, and is~ and sllal1 be.- TheRiglll4flllt or 8f-e c:omprellelldt
the onion of the celestial and terrestrial capacities; and wu an emblem of
Morality-and Justice.-The perjea Sqtldl'e represents the divine mind, as
hal already been explained of the Tetractys.-The Ctcbe wu a Symbol of
the mind of man alter a well spent life in aot1 of piety ad devotioa;
which is thus perfectly prepared by virtue for translation into the society
of the celestial gods.-.A Poittt tDitl&itt a Cinle. A symbol of the Universe.
Meal(nar&lleO, because the moet excellent body ought to ha.e the moet
excellent place; viz. the Centre. The central lire was esteemed by Pythagoras, the mansion of Jove.-Tite Dodtecedrora was also asymbol of the
universe.-The triple Trimtglt fonned of ft'fe liaaes retnming into itlelt,
was a symbol of Health, and was called Hygeia.-T~e Fflrlriewath PN,..mot~ ttl Ewlid was invented by Pytharoras, ud ia "'"extensively usefa} that i t has been iadopted in all Lodges alooe lais tim~ u a significant
Symbol of Masonry It is said' by .A:pOllodorue ud other aqthore, t11at
Pythagoru sacrificed a Hecatomb on the diacovery of this useflal PJ'Qblera.
This however is exceedingly doubtful, becaUH Pythagoru abhorred
bloody Saer~AeeB, and directed hie followers to.oft"er DOthing bat cakes
ud wine, herbs, llowers, and fnait-ru Leiter ~ Tlalt ~bolical'
character represented the course of human life. Youth arriviDg at maahood, aeea two W11J8 before him, aad deliberatea wbiell he ahall pursue.
If he meet with a gliide that directs him to pui'IIUe Pblloiophy, aud he'
procvee initiation, hit life shall be hDDo~le aDd hit death happy.
But if he omita.tO do tlaia, ud takea tho left Iliad path wldelt. .,,..,..

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tasy, Art, Opinion, Pnidenee, Science, Wisdom, and:

Mind.

He arranged his assemblies due East and

inotion began in the
Eastor rightside of the world, and_proceeded to-:
wards the ~west or left side. In a word, though his
institution was the most'perfect system ever practised
amongst idolaters, yet when he endeavoured to enter
the Holy of Holies, and began to speculate on the
knowledge of God and a future state, he was bewildered with childish notions and idle conjectU1'es, ,
instead of enjoying the brilliant beams of divine~
troth.
Plato was deeply versed in all the mysteries or
antiquity,~ which he believed capable of restoring.
the soul to its. primitive purity.t He adopted the:
division of Three Degrees, because tli.ree was as
mymcal number, dedicated to the celestial deities/
These Degrees were . progressive, the ceremonial
being in accordance with the Greek mode; and no:
candidate was adm.itted to them without. an ele- :
meatary course of study and privation, du"ringWhich
he was subjected to the Pasto~, by being placed in
aweU for a specified period, as the medium of re-
gen~ration.t . The
first Degree
was Mathematical;
.
.

west;.because he "said that

broader and better, it will lead to sloth and luxury; will waste his estate,
impair his health, and bring on an old age of infamy aud mbery. (Porph.
vit. Pyth. StOb. Serm. Persius. Sat. iii. v. 56. Stanley. Lives of'
Pbilos. &c.)
Proclus says that Plato derived his theology from Orpheus. (Cudw.
Inte~. Syat. p. 547.) .

t In Phredone.
"It was in allusion to ~uch rites that Plato," says Faber, (Pag.

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130.

Mum.

and embraced Arithm.etie, Geometry-~

and .
A8tronofllyJ the inatruetiori oftlle ~eeoftd. Degreie .
was oonfined :t o Physics; : 'arid, the third:, ia whichthe brows of. the candidate were en"ircl~ with ;&,
Cl'()wn or Tiaraf to intimate that :hellad... now re-
ceived the i~estimable gift of superior end<JWmen:D,:
and a power of ili&t\'llcting others, was confi.nedcto
Theology. His doctrines embraced disqui~itioris en
the nature of. God, and the creation ud ultimate'
destruction of the world. His opiriion of th diriire
naturewas, that it contained three hypostases, which
he termed Tagathon-Nous-Psyche, or Goodness, ~
Wisdom~ and Spirit, the second of which emanated
from the first, and the thi:rd foom both Bu,t.he
taught that all good rneri after death heeame demons,
and .w.ere therefore entitled .to .the homage of divine
worship;'* 'that the go:vemor of :tbe world. had eom-mitted all _things ~their superintendence ;t and that
they were the authorized .medU.ton between the gods '
and men, and appointed to convey saerifices -and sup..
plieations from earth. to heaven, and blessings and
rewards from heaven to earth. He taugb~ that God :
created the world, but held, from the deductions .Of.
human reason, that a& something C()uld not baY.e .
been formed from nothing, the-materials _must~av.e
Idol. vol. iii. p. 188.) " whose philosophy was. l~ly tlngl!d with th~ _
doctrines of. the Mysteries, was wont to say t~J!lt 7!uth ~ - ~ M~f~KAI::fo.r' ,
.t tlae botttna of a weU. By mal& he meant the speculations rev~etl to_tlae _
initiated; who were henceforth styled Epopts, or "~118 w~. He thjnp
trUly as they
and br t~ae tcell, he meant the ~roc! ~t. or:ca~ 1
where the mysteries were so frequently celebmted."
l)e Refub. 1. _v.
_ t ID_~!!!'~!!:

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descended~ from 80mep~xistent state.~ ~ Ii(i be-

lieved that the univ~rse was doomed to be ultimately'
destroyed by nre, in verification ot ~h~ fable ot
Phaeton ;t and preservecl in his sysiem 8, tradition:
o{ the first created beings in Para:di~e;' h9w they:
cOnversed with-angels in a' state of nature and 1m-;
clothed; how the earth brought forth its fruits spon~:
tam~ously to provide these favourites of h~aven with'
fuod ; how they spent their time in innocence and'
unofFending si~plicity; and how, .ai.Ie;ngth,.by the-
suggestions of a serpent, they fell from th_eir purity,
bec~e ashamed_of their nakedness, and were ca8t. .
forth- into a world of sorrow, grief, -and -despair4
These traces of troth fully prove the source whence :
Repub. I. v.
t In Timoeo.
*
An obscure tradition of
event had been propagated
--ery
D&tioo of the heathen world from the Dispersion ; but it had been studi De

this

in

. oualy disguiled by fable to keep it aecret from the vulgar and uninitiated,
until in process of time, the true intent and meaning of the 8ymbols and
allegory in which it had been enveloped were almost entirely lost.
'' Origen thinks that Plato by his converse with the Jews in Egypt, did
understand the history of the Fall of Man; which he, after his way,
enigmatically describes in his Symposiacks. Where he brings in Porus
the god of plenty feasting with the rest of the gods; after supper, Penia
comes a begging to the door; Porus being drunk with nectar, goes into
Jupiter's garden, and there falls asleep, Penia obsening it, steals to
JUm, and by this deceit conceives by him. In this fable of Plato, Origen
takes notice what a near resemblance the garden of Jupiter hath to
Paradise, Penia to the Serpent which circumvented ~dam, and Porus
to the man who was deceived by the Serpent. Which he conceives to be
the more probable because of Plato his custom to wrap up those excellent things he knew under some fables because of the vulgar; for which
he after speakl of his custom in altering and disguising what he had
from the Jewa, leat he should too much displease the fabulous Greeks,
if he should adhere too close to the Jews who were 110 infamous among
them." (StilJiaslleet. Qrig. Sacr. p. 1118.)
.

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the mysteries in general proceeded, becau e they
bear undoubted marks tha at their in tution they
were commemoratrre rites pointing to events which
actually took place a the commencement of the
world.
He taught the history of the deluge, and .
wrote a book pro sedly on the subject, hich he
called Atlanticu ; and he inculcated the metemp ycho is, and the important doctrine of man' per onal
respon ibility.
The truth is, that though Ptaio profeESed to hue recehed his knowledge from an ancient fable, he lwl it in reality from the Jews, as
Origen has truly testified; (see also Clem. Alex. trom. 1.) but the facts
were unaccompanied by the K ey ; and therefore he inculcated on his
disciples, the unimportant nature of the information, unless some future
philosopher should rise liP among them, who should be capable of revealing the true interpretation.

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THE SECOND COURSE.

TilE CELTIC MYSTERIES.

LECTURE 1.

IN;rRODUCTORY REMARKS ON THE MYS

TERIES OF DRUiDISM.

IN attempting to reduce the Celtic Mysteries to

their elementary principles, the enquiry will be confined almost exclusively to Dniidism as practised in
Britain, which contains the essence and perfection
of the system ; for Cesar informs us that the principles of Druidism were better understood in Britain
ihan in Gaul; and that it was customary for the
inhabitants of the latter country who wished for
~ore perfect information on the intricate subject of
their mysterious doctrines and practices, to pass over
into Britain, where accurate instruction was alone
i.o be obtained.*
The name of these extraordinary priestst has
Ces. de bel. Gal. I. vi. c. 12.
t Mr. Reuben Barrow, in the second volume of the Asiatic Researches,

(p. 489.) says, " that the druids of Britain were Brahmins, is beyond

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been variously derived. The most commonly received opinion is, that its origin most be ucribed
to the Greeks t..(~~, an Oak, because this tree was
esteemed peculiarly sacred by the druids;* and from
its spontaneous produCtion ofthe sacred misletoe,f
they believed that the deity had selected it from all
the trees of the grove, as his own peculiar residence.
In the ancient British diaiect, an oak was termed~
Derw ;t in the Armorican, Deru; and hence the
priests of the oak are said to have been denominated
Derwydden. Some authois have however referred
to other tongues for the etymology of this title. One
says it was derived from the German Trowis, which
signified, a revealer o( Tru~h ; another thinks it
sprang from ~rutis, an ol~ British. name for the
the least shadow of a doubt; but tha' they were all m~rdered and their
Sciences lost, iB ont of all bounds of probability; it is much more likely
that they" turned Schoolmaatei,t, FrtnnGIOU, .and Fo*netellen,
ill
this ;way, part of their sciences might !!aaily descend to posterity, q w~
lind they have done!' With what feeling towards Masonry Mr. Barrow
said tbis; I have not the means of determining, nor does it in the least
alj:er the ch9,1'8.cter of hiB assertion. I J!hall consider tbe OJ)inion u tellding_to illustrll.te the antiquity of the Science. The Drui~ wtrt SchoolJbaBteri, Foltunetellers, and Freemasons also, though the name wu not
known in the age11 when they llourished. They te~y did praetiM a
f(lience derived f~om. FreemasonrY~ ~d applied ~ the ll8.Dle objec~ the
wOl'llhip of the deity; but deteriorated, u all institutions must neces~y be, when the vital principle iB wllolly discarded.

~ J;>)ill. Nat. HiBt. 1. xvi. c.

' t The misletoe was invested with a character so holy, that it was accounted a profanation to touch it with the linger. The ceremoniea 11sed
in gathe~g this mysterious plant were of a nature calculated to infuae a
ACred reverence deeply into the mind i and when plucked and ritually
consecrated, it WaS reputed to pOBaHs every IUl&tiye virtue; and was
hence dignified with .the apPellatiou An Heal.
. -* O"Yen's Dic;t. v. J.>~rw~
'G,e~p. Becu.~

and

of
, -: , :..

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136
deity, ~d that his first priests were -hence called
Pruti. Mr. Smith, in his Gaelic antiquities, con. ~"P-rs with Major Y allancey in deriving druid from
. Druidk, which i~ their own language signifies, wise
men, and is still the Gaelic term for philosophers or
magicians. It seems, he says,_ to have the same impo~:t; . with 1;he. name .of the eastern magi, who, like
the druids and many other religious sects, united
tl!e . <JJJ,aracters of ~e philosopher, the inagistra.te,
8Jlfl the divine, making each of these services one
~4 the same profes~ion.t
.
.
..The syatem-of druidism .e mbraced every r.eligious
jlnd philosophical pursuit which was then known in
t~ islanl; . and had a further tendency to spr~ad
liberty, peace, and happiness amongst mankind.t
The rites bore au undoubted reference to the salva.
tion ofNoah, and his se~en. companions in the.Ark ;
S81111De1i. Brit. Yol. i. p. 104.
t 'Hutchinson. Cumb. Yol. i. p. MS.
M83'rick, Hish Cardl3u. IatrodactioD.
IUs a mott remarkable fact, that we II ad in eYery ll)'atem ot' alitiq'llitJ
a . frequent ret'er..nce to the n~ber _ . , which, flOID ita nature e&ll
lcarcely be ucribed to aay <eveat aave that aamed in the text, except it
be to the -institution of the Sabbath. ThUll the .teMi eoore Ogyrveus; or
iayltical persoa&ges, 'which, according to Taliesin, pertain to the British
mue-; the aeMI score knobs in the coUar of. the Ox, (Dav. Dru. p. Iilii~
i:M.) the
penons who returned froiD Caer 8idi, in the Spoils of tba

ee..ea-

Deep; (Ibid. p. 615.) the' ateeli Pleiades; (Ovid. Fast. 5.) the._.
Hjades ~ ( Antils. Afi&ron.} Ule lelim Titaas ~d Titanides; tile . - .
BeliadeS of the Greeks; (Dio<L Bibl. I. Y.) the .-.: Cabiri of the
Ph'eniei&os; t l i e - Amschuj;ande of.the Parsees ; and the piec&J
fntewhicll the body of. Bacchus was tom by the Titans, (Plat; de laldo.
8lkl Oair-. p. 1118-.) were equally tlie _,. herc;.gods -wko 806QMp&BitMI
lllioalf ih tile :Ark ; &lid tJlese ootrespoDded widl the -Menu!f, the
_.. Pitlia-oi Riebie, and tile "" Brahra&dlcas f UiAdOo m,tlao.logf;

136
and were celebrated fir8t by the Pheryllt, whQ: .CJOrrespond with the Telchines, the Curetes ur the
~nd for the saine reason perhaps, as these persons were the rch~He
kind then living in the world, the septenary number, amongst the
Cabalists; denoted Ullitlersality, and was termed by the Pythagoreana

ofnian-

~AopEAna. To one of the above causes may be ascribed th~ orlgi!l of

the &el)tft vases. in the temple of the sun near the ruins of 8abian in
Upper Egypt, (Savary. Letters on Egypt.) the 8er.en altars whieh burned
continually before the goil Mithras in many of his temples; (Mont. Ant.
tom. ii. 1, 1.) the 8etltft holy temples of the ancient Arabians ; (Sale.
Koran. Prelim. Disc. p. 22.) the &even bobuns of perfection t'Xhibited in
the. Hindoo code; (Hotwell. in Maur. Ind. Ant. vol. ii.. p. 3$1.) ,with
the defective knowledge of the same people which circumscribed the
whole e!lJ'th within the compass of &el)e71 peninsulas, or dwipas; (Sacontala. Sir W. Jones. Works. vol. vi.) the
planets of antiquity;. . the
Jewish Sephiroth consisting ofaet'en splendours; the 8etlenGothicdeities;
commensurate with the hebdolhadal division of time; the Bel'tR worlds of
the Indians and Chaldeans; and the seioell virtues cardiaal and theelogical. (Vid. Signs and Symbols. p. lli9. ) In a word, Ml w~ always
considered as a number possessed of many mysterious properties; and
divine sacrifices were considered most efficacious when composed of th.ia
number.
.
bullocks yet unyoked for Phalbus chute,
And for Diana, 8e1lell unspotted ewes.

""til

_..,..

s-

DRYDEN.

..

..

And even our own scriptures abound with innumerable instances of the
authorized use of this numbt\1'. At the Deluge, Noah received seMI days
notice of its commencement, (Gen. vii. 4.) and was commanded to aelect
elean beasts and fowls by
while the unclean were only admitted
by pairs. (Gen. vii. 2.) On the &el)eallt. month the Ark rested on Azarat,
(Gen. viii. 4.) and Noah despatched his dove at the distance of days each time. ( 61111. viii, 10, 12.) Job and Balaam e~h offered~
ices by the express command of God, consisting of - " bullocks ...d
-rams; (Job xlii. 8. Numb. xxiii. 1.) and this Wa.t undoubtly con
formable with the usual practice of Jewish antiquity. The destruetiDa
of Jericho was miraculously effected by the use of this number; for . _
priests bearing &et1e1l ram's horns. for trl1lnpets, were .directed by &lte
Almighty to colllpa&& the city &el)tll days, and on the ""'"" to p~
round i t - times, when the walls should fall into niin. (Joah. Ti.. '')
Solomon w a s - years building the tempi~; (I Kings :vi.~.) which
:waa dedicated in tlw 1eceMh month, (1 Ki.llgs viii. 2) au.d tb~ pub~

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137
Idei Dactyli of other nations. The ceremonies of
initiation and worship nlso bore a character similar
festival lasted &el)t!ll days. The whole machinery of the Apocalypse Is
-conducted on precisely the same principle. The Iconisms are almost all
pftftiJf'y. Here the FIRST PaasoN in the sacred Trinity is represented
under ~e figure of a glorious Being clothed with surpassing brilliancy,
seated on a Throne encircled by a. rainbow, (Rev. iv. 3, 4.) and receiving
from tile assembly of sa,ints a most profound adoration, in which they
, ascribe to Him~ degrees of beatitude. (lb. vii. 12.) He is attended
by FOUR beasts full of eyes, emblematical of their perfect knowledge of
ALL things; past, present, and to come.
Now the number four was
e&teelmed to poNess 11imilar properties with the nu.mber ltMI. It signi.
fied tcllilltf'aality amongst the Cabalists and Pythagoreans, probably be
cause the whole of the male kind in the Ark consisted of four persons,
and it rormed the holy Tetragrammaton of the Jews. (Vid. More'sApoca .
lypsis Apocalypsios. p. 92, 148.) The sEcoND PEasoN is described as a
majestic and venerable personage standing in the midst of &el)tll golden
ctpldlestieks, and holding in his hand Mt stars, tbe emblems of Light
and Revelation ; (Rev. ii. 1.) and in another place as a Lamb that had
been slain having letltn horns and stllen eyes, symbols of universal power
and knowledge; and receiving from the heavenly host a loud acknow
ledgement of lellt'lt potencies. (lb. v. 6, 12.) And ~e TIURD PERSON is
described as .ere~~ lamps of lire; which are the .eren Spirits of God. (lb.
iv. 11.) Again, the Apocalypse contains1e11tn Synchronisms, which were
preceded by a succession of woes addressed to &el)t!ll churches, (lb. i. 4.)
recorded in a book with_,. seals, (lb. v. 1.) denounced by &el)tn angels
to ihe 'sound of &el)tll trumpets, (lb. viii. 2.) and revealed by Stllt!ll
thunders or oracular voices. (lb. x. 3.) The wrath of God against the
idolatrous world is let looae by &e1)tn angels having 1e11en plagues inclosed
in ltlltn golden vials. (lb. xv. 1, 7.) Idolatry is represented under the
:ftgure of a scarlet coloured beast having &el)tll heads, to represent probably the _,. mountains on which Rome and. Constantinople, the two
eapital cities of " the mistress of the world" were respectively founded ;
(lb. xvii. 9.) and Bellm idolatrous kings, o r - fonns of polytheism are
pointed out far destruction. (lb. xvii. 10.) This very extraordinary and
universal application of the number - , as I have already observed,
must have originated either in a tradition borne away from Sbinar by
every tribe who wan~ered in search of a new settlement, respecting the
inlltitution of the Sa~bath ; and it must b'e observed that almost all ido
latrons nations kept holy the &el)tnth. day; (Vid. Usher on the Sabbath
.P 71.) or the""" hero-gods who were_saved with Noah in the Ark.

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ie thole of dte people wlleaee they wen deriVed;-.
actmnodafed tO the peculiar genius of tJae people#
and admitting of various minute modi6ca~ 1 ir Tj
arising from the accidental eircmDIJh!tnC:el.ol lOcal
situation; and the temporary revolutioaa of maa..:
ners and government. Respecting these ceremonies;~!
the ancient historians are not whoJlyei~old! 1'Q!Jl ,:
we shall gather more information from the bardlct~
than the classical writings on this ~ subjcc~!
Strabo informs us that the druids pnetited the rit;es. ,:
ofSamothrace.* :&Ir. Faber adduces other authorities: .
in support of the same hypothesis. " With regard tO ;;
the devotion of the Hyperboreans;"says this author~ ,
''to the ark.ite mysteri~ we are.plainly informed bfDioiiysius, that the rites ofBacc.hus and Noah were ~.
duly celebrated in Britain. Hence arose their veqe,.,~ .
ration for the Bull, the coniWlt symbol of the deity..
of the Ark. To the testimony Qf Dionysiu.s, I
shall add the authority of Artemidorns concerning;
those (mysteries) of two other Cabiric deities. In
an island, says he, close to Britain, (by which,. aU .
probability be meant Anglesey, the chosen seat of
superstition,) Ceres and Proserpine are venera~
with rites similar to the Orgies of Samothrace. Thi$.. :
island was dedicated, as we learn froin Milas~s, . ~
the Cabiri; and he further informs us th~t C~ Proserpine, and Bacchus were t~ckon.ed in the nn~-:
her of these deities. Hence it evidently QPpears,"~4a.t:
the gods of Britain wer~ the san:re: as the Oubiri of

, _

'

'

, , _, ,

sttatio.

-.. . ,

~.._ -

Geogr. l

- H ><

- ~-

--~~ ~

- ~

iT;,;

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138
SllJ)lothrace; and consequently, wh~t.ever-.obaena-.

tions are applicable to the latter, .are-no l~ss applic~ble to.the former.''*
. '.' .Dr. Borlase has traced a surprising unifonnity
in the.temples, priests, doctriaes, and worship of the
Persian magi and the llritish Druids. Tbis . oonf()l1Di~ indeed is so striking and .exu.ordinary, tllat
PellD\Itier, in his bi.stor.y of :the Celts, :will ~Ba.ve it
that .the Persians and the Celtswere cOrigjnally ODe
amhhe same people. MajorVaUancey is of the same
opinion; -adding that .the druids .first 6ourish.ed in
the east; in Hindoostan as Brahmins; .in Babylon
a~ Syria as Chalde~s, and.in Persia. as Magi; and
from :tJience came hither .with that grea~ body of
:Persian :Scythians, .whom the Greeks ~l PhenicW.s." These opiJ}~ons, collected by Mr. Hutchin~n,t c~ .o~y prove that .these dift'erent nations
agreed N. to the practice of similar rites and cere-monies in .tbe administration of religious worship ;
fur- the druids 6ourished in Gaul and Britain, at
leastcooval with the.planting of many other nations,
from which theorists have conjectured they might
derive their original.t Besides, the nations above
referred to, paid their devotions to different objects
o~ worship; some were Sabians, and worshipped the
:fl}b. Mys. Cab. vol. i. p. ~10, 214, "~Y:ith autboritiet.

t Hi,at. C~mb. vol. i, p. 247.

.
t The first people who IM!ttled in Britain are said, in the Welsh triads,
tel have been the Cymri, who were led hitholir. by G0111er, or some of hia
immediate dellclendantt. (TufD.Angl~ Sax: vol. i. p. 14.). lfthia be true,

Britain received ita po.,pu~n VlflJ "IIQOilllfta. ~- D.ialleufo)l.

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140
host of heaven; othe~ were Magians, and conG~ed
theit: adoration to the solar fire. These two sects
always professed the utmost contempt and hatred
for eacli others principles, ~hich . frequently termi'nated in acts of open hostility.* The testimonies
however are amply sufficie~t to point out the analogy
which subsisted in early times between the my~
terious institutions of those countries, which were
formed by the migration of the first descendants of
Noah and his family ~t
.
. .. ~~;
The druids did not worship idols in ~he bunian
shape, because they held that the divinity, being in.
visible, ought to be adored without being seen. But
we are told that they did occasionally erect, like the
primitive Buddhists of the east,t in retired places,
statues of Isis or Ceridwen; which must have been
gigantic stones,IJ rough as when taken from the
quarry,, the Betulia of the easte~ nations,** .which
were ritually oonsecrated, and .invested with p~cu~

Vid. Prid. Connect. vol. i . p. 226. . t vid. ut supra. 1. L .

Fah. P_ag. Idol. vol. ii. p. MO.
' ~.
, ~ The Scandinavians had a goddess of this name. (01. Rudbtoek
. . . ~. r...:f.
.4-tlant. vol. ii; p. 212.) .
U "Several of the idols oCtbe old Arabs,". says Sale, in his.PreUminuy
Diieourse to the Koran, " were no more than large, rude stones, the
worship of which the posterity of Ishmael first introduced Tlle.e
atones they at first only compassed out of devotion ; but at last it ended ill
rank idolatry ; the lshmaelites forgetting the religion left them by their
father so. far, as to pay divine worship to any stone they met with:"
f Bryant. Anal. vol. i. p. 18.
" the mighty pile of magic planted rock
~
Thus rang'd in mystic order, Jilarkstbe place ' . v..t
Where, but at times of holiest festival
. The Druid Je&U bia trai.n."-MASOJI.

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141

liar and distinctive properties. These stones, so

highly venerated,* 80 enthusiastically adored, were
the representations of the great British deities whose
almndant merits have been 80 extrava~ntly eulo-gized by the Bards. These deities, by what variety
of names soever they may have been designated, all
melt into two, a male and a female, the Gl'eai father
ap.d~qU,ler, who were w~rshipped under the appellation of Hu and Ceridwen, and bore the sa~e con-.
spicuoos character with the Egyptian Osiris and
Isis; the Grecian Bacchus and Ceres, or any other
supreme god and goddess who represented the great
father and mother of mankind in the mys~ries of
id9lrpn~ antiquity
.~ . rocks containing an aperture, whether natural
ot ~'rtificialt were thought to convey purification,
because they equally shadowed out the door of the
~k ~hrough which the favoured few issued into a
reiio~ted world; and it is worthy of remark that
same belief distinguished every ancient nation;
forall practised the helio-arkite superstition, and
all alike admitted the regenerating properties of the
consecrated orifice.t They varied however in pro-

the

:r. ~ informs ua that the Irish peasants still pay theae stones
aaawful ieepec~ (Hatch. Cumb. vol. i. p. US.)
.
-t . On ~e es~te of G. Tennyson, Esq. at Bayou's Manor, near Market
~ iD Lincolnshire, is a petrel llll&lnwi<B conai&ting of a gigantic upright
stoae, J!'!!lting on a &lender buis, at the foot ot which anpther stone has
been pl&eeJI; .hollowed out ao u to form an aperture of suftlcient dimensions for a man to creep through. It stands in a commaading situation, on
the l!o~d brow of a hill, ao_d has doubtless been need by the druids in the
performance of their eacre~ .ri,tee. .
. ,

j .This 'Wall the abomination referred ~ by the propb.et Isaiah, where

/ '

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1e

142
~Oii' -.ith

the

of

sopposetl 8ancti'ty. -fhd pe~~.

arising from the solemnity of the rites of:con&eemtion. Thus a naturtJl 'e&Yity ina rock; unhaDow_eci
by the sacred ceremonial, was of inferior virtUes
when compared with an artiftcitJl Pastos, .erected~
ritaaUy, consecrated with hoJy:oil, and dedicated:to '
a religious use; and as soon as a Pastos wti thus
anointed, it acquired the distinguishing name of
lapis ambrosiw.
A considerable degree of sanctity was attached to
small islands in the centre of a consecrated Lake.
Fleating islands considered as the residence of a
happy and perfect people, bore an allusion to the
garden of Eden, where Adam dwelt in a state'
absol ate felicity; and perhaps also to the then known
world, which was in reality an immense island; ana '
, therefore the placesof mysterious celebration were
frequently constructed in s.uch situations.t Th'ey
he dellounces flt 'lullu q~ llae roekl, and the cavea of the earth; u inallf-

or

!c:ient to avert the iDcllpatioa of the Almighty. (Iaai. iL 19.) .

The city ofTyre, according to Stukeley, wu bnilt by Hercnlet OJ1 a
spot wbere the petra ambroaie stood, which were tWo holldw iooka,
aJWled by 8Jl oli~e tnle; and aoeoldingly on the anoieat T)ori&n eoiatwe .
a~d theae ambrosial petral represeated ovenhadowed .bf an ~ tree..; ,
and on the
HercUles oft'ering a aacrilitie of dedication.
t Thelnterior reeeue11 oftheintular I&JictuatT were
utlle
1e8i of every supemal delight; Here the hea-fea8 had eslla:atea th~ '
stores to confer gifts< on their favbilred and eDollen ~e~~ldeBce. Mr. Dkri$
hu PJ!na detoript:icMl o f theee diatillguiahed privileges; :ia the 'trallilatten:
of a MOihozion 0 which .Jabll transcn"be, after remarldug th& na doateuta are torreboraf.t!d b,- a teetiJnony from a quarteP' the lellat erpected~
The Hladoo8 llt.'t'e a trtdidon iurreahmonpt them, that 11ee raf'dtu' "ff!'
IAIBIIIplriW'tll''fiftialecl U. Me BriM\ Wn; aud
bea1!tie8 ofthfa '
imaginary paradiae, u we are told by Mi'. W'llfohl~ are deecrlbecl In:
tlnial"'of \1M $def~ p&DeQricr; :~Gaeeduag eftll'dao

reyene,

ooliaWen!d

the

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bo~- a refere.Jlce,also. to, tlie Ark, wllicb. .at the time~

of the~ckluge::was th.e. ,only.b.bi~ble;suhstanoe.-~1
contained_,tbe.wbole human. race.. Eacli Of th~ei
island$ bore .the.mysteriOWJ .n~e of~~ and,
drawing, it o'o.tof:the. lake with a:){oke of oxe.n;.;. at;...;
teuded by many Jhysti~ ce.retnonies, formed OJle of;
legeoad beie. aabjoiued.-" In ancient times, it is said, a door in a rock
"lteat ~ ~~

w~, fou!J:d !lR811. upon a certain ~y ~very ye~r. I thinlt;;

it ~ ~~~ d\'-T Those who had the c~riosity and re~lu~on to ente.r, ,
were CQDducted by a secret passage, which terminated in a smaJJ island,
Ia ibe centre of the lake. Here the Tisitflrs were ao..Prized. with the!
P,lnl~t m.~ most. enc,ban\ing garden, stored with the choicest frui~ and .
~and ' mhabited by the Tytwytl& Teg, or fair family, a kind of
"fairiel; w)lolle. beauty cmlld be equalled only by the courtesy aad affill!il~ "!~~ ~re~hibited fo tAo.e toho ~ ,t1j,ea. They 81\t.l!~l114:
fru{t and Bowers for each of their guests, entertained them with the most
~~ 'ntaliie, discloaed to them many events of fnfurity, and imited
~~-atay, as lqng _,. iM.I ,ahpuld find - ~ ~tuatio,r) .N~J.ble... Bpt
the)aibcl W!-l .~red, .a nd nothing of its produce m~s~ be carried away
..:.'The 'llrhbtl! of this scene :Was 'invisible t6 those who stood without the .
~or" the lake: Oaly an. indlatillct. mass.wu seen. in. the mldd.le;
.a nd it w,ja observed, that DJ) bir!l would fty ovel' the. w.ate~,. and that.a
.Oti iitrain Cir mu8tc, at times, breathed with raptUrous sweetness in the '
~.ohlle mountain.-It happened upon oqe of these annual visits,
that eacrilegious wretch 0 when he was about to.~~ve the, ~n, ,put
a .ftO,er, with which
bad been presented, into his pocket'; but the
tkeft boded him no good. As soon as he. had touched unhallow~d
IJI'OJIJ:i4, the ftower v~ishe~ ~d he lost hill sepaes.,-Qf:this i.itjlUJ, .&h.e.
jtdr f-"Y ~k no notice at the time. They dismissed their guests with
their accustomed. courtesy, and the 'door was closed as usoal. But
their l.'elleJitment ran hlgh. For though, as the tale goes, tl;le Tyl.,tl&
T,-and their gardell undoubtedly oceupy the spot to thia day...,.tbough the
. biWe llti1l keep. at a ree,pectilldistailce frum the labi, and some broken
lltra.iu .t lll1llio are atiU hetrd at. tiJJiea, yet the door which.led to-.tbe
ialpcl ba,Haever ""'&ppearbd; and, 'from the date of~ .-crilegiqua aot,
tile CYJPI'J':.ba,e.beell'IUortu.IIJe.".;-ltJa:added, ,that ''Some time~dter:
~' &ll;..a,Yeniuro\tJ;pcriiOa .attjlmpted.-to.draw. oft' the Jwalle:r, in-order-to'
~-d~ .aon.Wita~ ; whea a.te~fic .foriD .:arose from the midilt. of the :
laU, :~dillg . JWR..to..deaist,: or - ~iae he w-ui.dlewa-.the .
eolllltr,J.''. (Dav. Dl'o. p. U5.)

be

144-

the principal ntes oftbe'dmldical religion.*In every.

nation of the world, Water was profusely used during the initiations ; and hence the propriety of the
British custom of performing their celebrations io
the centre of a lake. It had a twofold reference;
first to the diluvian waters which cleansed the earth:
from its impurities by a general lustration ;t and
secondly, as the external medium of purification by
which the Mystre were ritually regenerated.t It
was a maxim with the druids that water was the
first principle of all things, and existed before the
Creation in unsullied purity; but that its perfect
qualities were diminished when it became blended
with the earth at its original formation o~t of chaos; .
and hence it was believed that water lost some portion of its purifying qualities by contact with the .
earth, which was considered the very principle of
contamination; and therefore to secure to themselves a certain supply of thi_s element unpolluted
with any impure alloy, they used to scoop hollows
or cavities on the upper surface of certain elevated
stones to catch the waters of heaven before they
Vid. SijPlll and Symbols. p. 93. Hist. of Beverley. p. 1-i, 41.
t 1 Pet. iii, 20, 21. Grot. in Matt. iii. 6.
Nothing could be more univereal than this practice. The Jewish
religion and all the systems of Paganism, however diversi6ed in other
~pects, heW equally the necessity of repeated ablutioaa to cleaue the .
soul from moral defilement. From the plains of India to the utmost
regions .o f th,e west this doctrine waa implicitly received; originating,
most probably, from some uniform practice which accompanied the
patriarchal performance of religions ~tea anterior to . the . general dis-.
persien from Babel.

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146
reached the ground.* Rain was preferred to river
water, snow to rain, at.nd ice to snow. These rock
basons wete hence invested with a. peenliar degree .
of sanctity, and were always attached to their temples, or places of initiation, when not situated on a
laket or river of water.
Jloi'l. Ant. Com. b. lii.. e. 11. p. Jt5.
t Sir Walter Scott bas woven this supentition into a!Jnost beautiful

Poem, (Lady of the LaJ..c,) attcutled with all the mRcbinery of initiation.
The island in the l~ke rallc1l Loch Kntrine (Kettnrin) which signifies
the Gflle qf hrU, and in Indiu nnd son1e other countries was but another
name for the Pastos; the Urownie's cavern, (Coir Uriskin) for the whole
superstition of tho brownies was but remains of the storiPS of initiation ;
the Lady in the boat, .nml the range of eavoros whioh th11 ialiUld contained,
are all indications of this fuct. Mr. Stunrt, the ~nide to this lake, island
and scenery, say>, "in the bosom of a rock south of thti Pl\88, there was .
a tlAYe where an ontlR.w named Fletcher resicled mcmy yet\1'11; but .though
~n . ill so pn1ticulnr with . regard to its situation, l1i to doacri.be
minutely the dilfcrentviews "hicb it conunandcid, he said he had entirely
lost the entmnce of it, thougb he had searched for it with the ubnost
care.". (Hogg's Tales. vot. i. p.l~O.) 'l'hll islanl is called Roqh island; .
and the attendant spirit is like a satyr or goat. (Lady of the Lake. Notes .
p. ass.)

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LECTURE II.

ON THE PLACES WHERE INITIATION WAS

USUALLY .PERFORMED IN BRITAIN.

. I ~

Britons had the utmost veneration for a

grove of oaks,* and here the most sacred places
religious celebration were constructed ;t particularly if hills or mountains were found within .t he
compass of the inclosure; for it is well known that
these eminences were highly venerated by the druids
in common with the rest of mankind; partly from
a:n idea that the tops of hills made a nearer approach
to the heavens, from whence the deity could more
perfectly hear their prayers; and partly from a faint
remembrance of an old tradition of the deluge, and
THE

of

Lucan. Pharsal. I. iii.

t The first patriarchs allo worshipped in groves of oak, (Gen. xviii. 1,
4, 8. ui. 13. J01h. xxiv. 26.) but the custom wu aubeequently condemned because it led to disorder and prostitution. (Dent. xvi. 21. Isai.
i. 29. Hosea iv. 12, IS, 14.) In the idolatrous nations a grove wu
euential to divine worship. (Diod. Sic. 1. ~i. Quint. Curt. 1. iv. c. '1.
Strabo. Geogr. 1. viii.) Pindar, (Olymp. x. 62.) introduces Hercules u
planting a saered grove; and in India groves of olive were planted in the
m01t venerated situations. (Asiat. Rea. vol."Vi. p. 624.) In a word, u I
have many times obaerved, idolatry wu nothing but a pervenioa of
patriarchal rites.

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147
probably of the Burning Bush, which induced~
belief that mountains were the consecrated residence
of the deity;* but principally because the conical
mountain, variously diversified, was considered an
apt representation of the union of the two great
generative principles personified at the deluge.t
It may be here remarked that mountain worship was common with
the antediluvian patriarchs, and was followed by Noah, (Gen. viii. 20.)
on the mount where the ark rested~ 11,11d where the parents of mankind
resided after their deliverance from danger; by Abraham, (Gen. :r.ii. 8.)
who performed an act of worship on mount Moriah at the expresa commud of God ; ( Gen.-xxii. lil.) and -again by Moses on mounts Horeb,
(Ex. iii. 1.) and Sinai. (lb. xix.) This custom was soon imitated by
those nations which had renounced the true God. (Numb. xxii. 41. :r.xiii.
14, 11, liS.) Whea Philip II. made war ~st the Spartans, he sacrificed on the two mountains of Olympus and Eva. (Polyb. I. v.) Cyrus
sacrificed to the gods on a mountain just before his death. ( Cyrop. I. viii.)
"So in the Iliad Hector does the 11an1e. (11. nii. 171.) The Persians
worshipped oa mountains ; ( Strabo. 1. xv.) and 2300 yean before our
era, sacrifices were oftered in China to the supreme god Chan-Ti, on four
great mountains, called the four Yo. The sovereigns, finding it inconenient to go thither in pe50n, caused eminences representing these
mountains to be erected by the hands of men, near their habitations.
(Voyage of Macartney. vol. i. p. 58.) The American savages used the
same custom. (Humboldt's !Research. in Amer. vol. ii. p. 244.) "In
short every towering hill was reckoned holy; and we are assured by
Melanthes, that it was the universal practice of the ancients to ofFer
sacrifice on tlie highest mountains, to him who was accounted the highest
god." (Nat. Com. I. i. c. 10. apud Fab. Pag. Idol. vol. iii. p. 200.) The
Israelites too, when they fell into idolatry, adopted the same custom, and
worshipped the host of heaven on mountains, (2 Kings xiv. 4. Jerem. if.
20. Ezek. vi. 2, a.) though it was absolutely forbidden in the law of
Moses. (Dent. xii. 2.)

t This system of veneration was not peculiar to Britain, but was common to all the idolatrous nations of the earth; When the ark, or female
principle with the whole human race in her womb, fioated on the surface
of the diluvian waters; the male principle, or the great father, was placed
in the centre of the lunette as a mast; and thus the two principles united
-&&ted in safety over the earth f" (Wilf. on M. Cauc. in .Asiait. Ret. vol.

L2

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148
The JPOuntain with one peak only, represented the
xnale principle; with two peaks, the figurative lunette or a,rk, . symbolized the female pri~eiple; and
with three, the two principles united.*
:vi. p. 521.) and when the waters had StJbsided, they remllined firml:r
fixed on a roek, which thA s11perotition of eucb nntion feigned to be within
its own boundaries. When a mountnin was ndOi'I\Cd with three pew,
therefore, it '~as accounted perfect, und worthy of SU}Icrior feaeration,
from its apt repr~"SCntation of this union of the bcxes, \Vhlch funWhed tJae
natural mctms by which the. world W<lS repeopled. (Vid. Signs and Syuabols. P 180.) lJerfect specilnens or all these vwieties or lli.OUDtaius are
frequent in the counties of Lantaster, Cumberl1md, and We~>tworelaad;
and I cannot but tlunk that this pa1t of the i&lantl was a favourite
resort of the druids ; for they contained every roqisitt:, in vu.st llbundllDce
fol' the pmctiee of their l'cligious rites. 'l'he rhers and lakes; the many
natuml caverns and exca1 ations ; the numerous &pcc:imens of tho holy
mountain in e\ery possible vwiety ; ulfurded such a combiDI&tion of natural facilities for the exercise of theil' mysterious celebrations, that they
could not be overlooked by that acute and politic order of men. Accordingly we find, in the stupendous monuments with which those counties
still abound, the wost positive truces of -druidiclll ingenuity in nil ita
several funus; whcthe1 r.onsist.inp; of stun~ or curLhern temples, the
cromle<.h or the kistlaen, the logun Ul' the tumulus, th;, seat uf j"~tice or
tht~ sacred ;;rove; all being nnquc,;tionble evidences of tlruidical bubita,..
tion. A learned and ind:fnti~ublc writer, "hose opinions claim ev.:;ry
attention and respect, say~ the s&me thing of wme of the wutl1eru COIID
ties. " Numerous remains of stone circles, cromlechs, rocking stones
and tumuli still exist in the Scilly isltmds, und arc cuntinue_d olong the
coasts of Cornwall an<l Dori1Ct1 to the widely ;,xtendcd plain~ uf Wilt.shire; all, from their rud~nCia, bcspculJu;r u vt:ry ancient, lllld I may
pronounce, a Celtic origin ; and corresponding in 1\ 1'ery striking depee
with thoso on tlle opposite shores of our utothcr COIIDtry Gaul." (Hoare's
Ancient Wilts. vol. I. p. 12.)
<:> We are indebted to Capt. Wilford for bringing to light 11 recorded
tradition of the Hindoos, that the llritiab druids held wountllina and
lakes in supelior Ycnerl\tion from the cnusos just enomemted. ll~to.iD,
says this autltor, " wM tcm1cd by tl1e Indians, Trica.tachel, or tl&e - tum u:uh tl1rec 1"-~11&11; and wAS hence considered as a place of pecllliar
sanctity. Eugl<n14 was d<.'llominuted, l~atll-Dwce}; &otlaatl, Seu&eya.Dweep; 41141~, Suvarna-Dweep. Tlu~ ~~.is, or ~\i~~ ~

'

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14~

The places of initiation and wor~;hip were gene.;.

rally either circular, becausea circle was a significant emblem of the universe, governed and preserved by an omnipresent deity, who is described
in the writings of Hermes Trismegistus, as a circle*
whose centre is every where and whose circumference

------

- -- - --- - -
.
Paid to reside in Suvlll'lln; IUld their place of abode was either OD
the IUIIl\llit .of a mouatain, .or in a cnve called Mahn-Dewn, in 1111 Ulo114
_,.e it! the ~ qf a l4ke, m" totlkr& IDtf'e reputed bitter. Ff!Om tAU
t:~~~:e .__, ~long ~e iato tlul i'!femal rCKions. Here the lio.t ila of their
deceased anceatQrs ~ inH~ked." This is a eorrcct account of a plaoe
o initiation ; nnd is thought to baye n refeNnce to the celebrtded Por~ry of St. l'atrick, in Lougll Derg, in Ireland, into which no pel'80ll
was allow to enter without fil'!lt unde~W>ing ull the ceremonies of puri~~OD .llnd pr~ou. Thia purgatDry, uccording &o the opinioa ef
~lr. Faper, (i.\fyst. Cab. v:ol., ii. p. 81)9.) was doubtlclili a place appro
printed tD the perfOJ'Dlance of the rite6 of dr!lidism. It will be remem-bered ~t *e bply u.1011nWn Wll$ considered the Sllcred uctnt to Elyium;
and the cav.~ 01 WUillQ led ~u:ardl tu H&.Jes. The moat e.ncient monu.
ment of BriUih nntiquity at Abury, ill Will:llhire, was eon1tructed on two
eminence!!; aad to comple~ the nll.uion, a gigantic mound, called 811lltlry Iilli, Wl\8 Uu'o~ Ull, . 11>0 liS to fol'lll n triangle with tbe other two,
f,hus consti*UtiJlg the 91!-Crcd thre~-peal.:cd temple. The hill at Kam-bre,
ill Comwall, is furnished by n.ntllre with three distinct nod beautiful peake,
JIDcl homce 1>ooa,D1e an early object Q{ anperstitious revereace, which the
druids &llpetU' to hnve exhausted all their ingllnHity in adorning with a
profuaiQn of illlCrccl embellishments, Here was . a consecrated grove of
oaks, flll"llished l''ith 110lar temples, caverns of initiation, thrones, phalli,
Ill~, a.dytn, inclosures, rock basons for the water of purifica&tion, .and
every requisite for public worship and the celebration of the mysteries oa
a ~ ecale ; for the w hqle Clltent of this mngniflcent establishment oomprehel!ded an area of more thnn four miles in circumference. (Borl. Ant.
Com. p. ns.) It may ~. here observed thnt the grove was sacnid to the
&tlutjal, thll al~ to the terrestricll, ~d the eell to the illfel'll4l deitiea.
(Maur. 1\ld. Ant. .vol. ii. p. 111.)
The unal appellation given by the bards to the sacred incloeure at
!Ul Opell temple, was, tie liNIIIdane rircle; and fe,ber &ays that the Ark
was c~ed, t~ cir~ qf ~~ _,.14; it follQWf thwefore the ope.u circular
~~1~ WJI! ~ rep~*-*fio 9{ d.l,e .\wk.
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is no where; and pointed out the unity of the godhead ; a doctrine distinctly asserted by the druids;*
Specjmena of the circular temple are ia tJaia 001111try ; but tt..
moat atupendoua apecimen ia exhibited at Stonehenge on Salisbury ~laiD,
which wu anciently denomlnallld Caer Gaur, or the Great Cathedral, or
the mUDdane Ark, and WU illtemfed probably U a place o( general aembly for the detached communities throughout the kingdom at their
grand triennial meetinp. Surrouuded by a deep ditch and lofty mounds,
the illterior IIJIIICe wu dhided, like 111011t other editcea of peculiar aanctily,
into three llepiU'IIte illcJosures ; an outer and aa ianer court, and adytum ; the lint m the people, the aecoad for the prielta, and the third
for the chief druid alone. 'The eatnuac:e to thill woaderful temple wu by
an avenue towudl- the DOrth-eut, which to thia dar ill accurately defined
by a bank of eartla on each aide n.tP.ndiD( to a conaiderable diatanc:e from
the temple, and formiDg at the end a double aveaue ; one bl'llllch of whicla
communicated with wllat is aow termed the Cll!llua; but I llbould thiak
that thia ..,aoe ia probably the aite of the aacred buildings. At a abort
diatance from tJae circle wu a huge atone, &ix1een feet ill heiht, which
wu doulltleaa the presiding deity of the place; a vestige of the Bnddhit:
8uperatitioa ; ( Hetlych. Lex. apud Fab. Pag. Idol. vol. ii. p. 1176.) aad
about one hundred feet further in the entranCfl illto the outer Court was
another atone of about twenty feet ia height. Within tile ditch wu a
green walk of one hundred and five feet ill breadth, which eaoompuaed
the whole lltroctllre ; and thia wu probably circumambulated by the
aspirant during the process of initiation. The building itself consisted of"
two coneeatric circles, fol'llled of upright pd cross stODell of gigantic siz~t,
the largest beillg twenty-five feet in height, and of a proportionate breadth
and thickness. "The bulk of the constituent parts is so very great," says
Stnkeley, (Stonehenge. c. 1.) "that the mortaises and tenons must have
been prepared to an extreme nicety; and like the fabric of Solomon's Temple, every stone tallied, and neither axes nor hammers were heard npon
the whole strnctore.'' The outer circle
one hundred feet in diallleter.
and eonail!ted of sixty stones, alluding to the eexage1ial'y cycle of the
Aaiatiea; one half being uprights and the other imposts; tha illner circle
between eighty and ninety feet in diameter, containing forty stones, ill
allusion probably to the forty days prevalence of the diluvlan waters. The
adytnm wu oval, because an Egg wu the con&tant symbol of the world;
the outer oval conaiallld of ttll stones, beca08e ten wu a perfect llumhen
and amongst the Pythagoreans denoted Heaven, u being the perfectioli.
of all things; (Vide ut supra. p. 126.)'and the inner oval contained ninl!teen stones, referring to the cycle of the Sun and Moon, the two grea

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OMI, .itt allnsio~ to tile mund,ane egg; though

the instances of this form are of rare occurrence, the
adytum being more frequent oviform than the temple; or serpentine,t because a serpent was the sym~

-.......
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arkite deities. The adytum contained an altar. I han 111bjoined a plan

pf this stupendous temple,

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. The remains of a small temple or this kind, consiating of sixty stones

is atill in existence at Addingham, in Cumberland, called Long Meg and
her. daughters. The tnmsverae diameter from east to west is one hundred
'arda; ~d the conjugate from north to aoutll, eighty. On ftae south side, at
about the distance of twenty-three yards, stands the stone called Long Meg,
.ftve y~ high and five yards in girt, which was the idol or object of worship,
. t The temple at Abury, one of the most stupendous erections which
au.cient B~ cou1-d boast, and whose loss is a national calamity, was
conlltnlcted in.the form of a circle, to which a nst Serpe11t was attached,
It is cODiidered to have been one of the earliest atructures erected in
Britain, bqt now, alas! totally desolated, and scarcely any vestiges of ita
es:isteDCe remain. Its name .may probably hav~ been derived from the
Cabiq, u Parkhurst, in loc. ingeniously supposes; because the Cabiric
rites were UJJ.doubtedly celeb..ted within ita precincts. . Cabiri, or .A.biri

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bot o(the deity~ . wi!G 'hs no other dian the dilu\iiad
patriarchNoah, consecrated by the druids under the
aipiies the Mighty Oaet; IUld the mysteries were dedkaf.lld to thO&Il
benevolent deities who invented nnd propugntd the arts "hich elevated
man from a 1!11VIlge to a civilized stutc of. being. This extraordinary monu
ment of British ingenuity ~Uad persevetimcc wu ercctod on the lillinmit of
an eminence in the centre of lUI extensive plain, and consisted of a great
circle inclosed with a stupendous Vllllnnt of .cnrth ; within which was a
deep ditch. The IU'Ca of Ibis part of the temple wu twenty-eight acres.
On the interior hunk was plncod a circle of massive, unhewn grey stonu,
generally about twenty fcet ,in hei~ht. Within this principal circle were
two sn1aller double concentric circles of stones, each seven feet high. In
the centre of one of these WILB a tltll phnllua, twenty-one feet in height,
IUld eight feet nine inches ill dinmeter; nnd witflin the other 11-as a cell or
adytum. A grand avenue piiUlted with ltu~e Dll180es of stone, one hundred
in number on each side, at regular distllnc<'3, proceeded from the southcast pllrt of this circle, which continned in a curvilineal form, f!Yr more
than a mile, IUld tennina~ in a chnpel or cell; and from the south-west
of the temple proceeded another avenue in a contrary direction, for about
the same distance, taporing towards the end IUid terminatin~ in the valley.
About the centre of this latter avenue WIIB plac11d a cove or pastoa facing
the oouth.eaat; the stones composing which arc still called hy the country
people, the Devil's Quoits. Ench av!)nue being 011 im inclined plane, a
person advancing towards the lcmfllc weuld have on nllllides a most advantageons view of it. Thus it formed the compOUnd figure of a snake
transmitted through a circle;. an unquestionable emblem of the deity, according to the creed of 1111 ancient natiorts." The circle represented the
Demiurgus or Creator; 1md the serpent ~!erred to die divine emanation
to whose \Visdom the government of the uni'verse was entrusted. (Maur.
lad Ant. vol. iv. p. OOS.) Faber however is of opinion that the ring re
pJ"esented the Ark, or Ceridwen ; and the nake, thegreat Bfrpent-god
Hu. (Pag, Idol. vol. i. p. 193.) The avenue t.mllliaat.ed with the bead(){,
the sll&ke, whichwas curiously situated on the apex of Hackpen hill~
which anciently derived its,name from this oircamitanoe; for iD the old
lanpi~, . lae signillea a annke, (Hoare's Wiltshire.) and ,_, the ex- :
tremity or bc1td; (Owen's Diet. v. Pen.) whence hac-peil, the head Of
tile snw. The country people stillllold this hill in high teneration; and
the little sanctuary which formed the aerpenfs head is still fretl& in their
memory;, having only very lately been destroyed. The whole length ofthis
Dtaglililoentstmat.. wu neuly tlueti milei. :Vid. Stuk.eley's Abary, aad'
Lett.et ~~.Gale; -aacl>Hotare's Aao, WilU;-' to which worfrit I hne"-beeD

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aame of Bn; and the eommoil emblem of a serpent
entwining himself over an egg, was intended to represent Hu. preserved in the ark; or winged,* to
figure themotion ofthe divine spirit; or crucifonn,t
,n.eipa!ly iadebted for the above account of this temple, Silbury hill,
an artificial mound of earth, melllluring two thouB&nd and twenty-seven
feet in circumference at the base; one hundred anti twenty feet in diameter
at the top; one hnndred and seventy feet in perpendicular height, three
hundred and sixteen feflt in sloping height, and conring five acres of land,
was erected in the middle between the head and tail of the snake, as an
appendage to the tenitlle. Sir R. C. Hoare thinks it Willi a hill-altar;
Stukeley ntentiona a winged temple which he found at Navestock, in
Essex; (Knave, from Canaph, or Kneph, the winged serpent deity of
Egypt;) and says ire doubts not but there are many such temples in the
Britalmlc isle11- Toland mentions ~ winged druid-temple in one of the
Shetland islonds.
.
t At Classemiss In the island of Lewis, Scotland, is a specimen of this
cnciform temple. It has n circle consisting of twelve stones; and three
each on thl! east, west, ond sonth sides plnGed In right lines; while on
the north is a double row of twice nineteen stones in two 'perpcndicul~
ParaJlellines, forming a superb avenue, with a single elevat..d stone at
the entrance. The whole number of stones Willi sixty, In the centre of
the temple stands in an elevated situation, the gigantic representative of
the deity, to which the adoration of the worabippera Willi peculiarly
dbected. (Borl. An~ Corn. p, 191.)

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botller craeiform teple of .a ctill'ereat detreri1"'on ill fouad at New
en.p, iD lrelaDd.
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hee~ose a

croa was the symbol of arkite~ regenare.

tion. They' were variously constructed as. to the
materials used in their composition. In countries
where stone was plentiful~ they were composed of
immense-lumps of that substance, unhewn; but.
where stone was scarce, rude banks of earth were
substituted, and the temple was formed of a high
vallum and ditch. But in the great national temples, trouble and expence were not consid~red, and
the two forms were always united; the circle of
rough stones, unpolluted with a metal tool,* was
encompassed by a high embankment, and guarded
generally by a deep ditch. They were uncovered,
because the druids thought it absurd to confine the
omnipotent deity within the walls of a religious
edifice ;t and were doubtless erected at the instance
There appears to haye ~ a peoliliar pollution attached to the. ue
of ,_ ,al tool. in the coostruction of the early temples. Tbe .A.lm.igb.~
cOIIIDianded MoleS from the mount to raise a 'limple altar of earth.;
and if that should not proye sufficiently petmanent, he was directed f;()
form it of wnl&etml tone, lest it should be polluted by tlw - qf a iroa
tool. (Ex. :u. 26.) And Dayid, long afterwards, lamented the destruction of the intended temple, which he foresaw would be elfected by the
a:e ad hamrnelo of the surrounding idolaters. (Psalm hxiY. 6.) The
temple itself, though an unequalled monument of riches and architectural
magnificence, waa put together without the aaaistance of axe, hammer, or
any metal tool. (1 Kings vi. 7.)
t This. method of erecting templee COII88ei'Mell to- the . . .. . . _ . t
divine rites, was consonant with primitive 1UI&p;e; for the moet early
patriarchal temples consisted of twelve stone& placed in the open air,
(Vid. Ex, xxiv. 4. Josh. iv. 9.) but the druid& added to the magniJieeace
of their religious edifices, by an increaaed nnmber of atones, arrauged
with an allusion to aatronomlcal calculatioDI. They coDBisted chiefy of
tluee, eeven, twelve, nineteeJa, thi,riy~ eixtr, and ~' haadrecl.~d ~
etoaet, exclaeiYe of the detached phalli which oi:cupl.f4 ~p~_._,

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~t the: owection (1( tim prie&ttmod &c) acW.
dignity and authOrity to the rites of the nation}
religion; and henee the most herculean labours
were- performed in their const~tion.* Attached
to- the temple w.s ge11erally placed a stone mo~
ele.ated and of superior dimensions to the rest,
whreh was worshipped as the representative
.the

. .!

*itrt

en

The geneml name o( the sanctUary where the

peculiar mysteries of Ceridwen were formally cele.;.
brated was Caer Sidi, the circle of .revolution; so
tailed from the well known form of the druidical
tempte~t It appears extremely probable that thie
Bllnctuary consisted of a range of buildings erected
cirelllllfereaee. Thrte referred to the divine triad Hu-Ceridwin-
Creir'Wy; M"Mt to the seven heavens which they taught were placed in
the upper regiOl'll Of tile air; tnft~e to the twelve sfgnl of the Zodiac;
llilldftll to tile Metonic C)'o)e; tlrirlJ to the fiUIIOUB age Of generation o(
the druidB;' ri:I:IJ to the se:ngeliary cycleof ladia, with which they were
11ndoubtedly acquainted ; and Ollll l&udred a1ld twetaty to the double!
~ary;

It is userted by Stukele:y that at the prellent time it would

~.~&,tee

ooit~

to t~~row up sueh a mound as Silbury hill;

t The momdllent called Long Meg, is a fine specimen of this; kind.of idol.
This phrase; according to Ml'. Danes, impliei " in fhe iirst )Qce, tl)e
&l'k in whiclttlie patrilnch and his family were inclosed ; 8800ndllf, the'
Circle' of the Zodilic; in wbicb their luminobl! eint)lems;. the lian~ moon~:
and planets revohed ; thirdly; the sanctuary: of. taeBritish CereS, 1riliclv
wepNMIIted IIOth1Jte'atk aD41th'e zotliac.'' (Myth. Dnlid.. ~ 51C!.)
~ Ia tJae poem called Kadail'Teynt'Ou, (Welsh. Areh. vol. i. p. 66.) .
we Me toW-that tlaeie ve 'four grand aanttnaries in the British! doilli-
Diouo ltlt'Obld ban 'been highly satisfactory if the Bard W'en'ltllleiatled
them. The twv priacipi.l:ones wer~r doubthl tiat of8to"begeor :Abury
for tt.eeiDtllern diorisieil'ofBritain; and prObab~tJ&et:emple at shap;in'
Calillllllliiad, wllich, ,...,i)tuierey ailrllla, (Itin. vol. ii; p.I6.) was COil~ ODdao plano aaerpeat ~tbtougha;.cilcle,Qd fulHwO'

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for the purpbse~ immediately adjoining their 11Msl
sacred temples* in the centre of an impenetrable
grove ofoaks, consecrated with solemn rites to the
sel"Vice of the deity, and hallowed with the blood of
human victims. ln some parts of England the
initiations were performed in the secret recesses of
holy caverns formed by nature with every conveni..
ence to give effect to their celebration; for a cavern
was unde1stood hy the Epoptre to represent the
central cavity of the vust aby~s, or the great receP""
tacle of the diluviau wnters; or, in other words,
Hades. The peculiar tlegree of sanctity attaehed
to these awful inclosures, was calculated to produce
miles in length, for the northern division. In one of the Triads howtmll';
(1\lcyrick. Cardig. Introd.) the Bard says, "there ai'e time priDcipal
Choirs in Britain," and names them as follows : The Knight Dtuda
B~gor in Caer Worgom ( GIIUllOrganahire.) The Cboir of l!lnrys
(Ambres) in Caer Caradac, (Old Sarum, saysl\leyrick; Ishould rather
think Stonehenge;) and Bangor Wydrin in the apple island, (Arallon or
Glaatonbury.)
The three great labours of the Britons are represented in a famou
triad to be; Raising the atone of Cetti, or constructing the mystical
Cromlech or adytum; Erecting the Emrys, or building the cilcnlartemple
wjth petral ambroaire or consecrated stone; ed Heapig the mo~t of
Gyvrangon, or raising the mound or cairn in honour of the dead. In all
these solemn duties grny atones were perferred. The adytum or ark of
the mysteries wu called a Cromlech, (Signa and Syaobola. p. 114.) ud:
wu need u a sacred putos or place of regeneration. It consisted of two
or more upright stones as aupponers of a broad flat atone which wu laid
&cJ088 them, ao as to form a Bmall cell, within the area of whiC1h ~e
upirant was immured. The Camedd wu a heap ef ...,_ radelypiled
together over l.he IIUDIDI.it of a mountain or high hill for Mp1alchnl o r memoratlve purposes. When ued u a place of sepulture, the Cllinl
wu more commonly compoaed of earth;. and in tbie cue i t wu termed a
Tumnlus or Barrow; derived from the Celtic ~ a tomb,
a mowul oiearth, or .,....,., eepaltra.

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tasting impression on the aspirant, as' well as to
prevent the ,idle approach of the uninitiated. Considerable space was necessary for the machinery of
initiation on its largest and most comprehensive
te'ale. .Apartments of all sizes, cells, vaults, baths,
and long and artful contrived passages, with all the
apparatus of terror which was used on these important occasions could not have been contained within
a small compass; although it is tolerably clear that
initiation on a minor scale was performed in many
parts of the island within the inclosure of caverns of
moderate dimensions.
It is well known that what was pure mythology
in one age became romance in another;* and hence
~e fables current in thi"s country about King
Arthur and his knights connected with Merlin the
enchanter ;t their imaginary combats, and discom~ture of giants and powerful magicians, were all
derived from occurrences that took place during the
~nitiation of candidates into the highest mysteries
of druidism, which were of a complicated nature,
abounding with transformations, battles, and fearful adventures. Hence every remarkable structure
in this island to which the riame of.Arthur is attached
Vid. Fab. Pag. Idol. b. v. c. 8.
. t " Merlin was the I&ID.e as the Irish Tailgin St. Patrick; in other
words he was Noah, or the principal Telchin, whence he was denomiaated by the ancient Celts, Mer-Lin, or the mnrine god of the Lake."
(Fab. Mys. Cab. vol. ii. p. 429.) " I am much inclined to conjecture,"
adtle diea11thor, " that the hardy knights of the Round Table, were iq,
fact no ot!aer thu the iDernal1 or Cal?iric deities." (lb. p. 4~7.)

M3

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was d.oubtless co-nn~eted with the initjatiog15.JI! .a nd

the same may be said of all plq<:e~ to which q gi..a.nt
In the county of West111orelal)d are two ex~raordinary monument.
with each other, the one called Maryborough, o:e more properly Mayburgh; the other, ,1\rthur's Round Table. The fo_rmer is a very
s~riking specin)en of the mixed architecture of the druids, composed of
stones and a~ embankment of earth, and lies about four hundred yards to
the west of Arthur's Table. It consists of an eminence which rises
gradu~lly from the plain f!Jr ~bout one hupdr~d' ~d fprty ~11-ces, forming
the lower section or base of a regular cone ; the ascent is every w here
covered with wood and the remains of timber trees of great size appear on
every side. The summit of the hill is fenced Tound, save only 1111 opening
or entrance, twelvt: paces in w idth to the east; the feQce is singular,
being composed of an immense quantity of loose pebbles and flints whicb
perhaps were gathered from the adjoining rivers. No kind of mortar
appears to have been used in this work; th!l stones lie uncemented, piled
~p to the ridge, near twenty paces wide at the base, and in height about
twelve feet from the interio:r plain. Here and there time has sca ttered a
few shrubs and trees over the pebble~, bJlt' in other plf1:ces t!J,ey are loo~
and naked on both sides. The space within- coQsists of a fine plain of
meadow ground exactly circular, one hundred paces in diameter; and inclining alittle to tqe westward from the centre is a large column qf tmht!D!a
~tone standing erect, with its smaller end in the earth, eleven feet and upwards in height, and more than twenty-two feet in circumference at the
middle. (Hutch. Cumb. vol. i. p. 310.) The sacred character of this place
1111!1 been handed down by tradit~on, even to the present time. In a correspondence which I had some time ago with the late Mr. Briggs of
Kendal, he related the following anecdote respecting this druidical circle :
"Not many years since, an old man in the qejghboUl"h!Wd told me, there
were four stones at the entrance, and he had heard old folks say that there
had been four etones in the centr-e, but he could not recollect them. Those
at the entrance he remembered very well, and they were destroyed by the
landlord of the public house by the side of Arthur's Round Table, and his
senant man. But, added he, I think they did wrong to meddle with these
ancient things, for one of the men soon after hanged himself, and the other
lost his reason. What must have been the veneration for this place," exclaims Mr. Rriggs, "in the days of i ts greatest glory, when such a striking
relic of superstitious respect is still fostered among the peasantry of the
neighbourhood!" Arthur's Round Table is a circular earthwork, one
hundred and ten yards in diameter in the whole ; and has an elevaliecl
circular table in the centre of forty yards- in diameter, whieh is su Nounded
connect~d

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waa a party.* AU. ancient temples consecrated to

~~ouswon:hlp,

inwhatever country, for the prac-

by a rillf; twenty yards wide, and the whole is encompassed by a fifteen

yards ditch. It is situated on a piece of elevated ground near Eamont
bridge, and ia wholly covered with a fine green sward. It bears no marke
o.f dilapidation. It is composed wholly of earth, and there is not a stone
about it, nor <Joes it appear that there ever was. It is now the theatre of
an annual wrestling match, at which thoee gentlemen of the county, who
have.not previously obtaiBed the honour, are formally installed knights of
the Round Table; of which order, Thomas Wybergh, Esq. is the present
Grand Master. It was in such places as this that the Britons used periodiciilly to &811l1Jlble (01' the purpose of witnessing the sports and games
which were instituted to prove the strength and agility of their youth, and
to amuse the people, (Borl. Ant. Com. p. 195.)
ln C111Df16tlancl they have a legend respecting a mon!lter of thia
'latlue, who resided in a ca.ve on the banks of the rive:r Eden. He is repre&ellted to have been a terror to all the surrounding countty. His name
.... IIIir. He subsisted by tpoiling the aeighbouring fields of their cattle,
Ud wJae11- bud preued .by bu:uger, did not hesitate to drag men into his
cave and devou.- them. When he washed his fac.e, says the traditiO'tl, he
placed his right foot on one side of the river and his left on the other. The
Rev. G. H~l, of Rotegill, tQ whom.l am indebted for this legend, adds;
" this giant, like all other giants, died and went the way of all fiesh.
Wilen lte died tradition does. not say; but it 4;1es say that be was buried
Ja. Penrith chuich yard; and that the atones called the giant's gra"e
lltooea, mark ltis grave and the length of his body." This is evideatly a
lepnd of inidation tra11sferred from mythology to romance.. The rites, lUi
WI! luwe teen, were moat commoaly perfonlled in caverlllf, and beside the
)llllheid .waters of a. ruaing stream, where ncb conveniences could be
placed in ceBjllnetion; for candidates, during a certain part of the cereIIIOIIf were immersed, and figuratively said to be metamorphosed into
..hes.. Tlae giant's name was strictly mythological. The mysteries of'
Britam. 'Weie .-ed to Ceridwen, who was the samt1 as Ceres or Isis, and
she is tepreaented 1>-, 'llaliesin as a giateu. (Welsh. Arch. vol. t p. 166.)
The.huellancl of lslaWU Osiris; a word derived, accordiug to Vailancey,
fnltll tw'o eld Cellhl worda, signj.fying the commander of a ship or ark;
Eiu:-.A.we, or 1-lr, the very name of our Cumberland giant; who was nO'
other tball Osiris. or Noah, and was represented by every candidate durint
tire iiiWa&ibu. ' GibJon in Camde'n, ( Cet 841.) sayB that thiB gi&Iit's cave
qr groCeQ. 1Nfll deB'OUlinatea I.U P4tu.A, or the cavetn of Isis tlie perilous ;
ud tbe Clll1011t legend, as w~liave 6~ is~ that the monster seized m~ll

160

tke of all idolatrous nations was Uniform in thia~

ticular, had places of initiation CODDeCted with .t.htiiD,
and most frequently these places were 50~
Few caverns in this country remain to relate the
wonders of druidical initiation; but the stupend<JIIfl
grotto at C.astleton, in Derbyshire,* called bi,Sfi J..,.
ley, the St!Jgian Cave,t is sufficient to ooavii;lCa.
that tl1ese celebrations were of the most-terrifiol.a..
tore; were performed with the aid of compli~
and cattle, and dr-.1gg-ed them into his r.nve for a prey. The cnttle ~
evidently brought there for sucrifice, and the men for initiation, during
the procl"ss of which the aspinmts were ligumtively Blloid Co be dcwweiJ "J
tile giafltl!fs CL>rulu:eR or Isis. (Yid. infra. I. v.) Ucaspectin:; the giant'a
grave, I must refer to Dl) fol"Dler volume of Signs and Symbols. (p, 116,
186.) A similar lc~cnd is recorded by Stukcley, that a giant named
Tarquin lived at lll"Oughnm Castle iu U1e lliWle neighbourhood, and that
Sir Lancelet du Lake, then residing at 1\laryborough, attacked and
alew him.
Antiquities of Masonry. p. 101.
t Some very singulllr excavation.> htwe been discovered betweea
Luckington Ulld Badminster, Wilts, called the Giant.>' caves, which ue
~us described in Childrey' II Britanuis lJilCOnicn, and cited i4 tile Aubrey
)ISS. " They are upon the to[l of u rising hill, in number about nine;
and some of them IU'e or were t'onncrly cemented \vith lime. Some ot
them are deeper, and some shnllower, some broader and hlrger thaa
others. Tlacy lie 111l together ill a ,'1)10. The manner of them is two loag
atones set upon the aides, und browl atones set npon the top to cover them.
The lenst of these Cll\es is foul' feet brood, antlsomo of them nre nine or
ten feet long." SirR.C. Hoare pronounces them to be ancient.acpulc:Juiell;
but I conceive the leal"Ded Jlaronct to bo naistuken in 01is point, Cor the
author before citct.l says, " the curio~it) of some ingenious wen, as it ia
reported, within these forty years, tCIDtltc<l them tltdig into it, and make
search for some antick remains, but they j(IVIft/. Rot.AiHif billa .U ..,..,
G1tll .ome few other tiling& not ICQI't/a nu'Htiooiltg." Ho\V could tbcy b&
aepulchral if no reaonina were interred within them f The filet is, they
,..ere no more sepulclrral than were the pyramid of sypt; IUld I have .-o
Jilesitation in aaying that Uley were constructed {or tb.o.IOIC.aamo J,llllpiiO,
yjz, 1,11 l'J4Cea of initiation illto the ~ateriaJ,

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.._~tiaery, and did not yield in interest and sultJimitytto those which have been so highly eulogised
in.the more polished and civilized nations of Egypt
,and, Greece.. They were usually constructed on the
.pinciples of secrecy and retirement from publw
~. Long, dtl.rk, and .in .all practicable
:c&lleB, iatricate passages, were the united essentials
.-.t.the.mysterious preciuct; anc.l it is evident thnt as
~cql ;ooultlnot be practh;ed distinct from initiation; 80 places for the performance of these important
~tites were a1ways constructed within or near the
:~mces consecrated to. n...oligious worship.

.;, . ,,:1,"""'..
, .-=================-

LECTURE III.

ON THE PREPARATION OF CANDIDATES FOR

DRUIDICAL INITIATION.

THE grand periods of initiation into these mysteries were quarterly, and determined by the course
of the sun, and his arrival at the equinoctial and
solstitial points.* These, at the remote period now
under our consideration, corresponded with the 13th
February; 1st May; 19th August; and 1st November. But the time of annual celebration was May
~

Stukeley. Abury. p. 68.

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162
eve, and the ceremonial' preparatit>nsoommeni4chat
midnight, pn the 29th April, and when the -i~elll'l
tions were over on May eve, fires' were kindled-Ob
all the cairns and cromlechs throughout die isl&nd~
which burned all night to introduce the spn1s of
May day. Round these lires choral dances* went
performed in honour of the Solar patriarch .Hu or
Noah, who was at this season delivered frem _hi.
oonfinement in the ark.t The festivahvas . . ,._.
in honour of the Sun, the great source of gm;entioli,
and consisted in the eleution of phalli or lonlf
poles decorated with crow~s of gold and garlands of
flowers, under which the youth of both sexes per..
formed certain mysterious revolutions, for it waa
customary to adore the sun by circular dances.
These continued till the luminary had attained his
meridian height; and then retiring to the woods, the
most disgraceful orgies were perpetrated, and the
festinl ended with debauchery aad inmxintir,at ...
These were the lire dances mentioned by Porphyry, (L i. p. N.) ....
were probably used to propitiate that element which they belieYed .,..
destined to destroy the world. ( Ces. de bel Gal. I. 'ri.)
t Signa and S!Jilbola. p. 80.
Maur.. Ind. Ant. wL 'd. p. 88. ,,
Vid. Asiat. Res. vol. ii. p. liS.
."
RTille wu. doubdell tle ~ of tU fe6tiTJCies Wtii6 WI*Wip Mid 8M
ia manr parta of EaglaacJ., doWIII to. a very reclent period,. al tlatt - ..
season of the year. The following description of these game& bJ S~
(Anatomie of AbU8es. 15t5.} lll08t auequivC!CSlly points od tliifl'..........
"AgaiaeUiaie..-y0 Oftli'J puillt1 fewns or~...-.. .tlt 111Ji&
both men, women, and children;.- aad either ail ~~- w ~
themselves into companies, they goe some to- the woocl8 an4 ~ . . . .
to tle billa and -utains, 110111.8 to aae pldllt, allllllib1811_.. ..,.,.,, ....._
the,- apend all tla4 fliglll in pleuant putimee, aa4 ia a.. ....-. . ..
return bringing with the~~~ lriD:tsboltgla.... branclael of tJeee to deck

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Tlle time oftgeneral meeting W88 figuratively-said
. to be w.h$n the Sun w~s at .its due meridian;* in
alln&ion .t o that astronomicai. p~dox founded on
. die glqbular form of the earth, which, continually
MVOlvhig .on its axis, makes the central Sun always
at 1a met:idian to some part of its surface. The truth
isj that the .rites of the insular sanctuary commenced
' &t ,daybreak; aDd the rising of their .great deity, who
wata dignified with the appellation of " the god of
victDry; the king who rises in light and ascends the
sky,"t was hailed with triumphant shouts and loud
llosannas. Bot the solemn initiations wae per..
formed at midnight, to invest them with a higher
degree of dignity and importaDce. They contained
Three independent Steps or Degrees, the first or

y-

their &88embli~ withal. But tir ahiefest jewel they bring from thence
ia the Jll&ie-pcale, .wlUah they briug ume .w ith. great veneration, as thua;
th.e1 haye 61aMOI or /9wlie
'fif/ o.w~~, ev8Z'J ou h&vblg a weeto
BG~egaie .of iow.ra tied u:p to the tip of his homes, aud these oxen drawo
laome the mar-poale, which they eonred all over with iow8l'8 ud
laeubea, !loud JOuad with lltria8l from the top to the boUGme, ud aome
ti.JDee j$
~teci with variable colwua, having two er three buadrcd
- , - , aiMl elailiben, laHOIWillgit with peat devotioa. Aad U.U
equipped it w~ reared with haauik.chiefet and 411P atreulill( ,Oil tile
top, they Binwe the .ground l'OWid about it, they bind green boughullou.t
it, they aet up summer balles, bowers, and .adxllll'll, ~ by it, a~d tbea
fallabeJ eo. buq!Jettillg Uld feutiag, tD leapiag, au.d dao.,, ah\lt it .._
dae heathen people did at the dedica&n .of their i<lobl. I b.ave he.ro il
a;e '4e wpoltAIIl, by mea of IJr8l.l grarity, cndite, aud replltatiou, that
oUeurtie, t.Veeeeore, or a hllllcired...UU..gobag to.the wood, thel'e have.
eoueelie.dl& tJU,de parte of them retwltcd. ' - .,._ 111 Ciq Will:."
.It Tlleir ~w, w.ere held ja the epea air, . while Ute BUB remaiaed.
aboYe ~ ~~ . 'fte buU &(llfmlalfd within a cin:le of MOPes, and-tile ~~ .cbuW. litaGd before a luge lltou ia tlaa CIDII't. (TIU'Jio

w-.

............ -

i.. 1811.).

....s

1 diD,

SitM - .

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laos

Ie"'

lowest being the Eubates, the second dlt' ~

and the .t hird the Druids...
, ..

A careful preparation was used pPeYioosly to. the
admission of candidates into the fint degree; ~ -it
was considered that without mental aiKl.bQdily purification, the arcana of a sacred establishment ooold
not safely be commonicatecl. The heart. must be
prepared to conceal, before the eyes .are pemricted
to discover the truths which often lie. hid under ~i~
nificant emblems, the, instruments, probaWy;. of
human industry; else the labour of yean maybe
unprofitably wasted iu the thankless officeof CGJn.'
mitting seed to a barren soil, which wiU make no
return of fruit commensurate with the toil of .cultivation. Th~y were purified by theTolnien,t and
This division did not include the preparatory ceremony of the insular
I&Dctuary, which partook rather of the llM'ue . of & cp~ali1iatlOR prooeu
1han of a distinct degree. Thus Talleain, in his poem of The Spoilll. of
the Deep, speaks of " that lore which was /oar tiiM reviewed in the
f1Uadrangular inclosure." ( Dav. DrUid. p. SIS.) A11d la his poem ef
The Battle of the Trees, the 8IUD8 bard deleribes these four ce~ of
purification with great exactness. " I was exorcised," says he, " b1f
Mall& before I became immortal ; I was exorcised if Gadioa the great
purifier of the Jlrython, of Eurowya, of Earon and Medron, of tlae ~
tude of scientific teachers, children of Math. When the removal took
place I was exorcised by tlu 101:ercigft when he was half consumed. 1111
the &ge qf ~agu was I exorcised in the prbnltive wvrld, at whiclt time I
)tad a being," (DaY. Druid. p. MI.)
t The Tolmen was a perforated stone which was used IOir 'the p~
of regeneration in the m.,_teries; and the hieropbaat orchief druid wu
hence denominated Tola. (Vid. Dorl. Ant.Com. p;l&&.) 'llllele eonaeerated petne are coDIIDOD all oYer England and Wales; ud the act of
passing through lh10111 was thought to. convey extraordilalll'f punty. hl
eome pa11l of Britain these stones were deDomiaated Main,A.JDbNe; .ad
the ingenious Dr. Stukeley CODj&CWree that &be primiti'fe .JIIIIDO a
Stonehenge was "the AmbRNt," wh...,. -.u dellvocl tlae ~~Ute ol

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166

tlwn .putrto tltei1' probation, which was Tery ~

SOmetimes the candidate was doomed to a seclusion
years,* which was spent amidst the secret
l'eCe&ses of an inacce8siule forest,t in a close and
die'Ntedapplicatioa to study and reflection, and the
ptaotice of gymnastic exet'ci"-es. But this lengthened
probation extended only to such as were regularly
educated and initiated into the mysteries for the ex~ purpose of occupying the most elevated situations in the civil or ecclesiastical departments of the
State. These were instructed in all the sciences of
which the druids made profession. They were exaited to emulate the heroic deeds of their progenitors,
whose bravel'y was inculcated in verse, that it might
never be banished from the recollection.t
: 1 ,,rhe aspirant for mere initiation, was dad in a
robe striped alternately with wltile, skyblue, and
gre~, which were the sacred colours of druidism,
~"e,m.blematical of light, trot/1, and hope; and
confined in a cromlech without food three days
_prior to his admission . into each of the two first
degrees ;ft that is, be was placed in the pastos with
m~ ~~~al ceremonies on the evening of the first day,,
oflrif~nty

! ijftf~1 " ~ 1 .' 9 '

A.mbrelbury, a village iD the immediate vicinity of tba1 celebrated moau
. - t.o0C &Dtiqaity.
" ,
Ceiar. I. vt.
t Gollttt. Ax. 1
.,,.,,.. *Bed. ADt.-Oona.p. 81.
~ Owen W. Diet. T. Glafn.
3 '
ft Signs and Symbols. p. 114.
1' ."It w..u CG1111mMy with the Hebrews," says the AbW . Fleury;
(Muaen oUhe Ascient lenelites, P 4 o. I,) " to e:wpreu a whole day,
...,. daelW.., 1M~ . _, liN_,..-,.; or by these the ieigAt tMd tiM
1- wJUIIb die Gnleb espNIII by their: NtrdiU...,..; and wbida ai

ut

166

rem8:i:iiW an ~day enclosed; or ilttild in th& IMi~

of the mysteries, and wa& liberated mr initMr-

guage

tion, or in other wQI'()s, restored to life, on tile third~

TheWelsh triads contain a hint of this solitary con
welhlgnijlea uy partiGular part of the day or DiPt, u tlt& whole ef it.
And this is the reason why a thing, that hu luted two night6 11114 OIW
tehole day, and a part only of the preceding and following daya, is said
b)' the Hebrew to haTe luted flw U,. a4 t1iw lli!rif&"
This was symbolical of the patriarch Adam, who died on one. .,.,
the world befOre the llood being so esteemed ; remained in the tomb
1111other day, i. e. during the continance of the potlttlila'riu world; Mid
will rise again to judgement on the third or eternal day ; and being.~
fled from his corruptions, will remain for ever happy in a place of light.
It was further symbolical of Noah, who entned into the 8l'k. in one year;
remained inclosed a yeftl', and was emaacipated from hit -cealnemeot. 01r
reborn in the third year, Much confusion 81'08e in the mythology of the
ancient world from this doctrine. The aspirant, like Noah, is supposed
to have lived in. the old world, and was hence eateemed a venerable el4
- ; but he was new born from the mysteries, as Noah was from the
Ark, and hence he wu considered but an ilifmat. Noah formed the Ark,
aad it was con1eqnently represeated as hi. tlaKTrter; but he W88 unitetl
with the ark, and they together lloated over the aU-pervading wave;
hence she was taken for hu wife; and ultimately he was born from the
ark, whichfrom thitcire111111tauce, soatamed the- chartlCter-ef !WI ..Clef';
Again, when he is said to die, the ftl'k is hU. HJil when a daild, it is
Au ~adle; and when he is supposed to sleep in deep repoee during. th&
prevalence ef ~ waters, it is hu bed. (Vid. Fab. Pag. Idol. voL ii. p.
281.) The CODfollion this would necessarily creue could not be~
ciled without having recourse to a multiplication of deities,.&ad, therefore
in Greece, as the father of the female principle or ftl'k, Noah was termed
Saturn; as Atr hulJalut he was-termed Jupiter, ed alfltf' .m; Baecbua;
and when the ..Wand the rille nperatitiona~ a; -...a
Apollo, and soon branched off' into a number of collateral d.meil wbicW
peopled their imagiaary he&Yen; and tended to lilyetif1 their system of reo
ligion, 111Jd pla.ce it ellUrely 011t or the reach of >ordinary' cCim;r.Belllioa ; and the onravelment of this intricate ma.chinely-formed one grand 88Cftt
of the Greater Mytteriea, in whioh the hieropha.t redu-ced all the' complicated pan4heon ot:idolatry!fD mae ajagle.pi. (.Cuclwoldl.-llllielo:8)'1tJ
I. i. c. 4.) This su;ect is alle. huiUid &bleqtD iDo.F~Pas. . . . ,.. (b. i.e. 1. J~t.}.
. ,

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l6.1
Ji.ne~nt in.

the cromlech w}Je~. speaking of t~

Q:iitiation of Arthur, who is there said to hAve been
imprisooed " t(wee nig/1# in the inclosUl'e of Oeth
an<l Anoe.th, and. t4ree night1 with the lady. o{
Penlragon, ~d. three nights in the prison of Kud
~ ihe fla~ s~ne of Echemeint; and one ygut}\
r~leas~ himf.~;om. the three~ prison~ namely, Gore-q
the son ofCysteJ;linJ1is nephew."* The last of these
p~SQm! was evidently the cromlech, in which it is
eer~~, ~ CQJld~date endured a confinewent of
much more extended durationt before he was ad-:
mittec:l to th~ last ~d most distinguished privilege.
of druidism.

LE'CTURE IV.
CERBJIONY OP INITIATI~N Uii'['O. TR:E TWO .
PIRST DEGREES.

sanct~ry was pr~pared for the solemn:

h:l:l,sjJl~~rof ini~"tioo.. #le druid& .a nd tl1eir at~ndants ~
ee~~qnially ~ged, p~perly cl~hed, crowned
with ivy and protected by their amulets i a hymn to.
tae.Stm wa~u:ban~d.t , and.t4r~e.. ble!-setl.drops ,of
the ~!rit ~er~ e~me,s~lj impl~~ ~be candidate
WHEN .the

' . . w. ..~Oj Triad; ~-

~"'iii~;,;.

w." -

.. :w... ,A~It..~ i. p. 19.

Mav. Hilt. Biad .VOl, ii. p.uo.
t ~~~~~~,&- .~.

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168
was then introduced and placed under the care 01
the officer who was stationed to. receive him " iri
the land of rest." Soon however the active dutie8
. of initiation were commenced. The aspirant, who
was denominated a blind man,* was appointed to
kindle afire ttndertlteCauldron. As theCAULDRON
was a mystical word to express the whole circle of
science tnught in the myste1ies, so the act of kindling
the fire under it must have had an evident reference
to those preliminary ceremonies wl1ich were practised
before the disclosure of any part of tbe august secrets
of the order. A pageant was then formed, and the
several candidates were arrnnged in ranks consisting
of tltrees, fives, and sevens, according to their respective qualifications, and conductt:d nine times round
the sanctuary in cirdes from east to west by the
south; proceeding at first " with solemn step and
slow," amidst an awful and death-like silence, to
inspire a sacred feeling adapted to the reception of
divine truths; at length the pace increased until
they were impelled into a rapid and furious motion
by the tumultuous clang of musical instruments,
and the screams of harsh and dissonant voices, reCiting in verse the praise of those heroes who had
been brave in war, courteous in peace, and devoted
The ceremonies of initiation which I am about to deseribe and H~
luatrate, have been tr&!Wnitted to us by Talieein, in a poem of ell:~
diuary merit, called Hanes Taliesin; which coutaiua a mythological
account of the candidate's progress through the dift'ereat atagee, to his
ultimate state of perfeCtion. A translation. of thie poem may be fOUDd ia
Dav. Druid. P 189, 1111-119.
. .
.

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169

friends and patrons of religion.* .This sacred ceremony .completed, an oath of secrecy was adtninistered, and hence the waters of the cauldron were said
to deprive the candidates of utterance.t The oath
was ratified by drinking out of the sacred vessel; and
thus sealed, its violation could only be expiated by
death.t
In the prosecution of the consecutive ceremonies,
the following characters were successively sustained
by the aspirant. Taliesin applies them to himself
in his poem of Augar Cyvyndawd. " I have been
a blue salmon; I have been a clog;ll I have been a
roebuck on the mountain; I have been a stock of a
tree; I have been a spade; I have been an axe in
the hand; I have been a pin in a forceps for a year
and a half; I have been a cock, variegated with
wliite, upon hens in Eidin; I h'ave 'been a stallion
upon a mare; "I have been a buck of yellow hue in
the act of feeding; I have been a grain of tlie
This dance was somewhat similar to the wild ceremonial dances of the.
Coryban tes, referred to on page 99; and is mentioned by Taliesin, in his
poem of Kadair-Teym On; (Welsh. Archii!Ol. vol. i. p. 65.) and more
particularly described in another poem, where the bard says; "The assembled tr,in were dancing after the manner, and singing in cadence,
with garlanda (of ivy) 911 their brows; lowd
the cl4ttering qf 8hieJd1
r...i llle tmeieltt -ldt'OIJ ill frantic mirth, 4-e. (Dav, Druid. p. 576.)
Toland, in his. history of the druids, may also be usefully consulted on
this ceremony ; and Borlase in his Antiquities of Cornwall.
t Turn. Vindicat. p. 283.
;t Taliesin. Preidden Annwn. Welsh Archmol. vol. i. p. 44.
~ Welsh Archmol. vol. i. p. 36.
I We have already witnessed the profuse use of this animal in the mysteries on pages 79 and 109, and we shall find as we proceed, that similar
c:uiae phantoma wero exhibited in the myateri811 Brit&in.

of

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arkitea wllicll tJ8gelated on a !.ill, and then the

reaper placed
in smoky recess,* that I might
be compelled freely to yield my com, when subjected
to tribulation ;t I was received by a bent with ~
fangs and a divided crest; I remained nine mo~tbs
an inf~nt in herwomb;U I h.ave beenAedd,~re.turn
ii:tg to my former state; I have been an offering before the sovereign;** I have died; I have revjved ;tt
and conspicuous with my ivy branch;U I have been
a leader~ arid by my bounty I bec~e poor.; Agaiil
was I instructed by the cherisher with red fangs.HII
Of what she ~ve me~~ scarcely ca~ I :utter the.~t
praise that is due."*** An~ in his poem .of q~~
Godden, the same po~t. gives a further account of
his numerous adv~ntures during the ceremony of
initiation. " I have been a spotted adder on the

me a

'

'

.. .

)1

The dark cavem of inltiation.

t Or in other words, that the' austerity of initiatioa might humanize
and improvt? the heart, and elicit. the fruits of morality and virtue ... ;
t The'arkite goddese Ceridwen was represented in the initiatiODII aa
a.AB with red fangs.
. .
Emblematical of the lunette or 11ix days mooa. ; "'
U AUudiDg to the Pastos or Cromlech.
:i
f The helio-arkite god or hia priest.

When presented to the Archdmid after initiation. '

tt Another allusion to the Cromlech in which the aspirant snfl"ered a
mythological death and revivification.
. . ., ~ ;,, "
H It bas been already obsernd that the aspirant was crownect
withivy.
"
.. .. . , , ... ....... . ,

A mystical poverty was the characteristic of canWdate d~ the

. . .. "" '
RU Ceridwen.
.
. <'~ .
'{f Ins_truction in all mysteries and sciences~~. ~~.~~~ .
. Dn. Drllid p. 67~
.
:

process of fuitiation.

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171
mount; I have .been a viper in the lake ; I have
'been stars among the su'perior chiefs;, I hav~ been
tbe weigher of the falling drops, drest in my_pr.iest's
cloke and fumislled with my bowl."t These extraordinary transformations were undoubtedly effected by means of masks, shaped like the heads of
those animalst which the aspiran~ was feigned to represent, and garments composed of their skins.
Serpents, as we have already &ef!n, were much 1l88d in all the
ancient mysteries.
t Dav. Druid. p. 1144
. :t 'Figures of men with the heads of animals are very common on the
'lllOIIUDieDts of Egypt. (Vid. the Plates to Belzoni's Researches,) Dr.
Pococ:ke ,says, (Descrip. of the East. vol. i. p .96.) " in some of the
temples I have obse"ed that .the human body has always on it the head
of some 'bird or beast."
~ From a traditiOD of this' practice arose that prevailing opinion that
" the spectres of Britain were hellish, more numerous than those of Egypt,
of which some are yet-remaining," says Gildas, " 1tNJ11gely feal!!.red altd
vgTy, ami still to be seen both within and without the forsaken walls,
looking stem and grim, after their usual manner. (Gibson'seaDad.x:av.)
The practice was coatioued as a -~ or holiday sport down to a
.comparatively recent period. '' There was a sport," says Strutt, (Sports.
p.l88.) " .common. among the ancients, which uaaally took place in the
Kalends of January, and probably formed a part of the. Saturnali~ or .
feasts ofSatum. It .consisted in ~~aunamirtgs and~.; for the
actors took upon 'themselves the remnblaJICe qf wild beasts or ~&tic cattle
and '\!&nder~d.about fi'Qm one place .to another; and he, I presume, stood
bighe_st in the 'estimation of his _fellows, who best supported the character
of \he brute he imitated . This whimsical amusement was exc!ledingly
popular, and continued. to ,be practised long after the establishment of
Christianity.'' ' It was in,deed very common in the reign of Henry VIII.
arid was doubtless the remains of the system of metamorphosis which was
us~:d during the druidical initiations; the memory of which was retained
1oi,g after the i~stiiuti~;~n itself was buded in oblivion; for the mummers
were always decorate~ .with ivy leaves,. the characteristics of the priesthOod, aiid the insignia of the mysteries. The Christmas morris dances of
tb~ 'present day
the last remains of this idolatrous superstition ; unless

ire

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172
The second part of the ceremony commenced with
striking tlte blind ma a violent blow on the head
with an oar, and a pitchy darkness immediately ensued, which was soon changed into a splendid blaze
of light which i1luminated the whole area of the
shrine, for now the fire was kindled. This was intended to shadow forth the genial effects of that great
transition from darkness to light which the arkite
patriarch experienced on emerging from the gloom
of the ark to the brightness of a pure and renovated
world, enlightened by the splendid rays of a meridian.
Sun. The light wns however sutldenly withdrawn~
and the aspirant again involved in the shades of
chaotic darkness. His heart thrilled with horror.
The most dismal howlings, shrieks, and lamentations saluted his astonished ears; for now the death
of their great progenitor, typified by his confinement in the ark, was commemorated with every
external mark of sorrow.t This was succeeded ~y
t~e howling and barking of dogs,t the blowing of
it be tne, u I have been informed, that the Society calling themselves
Odd Felloru performed their ludicrous initiations by the lise of the 11U11e
machinery.
uequivocal emblem of the deluge; and the darkness .
The oar ia
represented the state of obacurity in which Hu wu involved while eonfined within the gloomy receBBes of the ark.
t Thiswu the origin of the coronach or funeral dirge used by the
Celts to a very recent period; 11.nd even now imitated by -the wild peasants
of our sister country at the funeral of a deceased friend or relation.
The tale ofPwyll in the Cambrian Register (vol. i. p. 177.) reeoids
thia circumstance: " Pwyll entering fully upon the chase, and listening to the cry of the pack, bega to letw distiftctly tM cry qf tlfUitlaer padc which
wu or a cWI'erent tone from that of hil owa dogs, and wu coming iD u

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horns, and the voices of men uttering discordant
cries. His timidity increasing,hewould naturally attempt to fly, without knowing where to look for safety. Escape was however impossible, for wherever he
turned, white dogs, with shining red earst appeared
to bay at his heels. Thus he was said to be trans-
formed into a hare ;t evidently in allusion to the
timidity which was the natural consequence of an
the horrors to which he was necessarily exposed.
The gigantic goddess Ceridwen, in the form of a
proud mare,U emerging from behind the veil, now
seized the astonished candidate, and by main force
bore him away to the mythological Sea of D!Jlan,
into whose purifying stream he was immediately
plunged by the attendant priest, anrl hence he was
opposite direction." The whole of this tale ia worth considering, as it
contains many plain intimations relative. to the ceremonies of initiation.
Tale of Pwyll, as above. Taliesin. Kadair Teyrn On.
t Tale of Pwyll. The druids were habitecl durin~ the performance of
these ceremonies in ~ehilt vestments, and crowned with red diadems.
Hanes Taliesin. The tale of Pwyill however likens the aspirant to
a atag.
\ I am inclined to think that the career of the aspirant w.t s frequently
contested by real or imaginary opponents to prove his peJ'!IVal courage.
These contets were probably of a nature somewhat similar to the subsequent practice of the Crusaders during the proceas of admission. into the
aaj,erior orders of knighthood. The followin:;t passage in the poem of
GododiD, (Song xxii. DIW. Dn&id. p. ~.) generally, and perhaps truly
referred to the slaughter of the Britons at the fatal banquet given by
Hengist toVortigem, atStonehen~, forcibly points out the probable danger
which aurrounded the candidate at this period of the initiation. " Whil#
tile~ train were ~II&' like a dm'kexiftg .IWa1'la Gn~t~nd Aim,
without the semblance of a retreat, his exerted wisdom planned a defence
~t the pallid Ol,ltcastll with their sharp poiDted weapons."
R ()r rather jinW. mare. She ia here represented as a mousboua animal
compouded ola mare and a hen. (Dav. on Britiah Coins.)

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1.74. .

said to be changed into a fish;* and to remain a ~

whole year in the deep in 'the .ch~racter of Ara.wn,.
the arkite.t Tbe pursuit of his terrible persecutors
did not end laere: .The san1e appalling iwises still
assailed his ears; and his pursUl'er, tmn.sformed into
an otter, threatens him with destructiou. Emerging'
at length fronithe stream, the darkness w~s removed,.
and he found himself surrounded with the most bril~
liant coruscations of light.t This chang~ prod~eed
in the aitendarits acorresponding emoti9n of joy an~
pleasure, which'was expressed by frantic shouts and
loud preans, to testify their s~preme felicity at the
resuscitation of their god,or in other words, his egress
Dylan, according to Mr. Davies, (Druids. p. 100.) was' the patriarelt .
Noah; and his-, the deluge; and he cites the following piwage from
Taliesin's Cad Godden in support of his opinion,
" Tr11ly I was in the hip
With Dyla, 1011 qflhe aea;
Embraced in the cell'tre
Between the royal knees,
When, like the rushing of hostile spears
The ftoods came forth
From heaven to the great deep."
As Dylan was Noah, so Stonehenge was denominated the mundme ark,
which was feigned to have been conveyed across the Irish channel by H'u,
another name for Dylan, who, as the legend is recorded by Christian
writers, is represented as the prince of darkneu, the devil. (Drayton.
Poly-Olbion. Song. 4.)
t "It was proposed that Pwyll should assume the form of AraWD, IUICf
preside in the deep in hil character and person for one c:Omplete year." :
(Tale of Pwyll.)
t " At the completion of the year, PwyJJ returns from the palaeeof the
deep into his own dominions, and providing a solemn sacrifice, beheld
the sign of lhe Ra.inbow glittering in all its brilliancy of colouring, undel' :
the character of a lady mounted upon a horse of a pale, bright colour,-
great and very high." (Tale of Pwyll.)
' .,

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from the purifying w~ve. Tlu~ aspirant. was h.ere

presented to the Archdruid, seated on his throne of
state, who expatiated on the design ofthe mysteries;
imparted some portion of the cabalistical knowledge
of druidism; and earnestly recommended the practice of fortitude to the exhausted aspirant; for the
unbending exercise of this virtueconstituted in the
opinion of the druids~ one high and leading.trait of
perfection.*
After his lustration arid subsequent enlightening,
the novice was said to become a bird who penetrates
the regions of the air towards the lofty arch of heaven,
to figure out the bigp and supernal privileges he had
just attained; the favour ofheaven and the protection
of the gods. He was now instructed in the morality
ofthe order; incited by precept to act bravely in war;
taught that souls are immortal, :and must live in a
future state ;t solemnly enjoined to thedutiesof divine
worship, to practise morality ,t and to avoid sloth,
contention, and folly; and ultimateiy was invest~d
whli some sacied badges of druidism. The crystal,'
Pro~m.

t .1\fela, 1. iii. c. 2.

This amulet was variously shaperl. Sometimes like a round bead of

glass; (OW ell's Diet. v. G lain.) at others, like a creScent or gla5s boat; ,
(KatleirTalieein. Welsh Archreol. Yol. i. p. 37.) now it was denominated
a gliLII8 circle, (Preiddeu Annwn. Dav. Druid. Append~ No. iii.) and
now a glass house. (Ibid.) In each case it was a powerful talisman of
protection; and its colour was merely the mark of distinction between the
different orders, The druids' crystal was white; the bards' skyblue, the
eubates' green, and the aspirants' was distinguished bya mixture of all
these colours. The secret of manufacturing them 'rested solely with the
druids.

Diog, Laert.

. t Diog.

. . ,

Laer~. Pro~~p.

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an unequivocal test of initiation,* was delivered~
to him, as an undoubted preservative from all
future dangers; and if not intended for the.
highest offices of the priesthood, he was brought.
before the sacred fire, three hymns were chanted. to .
the honour of Hu and Cericlwen, accompanied by .
the bardic harps; the mead was solemnly adminis- .
tered by the attendant officer, and the initiated .
aspirant was pronounced comparatively perfect, and.
dismissed with solemn ceremonies.

LECTURE V.
CEREMONY OP INITIATION INTO THE THIRD
DEGREE.

THE aspirant, even after having surmounted the

two former degrees, was still deemed exoteric, and
few attained the character of esoletic or thrice bom ;
for this <legree was administered to none but persons ,
of rank .and consequence; and if a noble candidate
aspired to a higher degree of perfection than had
" A crystal ring Abdaldar wore ;
The powerful gem condensed
Primeval dews that upon Caucasus
Felt the first winter's frost
it may haYe cbar~~Js
To bliD.d or poison.''
Southey's Thalaba. vol. L p. 84, 108.

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been already communicated, he underwent other

and more arrluous ceremonies of purification. He
was now compared to a grain of pure wheat, emblematical of his petfect fitness for the highest mysteries of druidism. He was committed to the
secluded solitude of the cromlech for the space of
nine mouths, during which time he applied himself
to the study of theology, natural philosophy and
divinstion, cosmography, astronomy~ geography,
rhetoric, logic, arithmetic, and music. This tedious
period was thus devoted to study and reflection, that
the candidate might be prepared to understand,
more perfectly, the sacred truths in which he was
now about to be fully instructed. This was the
death and burial of the mysteries; and on its expiJlltion he was said to be neply hom from the
womb of Ceridwen, and was pronounced a regenet:ate person, cleansed from his former impurities by
the mystical- contents of het cauldron. When his
term of probation expired, his qualifications were
ascertained hy propounding many abstruse queries.
in the branches of science to which his attention has
been directed.*
The nature of this intellectual investigation may be estimated from
the following specimen seclected out of Davies's Druids. (p. 50.) "At
what time and to what extent will land be productive? What is the extent and di11meter of the earth! Who is the Regulator between heave:t
and earth ! What brings forth the glain from the working of stones?
Where do the cuckoos, which visit us in the summer, retire during the
winter! Who carried the JJiea&uring line of the Lord of causes-what
B$lale was used when the heavens were reared aloft; and who supported
the curtAin from the earth to the akiesf Knowest thou what thou art in

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This confinement and subsequent emancipation
was represented by a continuation of the former k.ind:
of symbols. The candidate, while under the supa grain of pure wheat, was encounposed form
tered by his pursuer, Ceridwen the fury,* in the
shape of a high crested hen,t who selected him from
the heap alll()ngst which he lay, and swallowed him.
He is said to have remained nine months in- her
womb, to depiet the period of his seclusion: from the
world in the- Pastes, the door of which was repated
to be und~r the guardian~hip of the terrible divinity
Boanawr,t armed with a drawn sword, whose 'Vin..dicative rage, excited by the pusillanimity or' 1Jn..i
worthiness of the aspirant; would make earth, hen~
and heaven itself. tremble. When the full period'
of gestation in the'WOIB.bofOeridwen waS' complete,.
the aspirant was prepared?for the consutnbi~~
his knowledge; and after a very dail~Uk proeestf
had been suceessfullyb.raved, he reeeived the highest
and most ineffable degree oflightand purity wbich-

of

the hour of sleep; a mere body' a mere soul, or a secret retreat of light!.
What supports the fabric of the habitable earth f Who is tile ~
of the soul; who has seen-who knows him? &c."
Geridwen wrach. Welsh Archreol. vol. i. p. 19.
t Vid. Davies. Remarks on British Cqina.
,
f Dav. Druid. Appead. No. vii.
.

The duty of this relentless Janitor was, to prevent tinlawnif lnfri.~'

sion, and to see that the candidate went through his probation with' be.'
coming fortitude and perseverance. On the t!at' stone which covered thiS 1
miserable plac.e of penance, denominated by Taliesin, the 'gate Of ~
( Priddeu Annwn. W. Archreol. vol. i. p. 45.) a sheathed sword
placed, to denote equally a love of justice and peace, (Owen's Diet. v.
Croml~.) and a certain retribution i the sanctuarj were protaned bJ '
cowardice or ineeolution.

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mortal man was esteemed able either to co,nfer or
receiv~~ This was embl~matic~lly perfo~:med by
placing tke new horn infant i~ a coracle,! or small
boat covered with a skin, and committing it to the
mercy of the winds and waves. The candidate was
actually set adrift in the open sea on the eveniug
of the 29th of A prjl,t and was. obliged to. depend on
his own address and presene:e of mind to reach the .
~}>p<?site shore in safety, during this dangerous
11;octurna1 ex~dition,. which was the clo~in,g. a~~ of.
initiation, and sometimes proved the closing s~~,n~
of life. If he. pos~ssed a strong arm and a well
fortifi~ h~art, he might .succeed in gaining the. ~fQ
landing place on ~wyd,dno's wear, which was the
typical mountain w~ere. the Ark rested when. tQe.
waters of the deluge had su~sid_e~; but if eit)ler of
these failed du~ng the enterprhfe, tbe pr~pe~t. :before him waslittle .less t~ce~deatJl .. He~ce,
on beh~ldiDg across a st~11IlY sea, at th~ ayproach
of night,, the dashing Wl).~es .brea~ing on th~ ,"wear
at an immens~ and almost ho.peless <J}stanc~ ;. the.
tim,i~ pr~b~~oner has fr~~e~tly .bee~ inQu~ ,to
This descriptio& or boat is still !uaed by the ~jll'lllen, or Wales. .
" These Coracles," 'says Wyndham in his Tour through Wales, " are .
- generally liTe feet and a half long, and four feet broad; their bottem is a
little rounded, and their shape is exactly oval. They are ribbed with
light laths or aplit twigs in the mann~r of basket work, ~d are ..covered
with a raw IUde and strong canvas, pitched in such a manner as to prevent leaking. A seat. crossed just above .the centr~ . towanb the brood
end. Thll men peddle them with 'o~e hand, and fish ~ith th~_other; and
wl;len their work is finished, bring their bOata hou;e on their backs,".
t ~ab. _?.!ij:}do!. 'y!i(.Jii., i7~....

p.

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distt11st his own courage, and abandon the undertaking altogether. A refusal which brought on a
formal and contemptuous rejection from the hierophant, nnd the candidate was pronollilced unworthy
of a participation in the honours and distinctions to
which he aspired; and to which, from this moment.
he was for evet ineligible. " Thy coming without
external purity;., thus was he addressed in a pre.
scribed formulary, " is a pledge that I will not receive thee. Take out t~e gloomy one. From my
territory have I alienated the useful steed ; . my
revenge upon the shoal of earthworms is, their
hopeless longing for the pleasant allotment. (Jut
qf the receptacle whick is thy aversiu11 did I obtai"
the Rainbow.''* But the feal'less aspit"ant who
surmounted all these dangers was triumphantly received from the water on May evet by the Arch-:
druid, the representative ofGwiddno, and his companions, and unhesitatingly announced his own
inspiration by proclaiming himself capable to foretel
future events. Thus the three precious drops of
ejficacious 'Water fl'Om the Cauldron of Ceridwen;
or, in other words, the three mysterious degrees were
no sooner attained, than the candidate reeeived the
undisputed power of vaticination in its .highest

Welsh Archlll01. vol. i. p. 165. Dav. Druid. p. 251.

- t The followillg custom may have originated from an indistinct tradition of this ceremony. "Near Clifton is a f'amous spring where the people
go annually every May day to drink, bg ClldOIIt beyond all,emembrance;
they hold it an earneat of' good luck ill ensuing year to be there and drinlc
qft!.t t0a1tr bqvre Barile." {Stukele)'. ltiD. Cur, vol, iJ, p. 65.)

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form.* The fermented contents of the cauldro~
were reputed poisonous, after the three efficacious
drops had been disengaged from the boiling vessel;
and appropriated to the fortunate aspirant, which
referred to the heathen doctJine of regeneration ;
for the refuse of the concoction was supposed to be
deeply impregnated with all the impurities of which
the renovated novice was now disburdened. But
the three drops in which the accumulated virtues of
the cauldron were concentrated, hatl the reputation
of conveying, not only unlimited wistlom and knowl~lge; but also, the inestimable gift of immortality.
The completion of the Three Degrees was termed
being thrice horn ;t the atlept thenceforward was
denominated Dedwytld, (E7ro7rTJJ~) and could say to
the multitude of the profane, .stand by, come not
How questionable aoner these powera might be, they conferred an
aehual superiority on the initiated, which he seldom failed to exert to his
owu personal advantage. Let us raise our hands in devout gratitude to
Him who brought lifu 1111d immortality to light, for delivering us from the
power of such a gross and dreadful auperatition as that under which the
1irat occupiera of our soil were enthralled !
t In a poem of Taliesin, to which I have often referred, he pronounces
himself tll.tWe 6ora after the concluding scene of his initiation. Firat he
Wall born of his natural parent; then from the womb of Ceridwen, the
mythological ark, where he was a representative of the arkite patriarch;
and lastly from the coracle, or ark itself. To this effect also the Brahmins
aay, "Tile first birth is from a natural mother; the second from the
ligature of the zone ; the third from the due performance of the sacrifice
(of initiation;) such are the births of him who is usually called thrice
born, according to the textof the Veda. (Ordin. of Menu. Sir W. Jones.
Works. vol. iii. p. 106.) The Greeks also styled their Epopts, Tf" yo11~,
thrice bom ; and the last birth, like that of Taliesin, was from an Ark.
A paesage in the Geeta, (p. 67.) ueigne perfection to the Yogee who had
&cc9mpliahed 1UJtf birtAI.

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near me, I am holier than ye ! and tli~ bene1lt~

resulting from this privilege were so various and
important, as amply to compensate for the danger
necessarily incurred in the process. These benefits
rendered the possessor eligible for any ecc~esiastical,
civil, or military dignity, and consisted of every
species of instruction which bad a tendency to store
the mind with wisdom, fortitude, and virtue. -The
whole circle of human science wa8 open to_ hi.s investigation;t the knowledge of divine things_was
communicated without reserve; he was now ena_bled
to perform the mysterious rites of worship, and; had
his understanding enriched with an elaborate system
of morality.
Iaaiah Ixv. 6.
'
. t This euperior knowledge was that particular species o( wori<UJ
wisdom on which the prophet pronounces this eevere invective. Ef!trg
il flnlliM bg hillmowledge. (Jerem. li. 11.)

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UC'fURE. Vl.

ON DRUIDICAL VATICINATION.

TB,;JJ: initiatiops were fin~Jly completed at daybr~; and at the rising of the sun, an awful period
with tbP~ who practised the. Sabian idolatry, as a
de~isive pl'QOf of his cabalistic attaiJtments, the adept
was required 19 exhibit his skill in the art of divinatiQR These.mystical performJl~ces were of various
kiniJs. On high O<:cattion.s the entr~il~ of sacrifices .
afford~d them evecy information they could desire
on all '"bj~cts which came umlcr their consideration.
They . predicted future events, frQtn the flight of
bird$;* by white horses;t by the agitation of water, .
or hydrPmancy, and by lo~.t The latter proce~,
Talieain. Mic Dinbych. Welsh ArchalOI. Tol. i. p. 61.
t Borl. Ant. Corn. p. ta4.
f Tall.esin. Kad~ Teym On. Welsh,ArchlflOl. vol. i. p. 66. Sir 8 .; C.
HO!ire discovet'ed in a tumnlus near Stonehenge, amidst some ashes and
burned bones, four small bone trinkets, which he supposes were uSed for
casting lots. They are oblong, , about tluee-quartera of an iDch one way;
by half an inch the other, and about a.e-eight of an inch in thicknesa.
One side. is fiat' and the other con.ve:r, 'a nd they are each adorned with a
eeparate and distinguishing device. This great &~tiCJ."IU'Y ranks them '
aJliOJigB~ .f:he zqoet e~ept cup<ll\i~ "Whj~ he bad beea fortunate eno"'ll .
to.<!i!l.c.over in t,ll his_laborious and comprehensive researches; and coneiders them~ fo~f.."._&~..J> -~~~ the .uae. o.f le_tters.

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being the most celebrated, may merit a brief descrip-
tion. One hundred and forty-seven shoots were cut
from the apple tree, with many superstitions ceremonies; they were exactly of the same length, hut
with a varied diversity of branchings and ramifications, each being a 'secret symbol re1>resenting a
word, a letter, or an idea. These were the elementary principles by which the result was effected. Beiug cast into a white napkin, after
certain incantations the divine will was ascertained on any specified ~ubject by taking an indifferent number of these tallies indiscriminately from
the napkin, and skilfully develo}>ing the mysterious
ideas which they appeared to convey. Of all the
secrets of druidism, this apJ>ears to have been the
most highly esteemed. It was celebrated by the
bards in all the language of grave and lofty pane-
gyric; and even the possession of an orchard containing one hundred and forty-seven apple trees of
equal size, age, and beauty, with wide spreading
branches, and pure white blossoms succeeded by
delicious fruit, was a prize more splendid and de-
sirable than ~my temporal dignity or spiritual rank.*
It is to be remarked that one hundred and fortyseven was a magical number, produced by multi- .
plying the square of seven by the sacred number .
three; for like the rest of the world the druids paid
the most sacred regard to odd numbers. In them,
some unusual ~harm was supposed to exist which .
~

MpddiJI'a AvaUe11au, ill Dav. Druid. p. (65.

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'\!9&ld propitiate.the favour of the deity, and secure

to the pioua worshipper the ~?Iessing of .divine protecti~n. The number three was held in peculiar
ve~erat~on by this order of men; and hence. the. ar~
rangement -of classes both in c~vil and relipus
polity partook of the tern~ry form.* N oth~g could
be trap.sacted without a reference to this number.
On. solemn occ~&sions, ~h~ processions were formed
three times r9und the.sacred inclosll;l"e 9f Cller Sidi ;t
their invocations were thrice repeated, and even
their poetry 1tas composed in triads. The .t mu:ny
deiseal,t or procession from east to west by the
south, accompanied all their rites whether civil or:
religious, .and not,hing was accounted ~ctified.
without ~e performapce o( this pre~i~~nary ceremony.R They entertained a si~ilar venerat~on for .
.the number ~even ;~ taught that the up~r r~gions
of the air contained seven heavens; and gave. to man .
seven external senses, appetite .and aversion being.
added to heariag, seeing,. feeling, tastil~g;. . and .
smelling. The com~inations of seven and .three :
Thus .Gaul was divided into three provinces, the Belgre, the
Acqllitani, and the Celtle ; the inh!lbitants we~e of three .classes, . tbe
Dntids, the Equites, and the Plebs; . and .the hierarchy con&isted of tltree
,
gradations, the Druids, the .Bards, and the Eubates.
t Pennant's Tour ui Scotl. P. ii. p. 10.
t Toland. Druidi. p. 108.
Jamieson. Scot. Diet. in vo. Widdersinnis.
J1. It may be added that this number was invested with peculiar pro .
perties by every nation . under heaven, some referring its origin to the .
11.r great circles in the heavens, two of which the Sun touches in his
annqal course, . and the thq~ he passes ovef; ~nd others to eome ancient,
though mutilated traditioQ of either the trinity, or the arkite triad.
.
f ,Vide .llt anipra. P 1S51 . ~ not,~~
0

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\\'erehenee, in all their forms, esteemed sacred. Thus
their Great Period of thirty years was produced
by the sum of seven and three multiplied by three;
a.nd we have already seen that the magical number
one hundred and forty-seven was so much est~med
because it proceeded from the square of7x3. Several
druid monuments are still in existence consisting of
nineteen upright stones, (7+3+31) in allusion to the
cycle of the sun and moon, commonJy called tbe
Metonic cycle, which was familiar to the druids of
B1itain.*
' The possession of the orchard containing one
hundred and forty-seven apple trees above noticed,
was, however, figurative. The orchard represented
the place of initiation; the apple trees were the
druids; the white blossoms, their garments; the
fruit, their doctrine, while the strong and vigorous
Diod. Sic. 1. xii. e. 6. A abiki.ng JD(Inument ot druidiam both willa
respect to form and aituation stlll exilltll near Keswick, which CODi!Una an
adytum in complete preaernti011, and hal beeu oonatraoted witla a de
regard to the aacred numbers. It ill called Carles or Cutle Rigg, alld Ia
about tiirlJ pacea (7+1 :<I) from east to west, and twe~~ty-one (IX7)
from north to aouth. The adytum ia situated at the eaftnl extremity,
and eonsista of a q11adrangular inclosure lft!ttt paces by tAiw. At about
tlwe paces without the inclosure on the west, stood a sin~le upfiPt
stone which is now broken, 10 that the primitiTe elention CIUIIIOt be
ascertained~ It was a representatiYe of the deity. From this aupst
temple a Yiew was presented to the eye of the superatitioua Britoa, calculated to awaken all his energies, and rouse the latent Jp&rb of deYotioa.
The holy mountaina of Skiddaw with ita single elented peak soarbtg P
to heaven; Carrick Heigh with ita two peaks; and Saddle~ or more
properly, Blene-Arthur, with ita perfect character of three dlatinet a-D,
were aU visible from this consecrated spot; .lending alike their afd to
llght up the ire of religiOD in his soal; and to expand his miAd witla
naeration for the powerf\d aUaor ef I'Gih stupendoua imagelJ.

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branches represented their power.and authority,

which in many cases, exceeded that of the monarch.
They were tho sole interpreters of religion, and consequently superintended all sacrifices, for no private
person was allowed to ofFer a sacrifice without their
sanction. They possessed the power of excommu.;
nication, which was the 1008t horrible punishment
that.could be inflicted; and from the effects of this
eo:rse the highest magistrate was not exempt. They
resided in sumptuous palaces, and sat on thrones of
gold.* The great council of the realm was not competent to declare war or conclude peace without
their concurrence. They determined all disputes
by a final and unalterable decision ;t and even bad
the power of inflicting the punishment of death.
Dioli. Chrys. cited by Borlase. Ant. Com. p. 79.
t The Logan or rocking stone was a fearful engine of druidiCal

judgment, and erected for the purpose of Imposing a degree of reverence

for the peraons of the druids, which was unattainable by ordinary means.
Thil kind of artiftcial curiosity is of great antiquity. Faber (Mys. Cab.
vol. i. p. 111.) says, that it was in allusion to the scriptural Bethel, (Gen.
xrriii.19.) that Sancboniatho mentions "that Uranus contrived stones
called Betulia lll~h pounsed tlae JII1IDer' of motiote, u if tluy trere iltlti11ct
lllithlffe. These were in all probability sacred Rocking Stones; numbers
of which, erected by the druids are to be found in various parts of our
OWJl uland.'' The people were impressed with an idea that no power
bat tbe all-controlling fiat of the divinity could move these stones upon
tbeir basis, and hence they were referred to as oracles to determine tbe
iuDOCence or guilt of an accused person. A stupendous specimen of the
LogiUl il found at BrimhamCragga in Yorkshire, which is thus described
by Mr. Rock in the ArchlllOlogy. (vol. viii.) "It rests upon a kind of
pedettal, and is supposed to be about one hundred tons in weight on each
aide. On examining the stone, it appears to have been shaped to a 8Diall
kaob at the bottom to give it motion, though my guide, who was about
~eventy years old, born oil the moor, and well acquainted with th11110
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The lowest degree of the mysteries conveyed thepower of vaticination in its minor divisions. Botiase
says,* " the Eu:bates or Yates were of the third or
lowest class; their name, as some think, being derived from Thada, which, amongst the Irish, commonly signifies magic, and their business was to
foretel future events; to be ready on all common
occasions to satisfy the enquiries of the anxious and
credulous." The druids practised augury for the
public service of the state ;t while the Eubates were
merely fortune tellers, and dealers in channs and
philtres, to reco,~er lost treasure, or to excite the soft
passion of love ; and they were the authors of an
abundance of ridiculous superstitions and absurd
rock.t, uaured me that atoue had never been known to rock ; however,
upon my making trial round it, when I came to the middle of one aide, I
found it moved with ~eat ease. The aatoniahing increase of the motion,
with the little force I gave it, made me very apprehensive the equilibrium
might be 'destroyed; but on examining it I found it waa so nicely balaDced
that there waa no danger of it falling. 'fhe construction of thia equipoised
aione must have been by artists well skilled in the powers of mechaniC~~."
Dr. Borlaae has described these stone's with much minutenen. (Ant.
Corn. b. iii. c. 4)
Ant. Corn. p. 61.
t "We haYe many instances," says StuiLeley, (Itin. Cur. Yol. ii. p. 14.)
" of druid men and women endued with the spirit of prophecy. I shall
meation but one out of Josephus. (Ant. Jud. xviii.) The Jewish Agrippa
. fell into the diapleuure of Tiberi us who put him in bonds. A.8 he atoocl
leaning against a tree before the palace, an owl perched upon that tree:
a German druid, one of the Emperor's guards, spoke to him to be of good
cheer for be ahonld be released from those bonds, and arrive at peat
dignity and power ; but bid him remember that when be aaw the bird
again, be should live but five days. All this came to pua. He wu
made king by Caligula ;-Bt. Paul preached before bim ; aad Joeepbu
apeab of hil death asreeable to the predictioe...

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ceremonies to promote good fortune or -avert calamity, many of which remain to this day.

LECTURE VII.
ON THE SYMBOLS OF DRUIDISM.

SYMBOLICAL instruction is recommended by the

constant usage of antiquity. It not only preceded
the use of letters in every nation, but retained its
influence throughout all ages as a system of mysterious communication; and even the deity himself
in his revelation to man condescended to adopt the
use of material images for the purpose of enforcing
sublime truths, as is evident throughout the prophetical and inspired writings.t The mysterious
knowledge of the druids, in like manner was imbedded in Signs and Symbols. Tuliesin, describing
his initiation, says, " The secrets were imparted to
me by the old giantess without tlte use of audible
The system of vaticination was ultimately prostituted by the druids
themselves to unworthy purposes, in which fraud and pecuniary emolument appear to be the most striking features. Dr. Borlase and Meyrick
have enumerated at great length, these glaring impositions on a superstitious and abused people, and their respective works may be referred to
by those who feel any curiosity on the subject. (Ant. Corn. b. ii. c. 21.
Meyrick. Hist. Cardig. Introd.)
t See particularly the Books of J eremiah and Ezekiel ; the Parables o!
Our Saviour, and the Apocalypse.

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And again, in the poem called his
Chair, lie says, " I arn a silent proficient."t T~
symbols which could contain the learning and
morality of the dmids, must neces!arily have been
both numerous and significant. From the multiplicity of these emblems, I have selected the following, as being decidedly characteristic of the people
and of the institution.
The anguinum ovum was a very important symbol, and contained some highly mysterious allusions.
As an Egg is the fountain of life, this serpent's egg
referred properly to the ark while it floated on the
expanse of waters, and held within its inclosure
every living creature. It was attended hy a serpent
entwined round the centre of the amulet, to signify
the superintending care which an eternal being
affords to his worshippers.t It had the reputed
lsftgwag1-:'

W elah Areh~~eol. vol. i. p. 166.

The druids were great lovers of trik~~ee, and enforced.
the obsenance of it with much rigour at their public llS8elllblies. Ira
loquacious member incautiou&ly violated the solemn atillne of their
meetings, he was publickly admonished three several times. A repetition
of the offence was punished by placing a conspicuous mark upon his robe,
aud declaring that the .m _. f!Gked agfliuf A&a; ( Pridden AnDwa.
Webb Arch. vol. i. p. 45.) and if this failed to correct tbe obnoxious impropriety of his conduct, expulsion ensued; and ia exaggerated cues, a
atill more severe and signal punishment.

The anguinum, or druid's egg, was said to be produced by a knot of

Hrpents, and being propelled into the air was caught in the vestment of
&he priest, and carried off with great rapidity to uoid the fury of ita
parentS. This egg, if genuine, was said always to Jloat, so did the ark.
The method of its formation was however fabulous, or to uae tile words
ofMr. Davies, (Myth. Dru. p. 210.) " was but so much dust thrown into
the 11yes of the profane multitude." The dntidi were the terpeniJ, aad
t Ibid. p. ST.

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virtue of prGCUring favour to the possessor, .n4

was believed capable of conveying a decided ad..
yantage in any legal suit or process.t The 1erpent
.00 -egg~ was a syD,lbol of the ark and its tenant
H u,:and no other proof is wanting of the importance
which the druids attached to this emblem, than the
fact, that the temple of Abury, one of the most
stupendous erections which ancient Britain could
bput, wu const111cted in the precise form of a circle,.
an acknowledged symbol of the arkite egg, to which
a vast serpent was attached.
tile eiJP were cryltale curioutly contrived to coaceal within dleir tnb-<
JIOt even
revealed to the person in whose custody they were placed but on full and
nbetantial proef of his wisdom and pl"Udeace, and in Ullioa wlda dae'
~eltiDil inveetiture of their inel"able degrees of perfection, to which noperson was eligible as a candidate who could not produce one of these
-gical crystals, as a token of due preparation and previoue acceptance.
Toland. Hilt. Dnide. ?oi, i. p. 60,
t So extensivllly was this belief propagated, that the Emperor Claudius
Cesar actually put a gentleman of Rome to death for pleading a caull6 with.
the anguinum in hi bosom. (Plio. Nat. HilL I. uix. c. a.)
t A aplendid variety of this amulet was found by Sir R. C. Hoare in a
large tumulus in the vicinity of Stonehenge, which Stukeley distin~ished
by the name oflhuh bmT0111. It consists of a curious perforated stone of the
kiad called tabwlria, moulded into the form of .. Egg, and highly
poliahed, and containing in the veins of the fOSBil 1111 illtricate qf
-'1 Mrpe1dl .eiii:!Dille4 togdlter i11 el1e'J poMble clllllbillatio11. From the
~Mnation ia which this extraordinary amulet was found, I should proJtOunce it to be the burial place of the Supreme Arcbdnrld of the British.
dominiona; and more particularly as the same tumulua contained also a
rick breattplat.e of gold in the form of a lozeage, 1111d highly de~
'tt'i&h carved work and devices.
In war, the British armies were attended by a mqical buner which .
W " - ritully cull8ecrated by the druids, and emblaZDBed witll a fYm
JioijQ&l device. In the centN wu a se.rpent sunnouated by the meridian :
aun, ~ enpported by 4M gretll/llllur llfl4 -"er of .the huaaa spe~.iee,
JltiiGI!ilell in H~ aad Ceridwe&.

stance tile mysterioue tokenB of the highest orders, which were

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The Rainbow was the dtuidical emblem of protectioo; it was believed figuratively to surround
the aspirant when delivered from his confinement
in the pastos or ark. Thus the Bard says, " my
belt has been a Rainbow.;'* The Boat bore a
r.efereme .to the Ark or its representative Ceridwen.
The glain was a boat of glass, and .was probably
paesented during the ceremonies of the insular
Rnctuary, to the successful probationer, as a testimony of his competenc.e to be admitted to the superior degrees.t The Wlteel was a famous druidical
symbol, and has been thought to refer to the astronomical cycles. It was, in fact, a representation
of the nwJUlane circle, as were also the round temples of Britain. It had a further reference to the
1ainbow.t The White trefoil was a symbol of
union, not only from .the circumstance of its including the mystical triad; but also because the
druids saw, or pretended to see, in every leaf, a faint
repre~entation of the lunette or six days moon, which
was an object of their veneration from its resemblance to a boat or ark. It was the powerful pledge
Marwnad Uthyr Pendragon. Davies. p. 6$9,
t The glaia and 411g11i11- were evidently artificial, and compoeed of
some vitrified substance, the secret of which was known only to tile

druida, They were considered equally potential in the communieatioa of

benefite. This 6oal qf glGu was a sign or diploma of initiation, which
was capable of introducing the poueaeor to .the saered eolemaitlea wilheat
examination or prOof.
t Thut Arianrod (Iris) ia termed by the bards, fM goc~Ua"
~t~Mel, who throw her gracioua beama of protection round the CMtlid*
when hia initiatioa ie completed. (Davies 011 A!loient British Coina.)
t The coiDIDencement of their locll.l clmaiont of lime, lllellltU, ~

1M.,_.

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er symbol which demanded and conveyed mutual
aid in the moment of peril ; a never-failing token
of everlasting brotherhood, esteem, goodwill, and
assistance, even unto death. The Chain was symbolical of the penance imposed on every candidate
for initiation by his confinement in the pa.-;tos. The
phrase, ke-Sttbmi.tted to the chain, implied that he
llad endured the rigours of preparation and initiation
with patience and fortitude, The Spica, or ear of
eom was an emblem of plenty and prosperity; a.Iid
a Wlual straw was an invaluabie symbol, and the
oonservater of many potent virtues.*
The Oak was a syn1bol of an expanded mind;
the Reed of deceitfulness, and the .Aspen leaf of
iilstability.t The oak tree was the visible representative of Don (Jupiter) and was considered as
peculiarly sanctiiied by the gods, if not their im.;
mediate residence. The faire8t treet in the grove
was therefore solemnly consecrated to this god with
many superstitious ceremonies.R Sometimes it was
and ages, were regulated by the moon when six days old. (Plio. Nat.
Biat.-1. xxv. c. 44.)
A wheat straw formed into a dart was suppoaed, by BOme inherent
~ sympathies, to be capable of destroying wild beasts and D!)xious
animals ;-by the same fragile article compacts were formed ; and by
breaking the straw, an agreement was dissolved. (Vid. Dav. Celt. Res.
p. 118.)
t Dav. Celt. Res. p. 247.
t This represented the central tree in the garden of Eden, (Gen. ii. 9.)
and was a transcript of a eimilar superstition all over the world. Isaiah
pne a curioua illnstration of thia practice as used by the idolaters for
puillcldon. (leai.lxvi.l1.)
Plin. Nat. Hist. I. xii~ c. 1
.' I Probably from au old ~tion of the ITHB qf lmorcl~' 1111d lifl"in the

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diested of its collateral branches, and one of the
largest was so fixed as to preserve the form of a
gigantic Coos&.* The Misleloe of the oak was a
symbol of protection in all dangers and difficaltie&
whether mental o1 corporeal. Its medicinal properties were so highly estimated, that it acquired the
eomprehensive name of A.ll Heal, and was considered a never-failing remedy for all diseases.t It
was reputed to counteract the efi'ects of poison, te
prevent sterility ; and, in a word, it was esteemed
a grand preservative against all evils, moral ancl
physical.t The Selago, Sa'ITU)ltu, and other medi..
einal plants were gathered with similar ceremonies,
ud invested with peculiar virtues. The BeelmJ.
was used as an emblem of industry; but the hive
:referred to the ark, and the initiated, or thrice hom
were termed bees. Another symbol of the uk
prden of Eden, (Gen. ill. 6, n.) for it ia certain that the ideu of a:iala
and U.neortGlitg were combined in thia IIIIA:red tree.
Borl. Ant. Corn. p. 108.
t Ita elllcacy depended, however, in a great measure on the eupenti~
tlon ueed at the ceremony of detaching it from the tree. The an:hdruid
llimeelfwu alone deemed worthy to pluck the mialetoe; and leet it should
eustain pollution in the act of gathering, and thus expoee tbe whole natioa
to divine vengeance, he very carefully puriied himeelf with coneeerated
water. Two white bulls, eecured for the firlt time by the horns, (Maur,
Ind. Ant. vol. vi. p. 85.) were proTided as an oll"ering of propitiation, and
when the 11100n was six days old, the archdruid, clad in hie white nlltment and red t14ra, ascended the tree with naked feet, eevered the plant
with a golden hook held in his left hand, which had never before been
used, and received it in the MJgU or sacred vest, amidst the shoutl and
acclamations ofthe people. The bulls were then sacrUlced, and prayen
of'ered to the gods that they would sanctify their own gift.
Pliu. Nat. Hist. I. xvi. c. 44.

~ lu Egypt the bee waa an emblem of a priuce ruliug hiJ subjeet( ia

prosperity aud peace.
w.

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was the Beafll!1'; and a CulHJ wu the emblem o
vutb.
The druids had also a comprehenaive system of
aymliolical la1fKtuJge. t Thus it was said of the
Ullinitiated; "they know not on what day tJ.e stroke
will be gi.-en; nor what hour the agitated ptr801t
tOOtdd he born; or who prevented his going into
the dales of Devwy. Tbey know not the brindled
ex, with tM tJ.iek Aeadbatad. having .tew~~ .eore
knobs in his collar."t Here we have an evident,
though eoncise, deseription ()f certain ceremoniea
cha.neteristic of the Three Degrees through which
t.he eaodidate baa been successively pa118ed. Tae
stroke and the new birth have been already ex.
plained. The ox tith the thick headband bad
an undoubted reference to a peculiar ceremony
which was practised during the initiations.y It wu
Borl. Ant: Corn. p. 82. "The barda had a secret," saya Meyrlck;
like the freemasons, by which they 1metD one a110ther, and Indeed It hu
been supposed by some that masonry is bardism in disguise. (Hilt. Cord.
In trod.)
t Thus the sacred phrase, the ltuaguage qf the Cliair, which originally
denoted the secret method of communicating the most sublime mysterlei
of the order without the actual pronunciation of words; was at leng!Jl
clothed with the highest degree of importance by being identified with the
chief dignity of druidism 0 for the archdruid, at the time of his Installa~
tion, wu invested with absolute sovereigntY, and received the s~cant
appellation of CGdeirillith, the literal meaning of which is, the ltuaguage qf
the chair.
'
Taliesin. Prlddeu Annwn. translated by Dav. Dru. Append. tiL
Vide ut supra. p. 172, 177.

B Thls animal, wllieh was othel"''fiBe termed Beer Lied, or the flamlug
Bun, was a aymbol of tile patrimll Hu, wh subjected hllll to tile yoke,
and instructed the Britons in the art of agriculture; from whence he dedred the D&JDe o!CentiLur, (ICEV Tavpoc) ot the tamer of the bull. It

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said to be attended by three Cranes,* one of which
perchedon his bead, another on the middle of his
back, and the third at the extremity, near the tail.
These birds emblematically represented the Sunt
at his rising, meridian, and setting, personified in
the three principal officers in the mysteries. A
crane &ymbolized the vigilant priesthood, and was
sacred to the sun ;t and hence the strict propriety
of the emblem. The headband pointed out the state
of subjection to which the animal bad been reduced~
alluding to the long and weary confinement of Ha
in the ark, or the candidate in the pastos, where
in the language of the bards, be was " subjected to
the yoke for his aflliction ;" and the seven score
knobs, was a combination of the sacred n umbers
even and three; ((7+3t3i)X7+7) and, doubtlns
had some mysterious astronomical allusion.

'

referred also to the Sun, of which Hu was the representative. "Baal,

the aun," nya Mr. Faber, " wu not unfrequently represented under the
form of the Noetic symbol, the Bull; while the goddessBaaltie orBaalah,
bore the figure of a heifer. Baal and Baaltis are the same mythological
characters as Osiris and Isis (or Hu and Ceridwen,) whose symbols were,
in a similar manner, a bull and a heifer; and who were Noala aad the
Ark, adored in conjunction with the Sun and Moon." (F&b. Mya. Cab.
ol. t p. 189.)
Borl. Ant. Corn. "p. 106.
t Here we have in Britain, as in Persia, the emblem of the Bwl aad
Sun. (Vide ut supra. p. 7'2.)
The Egyptian crane received its name Ibis (Abia TVN ::J}'-t) beeanae it was coaaecrated to the god of Light.
; In Mallrice'a Platel of tile Indian Avatera, the saoredCow ia-uul,hmly depict8d with a collar composed of a limilar wreath of bolla.

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LECTURE VIII.

..

DOCTRINES AND MORALITY OF DRUIDISM

... ,f.'

...

fundamental principle of all religion is, the

beiDg of a God. It is a .troth born with us; and
aas consequently been acknowledged by every nation and every people, however they might vary in
their notions concerning the manner of worship
which would prove most acceptable to him.* Hence
the druids professed the pre-eminence of one supreme deity. t They taught that time was only an in:.
tercepted fragment of eternity; and there are strong
grounds for believing thatthey held the Pythagorean
Jiypothesis of an .endless succession of worlds; for it
is well known that they believed the earth to have
sustained one general destruction by water; and
expected that it would undergo another by fire.$
They admitted the doctrines of the immortality of
the soul, a future state,U and a day of judgment
which will be conducted on the principle of man's
.,i a'BB

Vid. Signa and Symbols. p. tl.

t We learn from Selden that their invocations were made to the ONB
~lbprelen'ing power; and they argued that aa thil power wu not matter,
it muet Aeceuarily be the deity; and the eecret aymbol uaed to upreu
hi& Name. wu, O.I.W. (Signs and Symbols. p. 11.)

*Conditaa mundnm credebant, says Cesar, et aUquando ignl peritnl1llll,

~

Borl. Ant. Coru. :P 98.

ft Ceaar de bel. Gal. I. vi. c. 11.

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responsibility. In a word, the primitive religion

of the druids was purely patriarchal;* and they
retained some knowledge of the redemption of
mankind through the death of a mediator.t Their
place of eternal punishment was a quagmire of
never-ending frost, and abounding with. a disgusting variety of noxious insects and venomdns reptiles.
But though the most early druids inculcated the
divine unity ; and practised, :with so~e variations,
the rites of true worship; yet in process of time,
other deities were introduced into the system; and
at length they paid divine honours to deceased
mortals, who were considered the representatives
of the sun, the moon, and all the host of heaven.:f:
.A. tradition of the deluge was perpetuated in these
rites ; perverted indeed and localized, like that of
most other nations; and the circumstances attending this tradition appear to have prevaded their
most solemn rites and ceremonies. The doctrine
of transmigration fonned a leading feature in the
druidical system,H and was extended to the belief
8tukeley. ItiD. Car. vol. ii. p. 14.
t Cesar. ut supra.
t Vide my Hist. of Beverley. p. 19. in nota. 14.
~ The lege!ld presen-ed amongst the British druids is inserted in Signs
d Symbols; (p. 91.) and Hiatory of Beverley, (p. 11.) ~here it is eviden1r
that the veaael without aaila wu the ark of Noah; (Gen. v.i. 1.&.) tile
huratiDg of the lake referred to the de.cription of the great central abyu;
(Ibid. vii. 11.) the aenice performed by theYchen Banawg, or the exe11
of Hu Gadana, wu emblelllatical of the mn dryinlf up the waters from tile
face of the eadh; (Ibid. viii. 18.) for Hu wu the belio-arkite deity; ucl
the asauraace of preeen-ation, commemorative of Noah's rainbow; (Ibid.
is. 11.) was Wldoubtedly symboliud io the Chair of Ceridwe11o
D
de bel. Gal. 1. vi. c. 14,

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.that the departed soul of ~ YirtuotiS. indiv.idual
possessed the secret . power of infusing itself into
any substance, whether animate or inanimate, at
pleasure.*
The dmids cultivated, and taught to their di~
~iples many of the liberal sciences,t and particu...
larly Astronomy, in which they attained .a con..
siderable proficiency, displayed in the construction.
of their religious edifices.t They considered Day
as the ofFspring of Night, because Night or.Chaoa:
was in existence before Day was created ; and
llence their computations were made by nights in
Hence a deceased friend could give force to a warri11r's sword; could
occupy his shield, or avert a Dying javelin armed with destruction. This
is amply illu1tnl&ed ia ~e poem of Cynddehr, addreued to Own
Cyveiliawy0 PriDce of Powis. (Dav. Dru. p. 15.) "In the form of a.
vibrating shield before the rising tumult, bore aloft on the shoulder or the
leader-ilt the fimn o( a lion before the chief with tile mlgllty wi.Rg&-ia
the form of a terrible spear with a glitteriDg blade-in the form of a brig!&&
&Word spreading fame in the conflict, and overwhelming the levelled ranks
-In the form oC a dragon (banner) be!ore the sovereign ofBritain,-and
in the form of a daringwolf baa Owen ap~...
t Aleuin, an Anglo-Saxon writer, says, that in these early times a liberal
education comprised Grammar, Rhetoric, Arithmetic, Geometry, Music0
and Astrology. (Ale. Gram. apudCania. tom. n. par. i. p. 108.) Aldbeba
6teaded it to the BeYen Libe1al Scienoee of Freemuonry. ( A.Jd. de laud.
vir. p.lll.)
t The- time of celebratillg publlo worahlp IIPl'IUIS flrom an applloatlob of
tWe erienoe. Thwe their ordlauy tiiM8 ef de.-otioD were replatacl by the
phuel 6f the IDOOil; and the lllOl'e teleam quanuty UMJablages. took
place Whea the SliD armed at tiM eq1linoctlll aad IOlltitlallJOfata j ( Stake
ley. AbuiT p. CiS.) whioll at tile era of their eetablillament, -..uooo
,._..111'0, eerrespoaded widl our latMay, whicllwu their gauad anau.l
ft&ti'MI, the 19th Auptt, let NMIIIDber, &Dd 18th Febi'IUU'f. Tile lou
MIIIOIII of Ute yMr were deuo.a.t.ed GwaaWJU, '(Spriq)_ IUv, (8-
me() Hydrev, (Autumn) .and Ganav. (Winter.)

seW. -lu c.mcL Gibe. QOI. :u.

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preference to' days. They divided the heaYens into

constellations, and were conversant with the laws
and motions of the planets, from which they made
celestial obse"ations to determine the result of llliy
important transaction; and to foretel the prominent
events which were fated to distingoiJJh the lives 011
fortunes of individuals ; thus converting a noble
science to the puerile purposes of judicial astrology.
Their botanical knowledge was extensive, and
applied chietly to the art of healing; ltence Pliny
terms the druids, Physicians. Th~y investigated;
with -great precision the structure of the human
body, and were the most complete anatomists at
that time existing in the world.t They understood
foreign languages, according to Cesar and Tacitus,
and used the Greek character in their writings ;t
they cultivated the liberal sciences; and their sys-.
tem of Morality may claim and ensure onr appro..
The Hebrews had the eame peculiarity. The evening and the mont- .
iDg were the lint day. (Gea. i. :1.) This mode of computing time ilstiU
retained among us, for sevea days are UBUally expressed by the word,
seia'lllght; fouteeB days by fortnight, &c
. t It ia )Jfti811Dled that they acquired much information on the subject of
Medicine from Pythagoras, who learned it in Chaldea, (Apuleius) and
pnctilled his OWII precepts by uaillg the - t temperate aystem of diet, his
food bebag chie8y composed of bread, herbs, aad hoaey. (Porph. de
Abathl.) The IllUDe practice wu reco-ded by the druids, aad heDCe
tiHiloDprity of this order of mea ia ll&tisfaotorily aocoaJited for. Pytb&.
pru wnJte a treatise on mediciaal herbs, ud aaother on the sea onioa,
(PUB. Nat. Hist.) which, it is said, he CGaiii1UIIicate to the druida;
ud this illatruction, added to their owa sedulous iaTestiptioaa into tho
caUMB of diMues, COilferred on them a higla ud merited celebri~
ia tbucieace of medicine.
Cesar. de bel. Gal. 1. Ti.

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bation if theWelsh triads are of any authority. In

the Mythology of the British Druids,* Mr. Davies.
has given ~ copious collection of the moral p_recepts
which were derived from the druidical institution ;
and the$e precepts often produced a corresponding
purity of thought, for it is confidently asserted that
the bards had such a sacred regard for ike truth, t
that it constituted the motto of their order; and it
is even said that they would have had less relucta,nce
in sacrificing tbeir lives, than inTenouncing a strict
adherence to the truth in every situation and transaction of life.
Page 76-79.
t Hence the records they have left behind them, whether in .the form
of TriadB or Hiltorical poems, may be depended on as containing an

allullion to pure historical facts or moral preceptS. And though sometimes highly figurative, yet they may be referred to with some degree of
confidence, as the depositories of moral, religious, or political events
which diatillguilhed the times of which they profess to treat.

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THE THIRD

COURSE.
- - . I ~

i.

LECTURE I.

,, .

;J,l

#~

' I

ON THE INSTITUTION OP THE GOTH'IC

MYSTERIES.

Ttl"E Gothic 'Mysteries* were introduced by

Sigge, a Scythian prince; who, it is said, abandoned
. The Gothic Myste.ries were ]ll'actised by all the aortlaem aatione Or
Europe. Mr. Turner, (Angl. ~ax. vol. iv. p. 18.) eaye, "we are Dot
authorised to ascribe to the Saxon deitii!a the apparalut and mythology
which the noliltem Sealde of subieqirent .agea have tt'allllmitted to us.fnNb.
Denmark, Norway, and Iceland;" meaning undoubtedly the mythology
of the Eddas. I am inclined to think, however, that the Norwegians,
Danes, and Saxons all practised the Gothic superstition, as it was
re-modelled by Sigge who assumed the name of Odin a few years
before the birth of Christ. This celebrated individual, after having
established himself in Scandinavia, placed his sons in the territory around
him as viceroys, and their respective divisions, after his death, became
independent kingdoms. Suarlami bad assigned to him a part of RuBBia ;
Baldeg had western Saxony, and Segdeg east Saxony; (Mal. North. Ant.
vol. i. p. 62.) and they would doubtleBB introduce his system of religion
amongst their new subjects, bt>cause they had experienced its advantage&
in enslaving the minds of an ignorant and superstitious people, and placing
them implicitly under the control of their superiors. At this period the
religion of Europe may be divided into four grand divisious, the Roman,
the Celtic, the Sclavonian, and the Gothic; and as the Saxons were a
Gothic people, they would undoubtedly practice the Gothic superstitions.
" The ancient Germans," says Bishop Percy, " Scandinavians, &c. being
of Gothic race, profeased that system of polytheism lflt~u delivlrt4

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his native oounitj when it becafiie oppres8ed by a

population too dense for the comforts and necessities
of a pastoral life; and with a chosen band of followers; wandered in search of another settlement.
Travelling to the north west of Europe, he assumed
the name of Odin, the supreme deity of the Scandinavians,* and in hts progress founded many empires, and performed such prodigies of valour, as
are wholly incredible, except to the believers in
Scandinavian tradition. In every country which
he subdued, he introduced the eastern mysteries,
modelled into a focm subservient to his own secret
purposes.t He pJ-aeed over the celebrations twelve
liierophants whom he styled Drottes, and invested
them with uncontrollable authority; they were alike
prieSts and counsellors of State, and Judges, from
whose decision there
no appea1.t Their power
W'as e-xtended to its utmost limits, by being aU owed

was

ill the Edda; and the Franks and Saxons who afte~ards settled in Gaul
imd Britain, being o Gothic raee introduced the polytheism or their owa
llatien, which was in general the Allie with what prevailed among all
the other Gothic 'Of Teutonic people, viz. the Germans, Seandinavians,
&c!'' (Mal. North; Ant. Intr. vi. note.)
Mal. North. Ant. vol. i. c. 4.
t The fact is that the system of the warllli;e SacM was of a military
cast, and hence' differed IDaterially from the corresponding system prac
tised by the hterophants or India, Greece, and Britain, derived, as they
were, from the same source, on the plains or Chalden. In a word the
two great Sects into which primitive idolatry hadheen di~ided, to 8erve
tl\e ambitious policy of their prof~rs, were practised by the Britons
and the Sa-s:oBS, two tmrnediatc neighbours who were ultimately blended
mto one and d!e nme people.
t Mal. North. Ant. vol. i. p. 65. From -this order proeff.ded the
establishment of ~ritiilb Juries, 8onsisting of the same number of meli,
inveated with aimilar powers,
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!04"

a disctetionaryprivilege of determining on the choice

of human victims for sacrifice. Even the monarch
was not exempt from this choice. . Hence arose the
nece~Jsity of cultivating the esteem of these sovereign
pontiffs; for if an office1 of the highest dignity in
the State became obnoxious lo the Drottes; as the
dreaded arbiters of life and death, from whose decision there was no appeal, his lite was held by a
very uncertain tenure; for at the very next celebra..
tion it was almost sure to be offered up in sacrifice
to the gods.
This privilege was an abundant and never failing
source of wealth as well as influence; for the superstitious people, animated by the hope of averting a
calamity so exceedingly dreadful, were profuse in
their offerings and oblations; and in times of general
calamity when the blood of numerous human vietims,* was necessary to appease their sanguinary
Theae sacrifices were all conducled on a principle of veneration for
the sacred nUIIIbera three and nine ; for every thrice Ulree mootba, tllrice
tllree victims, many of them human, on eub of the tbrite three dMJ& of
tile festival's continuance, were olftred in aacrilice w the tri-une god.
(Mal. North. Ant. vol. i. p. US.) "'fhe number 11itle lou loop. beenlaeld
in great veneration among the Tartars,'' hence probably the Scandinav iana

derived theil' origin. All presents made to I heir princes conai6t, in geoeTal,
of !Iitie of each article. At all their feasts thia number and ita combioa~
tiona are alwa)"a attended to in their dishes of meat, and in theil' akioa oC
wine, and other liquon. At one entertainment mentioned by the Tartar
king Abulgazi Khan, there were nin1:1 thou&aod sheep, nine hundred
horaea, ninety-nine veuela of brandy, &c. Even the ro'io' Tartan rob
the caverna by thia rule; and will rather take lliu of any thing tbu
greater number. Abulgazi Khan, in the preface to hia history, &a)'ll, i
have di'ided it into lli..e parts, to conform myself to tile cuawm of other
writers, who all have thia ~umber in particular uteem.".. (Rich. DWen,
p. 210.)

.......

..

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deities, the oblations of the Drottes were of increased

value, in proportion with the expected danger of the
trembling suppliant. Hence, as this order of men,
like the Israelitish priesthood, was restricted to one
family, they became possessed of unbounded wealth,
erected splendid palaces for their residence; and
these immunities and distinctions increasing their
power in every age, they ultimately became so proud,
overhearing, and tyrannical, as to erect themselves
into objects of te1ror to all other classes of the community, which, in the end, accelerated their destruction. It was indeed credulity on the one hand, as
well as artifice and impostlwe on the other, which
originally placed the people thus at the entire disposal of the priest; but they at length grew weary
of the increased oppressions under which they
groaned; :and with minds thus prepared for any
ehange which might promise to deliver them from
the galling tyranny of priestly domination, the inhabitants of Scandinavia embraced the offer of
Christianity with enthusiasm; and inspired with a
fanatical spirit of vengeance for accumulated and
long continued suffering, they retaliated with dreadful severity on their persecutors; and destroyed, in
the delirium of personal resentment, every vestige
()f the ancient" religion, which was vulnerable to
human attempts. The palaces and temples, the
statues of their goc.ls, and all the paraphernalia of
heathen superstition, perished in one common ruin;*
Mal. Nol1h, Ant. vol, i. p. 129.

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and nothing remains to shew the character of thill

religion, but a few Cromlechs; some stupendou'
monuments of rough stone which human fury was
unable to destroy ; certain ranges of caverns hewn
out of the solid rock for the purpose of initiation ;
and some natural grottos which were Wldoubtly
applied to the same purpose.

LECTURE II.
ON THE TIMES AND PLACES OF GO'I'HIO
INITIATION.

THE great festivals, annually commemorated by

this people were three; the most magnificient of
which commenced at the winter solstice, and was
celebrated in honour to Thor, the prince of the
power of the ait.* It was commemorative of the
creation; for being the longest night in the year,t
Verstcgan says, that " in the ayTe hee gouernetl the wyndes and the
clowdes; and being displeased did cause lightning, thunder, and tempests,
with excessive rain, and all il weather. But being wel pleased by the
adoration, sacrifice, and seruice of his supplyants, hee then bestowed
upon them most fayre and seasonable weather; and caused corne abundantly to growo; as also all sortes of fruites, &c. and kept away from
them the plague, and all other evill and infectious diseases." (Rest. Dec.
Intell. p. 75.)
t This feast was in fact sacred to Darkness, that great and awful principle which involved the whole heathen world in the fetters of an abject
superstition.

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y usiped to it the formation of 'be world from

:neva! dark.n~, and called it MOTHER~N IGHT.*
~s festival was denominatEl<} Yule or 'Yeol,t and
; a sooson of universpl festivity.l At the noc..
1a.l meetings of this sacred ~lebration, the initia~
ts were perfonned on a superb scale; for it wa~
.eved that the succe~ding season would be ftuitful
mpropitiom;, in proportion with the sumptuous
)8l'Simonious manner in which this festival was
ducted. The next celebration was dedicated to
Mal. North. Ant. vol. i. p. ass.
t Vid. JIUDieson. Scot. Diet. v. Yule.
Whea c,luiatianity was tint promulgated in the nortbena natloa1, tJaa
onanea Cound ~e inhabitants unwllliag to relinqniah thia aiUiual reo.
'"; lhe Cestival wae therefore applied to the nativity of Chriat; and
l the Yqle Feut WN denominated Chriltmas.
On the eve of the
lay of the festival or MoCllff-Night, firea qf wood blazed througlwut
hole e:stent of uorthern Europe; hence the origin of our YIIJtJilog.
lliace olfluiap qedioated to Thor at thi8 season were Cake of jlour
tenect with hQney; hence the Yule-cake. Subjects at this festival
nted their IL!Iaualpfta or benevolences to their sovereign, (Johnston.
l Celto-Scand. p. ilO.) hence Ch.,.w,--bozu, NewyHr-gift, otc.
:IUidlell of the Sun, were said to illuminate the northern dwellings on
.ight before Yule; and hence atoae the custom of burning large
les at thill BOl!lDUlity; for it bodt:d Ulluck to the family for the BUC
og y~ar if a leWild candle weTe lighted; whence our Yule-candle
. J~ielon. Scot. D.ict. v . Yule. vi.)
' The ancient inhabitants of the 110rth were ~ver at a loaa for the
s ofcelebratingtheirYule. Johnf(lu, (Aotiq. Celto-Normann.) hu
e referring to thil' enbject, whith exhibitl their cb.aracter in its true
The Scandmav~ expeditions, be says, were ancie~~ctly conducted
, following mann~r. A chieftain sailed with a few ahips for Britain,
:ollected all tlle ecattered adv61lturel he could find in biB way. They
d on the coast and formed a temporary fortrell8. To this strong hold
lrove all the cattle, and haYing llllted them, the freebooters returned
, where they spent,t4eir Jol ( Y)lie) or bnamal feast with much glee,
an f!~tiWI was oalled Slraadlwg1wl or a strand slaughter:
iesou. Scot. Diet. v. Yqle. ill.)

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Frea,* the goddess of pleasure ;t and commenCed

on the first quarter of the second moon in the new
year; and the third was celebrated in honour of
Odin, the god of battles. It commenced at the be;.
ginning of Spring, and was, celebrated with great
magnificence in the hope of a successful warfare in
the ensuing campaign.t These were the three
TWa goddeu was the same u the Greciaq Mylitta or Venu, aacl
probably derived her name from Phree, to be fruitfuL
t Frea vras esteemed equally tho wife and daughter of Odi.D. (MaL
North. Aut. vol. ii. p. so.)
t It was esteemed llis~,'Taceful in any indi'"itluallo quit these festiyaJa
sober. (1\lal. North. Ant. vol. i. p. IS7.) Hence excessive drinking introduced the attendant rustom ofvows and pledges. Ea<h per110n preeeat,
before he pnt the cup to bis mouth, made some yow to tbe luteluy deity
of the festival, for the purpose of securing hia protection. When thia bad
been pcrformeJ. by the "hole company, the ceremony of }Jiellging eadl
other commenced. 'fhe president, o1 cbief person taking the Cnp, caJled
publickly on the next in rank to pledge him, and afler drinking placed
the cup in his hand. The next inferior personage was drank to iD the
same manner, and so the toast proceeded l'OUnu the board. Hence the
origin of drinking Healths. This 1100ial cuatom was introduced into
Britain by Heogi&t, at a banquet prepal'8d by him in honour of Vortigem.
" At this feast, Rowena, instru('led by her uncle, presented to the aged
prin<:e a CUll of spiced wine, and " ith smiles welcoo1ed bim with the
words W ae1 he4l hlqfOf'd Cy11iflg; i. e. Be of hcllltb, my lord king; CO
which, th1-ougb his interpretc1 he answe1-ed, Driae luGl, or, I drink you
health." (Brady. <:lav. Cal. vol. ii. p. 320.) . Or as it ia more poetical1J
expresaed uy MilmllD, (Samor, Lord of the Bright City.)
- - - - - - - S h e , by wolld'rin:q;ue
., '
Unmov'd, and stilled murmurs of applaaie,
. "
Nor yet unconscious, slowly won her way
To where the King, amid the festal pomp,
Sate loftiest. As abe raia'd a fair clasp'd cup,
Something of aweet coafusion overspread
Her features; aometbing tremulons broke in
On her halffiillillg aecents, as ehe said,
" Health to the King!" the eparkling wine laugh'd up
As eager 'twere to touch 10 (fJr a lip.
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.ncipaltimes of celebration; bot the initiations

re permrmed at innumerable other smaller fesals; w'hich in fact could be held as frequently
individuals chose to subject themselves to the
[>enCe.
fbe palace of Thor, which is thus described in
~ Edda,* was nothing more than a cavemt of
aa a custom of Ulia people to tadul;1;e tbemaelves in drinking a liquor
e from honey for thirty da)s after the mo.rril&ge of their principal men;
nee arose our phrase of the HoHey-
Fab. 11. aputl. Mal. North. Ant. Yol. ii. p. 6~.
Tbe northern nations ahouncl "ith nulural cn,ems which were
irabJy adapted to _the purroses of initiation; and were doubtless
ied by this people to the c:eJcbralion or tbdr mysteriout ritet. ODe
aese cates \lllll ~I'BOnnlly inspected h) Uishop l 1 ontoppidon, and u
&r~ a ttrikin;; resemblance to onr own ca1ern at CIISUeton, in the
k of Derbyshire, in" hicb the Dmiclicalll)stcries were unquestionably
lnuted, I ahall mal.e no opolo:n for tlesuribing it in thntAutllor'a own
ls. " Hearing at the p11rsonnge of OersJ.ou1, that in the diatrl.et of
lnnel.cd cb&l>tlry of Slrnnde, not f1u from tllence a &tream bad been
d, l'lhicb. i111ued tllrough n rock from the &ide or a u1ounbdn called
or, and over it a cavern" b.ich probaiJiy follo\\ed tbe atream, but of
.ength ofl'lhich I could procure no account; I resoh'ed to examine it
~If, aa on my visitation to .!'ionlal I was to pallS near it. I furnished
!lfwith a tiuder boi, candle, a h;ntciU, IUid a long line to serve me
!ad of Ariadne's clue. My bo&t put me aabore at Ute foot of the aforemolltlta.in of Limur. nut being extremely stet>p, we were obliged to
b with our bauds aa l'lell ru. feet, and sometimes \le ltere hard put to
clear our way throu~h tbe hazle auc.J nltler-bu3hee. On the aide of
laborious aaeeht, we met whb a rivulet, streaouing out, wbich directed
o tlle cavern. It is indeed somelbiog wonderful, beiog a kind of
ral conduit, formed purely by tbe force of lbe water through the solid
, ltbich wns a compound DJaas, mo~tly consisting of grey pebbles, but
1t the conduit, of a clear gt-ey marble l'liili blueish veiu; bad this
ralatructure beeu ral&ed by hnwan skiD, it would have been a work
o small npence, for a few paces after geltiug through the thicket,
~h almost hides tlle aperture of the cavern, one is surprised with a
.ted pauage of pure marble, without tlle leaat llnw or breach, but
. &everal angles aud protuberances, all so poliabed, as if it hiUI been

/'

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initiation into the mysteries. "Th~ mo.t illuldriout

among the gods is Thor. His kingdom is called
Thrudwanger. He .possesses th~e a palace in which
are five .hundred and forty halls. .lt ia the largest
house that is known; according as we find men...
ti011,ed in the poem of Grim~is. Th81'e are five
hundred and forty halls in the winding .palace. of
the god Thor; and I believe there is no where a
greater fabric than this of the eldest of sons."
This magnificent structure is termed, a windi'Jllf
palace. The caverns of initiation were usually constructed with a variety of intricate windings and
turnings excavated with great care ed ingenuity,
the mazes of which were difficult to thread, except
a paste moulded into IHBOOth alobular fonu. About a hundred pace.
forward, the puaage continuet in a ttraight dileotion, then willde oft"' to
the right with ucentl and de1C41ntl, and in IOQIO pl~ growinc RIU'fOWer,
and in othera wideniBg to double itt fonoer broedth, which &QCOnlilll to
ay admeuu-t, wu about lour ot iTe ella, Qd tba heicbt abouC
three; thus two pereoua could go a breaM, eJ:cept tllat they Wel'e now
and then obliged to ttoop, and even ereep, ud tbea tbeJ felt a cla..Jt
ftpeur like that of a burial vault. Thil pl'Bvll\ltecl my penetrating eo fat
u I had intended. Another thing remarkable, .wu the tenible roarinl
of the watera under ua, the eourae of whit:h W&f whl\t moat n:Gited IDJ
wonder, u onr it liee a PI\Telllent of mooth a~, inPlillinl a liWe Uk~
a vault Gil eaell side but Bat la the middle, "d aot llbove three lingert
thick, with aome IDiall crevices through which dle wat. lii&J be aeea.'"
(Pontop. lfiat. Norw. p. 48.) Here..,., lind every ~h~ijo wkiQ
attended the proce~~~ of initiation. The roarlnc of the waten; tho narruw
aubterranean paBB&ges, which formed the descent illto the bowel of U..
mouatain; the water of purification ; the P~~o~~tDI, revJete with a damp
npour like tbat of a fune1111 nult, the e111blem of wbioh it lllldollbtedlJ'
lfU. It ia not likely that this people would oyerlook a ellVeta wbicb
aature had proYided; decorated with Juperb pillare of polilbecl lll&rble,
and fiU'IIiahed with an apparatlaa capable of per{OQII!Dg ~ aD th
III&ChiDery of iniiiation.

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thoae who were intimately acquainted with every

vate mark, placed as a due to direct their pro:SII.* Hence in the eastern nations they were
quently termed labyrinths.
[t containedfive 'kundred an.dforty halls. The
1al resid,ence of this rude people consisted chiefly
wretched huts, or burrows in the earth, where
y existed in almost a state of torpidity when
mgaged in warlike expeditiont~. Hence every
1itation which excluded the open air, if it conled only a single apartment, was dignified with
name of a Hall ;t if it included several rooms
;vas termed a Palace.t If an intricate cavern
ninated in a spacious _vault, as the Mithmtic
ttos, or place~ of initiation always did, it was
~emed, in this inhospitable climate, a residence,
>alace. 6.t for the reception of the celestial gods,
nee ~ose the veneration of the initiated for these
ttos, .The enthusiastic recollections which the
1osirig. ceremonies of initiation never failed to
>ire,. joined with the splendid appearance ex[ted in the sacellum on the&e occasions, which is
~ribed in the Edda as glittering with burnished
l could scarcely fail to leave an indelible im~sion on the mind of the astonished candidate,
,, before this time, had perhaps never entered
I

Worm. Monum. Dan. I. i. p. 6. 1\llany of these stupendoua works of

ill remain in NorWay and Sweden.
, ,B:!d~. 1. ii. e. 18.
Oliver's Hist. Beverl. p. 38.
~ Fab. 1. Ma}. North. A~t. val. ii. p. 2.

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an apartment which displayed any .appearance of
comfort or convenience.
This palace was the residence ofT/wr, the Sun.
This luminary was a conspicuoqs object of adoration
in all tbe ancient mysteries, particularly those of
Persia, the great model on which the Scandinavian
system was founded ; the one being consecrated to
Thor- As, and the other to Mi- Thr-As; the same
go1, possessed of the same attributes and almost
the same name; and alike esteemed by their respective votaries, as the first begotten Son, and a
Mediator,as well as visihly represented by the Sun.*
It was situate in the kingdom ofThrudwanger;
the literal meaning of whicb, according toM. Mallet,
is, a place of 1ejuge from terror. Now the great
Hall of this palace, or, in language less metaphorical,
the sacellum of the grotto of initiation, literally answered this des.cription; for the candidates were not
introduced into it until the appalling rites were all
finished; and consequently at the portal of this
sacellom, their fears would naturally subside. And
when introduced into the sacred presence, called by
way of eminence,Gladheim,ortbe abode of joy,tthey
saw the twelve Dtottes, seated on as many thrones,
habited. like the twelve celestial gods, in
robes of
.
I doubt not, though Eddas are wholly silent on the aubject, bat iD
the princ:ipal Hall of this palace or place of initiation, divided proballly
into twelve compartments, in reference to the twelve SigDa of the Zodi~
the god was designated by a. Plate of burnished gold placed conspicuoual;r
in the centre of the roof, and strongly illuminated by llamiDg torchea~
t Edda. Fab. 7.

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213
quisite richness, shining with gold, ~nd jewels
d precious stones;* he might naturally fancy himIf in the regions of the blessed; of which, this was
Jeed the avowed representation. And as the suceding ceremonies were all pleasurable, it is not
rprising that they should adopt an hyperbolical
raseology, and esteem this magnificent place as
>alace of the gods in the ever blessed kingdom of
trudwanger.

LECTURE III.

CEREMONY OF INITIATION.

[ T would be useless trifling to repeat minutely

: forms of initiation, after the many specimens
t have already heard; suffice it to say, that the
tdidate being duly preparedt by fasting and
Edda. Fab. 1.
Pontoppidan, in his History or Norway, (p. 248.) thus describes the
,at exercM prac:tiaed by the inhabitauta or the northelll nations.
ng Olaf Tryggeaon waa stronger and more nimble than Shy man in
dominions. He could climb up the rock Smal&erlwrn, and fix his
ld upoa the top of it; be could walk round the outside or a boat, upon
>ars while the men were rowing; he could play with three darts,
'Dately throwing them in the air, IUid alway kept two or them up,
e he held the third in one or his hands ; he waa ambidexter, and
il cut two darts at once; he excelled all the men or his time in
t.ing with the bow ; and in swimming he had no equal, Sigmulid

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mortification, was introduced with nakedfeet* into

the sacred cavern, and conducted, by a winding
descent to the tomb of V olva the prophetess amidst
the shades of darkness and the terrific hol\'ling of
dogs. Passing onward however, with resOinte intrepidity, he soon beheld in a thin flame of light,
the canine guardian of the holy seimlebre, whose
fangs appeared to be smeared with the blood of
some hardy adventurer, whose life had recently paid
the forfeit of his rash attempt to explore the forbidden recesses of the consecrated vault.t The
hollow c.avems reechoed with his howlings. Regardless of the posture of aefiance assumed-by this
hideous monster, the candidate was urged forward
by his conductor, and passing this unreal shape,
entered the portal, and in the east found '8. spacious
apartment, in the centre of which was the Pastos
or Tomb where the oracle was immured.t In the
distance, a vision of the regions of death (bela) was
~resented to his eyes, and be beheld a splendid throne
Brestesen used to practise these exercises with the king, Tiz. swimming,
shootlbg, clmi'bing the rocks, and aH uther 1llll1dy exeretJet which heroes
and warriora practised in those times, and none could come 10 near the
king in aU these, as Sigmuud:'
.
8trabo. I. vil.
' " n/dog who guards the gates of death, meets him. His breast
and Iris jaws are stained with blood'; he opens hill voracious mouth to
bite, and barb a long tltne at the father of magit ... (Ancient RuDie
Poem. in Mal. North. Ant. vo1. ii. P
t "Odin puraues his way; his !rorse causes the infernal caverns to re
sound and tremble; at length he reaches the deep abodtl of death, and'
.U,pped near the eastern gate where lltands the tomb or th'e prophet\lsll,..

m.)

(.bcieut'Poem, as aboTe.)

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ich appeat'ed designed for some person of dis
~tion; bttt it was empty.*
th~ tnysterious rites of hivocation comneed; magical characters were inscribed in
ares, triangles, and circles; and charmed rhymes
itrefri~tible potency were repeated. The incan..;
.on'!! being complete, the reluctant prophetess
r1ified her intention of uttering an oracular reoae.t The candidate was instructed to question
respecting the fate which awaited Balder, a
.evolent deity who was under the special protect of all the celestial gods; and though deemed
1lnerable, was nevertheless supposed to be in
ninent danger from the unsuspected efforts of
tlety and malice. To this demand the protess allilw.ered, that Balder should suffer by the
~rvention of Loke the ad'Versary of the gods,t

q:ere

Runic. Poem.
' He sing! to her verses adapted to call up the dead. lle looks tos the north 0 he engraves the Runic characters on her tomb; he
1 mytlterious words; be demallds an answer; until the prophetess ia
rain.;d to arise, and thus utter the words of the dead. ' Who is this
()Wn that dares disturb my repose, and drag me from my grave,
etn I havll lien dead so long, all co:vered with BRow,. and moistened
the !'llins,' &c!' (Ancient Poem, as above.)
:his people believed in the existence ot an Evil principle, who was
iJ L6li:e, and was esteemed the great adversary of gods and men.
pernicio~ deity was the. prince of fraud and -perfidy; a perfect
ir of all the arts Qf dissbnulafion, and addwted solely to the practice
1. He $a.tried the claughter of the giantess Anger-Bode, (Messeager:
il1) by whom he had three clu1dren of portentious character; who
dOomed to destroy the whole host o deities, w hoo .t he Ship N aglefara
d be completed from the nails of dead m-en. The first bom was a
tic Wolf, c11.lled Fenris, who was destined to devour the &Uptoel!lle
Jdiii, and to swallow the Sun. 'this monster was bound by the gods

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who by a sprig of misletoe in the hands of a blind

man, shall inflict wounds producing instant death.
The candidate pressing onwards soon heard the
cries and bewailings for the death of Balder,* who
was bitterly lamented by the deities who had been
the innocent cause of his destruction. He was then
confined within the Pastos ;t a cell composed of
to a rock in indissoluble chains until the much-dreaded twilight qf the
gods shall arrive, and all nature be consumed in a general confiagration.
The next offspring of these two evil beings was an enormous Serpent,
called Midgard, who was the destined destroyer of the god Thor. He
was precipitated by Odin to the bottom of the sea, where he attained so
vast a bulk, that he was able to coil himself round the globe, and repose
with his tail in his mouth. The third dreadful issue of Loke and AngerBode was Hela, or Death, who was cast into hell by the gods, there to
await the appointed time of destruction; and to receive into her dismal
abode, all such as died of sickness or old age.
It appears that Balder, who was esteemed invulnerable, had placed
himself in sport as a mark in the general assembly, at which the gods respectively exercised their skill and dexterity in casting darts and missiles;
for Odin and Friga had previously exacted an oath of safety, in favour of
this god, from every thing in nature, except the l\1isletoe, which was
omitted on account of its weak and cootemptible qualities. (Edda. Fab.
28.) Loke always bent on mischief, discovered the exception; and privately procuring a sprig of thls herb, placed it in the hands of Hoder,
who was bereft of sight, and persuaded him to cast it at the devoted
victim, who fell, pierced through with mortal wounds. His body was
then placed in a ship or boat, and set afloat on the waters, while all the
gods mourned for his decease. The fable of Balder and Loke, with the
lamentations of the gods for the death of Balder, bears such an obvious
relation to those of Osiris and Typhon, Bacchus and the Titans, Cama and
Iswara, &c. &c. that I entertain no doubt but it constituted the legend of
initiation; as it is indeed the exact counterpart of all other systems of
mysterious celebration. It is true the legend of Odin and Freya, including the wanderings of the latter, as related in the Edda of Snorro, be&J'II
some resemblance to the wanderings of Ceres, and Isis, and Rhea; but I
think the preceding fable unquestionably contains the identical incidents
which were perpetuated in the Gothic mysteries.
t The Pastas was a representation of the Ark of Noah, " And God

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sharp edged stones; and goanled by Heimdall;

light-eared doorkeeper of the gods~ armed with:
aked sword;* and when the term of his penance.
; completed, he was instructed to search for the
y of Balder,t and to use his utmost endeavours.
raise him from death to life. Being therefore
pared for this dangerous expedition, he was.
:mniy recommended to the protection of the
s. He then descended through nine suuter-.
ean passages, qark, damp, and dismal, attended :
the usual guide. Under a full persuasion that
mysterious conductor possessed the power of
ing the dead and commanding the elements; :
y sight presented before his eyes, every sound .
ch assailed his ears, in his progress through the .
merating . medillm, was invested with the awe
terror attached to a supernatural occurrence.
he glare of burning torches gleamed throllgh a
1re of the rock and imparted a temporary illuation to the dark cavern through which he
;ed; it presented to his inventive imagination,
god descending in a sheet of flame. If a sound :
1ntoNoah make thee an ark o( gopher wood the door of the
talt thou set in the tl.ide thereof In the self same day entered
into the ark ' end tAe Lot-d aut him ill." (Gen. vi. 13, 14,
ii. IS, 10.) .T he ~unt in the Text, in connexion with the
10w, eTidentJy relates to the deluge.
!'hill place of .penance wu termed the Celestial Fort, said to be
ed at tho (oot of the bridge Bifrost, (Edda. Fab. 7.) or the Rainbpw,
1 reached from earth to heaven, and which celestial& only could
d. The sentinel was posaessed of a Trumpet of so loud a blast that
nnd might be heard through all the worlds. (Edda. Fab. 16.)

t Edda. Fab. JQ.

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resembling distant and continued thunder was he.rd
to reverberate through the hollow passages, it was
referred to the dreadful " twilight of the gods"
The twilight of the gods is thus described in .the Edda. (Fab. 32~ )'
" In the first place, will come the grand, 'the desolating' Wiliter; during
which the sn9w will JaU frQm the for 1:9rners of the ~odd: til&
will be v~cy: severe; the tempest violent an.d d~gerous ; and the Sun
will withdritw'his beams. Three such wii:.ters shall pass away, without
being softeneil by o~~e summer. Three dthers shall follow, during which
WB.f ll!ld Discord will spread through the whole globe. Brothers, out el
hatred; shall kill each other ; no one shall spare either his parent, or hia
child, Or his relations. See how it is described ia the Voluspa; ' :U.JatheD
beooming murderers, shall stain themselves with broUaers blood; kindred
shall forget the ties 9f consanguinity; life shall become a burden; aduJ..o
tery shall reign throughout the world. A barbarous age I u. age of
swords! an age of .tempests I an &K!'. of wolves l The ~oklert -.hall t..
broken in pieces; , and these calamities shall succeed each other till the
world shall fall to ruin.' Then will happen such things as may well be
called Prodigies. The Wolf Fenr.is will davour t.lul 81111: a ever& awill it be found to mankind. Another monster will cari'J .oi" the.llooa;.
and render her tota,lly useless: the Stars shall fly away and van.iah Crea
the heavens: the earth and the mountains skall be leea viole.Uy agitated;
the trees tom up from the earth by the roots; the totte~ hll.l s to l.lllllblll:
headlong from their foundations; all the chains and irons o{ the priJoaen
to be broken and. dashed in pieces. Then is the Wolf Fetarllttel'loCIIIti
the sea nishes impetuously over .the e~, because, th_e ~ ..,..._
changed into a spectre, gains the shore. The ship N aglefara,ia lid~
this vessel is cOnstructed of the nails of dead men; for whloh reuo. tplllll'
care should be taken not to die with unpared. naila; for he 11h0 cne. ..,
supplies materials towards the building ef that .,eueJ,..
men will wish were flni6hed as late as possible. The .Giant a,......... ,
pilot of this vessel, which the sea breaking over ita .banD;_~ ..... 1
with it. The WolCFenril adnacing, opens.la.is e11011Jl01..uia~
lower .i-w reaches to the earth, and his upper jaw to the .....,...., u4
would reach still farther, were .tpaee .itself found to ~~ida&. ef it. 1aie,
burning fire ftashes oat from hill eyes and :aoatrila. ,... gdllt lierpellt
vomits forth lloods of poison; which overwhelm the air.llil.. ~ .
This terrible monster places himself by tlle side of .tile;Welt.. . . . . . ..
coafusion the heaven shall cleave asunder;.IIJ!d:bJ thia:Jn.aia 'dle......,
of Fire enter oa horseback. Surtur is at their heed;, WOIII;M4" J,
IWD sparklea a bright glowing lire. Wa. awonl outahl.Det She sua iDelf.

frot'

'W1Uc&.-.... .

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ben an nature shall be-involved in UJiiversal rtrin.

rriving at length on the banks of a sluggish stream~
~ was directed to plunge into the water of purifi.:. .
.tion and explore the caverns situate on tlie oplBite bank. Soon his progress was intercepted by
e 8acred door of expurgation; on passing 'Yhic~,
e army of these Genii pll88ing on hol'l!eback ovet' the bridge Qf heaven,.
!Ilk it in pieces: thence they direct theit' coune to a plain; where they

' joined by the Wolf Fenris, and the Great Serpent. Thither also re.r Loke 1111d the Giant Rymer, and with them all the Giants .of the
>st, who follow Loke even to death. The Genii of Fire march iirlt in
:tie array, forming a most brilliant squadron on.tbis plain; which is an.
!ldretl degr-ees square on every side. During these prodigies, Hei.Qldal;
' door keeper of the gods rises up; he violently sounds his clanging
mpet to awaken the g~s; who instantly assemble. Then Od.in repairs
the fountain of Mimis, to consult what he ought to do.- he and hiS"
ny. The pat Ash Tree Ydrasii is sbken; :nor i,8 any ~ngin- h,eaveu
earth exempt from fear . and danger. The gode are clad in armour;.
lin puts on llis golden helmet, and his resp~endent cuiras; pe grasps
awotd, lmd mai'Ches directly a'gain1t theW olf Fenris. He hath Thor:
hinide; but this god cannot assist him.; for he himself fights with the,
eat Serpent. FreyencountersSuriur, and terrible blows are exchanged
both sidelff 'till Frey is beat down ; ht> owes his defeat to his having
merly'ghlen IIlii swoi'd to b'is attendn~ Skyrner.. That. di.y also is let
's ethedog llllllled 'Garmer; who hlllth hitherto beep chained at the; en..r
nee (1( a c:a+mt. :ae is a monilterdreaclful even to the.go~; lui. at.
lu Tyr, and thej kill t!achother. :Thor beats dow~ theGreat Ser)llllll'
the earth, but. at the sametim6 reeoilillg back'tlwsteps,. helallsdead
oo the spot, au1focated witho 1!oods of venom, which the Serpent vi>lnitsr
th upoli billl. Odill is devburecl by the Wolf Fenris. . A& th. I&Dle:
tant Vidu adVUlCM; &~~d prelllling deW!a the mc>nste,r's lower.jaw: ~tb.
'toot, seizes the other with his hand, and thus tears ud teada.him.ti.ll.
die~~; Loke. arid. Beimdal fight, and mutually kill each other. . After.
11 Surtur dartafireand 11ame overall the earth; the.whole.:world-is
!Bently coniiUDI8d.'' Tile delcription of this event,. ill the..Volnpllll,
1cludea with.. tJ.e following very remarkable p111111age .. " .The. aun >Is.
rkeaect; the .earth is immerged in the sea; t4e shiililig stars. fall f111m
aven; a .fiery. va:pour '88Uads : a vehement heat prevails, evea ia
ave11 itself." ( GOi'&I180ll. Bist. 26. JI.Pud .Mallet.)
.
.. ,

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he entered irito the illuminated sacel1um, and

Balder enthroned in a situation of the highest dis.:
tinction.
. At his entrance into this enchanting place,
awe-struck aspirant was saluted with an anthem of
conP,tulation; and the utm~st cheerfulness wu
displayed in the rejoicings which now took place
for the resuscitation of the benevolent god. The
~calds,* to the flute and harp, chanted hymns
descriptive of the generation of gods, the creation
<>'!the world, the deluge, and the restoration of inan~
'rhey celebrated in strains of highest panegyric the
warlike acts of heroes; the praige of wise and valiant
chiefs; the fatal overthrowofhosts and hm;tilearmies~
They sang the irresistible valour of Odin; and dwelt
on the immortal renown which his high achievements had secured, with a view of exciting in the
candidate a. spirit of emulation to gr~at aud warlike

tlie

. " The hilltorical mouuments of the north are full of the honours- paid

to the Scald& both by princes and people ; nor c&ll the annal of poetry.
produce auy age or coUJitry wbicb rellecta more glory or lustre upon it.
They were men especially honwred and careBBed at the courts of th0118
princes who di.ating1liahed the11118lves by their great action, or pusio&
for glory. Harold Harfagre, for iuataace, placed them at hill feasts.
above all ot!Mlr officer& of his court. Many priuces entrusted tllem, bota
in peace and war, with co!DIIIiuioDB of the utmolt importance. TheJ.
never aet out on. any considerable elipedition wHhout tome of ~em in
their $rain. Bacon, earl of Norway, had liTe celebrated poets aloug wi&
him in that famou battle when the wuriors of Jomsburg were aefeated ;.
and hiatory recOrd .t hat they. sung eacli an ode to animate the aoldiers be_.,
fore they engaged. Olave, king of Norway, placill~ three of them <me.
day around him in battle, .c ried out with apirit, ' You ahall not relate>
what you have only heard, but what you are .eye witlle~ of your-

Mlvu."' lMal. North. A.At. vol, i. p.l861 389.)

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deeds... A solemn oath* was then administered m&
~ ~ked Sword, which wa~ used for this purpose
because it was considered as an unequivocal symbol
of: the sJJpreme god.t The aspirant entered into
volunt~ry obligations to pay due submission to the
d}ief officers of the state, whether civil or religious;
devotion to the gods; and to defend and protect
each other at the hazard of their lives from all secret
and ope~ attacks of their enemies, and if slain, to
avenge each othersdeath. The oath was sealed by
drinki!lg mead out of a human skuii.t
He was now invested with a sword, a shield, and
~ lance, and declared equal to the toil of combat,
puntin.g, and providing for his own subsistence, from.
which latterduty,his parents were henceforth wholly
relieved, although he had now only attained his fifteenth yea,r. . His shield was wkite and termed " the
shield 'of expectation." A specified periorl was as
signed for his .probation in arms, and if he failed "to
distinguish himself in battle before the expiration
of this term, the phrase, Niding, was applied to him~
Mal. North. Ant. vol. i. p. 217.
t . Justin (Hist. 1. xliii. c. S.) 1ays, that the ancieat Scythian& worshipped swords and spears; a practice common with all who practised .
tlie Buddhic superstition.
t The word skull was commonly used for a drinking vessel, which probably " received this name from the barbarous custom which prevailed
among several ancient nations ol drinking out of the sculls of their
enemies. W amefrid in his work, de gestis Longobard, says, Albin slew;
Cunimund, and having carried away bis head, converted it into a drink~
ing v.eBI!81; wbich kind of cup is with us called ~eMla, but in the latia
Jiulpage it hu t,be name ofptderu." (Jamieson. Scot. Diet. v. Skul.)

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mld be wa9 shunned by aU :his fumier. aisociatesit

This hpwever did not often happen; and w.heu be
had performed any distinguished achievemeut, he
was permitted to have a design painted on his shield
as a testimony of his prowess. This privilege however Jed, in process of time, to innovations in the
device and fashion of the :shield which endangered
the distinction between lord and vassal; . and at
length a code of directions became necessary to
regulate the practice; and the distinction of a
painted shield was limited to the families of priaces
and heroes.t
The sacred sign of the Cross was then impressed
upon him; and as a concluding ceremony, a Ring
was delivered to him as a symbol of the divine protection, which he was enjoined to preserve as an
invaluable amulet, the gift of Balder'the good.:t:
The word Nidig amongst the Sc:andinavians, was eeteeQ~ed so contemptuous that it would provoke even a coward to single 'combat. It
wa8 equal to giving the lie in our own eountry; and h&ll QQW merged illto
the phrase-You are a good-fornothing fellow. (Vid, M!lllet. TOL i.
p. 218.)
t This may probably have been the origin of patrimonial lladges IUld
armorial bearings with the northern nations of Europe1 although it is well
known that the Gauls and Germans had armorial distinctions long before...
Diodorus says, (1. v.) the Gauls used long shields, distinguished by
particular marks; and Tacitus (de mor. Germ. " 6.) tells us that tile
Germans distinguished their shields by different colours.
It is said in the Runic mythology, that when Hermod descended into
hell to search for Balder, he found the murdeted deity occupying a
distinguished situation in the palace of Death; and failing through the
artifices ofLoke, to procure his return to Valhall, the supernal palace of
the gods, he bore a Ring to Odin as a token of remembrance Ctoin his
deceased friend, which possessed the miraculous power of produciuc
nery 11i11tA 11igAt, eight rings of equal weight and utility.

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This: ring, he was told, waa not only c~~- ()f afforcling him preteetion in times of.immineD,t danger
and adversity ;* but it was also to be considered
as au inexhau8tible fund, whence riches, honours,
and. all other benefits would undoubtedly fl.ow.

LECTURE IV.
OM TBE ABTS BBOOIIIMENDED . OR TAUGHT :
'TO THE ASPIRANT.

T:o:E whole &ystem of creation and providence, as

far as it was understood by this people was now
-unfolded to the aspirant's view; he was taught
mysterious doctrines wrapped up in hieroglyphical
Symbols; the art ofmagic,and the important
of preparing amulets and incantations. And as a.
final charge he was . solemnly enjoined to make
himself perfect in athletic exercises ;t and was a!fsured that the sole method of being translated t9
the hall of Odin, was to die in battle, .covered with
wounds, valiantly fighting against the enemies of
his country.t

secret

Plin. Nat. Hist. 1. xxxiii. c. I;

t These were, " to fight valiantly; to sit firmly on horseback; to inure
himself toswimming and skating; to dart the lance, and to become akilflll at the oar." (Ode of Harold the Valiant, in Mal. North. Ant. vol. ii.
p. 217.)
When Odia perceivt4 tha& llie ad dftw nJgh, " he would not wait

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The lllO.It. promiaent Symbols ia .theseftfeWa.tions were, the Croa aDd lliDg already~
.

,..

"'

till t4e consequences of a lingerins ~ shOIIld l!nt a.period to~

life which he had so often bravely hazarded in the field; but assembling
the friends and companions of his fortune, he gaTe himself trine _ . ..
IM/- qf a circle with the point of a lance, and many other eft~ g. )lj8
skin with his sword. As he was dying, he declared he was going back
into Scythia to take h~ .ieat among the other gods at an eternal banquet,
.,._ M IIJOIIId NlftH tllilh gt'tM .,_.,., all .... ..,., ,.... ........
intrepidly ill bdttk, and flu brGHly with tMir .woro. ill llttir lllra4~ A,.
soon as he had breathed his last, they carried his body ti> Sigt'nna~ {tile
llllclent capital of Sweden,) wllere, COil~ tbil. eestcl*iattudullill
by himlelf into the , 11()~, ~ boc!Y ;'1\VU _burpt. with JIIUCh . pomp a!_Ci
magnificence." (Mal. North. Ant. vol. i. p. 6.) lienee in battle the
Scandinavians were inspired with the most fnrioua braver,- and contempt
of death, under the impreaaioll that all whD died, ~Yfll:J iil ~:JiM~.
would certainly be received by Odin in~ his paradise, designated by the
endearing appellation of Valhall; and be rewarded with an honourable
aeat in his preseace; there to enjoy a contiaual feut of wlft'IGrJ, tened
by the Valkyrile, who were virgins of the most exquisite ~gU"-i
serenaded with martial music, and drinking hydromel or .mead out of the
skulls of vanquished enemies, until the destruction and final renovatioll
of the earth and heavens. The Edda (Fab. 20.) thus descn"bes these
envied joys, which ibcited . the barbarians of northern Eu10pe to court
death in every violent shape; and inspired an undefined horror at \h4!
.prospect of a death proceeding from disease or old age. "The heroes
.who are received into the palace of Odin, have every day the pleuure-~f'
anning themselves, of passing in review, of ranging themselves in order
'of battle, ll!ld of cutting one another in pieces; but as soon u the hour or
repast approachea, they return on horseback all safe and sound back to
the Hall of Odin, and fall to eating and drinking ; Their beverage
fa beer and mead ; their cups are the sculls of enemies they' have sl~;_
A crowd ofvirgins wait upon the heroes at table, and fill their cups u
fast as they empty them." (Mal. North. Ant. vol. i. p. 120.) Henc~
Ragnar Lodbrok, in his death song, consoles himself \'\'ith this. rellectipn,
" I shall soon drink beer from hollow cups made of sculls.'' (St. 2~
Worm. Liter. Dan. p. 203. Jamieson. Scot. :PjcL v. Skul. Mal. North.

up

Alit. vol. U. p. 232.)

.....
Vid. vt

.;.....P .

. -t- .

,,

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-tlaeAslt tltee,.the Point within a Circle, the Rainbow;*

~ C.nhe the

Emblem of Odin.t
We now come to the system of Magic~ inculcated
by the Scandinavians. The Scalds and Diviners
_established a great reputation, and consequent in..AtJellCe over the people by the boasted power of
'(lomposing cha~s or amulets which possessed the
:quality . o'f conferring favour and protectio11 0\1
d'riel:ads, ..and {){ hurling destruction on their ene;unes. _This superstition was ~erived from Sigge
zor, .Odia, who acquired the reputation of bejng
:a skilful magician, and was styled, by way of
~~inence, thefatAer of magic, from his introduc.tion of the mysteries with all their terrific machinery
am~ngst this ignorant_ and superstitious people.
U'bis pGtent individual boasted a very high degree
Signs and Symbols. p. 154, 115, 116. " The Ashtree Udra&il," says
the Edda, (Fab. 20.) "is the greatest of trees; Skidbladner, of vessels;
Oam, of godl; Sleipaer, of horses ; BjfrotJt, of bridges; Brage, of scBldJ
or poets; Habroe. ofhawks; and Garmer, ofhounds."

t Fab. Mys. Cab. vol. i. p. 308.

t "Magic in general," says Wait, in his Oriental Antiquities, (p.ISG.)
" may be conceived to have arisen from the mysteries of Persia or Chaldea,
and from the various illusions to which the Epopts were submitted,"
A belief in the efficacy of these incantations, produced much real and
imaginary evil amongst the .inhabitants of Scandinavia. " Helga, ~
Scandinavian sorceress, when wiehing to give efficacy to some Runi~
characters for doing injury to others, observed this mode, Taking a
knife in her hand, sjle cut the letters in the wood, and besmeared them with
her blood. Then singing her incantations, oc gech mifug raxgsiuli& u~
-treit, &he went backwards and contrary to the course of the sun around
the tree, Then she procured that it should be cast into the sea, praying
that it mig~t be driven by the waves to the island Drang~~a, and there be
1 M - .tall tl7ill to Gre_tter. (Hist. Gretter, apud Berthol. C1tn1. Con~
~j)t. Mork!J. p. 661, Jamieson. Scot. D~c, v. Widdersinn.ia,)

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of mystical lqlowledge, which he imparted to but

few, even of his most intima~e companions; for it
was a maxim with him, that" whatever is known
only to one's self, is always of the greatest value."*
He proclaimed himself capable of rendering the
arms of his enemies powerless; to burst, by the
repetition of a single rhyme, the strongest chains
of captivity; to inspire his foes with the utmot;t
veneration for his person; to strike his adversary
dead with a curse; to pass through the world with
the rapidity of thought; to assume at pleasure, the
forms of wild and ferocious beasts; to calm tempests,
'disconcert magicians, and even to raise the dead.t
These pretentious, sanctioned by the timidity
which superstition never fails to produce in an untaught mind, would naturally invest this politic
prince with an authority, which his successors would
be desirious to.retain. Hence they pronounced that
the supernatural powers which Odin was believed
to possesst were vested in the Three Orders of men,
Ancient Runic Poem.
t These are the enchantments which the scriptures pronounce as ever
attendant on the practice of a false worship. Thus the &orcerers of Egypt
when contending against Moses are said to use enchantments, (Exod. vii.
11.) which are pmhibited to the Israelites. (Levit. :xix. 26.) And the
punishment of them is announced by Isaiah ; " B.ehold they shall be as
stubble, the fire shall bum them, and they shall not deliver themselves
from the power of the flame." (lsai. :x.lvii. 14.)
:t " Hence oracles, auguries, divinations, and a thousand practices <tC
that kind quickly sprung up in crowds from this erroneous principle.
Accordingly in all our ancient fables and chronicles, we see the northern
nations extremely attached to this vain science. They had oracles, like
the people of Italy and Greeee, and these oracles were not less revered,

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the Drottes, the Scalds, and the Diviners, to wbose

the .mysteries had been entlusted. In sue.ceiag ages these boasted powers were publickly
.eanv.erted to the purpose of emolument, and charms,
amulets, .and philtres were openly exposed to sale.
.4Utd u they were reputed to be effectual antedotes
agaiiMt the e1feets of poison, to cure diseases, to
JDSfNI!e aWection,* and to enable the possessor to
~rk - miracles; every individual was anxious to be
furoitJbed with a eharm which promised to counteract
the secret. machination of his enemies, in a country
where private disputes usually terminated in bloodshed; and hence the composea'S of such invaluable
jewels rose in the public estimation, and became
nnJllly invested with uncontrollable authority. These
amulets. oonsisted caietly of Runic characters or letterst inscribed on a tablet made of the wood or bark
.
..
.
- ~y

DOr less famous than theirs. Their diviners were honoured with the
JliUDe of prophet., and revered as if they had been such. Some of them
were llllid to have familiar spirits who never left them, and whom they
consulted under the form of little idols. Others dragged the ghosts of the
departed from their tombs, and forced the dead to tell them what
. ~ould happea.'' (Mal. North. Ant. vol. i. p. 14S, 146.)
Tum. Aug. Sax. vol. iv. p. 186.
t Lettera were lint introduced into Scandinavia by Odin, and from the
ipQI'IUIOII of the people respecting their nature and eirects, he taught them
to belleve that by their use be was empowered to work miracles. Hence
be was palled &nHr(di, and &110a-Fathr, King of Spells and Father
of Leitert; Thus originated the custom of vaticination and fortune telling;
which is not yet fulty exploded, and scarcely will be while superstition
maintains itl empire over the human miad. Traces of this practice are still
Tisible ~ moet of the countries of Europe; and even our own land, though
enlightened by the perfection of science, exhibits in every province, many
eidep~a of the prevalepce of superstitiop, in th.e implicit reliance placed
J)y oar rustic population in ~~. c~I.QDS, and incantations.

of the birch tree in magical form; either in a circle

described from east to west by the south; in a triangle; in a direct line .from the top to the bottom
or by a retrograde movement from the bottom to the
top; from left to right, or from right to left,* according to the circumstances of each peculiar case;
every form being adapted to its own particular service. They were frequently carved on walking
sticks,t sword scabbards, implements of husbandry,
and other articles of COIT\mon use. Those which
were intended to bring woe and destruction on their
-enemies were termed Noxious;t those which were
Mal. North. Ant. vol. i. p. 146.
t Verstegan tells us that the people " used to engraue upon certain
squared sticks about a foot in length, or shorter or longer as"theypleased",
the courses of the moones of the whole yeare, whereby they could alwayes
certainly tel when the new moones, ful moones, and cb~gea should
happen, as also their festival dayes; and such a carved stick they called
an Al-mon-aght, that is to say, Al-moon-lteed, to wit, the regtll'd or
observation of all the moones; and here hence is deryved the name of
Almanack." (Rest. Dec. Int: p. 58.)
t In our own country this practice was very prevalent a century or two
ago. "King James, in his Dremonology, (b. ii. c. 5.) tells us that the
devil teacbeth how to make pictures qf wax or clay, that by roa.sting
thereof, the persons that they bear the name of may be continually melted,
or dried away by continual sickness. Blagrave, in his Astrological practice of Physic, (p. 89.) obse~es, that, the way which the witches usually
take for to afllict man or beast in this kind, is, as I conceive, done by Image
or Model, made in the likeness of that man or beast they intend to work
mischief upon; and by the subtilty of the devil made at such hours and
times when it shall work most powerfully upon them by thorn, pin, or
needle, pricked into that limb or member of the body aJllicted."
" Witches which some murther do intend
Doe make a picture and doe shoote at it;
And in that part where they the picture hit,
The parties self doth languish to his end."
'
Constable's Diaria, Decv.d II. Son, 2. U94.
(Vid. Br~d's Popul Ant. vol, ii. Po 376.)
~-

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d ~ avei-t calamity,. to prevent shipwreck, to obthe affections of a beloved female, to counteract

treachery of an enemy,.&c. were called Favout~; and those which were invested with the proty of curing diseases, were termed Medicinal.
~ most trifling error in the composition of these
1der-working amuletS was said to be fatal to the
st himself, or to endanger the life of his dearest
nd; and hence none dared to attempt the formaL of a charm but he, who by initiation had be-
1e perfectly instructed In the various ceremonies
ch were indispensably attached to .every partlar senice.
l

rJ.e 8t1perstition oC the

" Hand of Glory," ls stHl firmly believed in

parts of Genuany. Its composition was as follows : " Take the
of a pe1'801l llanp;ed and e:rpOIIed on the highway; wrap it ap in a
, of a ahroud or windmp; sheet, in which let it be well equeezed to
mt any small quantity of blood that may have remained in it; then
t into an earthen vessel with Zimat, salt petre, salt, and lon!f
~r, the whole well powdered; leave it fifteen days in that vessel;
wards take it out, and ell:pose it to the noontide sun in the dogdaysP .
is thoroughly dry,. and if the sun is not sufficient, put it into an
, heated with fern and n"ain. Then compose a kind of candle
the fat of a hanged man, virgin wax and sesame of Lapland. The
l of Glory is used as a candlestick to hold this candle, when lighted.
oroperties are, that wheresoever any one goes .with this. dreadful
lDlent, t1le persons to whom' it is prese11ted will be deprind of all
,r of motion. Henceit was used by housebreakers to eli~ houses
gbt without fear of opjlosition. But tbere was a counter charm
b would deprin the Handof Glory of its efFect. The threshold of
oor of the house ad other places where the thie'Jes might enter, was
anointed with an uuguent composed of the gall' of a black cat, the
'a white hen, and the blOod of a sereeeh owl; wbieh mi'lture m11K
18&rily be prepared in the 'dllgda~" (~. Prq;in.cial GlOISIU'Y,
Popilu lhapel'llitiob8.)

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LECTURE V.
ON THE DOCTRINES AND MORALITY OP TQ . i
GOTHIC MYSTERIES.
.
.
'

.'

doctrines inculcated in these mysteries em-

braced disquisitions on the nature of the gods,' the
creation of the world, the deluge, and the present''
and future condition of man. The early inhabiia,hts'
of Scandinavia believed in a god, who was "the
author of every thing that existeth; the eternal, the
ancient, the living and awful being, the searcheri"uto.
concealed things, the being that never changeth."*
The name given to this most high g<1d wa:s, Odi:n,t
THE

Edda. Fab. 12.

t "Odin is believed to have been thto name ofthe' One true God among .
the first colonies who came from the East 1111d people4 Genuany and sc:aa.
dinavia, and among their posterity for several ages. But at length a.
mighty conqueror, the leader of a new armr of adventurers from the
East, over ran the north of Europe, erected- a great empire, fl8lllliiH 41:
,._ qf ODIN~ and claimed the hon0111'8 which had been formerly paid to
that deity. From thenceforward this deified mortal, under tlR! name of
Odin, became the chief object of the: idolatrouamrahip of' theSUoaa,
and Danes in this island, as well as.ofmauy:other.nl!tions. Baviogbeea.
a mighty and successful warrior, he wa:s believed to lie the god of war,
who gave victory, and revived courage in the coniUt. lUnllg chilized,
io some meuure, the countries which he conqueted, and introduCad. aN
formerly unknown, he wu also' worshipped aathe gQd of arts BDd utiats.
In a word, to this Odin, hlil dehRled:wonbippell'impialilly ucribed d.
the attributes which belong only to the true God;: : to him tliey bailt'
magnificent temples, offered many sacrifices, .aDd ooD181irate4l~ fourth..,
day of the week, which iJ 1till called by hie JWDe in EaglaQd1 &Jicl in all .

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281
vho was also believed to send plagues into the world
'Vhen provoked by the wickedness of its inhabitants;
md his anger could only be appeased by human
;acrHices, prayer, and repentance.* Idols and visible representations of the deity were originally forb.idden, and he was directed to be worshipped in
the lonely solitude of sequestered forests, where he
was said to dwell, invisible and in perfect silence.t
But after the irruption of Sigge and his followers, .
other objects of adoration were introduced;t to each
of which was assigned a particular dominion; and
hence every object of the creation soon became. placed
under the car~ of its pret:tiding divinity. The trees,
the houses,. fire,. water~ sun, stars,. and. e:ven thunder.
and lightning, wind and rain, had each its protecting
deity; who were thus, unitedly or individually enabled to visit the good with benefits, and to punish .
the wicked with destruction. These inferior deities,
con~i<lered at first only as Media to~ were at leng_th .
inve5ted with supreme authority; and as - co~rage,
strength, and superior valour were the chief traits of
excellence in this rode people; the.First Cause soon .
became compounded with the god of war; and was
~~We. ~steemed a sa,nguinary being; terrible to his
et'lemies; clad in vengeance as ina garment; and
delighting_ in desolation and carnage, slaughter and
blo0d.
tM CltbieE ~ ...,_
IBn. of 'Edg.: 'loh.. ii. )l
Mallet. vol. i. o. 1;
. ,::V.ept~ Belt..p..'Cill...

h~ . . . . f~

WCJIIIbippL'"

(:Jilir!pq':

t Tacit. de mor. Germ. 1. ~. o. If

North..An\ VD~ i. ~-liD> .

~JIIa!iet.

.c
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The splendid temple on the riverSa]a, tlie present

site of Upsal, which is said to be of.great antiquity,
dating its existence from the time of Ninust* was
decorated with a profusion of costly ornaments,
. plates and chains of burnished gold,t and contained
a representation of the Scandinavian triad Odin-
Thor-Frea.t These deities were placed beside
each other in a direct line. On the right stood
Odin, a gigantic figure bearing his emblematical .
characteristic, the Sword. In the centre stood Thor,
his first born son, and the reputed mediator between.
god and man, of an equal stature, and bearing the
symbolical crown, sceptre, and mace, shewing hls
Olans Magnus. c. ~i. p. 104.
_t The astonishing riches exhibited in some of these heathen templea
exceeds our comprehension. " In the great temple of Belus built by
Semiramis, we find three prodigious statues of beate~~ gold, representing
Jupiter the father of all, Juno the queen of heaven, and Rhea the
universal mother. The statue of Jupiter appeared e.rect, and in a walking attitude; it was furly feet in height, and weighed a thoulllllld Babylonian talents. The statae of Rhea also weighed the saDie number of .
talents, but was sculptured sitting on a throne of massy gold, with two
lions standing before her, as guardians of the statue, accompanied with
two huge serpents in silver, that weighed each thirty talenta. The lltatu6>
of Juno was in an erect posture, and weighed eight hundred talents;
her right hand grasped a serpent by the head, and her left a golden
sceptre, incrusted with gems. Before these threecel-l ligures sto:ld
an altar of beaten gold, forty feet in length, ~ in breadth, ud of the ,
weight of five hundred talents. On this altar stood two vast 8agoaa
weighing each thirty talents; two ceusers for incense, probably kept
continually burning, each weighing fi-.e hundred talents;
finally
three vessels for the consecrated wine, of which the largest, that.uaigned
to Jupiter, wei,ped three hi!Ddred talents, and th.oee- to Juno and Rhea
six hundred talents." (Diod. Sic. I. ii. p. 98. apud Maar. hd. Ant. Yol.
vii. p. 419.)
'

ana

*Mallet. voL i. P 96.

~ Ma~.

IDd. Ant. 'fol. .,., P m.

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unlimited.. dominion .over the . earth $nd elements;

and .to depict his' astronomical. character, twelve
stars .were :arran.ged in a .circle round his head.*
:And ori. the left was. placed. Frea, represented as an
b~~pbrodite,t and .adorned with a variety of
&ymbolical .decorations pointing out .her dominion
a,ver marriage, conception, and partnrition.t
. The legend~ of the CJ:eation and the deluge were
~r fanciful,. but not more so than those of some
o.ther. idolatrous nations. Chaos was described as
a.vaSt abyss, wbich being gradually filled up-by the
~at~ .of successive strata of congealed vapours,
the giant .Ymer.or. Aurgelmer was formed of.icy
vapours melted by a genial south wind. The
copious perspiration which issued from this mon~; ~~ced a corrupt race of giants called the
:lj~ussi; who at length rising in rebellion
~

VeiBL RllJt. Dec. Intel .P. 74.

f Cudw. Iritel. Syst. I. i. c. 4,

. ,4 Maur. bd. Ant. vol. ,., p. 781, Ttiete emblelll8 bore a reference
4;0JD1Denllurate.with die ti&Btel'll phallus and linga, but did not lead to the
~e 15candalous euuaes. So chaste were thia otherwise barbarous
people, that their contiaenoe and absolute deference to the weaker sex;
pine{~ the ap11lauee of-aU -pelehed nations. EYen Tacitus could 'say,
that amongst thia people the females were safe from personal iasnlt ; and
tile aa.nctity of the :matthilonilll bond was &0 . devotedly venerated, as to
..m.thoe,JIIC* uoqiJ&}itled applaUM, (Tacit. Germ. c. IS.) Sahian says,
~., ......., bubariaus were wortlly of admiration on account ~?f their
~~ and that they we.e litel&lly the reformers of the Roman
.,_era! {Salv. de gub. dei. I. vii.)
:t The giaDt Yq~er was the same with Typhon or the ocean; and the .
. , - . up of the waters of the deluge is expressed under the figure of the
cleltnlction or the monater. Mr. Faber thinks it "not improbable that
the Gothic name YJPer or Umer Is the same as the Persic name
Cai-Umenh; an appel~tioD which is applied to Adam." (Pag. Idol.

Tell. i.:p.tn; ina~t.)

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agai~st their progenitor, he was slain 'by the..sem.

of Bore;* Odin, Vile, and Ve; who proceededfrollll
the cow Andumbla;t a creature fol'lll.ed :from. the
particles of dissolv.ed ice. - The torrents of bl~
issuing: from his wounds., :caused .~ inundation.
which overflowed the whole earth, and destroyed.
all the giants of the frest, (i. e. the human race,)
except Bore -9r Bergelmer;J: and his f~ily;- wh~
succeeded in: keeping a. boat afloat o,1l 'the su~
The SOilS of Bore now fermed the earth . out of:~
body of Ymer whic.h they dragged from the . ab~
0 f Ginnungagap for this especial purpose. The:
land was formed from his flesh, the water. from his:
r .

~~

Or Bo, who himself, or probably some succeaacir o( Sigp,..uQ .

sumed his name, was represented as a valorous chieftain, al;i~ . ld!J
was held in such dread for many centuries after his death; ai tolW11.e4
by soldierS on the approach of an enemy, as a war-ety to. inaplre.their o~
ponents with a panic fear. The Irish continued the practjce of this custom
till the reign of our Henry Vll. wheQ it was prohibited by authority.
It is still used by the English rustic u an ep~thet of terror. Bore ~
the same mythological personage as the hellenic Bol'6WI, the~ wa.L;
and meant undoubtedly the patriarch Noab, as his three IIOiia Odili,~
and Ve, may be identified with Shem, Ham, and Japbeth.
,
t This Cow was the Ark, from which the triple oft'apring of 'the ~
arch proceeded.
.._. ..
t Thus was a tradition of the deluge, as well aa of the an~
patriarchs prese"ed in Scandinavia. From .Arrelmtr,.(A.daui):
proceeded Thnultfelmet:,(Lamech) from whomBergelmlr,(Noah) ~ .
while tlu ,..,. - delltged bJI the OCtlUI. This is prese"ed mtlie Edda of
SaemuDd.
"When wintry storms o'erapread the sky,.
" Ere yet from ocean rose the earth,
" Great Bergelmer had his birth .
" Thrndgelmer Will his father's name,
'
~' lie Crom great Aurgelmer came."
.
.. "
Song of Vafthrucblit.. Cottle' Verticill.;

lilt..,.,

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235

blood~ the 'mountains were composed ~( his bones,

the rocks of his teeth, ~nd the arch of heaven of his
scull, supported at four equidistant points by as .
many dwarfs, whose names were East, West, North,.
arldSoutb, and teeming with clouds forined from his
dispersed brains. They afterwards created a man
and woman of two logs of wood, the former of ask,
the. latter .of elm, . and called them Askus and
Embla.*

It was believed ihat when the multiplied iniquities

of men should overwhelm the earth with deeds of
violence; when the parent should arm his .hand
against his children; and the child against.his pa- .
ren~, when murder, treason, and ingratitude should
stain the earth with blood; when a series of unmixed
wickedn'ess and vice should supersede piety and virtile;t then the present system shall fall into anni Edda. Fab. 1, 2, s, 4, 5. Hence the Ash wu sacred to Odin, the
Birch to Thor, and the Elm: to Frea.
t .The morality inculcated in these Mysteries hu been pmterVed by
S11emund surnamed the Learned, in a Poem called the HaviUDaal, or the
Sublime Discourse of Odin. From this code I subjoin a .few.extracta to
shew the nature of their moral instruction. " Many are thought to be .
kDit in the ties of sincere kindness; but when it comes to the proof, bow
uiuch are they deceived. Slander is the common vice of the age. Even
the host backbites his guest."-" Whilst we live let us live well; for be
a man never so rich, when he lighta his fire, Death may perhaps enter his
door, before it be burnt out."-" There is no malady or sickness more severe,
than not to be content with one's lot."-" The heart alone knows what
piUIBes within the heart: and that which betrays the soul, is the soul
itself."-" Seek not to ledtlce GMther' wife wilh the alluring charms of
Runic incantations."-" Where is there to be found a virtuous man with
out some failing? or one so wicked u to have no good quality?''-" The
fire drives a\Vaydiseasea; the oak expels the stranguary; straws dissolve

R2

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hilation, and all the gods as we1l as men shall

perish in the general ruin, while the mysterious
ship N aglefara Boats amidst torreJ}ts of mixed fire
and water, and defies the desolating tempest under
the direction of its mighty pilot. After which a new
world shall arise like a phrenix from the ashes of its
parent, splendid as the meridian sun, adorned with
stately palaces, all glittering with gold and precious
stones, where the brave and virtuous shall enjoy
everlasting happiness and delight; while in the inhospitable regions of the north, a place of punishment shall also be formed, abounding with serpents
and other noisome reptiles, where the pusillanimous
and wicked shall be for ever entombed amidst pestiferous vapours; some plunged in rivers of liquid .
poison distilled from the mouths of serpents; others
perpetuaUy bitten and devoured by ravenous wolves;
and all condemned to suffer various torments, unpitied and hopeless amidst the ac'cumulated horrors
of everlasting filth and nastiness.
enchantments : hence probably is derived the custom oflaying tWo straws
crosswise in the path where a witch is expected to come. Text lbmic
characters destroy the effect of imprecations ; the earth swallows up inundations; lljld death extinguishes hatred and quap-ela." (Mal. North..
4at. vol. U. p. zoo, &o.)

- ... ...

....

~~

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...

..
~- ... :

-LECTURE VI.

ON THE ORIGINAL POPULATION, AND DEITIES

01' AMERICA.

~~RICA was. evidently peopled from the old

c::ootinent, because there were only eight persons
~ved in: the. ark; and the principal part of their
po$terity, .during the w~ole of the first century after
the deluge, .occupied .the very centre of Asia. . Some
say that America was peopled by the Carthaginians*
who possessed the Cape Verd islands, which are only
three weeks 11ail from that conti~ent. Their ships,
having women .and children on board, might miss
~e intended islands, before the invention of the
compass; .a nd if so, .they would inevitably be driven
by the Trade Winds to the coast of America. Others,
judging fromJhe. similarity of some religious rites,
have conjectured that it was peopled by the. Ten
Tribes at the tlisp~rsion of Israel.t Some think it
received its population from' China or Japan; others
that it was colonized . by some wandering tribes of
J apheth, who penetrated into the trackless regions
of North America by the straits of Anian.t Some
have been bold enough to assert that America was .
Rei. Cerem. of various Natio11s. p. 278.

t Ibid.

Boc:hait. Pbaleg. 1. iii. c. 1.

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238

!lot inundated at the Deluge, and that consequently

the aborigines were antediluvians, and the most
ancient people on earth. Others suppose that there
were a few individuals preserved on this vast continent at the deluge that it might be without difficulty repeopled. And we are told " that America
was peopled after ~he d_eluge, at the same time, as
it were, (communi bus aliis) with other parts of the
earth equidistant from the spot whereon the ark is
acknowledged to have grounded. For the grand
division of tile _Eastern and Western lzemispheres
through tke natwal tiffect of causes operating from
the df!luge, did nat take place till about half a
century after that event; and thus a subject that has
uniformly puzzled the most learned historians and
philosophers, and given ground for the most elaborate
dissertations, namely, the manner by which America
was peopled, appears to be made simple and euy.
as are all those questions that are submitted to the
ordeal of truth, the infallible attestation of Holy,
writ."* M. Humboldtt seems to insinuate that the
" tribes of the Tartar race passed over to the nOrth-.
west coast of America, and thence to the south and
east towards the banks of Gila, and those of ihe'
Missouri.'' Robertsont also supposes th~ Americans
to have derived their original from the Asiatics; and
supports his conjecture by some ancient-traditions
New theory of the two hemispheres. Pamphl. vol. v. Mr. Thompson .
deduces hia theory from Genesis x. H. " Peleg-in his days _, tu
ec&rlla dirided.,
t Re~ean:h. in Amer. "Yol. i. p. 141.
f Hlet. Amer. b. il'.

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41DongsnheM~ricans,which ascribe theirprimitiV'e

population to a horde .from a remote country to

the north-west; who8e gradual progress from the
:aotthern ceast, where they landed, to the interior
pmvmces, . .llinctly traced. And in the infancy
ef()hristiatilej'/ ~Iexieo is said to have been in a
-.advanced state of civilization than Denmark,
Sweden, and R11ssia.* .
- From what people soever the .Americans descended, or in whatever manner that vast continent
was originally furnished with human beings; it is
certain that the first inhabitants brought with them
a system of mysteries which they applied to the
pul'poses of .religious worship ;t and though this
system, in processof time, was almost entirely lost
amongst the scattered tribes which led an erratic
life in its deepest wilds, yet many of the truths on
which it was founded, were preserved in a dete-.
riorated form, by the two great nations which had
planted themselves on each side of the isthmus of
Panama
.The entire system adopted by the Mexicans,
though highly symbolical, bore a character of ~ark
aDd gloomy austerity. "The priests were wont to .
~lect for their religious incantations,' rocky caverns,
Humboldt. Research. iu Amer. vol. i. p. 83.

t Sir W. Jones says huly, that the religion of Mexico and Peru was
substantially the same as that practised by the various nations of the
eutern hemisphere. (Asiat. Res. vol. i. -p. 268.) And why should it
not? It was evidently derived from the same source; the Scythic super
atitioa as prattised )y the architects on the plain ofShinar.

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240
:k>fty mountains, and the d~ gWm Of ~ternal
forests."* Th~ :worshipped many deitie8,t ~
chief of which were Teotl, the_invisible and suprem$~ .
being ;t. Virococha, the creator,~ ~
. o 'put.z~i or.
H uitzilopochtli, as the 'name is s~udsialltt
the g()(i of mercy.;R Tescalipuca, the. ~ve48--.
ance; Quetzalcoatl, the Mexican Mercury,1f or ~d-:
of the air; Mictlancihuatl, ;the goddess of hell; .
Tlaloc-tetitli, who corresponded with Neptune, and
lxcuina, with Venus.** ToVitzliputzli was ascribed.
Fab. Pag. Idol. vol. iii. p. 200. See. also Maur. Ind. Ant. vol. ii.
p.3e. Purcb. Pilgr. b. viii. e. 12. and Humb. Res. Amer. vot ii. p. 144.'
t Some say they had two thousand gods. (Unlv. Displ. vol. i. p. 176. :Humb. Res. Amer: vol. i. p: 83.
Acosta. Hist. ind. p. SSO,
II Even this deity; with all .the benign attributtlll which some ascribe to
him, is represented as deligbtiDg in the blOod of human victims. It is .
said in an old tradition, that " be came into the world with a dart in hia
hand, and a buckler in his left, and his head covered with a helmet
crowned with green feathers. His first feat at his birth was to kili. his
brothers and sisters;'' and hence originated the sanguinary "rites that
were offered to him. (Humb. Res. Amer. vol. i. p. 220.)

'[ " Quetzalcoatl, whose name signifies, Swpent cloathed with gree.
feathers, from coati, serpent, and quetzalli, green feathera; is .the moat
mysterious being of the whole Mexican mythology. He was a white and
bearded man, high priest of Tula, legislator, chief of a religions sect;
which, like the Sonyasis and BuddhiSts of Hindoetan, in11icted on theo
selves the most cruel penances. In a Mexican drawing in the Vaticu
library, I have seen a figure representing Quetzalcoatl appeasing by his
J!Clnances the wrath of the gods, when lS,OCiO yean after the creation of
tbe world, (I follow the vague chronology of Rios,) a great falliine pre
vailed in the province of Culan. The saint bad chosen his place of re-
tiremetlt near Tlaxapuchicalo, on the volcano Catcitapetl, (Speaking
mountain,) where he walked barefoot on agave leaves armed with
prickles, He finally disappeared at the mouth of the river Goasacoale&,
after having declared to the Cholulans that he would retuJ'll in a short
tiJne to govern them again and renew their bappin~.'' (H~b. ~
VQI. i. p. 92.)
Codex B!>J'giaaua Mss. fo. 73. apud Humb. Ree. vol. i, P. 228.

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~41

~ ~tion of the world; and his name

was

deemed inefFable, and referr~d to 'the principal

luminary, the Sun. He was said to be the ofFspring
'Of a virgin, who was impregnated by a Plume of
Feathere which descended from heaven into her
bosom invested with all the colours of the Rainbow.* Hence a Rainbow with a serpent attached
to each end of it was a Mexican symbol,t andreferred tO the two parents of the human race who
were miraculously preserved from the effects of the
deluge by the intervention of Serpents. Vitzliputzli
was represented in his temple in the figure of a
man, w~ose countenance was rendered truly horrible by certain black lines drawn across his forehead and nose. He was seated on a globe,t which
was a symbol of his universal power, over a lofty
altar, which was home in pt'Ocession during the
celebration of the mysteries, supported on foUl' long.
poles, each end of which was ornamented with a
Serpent's head. His right band grasped a snake,
and his left a buckler with arrows; all ch~ged with
emblematical devices, each of which conveyed some
mysterious signification, and inculcated somc;l useful
lesson upon the initiated.ll
Clavigero. Mexico.
t Purch. Pil g. b. ix. c. 12,
Mr. Faber thinks that the globe on which this god was said to be
seated, was in reality no other than the calix of the lotos, and the deity
himself was the triplicated great father, or Noah. (Fab. Pag. Idol. vol.
ii. p. 316.)
The temples of Mexico were replete with representations of this
.reptile; particularly of the amphisbrena, or mysterious serpent with two
.beads. (Humb. Res. vol. i. p. 131.)
II Purch. Pilg. b. viii. c. p
:j:

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The office of Tescalipuca was io punish tlie sins

of men by the infliction of plagues; famine and
pestilence, disease and death. He was represented
as a black man with a hideous countenance, enthroned upon an altar, and decorated with rich
jewels and valuable trinkets. His anger could only
be appeased by human sacrifices.* The symbol of
this terrible divinity was a blue feather, which was
generally appended, in some conspicuous situation,
A terrible picture of this insatiate monster has been drawn by
Marmontel, (Incas. vol. i. p. 77.) which makes the reader shudder,
Montezuma, in his distress applies to the sovereign Pontift' for advice,
who thus addresses him. " Sir," said he, " I would not have you be
surprised at the weakness of our Gods, or at the ruin which seems to
await your empire. We have called up the mighty God of Evil, the
fearful Telcalepulca. He appeared to us over the pinnacle of the temple,
amidst the darkness of the night. Clouds rent by lightning were his seat.
His head reached up to heaven: his arms, which stretched from north to
south, seemed to incircle the whole earth: from his mouth the poison of
pestilence seemed ready to burst forth : in his hollow eyes sparkled the
devouring fire of madness and of famine; he held in one hand the three
darts of war, and in his other rattled the fetters of captivity. His voice,
like the sound of storms and tempests, smote our ears: Ye mock me: my
altars thirst in vain: my victims are not fattened: a few half-starved
wretches are all the offerings ye bestow on me, Where is now the time
when twenty thousand captives in one day Jay slaughtered in my temple?
Its rock returned no other sound but groans and bitter wailings, which
rejoiced my heart; alt."U'S swam in blood; rich offerings lay scattered on
my floor. Hath Montezuma forgotten that I am Telcalepnlca, and that
all -Heaven's plagues are the ministers of my wrath? As for the other
gods, let him send them away empty, if he will; their indulgence exposes
them to contempt: by suffering it, they encourage and deserve it: but let
him know, that it is folly in the extreme to neglect a jealous God, the
God of Evil."-Terrified at this portentous intelligence, Montezuma gave
instant orders that the captives should be surveyed., and a thousand of
them picked out to immolate to their incensed God : that they "should be
fattened up with all possible expedition; and that as soon as every thin~
was teady, they should be offered U,P in solemn sacrilice.

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243
about his person. " From his hair, tied up with a
golden fillet, there hung an ear, which was another
symbol, by which the afflicted soul and repenting
sinner was taught, that he might confide in the
divine mercy, who would listen to his prayers. He
hel(l four darts in his right hand, signifying the
punishment for sin, and the vengeance of heaven,
which manifests itself to man by plagues, war,
poverty, and famine. His left hand held a golden
Mirror, extremely smooth, and so bright as to receive the objects clearly and distinctly. 'With the
same hand he held behind this Mirror a fan made
of feathers of all kinds and colours, signifying that
nothing was hid from that vindictive god. Round
the idol were a great number of emblematical
figures, whose signification we could not learn."*
ReJ. Cerem. of various Nations. p. 316.

LECTURE VII.

'lUTES OF PREP.RATION AND INIT,I ATION.

THE System of the Mexicaris was barbarous and

bloody in the extreme. Their temples were covered' .
with tepresentations of monstrous serpents,* tigers~
The temples of religion in most nations were decorated with Serpents'
to indicate their sacred character. (Pers. Sat. i. 113. and see Signs and
Symb. Lect. iii.) From the general use of this hieroglyphiA: iii system& o(
idolatry, we may trace its introduction into the legends of Romance. Fo~
this idea I am indebted to Mr. Faber, and shall transcn"be .from his
elaborate Work on the Origin of Pagan Idolatry, a passage in support o_
the proposition, "In British fiction, we have a Lad,Y of the Lake, who
is said to have been the sister of King Arthur, and who is celebrated by
the name of Morgana, or Viviana. Boiarao represents her as gliding
beneath the waters of an enchanted Lake, while she caresses 4 east
#rpent, into which form she had metamorphosed one of her lovers. And
other romance writers describe her as the perfidious paramour of Merl~n.
who was wont to denominate her, the White Serpent. Her character has
- been taken from that of the White Goddess, who presidecJ over the
Sacred Lake, and who, as the navicular Serpent, was &e diluvian
vehicle : f the great universal Father.', (Fab. Pag. Idol. vol. iii. p. 321.)
And hJ~In in the Arabian Tales, contests between the good and e'YU
demons are very frequently introduced, and sometimes they are- repreBented in the form of Serpents, agree'ably to tle universal belief of all
the east. In one of these tales, the malignant Serpent, or an evil genius
in that form, is represented as endeavouring to destroy the beneficient
genius, depicted also as a winged snake. The passage is as follows, and
is dn extraordinary incident which occurred to Zobeide after her si.iters
had cruelly thrown her over-board, and she had miraculously succeeded
in gaining the land. " I laid myself down," said she to the caliph of
Bagdad, " i11 a shade, and soo11 after I saw 4 winged serpent, very large

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and all sorts of uncouth and horrible figwes, .com..

pounded of men and animal~. " They had dark
houses full of idols,. great and small and wrought,
of sundry metals. These were all bathed and
washed with blood, the blood of men; the walls of.
the :b~~s were a~t*ch thick _with blood, and the
floors a foot.* Their sacred chapel at Mexico was
decorated with the sculls of those unhappy wretches
who ha~ been slain in sacrifice, . and the. priests
w.ere clad in garments made of their skins.t
aitd ' long, coming towards me wriggling to the right, and to the left, and .
h_1111ging out his tongue, which made me think he bad got some hui:t- I
arose and saw a larger serpent following him, holding him by the tail
and endeavouring to devour him. I had compassion on him, and instead
or flying away, I bad the boldness and courage to take up a stone that by
chance lay by me, and threw it with all my strength at (he great Serpent, .
eohom I hit on the head and killed him. The other, finding himself at
liberty, took to his wings and fiew away. I looked a long while after
him in the air, as an extraordinary thing: but he flew out of sight, and I
lay down again i!l al)other place in the shade, aud fell asleep. When I
awaked, judge how I was surprised to see by me a black woman, of a
lively and agreeable complexion. I sat up .and asked her who she was.
I am; said she, the Serpent whom you deliversd not lo11g since from my
mortal enemy," &c. &e ..:..Mr. Faber, whose opinions are entitled to considerable respect, thus endeavours to account for that universal dege~~eracy or principle, which induced mankind to offer the rites of divine
w~hip ..

IOU ...........

s,mool.

u . ., ....... ho A)>, . , .

counted thegreatest of gods, and the leading principles of the . ..e;

and as such they were invariably introduced both into the te
. d
futo the due-celebration of the Mysteries. The real ground of th , ... . g.
accounted tile greatest or,.~e gods was this: they were emp oyed,
according to their sexes/ to symbolize tlte great father and the greJJt
mother. And in this maimer we find them venerated in every quarter or'
the. globe." . (Fab. Pag. Idol. b. ii. c.7.)

Gage. Surv. of the West. Indies. c. 12.

Human victims were sacrificed in Tlacaxipehualitztli the first month
the Mexican year, for the purpose of procuring their ski7tsfor the prie1ts.
(Humb. Rea. vol: i.p. 290.) The origin of this re,oltiog custom may be

of

'

..

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246

The celebration of their mysterious rifes was pre:.

ceded by)ong and painful fastings apd modification.
The candidate was -subjected to al'l the terr6rs~ suf,!
feririgs, and pemmces .which attended the purifications of the eastern world. He was scourged with
knotted cords; his flesh was cut with knives,* or
cauterized with red hot cinders ; and JDany other
severities was he compelled . to undergo, that his
fortitude might lre fully proved before he w_its ad!
mitted to those distinctions which conferred the
high privilege qfpersonally sacrifiCing his.fellow
men. The probation was pressed withsuch mirelenting cruelty, that many perished under it. And
should the wretched candidate, even under the most
excruciating infliction, utter so much as a sigh, a
groan, or an impatient exclamation; he was dismissed with contempt, and from that moment considered unworthy the honour of admission into the
society of his equals. One -striking shade of difference is observable between the pr<?parations of
found in the following legend, which is recorded in a folio entitled "The
Ceremonies and Religious Customs of various Nations." (p. 31G.)
" Tozi, that is to say, our G1and llfothcr, was of mortal extraction.
Vitzliputzli procured her divine honours by enjoining the Mexicans to
demand her of her father, who was King of Culhucacan, for their queen;
this being done they also commanded him to put her to death, afterwards
to flea her, and to cover a young man with her skin. It was in this manner
she was stripped of her humanity, to be translated among the gods."
Quetzalcoatl " introduced the custom of piercing the lips and ears,
and lacerating the rest of the body with the prickles of the agave leaf, or
the thorns of the cactus, and of putting reeds into the wounds, in order
that the blood might be seen to trickle .more. copiously." (Humb. Res.
vol, i. p. 92.)

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the:Mexican&, and these -of other- idolatrous nations.)

.'llhe purifications-of the latter were perfo~ed with
tOQter-,. . the other by blood.* The candidate's'
habit was alsO bhlck,t iJultead of the white garments'
of other natiOns, in aeoordance with that ferocity' of
disposition whichthe habitual practice of sacrificing
men-must necessarily produce. Before initiation' he
'Wll& anointed with an ointment ritually prepared,t'
which was said " to dispel fear, and invigorate
CQUrage. It . was mad~ of the juice. of the most'
venomous creatures at the altar of the idol, the
a:.<ilies of whioh were pounded in a mortar and>
mixed with tobacco, to which they added live
soorpions, and some other venomous insects. They,
heightened this composition with a herb which has
the property of disturbing the brain, as also with
soot and rosin. This is what they call the repast
_Qr sustenance of the gods."
The temple of Vitzliputzli- in Mexico was of-such
~ extraordina~y magnitude that a city consisting,
of five hundred housesft might have been erected.
withiri'the compass of its walls.~ Its form was that;
Rel. Cerem. of nrious Nations. p. 318.
t Faber says, " their orgies appear to have been of a pecGliarly gloomy
aDd terrific nature, .sufficient to strike with horror, even the most Ull
da1Hited hearts." (Fab. Pag. Idol. vol. iii. p. 188.)
f Fab. Pag. Idul. _vol. iii. p. 188.
Uni.-. Displayed. vol. i. p.190.
II' Rei. (;erem, of various Nations. p. 816.
' , The group of pyramids of Teotihuacan is in .the valley of Mexieo, 8
leagues N. E. from the capital, in the plain that bears the name of
Micoatl, the Path flf the Dead. There are two large Pyramids dedicared
t6 the Sun (Tonatiuh) and to the Moon, (Mextli) and these are Mll'o
rou!lded by aeveral-hundreds-of smaller pyramids; which form streets ia

l"
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~
~f

a truncated :pyramid,* on the flat top of Which

were one or two chapels; which contained tbe
~olossal idols of tile divinity ;t and it .served (or an
observatory as well as for sacrince.t Here it. was
that the Mexican mysteries were celebrated oa a
rnd scale; and here it was that all the crimes
of a bloody and revolting superstition were concentrated, and all the horrible phantasies of a dark
and barbarous worship were exhibited in (911. pe~
fection. The y01mg aspirant, notwithstaa<ljug he
had b.een anointedwith a deadening unguen~ was
overwhelmed with horror and ,dismay, at behold~
his fellow creatur-es wantonly immolated under .the
pretence of explaining an otherwise incomq1~i~
ble mystery.ll
. .
exact lines from north to south, and from east to west. Of th~ two
great teocallis one is 55 metres (180,4.50416 feet) and the other 44 metres
(144,3603 feet) in perpendicular height. The basis of the firat is 2C8
metrea .(682 14306 feet) in length. The small pyramid ....,. .acaa:ely 10
metres (32,80916 feet) high; and served according to the tradition of the
natives, as burial places for the chiefs of the tribeS. On the top of the
great-teocallls were two colossal st!ltuea of the sun .a nd mooll; they were
of sto11e and covered with plates of gold, of which they were ~tripped bJ
the soldiers of Cortes." (Humb. Res. vol. i. p. 84.)
Purch. Pilg. b. viii. c. 12.
t Humb. Res. vol. i. p. 82.
Ibid. p. 100, 103.
.
. ~ " It is impossible," says M4 Humboldt, (Res. vol. i, p. 82.) " to read .
the descriptions which Horodotus and Diodorus have left us of .the
teJDple of Jupiter Belus, without being atruck with the resemblance of
that Babylonian.monument to the teocallis of Anahuac.".
.
nThese abominable sacrifices were performed as follows: "The sovereip
priest carried a large and sharp knife in his hand made of a ftint; another
priest carried a collar of wood, wrought in the form of a snake; Ule otber
four priests. who assisted, arranged themselves in order adjoinial tiHi
pyramidal atone; beiag direaly qaiut the door qf the cllapll qf lluir ~

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. He now descended into the dark and cheerless

initiation* which had been excavated
beneath the foundations of this stupendous temple,t
aad .passed through the horrible mysteries of the
Mexican religion, which emblematically represented
the wanderings of their god. These caverns were
eaverns. of

Thill stone was so poj.nted, that the man who was to be sacrificed, being
laid thereon upon his hack, did bend in such sort as occasioned the
etoD1ach to separate upon the slightest incision of the knife. When the
~~~o~:rillcera were thus in order, they brought forth such as had been take11
in war, and caused them to mount up those large stairs in rank to the
place where the ministers were prepared. As they respectfully approached
.those ministers, the latter seized them, two of them laying hold of the two
feet, and two more of the two hands of the unhappy victim, and in this
manner cast him upon his back upon the pointed stone, while the fiftia
fastened round his neck the serpentine collar of wood. The high priest
then opened his stomach with the knife w\th wonderful dexterity and
nimbleness, tearing out his heart with his hand, which he elevated
smoking towards the sun, to whom he did offer it, and presently turning
towards the idol, did cast the heart towards it, besmearing his face wit~
tb.e blood. In this manner were all the victims sacrificed, and the bodies
afterwards precipitated down the stairs, reeking with their gore. There
-were ever forty or. fifty victh:Da at the least thus sacrificed." (Acosta's
Hist. of the Ind. p. SSS.)
" In Pem, numerous galleries built with stone, 1111d communicatift8
'lDith each.othtr by
fill up the interior of the artificial hills." ( Humb.
Res. vol. i. p. 102.). Many of these excavations have been discovered in
different parts of this continent. Two fine caves, resembling the extraordinary Caverns in the peak of Derbyshire, have recently been found
about tWehe miles from Albany. (Gent's. Mag. Jan. 1822.)
t "I have been assured," says M. Humboldt, (Res. vol. i. p. 90.)
" by some Indiana of Cholnla that the inaide of the pyramids is hollow;
and that during the abode of Cortes in this.city, their ancestors had concealed in the body of the pyramid, a considerable number of warriors
who were to fall suddenly on the Spaniards; but the materials of which
the teociilli is built, and the silence of the historians or those times, give
.but little.probability to this latter assertion. It is certain however, that in
the interior of the pyramids there are considerable cavitie11, which were
uaed. 111 teptlkAree, &c,"

hqft,

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he

:denominated, Tlze patlt oj tlie .detul. . Here

11ft'
such sights as made his heart shiver and his blood run
cold. Here his imagination conjured up the grisly
phantoms of slain victims which flashed before his
astonished eyes; this moment seen, the next lost in
the dreadful and delusive-darkness in which he wa8
plunged. Now he was paralyzed with the groan'IJ
of the dying, the shrieks ofde~pair, and the howliilgJJ
of hopeless grief, rendered still more diliiBI&ying- by
the ominous sound of the sacred horn, while het
passed, with tottering foot&teps the dunge()lls-w;~e
religious victims lfere confined. Every step- he
took, some horrible object flitting across the gloom,
met his eyes; some sound, appalling to his :Sen888,t
struck upon his ear; and he proceeded with measured
pace, fearful lest the knife of the sacrifici&g priest
should be next applied to him ; or that an incaa Univ. Displayed. vol. i. p. 194.
t " A traveller of credit gives us an account in the PhilosophiCal

Transactions, of a remarkable cave some leagues to dae north-west of

Mexico, gilded all over with a sort of leaf-gold, which had deluded many
Spaniards by its promising colour, for they could never reduce it into a
body, either by quicksilver or fusion. This traveller went thither one
morning with an Indian for his guide, . and found its situatioll was pretty
high, and in a place very proper for the generation of metals. Ae 1m
entered into it, the light of the candle soon discovered on all sides, bUt
especially over his head, a glittering eanopy of these mineral leaves; at
which he greedily snatching, there fell down a great -lump of sand, -that
not only put out his candle, but almost blinded him; and calling al011d
to his Indian, who stood at the entrance of the cave, as being afraid -of
spirits and hobgoblins, it occa&iolttd 111tm tlltnkrifl&' a!ld re~
tclloes, that the poor fellow, imagining he had been wrestling with eoinfernal ghosts, soon quitted his station, and thereby left a free paeaage
for some rays of light to enter and serve him for a better guide." ('Vm.
Displayed. vol i. p. 39'1.)

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!M-1
'tiuus step niiglit -precipitate-hirn into some deep and
hMMen pitf~l where his crieS might not be heard.
Thti was he conducted through caverns slippery
with half congealed blood, damp, gloomy, and full
efterror. His ears are sainted with heaYy groans.
His heart throbs as they seem to rise from beneath
his feet. His fears are realized ; for here lay the
:qnivenng frame of a dying victim, whose heart had
been violently rent from its living sepulchre,* and
of'ered~ np in sacrifice to the sanguinary gods.t The
candidate starts from the disgusting reality, and
trembles for his own security. He turns to his
~de and is about to break through the strict injunetion of silence which he received at his en~
trance into these subterranean chambers of death.
H is-guide, :withari expressive look, lays his finger
on his_ lips, and the candidate restrains his indigna We.bue .already seea that the prieata .weredothed in the. skins ot
victims; and they had another disgusting practice of a similar nature,
11Vhich is thv.s rela~ . "It was a custom among them on certain festivals,
t.e dreae a man in the bloody skin, just reeking from the body of :one of
&heir victims. A Spawish author assures us that even their kings and
IJ11Uldeea did not think it derogatory to their honour to disguise themselves
ia this matiner, when the captive sacrificed was a person of distinctioa.
Be that as it will, tha disguised persoa used to rWl up and down the.
etreeta, .and placea of. publli:k. resort of the city, to beg the charity of all
tbuee lle. met .with, and to beet such as. refuaed. This bloody killd of
.....eerade continued till such time aa the.akin coat began. to stink. The:
1110aey that wu collected in this devout ramble, was employed in pious,
...... Not to mentioJa another fetti.val, when.they used to slay a W{)man.
and cloath an Indian with herskin, who, thus-equipped, .daaoed for two
u,- together with dae rest of his fellow citizen-." (Uili.v. Dis. vol. i. P
1410;181)
t Acoeta. ~t. Ind. p. S8J.

s!

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tion. He pauses and looks around him. He finds

himself in a spacious vault, through which an artificial Sun or lam bent flame darted its feeble lustre ;
aitd in 1 the roof observes a small orifice, through
which the wretched victim had been precipitated;
for they were now immediately beneath the high
altar of Yitzli.putzli.t
Hurried on from one horror to another, it was
only the rapidity of his movements that prevented
him from sinking under the trial ; it was only the
change of scene and situation which, dissipating
reflection, supporte_d him under the arduous ceremony, in which his feelings were frequently on the
point of asserting their dominion over his reason.
At length they arrived at a narrow chasm or stone.
fissure at the termination of this extensive range of
caverns, through which the aspirant was formally;
protruded, and was received by a shouting multi~
tude in the open air as a person regenerated or hom
again.t
During the secret celebration of the rites, the
females without,. divesting themselves of the little
clothing which they usually wore, sang and dance~
Fab. Pag. Idol. vol. iii. p. 189.
t Humb. Res. vol. i. p. 222.
This was undoubtedly the Pastoe of the eastem myateriet, IUid oonatitutea an additional proof that they were all derived from one COIIUQOil
eource ; for the cavem symbolized the Ark, and the chaam the _dOC)~
through which the great Father proceeded into the renovated world; _and
was hence said to be a secood time bom.
.
~ The qnadr&Dgle in which the temple of Vitzliputzli was ~ateil waa
eo extensive that "eight Of' tfla tlaou.nd periOM tued to daltec ~cOD.
eolemn daya with the greatest ease." (UDiv. Dia. vol. i. p. 187 .)

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203

in .a state of nudity like the frantic Bacchantes.*

This dance they repeated three times ; after which
they welcomed the new born aspirant at his deli1terance from the sepulchral process of initiation,
and gave themselves up to boundless licentiousness
and prostitution.t The most outrageous acts of
indeceney were now committed and tolerated; and
.the services misnamed sacred, were stained with
every species of impurity.t And thus were closed
the primary initiations of this savage race.

LECTURE Vlll.

INSTRUCTION AND DOCTRINES IN MEXICO

. HOWEVER the general doctrines of this religion

Jhight be communicated to the initiated, there were
. ~rtain degrees of information respecting the most
" , occult rites which were absolutely unattainable, except by the priests; and not even b,y them until they
were qualified to receive the distinguished appella,.,tiQn of Ministers ofsacred tltings by the sacrifice of a
Purcb. Pilg. b. 8. c. 4.

t Rel. Cer. ofvar. Nat. p. 289.

:t Purcbas (ut supra) tells us that the young females prosUtuted them
.ell"es without ceremony from 14 or U to about 20 years of age, when
&Jaey were co~aidered eligible to enter into the marriage etate !

s3

human victim;* and this dignity once ..attained,

they were eligible to the high~st officea of the priest-
hood. . An hour was chosen for the ~orma.nce ~f
these solemn rites, and it was at midnight only
that the most ineffable Degrees of knowledge were
communicated; and that under severe obligations,
who~ penalty was death without ~emissio~
Their instruction was symbolical, and r~ferred
principally to the deluge, and the wanderings and
subsequent_settlement of their ancestors Qll the lake
in which Mexico was built. They were ignorant
of the means used to create the world; but asserted
that four Suns had been created and destroyed ;t the
Prisoners of rank, or approved courage had a faint chance afrorded
them of eecapiog the horrid rite of immolation, by publickly " fighting six.
Mexican warriors in succeeeion. If the prisoner were fortunate enough
to conquer them, hia liberty was granted and he was ~tted te retun
to his own country; if on the contrary be sunk under the strokes of one
of his adversaries, a priest called Chalchinhtepehua dragged him, dead
or living, to the altar and tore out1lia heart." (Humb. Res. vol. i. p.IG'T.)
t " The Mexicans believed, according to a very ancient prediction,
that the end of the 'fVorld would take place at the termiuation ef a cycle
of fifty-two yean; that the Sun would no more appear in the horisou; aad
that mankind would be devoured by evil genii of hideous .appeiU'IUice,
known under the name of 'l)ritzimimes. This b1llief was no doubt COD
nected with the Tolteck tradition of the Four (Snll8 or) .A.gu, 'flCCOI"diDg
to which the earth had already undergone four great revolutions, three of
which had taken place at the eud of a cycle. The people pulled ia the ,
deepest consternation the five complementary days, and on the fifth the
sacred fire was extinguished in the temples by onler of the high priest; iD
tlae convents, the monks devoted tllemselves to prayer ; at the approach
of night, no person dared light the fire in his house; the vessela of clay .
were broken, garments tom, and whatever was moat precious wu
destroyed, because every thiog appeared useless at the treJDeDdou
moment of the la.st day. Amidat this frantic superstition, pJ'!,!guant WOJDell
became the objects of peculiar horror to the men J their
weJO .IUddea

eace.

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:6rat.was.destroyed bywater; the second by giants;

the third by fire, and the fourth by a tempest of
wind, wllich was succeeded by a darkness of twentyfive years duration. The sun which now enlightens .

If#

~IJ!I
~1!11

lllilf
l!lil

u.,l

.~~

~
uM

iriSli 1

~
'~
ouJ,Wf

)1!!141'
the~~"

ghJllid

thtlll'
,_J~il

~,

with masks; they were imprisoned in the storehouses o maize ; from a

persuasion that if the cataclysm took place, the women, transformed into
tigers, 1rould JUke commoD CIPI86 with the evil genii, to aveDge themeelves of the injustice of the .men. In the evening of the last day began
the festival of the new fire. The priests took the dresses of their gods;
aad 'followed by 8.ll immense crowd of people, went in solemn procession
to .the mountain of Huixachtecatl, two leagues from Mexico. This
lu~brious march was termed the march of the gods, (teonenemi) a
denomination which reminded the Mexican that the gods had quitted the
city, aad that peYhaps they would see them no more. When the proces
eion had reached the summit of the mountain, it waited the moment when
Pleiades ascended the middle of the sky, to begin the horrible sacrifice of a human victim. The body of the victim remained stretched on the
ground, and the instrument made use of to kindle the fire by rubbing, was
placed on the wound which the priest of Copulco, armed with a knife of
obsidian, had made in the breast of the prisoner destined to be sacrificed.
When the bits of wood detached by the rapi<l motion of the cylinder, had
taken fire, an enormous pile, previously prepared to receive the body of
the unfortunate victim, was kindled. The flames of the pile were seen
from a great part of the valley of Mexico, on account of the height of the
mountain on which this sanguinary rite was performed; and the people
filled the air with joyful exclamations. All those who were not able to
follow the procession, were stationed on the terraces of houses, or the tops
of the teoca!Us, or the hills that arose in the middle of the lake ; their
eyes were fixed Oil the spot where the flame was to appear, a certain
presage of the benevolence of the gods, and of the preservation of mankiBd during the course of a new cycle. Messengers posted at respective
distances, .holding branches of the wood of a very resinous pine carried
the new fire from village to village, to the distance of lift.een or twenty
leagues; it was deposited in every temple, whence it was distributed to
every private dwelling. When the sun began to appear on the horizon,
the acclamations redoubled. The procession returned to the city, and the
people thought that they beheld their gods return to their sanctuaries.
Tile women were now released from prison ; every one put oil new
dresses, and every thi!lg went on in its usual courH." (Hum b. Res. voL

the

~p.~,)

,.1!1111

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the world they held to be the fifth; and he was the

object of their adoration.* They spake of Tonacateuctli, the great father, and CibuacohuatJ, the great
mother of mankind, and lur .teryent,t which was
ultimately crushed by the mighty spirit Teotl; they
taught that in the early ages, long before the Incas
began to reign, the sea overflowed its banks, covered
the whole continent with water, and drowned all .
the inhabitants except one family .who were enclosed
in a box.t After a confinement of some length,
The Floridans worahipped the Suo in a deep cavern, under the fol'lll
of a cone or phallus. (Ban. Myth. vol. i. p. 144.)
t Humb. Res. vol. i. p. 195.
t The cosmogony of the North American savages is thus given bf
Hennepin in his voyage to a country larger than Europe. " The world
was created by a Spirit to which the Iroquois have given the name of
Otkon, those of Virginia Okee, and other savages who inhabit the mouth
of St. Lawerence's river, Atahauta, and that one Messou destroyed it
after the Jlood. They tell us that as Messou was one day hunting, his
dogs lost themselves in a great Lake; which happening to overflow, soon
spread itself over all the earth. They add that by the help of some
animals he restored the world. The savages that inhabit the head of St.
Lawrence's rivf'r, and the MiBSisipi tell us, that a woman descended
from heaven, and hovered some tinie in the air, seeking where to rest her
foot; that the tortoise offered his bacll:, which she accepted, and chose
that place for her residence; that afterwards the filth of the' sea gathered
itself about the tortoise, and insensibly expanded itself to a great ex teat
of ground. However, as this woman did nut delight in solitude, a Spirit
descended from above ; who, finding her asleep, drew near to her;. that
the result of his approach was, her being with child ; that she, was
delivered of two sons who
out qf her aide. When the children were
grown up, they exercised theinsehes in hunting; and as o~e of them was
a much more skilful bunter than the other, jealousy soon ocGaaioned discord. They lived together in an irreconcilable hatred. The unskilful
bunter, who was of a very savage temper, treated his brother so ill, aa
forced him to leave the earth, nod withdraw to heaven. After he had
thus withdrawn himself, the Spirit returned again to ~ woman, aud
from thia aecond interview a daughter wu bom, who .ia tbe p1Uid p&ft'Dt

came

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tlWy Sent otii birds, by which ft was ascertained that

the waters bad subsided, for one of them brought
.back in itS mouth, the branch of a tree; when they
quitted. their asylum and.rePeopled the earth. They
inculcated the immortality of the soul, and worthipped a triad consisting of Vitzliputzli-TlalocTesealipuca. Then followed an account of their
original population, which bears such a striking
of the North AJnericans.'' (Rei. Cerem. of var. Nat. p. 298.) In com
JllelltiDg on th& above legends, it will be needless to say that they bear a
t1ecided reference to the creation and the deluge. The learned Grotius
tells us, (De verit. I. i. s. 16.) that " in many parts of America, is preserved the memory of the deluge, and the preservation of animals, particularly the NWII mut the d011e." Messou and his dogs are but a transcript
of Pwyll in the mysteries of Britain, (supra. p. 173.) for dogs were a
legitimate token of the diluvian celebrations ; and it is remarkable how
pneraUy this belief has prevailed in every region of the world. The
woman who descended from heaven resembles the Grecian Juno, (Yuneh)
or the dove; and the Tortoise reminds us of the Courma Avater of tho
East, in w.hich the same animal supports Vishnu on his back while the
deluge is produced. The contact of the Spirit with the sleeping '\'VOman
is an evident specimen of the confusion which pervade3 every idolatrous
&y'litem. The a.ct of creation is so intimately blended with the deluge as
~inly to refer to the doctrine of an endless succession of worlds; for
dalrwtilnlwas ever considered but as a necessary prelude to reproduction;
and ereatioft but the act of renewing matter which had been previously
destroyed. The two sona thus begotten were the Cain and Abel of Moses;
and perbape the mallllef' in which they were born, might have some in-
distinct reference to the creation or birth of Eve /rom the Bide of her
huband . The second meeting of the Spirit and the woman produced a
daughter, who corresponds _with the Great Mother of the eastern world;
and the repeopling of the earth by means of these infant deities was annually commemorated by a solemn sacrifice. 'fhe people assembled on a.
lake or river in innumerable canoes to witness the ceremony. A boy and
girl of great beauty were produced by the priests, and after certain mysterioas rites they were placed in a leaky boat and abandoned to the
.miserable fatelof perishing in-the waters. (Purch. Pil&r. b. viii. c. 13.
Fab. Pill IdoL vol. i. p. ll71.)

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analogy with .the . settling of the Israeli~& in the~

promised land; as to iu.cluce ~me ~thors f,o suspect
that it proceeded from a tradition 9i tbe.deliv.erauce
of that people from their Egyptian .captivity, ~ .
their subsequent w~derings in the wilderness~ A '
warlike tribe of Noah ,A mericans, says the. legend, ,
under an experienced chief, and ,directed by .t~e. tJQd..
Vitzliputzli, who, holding in kis !Uindar.odforJMd.
like a Serpent,* was seated in a .square .Ark, t made
of reeds,t called the throne of the- god, ( teGicpallj), .
the four angles of which were snrmoanted by~ ser....
pents' heads.u The ark was home by four priests~
and thus protected, the people set out in quest o a,
settlement; assured by the god that they should
conquer every enemy who might be. rash .enougll ~
oppose their design.** They marched and encamped
by the direction of Vitzliputzli ;tt who, during the.
continuance of an extended rest, revea.led-them98e
of worshipU which was most acceptable to him; and'
dictated a code of laws to be nsed .wlten they had
The Rod.o( Moeea waachanecl into a ee~ (&od. iYI)
wt~re acc:ompaaied by aa.Ark; (Jeeb. iii. L) Which
was esteemed the throne of God. (14-od. :uv. 12. :d. 88, P8lm bsJ: 1 .
Jaai, xu.vi,. 16.)

Purch. Pilgr. b. viii. c. 10.

Bumb. Ree. vel. i . p. Jl6.
II These correspond witla fiN .wn... of. the lll'88Willl: dar .(Bsvd.. .

t The Israelites

~uviii.

!1.)

f Vid. Dent. xi. 8, Josh. vi.. 6.

" If thou shalt say in thine heart, These natious are more tlaaa I,
how can I disp<~sse&& them 1 Thou shalt not be alfrighted at them; for the
Lord thy God ia among you, a mighty God and terrible." (Deut.
vii. 11,21.)

tt Robertson. Amer. b. iv. a. 8. . Vi4, _E.I.od. xL.16.

U E:Jod, :uiv. 12p . .

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taken.peeaeesien-of the land of prelbise; and ,also

distinctly markecl the place of their gft}etDellt to be
. - . alalu,* abous.diog with the ilotos,t -on the
~ers ofwlaich.taey should :fi.~d a figtree -growing'
ollt Df a ~~eek, 'Where was pe-rched an eagle in the
~:of;devcmring its prey. In the midst oftheir
~pments .a tabernacle was erected,- which contaiaecl an
for the receptioo of the saered ark,
on whiCh their god was triumphaBtly seated; After
a~ aad tedious. expedition they arrived at the .
preeisespotwllich had .been pointed-o'Ut, aad finding
the prescribed tokens, they: built the .city. of Mexico
oa an island in the midst of the water; furnished.
it' with a pyramidal temple,ft and soon became a
populow; -and &urishiBg nation.
Their knowledge was entirely wrapped up
in .'lrl,eroglypJiicai sym bois ;~ and they were acquainted 'With a lll()st eom}'lete -system of picture

altart

.The 'Mexican tradition of the deluge, and the building of a tower to

ID&J be found in Sigaa and Symbola, (p. 90.)
- It will be altogether unnecieaaacy here to point out dle 1'688mblance
which the ark, the ~rp.t-rod, the lotoe, and the lake; bear to the rites.
o(tlweutem world. It will be a_p}I&Nili to the IIIDIIt-al reader of tho
p-ec:ed.iDf pages.
~ F.xod. xi. J, s.
PIU'Ch. Pilgr. b. viii. c. 10.
.
U Ibid. b. u. c. 9. Humb. Rea. vol. i. p. 81.
t The Mexicaa templea were covered werwitb hieroglJphicnculptnred
ia relief. Thus to expre11 the rapid progreaa of time tltey introduced a.
Mtpeflt; for -Mferi"'i iliueeaee a rabbit waa the symbol. Drawinga o(jeet
deaoted a l*blic rotul. A liDillg man waa represented by a human figure
wi&la 11111&11 tonguea paiatod near his mouth ; a dead man had none of those
appendage&. To live ill to speak, lilly they; and hence a volcano was
8)'JIIbolized by a COD!! with tongues over i~ sullllllit, to deaote tlte JIIOIIlltailt
tUI .,..U,.&w..~Vid.lllllllb. R11. yol, i, p.-160. Warb. Div. ~g. vol.

~,the, hea.veu,

ii.. p. 67.)

writing, by the use of which they perpetuated

tbeir history, as well as their philosophy. Like all
other early nations, they bore a particular affection
for amulets, which were considered the habitation
of benevolent spirits, whose intervention would pre.
serve them from every species of calamity in this life;
and convey them, after death, to a happy and flourish...
ing country; blest with perpetual peace and plenty;
abounding with game and fish; free from storm.s ~nd
tempests, blight and mildew, and all the terrib]ejudgments inflicted on the wicked by the agencyand wrath of the vindictive Tescalipuca.
The firtt method of recordiug public eventa uaed by this people u
by knots or quippus; (Mann. Incas. vol. i. p. S.2.) but the imperfe~;tion of
this system caused it soon to -be abandoned, and hieroglyphics were introduced; and at the conquest of Cortes they wrmed lUI es:elushre pnlfelllliou
in which thousands of persons were employed. Their
were roll'd iJl
a zigzag form, and the paintings were executed on the folds. They h&d
~real simple hieroglyphics for water, earth, air, wind, day, night, th-e
middle of the night, speech, motion; they had aleo for numbers, -f or-the
days and the months of the solar year. These aigns, added to the painting
of an event, marked, in a very iageniou1nanner, whether--t he actioil .paaed
wring the day or aight ; the age of the persona they wished to ft'Pl'8letlt;
whether they had been conversing, and who among them had spoken IJIOIIt.
We even find amoag the veatiKtlB of that kind of hieroglypbica which is
called plwtutic, and which indicates relatiou, .ot with thilaga but 'With
the language spoken. -Among semi-barbaroua nati01l8, the namee o{ iadividuals, of eities and monntaine, have generally eome-alluion tn .c~~Uecta
that strike the' seases, .sach as theform of plants and animalt, ire; air or
earth. This circumstance hu giYen theAzteekpeople tll.emeans of being
able to write the names of cities and those of their sovereigns~ The Yerbal
translation ofAxajacatl istfact qf tettr; that of IlhuicamiJia, llmlll' 111am
pi.trcu tht ky; thus to represeot the kings Monteuezoma llhuiaamimt and
Axajacatl, the painter united the hieroglyphics of water and the sky to tile
fignre of a head aad of an arrow. In this manner the union of several
aimple.hiesoglyphica indicated compound oames, and by aigas which ~e
at the same time to the eye and to the ear." (Humb...Bu....vol. i.1' J.a)

books

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LECTURE IX.

CEREMONIES OF THE PERtrVIANS.

i',''"i:~ ~'l'HE Incas of Peru, boasted of th;ir descent

~~in the .two great luminaries of heaven; or in otbe~

"'ords, from Noah and the Ark, worshipped in conjunction with the Sun and Moon.'* The rites of
initiation were essentially the same as those of other
nations; varied indeed, in a succession of ages from
.the system of the original planters. They were said
~to have been introduced by Manco Capac and Mama
Ocello,t w.ho were descended from one of the persons
, .. Fab. Mya. Cab. c .&. " They worsllipped every object in nature
:from which they derived any adY&Dtage ; mountains, the sources of rivers i
; riYers themselves, and the fountains which watered and fertilized the
.earth; the trees which aiForded them fuel; those animals of a gentle
and timid nature upon which they fed ; the sea abounding with fish, and
,.,.ldcJa tJJ.ey denominated their Nurse. But objects of terror had the
. 111011t
votaries.-Whatever was hideous, or horrible, they con ~
. :n~ to a god, as if man delighted to terrify himllelf. They worshipped
the .tyger, the-lion, the vulture, and large anakes : they adored the ele~
menta, tempealll, the winds, thunder, eaverns and precipices; they
prostrated themeelne before ton"ents, the noite of which depressed theDJ
. with fear; .before gloomy foreelll, and at the foot of those dreadful volCII.IIOII,
. 'Whicll ~forth upon them torrents of 1lame and rocks of fire.'' (lucas.
. 'fOl, ii. p .&, 5.)
t AbW Raynal. Hist. Ind. vol. iii. p. 11. Garcil. b. i. c. 15. These
~were the Oairiaaad lli11, Bacchuaud Rhea; Hu and Cerid
WeD1 b. of the. old world.

-rous

262

saved at the deluge.* They taught the aamw

god called Pacha-Camac; a name
so venerable, t:hat these whe were entrusted with
it, were bound by solemn oaths, never to expose it to profanation. They termed the Creamr
Viracocha., t which signifies, " the f~th. of the
sea;" and the evil power Cupai.t They WO(\.
shipped a Triad of deity, for Acos says,~ they
had an idol whom they called Tangatanp, which
.signifies, One in Three, and Three in One;O and
paid divine honours to the Sun' as the fountain
to worship a

They aay aleo that Manco Capac wu born from a Rock. or Ca-.e;
(Parch. Pilgr. b. ix. c. 0;) bat iu all nattona there wu euchan illtilllatit
eoDDection between a Cave and the Ark, that the one wu fnlqaDtlr
mistaken for the other.
t To this god the fatlier of a family would offer hfa eon u a 'ricarioa
aacriice. to a-.ert aick.neu from hit famUy. (Aeoata.. p. UO.) He,WIIit
aleo identified with the Sun. (Purch. b. ix. c. 10.)
t Cerem, of nr. Nat. p. 120.
p. 412.
ft Faber, (Pag. Idol. -.ol. i. p. !69.) aays they entertained a belief iii
two other triads. " The flnt consilted of Chuquitla-catama-Intylappa, or the father-thunder, the son-thunder, and the brothel'-thumfer;
the second of Apomti-Churnnti-lntiquaoqul, the father.Sun, the loo.
Sun, and the brother-Sun."
'f "At Cusco wu that wonderful temple of the eua, tlae beauty and ricbN
whereof eurpaued imaginatioa.-l shall transcribe the deacription whicll
one of their incu, called Garcil81eo, hu given 'as thereof. Hillword8
are 81 follow : 'The higb altar of thia pompous edifice ltood eutward;
and the roof, which wu made oftimber, wu thatched OYer, they ha..mg
no tile or brick among them. The four walls of the temple, from thetup
downwards, were all coftred over with platea of gold; and the clellag.,..a
also of gold. On the high altar wu the dgare of the aun, repseseated oa
a gold plate-, twice u thiek u those which eovered the walls. 'l'hiS
figure, which waa made of one continued piece, represented a round f&Oe',
surrounded with r&Jil and flames, ill
same manner 81 our painters
usually draw the aun, It-wuof 10 .prodigioall a breadth, that it almoet
co-fered one aide of the wall, on which there wu no otber repreeeutatioo.

the

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268

~<Light; and<tlte 'paPeBt ot'.tli& Incas.t .

. On their great annual festival; which was heM oil
>the fim dayof the September- moon, their secret
Mysteries were celebrated; which they believed
"Wbuld -comey a generallnstration; cleanse the soul
frbm all'its impurities, and render the -body healthy
andi less suseeptiltle of disease. They prepared for
this solemnity .by a fast of four and twenty .hours
ooutiJlUance; _and then kneaded tbe purifying eleilreut; which-was a sortofdoogh,t mi:xedwith hlood.
kind.-This was the only one the peruvians had, either in that or
any other temple. On each side of the image of the sun, the several bodies
ef.thelr dciaeuedincu, or monaicJae. were 1'811ged inon:Ier, aooonlint; to
. .. QOUI'M o! their. respec:tive reiglla, aad IIQ embalmed (the maiUler of
whic.b is aot known to ua) that they teemed to be alive. They were
ieat.ed on thrones -of gold, raised on platee of the Ame metal, with tlaei.r
C.W.laokiog-towudUhe .bottom of the ~pa.-ThiiJ temple had IMmlral
sates~ which.were all covered with plates of gold, the chief of which looked towards the north, as it still does to this day. Moreover, round the
Wlllll! o( this ,tel!lplil, on the outside, was.a corniee of- gold, in the shape
of . a crowJI, or garlaad, JJ~Ore than a y11rd broad. On. 011e side of the
temple was a cloister, built iii a quadrangular form ; and in its highest
endteur. a prland f pure gc)lct,: lin ell bl!&ad; like t&e abwe-meationedo
Rlttaad ,Ws.clo.iater were.five square pavili011s, or ltouees, covered over ia
the shape or a pyramid. The first was built for 't he habitation or the moon~
the sun'a wife, and stood the nearest to tile great chapel of the temple.
fte deors a'Dd eaclosures of it;wet'e covered with silver j>lates ; its white
celeur denoting- that it was the apartment allotted 'to the moon, whole
fipre W'a& re}lreeented Hlr.e' til at of tile sun ; but witli tbls dlft'erenee, that
it- Aood upon a sUver plate, and wu represented witha WOIDIUI's
(Uaiv DV. vol. i. p. 168;269. ) '
Raynal. Hist. lnd; TOl; ifu P 2&:
't Mann-. Ineas; vol~ iii p. ~..
"The niPtafter the fut; they used to knelt~~ pieces or be.lls of a dough
wlaJela they called eancu. 'l1ley par-boiled theee in earthen kettles, tilt
such time as they were eolleeted into one great lump. Of thia they made
tftr() eorts', one of which wa1 mixed with blood,' whieh they dre'll[. from
between. the eye-browa and nostrib of young ~hildren/, ( Univ. Du. 1ol:
i. p. 1'11.) ' .
G( ~llY

raee.

and called Cancu.* . After washing their ~

they anointed them with this dough, and fixed the
remainder on the door of their habitation. Thus
purified, the people .watched the. rising of the sunt
with great emotion; and when his radiance bUnt
upon their view,. the eastern doors of the temple
were expanded, ~nd his image in burnished golcl
:was illuminated with the blazing splendour of his
.beams. The whole multitude in devout prostration
chanted the sacred hymn, led by the High Priest~
After this, the mild and equitable laws of Peru were
rehearsed; and the Inca, with the chief officers of
the realm, swere to administer justice with strict
impartiality. A procession of young men. and
maidens succeeded, habited in white and --spetlers.
garments, and bearing garlands of flowers. Jh~
paraded round the. temple until the Sun had a~~a.J
his meridian height, when the lnca.and High Priest
offered up a !;Oiemn prayer to that deity. The.secrated Virgins then approached, and were.,...
sented to the Inca, and heard from the unpo11.
'

.,

How similar is this ceremony to a rite p1'81ltised by the id~

Israelites when the fury of the Lord was ready to be poured upon theJa.
" The children gather wood and the fathers kindle the ire, and IU
tcomell knead the dough to make Cake to the quen qf '-"" and to pouE
out drink offerings unto other gods, that they may provoke me to uager.
saith the Lord.'' (Jer. vii. 18. see also xliv. U--19.)
,..
t The first dynasties of Incas were dignified with the names of the .S1111
and Moon. (Horn. de Orig. Gent. Amer. p. 105.)
~J
t .Marm, Incas. vol. i. p. 26-27.
,., .
~ " Upon twelve mountains that surrounded the city ~{ CuiCO, there
were twelve stone .columns, dedicaJed to the Sun, and answerins to ~
twelve months of the year.'' (Fab. Pag. Idol. voL ill. p. 280.)
.: .~ :

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.lip of the High Priest, the awful denunciations

-attached to violated vows of perpetual celibacy.
Four Incas then made a progress through the
city, armed in the day with lances richly adorned;
.-and atnight furnished with blazing torches.* The
.inhabi~ts flocked around them, and hailed thetr,
arrival with loud and joyful acclamations; for this
-auspicious ceremony was believed to purge the city
from all sorts of disease and calamity for the ensuing
y~. The lostration was closed with a grand proeession to the temple of the Son; where the secret
'rites were conclucJed by public sacrifices, accom:panied with divination, which it was not lawful for
:the High Priest to reveal but to the Inca .alone.t
Univ. Dia. vol. i. p. ll12.
, ., Marmontel hu flll'Jiished a beautiful specimen of divination from the
-eettiDg of the Sun after a public festival, which foretold the approach of
the Sp&Aiards. " The people lllld the grandees themselves waited .ill
ellence without the court. The king alone ucended the steps of tb.e
portico, where the High Priest was waiting for his sovereign, to whom
.Ioae the.eeeretaof futurity were to be imparted.-The heaven wu terell&;
aile air calm lllld without vapours; lllld for the instant one might havjl
taken the setting for the rising sun. On a suddea, however, from the
boeom of the Pacillc Ocellll, there arises over the top of Mount Palmar, a
Clloud l'eBembling a mus of bloody waves ; au appearance which, on a
tolemaity like thil, wu looked upon as au omen of calamity. The Higll
Prieet shuddered at the sight; he comforted himself, however, with the
bopea that before the sun should be quite gone done, these vapours would
be dispersed. Instead of that they increase, they pile themselves one upon
another in appearance.like the tops of mountains, and DB they ascend eeem
to brave the god u he approaches, and defy him to break the vast barrier
they oppose"to-Wm. He descends with majesty, aud eummoning forth to
him all hie rays, he rnshes on the puiple flood ; be opens through it mauy
& taming 'gulph; but then on a sudden the abyss is closed. Twenty times
~ shakes oft", Ill many times he seems to sink under the burden. Onrwhelmed awhile, then putting forth a few scattered rays, he expends the

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. The Peruvians, according to the testimony of Bartholomew Las Casas, were as innocent as lambs;*
and Columbus said in a Letter to the King of Spain,
." I swear to your majesty, there is not in the world
a people more gentle, or more inoffensive.'' The
Inca was distinguished by the title of Whacca.cuyas, the friend of the poor.
. whole remaining force of his enfeebled light, till at length, exhauited
"With the struggle, he remains deluged, as it were, in ~ sea, of blood.-A
phenomenon still more tremendous shewed itself in the sky. It was one
of those luminaries which were thought to wander without a plan, befor~~
the piercing eye of Astronomy had traced them in their course through the
immensity of space. A Comet, resembling a dragon vomiting forth fire,
and whose fiil.ming mane bristles round upon his head, advances frOm the
east, as if he were fiying after the sun. To the eyes of the people it ap,pears but as a spark in the blue firmament: but the High Priest, more
inquisitive, fancies he can distinguish all the lineaments of that portentous
monster. He sees the dames issue out of his nostrils: he sees him llap
his fiery wings: he sees his llaming eye-balls pursue the sun in his path
from the zenith to . the horizon, as if eager to get up with him and devour
him. Disseml!ling, however, the teiTOr which the prodigy had struck
into his soul, ' Prince,' says the Pontiff to the King, ' follow me iato the
temple,' &c. &c." (Marm. Incas. vol. i. p. 53, 54, &c.)
Las Casas was however a partial judge, for Acosta tell us dlllt tiler
" sacrificed youag children &om fonre or six yeares old uato tenne,' ia
prodigious numbers to avert misfortune, and procure bleasings. "They
did likewise sacrifice virgins; and sometimes a sonne would be sacrificed
to the Sunne for the life of the father." (Hist. Ind. p. ISO.) Thus like
the idolatrous Israelite of old, they sacrificed their sons and their
daughters unto devils. (Psalm cvi. 86.)

.. ) ,) ...

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~a.{

LECTURE X.

CONCLU$ION.

IN the composition of the preceding Lectures,

no ceremonies have been inserted, but such as I had
solid grounds for believing were actually in use
amongst the people to whom they have been appropriated. I am apprehen~ive however, that other
rites, besides those which I have enumerated, were
.also adopted, but not having the same weight of
_authority, I have reserved them for elucidation here.
Several circumstances recorded in our Scriptures
are said to have been introduced into the mysteries
of Greece and Rome, and much ingenuity has been
displayed in their interpretation. The deliverance
of the Israelites from their bond'age in Egypt is one
of these circumstances. In the Dionysiaca, the
thyrsis or Rod of Bacchus was elevated, to
perpetuate the remembrance of two remarkable
miracles which the god was reputed to have performed with this all-powerful instrument. On one
occasion* he cast his rod upon the ground and it
became a serpent;t a11d afterwards he struck _the
two rivers Orontes and Hydaspest with it, and the
Non. in Dionys. I. 25.
t Vid. Exod. iv. 3.
Non. in Dionya. 1. 21.

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waters immediately receded,* and he passed over
dryshod. The assembly which celebrated these
orgies, was composed of men, women, and children
of all ranks,amongstwhom,during the continn~
of the festival, distinction was unknown.t This
was intended to commemorate the manner oflsrM!'s
departing out of Egypt, accompanied by a mixed
multitude from all the neighbouring nation~t
During the initiations the purifying element was
sometimes obtained by striking a rock with the
magical rod. The Bacchre crowned their heads
with Serpents, and carried serpents in vases and
baskets, in allusion, it is said, to the plague of fiery
. Serpentsll inflicted on the Israelites in the wilderness.~ And it was asserted by the hierophant that
an mankind were in darkness, except the initiated, who alone were irradiated with the beams of
true and scientific light; referring, as some say, to
the cloudy Pillar which enlightened and directed
the Israelites, while it involved the Egyptian army
in the shades of impenetrable darkness;tt and according to others, the doctrine was symbolical of
the superior privileges enjoyed by the ISraelites in
the immediate presence, and under the protection
'of the divine Shekinah, while the nations around
them were involved in the hi<leous darkness of
idolatry.
Vid. E1od. xiv. 16.
t Diod. Bibl. 1. 4,
t Exod. xii. 38.
Eurip. et vid. Numb. xx. ll.
8 Vid. Signs and Symbols. lect. ill.
f Numb. ni. t.
Non. apud Boch. CaD.
tt Exod. m. 11t.

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:-.,And in the Indian mysteries it is to be preSU.med that. the candidate was made to personify
:the god Vishnu, .and to perform his numerous
.Av.aten; which, if my conjecture be correct, would
:produce. the following ceremonies. He was plunged:
r into the waters to represent the fish-god, who de; 6001Wed to the bottom of the ocean to recover the
jatolen Vedas. A heavy burden was placed on his
,. back, aJl(l he was said to resemble a Tortoise sup~ porting the earth. t He was instructed to clesceud
,.

This was called the 1\latse Avater, and contains an account of the
Brahma having l'allen asleep, the demon Hayagriva
ll&ole the Vedas, and swallowing- 1hem, retired to a secret place at the
bottom of the sea. The sac1-ed Cooks being lost, mankind soon fell into
Tice and wickctlness, and IJccoming universally corrupt, the world was
destroyed by a8ood of waters, ncept a pious monarch with his family of
- ~~,even )Jersuns, who were preserved in a ves~l constructed under the
direction 'of Vishnu. When the wnters had attained their greatest
elen.tion this god tlun 0-ed into the ocean, attacked and slew the giant
Hayagrha who was the cause of this great colaruily, and recoverctl three
of the books from the ruonstel"s helly, the fourth hav in~ been digested.
Then emerging from tbe Wll\'es b~lf man, ha.lf fisb, he presented the
V~las to Rr.nhrna ;- and the earth resnmio~ ita former state was repeopled
by the eighL)lCrsons who had been miraculously preserved. (1\laur.lnd.
Ant. vol. ii. 1' S5S.)
t This ATaterwas also a figurative account of the deluge. Satyavrata,
a king of India, was instructed by a fish that in seven days the world
woulll he inundated, hut that a ship shoul<l be sent in which himself and
his seven holy companions might be preserved. These persons accordingly entel'Cd the vessel; and the waters prevailed so extensively as to
produce the entire destruction of all created IUittter. The Soors then held
a consultation on t.be summit of mount Mern to disco,er the Amreeta,
or water of immortality, allusive to the reanimation of nature; and
learned that it could be produced only by the violent revolution of the
mountain Mandar, which the Dewtabs found th~selves unable to move.
In despair they solicited the aid of Brahma and Vishnu ; who, instructing
them how to proceed, the serpent Vasookee wound the folds of his
aaormoaa body rqund the mountain like a cable, .a nd Vishnu becomiDc

' general DeluKe.

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into a lower cavern on all fours~ through a passage

scarcely large enough to admit his body. Here he
was received by an antagonist who offered him
battle. A mimic conflict ensued in which the
aspirant was victorious. While elated with this
conquest, he was again attacked by a gigantic
monster, whom, as the representative of Vishnu,
he sobdued.t He was then taught to take three
steps at right angles, which refeJTed to the fifth
incarnate in the form of a Tortoise, took the mountain on his back. Thus
loosened from its foundation, lndra began to whirl the mountain about
with ince88&nt motion, with the assistance of the Aaeoors, who were employed at the serpent's head, and the Soors, who were eugage8. at his
&ail. Soon the violence of the motion produced a stream of smoke, fire,
and wind, which ascending in thick clouds replete with lightning, it
began to rain furiously, while the roaring of the ocean was tremendous.
The various production of the waters were tom in pieces; the fruits of
the earth were annihilated, and a raging fire spread destruction all around .
.At length a stream of the concocted juice of the di110lved matter ran down
the mountain, mixed with molten gold, from whence the Soors obtained
the water of immortality, or, in other words, the restoration of nature
from the power of the triumphant waters. (Maar. Ind .Ant. voL ii. p.
143.) Then the Soors and .ABSOOrs commenced a dreadful battle for the
pOBBession of this glorious water, wbieh at length decided in favour ot
the Soors, and their opponents fted; some rushing headlong into the
ocean, and others hiding themselves in the bowels of the earth. The
mountain Mandar was then carefully replaced in ita flll'lller station, and
the waters retired to their primitive caverns and recesses. (Bhagvat.
Geeta. p. 150.)
This was done to commemorate the third manifestation of Vishnu ;.
who, iB the shape of a Boar, penetrated through the earth, by means of
his snout, in search of the monster Hiranyaksbana, who had taken refuge
iB the lowest of the seven inferior worlds. The god found him out and
alew him.
t Vishnu, in the form of an animal compounded of a man and a lion,
attacked the brother of the former giant, who had received aa IUISUranee
from Brahma that no being of any known form should have power to hurt
billl. To evince hie contempt of the diviuity, ~ the gi.aDt daml

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manifestation;* and the remaining Avaterst in~

volved him in a series of furious conflicts flom which
he seldom-escaped without wounds and bruises; for
to make him equal with the gods, it was necessary
that he underwent the same trials, and exposed
himself to similar dangers.
We have reason to believe that these, and perhaps
still more .terrific ceremonies were used by a people
whose rigid penancest have excited the astonish-:
him to come forth from a marble pillar. The column immediately burst
with a violent concussion, and Vishnu issuing forth in flaming fire, tore
the giant in piecea, drank his blood, antl decorated himself with his
entrails. as a trophy of victory.
As a diminutive Brahmin, Vishnu demanded of the impious tyrant
Bali, who was a h11ge giant, as much ground for sacrifice as would suffice
to place three feet on. The tyrant granted his demand, and Vishna
resu,ming his own form, with one foot covered the earth, with the
other he filled all the space between earth and heaven, and with a
third, which unexpectedly started from his belly, he crushed the monster'
head, and .burled him tlown to the infernal regions.
t In the sixth manifestation, Vishnu, in the human form, encountered
and destroyed whole hosts of giants and tyrants. The seventh Avater
forms of itself a complete antl voluminous Romance, of which Vishnu is
the hero under the name of Rama, who is rep1esented as a valiant and
successful warrior. With the assistance of a vast army, composed of an
incredible number of mo11keys or satyrs led on in battle array, he ac:
complished so many wonderful adventures, that their recital actually fills
aeveral Yolumes, In the eighth Avater he slew a host of giants, armed
only with an enormous Serpent; and ia the ninth he transformed himself
into a 'l!J'~e for the purpose of gratifying a criminal passion .with a king'a
daughter. The Hindoos still expect a tenth Avater with the same impatience which the Jews manifest for their Messiah. Sir W. Jones in
fonns us that thisAvater "is expected to appear mounted (like the crowned
Conqueror in the Apocalypse,) on a white horse, with a .cimeter blazing
like a comet, to mow down all incorrigible and impenitent olfendets who
ahall then be on the earth.'' ( Asiat. Res. vol, i. p. 236.)
t Theae penanct:s were sometimes carried to such an excess by the
~en zeal uf the .enthusiastic devotee, that in passing through tho

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27~

ment ofthe world; for by such cruel and unnatund

inflict.ions did they really believe that they WeR
concluding degrees of probation, acts of austerity are recorded, whicJa
appear to exceed the power of man to accomplish. One would bind his
naked body for a long and stated J)eriod to a tret>, and pae9 dayli UMl
weeks without sustenance in the open air, exposed to the changes and
vicissitudes of day and night, summer and winter. Anolht!r would re&alve to ftx his eyes steadfastly on the ton, until the burning orb bad
destroyed his power of viaion. Others woull atand, fixed aad i1111110vable;
in a certain posture until their limbs became stilf and parnlyzed ;-or
suspend themselves in exquisite agony from hooks pierced thro1[th the
fleshy part of their backs, taking only such miserable nonriehment as
would ]>reserve their Ji,es fro1n tutal extinction ;-or place tbemselVM.ia
the sacred river as food for ll.lligai:OI'S ;-or oll'er up in 18Crilice their OWil
fiesb and blood;-or deliberately sear their at'Dls, ean, or-breast witb
the burning wick of a lamp ;-or cast themselves fl'OIU hip.h anti dapprou
precipices ;--o1 bury tbemselv.es in the eternal snow of ('aucasua ;-or
expoae their naked bofliea to the fiames, until the vital spark is e:sbaneted.
Widow.s would sacri.lice themselves on their hueband's foaeral pile.
Numbers would commit suicide in company by cw,;ting them!!ClYes under
the heavy wheels of the nccurscfl car of Ja;tan-nath. And all this waa
enduretl with a steaJy and untleviuting fortitude, wol1by of aheltercan~~e;
and woultl exceed belief, were we not in possession of abundant eYidenoe
to authenticate the fact&. The reward attached to the performance of
these austerities, was, the favour and protection of the gods; (Vid.
Blaquiere, in Asiat. Res. vol. v. p. ass.) and it is to be p1'1!8Gmed tbat
they were 10metimes endured with a secret view of tffftm:iag tlte ellutW.
Jo obey tluir cormJI4111U. I eball extend this Note by a few quotatiOM
from the Ramayuna of V almic, which furaishee 10me stupendoua instucee
of extraordinary austerity; in the language, it is tme, of allegory, as far
as' the periods are concerned; and which will al10 pt'Ove that the deYotee
eZ1J"U 11 rettlnt qf ceklliul polller from the gode, for the fllVOIUII thu
gratuitously conferred upon them ;-first }>remising that IOJD~es tbe
Indian year consistOO only of a month, at others of a fortni~ht, and occasionally only a day. A pious Q.8Cetic is tlesc1ihed " with uplifted arm,
without suppo1t, without a helper, feeding on the air, and remailling for
a full year, day and night on the tip of his great toe, upon the aftlictell
earth/' (Ramay. b. i. sec. as.) Another ''with uplifted arm, withoat
support, fixed himself in one place like the stump of a tree, in the bum~
heat of summer, surrounded day and night by five fires; in tbe rainy
~eason lying exposed underneath the cloudf canopy-of he&'feDt--ud, . .

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propitiating the deity, and absolutely doing him a

.ervice.
Such were the famous Mysteries of idolatry. I
have designedly omitted to draw any formal comparison for the purpose of shewing what portion of
true Masonry they retained amidst aU theia abominations, because the intelligent mason will not fail to
discover the points of resemblance wherever they
occur. It will be seen that every system of mystery
Cbe dewyeeason lying constantly in water." ( Ramay. b. i. sec. 50.) A third
lfeelreus of surpassing all that had preceded him, vowed to ptm a tlwtua!td
,_., tllithnt lweathi"&' or ~peGking; the consequences of which were expected to throw all nature into confusion. " The chief of 88ges not having
breathed for a thousand years; from the head of hlm thus suppressing his
breath, arose a (luminous) smoke which illuminated and terrifif'd the
three worlds!" And the following were the anticipated results of these
anateritics. "Struck with consternation, and eclipsed by his splendour&,
the gorla, the Bilges, &c. lille<l with guilty anguish, thus addressed the
TeDenthle site ot' the gods ;-tbe t,"l'eat s11ge, though allured and provoked
by mllny temptations still continues his austerities. The smalleat tincture
of lin does uot appear in him. If the desire of his mind be not granted,
he will, by hie ftll&terities, destroy the universe. The extremities of the
univerae are in confusion ; no one makes the least appearance. Tlte - qitrded; all the mollltlailu trn fcllmg; the eartla tremble; the wi1tdlltir
M. Tlae ~- ilfull qf alt011Uhmt1tt 1111d perturbatiotl. By the lpleltdollr.
.t tlril Sage, u the Bu ~ qf ligkt; 41td 1ae will briag 011 the 1111im-te
clutnlctW eqfflll to the great cottfla8Nticm." (Ramay. b. i. sec.li2.) The
power actually acquired over the gods, by intense mortification and
penance, is thus related in the same Poem. The ascetic Vishwa-mitra
tranelated his friend Trishunkoo to heaven in an embodied state ; but the
gods ejected him thence, because he lay under the curse of bia gooroo.
The sage, bi~ltly offended at tile preeumption of the celestials, through
the power of Brohma-autterities, created an assembly of sages, and bad
already begun to form a new circle of gods. The existing deities, bumbled by these formidable preparations, to exclude them from heaven, compromised the matter with Visbwa-mitra, and consented to receiYe
Trilhunkoo into their celestial abode. (Vid. Ramay. b. i. sec, U. where
&IU.. .nMotioA ia ~elated lt length.)

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practised throughout the world has been applied

to religion and the worship of the deity.* . How:
I subjoin, without comment, the following obse"ations of the
learned and intelligent Faber on the maclai11ery of tile Apocalypse, which
he thinkl was borrowed from that of the myateries. In thia Book " we
find the pure Church deecribed as a woman clothed with the Sun and
standing upon the creecent of the moon; while a corrupted Church is
exhibited to ua, both uader tile image of a female lloating upon the surface of many waters, and under that of a harlot using a moll8troua beaa.t
as her vehicle. The former of these women, when about to bring forth
her lint bom, ia attacked by a monstmus serpent, wflich spouts out
,.gaiost her ofrsprillg a deluge of water; but the earth opena ita moatb
and receives the mighty inundation into the ceutrical abyBS. The latte.J
of them under the mystic name of tlae faiM prophet, together with her
bestial supporter, is said to be at length plunged alive iato an infemal
lake, buming with fire aad brimstone.-1 cannot but think it sufijcientlJ
clear, that the whole of this machinery is palpably diluYian; and I be~
lieve it to have been derived from that received imagery of the Patriarcbal
Church, which by a corrupted channel was admitted into paganiem. It
ia impossible not to perceive, that the woman standing upon the creac:ent
is the very figure of the Samian Juno or of the Egyptian Isis, who were
represented in a precisely similar manner with refereoce to the lunu
boat; that the attack upon the woman aad her ofripring bJ the del-.giea
serpent, which ia frustrated by the Earth's abeorpt.ioll of the waters, ie
perfectly analogous to the attack of the diluvian serpent Python or
'J'yphon upon Latona and Horus, which ia similarly fruatra&ed by the
destruction of that monster ; and that the falae church, bearing the llama
of Mytery, lloating on the mighty waters, or riding on a tenific be~
and ultimately plunged into the infel'Bal lake, e:s.hibits the yery 8IIDio8
aspect as the Great l\olotller of paganiam eailing over the oeeaa, ricWag ea
her usual vehicle the lion, venerated with certain apprepriate My&terlea.
and during the celebration of those Myateriee plunged into the waters of
a sacred lake deemed the lake of Hades. I take it, that ia tile representation of the pure Church, n -u.t ~IW Mim qf ~
~g. derived most plainly from the events of the deluge, and bor
rowed with the usual perverae miaapplieation bJ the contriyers of
paganism, has been reclaimed to its proper use; while in the represell.,
tation of the false Church, which uDder a new name, revived the old
gentile demonolatry, the very imagery and language of tile gentile hiero..
phants has with eingular propriety been atudioualy adopted. (Rev. sii_.
xvii. 1~. xix. 20.) I need acarce'-1 remark that I am &peaking aokq

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diversified soever iu other respecfs, this is a broad
and distinguishing feature which undisguisedly
of the apocalyptic machinery: of this the origin will still be the same,
however we may interpret the prophecies which are built upon it.The whole machinery of the Apocalypse, from beginning to end, seems
to me very plainly to have been borrowed from the machinery of the
ancient Mysteries: and this, if we consider the nature of the subject,
was done with the very strictest attention to poetical decorum.-St.
John himself is made to personate an aspirant about to be initiated; and
accordingly the images presented to his mind's eye closely resemble the
pageants of the Mysteries noth in their nature, and in order of succeBBion.The prophet first beholds a door opened in the magnificent temple of
heaven; and into this he is invited to enter by the voice of one, who plays
the hierophant. Here he witnesses the unsealing of a sacred book; and
fOrthwith he is appalled by a troop of ghastly apparitions, which tlit in
horrid succession before his eyes. Among these are pre-eminently con-.
spicuous a 1111Bt serpent, the well known symbol of the Great Father; and
two portentous wild beasts, which severally come up out of the sea and
aut of the earth. Such hideous figures correspond with the canine phantoms of the Orgies which seemed to rise out of the ground, and with the
polymorphic images of the principal hero god who was universally deemed
the ofl'spring of the sea.-Passing these terrific monsters in safety, the
prophet, consttUrtly attended by his angel-hierophant who acts the part
of an interpreter, is conducted into the presence of a feTTUJle, who is described as closely resembling the great mother of pagali theology. Like
Isis emerging from the sea and exhibiting herself to the eyes of the
aspirant Apuleius, this female divinity upbome upon the marine wild
lleast, appears to tloat upon the surface of many waters. She is said to
lie 1111 opm and &ystematical harWt; just as the Great Mother was the de~
tlared female principle of fecundity; and as she was always propitiated
by literal fornication reduced to a religious system, and as the initiated
were made to drink a prepared liquor out of a sacred g,oblet; so this
harlot is represented as intoxicating the kings of the earth with the goklea
evp of her prostitution. On her forehead the very name MYSTERY is inscribed ; and the label teaches us, that in point of character, she is the
67'eaf tmillersal tMther of idolatry.-The nature of this Mystery the ofjlei4ting hierophant undertakes to explain; and an important prophecy itt
most curiously and artfully veiled under the very language and imagerf
of the Orgies. To the sea born great father was ascribed a threefold
state; he lived, he died, and he revived: and these changes of conditiolt
were duly exhibited in the Mysteries. To the sea born wild beast is

I'
J

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276
pervades the whole. If the deities were false, the
System was false also; and if the worship was
directed to its pure fountain, the System remained
pure and uncontaminated by error or delusion.
Religion, so called, was the ostensible design "f
each; for however the worJd may have been infested
and overrun by idolatry, it has suffered little from
professed atheism. There is a principle impJanted
by his Creator in the heart of map, whi<:h proiJlpts
him to the belief and acknowledgm.e(lt of a superi()r
and superintending Providence, under whatever
name he may have heen personified; exulowed wi,n
attributes of infinite knowledge and infinite power.
Sophism cannot overwhelm it; pl1ilosophy cannot
succeed in erasing it ftom the heart; it is engraven
there in characters broad aud deep, and spake the
aimilarly aacribed a threefold state; he lives, he dies, and he revives.
While dead, he lies floating on the mighty ocean, just like Horus, or
Osiris, or Siva, or Vishnu; when he revives, &j,"'lin like th011e kindred
deities, he emerges from the waves; and whether dt>ad or alive, he bears
~even heads and ten horns, corresponding in number with the sevea
ark-preserved Rishis, and the len aboriginal patriarchs. Nor is this all:
as the worshi)pers of the Great l'athel' bore his S)Jeeial mark or stigma,
and were distinguished by his 118.11le ; so the worshippers of the maritime
beast equally bear his mark, and are equally designated by his appellation.-At length however tl1e first or ibil<{Ml part of the!e sacred Mysteries draws to a close, and th$ llut or joyfwl part is rapidly approaching.
After the prophet has beheld the enemies of God plunged into a dreadful
Lake 01' inundation of liquid tire, which correswnds with the infernal
lake or deluge of the Orgies, he is introcluced into a pleftdidlg ~
regiqa expressly adorned with the characteristics of that Ptll'tUlUe which
was the ultimate scope of the ancient aspirants; while, witAold the holy
gate of admission, are the whole multitude of the profane, ~ a4

IOI'cerer ad wllomaonger ad mvrderer attd idolakr aflllteMioetler lowtl

(Fab Pag. Idol. vol. iii. p. Mo-64.1.)

., .... a"

Digitized by

Coogle

277
same language to the ignorant &avage amidst trackless woods and barren wastes, and to the proud
philosopher of antiquity, as it did to the learned
Jew or the enlightened Christian. It displays a
God of nature who loves vittue and abhors vice;
and teaches man the doctrine of personal responsibility. And this is the extreme boundary of Natural
Religion. It is Revelation which opens our eyes to
futurity, directs us how to worship this omnipotent
'Being so as to attain the reward, and escape the
punishment consequent on the deeds of humanity;
and instructs us how to walk in that pure and
perfect way which leads to eternal life.

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