which I shall very briefly recapitulate. _Apollodorus_ in II. after
the story of _Hercules_, _Antæus_ and _Geryon_, two kings in _Afric_
and _Spain_, mentions his conquering _Alebion_ and _Dercynus_ sons of
_Neptune_, in the same mythologic strain as the others, because they
attempted to drive away his oxen. He makes it to be in _Libya_, others
in _Ligya_ or _Liguria_, others in _Gaul_. The variety of places is of
no consequence in these very old stories. I regard only the personal
names of _Albion_ and _Bergion_, as more commonly call’d, sons of
_Neptune_. If this be really so, sons of _Tarshish_, son of _Javan_:
for _Tarshish_ was the true _Neptune_ of the heathen; and he was one
of the sons to whom the heathen generally attribute the plantation of
islands, as well as _Moses_, _Gen._ x. 5. But _Albion_ and _Bergion_
are notoriously most ancient names of _Britain_ and _Ireland_. _Mela_,
II. 5. mentions _Hercules_ fighting _Albion_ and _Bergion_. So _Tzetzes
in chiliad._ and _Tzetzes_ the interpreter of _Lycophron_.
_Tacitus_ says expressly _Hercules_ was in _Germany_, in that part
lying upon the ocean especially. _Ammianus Marcellinus_, in his XV. 9.
tells us from _Timagenes_, an ancient historian, “that the _Dorienses_
following the more ancient _Hercules_, inhabited the western countries
bordering on the ocean.” By mount _Carmel_ was a city _Dora_ spoken of
by _Josephus_, and by _Stephanus_ of _Byzantium_, quoting _Hecatæus_,
and many more old authors. See the famous fragment of _Stephanus_.
_Claudius Julius_, in his III. of the _Phœnician_ history, writes,
“next to _Cæsarea_ is _Dora_, inhabited by _Phœnicians_ on account of
the great quantity of the purple fish there found.” Now _Hercules_
being confessedly the inventor of this _Tyrian_ dye, ’tis probable the
companions of his, mention’d by _Ammianus_, were of this city.
If _Hercules_ peopled the ocean, coasts of _Gaul_, _Spain_ and
_Germany_, we may well imagine he would do the like in _Britain_.
_Pliny_’s testimony is express, that _Melcarthus_ (corruptly
_Midacritus_) first brought _tyn_ from the _Cassiterid_ islands, which
can be no other than _Britain_.
The poets and mythologists, when speaking of the _Titans_, agree they
went all into the west, which seems to be meant of _Hercules_ and his
people settling in _Britain_. Our _Thule_, or northern island, seems
to have been named by our _Hercules_, as a demonstration of his being
there, from an island of the same name in the _Persian_ gulph. Of which
_Bochart_.
The like is to be inferr’d from such stories as that related by
_Parthenius Nicæus_, “that _Hercules_ travelling, after his expedition
against _Geryon_, pass’d thro’ the country of the _Celts_, and was
entertain’d by _Britannus_. His daughter _Celtine_ fell in love with
him, on whom he begat a son call’d _Celtus_; from him afterwards the
people of the _Celts_ received their denomination.”
We took notice before, that these shepherds who quitted _Egypt_ under
the conduct of our _Hercules_, call’d themselves _Hycsi_, as _Manethon_
informs us in _Josephus & Eusebius in chronol._ The word imports
_royal shepherds_, _valiant_, _freemen_, _heroes_. Now we find the
remains of this very name in the south-western part of our island, in
_Worcestershire_, even to the _Roman_ times, and still further, even
to the time of venerable _Bede_. They were called _Huiccii_, to which
_Orduices_ and _Vigornienses_ is synonymous. And all three words mean
the same thing, as the great _Baxter_ shews in his glossary, _Antiq.
Britan. voce Orduices_, _Iceni_, _Huiccii_, &c. And by all accounts
our old _Britons_ lov’d that same free, shepherd’s life, which the old
_Canaanites_ did about _Abraham_’s time, as describ’d in scripture.
Bishop _Cumberland_ is elaborate upon it.
I take the _Irish_, and ancient highland _Scots_, to be the remains
of the original _Phœnician_ colony. My learned friend, Dr. _Pocock_,
when he was in _Ireland_, observ’d a surprizing conformity between the
present _Irish_ and the _Egyptians_, and that in very many instances.
These considerations, added to what I said in _Stonehenge_, are enough
to persuade us, that our _Hercules_ had a considerable hand in peopling
_Britain_.
[Illustration:
TAB. XL.
_The antient Symbols of the deity._
the deity thus exprest on the imposts at Persepolis.
_thus upon Chinese gates._
_thus in Egyptian monuments._
_on asardonyx in Pignor. mens. Isiaca. P.20._
_isiac table._
_isiac table._
_isiac table._
_isiac table._
_isiac table._
_Reverendissimo Prœsuli Iohanni Archiepiscopo Cantuarensi.
humillime d.d. W. Stukeley._]
CHAP. XIV.
_Part of_ Cadmus _his history, who was a builder of serpentine
temples. He was son of_ Canaan _called_ Agenor. _He was a_ Horite
_or_ Hivite, _call’d_ Kadmonite _in scripture._ Hivite _signifies
a serpent. Mount_ Hermon _denominated from his wife_, Psal.
cxxxiii. 3. _“like as the dew of_ Hermon, _which fell on the hill
of_ Sion.” _Correct it_, Sirijon. _Another correction in the
translation of our bible_, “Canaanite _in the house of the Lord
of hosts,” read_ merchant. _’Tis a prophecy not attended to_,
Zech. xiv. 21. _The ancient_ greek _fables of sowing serpents’
teeth; of_ Cadmus _and his wife being turn’d into serpents, and
the like; are form’d from their building serpentine temples. Not
to be wonder’d at so much, when our country-people have the very
same reports of_ Rouldrich _stones; of the_ Weddings, _another
Druid temple in_ Somersetshire; _of_ Long Meg and her daughters,
_another in_ Cumberland; _and most firmly believe, that they were
men and women turn’d into stones. The mythology of the ancients
not to be despis’d, but its original meaning sought for._
None more famous in _Grecian_ history than _Cadmus_, who brought
them the use of those letters that convey’d their history to us,
and preserv’d the little knowledge we can chiefly have of profane
antiquity. He was son of _Agenor_, by which word the _Greeks_ chose
to pronounce the difficult one of _Canaan_. _Alexander Polyhistor_
cites out of _Eupolemus_; “from _Saturn_ (who is _Cham_) came _Belus_
and _Canaan_, and _Canaan_ begat the father of the _Phœnicians_, or
_Phœnix_. _Eusebius, pr. ev._ 9 has it too. Again, _Eusebius, pr. ev._
1. quotes from _Sanchoniathon_, _Cna_, (_Canaan_,) who was styled
among the _Phœnicians_ ΧΗΝΑ.” So in _Stephanas_ of _Byzantium_,
_Phœnicia_ is called ΧΗΝΑ, and the _Phœnicians_ ΧΗΝΑΙ, which is
_Canaanites_. ΧΗΝΑ, _Cna_, is _Agenor_.
_Cadmus_ lived in the time of, or very little after _Hercules_.
Tho’ the _Parian_ marble is an invaluable monument, yet ’tis not
an infallible one. If the learned _Bentley_ finds it erring about
_Stesichorus_, we must not depend on its _æra_ of _Cadmus_, who lived
a thousand years before that stone was made. Nor is the authority of
_Eusebius_’s chronology in this particular, greater. _Bochart_ holds
him older than the builder of _Tyre_; _there_ perhaps he heightens his
date a little too much.
To have a proper notion of the history of this great man, bishop
_Cumberland_ shews us, that the _Horites_ or _Hivites_, sons of
_Canaan_, i. e. the colony or people of _Cadmus_ son of _Agenor_, or
_Canaan_, went out of the land of _Canaan_ about the same time that
_Misraim_ or _Osiris_, son of _Cham_, went to plant _Egypt_. They went
likewise into _Egypt_. They lived quietly there for some time, but
war arising between the _Misraimites_ and the pastors, they retir’d
back again, probably a little before the expulsion of the pastors. Some
went to the north of _Canaan_, about mount _Hermon_ under _Libanus_;
some remain’d in the more southern parts, more particularly call’d
_Horites_, or _Avim_, or _Hivites_.
In _Gen._ xv. 18. when God made his great covenant with _Abraham_,
he tells him, he will give him the land of the _Kenites_, and
_Kenizzites_, and _Kadmonites_, and _Hittites_, and _Perizzites_, and
_Rephaims_, _Amorites_, &c. By _Kadmonites_ he means the people of
_Cadmus_ son of _Canaan_. But afterward, in all those places where
these nations are recited, they are called _Hivites_; _Cadmus_ was
likewise call’d _Hyas_, _Hivæus_: _Hyas_ or _Cadmus_, one or both,
being honorary names, or names of consecration, as was the mode of that
time. The same is to be said of _Melchizedec_, _Abimelech_, _Pharaoh_,
and many more. About this time there was likewise _Hyas_ a son of
_Atlas_.
The name of _Hermon_ is probably deriv’d from his wife _Hermione_, as
a compliment to her. And of this mountain is that saying in _Psalm_
cxxxiii. 3. The psalmist draws an elegant comparison of the holy
unction of _Aaron_ running from his head to his beard, and so down
his garments, “like as the dew of _Hermon_ which falls on the hill of
_Sion_.” A difficulty that gave St. _Augustin_ a great deal of trouble;
but must needs be an absurd reading, and ought to be corrected _Sirion_
for _Sion_. _Sirion_ is a lower part of the high ground at the bottom
of mount _Hermon_, as that lies under the elated crest of _Libanus_.
_Psal._ xxix. 6. “_Libanon_ also, and _Sirion_, like a young unicorn.”
A mountain not a little remarkable, since we read, _Deut._ iii. 9.
“which _Hermon_ the _Sidonians_ call _Sirion_, and the _Amorites_ call
it _Shenir_;” _Hermon_ and _Sirion_ being parts of mount _Libanon_.
Since we are upon criticism, the reader will excuse me in mentioning
another of like nature, and not foreign to our purpose. These
_Horites_, _Hivites_, _Avim_ or _Cadmonites_, as called from _Cadmus_,
_Gen._ xv. 19. or _Canaanites_, as called from his father _Canaan_,
extending themselves upon the _Phœnician_ shore, became traders or
merchants in the most eminent degree of all ancient people in the
world, and traded as far as _Britain_; so that the name of _Canaanite_
and _merchant_ became equivalent. _Isaiah_ xxiii. 8. “Who hath taken
this counsel against _Tyre_, saith the prophet, the _crowning_ city;
whose merchants are princes, whose _traffickers_ are the honourable of
the earth.”
Hence we observe, 1. The prophet calls it the _crowning_ city, for they
sent a golden crown to _Alexander the great_ as a present.
2. The word _traffickers_, _mercatores_, is _Canaanites_ in the
original. And the like in _Jerem._ x. 17. “Gather up thy _wares_ out of
the land, O inhabiter of the fortress.” ’Tis _Canahe_ in the original.
3. This naturally leads me to mention a noble prophecy, overlook’d
thro’ a too literal translation in our bible, _Zech._ xiv. 21. “Yea,
every pot in _Jerusalem_, and in _Judah_, shall be holiness unto
the LORD of hosts: and all they that sacrifice shall come and take
of them, and seethe therein. And in that day there shall be no more
the _Canaanite_ in the house of the LORD of hosts.” It ought to be
translated _merchant_, as in the vulgate _latin_ and _chaldee_. For
’tis a prophecy concerning the days of the Messiah; and regards that
famous act of his life, when he drove the traders out of the temple.
The _Kadmonites_ got the name of _Hivites_, as I apprehend, from their
celebrity in building temples of the serpentine form. At first they
were consecrated to true religion; but too soon all these, and other
patriarchal temples in the land of _Canaan_ were polluted to idolatrous
purposes; and probably from them the worship of snakes became famous.
Now the word _Avim_, _Hevæus_ in the _Syriac_, signifies a _snake_.
And from this custom of the _Phœnicians_ making serpentine temples,
the notion might arise of the _Phœnicians_ worshipping serpents, as
_Eusebius_ observes, _pr. ev._ I. And from this the _Greeks_ made their
fables of _Cadmus_ overcoming a great snake, sowing its teeth, and
armed men sprouting up, _&c._
On this account it is, that they who represent this exploit of his,
describe it as done by a stone of a very extraordinary bulk, _Ovid.
Met._ III. _v._ 59.
————_dextrâque molarem
Sustulit, et magnum magno conamine misit.
Illius impulsu cùm turribus ardua celsis
Mœnia mota forent; serpens sine vulnere mansit._
The bulk of the serpent is equally extravagant,
————_immensos sinuatur in arcus.
————tantoque est corpore, quanto
Si totum species, geminos qui separat arctos.
Ipse modò immensum spiris facientibus orbem
Cingitur, interdum longâ trabe rectior exit._
This is but a poetical description of the circle and the avenues at
_Abury_.
You have this same action of the heroes represented in some _Tyrian_
coins: _Cadmus_ is throwing a stone at a serpent. That of _Gordian_
III. in _Vaillant_’s colony coins, vol. II. p. 217. Another of
_Gallienus_, p. 350. The author quotes _Nonnus_’s _Dionysiacs_ IV.
reciting the history of his breaking a snake’s head with a stone. And
he thinks those other _Tyrian_ coins belong to this same history, as
that p. 136, where a snake is represented as roll’d about a great stone.
[Illustration:
I. _A coin of_ Gordian III. Vaillant’s colon. II. p. 217. _which
the learned author adjudges to_ Cadmus. _Another of_ Gallienus,
p. 350. _Both struck at_ Tyre.
II. _A coin of the city of_ Tyre _in_ Vaillant’s colon. p. 136,
147. _The learned author says a stone and serpent is the symbol
of_ Cadmus. _The truth is, they regard_ Cadmus _founding
serpentine temples._]
It was from the city of _Sareptha_ that _Europa_ was carry’d off; ’tis
in the country of _Sidon_; and I apprehend, from the name of it, here
was originally a serpentine temple. _Sareptha_ is the serpent _Ptha_. I
have an ancient coin of this city, in brass. A palm-tree on one side, a
leopard’s face on the other, which refers to the wine here famous: of
which the learned _Reland_ in _Palestina_.
_Conon_, in his narration 37, gives us the origin of the _greek_ fable
of _Cadmus_’s men, the _Phœnicians_, springing out of the ground armed,
for before then helmets and shields were unknown. Hence they were
call’d _Spartæ_.
That these armed men sprung out of the ground upon sowing the serpent’s
teeth, means our _Hivites_ making a religious procession along the
avenue of their serpentine temples on the great festival days, when
they sacrific’d. We see a like procession of armed men, carv’d upon
the temple of _Persepolis_ in _Le Brun_’s prints. And Ovid calles a
_Bœotian_, one of _Cadmus_’s people, _Hyantius_, III. v. 147. _Strabo_
vii. writes, they took that name from their king _Hyas_, which is the
same as _Hivite_. _Pliny_ iv. 7. observes the _Bœotians_ were so call’d
anciently.
In the next book _Met._ iv. ver. 560. we have an account of _Melicerta_
our _Melcarthus_ and his mother deify’d: and of the _Sidonian_ women
their companions, some turn’d into stones, others into birds, for
grieving at their fate. This seems to mean their building temples after
some of the modes we have been describing, and that which is to follow
chap. XVI. near the sepulchres of heroes and founders of states; as was
the custom of old: what we observed by _Silbury-hill_ and _Abury_. For
these temples were prophylactick, and a sacred protection to the ashes
of the defunct. So we read in _Virgil_ by _Anchises_’s tomb, _Æneid_ V.
_Tunc vicina astris Erycino in vertice sedes
Fundatur Veneri Idaliæ; tumuloque sacerdos
Ac lucus latè sacer additur Anchisæo._
Immediately after _Ovid_’s account of _Melicerta_, the poet speaks of
_Cadmus_ and his wife turn’d into serpents: which I understand of the
like serpentine temple made by their sepulchre. _Suidas_ writes, on
_Epaminondas_’s tomb was a shield and a snake carv’d, to shew he was
of _Spartan_ race. We may very well imagine the circle and snake, the
cognizance of _Cadmus_.
After _Cadmus_’s decease, his people built a city called _Butua_; and
near it is a place call’d _Cylices_, where _Cadmus_ and _Hermione_ were
turn’d into serpents: and two stone snakes are there set up by the
_Phœnicians_, to their honour: _Bochart_ page 502, where many authors
are quoted to prove these particulars. He says, the word _Cylices_
in _Phœnician_, means _tumulos_, our barrows. It was a place full
of sepulchral _tumuli_, as _Stonehenge_ and _Abury_: cups revers’d,
regarding the form of them. _Nonnus in Dionys._ writes, that there
are two great stones or rocks there, which clap together with a great
noise, whence auguries are taken. _Tzetzes chiliad._ iv. _hist._ 139,
mentions the same thing. I take this to be a main ambre, of which I
spoke largely in _Stonehenge_. _Herodot._ V. 61. says the _Cadmeians_
being admitted citizens of _Athens_, built temples there, which had
nothing common with the _Greek_ temples; particularly they had a temple
of _Ceres Achæa_ and mystical rites. _Achæa_, I suppose, means a
serpentine temple, from the oriental name.
We read just now, that the _Sidonian_ women, the mourners for
_Melcarthus_ and his mother, were turn’d some into stones, others into
birds.
_Pars volucres factæ, sumptis Ismenides alis._
I should suppose the internal meaning of this to be, the
making an alate temple, of which we are further to speak in chap. xvi.
_Antoninus Liberalis_ in his XXXI. tells a very old story of the first
inhabitants of _Italy_ before _Hercules_’s time; a place among the
_Messapians_ called the sacred stones: where the nymphs _Epimelides_
had a fane set round with trees, which trees were formerly men. This
must be understood as the former.
Thus we see how the ancient _Greeks_ involv’d every thing in fable,
but still all fable has some historical foundation, and _that_ we must
endeavour to find, by applying things so properly together, as to
strike out the latent truth.
The learned Dr. _Bogan_ in his letter prefix’d to _Delphi phœniciss._
from _Æschylus_ and others, Ικετ. ά. shews, that men were often call’d
snakes by the ancients, in an allegorical way; and as to the report of
_Cadmus_ and his wife, of the _Sidonian_ women and others, turn’d into
snakes, or stones, or birds, or trees, in the sense we are explaining
them; ’tis no more than what we daily see and hear at this time, in
these very Druid temples of our own island, which we are speaking of.
The people who live at _Chippin-Norton_ and all the country round our
first described temple of _Rowldrich_; affirm most constantly and as
surely believe it, that the stones composing this work are a king, his
nobles and commons turn’d into stones. They quote an ancient proverb
for it, concerning that tall stone, call’d the king stone.
_If_ Long-Compton _thou canst see,
Then king of_ England _shall thou be._
And as Mr. _Roger Gale_ wrote once to me from the place: “’tis the
creed of all that country, and whoever dares to contradict it, is
looked upon as the most audacious free-thinker.”
The very same report remains, at the Druid temple of _Stanton-Drew_, in
_Somersetshire_, which I shall describe in my next volume. This noble
monument is vulgarly call’d the _Weddings_; and they say,’tis a company
who assisted at a nuptial solemnity, thus petrify’d. In an orchard near
the church, is a cove consisting of three stones, like that of the
northern circle in _Abury_, or that of _Longstones_: this they call the
parson, the bride, and bridegroom. Other circles are said to be the
company dancing: and a separate parcel of stones standing a little from
the rest, are call’d the fidlers, or the band of musick.
So that vast circle of stones in _Cumberland_ which was a Druid temple,
is call’d _long Meg and her daughters_, and verily believed to have
been human, turn’d into stones.
Thus we see an exact uniformity between the fables of the antient
_Greeks_, and our present people. The former found these kind of
patriarchal temples built by their first heroes and planters; admiring
the vastness of the works, they affix’d these marvellous stories to
them, and retain them as firmly, as our vulgar do the like now. And
this is the nature of the ancient mythology; but by finding the end of
the clue, we draw it out into useful truths.
These _Cadmonites_, _Avim_, _Hittites_, _Hivites_, _Spartans_,
_Lacedemonians_, (who are all one and the same people,) retain’d a
distinct remembrance of their relation to the _Jews_, even to the days
of the _Maccabees_, as we read 1. _Maccab._ xii. and in _Josephus_ Ant.
xii. 5. Undoubtedly they reckoned themselves of kin to _Abraham_, if
not descended from him; thus I understand it. _Joshua_ mentions chap.
xi. the _Hivites_ in the land of _Mizpeh_ under mount _Hermon_ by
_Libanus_. He says further, in the 19th verse, the _Gibeonites_ were
a portion of that same people. The _Avim_ or _Horites_ about mount
_Seir_ where _Esau_ dwelt, were the same people who were expell’d by
the _Caphthorim_, as _Moses_ mentions: on which bishop _Cumberland_ has
wrote largely.
We read of the great intercourse there was between _Esau_’s family and
these people; for _Esau_ married four of his wives from them, _Gen._
xxvi. 34. xxxvi. 2. no doubt but they married into his family again.
Hence it is that _Strabo_ x. writes, that _Cadmus_ had _Arabians_ in
his company. And in xvi. that the inhabitants of _Syria_ (he means
properly _Phœnicia_) are originally deriv’d from the neighbourhood of
the _Persian gulf_.
I doubt not but that there are now upon the face of the earth, many of
these serpentine temples remaining in _Europe_, _Asia_ and _Africa_.
For instance, _Strabo_ xvi. from _Posidonius_ relates, that in a field
call’d _Macra_ by _Damascus_, was a dead serpent, the length of an
acre, so thick that two horsemen could not see each other across him,
his mouth so large as a horseman might enter into it; each scale was as
big as a shield.
We may hence see the origin of idolatry, soon after these heroes we
have recited; and it seems to have begun first in _Phœnicia_, which
_Eusebius_ always puts before _Egypt_, when speaking of the matter.
_Demaroon_ was _Jupiter_ the supreme, _Phut_ they deify’d into his
son, _Canaan_ they made the third divine person. But wherever idolatry
began, whether in the call of _Asia_, or the west, it flew too soon
into other countries, and they made a _Jupiter_, a _Son_, and a
_Mercury_ or _Neptune_ who are the same, of their own; ’till with every
hero and benefactor to mankind they fill’d the heaven of the heathens.
CHAP. XV.
_A metaphysical disquisition concerning the nature of the deity,
shewing how the Druids, by the strength of reason, might arrive
to the knowledge of a divine emanation or person, from the
supreme first cause, which we call the Son of God; and the
necessity of admitting of such an emanation. All the philosophers
and priests of antiquity had this notion; as we read in_ Plato
_and many more._
I have given the reader an account of three eminent builders of these
_Dracontia_, or serpentine temples, in the earliest times after the
flood, and in the more eastern parts of the world; as well as described
one of those works in our island. There are many more such builders
and buildings, which will be easily found out by those that are
conversant in ancient learning. This figure of the circle and snake,
on which they are founded, had obtained a very venerable regard,
in being expressive of the most eminent and illustrious act of the
deity, the multiplication of his own nature, as the _Zoroastrians_ and
_Platonists_ speak; and in being a symbol of that divine person who was
the consequence of it.
We shall not wonder that the Druids had a perception of this great
truth, when we consider that it was known, as far as necessary, to all
the philosophic and religious sects of antiquity, as shewn at large by
several learned writers. My opinion is, that it was communicated to
mankind, originally, by God himself. ’Tis the highest point of wisdom
which the human mind can arrive at, to understand somewhat of the
nature of the deity; and the studious, the pious, and thinking part of
the world, would not fail to improve this knowledge by reflexion and
ratiocination.