:j\ I "^130NVSm^ .J^^ ^ im:w/j_ ^LUi- ,m^ WM:!M^':nv\> ^TJ/oinvi.ja- ^'n{^\m'^^\'^ ^s^lOS-ANGtiij ^ ^\^ !Nil-3\^ /^Aavaeii^x^ v^^ ^z '^/n^nvTio^ ,^OflAL!F0M|^ U1VH9IH ^NER^:^ T//r,, ; ^ A^vsv I 11.' I! 111 1 'y/ .^^ tR%, ^lOSANGELrj^ ^liU)hAi:i(^ rrt: '^ c- -via/njnvn.jn- ,\L-Lir!\;\l^i c^ . ..0flAilF0/?4;, /^^AlHVHHIl-^^^ OF-iAl.ii-(%. ^AllVHK \in,a' ^1-L1BRARY6//. -KWivCMVtKJ/A KLu:5VVNu[:L/:i. %OJ!1V3JO- ~o ^ ^?M JFOfi^ ^OFCAilFO^ ^[l]NlVtR% ^IOSaNLLUj^ iH!i-# ^^AMan-^\^' '^F:?]3aNvsoi^" Cc i^^^V-__i it CP 1 3 ^ Vtk% ^lUVAN vW>r '// ^;'OJn\ri.jn- .'>. MT\.--i SA-S-" VER%. ^lOSANGFLfX/^ MYTHOLOGY AND MITES OF THE ASCERTAINED BY NATIONAL DOCUMENTS; AMD COMPARED WITtI THE GENERAL TRADITIONS AND CtSTOMS OF HEATHENISM, AS ILLUSTRATED BY THE MOST EMINENT ANTIQUARIES OF OUR AGE. WITH AN CONTAINING ANCIENT POEMS AND EXTRACTS, WITH SOME REMARKS ON ANCIENT BRITISH COINS. AB f^VS. NOSCENDA ITER INGREDI, TR ANSMITTEllE MARE SOtEMCS, EA 8U OCULIS FOSITA NEGLIGIMUS, PlIN. L. VIII. Ep. 20. By EDWARD DAVIES, RECTOIl OF BISEOPSTON, IN THE COUNTY OF GLAMORGAN, AND AUTHOR OF CELTIC RESEARCHES. Hontion PRIXTED FOR J. BOOTH, DUKE-STREET, PORTLAND-PLACE. ISO9. % it BARi'lKLD, Puutrr 91, W^trdour-Sirevt. *3L 310 TO THE RIGHT REVEREND FATHER IN GOD, RICHARD, LORD BISHOP OF LANDAFF. MY LORD, THE noble frankness with which your Lordshir) grants a favour, encourages me to hopCy that you will pardon the liberty I now take, in pre- fixing your 7iame to an Essay upon the Mythology and Rites of the Heathen Britons. It is ivith diffidence I lay this subject before a man of your Lordships distinguished character; whether in reference to private worth, to reputation in the world of letters, to rank in society, or to that zeal and ability which you have so successfully dis- played in the defence of our holy religion. JBut whatever the merits of this Work may bCy I eagerly embrace the opportunity which it affords me, of acknowledging a debt of gratitude, in the au- dience of the Piiblic. . ^ ^ # When Mr. Hardinge, amongst his other acts of generosity, which it is impossible for me to enumerate or to forget, pointed me out to your Lordship's notice, under the character of his friend, it was your good pleasure to place me in a respectable station in the Church, and thus confer upon me the comfort of \>independence. Your Lordship's manner of bestowing a benefit, is a great addition to its value; and whilst I am offering my humble tribute of thanks, it emboldetis me to aspire to the preservation of your good opinion, I have the honour to remain. Your Lordship's much obliged and devoted humble servant, E. DAFIES, PREFACE. HE first section of the ensuing Essay, effects the principal objects of a Preface; yet the Author has not the confidence to intrude upon his Reader, with- out premising a few pages, to bespeak his attention, and conciliate his esteem without offering some apology for the nature of his subject, and the man- ner in which it has been treated. To some persons, the utility of such a work may not be obvious. It may be asked What interest has the present age, in a mew of the errors and prejudices of the Pagan Britons ? To obviate this, and similar inquiries, I would suggest the reflection, that the history of mankind is, in a great measure, the history of errors and pre- judices that the superstition we have now to con- template, however absurd in itself, affected the general tone of thinking in several districts of Bri- tain 'that its influence continued to recent times, and has scarcely vanished at the present day. To an age of general mquiry, an investigation of the form and principles of this superstition, must surely be a subject of interest. In our times, a sphit of research, which few are eo unjust as to impute to idle curiosity, embraces all the regions of the known world: and is our own country the only spot that must be deemed unworthy of our attention? Ancient and authentic documents, of the opinions and customs of the old Britons, have been preserved, though long concealed by the shades of a difficult ^nd obsolete language. And can a dispassionat?e examination of their contents, which are totally un- a3 VI kiiown to the Public, be deemed a subject of no interest or utility r . These documents are found, upon investigation, to develope a system of religion, which, for many ages, influenced the affairs of the human race, not only in these islands, but also in the adjacent regions of Europe: and are we not to inquire in M'hat this religion consisted, and what hold it took of the mind of man ? Or is it an useless task, to expose the origin of some absurd customs and prejudices, which are still cherished in certain corners of our land? But it will be said The state of society amo7igst the ancient Britons zvas rude and unpolished ; and their very religion opposed the progress of science and of letters. Be this admitted : yet the Britons, with all theif barbarism and absurdities, constituted a link in th^ great chain of history. In addition to this, their affairs derive some importance from their rank amongst our own progenitors, their connection with our native country, and the remains of their monu- ments, which still appear in our fields. A prospect of the few advantages which they enjoyed, may fur- nish no unpleasant subject of comparison with our own times. A candid exposure of that mass of error under which they groaned, may inspire us with more lively gratitude for the knowledge of the true religion, and, perhaps, suggest a seasonable caution against the indulgence of vain speculation upon sacred subjects a weakness to which the hu- man mind is prone in every age. ^^ Upon the whole, then, I humbly conceive, that an examination of our national reliques has been hi- therto a desideratum in British literature; that the individual who has now attempted to draw them out of obscurity, is entitled to the candid attention of the Public; and that the time of the Reader, who .t| Vll may honour this volume with a candid perusal, will not have been spent in vain. But of the manner in which this examination is conducted in the following Essay, I must speak with less confidence. As far as I know my own heart, truth, without favour or prejudice to the memory of our misguided ancestors, has been my object. Touching the light in which I view their ancient superstition, I must confess that I have not been the first in representing the druidical, as having had some connection with the patriarchal religion; but I know of no work already before the Public, which has unravelled the very slender threads by which that connection was maintained. This difficult task I have attempted, by the aid of those Bards who were professed votaries of Dru- idism ; and the undertaking was greatly facilitated by the labours of Mr. Bryant, which present a master-key to the mythology of the ancient world. That I cannot give my assent to the whole of this great man's opinion, has been already acknowledged:* but whilst I allow myself to object against the slip* per, I contemplate the masterly outlines of the sta- tue, with respect and admiration. It is to be regretted, that this eminent mythologist was wholly unacquainted with the written documents of Druidism, preserved in this country. Had they been open to his investigation, he would have exhi- bited them to peculiar advantage, and he would have found them as strong in support of his general prin-. ciples, as any remains of antiquity whatsoever. I must here endeavour to obviate another ob, jection. In the British poems, M'hich treat of hea- thenish superstition, a sentence is often inserted, containing the name of Christ, or some allu- sion to his religion, and having no connection with the matter which precedes or follows. Some of Celt. Res. p. 115. "# ^ VllJ these sentences I have omitted, for obvious reasons, I have been not a little puzzled to account for their admission into the text : but as all our remaining poems were composed or altered, subsequent to the first introduction of Christianity, it is probable that St Augustin supplies us with the true reason of such admixture. *' Qui seducunt per ligaturas, per precantationes, *' per machinamenta inimici, inserunt praecantationi- *' bus suis nomen Christi : quia jam non possunt *' seducere Christianos, ut dent venenum, addunt *' mellis aliquantum, ut per id quod dulce est, la- " teat quod amarum est, et bibatur ad perniciem."* In the selection of matter, the author has endea^ voured to observe a medium, between that fastidious abruptness, which leaves many of the great outlines of a subject unmarked, and a minute prolixity, which scrutinizes every obscure corner of heathen abomination. To future inquiry he leaves an open field, where some more handfuls may be gleaned, and approaches the reader with a consciousness, that as far as he has proceeded, his steps have been guided by integrity. The subject of this volume having an intimate connection with that of the Celtic Researches, a short Index of th?i; book is introduced. It is also to be had separate, and respectfully offered to my Subscribers, as a small tribute of gratitude for their liberal support, and as an acknowledgement of the favourable opinion with which I have been honoured, by some of the most distinguished characters, in that illustrious catalogue men whose learning and talents afre acknowledged, and whose judgment will be respected. 4u^' Tract. 7. in Joaq. T. IX. p. ?7, IX As to the animadversions of professed critics, some of them were avowedly hostile. But their elaborate prolixity, which is no mark of contempt, aifords some consolation for the malignity of their efforts. The work, and the strictures which it occasioned, are before the Public, which is of no party. To this upright and competent judge I appeal, with humble submission, neither vainly pleading an immunity from just censure, nor dreading the effects of those sarcasms, which arose from gross misrepresentation of my opinions, and perversion of my principles. Upon one solitary occasion, I must beg leave to defend my own cause. The passage which I am about to quote, is not singled out as unworthy of the learning or candour of its author, but as in- volving a point, in which the Public may want an interpreter. It also affords me an opportunity of stating my reasons, for understanding the works of Taliesin somewhat differently from the Critical Reviewer. " Let us now," says the critic, *' compare this " description of the Aborigines of Britain with that " of Taliesin, a name before which every Welshman " must bow; who was himself a Bard, perhaps a *' Druid, but converted from his Druidical idolatry *' to Christianity, and who is reported to have flou- " rished in the sixth century of the Christian aera; " consequently, about si^ hundred years before these *' Triads were ever attempted to be collected.* The " poem we cite from is denominated the Pacificatioi^ of Lludd." '* The critic then gives his original, with the foUow- in translation : " A numerous race, and fierce, as fame reports thein, *' Were thy first colonists, Britain, chief of isles ; I am totally at a loss to conjecture upon vrhat ground this assertion stands. 1 had mentioned some copyists of the Triads in the twelfth cfnturj^ put I never supposed them to have b?en the original cojlectprs, i^ Natives of a country in Asia, and of the region of Gafis ; ** A people said to have been skilful ; but the district is " unknown, " That was mother to this progeny, these warlike adven- " turers on the sea. " Clad in their long dress, who could equal them? " Celebrated is their skill : they were the dread "Of Europe." " Here," adds the triumphant critic, " instead of ** being men of quiet dispositions, and abhorrent of *' war, they are expressly declared to have been " fierce and warlike ad^eyitiirtrs unequalled, and " the dread of Europe : instead of coming from " Constantinople, and crossing the German haze, or " ocean, they are said to have wandered from the " region of Gafis, in Asia. Is it possible to imagine " a stronger contrast?" (Vide Critical Review, August, 1804, p. 374.) The contrast, as here drawn, is strong enough : but I must take the liberty to hint, that the critic, or his prompter, has perverted the whole of this vaunted passage, in consequence of having mistaken the meaning of a single word Dygorescynan, which he renders were the first colonists, simply implies, will again invade, or, according to Mr. Owen, will subjugate, or overcome : so that the Bard does not describe the Aborigines of Britain, but a hostile race, who invaded or subdued the country. The title of the poem. Pacification of Lludd, and a line, which informs us it was the pacification of Lludd and Llefelis, may furnish a clue to the aera of these invaders. Lludd and Llefelis are repre- sented, by the Welsh chronicles, as brothers of Cas- sivellaunus, who fought with Caesar, though it is pretty clear that, in simple fact, they were no otner than those princes of the Trinobantes, whom the Roman historian mentions by the names of Imanu- entius and Mandubrasius^ Hence it appears, that these^r*^ colonists of Bntdltt'tirnved in the age of Julius Csesar.* * Let us now try to identify this warlike race. In the passage quoted by the critic, they are said to have sprung from a country in Asia, and the region of Gafis, or rather Gafys. Whoever has Welsh enough to translate Taliesin, must be fully aware, that it is the genius of that language to change c into g, and p into f. Let us then replace the ori- ginal letters, and we shall have the region of CapySj a Trojan prince, who was the father of Anchises, and reputed ancestor of the Romans. Hence it may be conjectured, that these were the very people whom the Bard describes as having invaded Britain, in the time of Lludd and Llefelis ; that is, in the age of Julius Caesar. But Critics must not be supposed to write at ran- dom, without some knowledge of their subject. As they claim respect from the Public, they must re- spect their own characters. And as our author has positively pronounced his warlike race the first co- lonists of Britain, it may be presumed, that his > assertion has some adequate support in other parts of the poem. In order to determine this point, I shall exhibit the* whole, for it is not long, with a translation as close and as faithful, to say the least of it, as that which we have in the preceding critique. YMARWAR LLVDD.Bychan: Yn enw Duw Trindawd, cardawd cyfnvys i Llwyth lliaws, anuaws eu henwerys, Dygorescynnaa Prydain, prif fan ynys; Gwyr gwlad yr Asia, a gwlad Gafys; The romantic chronicles of Archdeacon Walter, and Geoffry of Mon modth, and, after them, some late anuotators on the Triads, sav, that the Coranied, a Belgic tribe, arrived in the age of Lludd. This is evidently erro- neous. The reader will see presently, that the Bard meaas the Romans, ud no other people. W: xu Pobl pwyllad enwir : eu tir ni wys Famen : gorwyreis herwydd maris. Amlaes eu peisseu ; pwy ei hefelis i A pliwyllad dyvyner, ober efnis, Europin, Arafin, Arafanis. Cristiavvn difryt, diryd dilis, Cyn ymanvar Lludd a Llefelis.. Dysgogettaur perchen y Wen Ynys, Rac pennaeth o Ryfein, cein ei echrj's. Nid rys, nid cyfrwys, Ri : rwyf ei araith (A rywelei a ryweleis o angbytteith) Dullator pedrygvvern, llugyrn ymdaith, Rac Rhyuonig cynran baran goddeith. Rytalas mab Grat, rwyf ei areith. Cymry yn danhyal : rhyvel ar geith. Pryderaf, pwyllaf pwy y hymdeith - Brythonig ynivvis rydderchefis. PACIFICATION OF LLVDDLHtle song. In the name of the God Trinity,^ exhibit thy charity! A numerous race, of ungentle manners, Repeat their invasion of Britain, chief of isles :t Men from a country in Asia, and the region of Capys; J A people of iniquitous design : the land is not known That was their mother. They made a devious course by sea. In their flowing garments,|( who can equal them? With design are they called in,f[ with their sliort spears,** those foes *'<'* The Bard addresses himself to a Christian. + The subject of the poem is Caesar's second iavasion. The particle dy, m composition, conveys the sense of ittration. X The district of Troy, whence the Romans deduced their origin. $ When the oracle commanded iT.neas aud his company Dardanidae duri, qua; vos a stirpe parcntum Prima tulit telius, eadem vos ubere lajto Accipiet reduces; antiquani exquirite Matrem Virg. jn. HI. V. 9. t ICIU of the Europeans, the Aramites, and Armenians.* O thoughtless Christian, there was oppressive toil, Before the pacification of Lludd and Llefelis,f The proprietor of the fair island J is ronsed Against the Roman leader, splendid and terrible. The King is not ensnared, as inexpert; he directs with his speech (Having seen all the foreigners that were to be seen). That the quadrangular swamp [| should be set in order, by wayfaring torches, Against the arrogant leader, in whose presence there was a spreading flame.^ The son of Graid,** with his voice, directs the retaliation. The Cymry burst into a flame there is war upon the slaves.-f-j- With deUberate thought will I declare the stroke that made them decamp. It was the great exaltation of British energy. X"^ * The Romans had carried their arms, not only over the best part of Eu- rope, but also into Aram, or Syria and Armenia, before they invaded Britain. + These reputed brothers of Cassivellaunus, were the princes of the Tri- nobantes, who deserted the general cause of their country, and sent ambas> sadors to Julius Csesar. X The reader will see hereafter, that the ancient Bards conferred this title upon the solar divinity, and his chief minister. $ That is Cassivellaunus, whose abilities and prudence are acknowledged by the Koman commander. I] The fortress or town of Cassivellaunus^ Silvis paludihusque munitum. De Bell. Gall. L. V. c. 21. H Relinquehatur ut neque longius ab agmine legionum disced! Caesar pate- retur, et tantum in agris vastaudis, incendiisqiie faciendis, hostibus noceretur. lb. c. 19. Grad, or Graid, the sun. Cassivellaunus is called the son of Beli, which is another name of that deified luminary. +t Those British tribes who voluntarily submitted to the Romans Tsce Caesar, lb. c. 20, 21), and on whom Cassivellaunus retaliated, after Caesar's departure. ?t The Bard, in a strain of venial patriotism, ascribes the departure of Caesar and the Romans to the prowess of his countrymen. Other Bards have dropped pretty strong hints to the same purpose. Lucan says Territa quaesitis ostendit terga Britannis. And Pope, with less asperity Ask why, from Britain Cassar would retreat ? Caesar himself might whisper J was beat. # XIV By this time, I trust, I have made a convert of the critic. He will agree with me in thinking, that this little poem relates only to the invasion of Britain by Julius Caesar ; and that it contains not the most distant hint of its Jirst colonists. The strong con' trast has changed its position : but I abstain from farther remarks. Criticism may be useful to the author who under- goes its chastisement, as well as to the Public. To the censor whose representation is just, whose re- proof is liberal, who so far respects himself, as to preserve the character of a scholar and a gentleman, I shall attend with due regard. But if any pro- fessed judge of books can descend so low, as wilfully to pervert my words and meaning, to twist them into absurdity, and extract silly witticisms from his own conceits, I must be allowed to consider his stric- tures as foreign to myself and my work, and as little calculated to influence those readers whom I wish to engage. THE THE CONTENTS. * :#; SECTION I. PRELIMINAKY OBSERVATIONS ON THE WRITTEN MO- NUMENTS OF THE EARLY BRITONS THEIR AUTHEN- TICITY PROVED, BY THE TEST OF CLASSICAL AN- TIQUITY ----------- Page 1 84 SECTION II. GENERAL VIEW OF DRUIDICAL THEOLOGY CHARACTER AND RITES OF HU, THE HELlO-ARKITE GOD THE ^ BACCHUS OF THE HEATHEN BRITONS, Page 85 182 SECTION III. THE CHARACTER, CONNEXIONS, AND MYSTICAL RITES OF KED, OR CERIDWEN, THE ARKITE GODDESS OF THE DRUIDS HER IDENTITY WITH THE CERES OP ANTIQUITY, - ------- Page 183 290 SECTION IV. THE DESIGN OF THE CIRCULAR TEMPLES AND CROM- LECHS OF THE DRUIDS ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS RE- LATIVE TO THE CELEBRATED STRUCTURE OF STONE- HENGE, _-_-- Page 291410 (THE GODODIN, Page 326-383.) SECTION V. XVI CONTENTS, SECTION V. TRADITIONS RELATING TO THE PROGRESS, REVOLU- tlONS, AND SUPPRESSION OF THE BRITISH SUPER- STITION, - - ------- Pcrge 411 500 APPENDIX, CONSISTING OF ANCIENT POEMS AN EXTRACTS, --------- Page 501 588 REMARKS UPON ANCIENT BRITISH COINS, Page 589624 INDEX, -. Page 625 642 ERRATA, - -__--_-_-_- Page 64^ THE THE MYTHOLOGY AND RITES OF THS HxiU&ff Mmibs. SECTION I. Preliminary Observations on the written Monuments of the early Britons. Their Authenticity proved, by the Test of classical Antiquity. I.N a retrospect of the state of society, which formerly prevailed in our country, the contemplative mind is not more agreeably, than usefully employed. Hence many writers, of distinguished eminence, have undertaken to elu- cidate the modes of thinking, and the customs of the early Britons, together with their religious opinions and superstitious rites. Upon this subject, many notices are scattered amongst the remains of Greek and Roman learn- ing. These have been collected with diligence, arranged and appreciated with ingenuity. But here the research of our antiquaries has been checked, by the compass of their own studies, rather than by the defect of other existing monuments : whereas, upon a topic that claims investiga- tion, every pertinent document ought to be considered ; and B 2 especially, those documents which lead to a more intimate knowledge of the matter in hand. What has hitherto remained undone, I have already hinted, in a volume which I lately published, under the most respectable and liberal patronage. I there stated, that certain ancient writings, which are preserved in the Welsh language, contain many new and curious particulars relative to the ancient religion and customs of Britain ; and that, in this point of view, they would reward the research of the temperate and unprejudiced antiquary. At that time, I had no thoughts of pursuing the investi- gation; but I have since taken up a fresh resolution, and it is the business of the present Essay to evince the truth of my assertion. To this end, I shall employ an introductor}' section, in pointing out the particular writings of the Britons, upon which I ground my opinion ; in shewing that those writings have been regarded as druidical; and in ascertaining, by historical tests, the authenticity of their pretensions.* The British documents, to which I principally refer, are the poems of Talieshif Aneurin, and Merddin the Caledo^ jiiarij Bards who lived in the sixth century of the Christian * In this Section, I must also take notice of the objections of some of m v own countrymen, who, since the publication of the Celtic Researches, have industriously spread a report, that I do not produce the genuine traditions of the Welsh Bards. However little concern I might feel, for the mere accident of thinking differently from these men, yet, as I have made ray opinion public, I deem it a duty which I owe to my own character, as well as to tlie generous patrons of my book, to shew, that I am competent to judge of the genuine remains of the Welsh ; and that my representations of them have been fairly made, and from the best authorities that can be produced. My own vindication will call for a few remarks, upon the grounds of the adverse opinion} but I hope to vindicate myself with temper. 3 ra. With these works, ray gxjquaintance is not recent. I liave possessed a good collated copy of them, in MS. since the year 1792. I have also the London edition of the same works, which appeared in the first volume of the; Myvi/rian Archaiotogi/ of Wales, in 1801. To the primitive Bards, I add the historical and mythor logical notices, called Triads, pubhshed in the second vo- lume of the same work; and though their compilers are not known, I shall use them freely, as far as I find their authority supported by general tradition, ancient manu- scripts, and internal evidence. Modern criticism having suggested some doubts as to the genuineness of the works ascribed to our ancient Bards, it may be expected, that I should offer something in their defence upon this score. But from the greatest part ot this task I may fairly excuse myself, by a general reference to the. Vindication, lately published by the learned and accu- rate Mr. Turner, who, in answer to all their adversaries, has stated, and fully substantiated the following proposition ; namely, ** That there are poems, now existing in the Welsh, or " ancient British language, which were written by Aneurin. ** Taliesin, Llywarch Hen, and Merddin, who flourished between the years 500 and ^" This subject, the able advocate of our Bards has not handled slightly, or superficially. He carries them through every question of external and internal evidence, refutes all the main objections which have been urged against the works of the Bards, and concludes his Vindication by shewing, that there is nothing extraoidinary in the fact, B % wliicTi his Essay is directed to substantiate; that thcw poems are attested by an unvaried stream of national be- lief; and that any suspicion about them has been of recent origin.* " The author of the Anglo-Saxon history, bein^ interested only in the credit of the historical poems of these Bards, has directed his Vindication, principally, to the support of their cause ; but as' my subject leads me, more immediately, to examine certain pieces of another kind, which, from their mythological and mysterious allusions, have obtained the general appellation of mi/stical poems, candour requires, that I should state this gentleman's opinion of the latter, and plead something in their defence, where he seems tq have deserted them. Of these mystical pieces, Mr. Turner thus declares his sentiments. " Some (of Taliesin's poems) are unintelligible, " because full of Bardic, or Druidical allusions." f And again : " Of Taliesin's poetry, we may say, in ge- " neral, that his historical pieces are valuable ; his others " are obscure: but, as they contain much old mythology ^ " and Bardic imagert/, they are worth attcntiotiy because " some parts may be illustrated, and made intelligible." % I have quoted these passages, at length, in order to shew iny reader, that the author's censure is not directed against tlie pretensions of these poem$ to genuineness, or authenr Vindicatitn of the Ctnuiaents^ of the Ancient British Bardt. 8u). LondoB 1803. See p. Id to S. Ibid. p. 14. t Ibid. p. dO. ..-*'. ticity, but merely, against that degree of obscurity which they must, necessarily, present to every man who has not studied their subjects. And Mr. Turner's declared opinion, that they are worth attention, as containing much old my- thoiogy, certainly supposes, that they are ancient and authentic ; I mean so far authentic, as to be real documents of British n^ythology. That a critic, so candid, and so well informed, should have pronounced these poems, which peculiarly treat of Druidism, absolutely unintelligible; and especially, as he acknowledges the assistance of Mr. Owen and Mr. Williams, jnen who claim an exclusive acquaintance with the whole system of Bardic lore, may seem rather extraordinary : but the wonder will cease, when we shall have seen, that the information of these ingenious writers is drawn from ano- ther source ; from a document which will appear to be, in many respects, irreconcilable with the works of the ancient Bards, or with the authority of the classical pagp, Mr. Turner's censure, as we have- seen, regards only the obscurity of the mystical poems : but as it is possible, that the candid zeal of criticism may mistake obscure, for spu- rious, it may be proper to produce some farther evidence in their favour. And here I may remark, that Mr. Turne^ was the first critic, who made a public distinction between the credit of the mystical, and the historical poems. The external evidence, in favour of both, is just the same. They are preserved in the same manuscripts; and ajn unva- ried stream of national belief ascribes them, without dis- tinction, to the authors whose names they bear. Here I might rest the cause of these old poems, till they prove their own authenticity, by internal evidence, in th^ course of my Essay; did I not deem it r][uisite, to adduce some testimonies of the real existence of Druidisniy amongst the Welsh, in the times of the native princes. These tes- timonies are collected from a series of Bards, who wrote in succession, from before the twelfth, to the middle of the fourteenth century. The genuineness of their works has never been disputed; and they, pointedly, aUude to the mystical strains of Taliesin, and establish their credit, as derived from the source of Druidism. Meugant, a Bard who liVld in the seventh century, writes thus. Cred i Dduw nad Derwj^ddon darogant Pan torrer Din Breon braint.* " Trust in God, that those are no Druids, who prophesy, " that the privilege of Din Breon will be violated." Din Breon, the Hill of Legislature, was the sacred mount, where the Bards, the ancient judges of the land, assembled, to decide causes. The author here alludes tot certain predictions, that the privilege of this court would be violated ; but, at the same time, suggests a hope, that the prophets were not real Druids, and, consequently, that their forebodings might never be accomplished. This, surely, supposes, that Druidical predictions were known, in the days of Meugant, and that they were regarded as oracles of truth. W. Atchaipl. p. 161. GoLYDDAN, a Bard of the same century, asserts the existence of Druidical prophecies, and considers the des- tiny of Britain, as absolutely involved in their sentence. Dysgogan Derwyddon maint a ddervydd : O Vynaw hyd Lydaw yn eu Haw a vydd : O Ddyved hyd Ddanet huz biduvydd, &c.* " Druids vaticinate a multitude shall arrive : from Me- '* nevia to Armorica shall be in their hand : from Dernetia *' to Thanet shall they possess." Such passages bear testimony to the existence of certain, pretended, vaticinations, which were expressly ascribed to the Druids; and which the Britons, of the seventh cen- tury, contemplated with respect. It is also worthy of note, that Golyddan enrols Merddin the Caledonian in the list of his infallible Druids. Dysgogan Merddin cy vervydd hyn ! ** It is Merddin who predicts this will come to pass !" Let us now hear the acknowledgment of a Bard, who was less favourable to the Druidical strain ; or who, at least, did not think it meet to be employed in a Christian's ad- dress to his Creator. ' CuHELYN wrote, according to the table of the Welsh Archaiology, in the latter part of the eighth century .f A * W. Archaiol. p. 158. t I think Mr. Owen has, more accurately, ascribed this work to Cuhelyn ab Caw, a Bard of the sixth ceuturj. ^ '" Cam. Biog. V. Cuhelyn. 8 religious ode, which bears the name of this Bard, has the following passage : Deus Rhisen rhymavy Awen. Amen, fiat! Fynedig wawd frwjthlawn draethawd^ Rymibyddad, Herwydd urdden awdyl Keridwen, / Ogyrwen amhad, Amhad anaw areith awyrllaw . Y Caw ceiniad, Cuhelyn Bardd Cymraeg hardd Cyd wrthodiad Certh cymmwynas, Ked cyweithas, Ni vaintimad. Cathyl cyvystrawd cyvan volawd, Clutawd attad* " God the Creator! Inspire iny genius! Amen be it *' done ! A prosperous song of praise, a fruitful discourse, " may I obtain. For the venerated song of Ceridwen, tht ** Goddess of various seeds, of various seeds of Genius, the ** eloquence of the airy hand of the chaunter of Caw, Cu- ** helyn, the elegant Welsh Bard w^ould utterly reject.. " The awful enjoyment of the society of Ked could not be *' maintained. A song of direct course, of unmixed praise, , ** has been offered to thee."* * There is another poem of Cuhelyn, which details some curious particulats of Bardic lore. It iii introduced iu Utu ibortb section of this Essay. " 9 Hie songs of Ceridwen of the chaunters of Caw, and of the society of Kid, as I shall make appear, are precisely the mystical strains ascribed to Taliesin, and the lore of the British Druids. And the Bard, by making a merit of not imitating this kind of poetry, in his address to the Creator, furnishes an undeniable evidence, that such composition was known in his time ; that it was in high esteem amongst his countrymen ; and that he deemed it unsuitable to the purity of Christian devotion. Thus we^find, that the mystic lore of the Druids, and those songs, which are full of their old mythology, were extant, and in repute, during the ages immediately' subsequent to the times of Aneurin, Taliesin, and Merd- din. Let us examine whether they were forgotteiT, in the ages of the more recent Welsh Princes. The works of several Bards, who flourished in Wales during the interval, from the beginning of the twelfth, to the close of the fourteenth century, have been well pre- served. They are now printed in the first volume of the Welsh Archaiology. * So far was Druidism from being either forgotten or neglected in this period, that one of the most curious sub- jects of observation, which present themselves upon the perusal of these works, is the constant allusion to certain ancient and genuine remains of the Druids, which had descended to the times of the respective authors. The prin- cipals amongst the Bards of these ages, appear very anxious to distinguish themselves from mere poets. They assert their own pretensions to the honour of the Druidical character, upon the plea of an accurate institution into the mysteries, and disciphne, of those ancient sages; or upon a direct 10 descent from their venerated blood* The reader shall have an opportunity of judging for himself. Meilyr, a distinguished Bard, who flourished between the years 1 120 and 1 160, composed an elegy upon the death of two princes of his country, the first line of which runa thus. Gwolychav i'm Rheen, Rex Awj'r.* " I will address myself to my sovereign, the King of the Air.'* This is an evident imitation of the first line of the Chair of Ceridzven Rheen rym Awyr-\ " O Sovereign of the " power of the Air." This piece, therefore, which is one of the principal of Taliesin's mystical poems, was known to Meilyr the Bard. GwALCHMAi, the son of Meilyr, wrote betY^een the years 1150 and 1190. In a poem, entitled Gorhofedd, or The Boasty he thus imitates the Gorwi/nion, a poem ascribed to Llywarch Hen, upon the subject of the mystical sprigs. Gorwyn blaen avail, bloden vagwy, Balch caen coed Bryd pawb parth yd garwy.:|: W. Archaiol. p. 192. + Ibid. p. 66. t Ibid. p. 193. 11 " The point of the apple tree, suppo^-ting blossoms, " proud covering of the wood, declares Every one's desir* " tends to the place of his affections." k. In his elegy upon the death of Madawc, Prince of Powys, the same Bard exclaims, Och Duw na dodyw * .. Dydd brawd, can deryw Dervvyddon weini nad Diwreiddiws Py wys peleidriad rhy vel ! * " Would to God the day of doom were arrived, since ** Druids are come, attending the outcry The gleaming " spears of war have eradicated Powt/s.'* Tlie Bard had heard a report of the fall of his Prince; but he hoped it might be only a false rumour, till the news was brought by Druids. Here, then, we find the exist- ence of Druids, in the middle of the twelfth century, posi- tively asserted. Cynddelw, the great presiding Bard, and Gwalchrriai's contemporary, has many remarkable passages, which imply the same fact. I shall select a few of the most obvious. In his panegyric upon the celebrated Prince, Omen Gwynedd, v/e find the Bardic and the Druidical character thus united, and our author himself placed at the head of the order. Beirnaid araregyd Beirdd am ragor : W. ArchaioU p 20i IS ' Ath volant Veirddion, Derwyddon Dor O bedeiriaith dyvyn, o bedeir or. Ath gyvarwyre bardd bre breudor, Cynddehv, cynhelw yn y cyiinor. " Bards are constituted the judges of excellence : and " Bards will praise thee, even Druids of the circle, of " four dialects, coming from the four regions. A Bard of " the steep mount will celebrate thee, even CynddelWj the " first object in the gate. In his elegy upon the death of the same Prince, Cynd- delw mentions a prophecy of Gwrortf whom the Triads represent as one of the first founders of Druidism. Am eurglawr mwynvawr Mon Nid gair gau ev goreu Gwron. " Of the golden protector, the most courteous Prince of ** Mona, no vain prophecy did Gwron deliver." The same Cynddelw maintained a poetic contest for the? Bardic chair of Madawc, Prince of Powys, against another Bard, named Scisyll, who asserts his claim to the honour, in virtue of his direct descent from the primitive Bards, or Druids of Britain, a distinction which his adversary could not boast, V Mi biau bod yn bencerdd O iawnllin o iawnlhvyth Culvardd ; A h;^n Cynddelw vawr, cawr cyrdd, O hon ni henyw beirdd.* -'*' ' Mil ' ! ! I W. Archaiol. p. 210, 13 R is my right to be master of song being in a direct f* line, of the true tribe, a Bard of the inclosure ; but Cyn- f^ ddelw the great, the giant of song, is born of a race, " which has produced no Bards." In his reply, Gynddelw makes light of this argument of ]his opponent, alledging that he himself was acknowledged to be distinguished by the discipUne, the education, and the spirit of a primitive Bard, Notwithstanding this, we find, by a poem addressed to the same Prince, that he was ready to allow the superior dignity of the Druidical line : and he speaks of this illus^ ^rious order as still in being, Nis gwyr namyn Duw a dewinion byd, A diwyd Derwyddion O eurdorv, eurdorchogion, Ein rhiv yn rhyveirth avon.* *' Excepting God alone, and the diviners of the land, '* and sedulous Druids, of the splendid race, wearers of ^* gold chainSf there is none who knows our number, in the " billows of the stream." These hillowi, as it will appear in the third section, allude to their initiation into the mysteries of the Druids. The^elegy on the death of Cadwallawn, the son of Madawc, assimilates the character of this Prince to that of Menwy or Menyw, recorded in the Triads ^s one of the .first instructors and legislators of the Cymry. Here we W. Aichaio|. p. %n. have also a discrimination of some of -the honours, which the Princes usually conferred upon the ancient Bards. Agored ei lys i les cerddorion byd : Eithyd i esbyd ei esborthion. 1o t{t-5*:fe Ym ihyw Menw aches buches beirddion : fc-jpho' Ym biichedd gwledig gwlad orchorddion, , kt* ^fi J Grorddyvnas uddud budd a berthion Gorwyddon tuthvawr tu hir gleision.* oi ** His hall was open for the benefit of the singers of the ff^land: for his guests he made provision. Whilst M^wa; *liiitYed the memorials of Bards were, in. request: whilst he " lived, the sovereign of the land of heroes, it was his " custom to bestow benefits and honour, and fleet coursers, " on the ^wearers of long blue robes." In a poem addressed to Owen Ci/veiliawg, Prince of Povvys, who was himself a distinguished Bard, Cynddehv makes repeated mention of the Druids, and their cerdd Ogyrven, or songs of the Goddess ; that is, the mystical Itrains of Taliesin. The piece opens thus. Dj'sgogan Derwyddon dewrwlad y esgar, Y wysgwyd weiniviad : >; r-Iis .' ysgweinid C3'rdd cydneid cydnad, Cyd voliant gvvr gormant gormeisiad. 'f"" It is (commanded by Druids of the land, which dis- ^."lllays valour to the foe even by those administrators in '*^ flowing robes let songs be prepared, of equal move- 'ir s-o: > \ ' ' ' -^ r., ,,.., >^.. ,un. * W. Archaiol. p. 220 15 " ment and corresponding sound, the harmonious praise of " the hero, who subdues the ravager.*' In the next page, we find the Bard imitating the Dru- idical lore, or the mystical strains of Taliesin, and repre- senting his hero as having made no contemptible progress in the circle of transmigration. / Mynw ehovyn colovyn cyvwyrein, Mur meddgyrn mechdeyrn Mechein, Mwyn Ovydd i veirdd y vaith goelvain raa Meirch mygyrvan cynghan cein. Yn rhith rhyn ysgwyd ** Rhag ysgwn blymnwyd Ar ysgwydd yn arwain Yn rhith Hew rhag llyw goradain ; Yn rhith llavyn anwar llachar llain ; Yn rhith cleddyv claer clod ysgain yn aer Yn aroloedd cyngrain ; Yn rhith draig rhag dragon Prydain ; Yn rhith blaidd blaengar vu Ywain. #< " This intrepid hero, like a rising column, like a bul- wark, round the meadhoms of the rulers of Mechain, as ** a gentle ovate to the bards of the ample lot, imparts the " fair, lofty coursers, and the harmonious song, " In the form of a vibrating shield, before the rising '* tumult, borne aloft on the shoulder of the leader in the " form of a hon, before the chief with the mighty wings ** in the form of a terrible spear, with a glittering *' blade in the form of a bright sword, spreading fame in *< the conflict, and overwhebning the levelled ranks in t 16 * the fonn of a dragon, before the sovereign of Britain " and in the form of a daring wolf, has Owen appeared.'* Aftera few more sentences, the Bard presents us with a curious glimpse of the mystic dance of the Druids. Drud awyrdwyth,'amnwyth, amniver, Drudion a Beirddion A vawl neb dragon. it " Rapidly moving, in the course of the sky, in circles, in uneven numbers, Druids and Bards unite, in cele- brating the leader," The passages already cited, abundantly prove, not only that there were avowed professors of Druidism in North Wales and Powys, during the twelfth century, and that they regarded the same niystical lore, which is ascribed to Taliesin, as the standard of their system; but also, that their profession was. tolerated, ai^d even patronized, by the Princes of those districts. That the case was nearly the same in South Wales, ap- pears from several passages ; and particularly, from a con- ciliatory address to Rhys, the Prince of that country; in which Cynddelvv makes a general intercession for the cause, the mysteries, and the worship of the primitive Bards. He even introduces the sacred cauldron^ which makes ^ piin-* cipal figure in the mystical strains of Taliesin. T > Corv eurdorv can do hwyv i adrey Ith edryd ith adrawdd is nev Par eurglawr erglyw vy marddlevj .. 17 Pair Prydain provwn yn nhangnev. Tungnevedd am nawdd amniverwch riv, Riallu dyheiddwch. Nid achar llachar llavarwch ; Nid achles avles aravwch ; Nid achludd eurgudd argelwch ; Argel earth cerddorion wolwch. Dor ysgor ysgvvyddeu amdrwcli. Doeth a drud am dud am degwch ; Tarv aergawdd, aergwl gadarnwch. " O thou, consolidator of the cornel}' tribe ! since I am *' returned home into thy dominion, to celebrate thee under ** heaven O thou, with the golden, protecting spear, hear " my Bardic petition! In peace, let us taste the cauldron " of Prydain. Tranquillity round the sanctuary of the " uneven number^ with sovereign power extend! It (die " Bardic sanctuary) loves not vehement loquacity; it is no " cherisher of useless sloth; it opposes no precious, con- " cealed mysteries (Christianity): disgrace alone is ex- " eluded from Bardic worship. It is the guardian bulwark " of the breaker of shields. It is wise and zealous for " the defence of the country, and for decent manners ; a " foe to hostile aggression, but the supporter of the faint " in battle." In the elegy on the death of Rhiryd, as well as in the passage just cited, Cynddelw seems disposed to reconcile the mystical fables and heathen rites of Druidism, with the profession of Christianity ; for, immediately after an invo- cation of the Trinity, he proceeds thus. Mor wyv hygleu vardd o veird Ogyrven ! Mor wyv gwyn gyvrwy v nidwyv gyvyrwen I 18 Mor oedd gyvrin fyrdd cyrdd Kyrridwen : Mor eisiau eu dwyn }ii eu dyrwcn ! * " How strictly conformable a Bard am I, with the Bards " of the mystic Goddess! How just a director, but no im- *' peder ! How mysterious were the ways of the songs of " Ceridwen! How necessary to understand them in their ** true sense !" Here is a direct testimony in favour of those mystical songs, which deduce their origin from the cauldron of Ce- ridwen, and which the Bard regards as the standard of his own fanatical system. He professes to have understood them in their true sense; and that they were the genuine works of Taliesin, is declared in the same poem. O ben Taliesin barddrin beirddring ; Barddair o'm cyvair ni bydd cyving. " From the month of Taliesin is the Bardic mystery con- " ceuled by the Bards ; the Bardic lore, by my direction, ** shall be set at large." Pliny's account of the Ovum Anguinnm is sufficiently Icuown: but it may be conjectured, from the language of Cynddelw, that the ungues, or serpents, which produced tliese eggs, were the Druids themselves. Tysiliaw terwyn gywrysed Parth a'm nawdd adrawdd adrysedd J Peris >>er or niver nadredd, Praf wiber wibiad amrysedd.f W. ArcliaioJ. p. 230. + Ibid. p. 243. 19 " Tysilio, ardent in controversy, respecting my sane-* " tuary, declares too much. Nir (the God of the ocean) " produced^ out of the number of vipers, one huge viper, " with excess of windings, Tysilio, the son of Brochrsel, Prince of Powj^s, in the seventh century, wrote an ecclesiastical history of Britain, which is now lost. It is probable, from this passage, that an explanation and exposure of Druidical mythology, con- stituted part of his subject; and that the story of the huge serpent, was one of the fables which he ascribed to them. These specimens may suffice to ascertain Cynddelw's opi- nion of the Druids, and their mystical lore.' It is clear, this great Bard was, in profession, half a Pagan, and so he was regarded. Hence, the monks of Ystrad Marchell sent him notice, that they could not grant him the hospi- tality of their house whilst living, nor Christian burial when dead.* Llywarch ab Llywelj'n, was another cathedral Bard, who wrote between the years 1160 and 1220. He thus speaks of the privileges of his office, and his connectioa with the Druidical order. Vy nhavawd yn vrawd ar Vrython O vor Ut hyd vor Iwerddon. Mi i'm deddv wyv diamiyson, O'r priv veirdd, vy mhrlv gyveillion.f " My tongue pronounces judgment upon Britons, from W. Archaiol. p. 263. t Iiid. p. 23. C 2 20 ** the British channel to the Irish sea. By my iristittite, I *' am an enemy to contention of the order of the primi- *' tive Bards, who have been my early compajiions." He admits the power and efficacy of the mystical cauldron. Duw Dovydd dym rydd reitun Awen ber Val o bair Kyrridwen.* " God, the Ruler, gives me a ray of melodious song, a " if it were from the cauldron of CeridwenJ' And, again, in his address to Llywel}"!!, the son of lor- werth, he acknowledges Taliesin as the publisher of the mystical train. ^ Cyvarchav i'ni Rhen cyvarchvawr Awen,, Cyvreu Kyrridwen, Rhwyv Barddoni, Yn dull Taliesin yn dillwng Elphin, Yn dyllest Barddrin Beirdd vanieri. - . -"I will address my Lord, with the greatly greeting muse, " with the dowry of Kyrridwen^ the Ruler of Bardism, " in the manner of Taliesin, when he liberated Elphin, ** when he overshaded the Bardic mystery with the banners " of the Bards." t In the same poem, the Bard speaks of Druidical vatici- nations, as known in his time. W. Archaiol. p. 290. + Mr. Turner's Tranilation. Darogan Merddin dyvod Brcyenhin O Gymry werin, o gamhwri : Dywawd Dervvyddon dadeni haelon, O hil eryron o Eryri. ** Merddin prophesied, that a King should come, from *' the Cymry nation, out of the oppressed. Druids have *' declared, that liberal ones should be born anew, from the *' progeny of the eagles of Snowdon." Such is the testimony of this venerable Bard, as to the genuineness of those mystical poems, which bore tlie name of J'aliesin and Merddin; and in which the lore of the Pruids was communicated to the Britons of his age. Elidyr Sais, the contemporary of Llywarch, deduces the melody of his lines from the mystic cauldron,^ Ayhich had been the source of inspiration to Merddin, as well as to Taliesin^ Llethraid vy marddair wedi Merddia Llethrid a berid o bair Awen.* ** Flowing is my bardic lay, after the model of Merd" ** din: a smootlmess produced from the caiuldron of the *' Awen. Philip Bkxd,ydd was another Bard, who enjoyed the \ privilege of the chair of presidency, and wrote between the ' years 1200 and 1250. This author, alluding to a dispute, in which he had been engaged with certaiin pretended W. Aichaiol. p.250,25. % Bards, or mere poets, in the court of Rhys, Prince of South Wales, thus expresses his sentiments. Cadair Vaelgwn hir a huberid i Veirdd ; Ac nid i'r goveirdd yd gyverchid : \ Ac am y gadair honno heddiw bei heiddid Bod se ynt hervvydd gvvir a braint yd ymbrovid ; Byddynt Derwyddon pruddion Prydain ; Nis gvvaew yn adain nid attygid.* " The chair of the great Maelgwn was publicly prepared " for Bards; and not to poetasters was it given in com- " pliment : and if, at this day, they were to aspire to that " chair, they would be proved, by truth and privilege, to ** be what they really are: the grave Druids of Britain " would be there} nor could these attain the honour, though " their wing should ach with fluttering." The chair of Maelgwn, it is known, was filled by the mystical Taliesin; and the Bard declares, that grave Druids, whose prerogative it was to determine the merit of candidates for this chair, were still in bemg. In the same poem, he asserts the dignity of the Druidical order, and ridicules some popular errors respecting their scanty means of subsistence. Ar y lien valchwen ni vylchid ^y braint Yd ysgamwd henaint ag ieuenctid. Rhvvng y pren frvvythlawn A'r tair priv fynawn, Nid oedd ar irgrawn Yd ymborthid. m W. Archaiol. p. 377. 23 .*' Of the proud white garment (the Druidiccd rohe) which *' separated the elders from the youth, the privilege might ** not be infringed. Between the fruit-bearing tree, and *' the three primary fountains, it was not upon grtrc 6cr- " ries that they subsisted." v The fruit-bearing tree was the same as the arbor fru- gifera of Tacitus, and Merddin's Avallen Beren the means of divining by lots, as will be seen hereafter. The three mystical fountains are the theme of Taliesin, in a poem which treats of the foi-mation of the world. The Bard, therefore, implies, that religious mystery, and the profession of physiology, were , sources from which the Druids derived a comfortable support. Hywel Voel wrote between 1240 and 1280. In an ode, addressed to Owen, the son of Gruffudd, he compares his hero to Gwron, one of the three founders of Druidism, and acknowledges him as protector of the city, or commu- nily of Bards. Digabyl wawr, gwriawr val Gwron, Gwraidd blaid bliant arwyddon s Dinam hael, o hil eryron, Dinag draig dinas Cerddorian.-f- " Fairly dawning, manly-like Gwron, the root whence " sprung the pliable tokens (the mystical sprigs or lots) " blameless and liberal, of the race of eagles, undoubted " dragon (guardian) of the city of Bards." W. Archaiol. p. 393. 24 ^ We shall find, that eagles and dragons are conspicuouf figures in Bardic mythology. Madawg DwYGRAiG lived at the period when the Welsh government was finally ruined, and wrote between the years 129Cf and 1340. He thus laments the death of his patron, Gruffudd ab Madawg. Yn nhair llys y gwys gwaisg ddygnedd, Nad byw llun teyrnaidd Uyw, llin teyrnedd Balch y beirdd, bobl heirdd harddedd h u ysgwr Bryn, hynavwalch gwr brenhineidd wedd. Yn nhrevgoed i'n rhoed anrhydedd Digeirdd Ym, ac virein veirdd am overedd, Yn gynt no'r lluchwynt arllechwedd Ystrad.* " In three halls is felt the oppression of anguish, that he ** lives not, the chief of princely form, of the ro^^al and *' proud line of the Bards, a dignified race, the ornament " of Hu, darting on the mount, most ancient of heroes, " of kingly presence. In the dwelling of the wood (the '* sacred grove) honoirr was awarded to its: whilst uninsti- " tuted, though elegant Bards, were pursuing vanity " swifter than the sudden gale, that skims over the sloping shore.** It will be seen hereafter that Hu, to whom the Bards were devoted in their hallowed wood, was the great damon god of the British Druids. We are now come down to the age of Edward the First, W. ArcliaioJ. p. 481. 25 the reputed assassinator of the Bards, the tale of whose X cruelty has been immortalized by the pen of Grey. But here, fame has certainly calumniated the English King; for there is not the name of a single Bard upon record, who suffered, either by his hand, or by his orders. His real act was the removal of that patronage, under which the Bards had hitherto cherished the heathenish su- perstition of their ancestors, to the disgrace of our native Princes. A threefold addition to such extracts as the preceding, might easily be made from the writers of this period; but, I trust, what is here produced, will be deemed an ample foundation for the following inferences : 1. That the ancient superstition of Druidism, or, at least, some part of it, was considered as having been preserved in Wales without interruption, and cherished by the Bards, to the very last peripd of the Welsh Princes. 2. That these Princes were so far from discouraging this superstitition, that, on the contrary, they honoured its pro- fessors with their public patronage, S. That the Bards who flourished under these Princes, ^specially those who enjoyed the rank of Bardd Cadair, or filled the chair of presidency, avowed themselves true dis- pipl^s of the ancient Pruids 26 4. That they professed to have derived their knowledge of Diuidical lore, from the works of certain ancient and primitive Bards, which constituted their principal study, and which were regarded as genuine, tmd of good au- thority. 5. That amongst these masters, they mention, with emi- nent respect, the names of Taliesin and Merddin ; and particularly extol that mystical lore, which was derived from the cauldron of Ceridwen, and published by the for- mer of those Bards. 6. That they describe the matter contained in their sacred poems, as precisely the same which we still find in the njystical pieces, preserved under the names of Taliesin and Merddin; so that there can be no doubt as to the identity of those pieces. And, /. That upon the subject of genuine British tradi- tion, they specifically refer to no writers which are now extant, as of higher authority than Taliesin and Merddin. I therefore conclude, that the poems of the ancient Bards, here specified, however their value, as composition, may be appreciated, are to be ranked amongst the most authentic documents which the Welsh possess, upon the subject of British Druidism. A diligent attention to the works of those Bards, will enable us to bring forward some other ancient documents, which have been drawn up in a concise and singular I'orm, for the purpose of assisting the memory;- which arc evi- dently derived from the sources of primitive Bardic lore. ,* 27 and therefore are undoubted repositories of genuine British tradition. The documents I mean, are those which are generally called the historical Triads, though many of them, strictly speaking, are purely mythological. Tliese documents have lately been treated with much af- fected and unmerited contenipt. It is admitted, that the notices contained in some few of the Triads, appear, upon a superficial view, to be either absurd or trifling ; and it may be inferred, from one or two others, that the Welsh had not wholly relinquished this mode of composition, till a short period before the dissolu'* tion of their national government. It is also acknowledged, that the testimony of copyists, as to the antiquity of the MSS. which they consulted, goes no higher than to the tenth century. But these circumstances will hardly justify some modern critics in the assertion, that the Triads are altogether fu- tile ; that they are modern ; that there is no proof of their containing genuine Welsh tradition; and that they were never collected in writing before the date of those MSS. which are expressly recorded. Hardy assertion and dogmatical judgment are soon pro- nounced; but the candid and consistent antiquary, who shall refuse any degree of credit to the British Triads, will find many things to prove, as well as to assert, before he comes to his conclusioa* 28 I know of no peculiarity in the habits of the Celtic na- tions more prevalent, or which can be traced to higher an- tiquity, than their propensity to make ternary arrangement$^ to describe one thing under three distinct heads, or to bring three distinct objects under one point of view. This feature presents itself in their geographical and po- litical schemes. The nations of Gaul were divided into '^ three great confederacies ; the Belgetf the Aquitani, and the proper Celta: and these w^ere united in one body, by the Consilium totius GallitB, in which we find that the members of each confederacy had equally their seat.* Again : we are told, that m omni Gallia, or throughout these three confederacies, the inhabitants were distributed into three ranks the Druida, the EquiteSf and the Plebes ; and that the priesthood was subdivided into Druids, Bards, and Ovates, The Britons, in like manner, divided their island into Lloeger, Cj/mru ag Alban : and when they were shut up in Wales, that district, without regard to the actual number of their reigning Princes, constituted three regions, called Gwyneddy Pywys a Deheubarth; and each of these was distributed into a number of Cantrevs, Cwmmuds, and Trevs. That this humour of ternary classification pervaded the J[)ruidical school, I have already shewn from ancient autho- rity; which presents us with the only maxims of th^ Druids, which had become public, in the identical form of ^Velsh Triads. Cae*. de Bell. Gal. L. l c. SO.L. VI. c. S, The ancient Welsh laws, which were revised by Howel Dda in the former part of the tenth century, present us with a long book of Triads, and these are called Trioedd Ct/vraith, Tinades Forenses,* by way of distinction from the well-known Trioedd Ynys Prydain, Will it be said, that this national partiality to Triads had been forgotten for ages, and was afterwards renewed by the Welsh of the tenth century ? Or, if a dashing critic were to hazard the assertion, how is he to support it? Mr. Turner has demonstrated, that the Gododin of AneU' tin is a genuine composition of the sixth century. But so fond were the Britons of the ternary arrangement, in the days of Aneurin, that in one single page of that work, he distinctly recites the titles of ten Triads, and that merely in the description of an army. *" Taliesin, the contemporary of this Bard, is full of allu- sion to Triads, which had existed from remote antiquity, and wbich he cites with respect, by way of authority. For example. i. Tair fynawn y sydd. W. Archaiol. p. 20, 2. Trydydd par yngnad, p. S5. 3. Tri thri nodded. 4. Tri cham avlawg, p. 44. 5. Tri Uoneid Prydwen, p. 45. 6. Tri wyr nod, p. 48. 7. Tair blynedd dihedd, p. 49. 8. Tri dillyn diachor. * Wotton's Leg. Wall, L. IV. p. ^9, so 9. Tair llynges yn aches. 10. Tri divvedydd cad. 11. Tri phriawd Gwlad, p. 64. r 12. Tiy'dedd dovn doethur. 13. Tri chynweisad. 14. Tri chyvai-wydd, p. 65, 8cc. &c. That Triads were perfectly familiar to the age of Aneurin and Tnliesin, is a fact which needs no farther proof: and I know of no reason to sumiise, that they had not been committed to Avriting before that period. Some of the identical Triads, mentioned by the oldest Bards, are still preserved ; others have been lost. We do not possess a complete collection* of these scraps of anti- quity. The respectable antiquary, Thomas Jones, of Tre- garon, informs us, that in the year I6OI, he could recover only 126 out of the three hundred, a definite number of which he had some particular account. The research of later times has not been competent to make up the deficiency, f As the authority' of the Triads was quoted, with eminent respect, by the most ancient Bards now extant, we may fairly infer, that the matter contained in them was analo- gous fo the doctrine of those Bards, and that it is the genuine remains of more ancient Bards, who had professed the same religion. I shall make it appear, in the course of the Essay, that such was the real state of tlie affair. The term Collectinn lias offended some minute critics. They ask for tlie Poflk of 'J'riads and the name of the author. Tliey niipht as well ask for th Book of adages, and tlie name of the autlior. Lvery Triad is a whole in it- sfilf; and the ancient copyists transcribed onJy as many as iuilcd their occa- sion, or pleased 'heir fancy. t W. Archaiol. Vol. 11 p. 75. 31 Gut of the catalogue of Triads, I shall therefore only strike out about half a dozen, which refer to more recent facts in history, or else betray a tincture of the cloister; and the remainder I shall freely use, when occasion requires, in conjunction with Taliesiny ^neurin, and Merddin, as ge- nuine repositories of British tradition : and to these I shall add some mythological tales, which appear, from internal evidence and correspondent imagery, to have been derived from the same source. From the general persuasion of the , Welsh, and the known state of literature in the country, I had formed an opinion, that no documents, materially differing from those already mentioned, could have an equal claim to authenti- city, as Cambro-British tradition : and that the early Bards and the Triads were, in fact, the gi-eat sources of infor- mation upon this subject. Other records, however, in some respects irreconcileable with the former, have been pointed out of late years by Mr. Owen, the author of the Welsh-English Dictionary, and Mr. (?. Williams^ author of two volumes of ingenious poems. In order to estimate the value of such novel claimants a^ these records, I shall, first all, consider their pretensions, as stated by those writers who have announced them to the Public. Mr, Owen's edition of Llywareh Hen appeared in the 3^ year 1792. The introduction contains a long account of Bardism, dravm. up by the assistance of Mr. Williams, and from his communications. This account states, that the British constitution of Bardism, or Druidism, having con- tinued in Wales, without interruption, to the dissolution of the Cambro-British government, was, in consequence of that event, in danger of becoming extinct. But that within twenty years after the death of the last Llewelyn, certain members of the order established a chairs a kind of Bardic college, in Glamorganshire, which has continued to this day. A catalogue is given of the presidents and mem- bers of this chair, from Trahaeam Brydydd Mawr, the first president, or founder, in 1300, down to the present Mr. Ed. Williams. We are also told, that certain members, in the sixteenth century, began to collect the learning, laws, and traditions of the order into books ; that these collections were revised and ratified in the seventeenth century ; and that they are still received as the fundamental rules of the society.* From the passages to which I refer, it appears, that Mr. Owen derives his information from Mr. Williams; and the latter from the acts, traditions, and usages of the Chair of Glamorgan, as contained in their ratified documents of the seventeenth century. It may fairly be pleaded, that the acts of a society of Bards, which was incorporated within twenty years after the See Mr. Owen's Introd. to LI. Hen. pp. 60, 61. 6C. Mr. Williams's Poems, Vol. II. p. 94. See also Mr. Tnrncr's Vindication, p. 226, and a circumstantial uote, coinmunicated b^' Mr. 0\\en, p. i,'27, &c. 33 tiJeprivation of the Welsh Princes, the undoubted patronfl t)f Bards and Bardism ; and which has continued, without interruption, for five hundred years, must contain many cu- rious and important particulars relative to this ancient and national order of men. But a slight inquity into the credentials of the society itself, will discover some marks of gross misrepresentation, if not of absolute forgery ; and, consequently, suggest the necessity of great caution in admitting its traditions. 1. Trahaeam Brydydd Mawr is recorded as having pre- sided in the year 1300;* and several of his successors, between that date and 1370, are also mentioned. But the learned antiquary, Ed. Llwjrd, gives the area of the same Trahaeam, An. 1380;t a'^d this from the Red Book of Her- gest, a MS. written about the close of the fourteenth cen- tury, when the age of our Bard must have been accurately known. He could not, therefore, have presided in the year 1300, nor be succeeded by the persons who are recorded as his successors ; and thus the ratified account of the esta- blishment of the chair, betrays a combination of fraud and ignorance. 2. But in whatever manner this chair arose, its acts re- cord a schism, which dissolved the union of the order, and occasioned the chair of Glamorgan to separate from that of Carmarthen, in the middle of the fifteenth century, j It would therefore become a question, which party preserved, Owen's Introd. p. 62. + ArchsBol. Brit p. 264. X See Turner'* Vindic. p. 229, &c. and Ovre;i's Introd. p. 60. 34 the genuine usages of their predecessors ; for in such di* sentions, the right cause is always pleaded by both sides. 3. The celebrity and respectable support of the chair of Glamorgan, will go but a little way in the assertion of its cause. Such was 'its obscurity, that the Welsh nation, far from receiving its acts as the genuine tradition of the coun- try, had scarcely any knowledge or tradition of the exist- ence of such a society. The few rustics by whom the members were noticed in their fanatical meetings, generalli/ supposed them to be iiifideh, conjurors, and we know not what.* 4. It does not appear, from their own profession, nor from the research of Llwyd, and other antiquaries, that this society possessed a single copy of the works of the ancient Bards, previous to the eighteenth century: and they had not begun writing and digesting their own laws and insti- tutes, till more than two centuries and a half after the pre- tended sera of their establishment. The late collection of their acts, which was begun about the year lo60, and repeatedly altered, from that time to the year 1681, together with the avowed obscurity of the so-^ ciety in preceding times, may excite a suspicion, that in all instances, genuine tradition was not within their reach, however fair their pretensions to candour might have been ; for these were not of the illustrious line of primitive Bards, wearers of gold chains. And a defect of information actually appears, in an in- stance where we should, least of all, have expected to find it. II I . Ed. WilJiBins' Poems, V. II., p. 161. 35 Trahaearn is brought forward as the founder of the chair, l|||i or the first president; and yet the members have neither docuiiient nor certain tradition, by which they can identify the genuine composition of this father of the society. He is only supposed to be the same person, zvho distin^uis/:ed him- self under the assumed name of Casnodyn.* 5. But most of all, the information which Mr. Owen communicates, from the authority of the chair itself, ad- vises some suspension of confidence in the acts of this society. " In this respect (of religion) the Bards adhered to, or " departed from, their original traditions, only according ** to the evidence that might be acquired, from time to time, " in their search after truth." f And again " The continuation of the institution did not " depend upon the promulgation of certain articles of faith, ** but upon its separate principles of social compact." This is surely a very compliant system, totally different from the idea which I had formed of the primitive Bards or Druids, as sticklers for inveterate opinions, and supersti- tious rites. We must not ask the chair of Glamorgan, what were the opinions of the Bards a thousand years ago ; but what opinions do they choose to adopt at present ? A pretended search after truth leads men into the inextri- cable mazes of new philosophy and nero politics, as well as of neic religions, just as they are conducted by the various Owen's Cam. Biog, V. Trahaearn* t Introd. to Ll. H6n. p. 28. P 2 36* '$ frtiicics of their guides, or by their own ; and if a society avowedly departs from its original principles, to pursue on new path, I see no reason why it should be incapable of doing the same, to follow another. It may be wise for men to despise exploded errors, and addict themselves to a candid search after truth ; but if, at the same time that they take this salutary course, they pre- tend to be the sole and infallible repositories of ancient tra^ dition, ancient opinions, and ancient usages, they may surely be charged with inconsistency. For the reasons which I have now stated, I must take the liberty to search after facts, rather than adopt, with implicit confidence, the dogmas of this newly-discovered society. Mr. Williams, whether lie st5-1es himself president, of sole svirviving member, values himself highly upon his superior collection of Welsh manuscripts. Whatever he has, that can bear the light, 1 should be glad to see it produced to the Public ; and I would cheerfully contribute my mite to facilitate its appearance. But he has no copy of a single British writer, more ancient, or better accre* dited, than those which I adduce in the course of my in- quiry, and which the light, held forth from his chair, haft certainly misrepresented. I therefore appeal, from his whole library, to the autho- rity of documents, which have been known for ages to exist ; which are now accessible to every man who under- stands the language ; and which, as I have already shewn, have been regarded as authentically derived from the Dru- idical school. 37 In order to ascertain, as nearly as I can, that degree of credit which is due to the ancient Bards, it is part of iny plan to confront them with a few historical facts relative to the Druids. Mr. Williams cannot object to the candour of my pro- ceeding, if, occasionally, I bring the dogmas of his society to the same impartial test. The result I shall submit, with- out hesitation, to the judgment of the reader. In the first place, then, it is well known, that amongst the subjects in which the Druids were conversant, the pro- fession of magic made a prominent figure. Dr. Borlase has a whole chapter, well supported with authorities " Of " their divinations, charms, and incantations ;" and another " Of the great resemblance betwixt the Druid and Persian " superstition." * Pliny calls the Druids, the Magi of the Gauls and Britons : f and of our island he says expressly ^' Britannia hodie earn (sc. Magiam) attonite celebrat, tantis '* cajremoftiis^ ut earn Persis dedisse videri possit." Such authorities, together with the general voice of the Bards, as it reached my ear, I regarded as a sufficient jus- tification for having denominated the lots of the Druids magical lots. But this, it seems, has given umbrage to the present representative of Taliesin. In an unprovoked at- tack upon my book, he asks " Why did Mr. Davies im- <*pute magic to the British Bards, or Druids? In the many " thousands of ancient poems still extant, ther^ is not a *' syllable that mentions, or even alludes to any such thing." - Antiq. of Cornwall, B. U. ch. 21, 22. * L. 29, c. i^ . 38 This assertion, coming from a man who has, for many years, been an adept in the mysteries of Bardism ; zcho pos- sesses and has read more Welsh MSS. th7 In the following poem, we find him labouring to effect a reconciliation with the grandsons of" his patron; but with what success, is unknown at present. The reader will par- don my giving a translation of the whole piece, as it con- stitutes no unfavourable specimen of the Bardism of the fourteenth century. Sung, by Trahaeam the great poet, in praise of Howel of Llan Dingad, in the vale of Towy, 1350.* l.f A dauntless 'leader in the conflict, the very energy of heroism, was the valiant Howel; eminently severe in the work of violence; proud and bright as a dragon, directing the death of the foe : and this dragon, I know, will be illustrious in the memorials of his country. A dismal carnage was seen amongst the people, when the daring hawk gave battle. In equal pace rushed the cata- racts of blood, and the incessant spears, during the shock. Woe's my heart, that I remained silent for a single night ! 3. Wider and wider did the groans of nature extend, when W. Archaiol. p. 499. The editors have probably inserted 1350, by way of accommodation with the chronology of the chair. The only copy to which they refer, as their original, has the date 1380. which came from the authority of Dr. Davies of Mallwyd, and is the same which is given by Ed. Llwyd, in Lis ArchcEologia. t The places mentioned in this poem, are in the neighbourhood of Llando' very. Llandlngad is the parish in which that town is situated. The manor of Hirvryn comprehends part of that parish. Caew, or Cynuil Gaio, is at the dis- tance of about ten miles, oa the Llanbedr road ; and Myddvai, which joins the parish of Llandingad, was famous for its succession of physicians, in the family of lihiwaUawn, from the 13th t the 18th century. F 2 68 the vessel of racking poison poured the pangs of destiny,* whilst he was encouraging his host to protect tlie vale of Towy, a place which is now desolate, without a chief. To be silent henceforth, is not the act of manhood. 4. For the Lion, of shivered spears ; for the shield of bra- very, there is now crying and lamentation, because our hope is removed the chief with the huge clarions, whose whelming course was like the raging sea. The afflicted host of Lloegr -f did he consume in his descent, like the tumultuous flame in the mountain heath. ;{: 5. Though fierce in his valour, like Lleon, \vith a violent, irresistible assault, he vaulted into battle, to plunder the King of Bernicia; yet the hero of the race of Twedor, the ravager of thrice seven dominions, was a placid and liberal-handed chief, when he entertained the Bards at his magnificent tabic. 6. With the rage of Ocean, he raised aloft the shield of the three provinces. His hand was upon the sword, spotted with crimson, and the scabbard adorned with gold. Then had tlie severe Lion uninterrupted success, in the deadly battle of Caere: the area was filled with terror, and the * It appears b^ this passage, that poison had been administered to the war* rior, just as lie was going to battle. f England. t It is the custom in many parti of Wales, to bum the heaths upon the mountains, in order to clear the turf, which is paiied off, for fuel. $ Some nobleman, wrho took bis title from a place in the North, or within the limits of aucieut Bernicia. 69 buildings reduced to ashes, as with the wrath of JLlyr Lie- diaith, and the conduct of Cai.* 7. But the drugs of Myddvai caused the mead banquets to cease within those gates, where energy was cherished by the assiduous friend of Genius, the ruler of battle, the benefactor of strangers, in his ever-open hall so that now he lives no more the leader of spearmen, of illustrious race, the arbiter of all the South. 8. A thousand strains of praise are preparing, as a viaticum, for this gem of heroes, this mighty eagle, by my golden muse : a prudent, a fortunate, an irresistible chief was he, in the tumults of his principality : his spear dispossessed the aliens ; for he was the foe of slavery, 9. To him be awarded, by the righteous Judge, the patri- mony of paradise, in the land of the blessed a portion which has been prepared (and the only portion which vio- lence cannot remove) by the favour of h^m, who presides over the pure, and the perfect in faith ! 10. And may the God who beholds secrets, the supreme supporter of princes, and the all-knowing Son of Mary, cause, by his pure good will, by the visible and speedy endowment of his sincere favour, that Howel's chief Bard, after his being long disowned. * Heroes of ancient fable, who will be mentioned again in the course of this Essa^. 7(V 11. May remain with his generous grandsons, the objects of the wanderer's vows ! Though dreadful in battle, was the blade of Einion the judge ? yet was he a golden president in his district, an entertainer of the Muses, in the great sanctuary of the children of panegyric the supporter of thousands. 12. I will not dissemble. As it is my privilege to judge, I will declare my sentiment, that no wayzcard lampoon shall sport with the great renozcn of the hero ; and, that I shall not he found in the company, or in the form of an outlaw, or without a pledge of inviolable faith towards the clergif. 13. I am blameless, and entitled to the peace of the plough, the general and free boon of the warrior, according to the established and sincere decree of the great, unerring Fa- ther, the love-difFusing Lord, the supreme dispenser of light. 14. I will relate (and the tribute of love will I send forth) a golden tale, a canon of the natural delineation of the muse for my tribe : and this with joy will I do, to prevent the colouring of falsehood, till the spring of my genius be gone, with the messenger that calls me hence. 15. For want of the discretion to compose good words, I have lost the incessant invitation to the cauldrons, and the munificent banquets of the land of eloquence, and generous 71 horns of delicious liquor, amongst the mighty pillars of battle, whose hands brandish the glittering sword. 16. Wretched is he, whose lot it has been to lose the mead and the wine, that flow to the frequenters of those halls, which are liberal to every claimant ; and the frank invita- tions, and the presents, of those Dragon chiefs, who pour forth thy precious showers, O vale of Towy ! 17. Every night is my grief renewed with the thought, that by the violence of one rqsh transgression, I have forfeited the valuable privilege, and lost the protecting power of the sup- porter of the splendid host, the hero, of the seed of Mer- vin. Of his sparkling wine, and his scarlet, I partake no more 18. Yet still, with due .and lasting praise, shall be celebrated the munificent shower of the hawks of Hirvryn, the last of that warlike race, which derives its blood from the line of the slaughterer ; and my eagle, the leader of the em- battled spearmen, of the district of Dingad. He who peruses this poem, must be immediately con- vinced, that the feelings and sentiments of Trahaearn are utterly irreconcileable with the principles, which he is re- presented as having taught. The Bard is neither shocked at the exertion of military spirit, nor backward in espousing the cause of his country and b's patron, as well as x)f his own appetite. And here is not a syllable that countenances the doctrine of perfect equality. 72 As I shall have occasion to mention the nocturnal mys- teries of the Bards, I must just take notice of another dogma of the boasted chair, which asserts, that the Bards did every thing in the eye of the light, and in the face of the sun; and, that none of their meetings conld be holden, but in a conspicuous place, whilst the sun was above the horizon.* As this unqualified publicity is referred to the principles and practice of the Druids, it must stagger the confidence of those who have been accustomed to contemplate the awful secrets of the grove, and the veil of mystery which w^as thrown over the whole institution. The annual, or quarterly sessions of the Druids, where they sat, f in loco consecrato, to hear and decide causes, may have been held in a conspicuous place, and by day : and thus much may be inferred, from their mounts of as- sembly; but what regarded their internal discipline, and the mysteries of their religion, was certainly conducted with greater privacy, " JDocent multa, nobilissimos gentis," says P. Mela, *' clam, et diu, vicenis annis, in specu, aut in abditis " saltibus. II And their effectual regard to secrecy, is for- cibly pointed out, by what the author immediately adds See Owen's Introd. to LI. H6n, p. 27, 48. Also, Williams's Poems, V. II. p. 39, note, and p. 216. + In a consecrated place. X " They give lessons upon a varietj of snbjecta, t9 the first nobility of the ' nation." $ " These lessons are private, and continaed for a long time for the space of twenty years, in a cave, or amongst inaccessible forests." B Lib. 111. c. 2. 75 ^<^*Unum ex iis, quae praecipiunt, in vutgus effluxii."*^ The attentive ear of curiosity had been able to catch but owe of their institutional Triads. :.n a ' Caesar also mentions the solicitude of the Druids, lest their discipline should be exposed to public view : and their religious meetings, though covered by the inaccessible grove, virere holden in the night, as well as at noon. .' ' ' " f Medio cum Phoebus in axe est, Aut Coelum nox atra tenet." + I i;i ^im'iofei With all this, the celebration of the nightly mysteries, described in the chair of Taliesin, his Ogov Gorddewirij Cave, or Specus of the Arch-Diviner, the torches of Cerid- wen, which flamed at midnight, and at the dawn, together with Merddin's concealment in^the Caledonian forest, per- fectly accord, ; j .- . . ' - 'i I shall close my preliminary section, when I have brought the Bards into one more point of comparison with their venerable instructors, the Druids. This ancient order of men does not recommend itself to our notice, merely as teachers of a false philosophy, or presidents of a gloomy superstition. * One of the maxims which they teach, has found its way to the Public; + " When the sun is in th covers tlie sky." % Lucon. Fharsal. Lib. III. + " When the sun is in the middle of his course, or when the dark nifi ' -covers tlie sky." ; # 7* " The Druids were remarkable for justice, moral and " religious doctrines, and skill in the laws of their country : ** for which reasdn, all disputes were referred to their arbi- " tration : and their decision, whether relating to private " and domestic, or public and civil affairs, was final." * Mela, speaking of the three nations of Gallia Comata, says " f Habent facundiam suam, magistrosque sapientiae, Druidas."J Sotion, in Libro successionum, confirmat, Dntidas, di" villi, humanique Juris, peritissimos fuis&e. The learned Mr. Whitaker regards the three first books of the Lazes of Hozeel, as comprising the Laws of the An- cient Britons. And the Manksmen ascribe to the Druids, those excellent laws, by which the Isle of Man has always been governed. I| < Whether these decisions be allowed in a full, or only in a qualified sense, they seem utterly incompatible with the doctrine of that chair, which admits of a continual lapse in religious principles, the only real foundation of laws and tjf morals ; which disallows the existence of human authoriti/, and insists upon an equality so absolute, as to preclude 'all just subordination, and established order in society. Borlase, B. II. ch. 13, from Strabo, Lib. IV. t " They have an eloquence of their own, and their Druids as teachers of " wisdom." t Lib. III. c. 2. $ Lei. de Script. Brit. p. 5. D See Carte's Hist. p. 46. 75 That admirable Triad, recorded by Diogenes Laertius, as a leading principle of the Druids, is of a complexion very different from this. It recommends piety towards the Deity, innocence in our intercourse with mankind, and the exercise of fortitude in the personal character : and hence it prepares us to look for something of value in their moral instructions. And as the Batds profess to have drawn all their doctrihes from the Druidical fcrtintain, I think, there is no subject which ascertains the authetiticity of their pretensions bet- ter, than that of moral instruction, and the study of human nature. Their lessons of this kind, however, are generally comprised in short and pithy aphorismsj,? '^n/i.^ Amongst the most curious remains of the old Bards, we may class those metrical sentences, called tribanau, or trip^ lets. Each of these is divided into three short verses, which are again united by the final rhymes. , The most singular fixture of these versicles is, that the sense of the two first verses has no obvious connection with that of the last. The first line contains some trivial re- mark, suggested by the state of the air, the season of the year, the accidental meeting of some animal, or the Uke. To this is frequently subjoined, something that savours faiore of reflection ; then the third line comes home to the heart, with a weighty moral precept, or a pertinent remark upon men and manners. My meaning will be best ex- plained by a few examples. Eiry mynydd gwangcus lar Gochwiban gwynt ar dalar Yn yr ing gorau yw'r Cif. 76 " Snow of the mountain ! the bird is ravenous for food " Keen whistles the blast on the headland In distress, the " friend is most valuable !" ' Glaw allan, yngan clydwr Melyn eithin ! crin evwr ! Duw Rheen, py beraist lyvwr ! " It rains without, and here is a shelter What! the ** yellow furze, or the rotten hedge ! Creating God ! why *' hast thou formed the slothful !" Y ddeilen a drevyd Gwynt* Gwae hi o'i thynged Hen hi ! eleni y ganed ! " The leaf is tossed about by the wind- < " Alas, how wretched is fate ! " It is old ! But, this year was it born !'* I seem already to perceive a smile upon the countenance of the critical reader. The force of the concluding maxim, or the depth of reflection, and accuracy of remark, which it evinces, will hardly protect our Druidical lectures from the charge of puerile conceit. I do not bring forward our British Doctors as men of the highest polish, or most accu- rate taste. But let JUS consider, if any thing can be said in their defence. Some praise must be due to the ingenuity of a device, which was calculated, through the rudeness of ancient The true reading seems to be Y ddeilen-gwynt a'i threved. 77 British society, to lead the mind, imperceptibly, from a trivial remark upon the screaming of hungry birds, the state of the weather, or a dry leaf tossed about by the wind, to the contemplation of moral truth, or to pertinent reflection upon the state of man. And these triplets, which the people learned by rote, were pecuUarly adapted to pro- duce such a salutary effect. For the introductory objects of remark, being of the most familiar kind, were daily before their eyes : and their very occurrence would naturally suggest those maxims and reflections, which the memory had already connected with them. A nation wholly unrefined, and which, at best, had but a scanty supply of books, and those in few hands, must have found the benefit of this mode of instruction. AVhatever page of nature was presented to their view, their teachers had contrived to make it a page of wisdom. Let us apply this observation to the examples which I have given. The appearance of snow upon the hills, or of hungry and screaming birds, suggests the remark " There *' is snow upon the mountain ; the bird screams for food." With this, the memory connects the second clause, de- scribing a cold and dreary season, in which man, as well as the wild fowl, probably felt distress. " Keen whistles the " blast on the headland." Then the third clause, drawn by the chain of memory, comes homeito the bosom, and excites a feeling suitable to such a season. " In distress, " the friend is most valuable." As if his heart had com- manded him " Now go, and perform the most sacred of ** social duties relieve thy distressed friend." So, in the second triplet, a man who has neglected his duty or his business, to indulge an indolent habit, is re- 78 minded, by a sprinkling shower, of the trivial remark- " It rains without, but here is a shelter." He then recol- lects " What, the yellow furze, or the rotten hedge !" And is ashamed of his indolence. This feeling is ifljjme- diateU' strengthened by the emphatical reflection " Cre- " ating God! why hast thou formed the slothful!" The emblem of the shortness and frailty of human life, in the third example, is sufficientl}' obvious. I shall subjoin a few more translated specimens of Celtic ethics. " It is the eve of winter social converse is pleasant " The gale and the storm keep equal pace 'To preserve a " secret, is the part of the skilful (Gelvydd)." " It is the eve of winter. Tlie stags are lean the tops " of the birch are yellow : deserted is the summer dwelling a Woe to him who, for a trifling advantage, merits " disgrace." " Though it be small, yet ingenious is the bird's fabric " in the skirt of the wood ^I'he virtuous and the happy " are of equal age." ** Chill and wet i^ the mountain Cold is the gre}' ice " Trust in God ; he will not deceive thee ; nor will perse- " vering patience leave thee long in affliction." " It rains without ; the brake is drenched with the shower " The sand of the sea is white with its crown of foaju " Patience is the fairest light for man." 79 *' Snow of the mountain ! bare is the top of the reed *' The man of discretion cannot associate with the silly. " Where nothing has been learned, there can be no ge- '* nius." " Snow of the mountain ! the fish are in the shallow " stream The lean, crouching stag seeks the shady glen ** God will prosper the industry of man." " Snow of the mountain ! the birds are tame The dis- " erectly happy needs only to be born God himself cannot " procure good for the wicked." Though it be admitted, that this method of teaching moral wisdom, ^2& continued by the Britons for some time after the introduction of Christianit}'^, yet I think, for several reasons, that this singular mode of classing the ideas, was derived from the school of the Druids; and that several of the triplets, still extant, have descended from their times. The sentences are divided into three members each; and three was a sacred and mystical number amongst the Druids. The metre is also the most ancient, of which the Welsh have any tradition. And it does not- ajppear from history, that the Britons could have borrowed the model of such composition from any nation with which they were con- nected, since the period of the Roman conquest. The plan of these triplets has that mixture o{ rude sim- plicity, and accurate observation, which history ascribes to 80 the Druids. Here, the barbaric muse appears in her rustic dress, without a single ornament of cultivated taste. This sententious way of writing has, for many centuries^ become obsolete amongst the Welsh. Nothing of this cha- racter is found in those Bards who have written since the Norman conquest. Even the metre has scarcely been used since the time of Llywarch Hen, in the sixth century^ Taliesin and Aneurin seem to have rejected it as antiquated, and too simple and unadorned. The introduction of this style of philosophizing, was certainly long before the time of any known Bard, whose works are now extant. For in our oldest poems, we find several of these maxims detached from their connection, and used as common-place aphorisms. And moreover, the very same aphorisms, as being now public property, are employed, without scruple, by several contemporary Bards, though the simple form of the triplet had been generally laid aside. Beside the triplets here described, there are certain moral stanzas, of six or eight lines each, consisting of detached sentences, connected only by the final rhymes, and each stanza beginning with Eiry Mynydd, Snow of the Moun- tain. These seem to be nothing more than metrical arrange- ments of aphorisms, taken from ancient triplets. The two first are as follows : * " Snow of the mountain! troublesome is the world I Twelve of these are ascribed to Mervin Gwawdrydd, whose age is unknown, unless it be a corrupt rc-aditif; for Anturin Gwawdrydd} and niueteeu bear the name of a sob gf Lij^warch H^a. 81 " No man can foretel the accidents to which wealth is ex- " posed. Arrogance will not arrive at a state of security. " Prosperity often comes after adversity. Nothing endures " but for a season. To deceive the innocent, is utterly dis- *' graceful. No man will ever thrive by vice. On God " alone let us place our dependence.". " Snow of the mountain ! white is the horn of smoke. " The thief is in love with darkness. Happy is the man *' who has done no evil. The froward is easily allured to " do mischief. No good befals the lascivious person. An " old grudge often ends in a massacre. A fault is most ** conspicuous in a prince. Give less heed to the ear, than " to the eye." The following are amongst the aphorisms of the other stanzas. " A noble descent is the most desolate of widows, unless " it be wedded to some eminent virtue." "In contending with direful events, great is the resource " of human reason." " The most painful of diseases, is that of the heart." '' The leader of the populace is seldom long in office." " For the ambitious, the limits of a kingdom are too " narrow." *' The blessing of competency is not inferior to that of **^ abundance." 82 " When the hour of extravagance is spent, that of indi- " gence succeeds." " Many are the friends of the golden tongue." '^ " Beware of treating any thing with contempt." " Obstruct not tiie prospect of futurity, to provide for " the present." " Pride is unseemly in a ruler." " The virgin's best robe is her modesty; but confidence ** is graceful in a man." " Freely acknowledge the excellence of thy betters." " A useful calling is more valuable than a treasure." " Like a ship in the midst of the sea, without rope, or *' sail or anchor, is the young man who despises advice." The stanzas of the months, ascribed to Aneurin, are en- titled to some notice, as containing a singular mixture of moral and pliysical remarks. Thus, for example. "In the month of April, thin is the air upon the heights. *' The oxen are wear}'. Bare is the surface of the ground. ^ " Tlie guest is entertiiined, though he be not invited. The ^' stag looks dejected. Playful is the hare. Many are " the faults of him who is not beloved.* Idleness is un- " worthy of the healthy. Shame has no place on the cheek r . I.I. I II I . I ..I .1.1 ., , Or, II'Vio has no friend. 83 *' of the upright. Desolation awaits tlie children of the " unjust. After arrogance, comes a long abasement." The Viaticum of Lhvoedj a Bard of the tenth century, is the most modern production of any known author in this aphoristical style. I give the following specimens. " Wealth of the world ! let it go ; let it come ! Be it " disposed of as it may. A state of anxiety is upon a level " with real penury. Serenity will succeed, when the rain " is over." " Amongst the children of the same nursery, equality is " seldom found: the brave will play, whilst his blood is " flowing about him : the submissive will be trampled *' upon : the fierce will be avoided : the discreet is in co- " venant with prosperity; to him, God pours forth his " bounty." <* Confidence in noble blood, is like the billow that meets " the shore: whilst we are calling out Lo there!' it has " already subsided," " Incurious is the man who observes not who, though * he regard it unmoved, does not consider what may hap- * pen hereafter." * " Woe to the land where there is no religion !** *' The man who disbelieves a God, is incapable of reason." ** The man who breaks the unity of society, is the ble- ** mish of the assembly, the alBiction of the womb that * bare him, the detestation of the country." c 2 84 " Even in an act of profusion, have regard to economy.^ ^ " A profession is calculated for society ; a treasure-bag " for banishment." " The founding of a city, is the ruin of a desert.** . ^ A complete collection of the adages and moral maxims, preserved in the Welsh language, would fill a considerable volume. Hence it appears, that the application of the Bards to moral science, as well as the other pursuits of their genius, justifies their pretensions to the lore of the ancient Druids, 85 SECTION II. General View of Druidical Theology Character and Rites of Hu, the Helio-Arkite God-^the Bacchus of the heathen Britotis. J. N the introductory section of this Essay, I have brought home the profession of Druidism to the ancient Welsh Bards ; and, by a collatipn of several of the topics upon which they expiate, with classical authorities, have proved the justice of their claim to that character which they as- sume. I have also shewn, that the mythological Triads are founded in genuine British tradition ; and that the notices which these documents present, are, for the most part, con- sistent with the works of those Bards, who profess them- selves disciples of the Druids. From these authentic remains of British lore, I shall now endeavour to deduce such a general view of the theology and rites of our heathen ancestors, as the nature and extent of these documents will admit of. To attempt a complete investigation of every minute part of this subject, and to prepare myself to answer every question that may be asked, is not in my contemplation. This would be imposing upon myself a task, difficult in execution, and, perhaps, not very gratifying to the Public in its accomplishment. The hardy antiquary, who shall dare to penetrate far into the labyrinth of British mythology, will have frequent occasion to com- plain of the interruption of his clue, and the defect of 86 monuments, amongst our half Christian Bards. Yet the same Bards furnish hints abundantly sufficient, to point out in what the Druidical superstition chiefly consisted, and from what foundation it arose. And this seems to be all that can be interesting or important in the subject be-- fore us. As I would willingly qualify my reader, to satisfy his own curiosity, and form his own opinion, independent of mine, I shall suffer no assertion of moment to intrude upon him, without a full exhibition of the passage upon which it is grounded. This seems requisite in the present case. Were my evidence to be drawn from the writers of Greece and Home, or from well-known authors of modern times, it might be sufficient to cite books, chapters, and verses. But as Cambro-British documents are less accessible to the learned, I deem it expedient to produce the original words of my authors, with close English translations. Such au-? tborities will be occasionally introduced, where the subject calls for them. As several of the ancient poems, however, are of a miscellaneous nature, upon which various remarks will arise, I have thrown a collection of them together, as as Appendix, and I shall refer to then\ as they are numbered, Before I enter upon the discussion, it may be proper to apprize my reader, of the general deductions I make from these documents, respecting Hie nature and source of the Druidical superstition, that he may have a clear prospect of the point at which I mean to arrive, and be better enable4 to judge of my progress towards it, Pruidism, then, as we find it in British documents, was ft system of svperstitipn, composed of heterogeneous prin 87 ciples. It ackaowledges certain divinities, under a great variety of names and attributes. These divinities were, originally, nothing more than deified mortals, and material objects ; mostly connected with the history of the deluge : but in the progress of error, they were regarded as sym- bolized by the sun, moon, and certain stars, which, in consequence of this confusion, were venerated with divine honours. And this superstition apparently arose, from the gra- dual or accidental corruption of the patriarchal religion, by the abuse of certain commemorative honours, which were paid to the ancestors of the human race, and by the ad- mixture of Sabian idolatry. Such is the general impression, that the study of ancient British writings leaves upon my mind. This view, I am aware, differs from the opinion maintained by some re- spectable authors, that the Druids acknowledged the unity of God.* If ever they made such a profession, they must be un- derstood in the sense of other heathens, who occasionally declared, that their multitude of false gods really consti- tuted but one character ; and not as implying, that they worshipped the true God, and him alone. That they had no knowledge or recollection of the great FIRST CAUSE, I will not venture to assert. I have some reason to conclude, that they did acknowledge his exist- ence, and his providence; but they saw him faintly, through the thick veil of superstition, and their homage and ado- See Antiq. of Cornwall, p. 107. 88 ration were almost wholly engrossed by certain supposed agentS; of a subordinate nature. And the view of this subject, presented by the Bards, is consistent with history. Caesar, in his deliberate and cir- cumstantial account of the Druids, gives us this informa- tion. " Multa * de Deorum immortaliwn vi, ac potestate, " disputant, et juventuti tradunt. Deum maxime Mercu- " rium colunt hunc omnium inventorem artium ferunt " post hunc, Apolliiiem, et Martem, et Jovem, et Mi- " nervam. De his eandem fere , quam reliquae gentes, ha- ** bent opinionem," &c. This memorial was drawn up, after the historian had enjoyed a long and intimate acquaintance with Divitiacus, one of the principal of the order in Gaul; and after his repeated expeditions into Britain, where the institution was affinned to have originated, and where it was observed with superior accuracy in his time. Testimonies so precise and minute, coming from a writer thus circumstanced, must imply a considerable degree of publicity in this part of the Druidical doctrine. The priests of Gaul and Britain ac- knowledged a plurality of divinities, and maintained opi- nions respecting them, which were the same, in substance, with those of the Greeks and Romans. The gravity and dignity of our author's character, the pointed precision of his language, together with the pecu- liar access to accurate information, which his situation of- They dispute largely concerning ihe force and power of the immortal gods. a\)d instruct the youth in their principles. Of all the gods, they pay th greatest honours to Mercury, whom they represent as the niTentor of all arts. Alter him, they worship Apollo, and Mars, and Jupiter, and Minerva. Their ti)iuioa respeciing thescj nearly coincides with that of other nations, &c. 89 fered, must place his testimony above the reach of critical objection. Some allowance, however, may be demanded, for the force of the qualifying particle) ferh ; and the whole pas- sage may be understood as implying, that the similarity between the Celtic and the Roman superstition, was such, as to give Caesar a general impression of their identity ; and such as may furnish us with an argument, that they ori- ginally sprung from the same source ; though the gods of the Druids may not have exactly corresponded with those of the Greeks or Romans, in their pedigree, their names, or their attributes. The Druidical corresponded with the general superstition, not only in its theology, but also in the ceremonies by which the gods were worshipped. Dionysius informs us, that the rites of Bacchus were duly celebrated in the British islands:* and Strabo cites the authority of Artemidorus, that, " In " an island close to Britain, Ceres and Proserpine are vene- " rated, with rites similar to the orgies of Samothrace."f As it is, then, an historical fact, that the mythology and the rites of the Druids were the same, in substance, with those of the Greeks and Romans, and of other nations which came under their observation, it must follow, that these superstitions are reducible to the same principles, and that they proceeded from the same source. And here our British documents point, with clearness and Perieg. V. 565, &c. + Lib. IV. 90 energy, to the very same conclusions, which have been drawn by the best scholars, and most able antiquaries, who have treated of general mythology. Mr. Bryant, the great analyzer of heathen tradition, has, with luminous ability, traced the superstition of the Gen- tiles to the deification of Noah, his ark, and his immediate progeny, joined with the idolatrous worship of the host of heaven. I With a dutiful regard to his illustrious master, though superior to servile imitation, Mr. Faber pursues the inves- tigation still farther, and discovers, that Noah was tcor^ shipped in conjunction with the sun, and the ark in conjunct tion with the moon ; and that these were the principal divi- nities of tlie heathens. With this author's mysteries of the Cabiri, I was wholly unacquainted, at the time when I drew up the present Essay ; but I found in this book so many points of coincidence with my previous observations, that I determined to revise the whole, to alter a few para- graphs, and add occasional notes, That the opinion of the Public is not uniformly favour- able to these authors, I am fully aware. Some critics, taking a distant and prospective view of the subject, pronounce it an improbable hypothesis, that all antiquity should be so mad after Noah and the ark; whilst others, finding that the authors indulge in a fanciful system of etymology, coldly remark upon the fallacy of such a principle, and toss the books aside, as unworthy of farther notice. But surely it may be presumed, that those who thus condemn them in the mass, had either too much prejudice, or too little patience, to go step by step over the 91 ground. Men of learning and genius may have been se- duced, by a favourite system, into minute and particular errors and absurdities; and yet, the main scope of their argument may be perfectly just, and their general conclu- sions founded in truth. In the supposition, that Noah was a principal object of superstition to the Gentile world, I can discover no absur- dity a priori. It is admitted, that some, at least, of the heathen gods were nothing more than deified mortals, and that the worship of such gods was introduced very soorj after the age of Noah. It is then natural to presume, that this distinguished person must have been the first object of selection, in consequence of his relative situation, as the universal king of the world, and the great patriarch of all the infant nations. To this, some weight may be added, from his character and history, as the Just Man, whose integrity preserved himself and his family amidst the ruins of a perishing world. And this superstition being once set on foot, would naturally extend its honours to his sons and immediate descendants, as the founders of their respective nations. So again it is easy to conceive, that even in the age of Koah, the ark was commemorated with great respect, as, the means of miraculous preservation ; and that a growing superstition soon seized upon it, as an object of idolatrous worship ; or else, represented that Providence, which had guided it in safety, through the tumult of a boundless de, lu-e, as a benign goddess, the Genius of the sacred vessel. Just so the brazen serpent, set up by Moses in the wil- 9^2 derness, was adored by the idolatrous Israelites* just so, the Cross and the Virgin Mary are at this day abused by the church of Rome. There is, therefore, no absurdity in the grounds of the hypothesis, which can be allowed to miUtate against the clear deduction of facts. The scheme of etymology, it must be owned, has been carried to great lengths by these learned authors : and here, I think, they often lay themselves open to the censure of men, whose genius and attainments are greatly inferior to their own. The Greeks having admitted, that many of the terms connected with their superstition were of foreign origin, and some writers having asserted, that the language of the mysteries was that of Egypt, or of Assyria, these mytho- logists undertake to retrace the sacred terms of lieathenism, to the fountain from whence they sprung. With this view, each of them has selected a Ust of ancient primitives from various languages, but chiefly from the Hebrew and its dialects. Into these primitives, they resolve the sacred terms of all nations. The names of gods, heroes, inc. which, to the ordinary scholar, appear nothing more than plain Greek or Latin, are all referred to this mystic voca- bulary. Hence arises an occasion of charging the Greeks with the gross perversion of sacred titles and symbols, and the puerile corruption of foreign words, into something of similar sound in their own idiom, but of very different im- port from the original tradition ; and hence the magisterial 2 Kingij ch. xriii. v. 4. 93 practice of carrying them back, in disjointed syllables, to their supposed originals. This has given offence to many critical readers, who maintain, that by such a mode of proceeding, any common word may be forced into whatever meaning the author pleases. How far such a scheme of etymology may be allowed, I shall not pretend to determine. At the same time, I must acknowledge that, in my apprehension, these gentlemen have made an injudicious, as well as an intem- perate' use of it. Proofs of this kind seldom amount to demonstration. They give the reader too many occasions of hesitating, or of differing in opinion from his author; and thus tend to lessen that confidence, which might other- wise have been preserved by the legitimate argument, and the candid exposition of recorded facts, which are to be found in the works before us. Could I give an unqualified assent to the justice of these etymologies, yet, in my present subject, I should not be *^ able to reduce them to general practice. For though most of the sacred terms, employed in the British documents, f^ have meanings appropriate to the business in hand, and should therefore be translated, yet by far the greatest part of them are native terms of the British language, and ' have the same import with the corresponding terms in Greek mj-thology. Were I then to admit, that the Greek terms are nothing more than etymological blunders, I must also infer that the Britons, who furnish us with the very same blunders in their own dialect, derived their mythology immediately from the Greeks : but I have some reason to believe that this was Qot the case. 94 In the mystic Bards and tales, I find certain tetms/ which evidently pertain to the Hebrew language, or to some dialect of near affinity; as Adonai, the Lord; Al AduTy the Glorious God; Arazsn, the Arkite, and the hke. Taliesin, the chief Bard, declares, that his lore had been detailed in Hebraic;* and in a song, the substance of which he professes to have derived from the sacred Ogdoadf or Arkites, there are several lines together in some foreign dialect, apparently of great affinity with the Hebrew, though obscured by British orthography, f Hence I think it probable, that the Britons once had certain mystic poems, composed in some dialect of Asia; that this is a fragment of those poems; and that those parts of their superstition, w^hic^ were not properly Celtic, were derived from that quarter of the globe. And if so, our ancestors could not have obtained their sacred vocabulary, by adopt- ing the mere grammatical blunders of the Greeks. Thus I am compelled to decline any general assistance from the derivations of our learned mythologists. At the e same time, I shall not scruple to remark occasional coin- cidences between British terms, and those which appear in their works. This, I trust, I may do with impunity. If some of their etymologies are forced or doubtful, others may be natural, and well founded. Tlaus far I have deemed it prudent to meet the objections of criticism. Should this compromise prove unsatisfactory, I must farther declare, that the basis of my argument does See Appendix, No, 15. t Ibid. No. 12. 95 not rest upon the works of these authors. I cite them only for collateral proof, or elucidation of the evidence which I draw from another source; and, for the purpose of veri- fying the report of history, that the superstition of the Druids was radically the same with that of other nations: In my attempt to establish my main proposition, I mean to stand or fall upon my own ground. And to this end I must, first of all, produce evidence, that the people who professed Druidism, retained some memorials of the deluge, and of the patriarch of the new world. ^ The subject has already been touched upon in the volume which I lately published. I there remarked a curious record in the British Triads, of an awful event, namely. The bursting forth of the Lake of Llion, and the overwhelming of the face of all lands; so that all mankind were drowned, excepting Dwyvan and Dwyvach, who escaped in a naked vessel (or a vessel without sails), and by whom the island of Britain was repeopled. To this I subjoined a tradition, taken from the same documents, of the Master-works, or great achievements of the Island of Britain. The first of these was. Building th(i ship of Nevydd Nav Neivion, which carried in it a male and a female of every animal species, when the Lake of Llioh burst forth: and the second was, The drawing of tJie Avanc to laiid, out of the lake, by the oxen of Hu Gadam, so that the lake burst no more.* These are evident traditions of the deluge; and theii; ^ See Celt. lies. p. 157, from Archaiology of Wale$, V. II, p. 59, and 71. 96 IccaUty, as well as their other peculiarities, furnishes suffi- cient proof, that they must have been ancient national tra- ditions. Such memorials as these cannot be supposed to have originated in the perversion of the sacred records, during any age subsequent to the introduction of Chris- tianity. The contrary appears, from their whimsical dis- crepancy with historical fact. The Britons, then, had a tradition of a deluge, which had overwhelmed all lands ; but this deluge, according to them, was occasioned by the sudden bursting of a lake. One vessel had escaped the catastrophe: in this a single man and woman were preserved; and as Britain and its inhabitants were, in their estimation, the most important objects in the world, so we are told, that this island, in an especial manner, was repeopled by the man and woman who had escaped. This has no appearance of having been drawn from the record of Moses : it is a mere mutilated tradition, such as was common to most heathen nations. So again, the Britons had a tradition, that a vessel had been provided, somewhere or other, to preserve a single family, and the race of animals, from the destruction of a deluge; but they possessed only a mutilated part of the real history : and, as tradition positively affirmed, that their ozcn ancestors were concerned in the building of this vessel, they naturally ascribed the achievement to that country, in which their progenitors had been settled from remote antiquity. And lastly, they had a tradition, that some great operating cause protected the world from a re- petition of the deluge. They had lost sight of the true history, which rests this security upon the promise of the supreme Being, and ascribed it to the feat of a yoke of oxen, which drew the avanc, or beaver, out of the lake. An4 the want of more accurate information gave them an opportunity of placing this ideal achievement in the island of Britain. In such tales as these, we have only the vestiges of hea- thenism. Even the locality of British tradition is exactly similar to that of other heathen reports. To give one instance. The flood of Deucalion was undouhtedly the flbod of Noah. It is described by Greek and Latin writers, with circumstances which apply exclusively' to this event. There never has been another deluge, which could have home a vessel to the top of a lofty mountain, and which destroyed the whole human race, excepting those who were preserved in that vessel. Yet the Thessalians represented Deucalion, the person preserved, as one of their own princes, and affirmed, that the vessel which escaped the deluge, rested upon the top of Parnassus, a mountain of their own country. It may be remarked, .that upon their popular tradition of the deluge, the Britons grounded another national error. They represented the Cymry as having descended from one mother (the woman who disembarked from the sacred ship), within this island, or, in other words, that this was the cradle of the Cymry nation. And it appears from Caesar, that the Britons of his age, in the interior of this island, had the very same ancient tradition or memorial. Britan- nias pars interior ab iis incolitur, quos natos in insula ipsa, MEMORIA PRODITUM dicunt.* % De Bell. Gal. L. Y' c. 12. 9S But the mass of heathen tradition is always found to have some degree of inconsistency with itself. Some circum- stance of true history, which is disguised in one tale, is frequently let out in another. Thus I have remarked a tra- dition in the same Triads, which brings the Cymry under the conduct of Huy from a place called Defrobani, in the land of Hdv; and this is understood to imply the neigh- bourhood of Constantinople, in the eastern part of Thrace. The former may have been the popular tradition of the interior Britons, or what their teachers thought proper to inculcate to the multitude; whilst the latter belonged to those who had preserved a few more vestiges of ancient his- tory. And that this had been the route of the Cymry, in their progress out of Asia into Britain, is incidentally con- firmed by the popular tradition of the Britons respecting the deluge. For though the memory of this event was almost universal, yet the traditions of every people upon this subject, had some circumstances which were local, or nationally discriminative. And the tradition of Britons, and of the Samoikracians, as to the cause of the deluge, were precisely the same. The British tradition tells us, that the waters of a lake bunt forth, and the inundation covered the face of all lands. The same tale wrs told in the ancient Samos, which was, perhaps, the S'Hdm of British mythology. " Samothrace is famous for a deluge which inundated the " country, and reached the very top of tlie mountains. '' This inundation, which happened before the age of the *' Argonauts, was oidng to the sudden overflow of the waters " of the Euxine, which the ancients considered merely as a lake."* -' Leinpricre Bib, Class. V. Sainothracia, 99 That the perversion of real history, in both these ac- counts, is precisely the same, must be obvious to every one. Such a peculiar coincidence could not have hap- pened, without direct communication: and the tradition could not have become national^ without having been brought by a colony from one nation to another, and pre- served without interruption. But the mythology of Samo- thrace mounts up to a very remote aera of antiquity, and the Euxine, in its neighbourhood, with its wide extent, and narrow outlet, furnishes a more probable occasion for such a tale, than any lake in the neighbourhood of Britain. Hence the supposition, that this mythological story came with a colony from the region contiguous to the ancient Samos into Britain, agreeably to the memorial of our an- cestors, and the tale of Hu, seems much more plausible, than the converse of that proposition. And here the testi- mony of Arteraidorus, that the mysteries of Ceres and Proserpine were celebrated in one of the British islands, tcith the same rites as in Samothrace, tends to corroborate the inference which I draw from our national tradition. The allusions to the deluge, in British mythology, come under various points of view. On a former occasion,* I referred the history of Dylan Ail M6r, Dylan, Son of the Sea, or Ail Ton, Son of the Wave, to this event. But in looking over Mr. Owen's Cambrian Biography, a volume which appeared whilst my book was in the press, I observe, that the author is of a different opinion, which he thus expresses. *' Dylan ail Ton, a chieftain who lived about the begin- H 2 Celt, Res. p. 163. 100 " ning of the sixth . century, whose elegy, composed by ." Taliesin, is preserved in the Welsh Archaiology." As Mr. Owen grounds his opinion upon this elegy, I shall examine its contents. In the mean time, I may be allowed, in support of my own assertion, to bring forward a few passages, in which this name occurs. I shall leave the re- sult with the reader. Taliesin, in his Cad Goddeu,* speaks thus of Dylan " Tnily I was i?i the ship " With Dylan, So7i of the Sea, " Embraced in the centre, *' Between the Royal knees, " When, like the rushing of hostile spears, *' The floods came forth, " From Heaven, to the great deep." Tliis passage surely has an evident allusion to the deluge. The Bard, therefore, must have regarded Dylan as no other than the patriarch who survived that catastrophe, and whom he justly styles Teyrnedd, or Royal, as being the uni- versal monarch of the new world. So again, in his Mabgyvreu, f the same Bard alludes to the British tradition of the deluge, and speaks of the day of Dylan, as a peculiar theme of his muse. Arall ui chan wyd Dy ysgwyd allan, * W. Archaiol. p. 3C>. + Ibid, p. 1. Pan yw gofaran twrvv'f Tonneu wrth Ian, J Yn nial Dylan; Dydd a haedd attan. J " No other Bard will sing the violence *' Of convulsive throes, " When forth proceeded with thundering din, *' The billows against the shore, " In Dylan's day of vengeance "A day which extend^ to us." ' The last line of this passage, as I shall shew hereafter, alludes to certain mystic rites, which the Druids celebrated in commemoration of the delujje. i *o^ Casnodyn, an eminent Bard of the fourteenth century, in speaking of the future judgment, alludes to this passage of Taliesin, and copies several of his words : at thie ^me time, he introduces certain images, which may remind us of the' Druidical opinion, that Jive and water would, at some pe- riod, prevail.over the world,*. ' j ??' v * v; , .::*.= u- - *' He whom we know, will suddenly prepare the field of " judgment : to us will he come, and will not'keep silence. " When God shall reveal his cbtintenance, the house of *^ earth will uplift itself 6ver us: a panic of the noise of " legions in the conflict, will urge on the flight : harshly; " the loud-voiced wind will call : the variegated wave tcill ** dash around the shore: the glahting flame will take to '* itself the vengeance of justice, recruited by the heat of *#- cOtitending fires, ever bursting forth."-f* Strabo, L. IV. + W. Archaiol. p. 431. 102 In the same poem, the Bard thus expresses himself, ia an address to the Supreme Being Trevnaist s^r a m^r morawl Dylan. " Thou didst set in order the stars, and the seas, of the " sea-faring Dylan" Hence it is clear, that the ancient and modern Bards regarded Di/lan, the son of the sea, as no other personage than the patriarch, whose history is connected with that of the deluge. It is now time to look for the elegy, which Taliesin com- posed for this venerable character. This little piece is not to be found in the Archaiology ; but, from a copy in my possession, I am led to conclude that the title is erroneous, and that, instead of being called Marrenad Dylan, the Elegy of Dylan, it ought to have been, Cerdd am Ddylan, a Song respecting Dylan. The argument is simply this. A certain plain liaving been inundated in the age of our Bard, he expostulates with the Deity upon the occasion of this event. He then makes a natural transition to the my- thology of the flood of Dylan, or the deluge, which had been occasioned by the profligacy of mankind, and concludes with a prayer for the deliverance of his countrymen from the existing calamity. Some of the lines are imperfect in my copy; but with the correction of a few syllables, as suggested equally by- the sense, by the measure, and by the alliteration which that measure requires, it stands as follows Un Duw uchav. Dew in doethav, Mwyav o vael. Py delis maes, Pwy ai swynas Yn lluw traliael ? Neu gynt nog ev Pwy oedd tangnev, Ar reddv gavael ? Gwrthriv gwastradth GvVenwjTi a wnaeth Gwaith gwythloesedd. Gwenyg Dylan Adwythig Ian, Gwaith yn hydredd. Ton Iwerddon, Ton Vanawon A thon Ogledd. A thon Prydain Torvoedd virain Yn beddirwedd Golychav i D^d, Duw, Dovydd Diid, Gvvlad heb omedd ; Creawdr Celi A'n cynnwys ni Yn drugaredd Which may be thus translated " O sole, supreme God, most wise unfolder of secrets, " most beneficent ! What has befallen the plain, who has ** enchanted it in the hands of the most generous ! In for- 104 " mer times, what has been more peaceful than this district, " as a natural possession ! " It was the counter-reckoning of profligacy, which pro- " duced the bane in the laborious pang of wrath the bil~ *' lozis of Dylan furio-usli/ attacked the shore : forth, impe- " tuously, rushed the wave of Ireland, the wave of the " Manks, the Northern wave, and the wave of Britain^ " nurse of the fair tribes, in four orders. " I will pray to the Father, God, the R,uler, the Father " who jreigns without control, that he, the Creator, the ** Mysterious One, would embrace us with his mercy !" This little ode, I think, cannot supply the slightest shade of authority, for ranking Dylan ail Ton amongst the British chieftains of the sixth century. The name merely occurs in the recital of a few cirqumstances of the national and local tradition of our ancestors, respecting the deluge ; and thus it connects the character of Dylan with that of Dwyvan, and Nevydd Ndv Neivion, recorded, iu the Triads, Dylan, the Declati of Irish tradition, sounds like a con- traction of Deucalion; and the people who preserved this name, affirm, that they derived th^ij: origin; from the neigh- bourhood of Thessaly, where the story gf Deucalion was told. But not to insist i ...M*r So again : Nevydd, as a derivative of NSv, ffeaten, im- plies the celestial. Ndv, a Lord, the Creator: like many other terms of ancient British mythology, it is still used as a name of the Supreme Being. Neivion, in the Bards, is a name of God, " Also the name of a person in tihe *' British mythology, probably the same with Neptune."''^ ^ So that Nevydd Nav Neivion is the Celestial Lord Neivion. f Under these consecrated characters, we may infer, -that the patriarch Noah received divine honours ; and conse- q-ueiitly, th^^t he constituted one of the principal divinities acknowledged by the Druids. * Oweo' Diet, in wc, - .- 106 This fact aflmits of absolute proof, when we contemplate the character of the same patriarch, as delineated under the name of Hu (pron. Hee), who secured the world from a repetition of the deluge, and whom the Cjrmry acknow- ledged as their remote progenitor, as the great founder of their sacred and civil instituteSf and as their God. In order to elucidate this subject, I shall, first of all, revise some of the evidence which I adduced upon a former occasion. In a Triad already cited, after the account of the sacred ship which preserved the human and brute species, wheii the lake burst forth and drowned the world, is subjoined. The drafting of the avanc to land out of the lake, by the oxen of Hu Gadarn, so that the lake burst no more. Here his history is expressly referred to the age of the deluge. But what character did he support in that age ? The my- thological Triads represent him only as a human patriarch, and a lawgiver. The following particulars are recorded of him. 1. He lived in the time of the flood ; and 2. With his oxen, he performed some achievement, which prevented the repetition of that calamity. Triad 97.* 3. He first collected together, or carried the primitive race; and 4. Formed them into communities or families. Triad 57. These numbers refer to that series which begins p. 7. W. Archaiol. V. U. 107 5. He first gave traditional laws, for the regulation aii4 government of society. Triad 92. 6. He was eminently distinguished for his regard to jus- tice, equity, and peace. Triad 5. 7. He conducted the several families of the first race to their respective settlements in the various regions. Triad 4. 8. But he had instructed this race in the art of husbandry previous to their removal and separation. Triad 56. Such are the particulars which I find recorded in those Triads, respecting Hu the Mighty, If characteristics like these determined my opinion, that the picture exclusively represented the patriarch Noah, I hope they have not led me to transgress the laws of criticism, which have been al- lowed in similar cases. The great Mr. Bryant is satisfied with such marks as these : and he points out a delineation of the progenitor of all nations, in nearly the same words. " The patriarch, under whatever title he may come, is " generally represented as the father of Gods and men ; but " in the character of Phoroneus, (for in this he is plainly " alluded to) he seems to be described merely, as the first " of mortals. The outlines of his history are so strongly ^ marked, that we cannot mistake to whom the mythology *< relates. He lived in the time of the flood: Hejirst hdlt " ow altar : Hejirst collected men together, and formed them " iuio. commiJJiitks.: He first gave. Lam, and. distributed ro8 (f justice: He divided mankind by their families and nations f " over the face of the earth." * -If the learned be authorized by sound criticism, to refer the traditions of the Greeks to the incidents of primitive history, there can be no just reason for denying the like pri- vilege to the Britons, in behalf of their national mythology, when' they find it has recorded the very same circumstances. The character of Hu is, then, as justly referable to the pa- triarch Noah, as that of Fhoroneus. Before I trace the character of this personage, as deli-i neated by the ancient Bards, it may be proper to hear what was said and thought of him in the middle ages. lolo Goch, a learned Bard, who WTOte in the fourteenth century, thus draws the portrait of Hu, as a patriarch. -.'4 iivsJ . Hu gadarn, por, hoewgeidwawd Brenin a roe'r gwin a'r gwawd '. Emherawdr tir a moroedd ,.: A bywyd oil o'r byd oedd. .<. J.;,. Ai dalioedd gwedy diliw Aradr gwaisg arnoddgadr gwiw : Er dangos ein ior dawngoeth ; '. , Vt dyn balch, a'r divalch doeth ] 'jj Vod yn orau, nid gau gair, ; .' i.-,; 5 - .Ungreft, gan y t^d iawngrair. y ^' H.u the Mighty, the sovereign, the ready protector, '^ a king, the giver of wine and renown, the emperor of the *' land and the seas, and the life of all that are in the world " was he. 4aaljsii,V.II.p.J66. 109 " After the deluge^ he held the strong-beamed plough f " active and excellent; this did our Lord of stimulating *' genius, that he might shew to the proud man, and to the *' humbly wise, the art which was most approved by the *' faithful father ; nor is this sentiment false." It is scarcely possible, that the character of Noah should be drawn in stronger colours, or with touches more exclu- sively appropriate. The picture can be ascribed to no other mortal. Yet this patriarch was actually deified and worshipped, by the ancient Britons. Sion Cejif, an illustrious poet, of the fifteenth century, complains of the relics of the old su- perstition, and thus characterizes the religion of the votaries of IIu, as distinguished from that of Christ. Dwy ryw awen dioer ewybr Y sy'n y byd, loewbryd Iwybr : Awen gan Grist, ddidrist ddadl O iawn dro, awen drwyadl ; Awen arall, nid call cant Ar gelwydd, vudr argoeliant ! Yr hon a gavas gwyr H u, Carnrwysg prydyddion Cymru. " Two active impulses truly, there are in th world; " and their course is manifest ; an impulse from Christ joyful is the theme of a right tendency : an energetic " principle. " Anothor impulse there is (indiscreetly sung) o falshood " and base omens: this has been obtained by the men of Hu, the usurping Bards of Wales." no Here, the Welsh are charged with their devotion to llUf as a Heathen God ; nor was this complaint of the Christian Bard wholly out of season ; for, however, strange it may appear in the present age, some of his contemporaries were not ashamed to avow themselves the votaries of this Pagan divinity. Of this, the following lines of Rhys Brydydd fur- nish a glaring proof. Bychanav o*r bychenyd Yw Hu Gadarn, ve i barn byd ; A Alwyav a Nav i ni. Da Coeliwn, a'n Duw Celi. Ysgawn ei daith ag esgud: Mymryn tes gloewyn ei glud. A mawr ar dir a moroedd A mwyav a gav ar goedd, Mwy no'r bybodd ! 'marbedwn Amharch gwael i'r mawr hael hwn ! " The smallest of the small is IIu the Mighty, in the " world's judgment; yet he is the greatest, and Lord over 5, " zee sincerely believe, and our God ofmystay. Light is his ** course, and swift : a particle of lucid sumhine is his car. ' ** He is great on land and seas the greatest whom I shall " behold greater than the worlds! Let us beware of ofFer- '* ing mean indignity to him, the Gieat and the Bonn- afuir Here we find that Hu the Mighty, whose history as a pa- triarch, is precisely that of Noah, was promoted to the rank of the principal Demon God amongst the Britons ; and* as his chariot zcas composed of the rays of the sun, it may be presumed that he was worshipped, in conjunction with that Ill luminary : and to the same superstition, we may refer what is said of his light and swift course. Nor was Hu alone, elevated to the heavens, but even the sacred oxen, his constant attribute, were contemplated, as bellowing in the thunder, and glaring in the lightning, npon which subject we have the following hnes, by IJyzcelyn Moel. Ychain yn' o ch3Tihenid Hu Gadarn, a darn o'i did A'i bum angel, a welwch, A pheirian aur flamdan flwch. " Should it be disputed, I assert ^These are the oxen of " Hu the Mighty, with a part of his chain, and his five " angels (or attendants) which ye now behold, with a " golden harness of active flame." The chain and the harjiess allude to the mythological at- chievement of Hu and his oxen the drawing of the Avane out of the lake, so as to prevent the repetition of the deluge. 5" Thus we find, that Hu Gadarn, to whom the Triads, evidently ascribe the exclusive history of Noah, is recog- nized in the same view precisely, by the Bards of the fourteenth century. He is acknowledged as a ready protector or preserver; thus, the peculiar righteousness of Noah made him the preserver of the human race. He is the giver of wine and renown : so Noah was the first 112 who planted a vinei/ard, taught mankind the method of preparing wine, and pronounced a prophetic eulogy upon his dutiful sons. Hu was the Emperor of the land and seas : so Noah was the chief personage in the ark, the only vessel which pre- served life amidst the universal sea ; and aftei: that sea had subsided, he became the emperor of the whole earth. Hu was the life of all that are in the world ; thus, Noah was the common parent of all nations, and of every indi- vidual. And lest we should retain any doubt as to the age in which he lived, we are told, that immediately after the rfe- luge, he first taught mankind t\ie. practice of agriculture: this is, exclusively, the history of the patriarch Noah. Yet we are assured, with equal clearness, that from the traditional character of this same patriarch, sprung a reU" gion of falsehood and base omens or a heathen religion, which was directly contrary to Christianity. Nay, the same deified patriarch was regarded, as the greatest God, and viewed as riding on the sun-beams, or personified in the great luminary, and operating in the clouds and meteors of heaven. That such a superstition should have been fabricated by the Bards in the middle ages of Christianity, is a supposi- tion utterly irreconcileable with probability. We must, therefore, regard it as a relic of the old heathen superstition of the country, which some individual Britons, with their proverbial predilection for antiquated notions and customs, no less impiously than absurdly retained. 1J3 But if this be genuine British heathenism, it will be ex- pected, that the vestiges of it should be discovered in the oldest Bards, which are now extant. And here, in fact, they present themselves in horrid profusion. The first in- stances I shall produce, are taken from Aneurin's Gododin, of which the reader will find a translation in the fourth section of this ssay> The Bard is lamenting a dreadful massacre, which hap- pened in the fifth century, near a celebrated heathen tem- ple, which he describes in these words : " It is an imperative duty to sing the complete associates, '* the cheerful ones of the ark of the world. Hu was not " without his selection in the circle of the world; it was his " choice to have Eidiol the Harmonicus." * Mere we find, that the selection of a priest to preside in this temple, was peculiarly the act and privilege of Hu, who, therefore, must have been the chief God, to whom the sa- cred building was dedicated. And, as we have already seen, that Hu was emphatically styled Emperor of the hand and Seas, the world was, properly speaking, his temple. Hence the fabric erected to his honour, is denominated the Ark of the world, alluding to the vessel in which he had presided over the world ofzeaters; and the circle of the world, in re- ference both to the form of the building, and to the circle in which his luminous emblem, the sun, expatiated in the heavens. With Hu, I find a goddess associated, in the Gododin, I Song 24. 114 by the name of X^^ the Ceto of antiquit_v, whom Mr. Bryant and Mr. Faber pionounce to be no other than Ceres or Jsis. But let us look for these divinities under other names. Tlie Bard, when speaking of the same great temple, has the following remarkable passage. *' A structure was not formed, so eminently perfect, so " great, so magnificent, for the strife of swords. In the place " where Morien preserved the merited fire, it cannot be denied, " that corpses were seen by the wearer of scaly mail, who " was harnessed and armed with a piercing weapon, but co- " vered with the skin of a beast. His sword resounded on " the head of the chief singer of Noe and Eseye, at the " great stone fence of their common sanctuary. Nevermore ** did the child of Teithan move." * As the Bard has informed us, that this structure was sacred to the god Tin, and the goddess Ked\ and as he now tells lis, that it was the common sanctuary of Noe and Esej/e, it must follow, that N'uc and Esej/e were the same characters as Hit and Ked. Here, then, we have an express authority for the assertion, that JIu was, originally no other than the great patriarch. Not that 1 suppose the heathen Britons had actually pre- served the name of Noah; but that our Bard, who lived in the latter part of the fifth, and beginning of the sixth century, iiad some knowledge of the sacred records, where he found flie name and actions of Noah; and did not want sufficient Song 15. 115 sagacity to discover tlie absolute identity of Noah and Huf in history and character. Thus we find the ground-work of this superstition expressly ascertained. it may, therefore, he proper to examine a little further, the titles and attributes which this Bard assigns to tlie dei- fied patriarch. In the passage before us, we find Morien preserving the merited Jire. Whether this is a title of the god or his priest, or of both, I leave others to determine. The name seerns to be equivalent to Jamis Mariniis, In another place, the Bard ascribes the building of the temple to him. *' This " hall would not have been made so impregnable, had not '* Morien been equal to Ca/aJoc." He was also its pro- tector. " Morien defended the blessed sanctuary, the basis and " the chief place of distribution of the source of energy^ of " the most powerful and the most ancient" * In the passage first cited, Hu is styled Teithan ; for his chief singer is the child of Teithan : and this name seems to be no other than the Titin of the Hiberno-Celtae, the Ti/dain of Taliesin and the Triads, and the Titan of anti- quity a known title of the sun. With allusion to this divinity, Aneurin says " And " now the lofti/ leader, Huan, (the sun) is about to ascend : the sovereign most glorious the lord of the British isle."f 1 2 Soiigie. + Ibid. 6, 116 It scarcely needs to be remarked, that Huan is a deriva- tive of Hu, to whom the sovereignty of the British Isle is; expressly attributed by Taliesin. We have seen that the ox or bull is the appropriate at- tribute of Hu, and accordingly, Aneurin styles his chosen priest, the radiant bull of battle. This is, properly, a title of the god himself, and conferred, as usual, upon his minister. But the host who fought under the conduct of this priest, are denominated Biw Beli bloeddvazcr, the herd of the roaring Beli. * Hence it appears, that Hu and Beli constituted but one character. Yet the latter is certainly, the Celtic god Belimis, mentioned by Ausonius, and ex- pressly identified with Apollo, the solar divinity. In allusion to the sun's progress in the ecliptic, Aneurin styles this god, the lion of the greatest course. He has also the name of Budd, Fictory, and Buddugre, the " god of " victortf, the king tcho rises in light, and ascends the sA;y."f Hu, or his mythological son, is called Jngor, the pro- ducer of good, the serpent who pierces the sullen ones. Angor implies undeviating : and this Angor has the name of Merin, Marine, and is the son of Mad-ien, Bonus Janus, who is also called Seithenin, a little of Saturn, as I shall shew- hereafter. Saturn and Janus are the same, and the cha- racter is referred by mythologists, to the patriarch Noah. Again it is said of the chosen priest of Hu, " The placid " Eidiol felt the heat of the splendid Grannazcx.'^X This title, as well as Gramcyn, in the poems of Taliesin, is re- Song 15. r * Ibid 22. : Ibid. i>. 117 ferable to Apollo or the Sun* whose attributes are, therefore, ascribed to the British Hu, Upon the whole, it appears from this Bard, that Hu the Mighty, the Diluvian god of the heathen Britons, was no other than the patriarch Noah, deified by his apostate de- scendants, and regarded by a wild superstition, as some way connected with the sun, or symbolized by the great lumi- nary of the material heavens. Hence the bully the liorif the serpent, and other general emblems of the Heliodamo- niac worship, became his representatives upon earth. But Taliesin is universally acknowledged by the Welsh, as the most profound teacher of their ancient superstition. This Bard avows himself of the order of the Druids, and expressly characterizes the mystical effusions of his muse, by the name of Dawn y Derwyddoriy Lore of the Druids., It may, therefore, be of importance to our subject, to consider his representation of the character of Hu. In the first place, then, I shall remark a few particulars, in an elegy which he composed on the death of a priest of Hu, whom he calls Aeddon, which I think, was a title of the god himself. This priest had presided in Monh, as ap- peals from the opening of the poem.* " Disturbed is the island of the praise of Hu, the island *' of the severe remunerator ; even Mo n a of the gene-? " rous bowls, which animate vigour the island whose " barrier is the Menai." Mona was a well-known seat of the Druids. Many have r ' ' .III ' ' Appendix, No. 10. 118 regarded it as the great centre of their superstition. Yet this sacred spot, we find, was eminently dedicated to the honour of Hu, as the principal object of adoration. To this severe remunerator the island belonged ; and here his votaries quaffed the generous bowl, in his sacred festivals : they must, therefore, have regarded him as the god who presided over drinking. Taliesin, one of the chief of his votaries, in the beginning of the sixth century, cannot be supposed to have devised, either the character or the honours of this god. What he has delivered to us, must have been what he learned from his predecessors in superstition ; and Hit must have been the great god of Mona, in the earlier ages of Druidisra. It appears by the sequel x>f this poem, that the priest of IIu had the charge of a sacred Ark, and that Aeddon, that is, the god himself, had come from the land of Gwydion, (Hermes) into the strong island of S'eon, at tlie time of the deluge, and had brought his friends safe through that dread- ful calamity. Here we have a curious mythological account of the flood, which shews, that the original history of Hu was purely Diluvian, //?/, the lord of Mona, is again styled the severe inspec- tor. He has the title of Buddicas, the dispenser of good, the dragon chief, the proprietor, and the rightful claimant of Britain. The Bard then proceeds to recite the long toil, of the just ones, upon the sea nhich had no shore, and their ultimate deliverance, as the reward of their integrity; where it is clearly intimated, that Hu, or Aeddon, was the leader of this righteous band. 119 In another poem,* Taliesin introduces this Diluvian god by the name of Deon, the distributer, who had bestowed upon him, as his chief priest and vicegerent, the sovereignty of Britain. In the age of our Bard, this could have been nothing more than conferring an empty title : but we may hence infer, that the chief Druid, during the high day of his authority, had claimed and exercised the power im- pUed by this title ; and that the god who invested him with this high privilege, was the chief object of his homage. In tliis poem, the honours of Hu are connected with those of a goddess, named Ked, or Ceridwen, of whom I shall say more hereafter. We next find the ox, the attribute of Huj stationed before a lake, at the time of a solemn procession : an eagle, another of his symbols, is carried aloft in the air, in the path of Granwyn, the pervading sovereign (the sun). This divinity is styled ITtwr Eirian, the splendid mover. The descriptions throughout this poem, are full of allusions to the deluge ; and the draining of the generous bowl is eminently conspicuous amongst the rites of the sa- cred festival, f Another poem mentions Pen Annzcvn, the ruler of the deep, who is evidently the same as Hu, the emperor of the seas. This piece is full of the mythology of the deluge; and the Bard or Druid who violated his oath, after having drank out of the cauldron of this ruler of the deep, was doomed to destruction. ;{; * Appendix, No. 1. + Ibid. No. 2. % Ibid. No. 3. 120 * The poem called Cadair Teyrn On* brings the solar di- vinity, or Celtic Apollo, upon the stage : and we find, by the extract which I have subjoined, f that he was actually worshipped under the character of Fire. Yet this ardent god boasts, that he could protect his chair of presidency in the midst of a general deluge. He is, therefore, the same character as the Diluvian Hu, or the patriarch sym- bolized by the sun. The divinity who presides in the sacred ox-stall, and is personified in the bull, Beer Lied, is styled the supreme proprietor, and has his sanctuary in an island surrounded by the tide. ;}: Supreme proprietor is the title of Hu, and the ox or bull is his symbol. In the former part of the poem, called the Elegy of Vthr Pendragon, that is, wonderful supreme leader, or wonderful chief dragon, this god is introduced in pageantry, and describes himself as the god of rear, the a.the?'ial, hav- ing the rainbow for his girdle. He is a protector in dark- ness, a ploughman, a defender of his sanctuary, and a van- quisher of giants. It is he who imparts to heroes a portion of his own prowess. He is an enchanter, and the president of Ilaearndor, the vessel with the iron door, which toiled to the top of the hill. He was yoked as an ox, he was pa- tient in affliction he became the father of all the tribes of the earth. He was a Bard and a musician. Such are the impertinencies with which superstition con- < ' . ' * Appendix, No. 4. + Ibid. No 5. t Ibid. No. . ' ( Xbi<). No. )|. 121 contaminated the history and character of the venerable ' patriarch, -3 In the second part of this poem, a sacrificing priest in- vokes this god with a prayer for the prosperity of Britain. He styles him Hu, with the expanded wings Father, and King of Bards Father Deon, presiding in the mundane circle of stones. He is again named Pri/dain the glancing Hu the sove- reign of heaven the gliding king the dragon, and the victorious Beli, Lord ot the Honey Island, or Britain, In the song called Gwawd Lludd y Mawr, the praise of the great leader, the Bard professes to have derived his mystic lore from the traditions of the distinguished Ogdoad, by which he means the Arkites, or eight persons who had been preserved in the sacred ship. This piece contains the mythology of the deluge, together with some pretende4 vaticinations relating to subsec^uei^t times, The chief of the Diluvians, and therefore Hu the Mighty, is styled Cadzoaladr, the supreme disposer of battle, and described as a Druid. He is attended by a spotted cow, wliich procured blessings. On a serene day she bellozced, J suppose as a warning presage of the deluge; and after- wards, she was boiled, or sacrificed, on May eve, the seasoji in which British mythology commemorated the egress from the ark. The spot zchere she was sacrificed, afforded rest to the deified patriarch, who is here styled Yssadawr, the con^- sumer or sacrificer. A|>p?ndj, No. !;? 122 Tlie same personage has the name of GixarthmoTy ruler of the sea, Menwyd the blessed, and the dragon ruler of the liorld. He was the constructor of K;^d, the ark, which passed the grievous waters, stored with cor7iy and was borne aloft bif serpents. Hence the symbolical ape, the stall of the cow, and the mundane rampart, or circular temple, are consecrated to the Diluvian god, and his vessel ; and the season of their fes- tive dance, is proclaimed by the cuckoo. The Arkite god is called the father of Kid, the ark, which is represented as an animal, I suppose kito?, the whale, investing the Bard with the sovereignty of Britain. We have already seen this prerogative exercised by Hu, the Diluvian god : Ked must therefore have acted in con- junction with the mystical father. The same god is the sovereign of boundless dominion, in whose presence our priest trembles before the covering stone, in order to escape the quagmire of hell. Another poem* styles this Diluvian god the reaper, in allusion to the patriarch's character as a husbandman. His priest has the name of Aedd, a title of the god himself. He had died and lived alteimalely ; and it was his privilege to carry the ivy branch, with which, Dionysius says, the Britons covered themselves in celebrating the rites of Bacchus. To the particulars here recited, the mythological reader, If he takes the pains to peruse the passages to which I Appendix, No. 13, 123 refer, will be able to add many circumstances equally perti- nent. But what I have here produced may suffice to shew, that our ancestors paid an idolatrous homage to a great patriarch, who had been preserved from a general deluge ; that they regarded this deified mortal as symbolized by the sun, or in some manner identified with him ; and that this compound divinity was regarded as their chief god. But as Cajsar has informed us, that the opinion of the Druids corresponded in the main with that of other nations, respecting the nature and attributes of the Gods, it will be asked, with which of the gods of antiquity is this heho- patriarchal divinity to be identified ? To those who have studied mythology only in a common school pantheon, in the works of Homer, or in the Latin poets, my answer to such a question may not prove perfectly satisfactory. The mythology of the Britons was of a character some- what more antique than that of the Greeks and Romans, as we find it in their best writers. The poets and sculptors of these nations refined upon Gentile superstition, and repre- sented each of their gods with his own appropriate figure, and with a character elegantly distinct : whereas the old religion of the nations contemplated the objects of adoran tion as referable to one history, and represented them as grouped in one compound body, marking the various rela- tions, operations, and attributes of their divinity, by a multitude of heads, arms, and ornaments, with which they graced their principal idol. Thus the Helio-Arkite god of the Britons comprehended, in his own person, most of the gods which pertained to their superstition. 124 Upon this subject, I shall produce the opinion of Mr. Bryant^ " The first writers," says this great mythologist, " were " the poets ; and the mischief (of polytheism) began with " them : for they first infected tradition, and mixed it with " allegory and fable. The greatest abuses (says Anaxa- " goras, Legat.) of true knowledge came from them. I " insist, that we owe to Orpheus, Homer, and Hesiod, the " fictitious names and genealogies of the pagan daemons, " whom they are pleased to call gods : and I can produce " Herodotus to witness what I assert. He informs us " (L. II. c. 53.) that Homer and Hesiod were about 400 " years before himself, and not more. These," says he, ** were the persons avIio first framed the theogony of the " Greeks, and gave appellations to their deities, and dis- ** tinguished them, according to their several ranks and de- *' partments. They, at the same time, described them under *' different appearances : for, till their time, there was not in ** Greece any representation of the gods, either in sculpture " or painting ; nor any specimen of the statuary's art exhi- " bited : no such substitutes were in those times thought of,"* Again " The blindness of the Greeks, in regard to " their own theology, and to that of the countries from ** whence they borrowed, led them to multiply the terms " which they had received, and to make a god out of every ** title. But however they may have separated and distin- *' guished them under different personages, they are all " plainly resolvable into one deity, the sun. The same is " to be observed, as to the gods of the Romans."=^ Analysis, V. I. p. 100. I^i5 " There was by no means, originally, that diversity of gods '* which is imagined, as Sir John Marsham has very justly ** observed. Neque enim tanta iroXv^toTu? Gentium, quanta " fuit Deorum m\vuvijnx." " Pluto, amongst the best " theologists, was esteemed the same as Jupiter ; and indeed "the same as every other deity." " Porphyry (ap. " Euseb.) acknowledged, that Festa, Rhea, Ceres, Theniif, " Priapus, Proserpitie, Bacchus, Attis Adonis, Silenus, and " the Satyrs, were all one and the same. Nobody had " examined the theology of the ancients more deeply than " Porphyry : he was a determined pagan : and his evidence " in this point is unexceptionable." * To these passages I shall subjoin the following, from Mr. Faber. " Osiris, Bacchus, Cronus, Pluto, Adonis, and " Hercules, taken in one point of view, as will be shewn " at large hereafter, are all equally the sun; but if we exa- " mine their respective histories, and attentively consider " the actions which are ascribed to them, we shall be con- " vinced, that in their human capacity, they can each be " no other than the great patriarch" -^ " If the several histories of the principal deities, revered " by most of the ancient nations, be considered, wfe shall " find them at once allusive to the Sabian idolatry, and to " the catastrophe of the deluge. Thus the account which " is given of Osiris and Isis, if taken in one point of view, " directs our attention to the sun and moon; but if in *' another, it places immediately before our eyes the great " patriarch, and the vessel in which he was preserved. " Accordingly, we learn from Plutarch, that Osiris was a ^ , _ _ - -'" * Analysis, V. I. p. 307, 309, 310, 316. f Mystries of the Cabiri, V, I. p. 17. 126 '* husbandman, a legislator, and a zealous advocate for tlie ** worship of the gods ; that Ti/phon, or the sea, con- *' spired against him, and compelled him to enter into an " ark," &c * Such being the result of the most elaborate inquiries which have been made into the theology of the Gentiles, I may be allowed to assert, that the Helio-Arkite god of the Britons was a Pantheos, who, under his several titles and attributes, comprehended the group of superior gods, which the Greeks and other refined nations separated and arranged as distinct personages. As inventor of the few arts with which the Druids were acquainted, and as the conductor of the primitive race to their respective settlements, he was their Mercury. As the solar divinity, and god of lighty he was their Bdif or Apollo. As King of Heaven, he was their Jupiter, As supreme disposer of battle, he was their Mars: and as ruler of the waters, he was their Neptune. And thus Caesar might discover, in the superstition of the Druids, all the gods of his own pantheon, with their distinct attributes. But as giver of rcine and generous liquor, and as president of festive carousals, which is his favourite picture amongst the Bards, he was certainly that Bacchus, whose rites, ac- cording to' Dyonisius, were duly celebrated in the British islands. Under this character, he appropriates the title of Mysteries of the Cabiri, V. I. p. 151. 127 Huf which is precisely the 'T-aj, or 'r-m of antiquity, without the termination. His two great symbols, the bull and the dragon, so often introduced, come under the same point of view. " I have observed," says Mr, Faber, " that Bacchus, or " Dionusus, was one of the many titles of the HeUo- " Arkite Noah: accordingly, in his person, the two em- " blems at present under consideration (the bull and the " dragon) will be found to be eminently united. The *' Athenians, as we learn from Arrian, worshipped him as " the son of Jupiter and Proserpine. Jupiter, however, " accomplished the rape of Proserpine, under the figure of *' a dragon ; and Bacchus is universally described as bearing " some resemblance to a bidL Hence we shall see the " reason why, in the Bacchic mysteries, the bull was ce- " lebrated as the parent of the dragon, and the dragon as " the parent of the bull. " The whole history, indeed, of Bacchus, is full of al* " lusions to the symbols of the bull and the serpent. " Thus Euripides introduces a chorus of Bacchantes, in- *' viting him to appear in the shape of a bull, a dragon, or " a lion. And thus the author of the Orphic hymns *' styles him, the deity with two horns, having the head of *' a bull, even Mars-Dionusiis, reverenced in a double fomiy " and adored, in conjujiction zvith a beautiful star. For " the same reason, Plutarch inquires, why the women of " Elis were accustomed to invoke Bacchus, in the words of " the following hymn : " Come, hero Dionusus, to thy holy temple on the s " shore; come, heifer-footed deity, to thy sacrifice, and 128 ' *' bring the graces in thy train ! Hear us, O hullf wortiiy ** of our veneration ; hear us, O illustrious bull .'" ** After attempting to solve this question, in a variety of " different ways, he concludes with asking, whether the " title of bull might not be given to Bacchus, on account " of his being the inventor and patron of agriculture." * It appears, then, that the bull and the dragon were symbols, eminently conspicuous in the worship and rites of Bacchus; and it may hence be presumed, that the very frequent introduction of them in the British Bards, alludes to the worship of their HeHo-Arkite god, considered in that character. To the British rites of this divinity, I think the tradition, respecting the oxen of Hu, drawing the Avanc out of the lake, has a marked reference. It will tlierefore be proper, in order to catch a glimpse of those rites, to consider the British mythology of oxen^ lakes, and islands, embosomed in takes. Of all the objects of ancient superstition, there is none which has taken such hold of the populace of Wales, as the celebrated oxen of Hu. Their fame is still vigorous in every corner of the principality, as far, at least, as the Welsh language has maintained its ground. Few indeed pretend to tell us precisely, what the Ychen Baiiazcg were, or what the jlvanc'wsiS, which they drew out of the lake. Mr. Owen explains Banawg ^prominent, conspicuous, not- able. And tradition tells us, that the oxen, which appro- Mjst, of Ihe Cabiri, V, I. p. 190, &c. with the anthor's authorities. 129 priated this epitliet, were of an extraol-dlnary size, and tliat they were subjected to the sacred yoke. I liave also several reasons to suppose, that m Pagan Britain, some rites in commemoration of the deluge, and in which the agency of sacred oxen was employed, were periodically celebrated, on the borders of several lakes. In replying to a tale, which seems utterly impossible, we use an old adage, which says, The Ychen Banawg cannot draw the Avanc out of deep waters. This imports, that they could draw him out of waters of a certain depth. And po- pular and local traditions of such an atchievement, are cur- rent all over Wales. There is hardly a lake in the princi- pality which is not asserted in the, neighbourhood, to be that where this feat was performed. Such general traditions of the populace must have arisen from some ceremony, which was familiar to their ancestors. And this ceremony seems to have been performed with several heathenish rites. Mr. Owen tells us there is a strange piece of music, still known to a few persons, called Cainc yr Ychain Banawg^ which was intended as an imitation of the lowing of the oxen, and the rattling of the chains, in drawing the Avanc out of the lake. * The beasts which the Druids employed in this rite, w^re probably bulls of the finest breed which the country afforded, but distinguished, either by the size of their horns, or by some peculiar markf and set apart for sacred use. By Avanc, we generally understand t]ie heavery though in the present instance, tradition makes it an animal of pro- K Wehh Eng, Pict. V. Banawg, 130 digioiis bulk and force. In this druidical fable, the Avanc seems to be, ultimately referable to the patriarch himself, or to the ark, considered as his shrine, and supposed to have been extricated from the waters of the deluge, by the aid of the sacred oxen. I once thought the story contained only a mythological allusion to the sacrifice of oxen offered by Noah, when he obtained a promise, that the teaters should no more return to cover the earth. And this idea seems to be countenanced, by a passage of Taliesin, already cited, and importing, that the diluvian patriarch found rest upon the spot, zchere the spotted cow teas boiled or sacrificed . But it appears, by the va- rious notices respecting these oxen, and by general analogy, that our superstitious ancestors had some further allusions. Let us hear what is said of the animals, by my thologists. Mr. Bryant was decidedly of opinion, that the htdls and oxert of mythology had constant reference to Noah, to the ark, or to the histort/ of the deluge. " It is said of the patiiarch, after the deluge, that he ** became an husbandman. This circumstance was reli- " giously recorded in all the ancient histories of Egypt, " An ox so useful in husbandry, v,ks, I imagine upon this '^ account, made an emblem of the patriarch. Hence, upon " many pieces of ancient sculpture, are seen the ox's head, " with the Egyptian modius between hi* horns; and not " only so, but the living animal was in many places, held " sacred, and revered as a deitt/."* Analys. V. II. p. 417. 131 The author then proceeds to shew, that the sacred bulls, Apis and Mnevis, referred to the history of the same patriarch. Again " Bulls were sacred to Osiris (who was Noah) " the great husbandman. They were looked upon as living " oracles, and real deities, and to be in a manner, ani- " mated by the soul of the personage, whom they repre- " sented."* " Symbolical imagery, observes Mr. Faber, was very '* much in use among the ancients, and will be found to " provide (q. pervade ?) the whole of their heterogeneous " mythology. A heifer seems to have been adopted, as *' perhaps, the most usual emblem of the ark, and a ser- " pent as that of the sun ; while the great patriarch him- " self was sometimes worshipped under the form of a bull, " and sometimes, in consequence of his union with the sun, " hieroglyphically described as a serpent, having the head of a hull:' t And this superstition comes into contact with the Celtic nations, and is brought near to our British ancestors. " With regard to the devotion of the Hyperboreans, to " the arkite mysteries, we are plainly informed by Diony- " sius, that the rites of Bacchus, or Noah, were duly ce- " lebrated in Britain. Hence arose their veneration for " the bull, the constant symbol of the deity of the ark. " By this god, made of brass, says Dr. Borlase, the " Cimbri, Tentones, and Ambrones, swore to observe the K 2 * Analys. V. II. p. 422. t Myst. of the Cabiri, V. I. p. 177, 132 " articles of capitulatioiij granted to the Rdmans, who " defended the Adige against them. After their defeat, " Catulus ordered this bull to be carried to his own house, *' there to remain, as the most glorious monument of his *' victory. This god is ranked with Jupiter y Esus, and " Vulcan, being called Tarvos Trigaramis, from the three " cranes perching, one on his head, one on the middle of " his back, and the third on his hinder parts." * I cannot help thinking, that the people who named this^ bull, spoke a language very similar to our Cambro-British : for Tarw Trigaranus is Welsh for a bull with three cranes. And the idol itself seems to be connected with British su- perstition, as I shall shew hereafter, that the chief priest, who attended the arkite mysteries, was styled Garanhir, the lofti/ crane. Hence the three cranes may have represented three officiating priests. We have already seen, that certain oxen or bulls, were assigned to Hu, the Diluvian god of the Britons, as his ministers or attendants. I shall now examine whether there are any traces of evi- dence in the documents left us by our ancestors, that the god himself was venerated under the^orm of this animal. And first of all, I shall consider a few notices, which arc scattered ia the mythological Triads. We are here informed of three primary oxen of Britain : the first of which was, Melyn Gzcanztyn, the yellow ox of the spring ; the next was Gwineuy Ych Gzdwlyddf tlie brown Myst. of the CibJri, V. I. p. 210. Antiq. of Corawall, B. II. C. 16. 133 vrj which stopped the cJiannel, and the third Ych Brych, bras ei benrhwijy the brindled ox with the thick headband. * The yellow ox of the spring, I make no doubt is the sign TauruSy into whicli tlie sun entered at the season when the Druids celebrated their great arkite mysteries. Mr. Faber has shewn, that the bull of the sphere, in general mythology, was the god of the ark. f And the mythology of Britain did not differ essentially from that of other nations. The ox which stopped the channel, seems to have some reference to the oxen of Hu, which prevented the repeti- tion of the deluge. Of the third notice, I shall have oc- casion to speak hereafter. J That the oxen and bulls of mythology implied the same thing, will be granted : and I find that the Triads mention three bulls of battle. % The first of them is styled Cynvazur Cad Gaddug, mab Cynvyd Cynvydion : that is, the primor- dial great one, of the contest of mystery, son of the prior world, of former inhabitants. This elaborate title, evidently points to that personage, who was son of the antedi-- luvians, an inhabitant of the former world, and the great patriarch of the new. He was the iw//, Mars- Dionusus of the Orphic poet. And, as the great one of the mystery, he was no other than the Mighty Hu of the Bri- tons. The introduction of Cad, Gaddug into his title, brings forward his other great symbol. Prydydd Bychan, an eminent Bard of the thirteenth century, says Dragon gyrchiad Cad Gaddug. The dragon repairs to the battle of mystery. * See W. Arcliaioiogy, V. II. p. 21 and 80. + My St. of the Cabiri, V. I. p. S06. X See Appendix, No. 3. $. W. Archaiol. V. 11. p. 4. 72. 76. 134 If I am not mistaken, this bitU of battle is recognized upon some of the ancient altars remaining in Britain. The Bards sometimes introduce Moliyn or Moyn, for Tarw, a bull.* Therefore M'dijn Cad is synonymous with Tarw Cad, hull of battle : and Camden has copied two inscriptions, Deo Mogojiti Cad, and Deo Moiino Cad. f It should appear from hence, that our bull of battle was publicly acknow- ledged as a god, in the ages when the Romans occupied Briton: and consequently, that the Helio-arkite god of the Britons was venerated, under the title and form of a bull. The two other bulls of battle, mentioned in this Triad, are said to have been British princes, in the sixth century ; but I must observe, that the priest of the god, or the prince who eminently patronizes his worship, is often dignified with one or other of his titles. Thus Aneurin styles the solar deity, Beli Bloeddvawr, the loud roaring Beli, that is, the bull Beli, and then calls his priest. Taw Trin, bull of battle. Again, the Triads speak of the three bull sovereigns of Britain,;}: one of whom is named Elmur mab Cadeir. The firm or established spiiit, son of the Chair; in another copy, the son of Cibddar, the Mystic. This seems to be a de- scription of Hu, the god of mystery. The second, a mere duplicate of the same personage under a different title, is Cynhaval mab Argat, prototype, son of the ark. This can be no other than the patriarch, who issued from the ark, and presented the first specimen of man to the new world. So Taliesin, Appendix. No. 2. + Gibson's Camdea Col. 1075. X W. Archaiol. V. II p. 4. 13. 76. 135 Tlie third bull sovereign was Avaon or Adaon, son of Ta- liesin; but it appears, that Avaon is one of the cardinal points in the sun's course ; and TaUesin, radiant front is a title of solar deity, though conferred on his chief priest. The mythological bulls of Britain, whether rcarriors or iovereigns, still pertain to the Helio-arkite superstition. Let us consider their character, as Damons. The three bull damons of Britain were Ellyll Gwidazcl, the deemon of the whirling stream ; Ellyll JJyr Merini, the d(Emon of the Jiowing sea ; and Ellyll Gurthmwl Wledig, the daemon of the sovereign, of the equiponderate mass (q. the earth ?) * All this seems referable to him, who was acknow- ledged as emperor of the land and seas, and worshipped as chief dccmon god of pagan Britain. And we are told, that of the three daemons which were recognized in this island, the first was Ellyll Banawg: but this was the epethet of the oxen of Hu. To him^k therefore, the symbolical ox or bull chiefly pertains. The other daemons, in this Triad, are not said to have been in the form of this animal. One of them is called Ellyll Ednyvedawg Drythyll, the daemon of wanton animation, and seems to allude to a symbol which disgraced, even paganism itself ; the last was Ellyll Malen, the dicmon Malen, the Minerva or Bollona of Britain, f In these notices we find the Helio-arkite god identified with an ox or bull, whether as the leader in battle, as su- preme ruler of the land, or as the great object of daemon worship. It may, therefore, be presumed that the Druids adored him in the image of a bull; or that they kept the * W. Archaiol. V. II. p. 16. + Ibid. V. II. p. 16, 17, 71. 136 living animal cs his representative. But let us hear vhat the ancient Bards have said upon this subject. That Aneurin calls the Helio-arkite god the roaring beliy and gives his priest the title of bull of battle, has been ob- served. SoTaliesin, who, in the poem called Buarth Bcirdd, the Oxpen of the Bards, or Bardic stall of the ox, professes to deliver the lore of his order, with superior accuracy, pronounces a kind of curse upon the pretended Bard, who was not acquainted with this sacred stall. This enclosure was situ F. ted in a small island, or rock, beyond the billows. The rock displayed the countenance of him who receives the erile into his sanctuary, that is, of the deified patriarch, who admitted his friends, banished from the old world, into his ark. It was also the rock of the supreme proprietor, that is, of Hm the Mighty, who is repeatedly called the supreme proprietor of the British islands, and the emperor of the latid and seas : and he was evidently the Bacchus of the Britons : for not to insist at present upon other proofs, we find his priests throughout this poem, hastening to the jolly carousal, and making a free indulgence in the mead feast, a principal rite in the worship of their god. If then, the sanctuary of Hu, the Helio-arkite patriarch, and Bacchus of the Druids, was an ox-stall, it must be in- ferred, that the god presided in his temple, either in the image of a hull, or under the representation of the living animal. Accordingly, we find the priest, who gives the meadfeast, and introduces the votaries into the temple, making procla- Biation in the name of the sacred edifice, and of the god 137 himself" I am the cell I am the opening chasm I am " the Bullf Becr-Lled" This title has no meaning in the British language. It seems to consist of two Hebrew terms, implying the bull of flame.* And the idea, presented by such a derivation, perfectly harmonizes with the general tenorof British mythology. For, as those oxen, which were merely the attendants and ministers of Hu, roared in thundery and blazed in lightning, we must suppose that the supreme bull himself, had an es- sence still brighter, and displayed his form in the solar fire, Hu was therefore worshipped in the form of a bull. But this bull, upon a great occasion, had submitted to the sacred yoke, and dragged the chain of affliction. The patriarch god, who, amongst his other titles, is ad- dressed by the name of Hu, thus speaks, by the mouth of his priest " I was subjected to the yoke, for my affliction ; " but commesurate was my confidence ; the world had no " existence, were it not for my progeny." f Here it seems to be implied, that our mjthologists re- garded an oar, submitting to the yoke, as an apt symbol of the patriarch, in his afflicted state during the deluge. And this explains the meaning of the Bard, when he says of the Diluvian patriarch. " The heavy blue chain didst thou, " Ojust man endure ; and for the spoils of the deep (the " ravages of the deluge) doleful is thy song.";}: Appendix, No. 11. X Ibid. ^"o. 3. 138 In the same poem, the Bard says of certain persons, who were not admitted into the society of the patiarch, and into the mysteries of his own order " They knew not on ** what day the stroke would be given, nor what hour of ** the splendid day Cwy (the agitated person) would be *' bom, or who prevented his going into the dales of Devwy *' (the possession of the waters). They know not the brin- ** died ox with the thick head-band^ having seven score knobs ** in his collar." This brindled ox is the same tauriform god, whom the Triads mention as one of the primary oxen of Britain. A few lines lower down, we have a hint, that the Druids kept an ox as the representative of their god. The Bard says " They know not what animal it is, which the silver-headed " ones (the hoary Druids) protect." This animal must have been the bundled ox mentioned in the preceding pa-^ ragraph. Indeed, the keeping of sacred oxen seems to have been essential to the establishment of these fanatical priests. Thus, Taliesin and Merddin are introduced, bewailing the destruction of thair temples and idols in the sixth century. " It was Maelgwn whom I saw, with piercing weapons : " before the master of the fair ox-herd (ter y vulu;, his ** household will not be silent. Before the two personages, ** they land in the celestial circle before the passing form " and the fixed form, over the pale white boundary. The " grey stones they actually remove. Soon is Elgan (the *' supremely fair) and his retinue discovered for his slaugh- '^ ter, alas, how great the vengeance that ensued !" * This See Appendix, No, 9, 139 Efmn, master of the fair herd, seems to have been the 33rm- bol of Hit, and he was a living animal, as appears from th fate which befel him. Upon the whole, it appears that the HeUo-arkite god was represented by a bull. I do not think, however, that he is to be identified with the Ychain Banawg, or oxen which he employed in drawing the avanc out of the lake* These animals were subjected to his control. It appears by a passage which I shall presently exhibit, that they were originally three in number; but that one of them failed in the office assigned to him and his companions, which was, to draw the shrine or car of their master in a sacred proces- sion. To account for the selection of these animals for this use, it may be observed, that as mythology represented the god himself as a bull, it might be deemed meet, that he should have ministers of the same species. But the original and historical Hu, was no other than the patriarch Noah. So hW original Ychain Banawg may have had human exist- ence. And it may be conjectured that, in reality, they were the three sons of the patriarch, who attended upon him, with the title of DDV>>t, which implies both leaders, princes, anA oxen. And tradition, whilst unsophisticated, may have reported, that they assisted their aged father in his debarkation.* The oxen of Hu were concerned in the event of the deluge ; therefore, connected with the Arkite mythology of the Britons. Yet popular tradition recites the following tale of them. One of these oxen overstrained himself, in drawing forth the avanc, so that his eyes started from their * And bence may have arisen the fable of the D'D/'N drawing the shrine out of the water. 140 sockets, and he dropped down dead, as soon as the feat wa achieved. The other, pining for the loss of his companion, refused food, and wandered about disconsolate, till he died in Cardiganshire, at a place which is called Brevi, that is, the bellowing, from the dismal moans of the sacred animal. Some such incident may have happened during the comme- morative rites of the Britains ; and the locality of the tale implies a probability, that this spot was sacred to the rites of Hit, and his oxen. In this instance, as well as in many others, the early Christians selected the sanctuary of their heathen predeces, sors, for the place of a rehgious estabUshment. Perhaps this was done with the view of diverting the attention of the people from the objects of idolatrous superstition, which they had been used to contemplate in those places ; but it had generally a contrary effect. Dewi, first Bishop of St. David's, foimded a church and a religious seminary at Brevi. But so far was this from obliterating the memory of the old superstition, that the history of the Christian bishop seems to have been confounded with that of a hea- then god ; and the Bards transferred to him the mytholo- gical oxen of the votaries of Hu. Thus Guynvardd Bre^ cheiniog, a Bard who wrote in the former part of the twelfth century. Deu ychen Dewi deu odidawc Dodyssant hwy en gwarr dan garr kynawe, Deu ychen Dewi arterchawc oetynt. Deu gam a gertynt yn gyd preinyawc: I bebrwng anrec yn redegawc Y Lasgwm, nyd oet trwm tri urtassawc. Edewid Bangu gu gadwynawc ; A'r deu creill urcisc y Vrycheinyawc, , 141 Ban del gofyn arnam ny ryb3twn ofnawe Jlac gonnes kedciru cad dybrunawc. At Duw a Dewi deu niuerawc Yd galwn bressen brcsswyl uodawc. " The two oxen of Dewi, two of distinguished honour, )ut their necks under the car of the lofty one. The two )xen of Dewi, majestic were they. With equal pace " they moved to the festival. When they hastened, in con- " ducting the sacred boon to Glasczcm (the green valley), the " THREE dignified ones were not sluggish. The amiable " Bangu was left behind, bearing his chain ; and the ttco " others, with their huge bulk, arrived in Brechinia. We " shall not be terrified for the intrusion of the mighty ones, " meritorious in battle. Let us call upon God and Dewi, " the two leaders of hosts, who, at this hour, willingly so- " journ amongst us." Throughout this curious poem, which is of considerable length, the Bard intermixes a large proportion of mytholo- gical imagery and description, with the popish legends of Dewi. We need not, then, be surprised, that he assigns to his patron saint those celebrated oxen, which were the ascertained property of J/w, to whom all that is said in the passage before us must be referred. Here, then, we may remark the following particulars of the Ychain Bonazcg. They were, originally, three in number, but, by the failure of one, reduced to a pair. Their office, in the commemo- ^rative ceremony of the Britons, was to draw the car of the lofty one, or of Hu, the patriarch god, to whom the oxen were consecrated in solemn procession. And if this was the meaning of the memorial, the avanc of mythologv, which the sacred oxen drew out of the lake, and which gave 142 rise to the ceremony, must imply the identical shrine, or vehicle, which inclosed the Diluvian patriarch. Such ceremonies were not peculiar to the. Britons; and, perhaps, did not originate in these islands. Mr. Faber has proved, hy just reasoning, that thtj Phoenician Agriierus, the patron of agriculture, was no other than the deified patriarch Noah' But, as the author observes " Sancho- *' niatho informs us, that his statue was greatly revered by " the Phoenicians, that his shrine was drawn from place to " place by a yoke of oxen, and that, amongst the Byblians, " he was esteemed even the greatest of gods !"* Here wie have tlie avafic, and the Ythain Banawg of Hu Gadam; biit the Phoenician historian does not tell us, that this shrine was drawn out of a lake, which was an essential circumstance in the mythology of the Britons. It may therefore be proper to consider their opinion concerning certain lakes, and the phrenomena which they presented. The Druids represented the deluge under the figure of a lake, called L/y/i Llion, the waters of which burst forth, and overwhelmed the face of the whole earth. Hence they regarded a lake as the just s3'mbol of the deluge. But the deluge itself was viewed, not merely as an instrument of punishment to destroy the wicked inhabitants of the globe, but also as a divine lustration, which washed away the bane of corruption, and purified the earth for the reception of the just ones, or of the deified patriarch and his family. Consequently, it was deemed peculiarly sacred, and com- municated its distinguishing character to those lakes and bays, by which it was locally represented. See Mjst. of the Cabiri, V. I. p. 35, 43, 45, &c. 143 As a relict of this superstition of our ancestors, I may adduce the names of certain lakes amongst the Cambrian mountains; as, Llyn Creini, the lake of adoration, upon Cevn Creinif the hill of adoration : and Lli/n Urddyn, the lake of consecration, in Meirionethshire ; and Uyn Grvydd lory the lake of the grove of lor, or God, in Montgomery- shire.* Such names evidently imply, that some religious ideas were anciently connected with these lakes. And that this kind of superstition was prevalent amongst the ancient Druids, may be inferred from the testimony of Gildas, who informs us that they worshipped mountains and rivers.f And, that the veneration for lakes was referable to the deluge, appears from the Welsh chronicles of Walter de Mapes, and Geoffrey of Monmouth. These writers, in the mass of their romance, involve a few genuine national tradi- tions ; which they would fain pass upon the world for sober history. Thus they introduce Arthur, as saying " There * is a lake near the Severn, called Lly7i Llion, which swal- " lows all the water that flows into it at the tide of flood, " without any visible increase : but at the tide of ebb, it " swells up like a mountain, and pours its waters over the " banks, so that whoever stands near it at this time, must " run the risk of being overwhelmed." :]: The Llyn Llion of these writers preserves the name of that mythological lake, which occasioned the deluge; of which it was, therefore, a local symbol. The peculiarity here assigned to it, may allude to some such natural phe- nomenon as the Hygre, or Severn Boar; a high and roar- See Camb. Reg. V. I. p. 302, 370. + See Dr. Borlase's Antiq. of Cornwall, p. 110. $ W. Arghaiol. V: II. p. 309, 144 ing surge, which leads the flood to the inland parts of th? channel, whilst the river is actually ebbing in its ajstuary. This circumstance the Druids may have remarked, and im- proved upon it, for the purposes of superstition. The reference of the sacred lakes of the Britons to the deluge, is so clear in the mystical poems, that 1 need not cite particular passages. The reader is referred to the Ap- pendix in general. And not only the Britons, but the continental Celtae also, are remarked in history for their superstitious veneration of lakes. Strabo says, that the Gauls consecrated their gold iil certain lakes; and adds, that lakes furnished them with their most inviolate sanctuaries. M<*^^ ^ avToj at Af*>a Ttii- "euniXixn ?rpixo. Here we must understand, certain islets, or rafts, inclosed within these lakes; as will be seen in the sequel. We also learn from Justin, that in a time of public cala- mity, the priests of the Gauls, that is, the Druids, declared to the people, that they should not be free from the pesti- lential distemper which then raged among them, till they should have dipped the gold and silver, gotten by war and sacrilege, in the lake of Thoulouse.* Hence the author of Rel. des Gaules supposes, that the Gauls of Thoulouse had no other temple than a sacred lake. Ub. XXXII. c. 3. J 45 The same author presents us with this curious account-* " Many persons resorted to a lake, at the foot of the " Gevaudan mountain, consecrated to the moon, under the " name of Hdartus, and thither cast in, some, the human " habits, linen, cloth, and entire fleeces ; others cast in " cheese, wax, bread, and other things, every one according " to his ability; then sacrificed animals, and feasted for " three days."* This seems to be perfectly consonant with British super- stition, in regard to the Diluvian lakes. But the deluge overwhelmed the world, and this catas- trophe was figured out in the traditional history of several of our sacred lakes. The annotator upon Camden mentions the names of six lakes, in which ancient cities are reported to have been drowned, f I could add several others to this list, but I observe, that tradition generally adds, that some person or small family escaped upon a piece of timber, or by other means, Though I think it improbable that such submersions actu- ally happened, I refer the tales in which they are reported, to those lessons which our ancestors learned from their heathen instructors, whilst inculcating the mythology of the deluge. The principal lake mentioned by our author is Lli/n Sa- h V. Ij p. 114128. t Gibson's CamdeuCol. 706. 146 vaddan, in Brecknockshire. The old story of its forma- tion is not totally forgotten. I recollect some of its inci- dents, as related by an old man in the town of Hay. " The scite of the present lake was formerly occupied by " a large city ; but the inhabitants were reported to be very " wicked. The king of the country sent his servant to ex- " amine into the truth of this rumour, adding a threat, that ** in case it should prove to be well founded, he would de- ** stroy the place, as an example to his other subjects. The " minister arrived at the town in the evening. All the in- " habitants were engaged in riotous festivity, and wallow- " ing in excess. Not one of them regarded the stranger, or ** offered him the rites of hospitality. At last, he saw the " open door of a mean habitation, into which he entered, " The family had deserted it to repair to the scene of tumult, " all but one infant, who lay weeping in the cradle. The " royal favourite sat down by the side of this cradle, soothed " the little innocent, and was grieved at the thought, that " he must perish in the destruction of his abandoned neigh- *' hours. In this situation the stranger passed the night ; " and whilst he was diverting the child, he accidently " dropped his glove into the cradle. The next morning he " departed before it was light, to carry his melancholy ** tidings to the king. " He had but just left the town when he heard a noise "behind him, like a tremendous crack of thunder mixed " with dismal shrieks and lamentations. He stopped *' to listen. Now it sounded like the dashing of waves : " and presently all was dead silence. He could not see " what had happened, as it was still dark, and he felt <* no inclination to return into the city; so he pursued his " journey till sunrise. The mornmg was cold. He searched " for his gloves, and finding but one of them, he presently 147 " recollected where lie had left the other. These gloves " had been a present from his sovereign. He determined * to return for that which he had left behind. When he " was come near to the scite of the town, he observed with *' surprize, that none of the buildings presented themselves " to his view, as on the preceding day. He proceeded a ** few steps The whole plain was covered with a lake* " Whilst he was gazing at this novel and terrific scene, he " remarked a little spot in the middle of the water : the wind " gently wafted it towards the bank where he stood ; as it " drew near, he recognized the identical cradle in which he " had left his glove. His joy on receiving this pledge of *' royal favour was only heightened by the discovery, that ** the little object of his compassion had reached the shore ** alive and unhurt. He carried the infant to the king, and " told his majesty, that this was all which he had been " able to save out of that wretched place." Tliis little narrative evidently contains the substance of one of those tales, which we call Mabmogion, that is, tales for the instruction of youth, in the principles of Bardic my- thology. And it seems to have for its object, a local and im* pressive commemoration of the destruetion of a profligate race, by the waters of the deluge. Such traditions of the submersion of cities, in the lakes, of the country, or of populous districts, by the intrusion of the sea, are current all over Wales. They were not unfre- quent in other heathenish countries; and I observe, Mr. Faber uniformly refers them to the history of the deluge. Thus " Phlegyas and his children, the Phlegyse, were said " to have come from the land of Mint/as, and in the pride " of their heart, to have quitted the city of the Orehome- L2 148 *' nians or Arkites. This deseition from the Minyae or " Noachida, proved the cause of their destruction ; for it *' was iu reality, the separation of the antediluvian giants, " or Titans, from the family of Noah. They refused to " imitate the piety of that patriarch, and were consequently " excluded from the ark by their own wickedness. Accord- " ingly Nonnus represents them as being overwhelmed bj , '* Neptune, with the waters of the ocean. " From its deep rooted base, the Phlegyan isle ** Stern Neptune shook, and plung'd beneath the waves, " Its impious inhabitants."* " I am persuaded, says our author, that the tradition of " the sinking of the Phlegyan iste, is the very same as that " of the sinking of the island Atlantis. They both appear ** to me to allude to one great event, the sinking of the old " world beneath the waters of the deluge, or if we suppose *' the arch of the earth to have remained in its original po- *' sition, the rising of the central waters above it. The " force of truth leads him (jNI. Baily) unguardedly to main- " tain, for he doubtless did not perceive the consequences " of such a position, that the Atlantians were the same as " the Titans and the giants ; and he even cites an ancient *' tradition, preserved by Cosmas Indico-Pleustes, that Noah " formerly inhabited the island Atlantis ; but that, at the " time of the deluge, he was carried in an ark to that con- *' tinent, which has ever since been occupied by his poste- ** rity. These particulars unequivocally point out to us, " the proper mode of explaining the histojy of the At- lantians."f See Myst. of the Cabiri, V. I. p. 527, with llio author's authorities. t Ibid V. II. p. 28J. 149 As a further elucidation of our prevalent traditions, of the submersion of cities and regions, I must take the liberty * to transcribe the following curious passage. " As the sinking of the Phlegyan isle, and the submersion *' of the island Atlantis, equally relate to the events of the *' flood ; so the Chinese have preserved a precisely similar " tradition, respecting the preservation of the pious Peinitm, " and the fate of the island Maurigasima, the Atlantis of " the eastern world. " Maurigasima, says Koempfer, was an island famous in '^ former ages, for the excellency and fruitfulness of its soil, ** which afforded among the rest, a particular clay, exceed- " ingly proper for the making of those vessels, which now go " by the name of Porcelain, or China ware. The inhabitants " very much enriched themselves by the manufacture ; but " their increasing wealth gave birth to luxury and contempt " of religion, which incensed the gods to that degree, that " by an irrevocable decree, they determined to sink the " whole island. However, the then reigning king 'and so- " vereign of the island, whose name was Peirmm, being a " very virtuous and religious prince, no ways guilty of the *' crimes of his subjects, this decree of the gods was re- " vealed to him in a dream ; wherein he was connnanded, " as he valued the security of his person, to retire on board ^* his ships, and to flee from the island, as soon as he should " observe, that the faces of the two idols which stood at the ** entry of the temple turned red. So pressing a danger, " impending over the heads of his subjects, and the signs " whereby they might know its approach, in order to save " their lives by a speedy flight, he caused forthwith to be " made public ; but he was only ridiculed for his zeal vould be found to admit of the same solution, See Owen's Diet. V. Omwy, Dyvrdwti, Ptrydd, an4 Feryddm. t Myst. of the Cabiri, V. I. p. 259, &c. I Iliad, 6, JI. Fopc'f |ransltion. 154 But I must go on to consider another circumstance of tradition, connected with the lakes and bays of Britain; and by which our ancestors commemorated the vessel in which their deified patriarch overcame the deluge. This vessel is denominated a capx, that is, z. fenced, in* closure, and the same caer is described as an island.* Hence the sanctuaries of the Druids, which were intended as re- presentatives of this prototype, are often styled caers and islands, and were frequently constructed within small is- lands, which were considered as having once floated upon the surface of the water. And wjiere these were wanting, our hierophants seem to have constructed a kind of rafts or floats, in imitation of sueh islands. Thus the British Apollo, speaking through his priest, asks the names of the three caers, between the high and the low water mark, and boasts, that iiv case of a general deluge, he would preserve his seat of presideltey^safe and in- violate : intimating, that the sacred spot would mount on the surface of the waters, f Such is the representation which we have of the great sanctuary of Sidi. " The inundation will surround us, the chief priests of " K^d : yet complete is my chair, in Caer Sidi, neither dis- " order nor age Avill oppress him that is within it.- Three " loud strains, round the fire, will be sung before it, whilst " the currents of the sea are round its borders, and the co- " pious fountain is open from above." :j: Appendix, No. 3. + Ibid. No. 4. I Ibid. No. t. 155 Taliesin describes his holy sanctuary as wandering about from place to place. He first mentions it, as being upon the surface of the ocean: the billows assail it, and with speed it removes before them. It now appears on the wide lake, OS a city not protected with walls; the sea surrounds it. Again we perceive it on the ninth wave, and presently it is arrived within the gulph, or bend of the shore; there it lifts itself on high, and at last, fixes on the margin of the flood. After all, it appears that this holy sanctuary was nothing morethan the little island of Dm^ycA, in Dyved, or that in- sulated spot, upon which the town of Tenhy, in Pembroke- shire, stands at present. * What can all this mean, unless it be, that this wa a sacred island of the Druids, and that it was congenial to their arkite mythology, to devise the fable, that it had once floated on the surface of the ocean ? In the mountains near Brecknock, there is a small lake, to which tradition assigns some of the properties of the fa- bulous Avernus. I recollect a Mabinogi, or mythological tale, respecting this piece of water, which seems to imply, that it had once a floating raft, for here is no island. *' In ancient times, it is said, a door in a rock near this " lake, was found open upon a certain day every year. " I think it was May day. Those who had the curiosity and " resolution to enter, were conducted by a secret passage, " which terminated in a small island, in the centre of the " lake. Here the visitors were surprized wifh the prospect " of a most enchanting garden, stored with the choicest Appendix, No. 9. 156 " fruits and flowers, and inhabited by the Tylwyth Teg, or " fair family y a kind of fairies, whose beauty could be " equalled only by the courtesy and aifability which they " exhibited to those who pleased them. They gathered fruit " and flowers for each of their guests, entertained them *' with the most exquisite music, disclosed to them many f' events of futurity, and invited them to stay, as long as " they should find their situation agreeable. But the " island was sacred, and nothing of its produce must be <* carried away." " The whole of this scene was invisible to those who " stood without the margin of the lake. Only an indis- <* tinct mass was seen in the middle ; and it was observed, *' that no bird would fly over the water, and that a soft " strain of music, at times, breathed with rapturous sweet- *' ness in the breeze of the mountain. " It happened upon one of these annual visits, that a ** sacrilegious wretch, when he was about to leave the gar- ** den, put a flower, with which he had been presented, ** into his pocket; but the theft boded him no good. As " soon as he had touched unhallowed ground, the flour va- " nished, and he lost his senses. " Of this injury, the fair family took no notice at the *' time. They dismissed their guests with their accustomed " courtesy, and the door was closed as usual. But their ** resentment ran high. For though, as the tale goes, ihe " Tylwyth Teg and their garden undoubtedly occupy the " spot to this day though the birds still keep at a re- " spectful distance from the lake, and some broken strains *' of music are still heard at times, yet the door which led " to the island has never re-appeared ; and, from the date 157 " of this sacrilegious act, the Cymry have been unfor* " tunate." It is added, that " Some time after this, an adventurous " person attempted to draw off the water, in order to dis- " cover its contents, when a terrific form arose from the " midst of the lake, commanding him to desist, or other- ** wise he would drown the country." I have endeavoured to render this tale tolerable, by com- pressing its language, without altering or adding to its cir- cumstances. Its connection with British mythology may be inferred, from a passage of Taliesin, where he says, that the deluge was presaged by the Druid, who earnestly at- tended, in the aethereal temple of Geirionydd, to the songs that were chaunted by the GwylUon, children of the even- ing, in the bosoms of lakes.* The floating island of this lake was evidently an Arkite sanctuary. Giraldus Cambrensis, speaking of the lakes amongst the mountains of Snowdon, mentions one which was remark- able for a wandering island, concerning which some tradi- tional stories were related. Camden thinks this lake is to be recognized in " A small pond, called Llyn y DyzvaTcheri ** (i. e. Lacus Cespitis), from a little green moveable patch, " which is all the occasion of the fable of the wandering " island." t This great antiquary was but little inquisitive, as to the Appendix, No. If. t Gibjen's Camden Col. 797. 158 nature and tendency of popular tradition; otherwise he would have recorded some curious particulars of the islands in the celebrated lake of Lomond. He only observes, that " It hath several islands in it, concerning which there are " many traditional stories amongst the ordinary sort of " people. As for the Jloating island here, I shall not call " the truth of it in question ; for what should hinder a " body from swimming, that is dry and hollow, like a pin-' " nace, and very light ? And so Pliny tells us, that certain " green islands, covered with reeds and rushes, float up and *^ down in the lake of Vadimon" * Pliny's description of the lake of Vadimon is minute and curious. Many incredible stories were told of it ; but the following particulars, amongst others, he observed as an eye witness. The lake is perfectly round, the banks even, regular, and of equal height ; so that it appears as if scooped out, and formed by the hand of an artist. The water is of a bluish or greenish colour, it smells of sulphur, and has the quality of consolidating things that had been broken. There is no vessel upon this lake, because it is sacred; but it has several fertile, wandering islands, of equal height and lightness, and formed like the keels or hulks of ships. The same lake sends forth a stream, which, after flowing a short space, is buried in a cave, and runs deep under the earth. If any thing is cast into this stream, before it en- ters the cave, it is carried forth to the place where it re- appears, f ,-.1. - -- I-- - B-TM "' Gibson's Camden Col. If 17. + PJin. L. VIII. Epist. 20. 159 As this lake of Vadimon, or Vandimon, with its floating islands, was sacred^ there can be little doubt, that it was accommodated by art to the commemoration of Arkite superstition ; and consecrated to the Etruscan Janus, whose name it bore. But this divinity, as we are informed by a very curious relic of Etruscan antiquity, was no other than the Noah of Scripture. Magnus pater Vandimon, qui a Latinis Janus, a Syria Noa vocatur, advenit in banc regionem (scil. Hetruriam) cum secundo filio Japeto, et illius filiis; et cum venissent super hunc montem, sibi commodum, posteris jucundum putavit. Quare, in superiori parte, quae salubrior esset, civitatem aedificavit, et Cethem appellavit. f The arrival of Noah in Italy, is probably as fabulous as the settlement of Hu in Britain ; but gods and deified per- sons are generally represented as having settled in those places, where their worship was established. All I would infer from the testimony of Pliny, connected with this pas- sage, is, that the Helio-arkite patriarch was commemorated in his sacred lakes and floating islands in Italy, as well as in Britain ; and consequently, that the tales of the Britons, respecting such lakes and islands, are authentically derived from heathen mythology. And such floating islands, or rafts, substituted for islands, seem to have been generally viewed as symbols. of the ark. Mr. Faber remarks, that ." Herodotus mentions a deep " and broad lake, near Buto, in which, according to the " Egyptians, there was a floating island." ' Oh"tti^ 'island * IngUir. Apud. Anuot. ad Lactant. de Ftil. Rel. L. I. cap. 13. 160 " was a large temple, dedicated to Apollo, and furnished " with three altars. It was not supposed, however, to have '* been always in a floating state, but to have lost its ori- " ginal finnness, in consequence of the following circum- " stance. Wlien Typhon, or the ocean, was roaming " through the world, in quest of Horus, or Apollo, the " mythological son of Osirk, Latona, who was one of the " primitive eight gods, and who dwelt in the city Buto, " having received him in trust from Isis, concealed him *' from the rage of that destructive monster in this sacred " island, which then first began to float." * " As for *' the floating island mentioned by Herodotus," continues Mr. Faber, " it was probably only a large raft, constructed " in imitation of the ark ; while Horus, whose temple was ** built upon it, was the same person as his supposed father " Osiris, or Noah, worshipped in conjunction with the . sun." ^ Again : " This mode of representing the ark by a float- " ing island, was not exclusively confined to Egypt. As " Latona and Apollo were two of the great gods wor- " shipped at Buto, so we find the same traditions prevalent " at Delos, both with respect to its having once been a " floating island, and to the various dangers by which " Latona was assailed, "f Delos, any more than our Dinbych, never wandered but in fable ; and that, for the same reason, because it was con- secrated to the Helio-arkite god ; who, in his human capa- city, had wandered upon the face of the deluge. Myst. of the Cabiri, V. I. p. 61. From Herodot. L. II. c. 156. t lb. p. 64; Sec l*o the lake and floating island of Cotyle in Italj, j>. 65, &c. 161 The same author adduces many more instances in the course of his work, and then remarks in general. " All " these lakes contained small sacred islands, which seem to *' have been considered as emblematical of the ark ; w hence " those in the lakes of Buto and Cotyle, were supposed to " have once floated."* Thus he solves the problem of M. *' Bailly, who, noticing the extreme veneration of the an- cients for islands, demands f " Ne trouvez-vous pas, " Monsieur, quelque chose de singulier, dans cet amour *' des anciens pour les isles ? Tout ce qu'il y a de sacrc, de ." grand, et d'antique s'y est passe : pourquoi les habitant *' du continent ont-ils donne cet avantage aux isles, sur le " continent meme?";}^ But the sacred islands of the Druids are not always to be regarded as merely symbolical of the ark. I find that cer- tain islands, and rocky promontories, whether in the sacred lakes, aestuaries of rivers, or bays of the sea, represented the mount upon which the deified patriarch landed, from the waters of the deluge, This fact is particularly evident, in the story of Gziydd^ naze Garanhir, the lofty crane, priest of the ship, a hiero- phant, whose office it was to conduct the noviciates through a scenic representation of the patriarch's adventures. To this end, he inclosed the persons to be initiated in coracles, covered with the skins of beasts, launched them from the M * V. II. p. 429. n. + " Does it not appear to you. Sir, that there is something singular in this " partiality of the ancients to isianrfi ? In these, whatever is sacred, great, or " ancient has constantly occurred, why have the inhabitants of the cuntipent " given islaiids this advantage over the continent itself f'' * ]Lettret sur I'Atlantide, p. 361, 162 ahore in Cardigan bay, and, after they had weathered the mimic deluge, received them safe upon a reef of rocks, I suppose, Sam Badrig, or Patnck's Causeway, which repre- sented the landing-place of the patriarch. In a curious poem, which I shall have occasion to insert in the next section, this scene is presented to view. The probationer standing upon the shore, and about to enter the mystic coracle, but observing that the waves were rough, and the rock at a considerable distance, exclaims " Though I love the sea beach, I dread the open sea ; a " billow may come, undulating over the stone." To this the hierophant replies " To the brave, to the magnanimous, to the amiable, to " the generous, who boldly embarks, the landing-stone of " the Bards will prove the harbour of life: it has asserted " the praise of Heilyn, the mysterious impeller of the " sky ; and till the doom shall its symbol be continued." As this scene was to typify the passage through the de-r luge, it is evident, that the landing-stone which terminated that passage, and proved a harbour of life, stood for the rock or mount upon which the patriarch arrived safe, from the midst of the waters ; the same upon which he built the altar, and obtained the gracious promise, that the deluge should return no more. The Druids then regarded certain islands, or rocks, contiguous to the water, as symbols of this ipount. In this sense, I regard the sacred rock which inclosed the 163 stall of the JT*.^-" Boldly swells the stream to its high " limit let the rock beyond the billow be set in order at the " dawn, displaying the countenance of him who receives " the exile into his sanctuary the rocA; of the supreme pro- " prietory the chief place of tranquillity." In the name of this rock, the mystic priest proclaims " I am the cell, I *' am the opening chasm I am the place of re-animation !" This was then the landing-stone ^ the harbour of life, where the patriarch and his children were restored to light and ani- mation, after having passed through the symbolical death of the deluge. In allusion to this, the mystical Bard says " Existing of " yore, in the great seas, from the time when the shout " was heard, we were put forth whilst smiling at the side " of the rock, Nir remained in calm tranquillity .")- Ner was the Nereus of the Greeks and Romans, the great abyss, which was now retiring in calm serenity, when the patriarch and his family had reached the sacred rock. To this mythology, the stories of the sacred islands in the lake of Lomond may have alluded. The Welsh roman- tic chronicles of the twelfth century inform us, that this lake receives sixty streams from the neighbouring hills, which it unites, and puts forth in the form of one river, named Leven that it contains sixty islands, each of which has a rock or petra, with an eagle's nest on its top that these eagles assemble annually at a central petra, on May- * Appendix, No. 6. + Ibid. No. 7, 164 day, and by their concert of screams, vaticinate the fates of countries and kingdoms for the ensuing year.* If, by these eagles, we understand fraternities of heathen priests, who often appear under that name, the story may have been authentically derived from the mythology of the country. The island of Bardsea, so illustrious in Bardic and popish lore, seems to have been one of the rocks of the supreme proprietor, or places of re-animation, which commemorated the landing of the patriarch. Meilyr, a celebrated Bard of the twelfth century, says of it Ynys glan yglain Gwrthrych dadwyrain Ys cain iddi, " The holy island of the Glain (adder-stone), to which " pertains a splendid representation of re-exaltation. I might extend my remarks to several other islands, as that of Hu, lona or Icolmkil, where popish superstition adopted the prejudice of its pagan ancestor ; and even to the name of the great hierophant, Merddin Vardd, which implies priest of the sea-girt hill. But as this appellation has something of an obsolete sound, it is familiarized to our countrymen, by making him the son of Morvryn, mount in the sea. In all this, the reader may perceive the predi- lection of our ancestors for certain small insular spots, whet ther embosomed in lakes, bays, or .lestuaries of rivers, Tlie same feature of superstition has presented itself to the ? W. Archaiol. V. II. p. 308, . 165 researches of modern antiquaries, Thus Dr. Borlase re-=^ Varks some huge remains of monuments, which are deemed Druidical, in the islets of Scilly, more particularly in Tres- caw, which was anciently called Inis Caw, the island of con- federacy, whence a graduate in the Druidical school was styled Bardd Caw. It is not easy to determine with precision, which of our sacred islands symbolized the wandering ark, and which the stable mount, upon whose firm base the patriarch rested from his toils. But they had an intimate relation one to the other; and to some such sacred island, our mystical Bards refer the ultimate origin of their Diluvian lore. In the poem called the spoils of the deep,* Taliesin treats of the deepest mysteries of his Arkite theology* " Am I not contending," says the Bard, " for the fame " of that song which was four times reviewed in the qua- " drangular Caer, or sanctuary ! As the first sentence, was " it uttered from the cauldron, which began to be warmed " by the breath of the nine damsels. Is not this the caul- " dron of the ruler of the deep /" That is, the cauldron of Uii, the emperor of the seas. And again : " Am not I con- ** tending for the honour of a song which deserves atten- " tion ! In the quadrangular inclosure, in the island of the " strong door or barrier, the twilight and the pitchy dark- " ness are mixed together, whilst bright wine is the beve- " raore of the narrow circle !" *o^ The cauldron here mentioned, as will be seen in the en- suiag section, implies the whole system of Druidical lore ; II... 1.1. ... . * Appendix, No. 3, 166 and we are here told^ that the mythology of the dekige was the first of its mystical productions. This cauldron was attended and originally prepared by nine damsels, in a qua- drangular sanctuarfj, withijt a sacred island. These damsels are commemorated in the monuments of Cornwall. '* On the downs, leading from Wadebridge to St. Co- " lumb, and about two miles distant from it, is a line of " stones, bearing N. E. and S. W. This monument is ge- " nerally called the nine maids." * These maids, in whom the Diluvian lore originated, must be ultimately referred to the Gwylliotiy certain prophetesses of mytholog}', who gave the first presage of the deluge, by their nightly songs, in the bosoms of lakes; that is, in their sacred islands. -j- From these fabulous models, a sisterhood of priest- esses and pretended prophetesses seem to have been esta- blished early, and to have continued down to the sixth centurv. Taliesin mentions four damsels, who attended to lament the death of the priest of Hu, or perhaps Y/te mystical death of the god himself. X Gwyllion, the name of these damsels, is the plural of Gzcyll, which, in its present acceptation, is a night wan- derer, a. fairy, a witch, &c. They are represented as chil- dren of tlie evening, probably because it was their office to celebrate certain nightly orgies. Dr. Borlase's Antiq. of Cornwall, p. 189, and PI. XVII. Fig. 1. t Appendix, No. 12. X Ibid. No. 10. \ W7 But what was their island with the strong door? I think it must be recognized in the S'eon with the strong door, men- tioned in the poem last cited. At this spot, Hu, or Aed' don, is fabled to have arrived at the time of the deluge, from the land of Gwydion. That this was an island, appears from another mystical poem.* Taliesin, in his approach to it, goes to the mouth of a river, where he is met by Mugnach, the mysterious, the son of Mydnaw, mover of the ship, or of the nine, who presided as a sovereign in his sacred Caer, and was ac- knowledged as the teacher of liberality and honour, and the giver of mead and win>i (these are the endowments of Hu). He invites the Bard to a booth, which the latter weems to avoid with dread and apprehension. S'ion, however, was not properly the appellative of the island, but of certain mystical personages, who communi- cated their own naine to it, and who seem to have been no other than the Gwyllion, or prophetic maids above men- tioned. Like the muses of old, they were the patronesses of poetry and music. Taliesin says Ef cyrch cerddorion Se syberw S'eon. " The tuneful tribe will resort to the magn,ificent Se of " the Seon:'\ There was some signal disaster attendant upon the fall of one of these ladies : hence the Bards use the simile, in il- lustrating a hopeless calamity. Thus Appendix, No. 8. t W. Archaiol. p. 40. 168 Astnis chwedl ry chweiris i Gymry Ystryw chwervv, nid chweriau ryle Ail yrth, ail syrth Se Ail diliw dilain draig erhy. " A doleful tale to the Cyniry, sports about Of bitter '' stratagem, not fair contention for superiority; like the " concussion, like the fall of a Se hke the deluge that " afflicted the intrepid dragon." * Druidism, then, is asserted to have originated in the sa- cred island of the 5eow, where the mysteries of Hu, the Helio-arkite god, considered in the character of Bacchus, were celebrated by nine priestesses, who had the title of Gwyllion. This brings our Bardic mythology again into contact with classical authority. For our ^eon corresponds with the Senttj and our GzeyUion with the Gallicena of Pomponius Mela. " Sena," says that geographer, " situated in the British " sea, over against the land of the Osismii, is famous fot " the oracle of a Gaulish deity, whose priestesses, devoted " to perpetual virginity, are said to be nine in nnm- " ber. They are called GalliceneR, supposed to be of great " genius, and rare endowments ; capable of raising storms " by their incantations, of transforming themselves into what " animals they please, of curing ailments, reckoned by " others beyond the reach of medicine ; quick at discern- " ing, and able to foretel what is to come; but easy of " address only to sailors, and to those who come into this " island on purpose to consult them/'f Gwalcliniai W. Archaiol. p. 'iOi. t I.lb. III. c. 8. 169 This spot must have been near the Land*s-end, or amongst the Scilly islands; but as the different Celtic tribes had, probably, several Caer Seons, with establishments some- what differing from each other, I find a Sena in the British seas, mentioned by Strabo, which in some particulars comes nearer to our Bardic mythology. Men never landed here, but the women, passing over in ships, and having conversed with their husbands, returned again to the island, and to their charge, which was to wor- ship Bacchus, the god to whom they were consecrated, with rites and sacrifices. Every year it was their custom to unroof their temple, and to renew the covering the same day, before sun-set, by the united labours of all the women ; of whom, if any one dropped or lost the burden she was carrying, to complete the sacred work, she was torn in pieces by the rest, and the several limbs of this unhappy companion they carried round their temple, with, rejoicings proper to the solemnities of Bacchus, until their fury abated. Of this cruel rite, Strabo says, there always hap- pened some instance, whenever the annual solemnity of un- covering the temple was celebrated.* The Gallicen(B of Mela were evidently priestesses of Ked or Ceridwen, the mythological consort of the Arkite god ; and to her, the singular qualities ascribed to them properly appertained. It will be seen in the ensuing section, that her knowledge and genius were very extraordinary. She was an enchantress she could assume the form of what- soever animal she pleased. She was eminently skilled in medicine, and both possessed herself, and could communi- cate to her priests, a view of all future events. Lib. IV. See Dr. Borlase's Aatiq. of Cornwall, p. 87. 170 Strabo's priestesses were immediately consecrated to HUf the British Bacchus, whose cell, quadrangular inclosure, or stall of the ox, they covered annually w ith branches. The geographer's narrative fully illustrates the meaning of our Bards, when they allude to the calamitous slip of one of this sisterhood. Agreeably to the Helio-arkite superstition,these personages exercised their sacred function in the bosoms of lakes or bays, which represented the deluge, and within the verge of consecrated islands, the symbols either of the floating ark, or of the spot upon which the patriarch disembarked. As, then, the deified patriarch, or his representative, was supposed to have his usual residence in such situations, and as the office of the sacred oxen was to submit their necks to the car of the loj'ty one, we may perceive what is meant by that important rite, of draw'ing the avanc out of the lake. It could imply nothing more, than drawing the shrine of the Diluvian god from his symbolical ark, to the rock of debarkation, preparatory to his periodical visits to his temples and sanctuaries, upon firm ground ; or investing him with the empire of the recovered earth. The Bards supply many curious hints respecting the ritei used upon this occasion. The usual residence of this tauriform god, was in his consecrated cell, or ox-stall, on a rock surrounded zcith the billoji's, the rock of the supreme proprietor, the chief place of tranquillity. At a certain season, his festival com- mences with the spdorning of the rock and the cell ; then a solemn proclamation is issued, the bacchanals hasten to the jolly carousal, and, amongst other extravagances, pierce J71 their thigksy so as to cause an effusion of blood * This was at the season of May, or when the song of the Cuckoo convenes the appointed dance over the green.f " Eminent is the virtue of the free course, when this " dance is performed; loud is the horn of the lustrator, " when the kine move in the evening/'J And the dance is performed with solemn festivity about the lakes, round which and the sanctuary the priests move sideways, whilst the sanctuary is earnestly invoking the gliding king (the dragon, Bacchus), before whom the fair^ one retreats, upon the veil that covers the huge stones.' This is also the time of libation, and of slaying the victim. This sanctuary is in the island which had floated on the wide lake, but was now fixed on the margin of the flood. Here the sacred ox, the Ych Ba?iawg, is stationed before the lake, to draw the shrine through the shallow water to dry ground. There is the retinue of the god, there is the procession, there the eagle waves aloft in the air, marking the path of Granze^n, the solar deity, the pervading and invincible sovereign. || Aneurin, as an eye witness, thus describes the solemnities of this ceremony, and an accident, or mystical incident, which attended its celebration. Appendix, No. 6. + Ibid. No. 12. t Ibid. No. 4. Ibid. No. 11. Ij Ibid. No. 2. 172 " In the presence of the blessed ones, before the great " assembly, before the occupiers of the holme (the priests " of the sacred island), when the house (shrine of the god) *' was recovered from the swamp (drawn out of the shallow '* water) surrounded with crooked horns and crooked *' swords, in honour of the mighty king of the plains, the " king of open countenance (Bacchus); I saw dark gore " (from the frantic gashes of the bacchanals) arising on " the stalks of plants, on the clasp of the chain (of the " oxen), on the bunches (ornaments of their collars), on *' tW sovereign (the god himselO on the bush and the " spear (the thyrsus). Ruddy was the sea beach, whilst *' the circular revolution was performed by the attendants, " and the white bands, in graceful extravagance. i " The assembled train were dancing after the manner, and singing in cadence, with garlands on their brows: '* loud was the clattering of shields round the ancient caul- '^ dron, in frantic mirth; and lively was the countenance of " him who, in his prowess, had snatched over the ford that " involved ball, which casts its rays to a distance, the' *' splendid product of the adder, shot forth by serpents." (This was a priest, who was fabled to have obtained the Anguinum, in the manner described by Pliny : the acqui- sition seems to have procured him the privilege of personi- fying the god.) " But," continues the Bard, " wounded art thou, se- ** verely wounded, thou delight of princesses, thou who ** lovedst the living herd! It was my earnest wish that thou " mightest live, thou of victorious energy ! Ah, thou bull, " wrongfully oppressed, thy death I deplore thou hast " been a friend to tranquillity ! In view of the sea, in the 173 ** front of assembled men, and near the pit of conflict, the " raven has pierced thee in wrath."* / v Whether the wounding of this bullf who represented the taurine god, was an unforeseen accident, or a customary mystical incident, I am not mythologist enough to ascertain. But, upon the whole, it may be asserted, that in the so- lemnities here described, the ancients may have perceived legitimate rites of the orgies of Bacchus ; and we may con- clude, that it was something of this kind that Strabo and Dionysius had in view, when they ascribed the worship of that god to the British islands. . -^ f The similarity of these rites with those of other heathens, might be proved in almost every particular; but I shall only produce three or four passages, as bearing generally upon the subject, Sophocles thus invokes the Bacchus of the Greeks, f " Immortal leader of the maddening choir, " Whose torches blaze with unextinguish'd fire, " Great son of Jove, who guid'st the tuneful throng, " Thou who presid'st over the nightly song, " Come, with thy Naxian maids, a festive train, " Who, wild zcithjoi/, and raging o'er the plain, ^' For thee the dance prepare, to thee devote the strain." f Here, as well as amongst the Britons, this god has his residence in a small island, Naxos, where he is attended by Appendix, No. 14. + Antig. V. 1162. I francklm'i paJuJstit^, 174 his frantic priestesses f and from whence he begins his pro- gress, with the nightly song and extravagant dance. Ano- ther band of his priestesses welcome him to land at Elis, in the hymn recorded by Plutarch. " Come, hero Dionusus, to thy temple on the sea shore ; " come, heifer-footed deity, to thy sacrifice, and bring the *' graces in tliy train! Hear us, O bull, worthy of our " veneration ; hear us, O illustrious bull!" * The following passages of Euripides, preserved by Strabo,^ represent the rites of this god much in the same manner as our British Bards, allowing for the homeHness of the Celtic muse. " Happy the man who, crown'd with ivy wreaths, " And brandishing his thyrsus, " The mystic rites of Cuba understands, " And worships mighty Dionusus. " Haste, ye Bacchse! " Haste, bring our god, Sabazian Bromus, " From Phrygia's mountains to the realms of Greece." " On Ida's summit, with his mighty mother, " Young Bacchus leads the frantic train, " And through the echoing woods the rattling timbrels sound." * Quaest. Grace, p. '299. + Lib, X. 175 '* Then the Curetes clashed their sounding arms, ** And raised, withjotfful voice, the song " To Bacchus, ever young ; " While the shrill pipe " Resounded to the praise of Cybel^, ** And the gay Satyrs tripp'd in jocund dance, ** Such dance as Bacchus loves" * ; These descriptions correspond with the rites of the British Bacchus; but the reader will, perhaps, inquire for the mighty mother of the god, who makes so conspicuous a figure in the Grecian Bard. I have already mentioned, incidentally, a female cha-^ racter, as connected with the Helio-arkite god of the Britons. This goddess, who is, at one time, represented as the mother of that deity, and, at other times, as his consort or his daughter, participates in all his honours and prerogatives ; so that, what is now attributed to the one, is again presently ascribed to the other. She comes under a variety of names, as Kid, Ceridwen, Lldd, Awen, and many others ; and she has a daughter, named Creirzey or Uywy, whose attributes are not easily distinguished from those of her mother. At present^ I shall only touch upon . few particulars of this character, and note some of its analogies with general mythology, reserving what I have farther to say upon the subject to another section, Kpdy or Ceridwen, presides in the same floating sanc- tuary which wgis sacred to the Arkite god.f She, as well Mr. Faber's translation Mjst. of the Cabiri, V. II. p. 39. f Appendix, No. % antf 4. m as that god, is proprietor of the mystic cauldron.* In conjunction with Hu, she has the title of ruler of the Bii' tish tribes, f Consequently, the privilege of investing the chief Bard, or priest, with the dominion of Britain, per- tains to her, conjointly with the Arkite god. ;}:. In order to discover what is meant by this character, it may be remarked, that her symbol, or distinguishing attri- bute, was a sacred boat. And she is even identified with the boat, or vessel, which was fabricated by the Diluvian patriarch. " Let truth be ascribed to Menwyd, the dragon ** chief of the world, who formed the curvatures of Kyd *' (the ark), which passed the dale of grievous waters, hav- '* ing the fore part stored with com, and mounted aloft, *' with the connected serpents." || Hence she is represented in this poem, as the daughter of that god. " Then shall " the great ones be broken: they shall have their feeble *' wanderings beyond the effusion (deluge) of the father of " Ked." And as the deified patriarch was symbolized by the sun, so the goddess of the boat and the cauldron was venerated in conjunction with the moon.<[[ Hence it appears, that this goddess, by whatever name ghe was distinguished, may be regarded as a personification of the ark; or else as an imaginary genius, supposed to preside over that sacred vessel; and therefore connected Ibid. No. 1, 2, and 4, and Gododin, Song 24. t Gododin, Song '25. t Compare Appendix, No. 1 and 12. $ Ibid. No. 9. H Ibid. No. 12. J SejCadair Talicsin in the ensuing sectioo. 177 with the Arkite god, and dignified, like him, with a celes- tial symbol. But the god Hu was represented by a btill, and presided in his sacred stall. It is also probable, that the female deity was sometimes viewed under the emblem of a cob, and had animals of this species set apart for the sacred office of drawin her shrine. o The Triads mention three mythological cozes, one of which, I suppose, was the symbol of this goddess, whilst the other two were devoted to her service.* And in the poem of the Ogdoad,-f we find the spotted cow, which at the era of the flood procured a blessing. On the serene day (before the commencement of the storm) she bellowed : on the eve of May she was boiled (tossed about by the deluge), and on the spot where her boiling was completed, the Diluvian patriarch found rest. Great must have been the honours conferred upon this cozo, when the preservation of her sacred stall was deemed of such importance, that, zcith- out it, the zoorld zcould become desolate, not requiring the song of the cuckoo to convene the appointed dance over the green. The cow being the symbol of this goddess, furnishes a probable reason why that island, in which her worship emi- nently prevailed, was called Ynys Mon, the island of the cozo. Such fantastical commemorations of that sacred ark, in which the Divine Providence saved an expiring world, were not peculiar to the pagan Britons. * W. Arclmiol. Vol. II. p. 22. + Appendix, No. 12. 178 " The various goddesses of paganism," sa3's Mr. Faber, *' seem to be all one and the same mythological character ; '* though they sometimes represent the moon, sometime *' the arky and sometimes the globe of the earthy emerging " from the waters of the deluge." * Again " Most, indeed, of the ancient goddesses are so far " the same, that their several mythological histories appear " almost universally to relate, partly to the catastrophe of " the deluge, and partly to the worship of the heavenly " bodies. The worlds rising from the midst of the waters, " the arky wandering over their surface, and upon the " introduction of Sabianism, the limar crescent, seem to be " alike described in the diversified characters of all and " each of them. Their names, moreover, are perpetually '* interchanged, so that one goddess is not uniformly a per- " sonification of the ark, another of the mooUy and a third " of the earth ; but, on the contrary, all these various ob- ^ jects of worship are frequently symbolized, upon different *' occasions, by one and the same deity. Thus Venus, Der- *' ceto, Isis, Ceres, Proserpine, and Latona, are severally *' and equally the moon, the renovated globe, and the aik " of Noah."t The same author remarks, that the deified ark was some- times considered as the mother, sometimes as the daughter, and sometimes as the consort of its builder :+ and that a cow, or heifer, was the most usual emblem of lheark. * Mysteries of the Cabiri, V. I. p. 17. + Ibid. p. 138. J Ibid. p. 182. , Ibid. p. 177. &c^ 179 Mr. Faber also takes notice of a rite mentioned by Ta citus, as prevalent amongst the Germans (the neighbours of our Celts), " In which we behold the great goddess con- " nected, as in the mysteries of Egypt (and Britain), with " the small lake, the consecrated island, and the si/nibolkal " ox." " In an island in the ocean (says the historian) is a sacred " grove, and in it a chariot, covered with a garment (the " Lien of our Bards), which the priest alone can iavvfully " touch. At particular seasons, the goddess is supposed " to be present in this sanctuary ; she is then drawn in her " car by heifers, with much reverence, and followed by the " priests. During this period, nnhounded festivity prevails, " and all wars arc at an end, till the priest restores the " deity to the temple, satiated with the conversation of " mortals. Immediately the chariot, the garments, and " even the goddess herself, are plunged beneath the waters " of a secret lake." Upon this passage, our author observes, that this portable shrine, drawn by oxen, was one of the same nature as that of Agruerus or Noah, mentioned by Sanohoniatho ; and that it is not improbable, that the mode which the Philis- tines adopted, of sending home the ark of God, wui bor- rowed from this very superstition. Willing to pay it all possible honour, they conveyed it, like the shrine of the great Phcenician deity, Agruerus, in a cart drawn by cows. " Now, therefore, make a new cart, and take two milch " kine, on which there hath come no yoke, and tie the " kine to the cart, and bring their calves home from tbera 5 " and take the ark of the Lord, and lay it upon the cart ; " and put the jewels of gold, which ye return him for a N 2 180 " trespass offering, in a coffer by the side thereof; and send " it away, that it may go." * . Thus it appears, that the symbols and rites by which our ancestors commemorated the patriarch and his sacred vessel, had a close analogy with the superstition of the ancient Gentiles. ' And now, having ascertained these facts, let me take a brief retrospect of the ground over which I have gone. In the course of the present section, I have produced a mass of evidence, that the mythology and rites of the Druids have a reference to the history of the deluge, com- bined with Sabian idolatry : that this people had prfeserved many heathen traditions respecting the deluge; that they recognized the character of the patriarch Noah, whom they worshipped as a god, in conjunction with the sun ; that this He/io-arkite deity was their chief gody^ appropriating the attributes of most of the principal gods of the Gentiles, but more particularly corresponding in character rcith Bac- chus; that his symbols and titles point out his identity with this deity ; that the rites by which he was honoured, were connected with the superstitious veneration of certain sacred lakes, rivers, islands, and rocks; that these rites were appro- priate to the orgies of Bacchus ; that the worship of this god was connected with that of a goddess, who represented the ark ; and that all this corresponds, as history requires it should correspond, with the general superstition of other nations, and is therefore derived from the same source. We are, indeed, furnished with several hints, some of + Mjrst. of ihc Cabiri, V. I. p. 218, J81 which I shall produce in the sequel, that the worship of the sun was an adventitious hranch, grafted at some remote period into the religion of our ancestors. But as for the Arkite superstion, and the idolatrous veneration of the great patriarch, we have seen, that the country of the Cambro- Britons, even in the present age, is full of traditions, which must be referred, exclusively, to certain local and national commemorations of the deluge. And the same traditions are recognized by the poets of the middle ages, who add a strong confirmation to them, by the positive assertion, that the patriarch who survived the deluge, had been acknowledged as a great god by the ancient Bards, or Druids of Britain. It also appears, that the mythological Triads, which we regard as the most venerable memorials of our progenitors, describe Hu, the great deified patriarch and legislator, with certain characteristical traits, which can only be verified in the history of Noah. And that Aneurin, the contemporary of Hengist, and Taliesin, the president of the Bards in the sixth century ; that great repository of tradition, which rms ancient in his days; that bigot to the religion of his forefathers, which he was not ashamed openly to profess, acknowledged the ame Hu as the mystical ruler of Britain, and as the god of ancient Mono, the accredited seat of the Druids. In that consecrated spot, this Diluvian god had no avowed supe- rior ; for Mona was the island of the praise of Hu the island of Hu, the severe remuntrator, .if This could have been no new superstition in the days of Taliesin. For the fabrication of such an idolatrous svstem 183 by that Bard, no adequate motives can be assigned. Such a fabrication, if attempted, could not have been rendered permanent and national ; nor would the learning of his age have carried him through the task of devising a system, which could tally with the remotest traditions of the hea- then nations, and with tlie elucidation of those traditions by the best scholars of our own times, in so many minute particulars. What Taliesin has given us is, then, the genuine opinion of the Druids of the sixth century, re- specting the religion of their remote predecessors : apd we have sufficient reason to conclude, that the chain which connected them with those predecessors, was neither slack nor feeble. It is, then, a certain fact, that the Druids did pay an idolatrous homage to the patriarch Noah, and to the vessel which carried him safe through the waters of the deluge. In this superstition, they had almost lost sight of the one supreme God, whose providence alone had protected the righteous man, and his tottering ark. And I cannot account for their ascending thus high in their traditions, and there stopping at once ; nor for their retaining just ideas of the patriarchal character, viewed a^ a man, in the midst of the grossest superstition and errors, without supposing that their ancestors, at some period of iheir history, had respected the righteous laws of Noah, and professed his pure religion, notwithstanding the depth to which they had fallen in the course of ages. However this may have been, I shall keep hold of the facts developed in this section, and apply them as a clue, in tracing out some of the hidden recesses of this ancient su- perstition. 183 \ SECTION III. The Character, Connexions, and mystical Kites of Ked, or Ceridzoen, the Arkite Goddess of the Druids. Her Iden- tity with the Ceres of Antiquity. J- HE detection of those divine honours, which the Bri- tish sage awarded to the patriarch Noah, under whatever title; the magnificent mention of the ship of Nevydd; and the commemorations of the deluge upon the borders of the lakes of Cambria, encourage me to search for some farther vestiges of that kind of superstition, and of those mystic rites, which Mr. Bryant terms Arkite ; which he considers at large in the second volume of his Analysis ; and which he finds widely diffused over the Gentile world. According to this very eminent writer, all the mysteries of the heathen natioiu seem to have been memorials of the deluge, and of the events which immediately succeeded. He remarks, that those mysteries consisted, for the most part, of a melancholy process, and were celebrated by night with torches, in commemoration of that state of darkness, in which the patriarch and his family had been involved.* To be more particular ; he remarks, that in these mystic Analysis V. U[. p. 331. 184 rites, th ark of Noah was an object of superstitious vene- ration, over which a divinity was represented as presiding; and that this character was known by the several names of Sslene, Isis, Ceres, Rhea, Vesta, Cyhele, Archia, Niobep and Melissa, which were the same : these being only titles, by which that female personage was described, who was supposed to be the genius of the ark, and the mother of mankind.* And as this personage was the genius of the ark, so our author takes notice, that the celebration of her mysteries in the British islands, stands upon ancient record. Having quoted the authority of Artemidorus upon this subject, Mr. Bryant thus declares his own opinion. " I make no doubt, " but that this history was true, and that the Arkite rites " prevailed in many parts of Britain/'f Holding in my hand the clue presented to me in the pre- ceding section of this Essay, and walking in the shade of this giant of erudition, who clears the way before me, I shall now proceed to the Druidical precinct, in search of the British Ceres: and I think I distinguish her character and history in the celebrated goddess Kid, or Ceridzccn, whom I have already remarked in close connection with the Arkite god. Mr. Owen, in his Cambrian Biography, describes Cerid- wen as " A female personage, in the mythology of the " Britons, considered as the Jirst of ZDomankind, having; " nearly the same attributes with Venus, in whom are per- *' sonified the generative powers." Analysis, V. II. p. 266. + Ibid. p. 47.S. 185 In this description, she is evidently acknowledged as the great mother : and Mr. Bryant says of Ceres, that slie was named da mater, or the mother, because she was esteemed (as representative of the ark) the common parent, the mother^ of all mankind.* In the introductory isection of this Essay, I quoted se- veral passages from those Bards who lived under the Welsh princes, in which Ceridvven is mentioned. They uniformly represent this character, as having pertained to the super- stition of the primitive Bards, or Druids^ They describe her, as having presided over the most hidden mysteries of that ancient superstition ; and as a personage, from whom aloae the secrets of their fanatical priesthood were to be obtained in purity and perfection. They also intimate, that it was' requisite for those who aspired to the chair of presidency, to have tasted the waters of inspiration from her sacred cauldron, or, in other v/ords, to have been ini- tiated into her mysteries. All this clearly points towards some solemn rites of our remote progenitors : and, for such rites, we can find no parallel amongst the heathen priesthood of other nations, if we except the celebrated mysteries of Ceres, Isis, or Cy- bele, all which names Mr. Bryant refers to the same his- tory and character. But it may be asked, if Ceridwen has the attributes of FeuuSfWhy should I labour to connect her more particularly with the character of Ceres ? I must observe, in reply, that this station seems to be Analysis V. II. p. 333. 186 pointed out for her by the most obvious mythological ana- logy. The most familiar idea which was entertained of Ceres, presented her as the goddess of corn ; as having in- troduced the art of tillage, and taught mankind to sow the land, and cultivate the various species of grain. The reader may recollect a passage of Cuhelyn, a Bard of he sixth or eighth century, which I have already quoted, and which delineates the character of Ceridwen by one impressive epithet she is styled Ogyrven Anihady the god- dess of various seeds. Thus Ceres and Ceridwen unite by a single touch. And our British Ceres, agreeably to Mr. Bryant's observation, was the genius of the ark. Her attri- bute was a boat, and she was even identified with that vessel, which was formed by the Diluvian patriarch ; which carried its store of cor7i over the grievous waters, and, like the car of Ceres, mounted aloft with its harnessed serpents.* The history and character of Ceridwen are exhibited in a very curious mythological tale, called Hanes Taliesin, the History of Taliesin. It is prefixed to the works of that Bard, and has been supposed to contain some romantic account of his birth ; but, in reality, it has nothing to do with the history of a private individual, or with romance, in the common acceptation of that term. It is a mytholo- gical allegory, upon the subject of initiation into the mys- tical rites of Ceridwen. And though the reader of culti- vated taste may be offended at its seeming extravagance, I cannot but esteem it one of the most precious morsels of British antiquity, which is now extant. Before I exhibit the tale itself, it may be proper to ob- See the conclusion of Sect. 11. and the poems tliere quoted. 187 viate an objection to the era of the incidents which it recites. Ceridwen is represented as living in the time of Arthur. Hence it may be argued, that she could neither have been the great mother, nor have belonged at all to the ancient superstition of the Druids. But the Arthur here introduced, is a traditional cha- racter, totally distinct from the prince who assumed that name in the beginning of the sixth century. He is placed, as Mr. Owen remarks, high in the mytho- logical ages, and far beyond the reach of authentic, profane history. The great hear is his representative in the heavens, and the constellation, Lyra, is his harp. He is the son of XJthyr Bendragoji, the wonderful supreme leader, and Eigyr, the generative power. His adventures, as related in the mythological tales, had evidently, according to my author, a common origin with those of Hercules, the Argonauts, &c. Mr. Owen, with some hesitation, refers this character to the history of Nimrod.* I rather think that Arthur was ofle of the titles of the deified patriarch Noah. And with this idea, the account which we have of him in the Bards and the Triads, perfectly accord. He is represented as having had three wives, the daugh- ters of mythological personages : each of these wives had the name of Gwenhwyvar,'f that is, the lady of the summit of the water. These three wives of Arthur are only so many copies of the same mystical character, the import of which may be perceived in the construction of the name. * Cam. Biog. V. Arthur. t Gvreu-wy-var : the H in this word is merely formative. 188 And as for Arthur himself, Taliesin's Spoils of the Deep* a poem which treats wholly of Diluvian mythology, repre- sents this prince as presiding in the ship which brought himself, and seven friends, safe to land, when that deep swallowed up the rest of the human race. This has no con- nection with the history of the sixth century. It relates entirely to the deluge ; and the personage here eommemo- rated, was the same as his mystical parent, Uthyr Pendra- goriy or the deified patriarch Noah. It appears from Taliesin, that Cerldwen also was esteemed a character of the most remote antiquity : for the Bard places the origin of her mysteries very remote in the pri- mitive ages. Cyvarchav i'm Rhen Ystyriaw Awen Py ddyddwg Anghen Cyn no Cheridwen ! Cyssevin ym Myd A vu ei Sywyd. " 1 implore my sovereign, to consider the inspiring muse " (a title of this goddess) what did necessity produce, " more early than Ceridwen ! The primary order in the " world was that of her priests.'* These mystical characters, it must be acknowledged, were still regarded as existing in the sixth century ; and so they would have been to this day, had they been still personified Appendix, No. 3. t Taliesin's Mabgyvren, or Elements. W. Archaiol. p. 24. 189 in their priests, and had the superstition which upheld them continued to prevail.* To this short defence of the antiquity of the British mys- teries, or rather of the characters to which they were con- secrated, I must add, that I have thought it convenient to divide the stoiy of Hanes Taliesm into chapters, in order to place the long annotations which it may require, as near as possible to the subject from which they arise. I have also translated the names of men and places : for this I need but little apology. Though many of these name's occur in history, yet in the present, and in similar cases, they are evidently selected for the purpose of carrying on the alle- gory, without wholly removing the mystic veil : their im- port, therefore, ought to be known to the reader, HANES TALIESIN. Chap. I. " In former times, there was a man of noble descent in " Penllyriy the end of the lake. His name was Tegid Voel, " bald serenity, and his paternal estate was in the middle of " the lake of Tegid, or Pemble meer. " His espoused wife was named Ceridwen. By this wife " he had a son, named Morvran ap Tegid, raven of the sea, " the son of serenity, and a daughter called Creirvyw,f the * Thus Ceridwen still exists in the middle of the twelfth century. See the poems of Hywel, in the conclusion of this section. t la other passages, this name is written Creirwy, the token of the egg. 190 *' sacred token of life. She was the most beautiful damsel '' in the world " But tnese children had a brother, named Avagdduy " utter darknesSy or black acciunnlation, the most hideous " of beings. Ceridwen, the mother of this deformed son, " concluded in her mind, that he would have but little " chance of being admitted into respectable company, un- " less he were endowed with some honourable accomplish- " ments, or sciences ; for this was in the first period of '* Arthur, and the round table." This opening of the tale carries us at once into mytholo- gical ground. In the situation of Tegid's paternal estate, in the figure presented by that personage, and in the names and characters of his children, we have the history of the deluge presented to our view ; and that history is sketched upon British canvas. The Britons, as we have seen in the preceding section, represented the deluge as having been occasioned by the bursting forth of the waters of a lake. Hence they conse- crated certain lakes, as symbols of the deluge ; whilst the little islands which rose to the surface, and were fabled to have floated, or else artificial rafts, representing such float- ing islands, were viewed as emblems of the ark, and as mystical sanctuaries. They also regarded certain rocks, or mounts, attached to such lakes, as typifying the place of the patriarch's debarkation ; and in the midst of these hal- lowed scenes, they celebrated the memorials of the deluge by some periodical rites. We are therefore told, tliat the paternal estate of Tegid Vocl, the husband of Ceridwen, 191 was in the centre of Pemble meer, the largest of the Welsh lakes. This estate must have been limited to the space of a raft, ship, or boat, which could have floated in such a situation ; or else it must be supposed to have suffered that kind of submersion, by which our ancestors commemorated the destruction of the ancient world. But the selection of Pemble meer, in this tale, is not made at random. That lake, and its vicinity, are deeply impressed with mythological memorials of the deluge. Camden favours us with the description of it by an anti' quarian poet, in which several circumstances exactly corres- pond with the British accounts of Lli/n Llion, their Diliv- vian lake, and justify the choice of our mythologists, in making the one a type of the other. * " Hispida qua tellus Mervinia respicit Eurum, " Est Lacus, antiquo Penlinum nomine dictus. " Hie Lacus illimis, in valle Tegeius aM, " Late expandit aquas, et vastum conficit orbem, " Excipiens gremio latices, qui, fonte perenni, " Vicinis recidunt de montibus, atque sonoris *' Illecebris captas, demulcent suaviter aures. " lUud habet certe Lacus admirabile dictu, *' Quantumvis magna pluvia non csstuat ; atqui, * " Where Eastern storms disturb the peaceful skies, " In Merioneth famous Penlin lies. " Here a vast lake, which deepest vales surround, ' His wat'ry globe rolls on tlie yielding ground, " Increas'd with constant springs, that gently run " From the rough hills with pleasing murninrs down ; " This wond'rous property the waters boast, ' " The greatest rams are in its channels lost, " Nor raise the flood ; but when the tempests roar, " The rising waves with sudden rage boil o'er, " And conqu'ring billow* scorn th' unequal shore." 192 -.: " Aere turbato, si ventus murmura tollat, ** Excrescit subito, rapidis violeittior undis, " Bt tiunido superat contemptasjiwnme ripasJ" It is here that the sacred Dee rises, from two fountains^ which retain the names of the god and goddess of the ark here these fountains unite their venerated stream, which they roll, uncorrupted, through the midst of the Diluviau lake, till they arrive at the sacred mount of the debarkation. And here we find one or two objects, which connect the terms of British mythology with those employed by other heathens. Mr. Bryant observes from Josephus, that the place of descent from the ark, on Mount Ararat, was called A-!ToQxrri-iot ; and from Pausanias, that the place where Da- naus made his first descent in Argolis, was called AmQuBiMt. And that Danaus (whose sole history is referred to the deluge, and to Arkite superstition) is supposed to have brought with him the Amphiprumnon, or sacred model of the ark, which he lodged in the Acropolis of Argos, called Larissa.* Hence our raythologist infers, that the place where the ark, or its representative, came to land, was distinguished by a name, which implied a descent, or going forth. Agreeably to this idea, in the spot where Dzvynarcr and Dzci/vach, or the incorruptible Dee, emerges safe fiom the waters^of tlie lake, we find the Bafa, or going forth. The term is applied to the shouting, or coming forth of leaves Analysis. V. II, p. 329. 193 and flowers, from the opening buds of plants ; and at this Bala there is a large artificial mount, called Tomeny Bala* the tumulus of the Egress^ which seems to have been dedi- cated to the honour of this sacred stream. In the neighbourhood of this tumulus, rises the hill of Aren. But Mr. Bryant tells us, that Aren and Arene, are names of the ark, and that the city Arena is literally, the city of the ark. * Our British Aren was sacred to Tydain Tad Awen, Titan, the father of the inspiring muse, or Apollo, ^ who, as we have already seen, was the Helio-arkite patriarch. Thebards speak of the sanctuaries of their gods, and ca- nonized personages, by the name of Beddau, Graves, or resting places ; just as the temples of Osiris, in Egypt, w^ere regarded as the sepulchres of that god. And it is remarkable, that Taliesin joins the BMd of Tidain, in the same stanza with that of Dylan, whom I have already proved to have been no other than the Diluvian patriarch. Bed Tidain, Tad Awen Yg godir Bron Aren : Yn yd wna ton tolo. Bed Dilan Llan Beuno.J Analysis, V. II, p. 328. 512. t Thus we find a temple of Apollo upon Mount Parnassus, where the ark f Dencalion rested. t W. Archaiol. p. 79. ^ 194 " The resting place of Tydain, the father of the inspiring " muse, is in the border of the mount of Aren : whilst the " wave makes an overwhelming din, the resting place of *' Di/Iafi is in the fane of Benno,* the ox of the ship" Of Beunaw, the ox of the ship, that is, the arkite patri- arch, venerated under the shape of that animal ; the Welsh Heralds and Monks have made a celebrated saint a descend- ant of Tegid, and a founder of several churches. If ever there was such a saint, he must have borrowed his name from the mythology of his pagan ancestors. That the name of Aren has an ancient mythological meaning, and probably the same which Mr. Bryant assigns t-o it, may be inferred from the singular coincidence, that as our Welsh Aren had a Bedd of Tydain or Apollo, so, on the top of the Arenes, in the borders of Britany, there are the ruins of an old fabric, which is positively decided to have been a temple of the same god.'\- From its situation, in the skirt of Armorica, and in the neighbourhood of Baieiix, it may be conjectured that this was that identical tempfe of Belen, or u4 polio, in which At tills Patera the friend of Ausonius had presided. For that professor is called Bagocassis, and is said to have been Stirpe satus Druidum Gent is Aremoric(e.% The Arenh of Britany, like that of Wales, may alSo have furnished their Druids with a local opportunity of Bu, an 01, and Kaw, a ship. + See Voyage dans le Finistere, Tom. I. % Aason. Prof. 4 and 10. 195 tiCmiliemdrating the deluge, as they contain a liatural phcJB- nomenon, which must just have suited their purpose* We are told, that " a league West from this town, (Falaise) " lies the mountain of Arenees. In the village of Arnesy *' belonging to this town, there is a lake, fed by subterrane- *' oiis channels, which sometimes dries up, and is suddenly *^ filled again''* But, to return lo the lake of Tegid We may infer from these coincident circumstances, that this lake and its neigh- bourhood were deeplj' impressed with the characters of arkite superstition ; and that our mythological narrator was fully iiware of this fact, when he placed the paternal estate of Tegid, the husband of Ceridwen, in the bosom of Pemble Meer, Let us, therefore, take a brief view of the proprietor of this estate^. Tegid Vohel, bald serenity, presents himself at once to our fancy. The painter would find no embarrassment in sketching the portrait of this sedate, venerable personage, whose crown is partly stripped df its hoary honours. But of all the gods of antiquity, none could with propriety, sit for this picture, excepting Saturn, the acknowledged re- presentative of Noah, and the husband of Rhea, which was but another name for Ceres, the genius of the ark. As consort of the arkite goddess, Tegid was evidently the deified patriarch : it has, however, been observed, that this deity was a Pantheos, comprehending in his own person, b 2 Atlas Geograph. Ed. 1711, p, 1062. 196 most of the superior gods of the heathens; here then, wc contemplate him in the character of Satuj-n. The parti- culars of Tegid's appropriate history have disappeared ; but by a httle mythological deduction, we shall discover him under another name. Tegid, as we have already seen, was the father of Creirwy, the token of the egg, or the British Proserpine ; and Creirwy was the same personage as JJyiy, the putting forth of the e^'^, mentioned by Aneurin and Taliesin, in conjunction with Hu or Aeddon, This identity appears from the poems of Hywel, son of Owen, prince of North Wales, who styles Llyvcy his sister, and that, in consequence of his matriculation into the mys- teries of Ceridwen.* She could not have become the mys- tical sister of Hywell by this means, had she not been the daughter of that goddess. The same princely Bard says, that Llywy had stolen his soul, as she had stolen that of Ganvy ; but the mistress oi Garwy was Creirwy, the daughter of Ceridwen. Neud wyv dihunwyv hoen Greirwy hoyvv deg A'in hudoedd val Garwy.^- " Am I not deprived of spirit ! I am enchanted like *' Garwy, by her who equals Creirwy, sprightly and fair." Creirwy and Llywy being thus the same personage, it * See the latter part of the present Section, t W. Arclmiol, p..Mi J97 follows, that the father of Creirzoy was also the father of Llywy; but the parent of the latter is mentioned in the Triads, by the name of Seithwedd Saldi.* And here it must be remarked of the lady, that, notwithstanding her exquisite beauty and delicacy, she is classed with two other mythological personages, under the character of Gwr- von&j/n, a man-maid, which must imply a virago at least, if not something still less attractive. From these premises it is clear, that Seithzcedd Saidi was a name of Tegid, the father of this mystical lady; and this name, as well as Tegid, must be refeiTed to the character of Saturn. We shall now have an opportunity of investigating his mythology.* Seithwedd is an epithet, implying either sep- tiform, or else, having seven courses. This may allude to the multitude of his names and functions, or to the annual feasts of Saturn, which were continued for the space of seven days. If Saidi be a British term, it must be derived from Sad, firm, or just. From this word, and Wrn, a covered vessel, Mr. Owen deduces the Welsh name of Saturn ; so that Sad-wrn is the just man of the vessel. This description is not inapplicable to the patriarch Noah, and to his history, the character of Saturn is referred by mythologists in general, and particularly by Mr. Bryant, who takes no- tice, that Dagon, a representative of the same patriarch, was called Said-on,f which comes near to our Saidi. Seithwedd, or as he is sometimes called Seithin Saidi, W. Archaiol. V. II. p. 15. 71. TAnaljsis, V. II. p. 300. 198 is represented as king of Dt/ved, Demetia ; but this leads us again into the regions of mythology. Dj/ved was the patrimony of Pwyll, reason or patience,, who embarked in the vale of Cwch, the boaty for Annum,. the great deep, which he governed for the space of a com- plete year, whilst Ara's^n, p~K the A) kite, styled also Pendaran, lord of the thunder, superintended his paternal dominions. Upon a future occasion I shall produce more of this tale. In the mean time, I may be allowed to sug- gest, that from the specimen here exhibited, Mr. Bryant would have pronounced it genuine arkite mythology. The district of Dyved was so entirely devoted to the mysteries of Druidism, that it was said to have been anci- ently enveloped in Lletigel, a concealing veil: and it was by way of eminence, denominated Gnidd Yr Hud, the land, of mystery. There is a story recorded in the triads, of Seithenin, the son of Seithwedd Saidi, which states, that upon a certain time, this prince was intoxicated, and that in his liquor, he let in the sea over the country, so as to overwhelm a large and populace district. This tale, which I must consider here-, after, is of the same origin with those local relations of the submersion of cities in the lakes of Britain, which I have remarked in the preceding section, / But Seithenin is nothing more than Septimianus, a title which the Romans conferred upon Saturn : so that Seithe^ nin, and his mythological father, Seitlmedd, are in reality^ the same charactejf, I find a son of this Saidi under another name, which, together with his rank and connexions, is very remarkable. He is acknowledged as' one of three sovereigns in the court of the mythological Arthur, that is, Noah, by the title of Cadeiriaith, the language of the chair, the son of Saidi ; and Cadraith, the law of the inclosure, the son of Porthawr Godo, the doorkeeper of the partial covering, that is, the ark, or its representative. * This doorkeeper was therefore, the same person with Saidi, and with Tegid, the husband of Ceridwen ; and his name, and the ojice implied by that name, must be referred to Janus, the deiti/ of the door or gate, whose character has been identified with that of Saturn. Cadeiriaith, the son of Saidi, holds his dignity in con- junction with Gor~on-wy, great lord of the water, the son of Echel, with tht pierced thigh ; and with a third character, named Fleidwr Flam, the incloser of fame, son of Godo, the arkite cell. As one of three amiable knights, in the court of the same Arthur, this personage is recognized under the name of Cadair, the chair or presidency, and as the son of Seithin Saidi ; he is here classed with Gwalchmai, the hawk of May, the son of Gwyar, clotted gore; and with Garwy, wa- ters edge, son of Geraint, the vessel, son of Erbyn, the lofty chiefs.^ This Cadair, or presidency of Saturn, was also named See W. Archaiol. V. II. p. 4 and 26. t Ibid, p. 19 nd 74. 200 Cibddar, the Mystic, and he had a son styled Elmur, the Jixed or established spirit, ranked as one of the sovereign Bulls.* Here we come round to the history of//?/, the Tauriform, Helio-arkite god, and his sacred animals. The royal bnll before us, as I have already observed, is con- nected with Cynhaval prototype, the son of Argat, the ark; and with Avaon, the cardinal point, in the Ecliptic, son of Taliesin, radiant front, which is a title of the solar deity, and hence, assumed by his priest and representative in the mysteries. This little excursion in mythological ground, exhibits the' various avenues, as pointing to one prominent object. The scattered notices in the mythological Triads, are so many parts of one connected system, and the mystical pe- digrees are only intended to shew the relation of those parts amongst themselves. This is only the same story told in the British language, which Mr. Bryant and JNIr. Faber analyzed in the Greek, and resolved entirely into the my- thology of the Diluvian age, mixed with Sabian idolatry. We find then, that Tegid, the husband of Ceridwen, Seithzcedd Saidi, and the doorkeeper of Godo, were one and the same personage, in whom we may have the features of the Saturn, or Janus, of classical antiquity. But what our Druids intended, by their personification of the language of the chair, or laze of the inclosure of Saturn ; and by elevating this character to the dignity of a sovereign, it is difficult to say, unless by this figure, they meant to en- force the authority of their Bardd Cadair, presiding Bard W. Arcliaiol. V. II. p. 4, IS, and 69. 201 or Druid, and to intimate that, he taught and governed by the maxims and laws of the Diluvian patriarch. Such may have been their meaning ; for to this august personage, the character of Saturn, or Janus, is pointedly referred, by our great mythologist, Mr. Bryant ; who ob- serves, that amongst all the various representations of the patriarch, there are none, wherein his history is delineated more plainly, than in those of Saturn and Janus, the latter of whom carried about him many emblems to denote his different departments. There was particularly, a staff in one hand, with which he pointed to a rock, from whence issued a profusion of water ; in the other hand, he held a key. He had generally near him, some resemblance of a ship, and like our Tegid, he had the title of Qv^ouaq, or the deity of the door or passage. * Mr. Bryant also remarks, that though the Romans made a distinction between Janus and Saturn, they were only two titles of the same person ; hence many of their emblems were the same. Saturn, like Janus, had keys in his hand, and his coins had the figure of a ship. He had the name of Septimianus ; and the Saturnalia, which were days set apart for his rites in December, were in number seven. These rites are said to have been of great antiquity, far prior to the foundation of Rome. '^ s As our British Saturn was named Saidi, so his mystical spouse seems to have had a title of nearly the same sound ; for her chair or sanctuary was called Caer Sidi, the sanc- * See Analys. V. II. p. 253, &Gi + Ibid. p. 260. 202 tuary of Sidi; but according to Mr. Bryant, 2;?, Sidee, was a legitimate title of Ceres.* The consideration of this subject I must defer for the present, and go on to examine, whether the children of Tegid and Ceridwen have any similar relation to the history of the deluge. Their first born was named Morvran, raven of the sea. Of this personage, a few particulars are recorded. He was dark and hideous in his person ; he was Ysgipnmydd Aerau, addicted to contention; and he escaped from the army of the mythological Arthur, or the deified patriarch. From these hints I conjecture, that the character of Morvran represents the raven which Noah sent forth. This was the first animal that proceeded from the ark : hence^ mythology might regard him as her first-born son. And the short account which we have of him, is perfectly consistent with what Mr. Bryant has collected from the ancient my- thology of other nations, upon the subject of Noah's raven. It is remarked, that Noah sent the raven out of the ark, by way of experiment ; but that it disappointed him and never returned hence a tradition is mentioned, that the raven was once sent out upon a message by Apollo, but deserted him, and did not return when he was expected, -f- But this faithless messenger was for the most part, es^ See Analjs. V. II. p. 380. t Ibid. 28(;. 203 teemed a bird of ill omen. His very croaking would put a $top to the process of matrimony. But like Morvran, he was also personified by a human character. The mytholo- gists, observes Mr. Bryant, out of every circumstance and title, formed a personage. Hence Pausanias speaks of the raven, as an ancient hero, and mentions his family.* Morvran may then be regarded as the representative of Noah's raven ; but what are we to understand by the forlorn condition of Avagddii, titter darkness, or black accumulation, whose misfortune was the grief of his mother; and who could not be relieved, as we learn from the sequel of the tale, till the renovating cauldron of the deluge had boiled for a year and a day. And what are we to think of his subsequent illuminated state, when he became the pride of Ceridwen, and if I mistake not, married the rainbow ?f Avagddu is made a son of Tegid ; but as mythological ge- nealogy is mere allegory, and the father and son are fre- quently the same person under different points of view; this character, in his abject state, may be referred to the patriarch himself, during his confinement in the internal gloom of the ark, where he was surrounded with utter dark- ness, a circumstance which was commemorated in all the mysteries of the gentile world. If this be granted, then the son of Ceridwen, or the ark in his renovated state, is the same patriarch, born anew to light and life, at the close of the deluge. See Analys. V. II. p. 3S9. + For these particulars, ee the seqael of Hanet Talittin, nd that re- markable poem called the Chair of Ceridwen, which I fhall produce io the course of this Section. 204 And as our complex mythology identified the character of the patriarch, with that of the sun ; so Avagddu may also have been viewed as a type of that luminary, in his veil of darkness and gloom, during the melancholy period of the deluge. This gloom was afterwards changed into light and cheerfulness; and thus the son of Ceridwen may be recog- nized, in his illuminated state, under the titles of Elpkin and Rhuvawn Bevi/r, which implies bursting forth zvith ra- diancy, and seems to be an epithet of the Helio-arkite god. The chair of Ceridwen represents Gzn/dion, or Hermes, in the act of forming the Iris, as a consort for the reno- vated sun; and the allegory is as just as it is beautiful : for what was the secondary cause of this sacred token, but the rays of the sun just bursting forth from the gloom, and mixing with the humid air ? Avagddu, thus considered as a type of the Helio-arkite god in his afflicted and renovated state, has a striking co- incidence of character with Eros, the blind god of the Greeks, who was a distinguished agent in the Arkite mys- teries, whose name, in the course of those mysteries, was changed into Phanes,* a title of the sun, not dissimilar to our El-phin; and whose symbol was the bozc, which, as well as the bow of Apollo, alluded lo the Iris, f I am not sure, however, that the character of Avagddu had not a secondary allusion, in his forlorn state, to the uninitiated, and in his renovation, to the adept in the mys- teries of Druidism : as the former w as regarded as living in Bryant's Analysis, V, II. p. 331. + Ibid. p. 343. 205 darkness, whereas the latter was illuminated and endowed with all knowledge. * Creirwy, the token, or sacred symbol of the egg, otherwise called Llywyy the manifestation, or putting forth of the egg, is not the least remarkable of Ceridwen's children. As it will appear presently, that the mother is described as a hen, or female bird of some species, there seems to be an analogous propriety in the names of the daughter, who, though a Gwrvorwyn, or virago, was esteemed a paragon of beauty : and, as such, she is classed with Arianrod merch Don, the lady of the silver wheel, the daughter of Jove; whom Ceridwen represents as conducting the rainbow, of which she was, therefore, the appropriate genius; and with Gwen, Venus, the daughter of Cy-wryd^ Cry don, the man- hood of Crodon, or Saturn.* Creiwy, as daughter of Ceridwen, or Ceres, was the Proserpine of the British Druids. The attributes of the mother and daughter, in the Bardic mythology, as well as in that of other heathens, are so much confounded together, as not to be easily distinguished. Mr. Bryant pronounces them to have been the same mystical personage.f All the difference which I can perceive in their character, is this. Ceridwen was the genius of the ark throughout its whole history ; hence she was viewed as a severe matron, Bryant's Analysis, V. II. p. 260. The author observes from Scheditu, de Diis Germ, that Saturn had the name of Crodo. The parentage of the British Venus seems to have corresponded with that of the Greek. t Ibid. p. 41. 206 supposed to preside in those public sanctuaries, where the Arkite rites were celebrated: whilst Creirwy, on the other hand, was regarded as the genius of the same sacred vessel^ only during its perilous conflict with the waters of the deluge ; and therefore represented as a helpless virgin, ex- posed to dreadful calamities, from which she was at length delivered. She did not preside in the Arkite temples, though she was occasionally associated with her mother; but the private and portable tokens delivered to the initiated, and the wand or branch, which was a badge of the Bardic office, were regarded as her gift. This mystical lady is also called Creirddylad, the token of the Jiowing or floating, and described as the daughter of Lludd Llaw Eraint, the chief rcho governed the vessel, or of lAyr, the margin of the sea : and here she is an old ac- quaintance of the English nation, being no less a personage than Cordelia, the daughter of King Lear. In an old poem, in which Gwyn ab Ntidd, King of Annwn, is introduced as a speaker, this potentate describes himself as Gordderch Creirddylad merch Lludd,* " The paramour of Creirddylad, the daughter of Lludd J* Here we have a hint of a British tradition upon the sub- ject of the rape of Proserpine. Gzayn ab Nudd was the Pluto of the Britons. Annwn, the kingdom of that god, in its popular acceptation, is hell, or the infernal regions ; but in the mystical poems and tales, Annun seems to be no W. Archaiol. p. 166. 207 other than that deep or abyss, the waters of which burst forth at the dekige. Gwyn, the King of Annwn, was there- fore the genius of the deluge; and the fable means nothing more, than that the ark was forcibly carried away by the flood. But the more general name of the daughter of Ceridwen was Creirwy, the token or symbol of the egg ; and under this symbol, the ark was represented in the general mythology of the heathens. This assertion it may be necessary to support by the au- thority of Mr. Bryant, who observes, that in many hiero- glyphical descriptions, the dove, OinaSy was represented as hovering over the mundane egg, which was exposed to the fury of Typhon, or the deluge; and that this egg was, doubtless, an emblem of the ark, whence proceeded that benign person, the preacher of righteousness, who brought mankind to a more mild kind of life. Having quoted, from Lucius Ampelius, a passage to this effect Dicitur et Eu- phratis fluvio, Ovum piscis columbam assedisse dies pluri- mos, et exclusisse Deam benignam, et misericordem homi- nibus, ad vitam bonam ; he thus accounts for the topogra- phy of the fable. The ark rested upon mount Baris, in Armenia, the Ararat of Moses ; and in this country are the fountains of the Euphrates. An egg, adds our author, as it contained the elements of life, was thought no improper emblem of the ark, in which > were preserved the rudiments of the future world. Hence in the Dionusiaca, and in other mysteries, one part of the nocturnal ceremony consisted in the consecration of an egg. By this, we are informed by Porphyry, was signified the world. This world, says Mr. Bryant, was t^oah and his 208 family; even all mankind, inclosed and preserved in the ark. This seems to have been a favourite symbol, very ancient, and adopted among many nations. The Persians said of Oromasdes, that he formed mankind, and inclosed them in an egg. The Syrians used to speak of their ances- tors, the gods, as the progeny of eggs.* The same learned writer remarks, that in the the temple of the Dioscouri, in Laconia, there was suspended a large hieroglyphical egg, which was sometimes attributed to Leda, and sometimes to Nemesis, the deity of justice. It was sometimes described as surrounded by a serpent, either as an emblem of that providence, by which mankind was preserved, or else to signify a renewal of life, from a state of death ; as the serpent, by casting his skin, seems to renew his life. By the bursting of the egg, was denoted the opening of the ark, and the disclosing to light whatever was within contained.*!* From the contemplation of this symbol of foreign super- stition, we naturally turn to the celebrated Ovum Angui" nam, or serpent's egg, of the Celtic priesthood, as described by PUny. This was, by way of eminence, regarded as Insigne Dru^ idis, the Insigne, or distinguishing mark of a Druid. Hav- ing already seen so much of the Arkite superstition amongst this order of men, we may easily conceive, that this sacred egg had a reference to the same subject, and that, like the mundane, egg of other pagans, it was, in some sense, an emblem of the ark. We are told by Pliny, Experimen- * Bryant's Analysis, V. II. p. 319, &c. + Ibid. p. 360, ^09 ttim ejus esse, ii contra aquas jiuitet, vel auro vinctum Tliat the test of its genuineness, was its floating against the water, even with its setting of gold. I suppose the autlior means, that it would keep upon the surface, when drawn against the stream ; and that, iii this passage, he gives us a hint of its mystical import and character, as an emblem of ^floating vessel. It must also be procured, we ate told, Certa Luna, at a certairr time of the moon. This information exhibits the connexion of mythological ideas ; for the moon was a sym- bol of Cetidwen, ahd of the ark. The effifacy of the Anguinura, ad victorias litium, et Regum adituSy may easily be conceived. The Druids, who were the supreme judges in all litigated causes, may be sup- posed to have lent a favourable ear to those who produced this credential of their order; and even kings, who stood in awe of their tribunal, would seldom close their gates against them. The natural historian recites at large the fabuloi/s story x)f the production of this trinket Angues innmneri, astute, convoluti, &;c. The same mummery is repeated by the ancient Bards. ** Lively was the aspect of him who, in his prowess, had ** snatched over the ford that involved ball, which casts its *' rays to a distance, the splendid product of* the adder, shot *^ forth by serpents."* * Appendix, No. 14. 210 But this was merely so much dmt thrown into the eyes bf the profane multitude. The Druids themselves are called Nadredd, adders, by the Welsh Bards. This title they owed, I suppose, to their regenerative system of transmigration. The serpent, which annually casts his skin, and seems to return to a second youth, may have been regarded by them, as well as by other heathens, as a symbol of renovation : and the renovation of mankind was the great doctrine set forth by the Arklte myS" teries, and by the symbolical egg. The Druids, therefore, were the serpents which assem- bled, at a stated time in the summer, to prepare these em- blems of Creirwy, and to conceal within them certain dis- criminative tokens, which probably were kept as a profound secret from the persons who received them. Pliny saw one of these eggs, but he had not the curiosity to examine it any farther than its cartilaginous integument ; otherwise he would probably have discovered, that it con- tained either a lunette of glass, or small ring of the same material ; such as those which the AVelsh call Gleiniau Na- dredd. These were certainly insignia of a very sacred cha- racter amongst our ancestors ; and they seem to have been intimately connected with the Angiiimim : for the annotator upon Camden remarks, that in most parts of Wales, all over Scotland, and in Cornwall, the vulgar still retain the same superstitious notions respecting the origin and virtues of the former, which Pliny records of the latter.* And the Glain was viewed as an emblem of renovation : hence * Gibson's Camden Col. 815.' 6ee aho Owen's Diet. V. Ctain, 211 Meilyr calls Bardsey " The holy island of the Glain, in ** which there is a fair representation of a resurrection."* That these Glains were artificial, can hardly admit of a doubt ; though some have hastily confounded them with certain productions of nature. We find some of them bluey some whitCf a third sort green, and a fourth regularly varie- gated with all these sorts of colours ; but s^ill preserving the appearance of glass : whilst others again were composed of earth, and only glazed over.f It seems most likely, that the secret of manufacturing these Glains was totally unknown in Britain, excepting to the Druids :% and it may be collected from some passages, that these priests carried about them certain trinkets of vi- trified matter, and that this custom had a view to their Arkite mysteries. Thus, in the poem called the chair of Taliesin, we find the stranger admitted to the ceremonies of lunar worship, upon his exhibiting the Czorwg Gzcydryn, or boat of glass, a sym- bol which certainly commemorated the sacred vessel, and probably displayed the figure of a small lunette ; as the ark was sometimes described under that figure, and called Selene, the moon.^ p 2 W. Archaiol. p. 193. t See Camden, as cited before. i " With similar reverence the Samothraciang, >hose devotion to the Cabiric " rites is well knowrt, regarded their magical rings. These were of the nature " of amulets, and were believed to have a power of averting danger." Faber's Mjst. of the Cabiri, V. I. p. 213, Bryant's Analysis, V, II. p. 553. 2(2 1 suppose that it was from the material, of which this symbol was composed, that even the vessel, in which th6 patriarch and his family were preserved, was denominated Cder Wydyr, the inclosure, or circle of glass.* And Merd- din Emr3's, and his nine Bards, are represented as having put to sea in the Ty Gwydriny-\ or house of glass; which could have been no other than a ship or vessel consecrated to Bardic mysteries. The portable trinket which I have mentioned, whatever its form may have been, w^as the Crair, or Insignt of the Druids ; and when made or dressed up in tlie figure of an egg, it became Crelr-zcy, the'Insign^ or token of the egg, the sacred emblem of the British Proserpine. From the pre-eminent estimation in which this emblem was held, both in Gaul and in our o^vn island, w^e may draw a reason- able inference, that the Arkite mysteries were the most sa- cred arcana of the Celtic priesthood. In the short chapter which gave rise to these remarks, our mythological narrator appears, with a master's hand, to have directed our attention to the history of the deluge, and to the local notions of the Britons relative to that event. We shall now observe his dexterity in delineating the character and operations of Ceridwen herself. Appendix, No. 3. + W. Arthaiol. V. II. p. 59. ms . HANES TALIESIN. Chap. II. *' Then she (Ceridweii) determined, agreeably to the mys- " tery of the books of Pherylltj to prepare for her son a " cauldron of Awen a Gwi/bodeu, water of inspiration and " sciences, that he might be more readily admitted into ." honourable society, upon account of his knowledge, i^ud *' his skill in regard to futurity. '^ *' The cauldron began to boil, and it "was requisite that *' the boiling should be continued, without interruption, " for the period of a year and a day ; and till three blessed '^ drops of the endowment of the spirit could be obtained. " She had stationed Gwion the Little, the son of Gwreang '* the Herald, of Llanvalr, the fane of the lady, in Cqer ^* Einiawn, the city of the just, in Powys, the land of rest, " to superintend the preparation of the cauldron : and she " had appointed a blind man, /*t;r>if, named Morda, ruler of *' the sea, to kindle the fire under the cauldron, with a *' strict injunction that he should not suffer the boiling to '^ be inteyrupted, before the completion of the year and the *' day. " In the mean time Ceridwen, with due attention to the " books of astronomy, and to the hours of the planets, em- " ployed herself daily in botanizing, and in collecting plants *' of every species, which possessed any rare virtues. " On a certain day, about the completion of the yean, |\ whilst she was thus,, botanizing and muttering .to herseli^ 214 " three drops of the efficacious watCT happened to fly out of ** the cauldron, and alight upon the finger of Gwion the " Little. The heat of the water occasioned his putting his " finger into his mouth, ** As soon as these precious drops had touched his lips, '^ every event of futurity was opened to his view : and he " clearly perceived, that his greatest concern was to beware "of the stratagems of Ceridwen, whose knowledge was " very great, \yith extreme terror he fled towards his na- " tive country. " As for the cauldron, it divided into two halves ; for the " whole of the water which it contained, excepting the " three efficacious drops, was poisonous ; so that it poisoned " the horses of Gwyddno Garanhir, which drank out of the " channel into which the cauldron had emptied itself. *' Hence that channel was afterwards called. The poison of " Gwj/ddno's horsesJ' The most remarkable subject brought forward in this chapt^, is the preparation of the cauldron of inspiration and science ; but before I consider the import of this mys- tical vase, I must make a few short remarks. Ceridwen employs a minister, who is described as the son of a herald, and it may be implied that he himself held that office. It is observed by antiquaries, that of four priests wh6 officiated in the celebration of the mysteries of C(res, one was distinguished by the title of Keryx the Herald. Another was named Hj/dranus, from ^?*, water : and his title,;thftugh perhaps not his function, corresponded with that of Morda in the present tale. ^ The keeping up of a continual fire, for the period of a year and a day, in a ceremony which was repeated annually, amounts to the same tiling as maintaining a perpetual fire. And this was a solemn rite in the temples of Ceres. Ceridwen, like Ceres and Isis, appears to have been a. great botanist,, and well skilled in the virtues of plants. The Pheryllt, according to whose ritual she proceeds in her selection, are often mentioned by the Bards, as well as by the prose writers of Wales. The poet Virgil, whose sixth iEneid trea,ts so largely of the mysteries of heathenism, has been dignified with this title ; and an old chronicle, quoted by Dr. Thomas Williams, asserts that the Pheryllt had an establishment at Oxford, prior to the founding of the uni- versity by Alfred. These Pheryllt are deemed to have been the first teachers of all curious arts and sciences ; and, more particularly, are thought to have been skilled in every thing that required the operation of fire. Hence some have supposed, that the term implies chy mists or metallurgists. But chyraistry and metallurgy seem rather to have taken their British name from these ancient priests, being called Celvyddydau Phe- ryllt, the arts of the Pheryllt, or some of those mysteries in whieh they were eminently conversant. As primary instructors in the rites of Ceridwen, or Ceres, I regard the Pheryllt as priests of the Pharaon, or higher powers, who had a city or temple amongst the mountains of Snowdon, called also Dinas Emrys, or the ambrosial 316 city. And, therefore, they were the same, ia effect, aS; tb*T priests of the Cabiri. Mr. Bryant assures us, that the supposed gwiius of the ark was worshipped under several titles, and that the prin- cipal of her priests were the Cabiri, whose office and rites were esteemed particularly sacred, and of great antiquity. They were the same as the Curetes, Corybantes, Telchines^ and Idaei Dactyli of Crete. In treating of these, continues my author, much confusion has ensued, from not consider- ing, that both the deity and the priests were comprehended under the same title. The original Cabiri tic divinity was no other than the patriarch, who was of so great repute for his piety and justice. Hence, the other Cabiri, his im- mediate offspring, are said to be the sons of Sadycy by which is signified the just man. This is the very title given to Noah. All science, and every useful art, was attributed to him, and through his sons transmitted to posterity.* The Telchinian and Cabiritic rites, we are lold by the same author, comisted in arkite memorials. They passed from Egypt and Syria into Phrygia and Pontus, irom thence into Thrace, and the cities of Greece, They were carried into Hetruria, and into the regions of the Celta.f Whatever route these ancient priests may have pursued ; and whether they belonged to the original establishment of the nations here mentioned, or were imported from other people ; their rites, as described by the learned author, are clearly to be distinguished amongst the Celtae of Britain ; Analys. V. II. p. 461. f Ibid. p. 471. 217 ^nd with those Pheryllt pr Druids, who directed the mySf teries of Ceridwen, The tale before us also mentions, books of astronomy. Whether the Druids actually had such books or not, it is l^ertain that Caesar enumerates astronomy amongst the sciences which they professed ; and that they not only rcr marked the periodical return of their festivals, but also mixed with their arkite superstition, an idolatrous venera- tion of the heavenly bodies, and paid a; rehgious regard U^ their influence. I come now to the cauldron of Ceridwen, which m^ke^ fi very conspicuous figure in the works of the mysticaj Bards, from the beginning of the sixth, to the close of the twelfth centi^-y . In these authors, we find the term pairf jor cavldrorpj used metaphorically to imply the whole mass of doctrine and disciplinje, together with the confined circlje pf arts* and sciences, which pertained to the ancient priest- hood of Britain. The preparation of this vase being a ne- jcessary preliminary, to the celebration of their most sacre4 mysteries, it stands as a symbol of the mysteries themselves, pjid of all th^ benefits supposed to result fronj them. Hence it becomes a subject of some importance in British antiquities, to inquire into the meaning of this mystical vessel, and to determine the question, whether the ancient superstition of other heathens present us with any thing analogous to it. Trom the best information which I can collect upon the subject, it does not appear that this cauldron implies one identical vessel, or at least, that its content^ were designe4 218 for one simple purpose. In the tale before us it is described, as used in the {Mreparation of a decoction of various select plants, which was to constitute the water of inspiration and science. A few drops of this water fall upon the finger of the attendant, he puts it into his mouth, and immediately all futurity is open to his view. Such knowledge, however, must not be regarded as tlie result of merely tasting the water, or of any single ceremony whatever ; but of a com- plete course of initiation, of which the tasting of this water was an essential rite. ' '-*'| The poem called Taliesin's Chair ^ enumerates a multitude of ingredients, which entered into the mystical decoction, and seems to describe it as designed, for purification by sprinkling, then, for the preparation of a bath, and again, ^s used in the rite of libation, and lastly, as constituting a particular kind of drink for the aspirants. The sacred vessel is there called Pair Pumwydd, the cauldron of the five trees or plants, alluding, I suppose, to five particular species of plants, which were deemed essentially requisite in the pre- paration. Some of the mythological tales represent this pair, as constituting a bath, which conferred immortality or restored dead persons to life, but deprived them of utterance :* allud- ing to the oath of secrecy, which was administered privious to initiation. In the poem called Preiddeu Annwn,-\ Taliesin styles it See Mr. Tunoer's Vindication, p. 283, + Appendix, No. 3. " 219 the cauldron of the ruler of the deep, (the arkite god) which first began to he warmed, hy the breath of nine damsels (the Gwyllion, or Gallicene).* He describes it as having a ridge of pearls round its border, and says, that it will not boil the food of the coward, who is not bound by his oath. Yet the author of Hanes Taliesin, speaks of the residue of the water, after the efficacious drops had been separated, as a deadly poison. From these various accounts, it may be inferred, that the pair, was a vessel employed by the Druids, in preparing a decoction of potent herbs and other ingredients, to which superstition attributed some extraordinary virtues ; that this preparation was a preliminary to the mysteries of the arkite goddess ; that in those mysteries, part of the decoction was used for the purpose of purification by sprinkling; that another part was applied to the consecration of the mystic hath : that a small portion of the same decoction, was in- fused into the vessels which contained the liquor, exhibited in the great festival, for the purpose of libation, or for the use of the priests and aspirants, which liquor, is described as consisting of Gwtn a Bragawd, that is, wine with mead, and wort, fermented together: that all the sacred vessels em- ployed in the mysteries of Ceridwen, being thus purified and consecrated by the pair, passed under its name ; and that, in these appropriations, the water of the cauldron was deemed the water of inspiration, science, and immortality, as conducing to the due celebration of mysteries, which were supposed to confer these benefits upon the votaries. * Set tb prcctiiog Sectioo. 220 But it seems that the residue of the water, being now sup*' posed to have washed away the mental impurities of the ini- tiated, with which impurities, of course it became impreg- nated, was now deemed deleterious, and accursed. It was therefore emptied into a deep pit or channel in the earth, which swallowed it up, together with the sins of the rege- nerate. If we look for something analogous to this in the ancient mysteries of Ceres, we shaD find, that the first ceremony wp,s that of purification by water, that this /rite was per- formed, both by sprinkling and immersion; and that the water used for this purpose, underwent a certain degree of preparation, similar to that of the cauldron of Ceridwen. In the ceremony of purification, says M, De Gebelin, they used laurel, salt, barley, sea-water, and crowns oijiowers. They even passed through the fire, and were at last, plimged into the water, whence the hierophant, who was charged with this office, had the name of Hydranos, or the Bap-< tisU* The sacred vessel which contained this mixture of salty barley, sea-water, and other ingredients not specified, must have corresponded with the mystical cauldron of the Britons, Jimongst the contents of which I find certain " berries, the " foam of the ocean, cresses of a purifying qualify, wort, " and chearful, placid vervain, which had been borne aloft, " and kept apart from the Moon."f Monde Primitif. Tom. IV. p. 318. t Cadair Taliwin, W. Arthaidl. p. 37, 221 i ^hus Far, the analogy between the purifying water of the Greeks and Britons, may be traced. But the mystical cauldron of Ceridwen was also employed in preparing the liquor of those magnanimous aspirants, who took and kept the oath. It was one of its functions to boil that be- verage, or else a certain portion of its contents was added, by way of consecration to the Gwin a Bragawd, or compo. sition of wine, honey, water^ and the extract of malt, or barley. However this consecration may have been effected, the correspondence between the mystical beverage of the Greeks and Britons, wiU appear still more close. We are told by Clemens Alexandrinus, that as a prelude to initiation, the aspirant was asked, if he had eaten of the fruits of Ceres, to which he answered Ex Tv/Araou ufayov, w xvfjiSaMv forioVf txiJof opjj^a, vwo tok aa^rw 'vwtivQV,*^ I have eaten ." out of the drum, I have drunk out of the cymbal, I have " carried the kernos, I have been covered in the bed." M. De Gebelin explains the cymbal, as signifying a vessel, in the form of a large goblet, out of which the aspirants drank a liquor, called kykeon, which was a mixture of wine, honey, water, and meal; precisely tlie Gzcin a Bragawd of the British Bards. The ancients and mythologists, as my author observes, tell us, that these symbols were intended as memorials of what had happened to Ceres, who, upon her arrival in Attica, when she was wandering in search of her daughter, 222 received tliis fiquor from a woman named Baubo,* and drank it off at a single draught.f The vessel used in the preparation of this mixture, which was presented to Ceres, is described by Antoninus Liberalis as AjCjjra Qci^vvf a deep kettle or boiler ; this might, with pro- priety, be denominated the cauldron of that goddess. But we are told, the residue of the water in Ceridwen's vessel, was of a poisonous quality. It now contained the sins and pollutions of the noviciates: the cauldron was .therefore divided into two equal parts, and the water ran out of it into a certain. terrestrial channel. This dividing of the water, and pouring of it into a channel in the earth, was a solemn rite, perfectly analogous to tlie practice of the ancients in the mysteries of Ceres. The ninth and last day of the celebration of the greater mysteries, when all the ablutions and purifications had been completed, was called Plemockoe, from the name of a large earthen vessel, of considerable depth, and widening from the bottom upwards. On this day, the last of tlie feast, as we are informed by Athenaeus,:{; they filled tzvo of these vessels with water, and having placed one of them towards the East, and the other towards the West, they moved them sideways successively, reciting certain prayers. When these were concluded, they poured the water into a kind of pit, or channel, pro- ' i III I * Bobo, in the Hiberno-Celtic, implies a mj/itery. t Monde Primittf. as cited Jbefore. t Lib. XI. chap. 15. 223 nounciiig this prayer, which is contained in the Pirithous of Euripides " May we be able, auspiciously, to pour the water of " these vessels into the terrestrial sink."* Thus it appears that the cauldron of Ceridwen, which was, properly speaking, a vessel used in preparing a kind of purifying and consecrating water, is to be understood, in a figurative sense, as corresponding with the several sacred vessels employed in the mysteries of Ceres : and that genius, sciencCy and immortaliti/, the benefits supposed to be derived from that cauldron, are to be considered as the imaginary result of initiation into those mysteries. But it has already been observed, that Taliesin describes this cauldron as having been warmed, for the first time, by the breath of nine damsels. This must imply, that the mysteries connected with the cauldron, were supposed to have been originally instituted by certain ye//e hierophants. These were undoubtedly the Gwyllion, from whose songs the patriarch is fabled to have derived his presage of the deluge, and who continued to be represented by fanaticai priestesses, bearing the same title, and styled GallicencB by Pomponius Mela. Here it will probably occur to the reader, that these nin^ mystical damsels allude to the nine muses ; or that they were merely their representatives in British mythology. The muses, indeed, were regarded as promoters of ge- nius, as the patronesses of science, and as conferring a kind I" II ' I m n I I I II . 1 ' * Sc Monde Prim. Tom. IV. p. 325. S24 of immortality : their sacred fountain was the fountain of inspiration; but what had they to do with the mysteries of Ceres? As I wish to point out the general analogy between Bri- tish fable, and that mass of superstition which pervaded other heathen countries, I must be allowed to suggest, that the muses were originally nothing more than piiestesses of Arkite temples, or attendants on those deified characters, whose history is decisively referred, both by Mr. Bryant and Mr. Faber, to that of the ark, and the Diluvian age. The first songs which the muses inspired, were in the form of sacred hymnsy containing the titles and actions of the gods, and describing the rites with which they were worshipped : if therefore, those gods, and those rites, were Arkite, the songs of the muses must have been the same^ Deucalion's vessel, which was evidently the ark of Noah^ or its representative in a Thessalian temple, is said to have rested upon Mount Parnassus : and the favourite haunt of the muses was about the Castalian spring, upon that mountain. Mr. Bryant remarks, that when the Athenians sent their first colony into Ionia, the muses led the way in the form of hees Melissa : and adds, that the Melisse were certainly female attendants in the Arkite temples** In the next page, the learned author tells us, that as thd priestesses of Damater (Ceres), who sung the sacred hymns, were called Melissa, so that goddess and Persephone, Analysis. V.-il. p. 376. 225 had the title of Melittodes, from the songs made in their honour. The Melissce, or muses, were therefore the priestesses of Ceres. Osiris was an avowed representative of the Diluvian pa* triarch ; and his consort, Isis, was the same character as Ceres, the genius of the ark : accordingly, we find the same nine damsels amongst their establishment in Egyptian mythology. Diodorus tells us, that Osiris was always at- tended by a company of musicians, amongst whom were nine damsels, accomplished in every art relative to music; that this was the reason why the Greeks called them the nine muses, and that their president was Apollo, the king's brother. Taliesin is not, therefore, unclassical, when he represents the nine damsels as having first warmed the mystical caul- dron of the ruler of the deep, and the Arkite goddess. And this circumstance adds another link of connexion between the mythology of Britain, and that of Greece and Egypt. But whence came the original idea of the purifying water, prepared in this celebrated cauldron ?] In the tradition of otir ancestors, we find that the mys- tical vase was peculiarly sacred to the god and goddess of the ark. It must then be referred to something in the his- tory of the deluge ; for the discovery of which, it may be proper to take a brief view of the ideas which the Britons entertained respecting that awful event* 226 The following circumstances may be verified by passages in the Bards and the Triads. The profligacy of mankind had provoked the great Su- preme to send a pestilential zi)ind upon the earth. A pure poison descended every blast was death. At this time the patriarch, distinguished for his integrity, was shut up to- gether with his select company, in the inclosure with the strong door. Here the Jms^ ones were safe from injury. Pre- sently, a tempest of fire arose. It split the earth asunder, to the great deep. The lake Llion burst its bounds ; the waves of the sea lift themselves on high, round the borders of Britain; the rain poured down from heaven, and the water covered the earth. But that water was intended as a lustration, to purify the polluted globe, to render it meet for the renewal of life, and to wash away the contagion of its former inhabitants into the chasms of the abyss. The flood, which swept from the surface of the earth the expiring remains of the patriarch's contemporaries, raised his vessel, or inclosure, on high, from the ground, bore it safe upon the summit of the waves, and proved to him and his associates the water of life and renovation. Agreeably to these ideas, the cauldron which was kept boiling for a year and a day; which purified the sacred utensils, and the company assembled at the mystic festival ; and with its dregs washed away the sins of the regenerate into the terrestrial channel, may have been regarded as an emblem of the deluge itself. This comes very near to the view which the learned and indefatigable Mr. Maurice has taken of some ancient Hin- doo traditions. 227 But how are we to account for such a coincidence in the mythology of nations, so widely separated ? Perhaps it would not be an unreasonable supposition, that the rudi- ments of those fanciful systems, which prevailed over the Gentile world, whatever changes they may have afterwards undergone from local corruption and mutual intercourse, were laid before the nations separated from the patriarchal stock. How are we otherwise to account for the prevalence of the same fabulous relations, and commemorative sym- bols, in the East of Asia, and amongst a sequestered peo- ple in the West of Europe ? I am aware that this difficulty has generally been resolved by the supposition, that certain Eastern sages, in some distant age, found their way into these remote regions. But the experience of our country- men and neighbours, for th6 last three hundred years, may serve to convince us, that a new religion, essentially differ- ent from that of an established society, whether polished or barbarous, is not easily introduced. However this may have been, it is curious to observe, in .the old poems and tales of the Britons, and in the ancient books of the Hin- doos, the same train of superstitious ideas. The author of the Indian antiquities having told us, that the Soors, being assembled in solemn consultation, were meditating the discovery of the Amreeta, or water of im- mortality; remarks, that under this allegory is shadowed out the re-animation of nature, after the general desolation made by the deluge. The sea was to be deeply agitated by the impetuous rotation of the mountain Mandar. The author then recites the gigantic fable, which con- cludes thus. " And now, a heterogeneous stream, of the ** concocted juice of various trees and plants, ran down into *' the briny flood. It was from this milk-like stream of o % 228 ''juices, produced from those streams, trees, and plant*, *' and a mixture of melted gold, that the Soors obtained " their immortality." " Concerning these extravagant mythological details of " the Hindoos (continues Mr. Maurice), I must remark, " that however mysterious the allegory, and however wild *' and romantic the language in which it is clothed, this " fact may be depended upon, that there in general lies *' concealed at the bottom some physical meaning, or deep " theological truth. What can this general and stupendous *' convulsion of nature shadow out, except the desolation " 6f the earth, during the period of the universal deluge ! " Who is that physician, so renowned in ancient Sanscrit *' histories, the great Dew Danwantaree, who at length *' rose from' the churned ocean, the white foam of which " resembled milk, bearing in his hand a sacred vase, full of " the water of Ufe unless it be the venerable sage, who " rose from the ocean, who gave new life to his expiring *' species, and in his family upheld the human race ? That " great botanist, who first planted the vine, and returned " to the ground that infinite vanety of medical herbs, and " innumerable seeds, which Menu is represented, as taking " into the ark, for the express purpose of renovating de- " cayed vegetation after the deluge. Such is the true ** meaning of this Avatar; and such is the true Danrcan- *' taree of India, who sprung from the foam of the churned " ocean, bearing the Amreeta, or vital ambrosia, to the " renovated world."* To the reader, who is not furnished with the Indian anti- quities, I need not apologize for the length of these cx- Indian Antiq. V. II. p. $70, &c. 2^9 tracts; and, I trust, the learned author will excuse mV making so free with his labours, in consideration of the light which they reflect upon the renovating cauldron of Ceridwen, and the ruler of- the deep, and perhaps also upon the Kvksi^v, or sacred mixture of the Arkite goddess, and her renovating mysteries. But to return to the British story. HANES TALIESIN.-Chap. III. " Ceridwen entering just at this moment, and perceiving <^ that her whole year's labour was entirely lost, seized an " oar, and struck the blind Morda upon his head, so that '' one of his eyes dropped upon his cheek. "^ Thu hast disfigured me wrongfully, exclaimed Morda, *' seeing I am innocent : thy loss has not been occasioned by " any fault of mine." " True, replied Ceridwen, it was Gwion the Little who *' robbed me. Having pronounced these words, she began " to run in pursuit of him. " Gwion perceiving her at a distance, transformed him- " self into a hare, and doubled his speed : but Ceridwen *' instantly becoming a greyhound bitchy turned him, and " chased him towards a river. " Leaping into the stream, he assumed the form of a " fish : but his resentful enemy, who was now become an 230 ^' otter bitch, traced him through the stream ; so that he " was obliged to take the form of a bird, and mount into *' the air. " That element afforded him no refuge ; for the lady, in " the form of a sparrow hauk was gaining upon him she was just in the act of pouncing him. It " Shuddering with the dread of death, he perceived a " heap of clean wheat upon a floor, dropped into the midst " of it, and assumed the form of a single grain. " Ceridwen took the form of a black, high-crested hen, " descended into the wheat, scratched him out, distin- " guished and swallowed him. And, as the history relates, " she was pregnant of him nine months, and when delivered *' of him, she found him so lovely a babe, that she had not " resolution to put him to death. *' She placed him, however, in a coracle, covered with a skin, and, by the instigation of her husband, cast him into the sea on the twenty-ninth of April" Through the fabulous wildness of this chapter, we may discover constant allusions to the history of Ceres, and her mystical rites. Ceridwen here assumes the character of a fury. Under that idea, she is elsewhere represented. Ta- liesin says of himself, that he had been nine months in the womb of Ceridzcen Wrach, the hag, or fivy. This fury was the goddess of death. The death of Arthur is implied, \>y his contending with the fury in the hall of G last on- 231 bury* And, as Ceridwen was the genius of a sacred ship, ^o death, of which she was the goddess, is represented under the character of the ship of the earth. . Pawb a ddaw iW Ddaear Long,-f says the Bard " Every " one will come into the ship of the earth ;" that is, all m^n must die. All this is strictly applicable to Ceres, considered as the genius of the ark. She was sometimes enrolled in the list of the Furies."!!^ Under this character she seems to have re- presented the terror and consternation, to which the pa- triarch and his family were exposed during the deluge. She was also the goddess of death. When the ark was constructed, Noah made a door in its side ; a circumstance continually commemorated by the Gentile writers. The ejitrance through this door, they esteemed a passage to death and darkness.^ Hence the aspirants, in the mysteries of Ceres and Isis, as well as Gwion, in our British tale, were terrified with the image of death. # " Nothing can be conceived more solemn, than the rites " of initiation into the greater mysteries, as described by *' Apuleius and Dion Chrysostom, who had gone through " the awful ceremony : nothing more tremendous and ap- " palling, than the scenery exhibited before the eyes of the " terrified aspirant. It was a rude and fearful march, through " night and darkness and now, arrived on the verge of W. Archaiol. p. 67 f Ibid. p. 322. :J: Bryant's Analysis, V. I. p, 483. Ibid. V. II p. 257. 232 *' death and initiation, every thing wears a dreadful aspect ; " it is all horror, trembling, and astonishment: * Access! " confinium mortis, says Apuleius, et calcato proserpin!?, which describes a person who had been initiated into the greater mysteries. 253 upon this subject, the Httle poem said to have been re- cited by Taliesin, immediately after he had gone through the concluding ceremony, is worthy of remark. He de- scribes himself as thrice born, that is, once of his natural pa- rent, once of Ceridwen, and lastly of the mystical coracle. As a consequence of this regeneration, he knew how to think rightly of God; he perceived that the benefits derived from him could not be impeded. All the sacred science of the world was treasured in his bosom ; he knew all that had been, and all that would be hereafter. This epilogue to the mysteries in its present form, has two stanzas more than what I haye translated : in one of these, the Bard acknowledges a Divine Providence ; but he introduces a christian idea, representing the son of Mary as the pledge of his happiness. He then tells us, that God, the tme Creiator of heaven, with whom he had a sure refuge, had been his instructor, and his guardian, and that he would finally take him to himself. Thus the author, whoever he was, mixes his Bardism with some reference to the christian system. But, as his xetlections result from the celebration of rites, which were certainly heathenish, we cannot doubt, but that they were of the same kind with the formula which had been used by his heathen predecessors, upon the same occasion. And how exactly his sentiments, making allowance for his chris- tian allusions, corresponded with those which resulted from the mysteries of Ceres, may be learned from the great Bishop Warburton. *" 254 His lordship, having remarked the division of the Elen- sinian mysteries, into the less and the greater ; and having stated, that in the former, was inculcated the general be- lief of a Providence, and a future state, and that they were only preparatory to the greater thus proceeds " But there was one insuperable obstacle in paganism, " to a life of purity and holiness, which was the vicious " examples of their gods." " There was a necessity *' therefore of remedying this evil, which could only be " done by striking at the root of it; so that such of the *' initiated, as were judged capable, were made acquainted ** with the whole delusion, 'the mystagogue taught them, ** that Jupiter, Mercury, Venus, Mars, and the whole " rabble of licentious deities, were indeed, only dead mor" " tah, subject in life, to the same passions and vices with " themselves ; but having been, in several instances bene- " factors to mankind, grateful posterity had deified them j " and with their virtues, had indiscreetly canonized their " vices. The fabulous gods being thus routed, the supreme " carise ^of all things of course, took their place: him *' they were taught to consider, as the Creator of the uni- " verse, who pervaded all things by his virtue, and go- " verned all things by his providence. From this time, the *^ initiated had the title of e^s-otct*)?, or, one that sees things as " they are, without disguise ; whereas, before he was called " Mvrn!?, and formed fo^ happiness. This felicity he seems to have attained by means of the lad>j, whom GzcydioH composed of flowers, adorned with the hold curves and various folds, and graced with a stately steed. This personage could have been no other than the Genius of the Rainbow, whom we shall presently find introduced by her proper name, and whose province it was to constitute a protecting fence. Gwydion, the son of Don, is a great agent in these mys- tical poems. In another piece of Taliesin's,* we find iiim counselling Hu, or Aeddon, the patriarch, to impress the front of his shield with an irresistible form, by means of which, both he and his chosen rank, triumphed over the demon of the waters. This Gwydion ab Don, was the same character as Mercury the son of Jove, or Hermes, the counsellor of Cronus or Saturn, mentioned in the fragment of Sanchoniathon. Appendix, No. 10. Q65 Ceridvven, in the next place, touches upon her own en- dowments and privileges. Pan farmer y cadeiriau, Arbennig uddun y fau : Fynghadair, a'm pair, a'm deddfon, A'm araith drwyadl, gadair gysson. Rym gelwir gyfrwys, yn llys Don Mi, ag Euronwy ag Euron. " When the merit of the presidencies shall he adjudged, ** mine will be found the superior amongst them my chaiVf " my cauldron, and my lazes, and my pervading eloquence, " meet for the presidency. I am accounted skilful in " the court of Don (Jove) and with me, Euronwy and " Euron." The cauldron of Ceridwen has already engaged our no- tice. Her chair or presidency, must imply her sanctuary, together with its due establishment, and all the rites and laws pertaining to it. She here speaks of those laws, and Taliesin has told us, in a passage which I have produced, that without audible language, she had imparted to him the laws by which he was to be governed. It must be recollected, that Ceres and Isis were esteemed, and styled lawgivers. The poem concludes thus Gweleis ymladd taer, yn Nant Ffrancon, Duw Sul, pryd plygeint, Khwng Wythaint a Gwydion. Dyfieu, yn geugant, ydd aethant Fon, ^66 I geissaw yscut, a hudolion. Arianrhod, drem clod, a gwawr hinon, Mwyaf gwarth y marth, o barth Brython, Dybrys am ei' lys, Enfys Avon : Afon a'i hechrys gurys, g^vrth terra. Gwenwyn ei chynbyd, cylch byd, eda. Nid wy dywaid geu llyfreu Breda : Cadair Gedwidedd yssydd yma ; A, hyd frawd, parawd yn Europa. " I saw a fierce conflict in the vale of Beaver, on the day " of the ^Sun, at the hour of dawn, between the birds of *' Wrath and Gwydion. On the day of Jove, they (the " birds of Wrath) securely went to Mona, to demand a " sudden shower of the sorcerers : but the goddess of the sil~ " ver zcheel, of auspicious mien, the dawn of serenity^ the ** greatest resirainer of sadness, in behalf of the BHtons, " speedily throws round his hall, the stream of the Rainbow, ** a stream which scares away violence from the earth, and '* causes the bane of its former state, round the circle of the " world to subside. The books of the Ruler of the Mount, " record no falshood. The Chair of the Preserver* remains ** here ; and till the doom, shall it continue in Europe." I would recommend the whole of this passage to the at- tention of the learned, as a subject of importance in British The original word may be a conipound of Kid, the Arkite goddess, dnd Gwid, a whirl, or revolution. Thus Cynddela tays of himself, and hii> Bardic frftternity Gwjr a'n cydberchid uch gwid gwenen. " We are men who have been mutually honoured over the whirl of the white stream." Alluding to their initiation into Arkite mysteries. See Owen's Diet. V. Gwid. 267 antiquities. It furnishes a^ proof, beyond doubt or contra- diction, of the establishment of Arkite memorials in this island, and sets forth to view some singular traits of British tradition, upon the subject of the deluge. In the first place, Ceridwen, the Ark, witnesses a fierce conflict in the vale of the Beaver. That animal, under the name of Avanc, is constantly introduced into the British account of the deluge ; and the drawing of him out of the lake, as we have already seen, is represented as a great act, which was conducive to the removing of that calamity. Our ancestors seem to have regarded the Beaver as an em- blem of tjie patriarch himself. To this symbolical honour, this creature may have been promoted, by a peculiarity in his natural history. The patriarch had built himself a vessel or house, in which he had lived in the midst of the waters ; and which had deposited that, venerable personage and his family, safe upon dry ground. So the Beaver is not only an amphibious animal, but also a distinguished architect. He is said to build fi house of two stories, one of which is in the water, and the other above the water ; and out of the latter, he has an egress to dry ground. The fanciful genius of heathenism could not have dem- nded or discovered a more happy coincidence, with the history of the Diluvian patriarch. The conflict here mentioned, was between Gteydion, the great agent in the preservation of mankind, and the Gwythaint, some feigned, winged creatures, which derive their name from Gwyth, Wrath, or Fury. These may be considered as the ministers of wrath, or the demons of de- struction, let loose at the deluge. When foiled by Gwydion or Hermes, they are represented as hastening to Mona, to procure assistance of certain sorcerers. These were, un- 268 doubtedly the same, which are introduced in Taliesin's elegy, upon the priest of Mona,* by the names of Math and Biim/dd, and described, as introducing the confusion of nature, at the deluge. Math ag Eunydd, hudwydd gelfydd Rydd elfinor. " Math and Eunyddj masters of the magic wand, let " loose the elements." From these agents of desolation, the birds of wrath now demand a sudden shower, evidently for the purpose of pro- ducing a second deluge, that they might triumph over Gvvydion. This new calamity was prevented by Arianrod, i\\e god- dess of the silver wheel, whom Gwydion produced from a combination of flowers. This lady, who was the dawn of serenity, poured fourth the stream of the rainbow; a stream, which not only scared away violence from the earth, but also removed the bane, or poison of the deluge, to which the mystical bards have frequent allusions. Tliis representation is clearly derived from the history of Noah, and of the bow in the cloud, that sacred token of the covenant which God made with man, and of the promise, that the waters should no more become a food to destroy all fesh. But the incidents which this poem blends with the truth of sacred history, furnish a convincing proof, Appendix, No. lO. 269 that the Bardic account was derived through the channel of heathenism. In the conclusion, we are told, that the Chair or presi- dency of tlie Prese7verf namely, Ceridwen, was established here, and so firmly, that it is confidently added, it should continue to the end of time. This poem was evidently intended to be sung or recited, in the ceremonies of a heathen solemnity, by a priest or priestess, who personated Ceridwen; but some paltry and mendicant minstrel, who only chaunted it as an old song, has tacked on three lines, in a style and measure, totally different from the preceding verses. An rhothwy y Drindawd. Trugaredd Dyddbrawd Cein gardawd gan wyrda ! " May the Trinity grant us mercy in the day of judg- *' ment ! A liberal donation, good gentlemen /" The old poem, called the Chair of Taliesin, furnishes a long list of the various apparatus, requisite for the due ce- lebration of the feast of Ceridwen : and particularly, enu- merates several of the ingredients of the mystical cauldron. As the curious might wish to compare this British ac- count, with the hints which ancient authors have thrown out, respecting the superstition of the Druids, and with 270 what has been recorded of the mystical rites of other coun- tries ; I shall insert the whole of this obscure piece, with the best translation, and explanatory notes which I can supply. We here find the character of the Arkite goddess identi- fied with that of the Moon. Of this circumstance, I have already taken some notice, and have shewn, from Mr. Bryant and Mr. Faber, that such confusion of characters was not peculiar to British mythology. KADEIR TALIESIN.* Mydwyf merwerydd Molawd Duw Dofydd, Llwrw cyfranc cewydd Cyfreu dyfnwedydd. Bardd, bron Sywedydd, Ban adleferydd Awen Cudd Echwydd At feinoeth feinydd. Beirdd llafar lluc de, Eu gwawd nym gre Ar ystrawd ar ystre : Ystryw mawr mire. Ac mi wyf cerdd fud Gogyfarch feirdd tud : * W. Archaiol. p. 37. 271 Rydebrwyddaf drud ; Ky talmaf ehud ; Ryddyhunaf dremud Teyrn terwyu vvolud. Nid mi wyf cerdd fas Gogyfarch feirdd tras Bath fadawl iddas Dofn eigiawn addas ! " I am he who annimates the fire, to the honour of the *' god Dovyddy in behalf of the assembly of associates, qua- " lified to treat of mysteries a Bard, with the knowledge " of a Syreedydd, when he deliberately recites the inspired " song of the Western Cudd, on a serene night amongst *' the stones. " As to loquacious, glittering bards, their encomium " attracts me not, when moving in the course : admiration. " is their great object. *' And I am a silent proficient, who address the Bards " of the land : it is mine to animate the hero ; to persuade " the unadvised ; to awaken the silent beholder the bold " illuminator of kings ! " I am no shallow artist, greeting the Bards of a house- " hold, like a subtle parasite the ocean has a due " profundity!" These lines are merely prefatory. As the Bard lived in an age when Druidism was upon the decline, he found it expedient to assert the importance of his own pontifical character as distinguished from the mere poet, and even from the Bard of the household, who was an officer of no mean rank, in the British court, as we learn from the laws of Howel. It was his privilege to be entertained at the king's table, to be endowed with free land, to have his wardrobe furnished, and his steed provided at the king's ex- pence ; jet, he was to give place to the Cathedral Bard, or priest, of the ancient national order. Though I must leave several things in this poem unex- plained, it may seem proper to take notice of other particu- lars, and throw what light I can upon them. Merwerydd, in the first line, comes from Marwor, embers, or hot coals. It seems to have denoted a person who had the charge of keeping up a fire. The term at present, im- plies that kind of madness ox enthusiasm, which we suppose to have possessed the heathen prophets. Dovydd (line 2) is literally, the Tamer, Domitor. Cewydd, in the next line, an associate, from Caw, a band or-circumscription. Hence Pryduin, Dyvnwal, and Bidn are styled Ban-Cercyddion Teymedd, consolidating sovereigns* Syztedydd (line 5) a mystagogue, or revealer of mysteries. Ys-yK-wedydd, a de- clarer oj what is. We find Syw, pi. Sywed, and Syzcion, in the same sense. Cudd, (line 7) the dark repository the Jrk. To proceed with our Bard Pwy amlenwis cfxs Camp ymhob noethass Pan yw Dien gwlith A Had gwenith W. Archaiol. V. II. p. 63. 273 A gwlid gvvenyn A glud ac ystor Ac elyw tramor Ac eurbibeu Lieu A Hon ariant gwiw A rhudd em a grawn Ag ewyn eigiawn Py ddyfrys ffynnawn Berwr byr yr ddawn Py gysswUt gwerin Brecci bonedd llyn A llwyth Lloer wehyn Lleddf Honed Verbyn. ** The man of complete discipline has obtained the meed ** of honour, in every nightly celebration, when D'ien is pro- " pitiated with an offering of wheat, and the suavity of bees* *' and incense and myrrh, and aloes, from beyond the seas, " and the gold pipes of Lleuy and cheerful, precious, silver, " and the ruddy gem, and the berries, and the foam of " the ocean, and cresses of a purifying quality, laved in the " fountain, and a joint contribution of wort, the founder of " liquor, supplied by the assembly, and a raised load se- " eluded from the moon, of placid, cheerful Vervain." This passage, without an atom of poetical merit, and consisting of a mere list of trifles, derives some importance, from the high consideration which those trifles once ob- tained in our native country. Upon this score, I would ground my apology for lengthening the paragraph, with some attempts at elucidation. Noethas, (line 24) a mightif solemnity; from the old tenn 274 iJodh, tlie night: whence we have He-noeth, this night i Mei-noetk, a serene nighty or May-eve; Peu-noeth, every night, and Tra-noeth, the monozd, or beyond the night: Noethas aho implies an unveiling, or uncovering ; and the priest of Ceridwen, or the moon, may have selected this term, either because the night disclosed the object of his veneration, or because her mysteries were unveiled only in the ight. In my translation of the 25th line, 1 have rendered Cwlith, as a verb, to attract, to persuade gently, to propi' tiate. It had such a meaning formerly ; hence we read in the Gododin, Gwlith Eryr, the eagle's allurer.* Gwltth, in the modern Welsh, only means dem; and the line might be rendered when the Divine dew descends; but the context seems to require the meaning which I have given to it, and in rendering particular passages in poems, which relate to the Druidical superstition, and which have been obscure for a thousand years, it is necessary to keep in view the ge- neral subject, and to compare part with part. Llad, (line 26) a benefit, gift or offering: in the printed copy, the orthography is improperly modernized into Lladd, to cut, reap, or mow. The Briallu, or primroses, mentioned in a subsequent line, were not to be procured at the season of cuttins wheat. -o Gwlid or Gwlydd, (line 27) I am not certain whether he means honey, or the plant Samolus, which was called Gwlydd; but I rather think, the latter is here intended. Dr. Borlase remarks, that " the Druids experienced great * Song 11. Sec Uie ensuing Section. 275 *' virlue in, or at least, ascribed it to the Samolus, and ** gathered it in a ritual, religious manner. He that was to " perform this office of gathering it, was to do it fasting, " with his left hand," &c.* Aurhiheu, (line 30) the mineral, Orpiment, is so called ; but I rather think the gold pipes was some plant with a yellow flower, and hollow stem. So A riant, in the next line, may imply the Fluxzvort, which is called Ariant Gwion, Grfion's silver, a certain proof that the Druids held it in festeem ; for Gwion was the superintendant of the mystical cauldron. v Him, (line 32) probably the red gem, or bud of some tree Grvawn, (ib.) the wild Nep, or white vine, is called Gravny Pertlii, hedge berries, and also Eirin Gwion, the Borues of Gwion see the last note. Berwr, (line 35) Cresses. The Faharia is called Berwr Taliesin, Taliesin's cresses, and is therefore, the plant here ^tended. Verhyn, (line 39) Vervain, In the British Botanology, this plant has also the following appropriated titles, ex- pressive of its high esteem amongst our ancestors Cas gan Oythraul, the Fiend's aversion; Y Ddei'wen Vendigaid, the blessed oak ; and Llysiaur Hudol, the Inchanter's plants. The Druids, we are told, were excessively fond of the Vervain ; they used it in casting lots and foretelling events. Antq. of Cornwall, B. II. C. 13. From Plivy. 276 Anointing with this, they thought tlie readiest way, to ob- tain all that the heart could desire, to keep off fevers, to procure friendships, and the like. It was to be gathered at the rise of the dog star, without being looked upon, either by the sun or moon. In order to which, the earth was to be propitiated by a libation of honey. In digging it up, the left hand was to be used. It was then to be waved aloft, and the leaves, stalk, and roots, were to be dried se- parately in the shade. The couches at feasts, were sprinkled with water, in which this plant had been infused.* Most of the ingredients enumerated in this passage, seem to have been used in the preparation of the mystical cauldron ; and they may be regarded as the simples, which Ceridwen was fabled to have selected, with so much care and ceremon}'. But let us go on with the catalogue. A Sywion synhwyr A sewyd am Loer A gofrwy gwedd gwyr Gwrth awel awyr A mall a merin A gwadawl tra merin A chwrvvg gvvydrin Ar Haw pererin A phybyr a phyg Ag urddawl Segyrffyg A llyseu meddyg Lie allwyr VenfFyg. Antiq. of Cornwall,. B. II, C. !. From Plinj, L. XXV. C. 9 277 " With priests of intelligence, to officiate in behalf of " the moon, and the concourse of associated men, under " the open breeze of the sky, with the maceration and " sprinkling, and the portion after the sprinkling, and the " boat of glass in the hand of the stranger, and the stout " youth with pitch, and the honoured Segyrffyg, and me- ** dical plants, from an exorcised spot." The boat of glass (line 46) was a token of the same im- port as the Anguinum, or Glain, as I have already remarked. In the second volume of Mountfaucon's Antiquities,* there is a sculpture which illustrates this passage. It is a bass- relief, found at Autun, and represents the chief Druid, bearing his sceptre, as head of his order, and crowned with a garland of oak leaves ; with another Druid, not thus decorated, approaching him, and displaying in his right hand a crescent, of the size of the moon, when six days old. ^ The pitch (line 48) was, I suppose, for the facula or torches, which were carried during the celebration of the nocturnal mysteries. Segyrffug means protecting from illusion. I imagine it was the name of some plant. The populace of Wales as- cribe the virtue implied by this name, to a species of trefoil. * The literal translation of the fiftieth line, is a place deared from the illusion of the witch. The practice of ex-^ Opposite to p. 276, 278" orcisbig the ground was common to the Druids, with other ancient priests. The iron instrument used in this rite of exorcising, was to describe a circle round the plant, and then dig it up.* The piece (fon eludes thus A Beirdd a blodeu A guddig bertheu A briallu a brivvddail A blaen gwydd goddeu A mall ameuedd A mynych adneuedd A gwin tal cibedd O Ryfain hyd Rossedd A dwfn ddwfr echwydd Pawn ei lif Dofydd Neu pren puraur fydd Ffrwythlawn ei gynnydd Rei ias berwidydd Oedd uch pair pumwydd A Gwion afon A gofwy hinon A mel a meillion A meddgyrn meddwon Addwyn i Ddragon Ddaway Der\^grddon. " And Bards with j^otcer*, and perfect convolutions, and " primroses, and leaves of the Briw, with the points of " the trees of purposes, and solution of doubts, and fre- Antiq. of Cornwall, B. II. C. 13. from Plinj. 279 " quent mutual pledges; and with wine which flows to the " brim, from Rome to Rosedd, and deep standing water, *' a flood which has the gift of Dovi/dd, or the tree of pure " gold, which becomes of a fructifying quaUty, when that " Brewer gives it a boihng, who presided over the cauldron *.* of the five plants. " Hence the stream of Gwion, and the reign of serenity, ** and hone^ and trefoil, and horns forcing with mead " Meet for a sovereign is the lore of the Druids." We have now seen the end of this curious poem, if it de- serves the name ; but a few more remarks may be proper Primroses ranked highly amongst the mystical apparatus, if we may judge from their name, which is a compound of Bri, dignity, and Gallu, power. The leaves of the Brizo, which we find introduced with the symbolical sprigs, or lots, are probably those of the Vervain, which is known by the name of Brizsfr March. Pliny has told us, that the Druids used this plant in casting lots, and foretelling events. The same rite oi libation is described, as prevaihng . from Rome to Rosedd. This seems to fix the date of the com- position, long before the sixth century in an age when the Britons were acquainted with the Romans, but whilst Rome itself, as yet was Pagan. It may also be remarked, that here is not a single Christian idea introduced ; on the cou*. trary, we find an open profession of worshipping the moon. 280 in a general concourse of men^ and the lore of the Druids i& declared to be meet for sovereign princes. Hence I think it probable, that no part of this poem, excepting the intro- duction, belongs to the Taliesin of the sixth century. The deep water seems to imply the bath, for immersion ; and the gift of Dovydd, was the Selago, or hedge hyssop, which has a synonymous appellative, in modern "Welsh, being called Grds Duw, Gratia Dei, " With great care and superstition did the Druids gather the Selago. Nothing of iron was -to touch, or cut it, nor was the bare hand thought worthy of that honour, but a peculiar vesture, or sagus, applied by means of the right hand ; the vesture must have been holy, and taken off from some sacred person privately, and with the left hand only. The gatherer was to be clothed in white, namely, a Druid, whose garment was white, his feet naked, and washed in pure water. He was first to offer a sacrifice of bread and wine, before he proceeded to gather the Selago, which was carried-'from the place of its nativity, in a clean new napkin. This was preserved by the Druids, as a charm against all misfortunes."* Pren Purcur, (line 62) the tree of pure gold the misseltoe Virgil's Aurum frondens, and Ramus aureus, which the Arch-Druid gathered with a golden hook. Amongst the extraordinary reputed virtues of this plant, was that men- tioned by our Bard, of promoting the increase of the species, or preventing sterility.')- The names of the misseltoe, in Antiq. of Cornwall, B. II. C. 12. From Pliny, f Ibid. 281 the Welsh language, preserve the memorial of its ancient dignity. It is called Pren Awyr, the JEthereal tree ; Pren Uchelvar, the tree of the high summit ; and has four other names, derived from Uchel, lofty. We find, by the conclusion of the poem, that this, and the other select plants, were amongst the ingredients of the mystical cauldron, which had been contrived by Ceridwen, the British Ceres. This produced the stream of Gzeion, to which were ascribed, not only genius, and the power of in-^ spiration, but also the reign of serenity, which, as we have been told, in the chair of Ceridzven, immediately com- menced upon the display of the celestial bow, at the con- clusion of the deluge. This cauldron, in short, purified the votaries of Druidism, for the celebration of certain mystical rites, which comme- morated the preservation of mankind in the ark, and the great renovation of nature. That a people so strongly attached to their national cus- toms, as the ancient Britons are known to have been, should have pertinaciously adhered to the religion of their ances- tors; that the British Ceres should have maintained her honours in the obscure corners of the country, as late as the sixth century ; and that her votaries should have ap- peared in public during that age, or in the interval, between the dominion of the Romans and that of the Saxons, is not greatly to be wondered at. There seems to have been se- veral parts of Wales into which Christianity, as yet, had 282 scarcely penetrated ; or where, at least, it had not pre- vailed. Hence Brychan is commended " for bringing up " his children and grand-children i'n learning, so as to be " able to shew the faith in Christ, to the Cymry, where " they were without the faith."* But that the Welsh princes, to the latest period of their government, should not only tolerate, but patronize the old superstition ; and that the mysteries of Ceres should be ce- lebrated in South Britain, as late as > the middle of the twelfth century, are facts, as .singular sa they are indis- putable. Many of the most offensive ceremonies must, of course, have been either retrenched or concealed; but there is au-- thentifc proof, that the honours and the mysteries of Ccrid- wen did remain. Some of the paragraphs which authen- ticate this fact, I have produced iri the first section of this' essay, to which I refer the reader. Before I look for additional evidence, I shall offer a few hints, with a view of accounting for the fact itself. The commemorations of the deluge were so pointed and clear, in the mystical rites of the Britons, that when the- Bards became acquainted with scripture history, they per- ceived, and frequently alluded to, the connection between their own national traditions, and the -sacred records, re- specting Noah and his family. Hence they considered their ew7i as a genuine descendant of the patriarchal religion. Qweu'* Cam. Biog. V. Bryc/win. From the Triads. 28S and therefore, as not absolutely irreconcileable with Christianity. The Roman laws and edicts, had for some ages, restrained the more cruel customs, and the bloody sacrifices of the Druids ; what now remained was their code of mystical doc- trines, together with their symbolical rites. The Bards were influenced by their profession, and the princes, who from their infancy, had been accustomed to hear and admire the songs of the Bards, were induced, by national prejudice, to regard these as innocent, at least, if not meritorious : and to fancy, that they might be good Christians enough, without wholly relinquishing their hea- thenish superstitions. The ministers of Christianity thought otherwise, and sometimes refused Christian burial to these Gentile priests : and there are many instances of the Bards themselves, promising a kind of recantation, sometime before their death. Conscience being soothed by these palliatives, gave way to a cogent argument, in favour of the Bardic institution, which was supposed to give ^ strong support to personal fortitude ; and to animate the spirit of national indepen- dence, during times, the most difficult and disastrous. Such appears to have been the feeling of Hyzsel, the son of Owen Gwynedd, who succeeded his father, in the princi- pahty of North Wales, and died in the year 1171. We may infer from the following poem, that this prince )iad been initiated into the lesser mysteries of Ceridwen, and 284 that he eagerly longed for admittance to the greater, namelj, those of the covered coracle, which were conducted by Gwyddnaw and his son : for I shall shew hereafter, that, by the Steed, in the mj'stical lore of the Bards, is meant a boat, or vessel upon the water; and here we find the mean- ing ascertained by other circumstances. Song by Hywell, the son of Owen.* '' I love in the summer season, the prancing steed of the " placid smiling chief, in the presence of the gallant lord, " who rules the foam-covered, nimbly-moving wave. But '* another has worn the token of the apple spray :f my " shield remains white upon my shoulder; the wished for " atchievement have I not obtained, though great was my " desire. " Ceridwen, lofty and fair slow and delicate in her de- " scending course her complexion is formed of the mild " light, in the evening hourij: the splendid, graceful, " bright, and gentle lady of the mystic song even in " bending a rush would she totter so small, so delicate, so " feebly descending ! * W. Archaiol. p. 278. + That is, " another has been the successful candidate he carries the em- " blem of victory ; whilst roj shield retains a blank surface, not blazoned " with the desired atchievement." Hywcl lived in an age of Chivalry ; hence the metaphors in this passage. X The new rooen, with her mall and pallid cretcent, was the symbol of tliit goddcssi 285 * But though small, she is older than the youth of ten " years. She is the modeller of our tender age, full of meek- " ness ; her juvenile discipline has she freeli/ bestowed. Yet, a " a heroine, she would rather impede her own prosperity, " than utter one sentence of unseemly import. *' Attend thou my worship in the mystical grove: and ** whilst I adore thee, maintain thy own jurisdiction /" If we may judge from Hywel's description, Ceridwen had greatly improved in her person and her manners, since the sixth century ; but still, she is the same object of idolatrous veneration : she still communicates her mystical laws to the devoted aspirant. Upon a subsequent application, our princely Bard seems to have been more successful ; for thus he sings of Llywy, who, as we have already seen, was the daughter of Ceridwen^ and was now become the mystical sister of Hywel. " I love the Caer of the illustrious lady, near the pleasant " shore : and to the place where the modest fair one loves " to behold the sea mew ; to the place where I am greatly " beloved, I would gladly go. *' I will vow a visit to the serenely fair that I may be- *' hold my sister gently smiling that I may avow the love " which fate has allotted me, in the home of her, who tran- " quillizes my breast with her mild influence ; in the home " of Llywy, whose hue is like Dylan's wave. " From her dominion, an over/lowing deluge has extended 286 " 1^0 us. Fair is she, as the snow, which the cold has {)o- " lished upon the lofty peak^ " For the severe discipline which I experienced in the hall of " the mysterious god, I have obtained her promise a treasure *' of high privilege, " She has stolen my soul I am hecome weak my spiriP^ " is like that of Garwy Hir I am detained for the fair one, " in the hall of the mysterious godT' And again *' I shall long for th6 proud-wrought Caer of the Gt/- " vylchi, till my exulting person has gained admittance. *' Renowned and enterprizing is the man who enters there, ^' It is the chosen place of IJywi/, usith her splendid en- " dowments. Bright gleaming, she ascends from the margin of " the sea : and the lady shines this present year, in the desart " o/'Arvon, in Eryri. " A pavilion will not he regarded, nor costly rohes ad- " mired, by her whose merit I fondly wish to delineate : " but if she would bestow the privilege for any strain of " Bardism, I would enjoy this night in her society." If we may judge from these strains of Hywel, and from many similar passages in the works of his contemporaries, the Cambrian Bards were as zealously devoted to the worship of Ceridrven and JJyxsy, or Ce:res and Proserpine, in the twelfth century, as they had been in the sixth, or in any- earlier age of heathen superstition. 287 We have alrcdy seen some hints of a solemn oath, thaV ^as administered to the aspirants, before they were ad* mitted to the mystical rites of these characters : accordingly, the Welsh Archaiology supplies us with an old formulary of introduction in very obscure language, and uncouth ortho- graphy, which seems to have been used upon these occasion*. Arthur and Cai are represented, as approaching the gate of the sanctuary, which was guafded by the hierophant^ and commencing the following dialogue ARTHUR. ^' Whtit man is he that guards the gat?" HIEROPHANT. *** The severe hoar?/ one, with the wide dominion Wlio '*' is the man that demands it ?" ARTHUR. " Arthur and the blessed Cai/' HIEROPHANT. " What good attends thee, thou blessed one, thou best " man in the world ! Into my house thou canst not enter, ** unless thou zoilt preserve " CAI. " I will preserve it, and that thou shalt behold ; though " the birds of wrath should go forth, and the three attendant " ministers should fall asleep, namely, the son of the Creator, *f Mabon th son of Mydron, attendant upon the wonder^ ^88 *' ful supreme Ruler y and Gwyrij the Lord of those who de- " scendfrom above'* HIEROPHANT. *^ Severe have my servants been, in preserving their in- *' stitutes. Manawj/dan, tlie son of Llj/r, was grave in his *' counsel. Manawyd truly brought a perforated shield, *' from Trevryd ; and Mabon, the son of Lightning, stained *' the straw with clotted gore : and AnwaSy the zcinged, and " Llwch Llawinawgy (the ruler of the lake) were firm guar- *' dians of the incircled mount Their Lord preserved them, " and I rendered them complete. " Cai ! I solemnly announce though all three should be " slain ; when the privilege of the grove is violated, danger shaU be found !'* Tlie remainder of this obscure piece, describes the dif- ferent characters which were supported by Arthur and Cai, after their initiation, and the different fates which attended them. The passage before us may be understood, as in- volving a very solemn oath. The Aspirant engages, in the presence of the Hierophant, who personates his god, to preserve the laws of the sanctuary, however he may be as- saulted by enemies, or deserted by his friends; whilst the chief priest denounces in awful obscurity, the inevitable ruin which will attend the violation of this sacred engage- ment. Here we also find, that during the performance of the myatieal lites, the Hierophant was attended by three priests, 289 each of whom personated a god. This is in perfect con- formity with the usage of the Greeks. For, we are told, that in the celebration of the Eleusinian mysteries, four priests officiated. The Hieroplianty who represented the Great Creator : the torch-bearer, who personated the sun ; the UeraH, who was regarded as a type of Mercury, and the minister of tlie altarf who was venerated as the symbol of the moon. Having now taken a considerable range in the grounds ef British superstition, I shall dismiss the present subject, with the persuasion, that the facts which I have brought forward in this, and the preceding section, will furnish a master-key to the stores of British mythology. It has been proved, that the great secret of the ancient Bards, who professed themselves disciples of the Druids, and consequently of the Druids themselves, resolves itself into'the mystical rites of IIu and Ceridrcen; that these cha- racters were no other than the Bacchus and Cei^es of an- tiquity, whose mysteries are acknowledged to have been dtdi/ celebrated in the British islands ; and that the ceremonies and traditions of the Britons, had evident analogy with the superstitions of the Greeks, and of some of the Eastern nations. It has also been seen, that the British mysteries comme- morate the deluge, and those characters which are con- nected with its history ; and thus furnish an undeniable con- firmation of Mr. Bryant's opinion, that Ceres was an ima- ginary genius of the Ark, from whence the post-diluvian world derived their being, their laws, and their sciences ^ u 290 whilst on the other hand, that opinion supplies a lucid solution of the great Bardic renigma, that every thing sa- cred, pure, and primitive, was derived from the cauldron of Ceridwen. In British antiquities, the subject is new, and upon that, account alone, may be deemed curious by many readers ; but I regard it in a more important light, as in connexion with the discoveries of Mr. Bryant and Mr. Faber, af- fording a demonstration to the candid philosopher, that heathenism had no foundation of its own to rest upon, and that its tottering fabric merely leaned against the great historical truths, which are recorded in the sacyed vojume. Q91 SECTION IV The Design of the circular Temples and Cromlechs of the Druids. Orig-inal Documents relative to the celebrated O Structure ofSTONEHENGE. A HE superstition of the Britons, as we find it delineated in the ancient Bards, and probably, as it existed for many Centuries, before the time of any of those Bards which are now extant, appears to have been a heterogeneous sj'Stcm, in which the memorials of the patriarch, and of the deluge, and some of the true principles of the patriarchal religion, were blended with a mass of absurdity, and an rdolatrous worship of the host of heaven. Thus, whilst Ceridwen is the genius of the Ark, we ob- serve, that at the same time, the moon is her representative in the heavens. Her husband, Tegid or Saidi, commemo- rates Noah ; but he is also viewed in the planet Saturn ; and by the name of Hu, he even takes possession of the solar orb. Avagddu, the black accumulation, which appalled the world at the deluge, has brightened into Rhuvawn Bevi/Ty or the splendor of the regenerated sun. Hence we must expect to find, that the temples which were sacred to this motley superstition, had some reference to the celestial f as well as to the terrestrial objects of ado- ration. ' ' f - 292 It has been already remarked, that Cadeiriath Saidi, or the language of the chair of Saidi, was personified ; and that he constituted an important character in British mythology. But such an ideal personage as ^ this, could have been nothing more than a representative of the sacred ceremonies, doctrine, laws, and institutes of Druidism : as exhibited and taught, in the temple or sanctuary of Ceridwen, and of the other mythological group. This temple was named Caer Sidi, the circle, or sanctuary of Sidi; and Taliesin's presidency, as high priest in that temple, was styled Cadair Caer Sidi, the chair of Caer Sidi, The doctrine and the law which he pronounced from that chair, were therefore, the Cadeiriaitk, or language of the chair. Let us now inquire, why the name of Caer Sidi was appropriated to the Druidical temples. I might cut this matter short, by asserting upon the authority of Mr Bryant, that Sidij or 2;?>j, was one of the names of Ceres, " As the Ark, says that great raythologist, was looked " upon as the mother of mankind, and stiled Da-Mater^ " so it was figured under the resemblance of the 'Poia, Po- " megranate, since abounding with seeds, it was thought " no improper emblem of the Ark, which contained the " rudiments of the future world. Hence the deity of the ** Ark was named Rhoia, and was the Rhea of the Greeks." " Another name of the pomegranate was Sid^ (S*^:i, Sidee) " of which name there was a city in Pamphylia, and " another in Boeotia, which was said to have been built " by Side, the daughter of Danaus, which may be in 9, 293 *' gf eat measure true : for hy a daughter ofDanaus, is meant ** a priestess of Da-Naus, the Ark, the same as Da-Mater."* According to this deduction, Sidee must have been as legitimate a name as Rhea, for the genius of the Ark ; and it must have represented that sacred vessel, as hitherto im- pregnated with its seeds ; or, as containing the patriarch and his family, w^ho became objects of superstitious veneration/ to succeeding ages. But the British Caer Sidi was derived through another channel. It appears from the spoils of the deep, one of the principal of the mystical poems of Taliesin,-)- that the ori- ginal Caer Sidi, and the prototype of that sanctuary, in which our Bard presided, was no other than the sacred vessel, in which the mythological Arthur and his seven friends escaped the general deluge. Thus the Britons regarded Caer Sidi as a name of the Ark. But as the Britons, like many other heathens, had blended their commemorations of t'he patriarch and his family, with the worship of the host of heaven ; as the sun, moon, and planets, were now viewed as emblems of their consecrated progenitors, and of their sacred ship, and probably had en- grossed the greatest part of popular veneration ; so we find that the name 6f^ Caer Sidi, or Sidin, was transferred from the sacred ship, tolhatgreat circle, in which those lumi- nous emblems of their gods presided and expatiated. In British astronomy, it was become the name of the Zodiac. * Analjs. V. II. p. S80. + Appendix, J^u 3, 294 Agreeably to tlie idiom of the Welsh language, the words Caer Sidi, qt Sidin, imply the <^Vc/e, or inclosed- place of the revolution. We may, therefore, admire the dexterity ^ith which the^genius of mythology appropriated the title, first, to the tessel in which all the surviving inhabitants of the, world performed the greatest revolution recorded in history ; secondly, to that celestial circle, in which the luminaries of the world perpetualli/ revolve; and lastly, to the Dnddical temples, which appear from the works of the Bards, to hav^ had a marked referenccj both to the sacred ship, and to the Zodiac. ^Th^ir reference to thie fdrriier' may be proved, not only from the spo?7s of the t/eep, but 'afso from Taliesin's poern ^'pbri the sons of X/yr,* where he tells us, that his chair, or presidency, was sacred to Cerldwen. ^ ' " ' Tveud ^mug ynghadeir o heir CeriJwen f*"* ""'v " Handid rydd fy nhafawd, Yn addawd gwawd Ogyrwen. ' ' " Is not my chaii' protected by the cauldron of Cerid- '' wen? Therefore, let my tongue be free, in the sane- " tuary of the praise of the goddess J* And again, in the same poem, he names and describes this presidency Ys cyweir fy nghadeir ynghaer Sidi Nis plawdd haint a henaint a fo yndt Ys gwyr Manawyd a Phryderi Tair Orian y am dan a gan rhegddi Appendix, No. 1. N 295 Acam ei bannau ffrydieu gweilgi A'rffynawn fFrwythlawn yssydd odducliti Ys whegach nor' gwin gwyn y llyn yndi. " Complete is my chair in Caer Sidi : neither disorder " nor age will oppress him that is within it. It is known *' to Manawyd and Pryderi, that three loud strains round '^ the fire, will be sung before it; whilst the currents of the " sea are round its borders, and the copious fountain is open " from above, the liquor within it is sweeter than delicious '* wine." It is clear, from these remarkable passages, that the name of Caer Sidi was given to the sanctuary, in which the rites of Ceridwen were celebrated : for the presidency which was protected by the cauldron of Ceridwen, and the presi- dency of Caer Sidi, imply one and the same thing. And the sanctuary of that presidency is described with circum- stances, which can be referred only to the history of a ship, and which evidently allude to the Ark. The alrrents of the deep compass it about, and the copious fountain is open from above; still there is safety, tranquil- lity, and comfortable subsistence within. All this is the literal history of the Ark, and there can be little doubt, but that it is also the history of some rites, which the Britons obseived ip commemoration of it. That the same sanctuary had its allusion to the great circle of the Zodiac, may be inferred from the language of the same Taliesin, who vaunting of the high importance of his pontifical office, assimilates his own character with that of J polio, or the sun. Having informed us, in the poem which is called his his' 296 tory, that he had received the Avsen, or inspiration, from tlie cauldron of Ceridiceti, he concludes in tliis manner. Mi a fum ynghadair flin Uwch Caer Sidin * A honno yn troi fydd Rhwng tri elfydd Pand rhyfedd ir byd Nas argennvd.* " I have presided in a toilsome chair, over the circle of " Sidin, whilst that is continually revolving between three " elements ; is it not a wonder to the world, that men are ** not enlightened?'* Here the Bard, as usual, blends the description of celes- tial objects with that of their representatives on earth. Tlifc Caer Sidin, which continually revolves in the midst of the universe, is the circle of the zodiac. Here the sun, the great luminary of the world, is the visible president. Our Bard could not pretend to have presided in this Caer Sidin; but as his owti assumed name, Taliesin, radiant font, was a mere title of the sun, so, as chief Druid of his age, he was tlie priest and representative of the great luminary upon earth ; and his vicegerent in that sanctuary, which typified the abode of the gods. In the subject of British antiquities, it might be deemed of some importance to ascertain the form of those Caer Sidis, or sanctuaries, in which our ancestors celebrated the rites of their Ceridicen or Ceres, and performed other acts of worship to determine whether those sanctuaries con- W. Archaiol. p. SO. 297 siated merely of caves, glades in the sacred groves, islets in the lakes or margin of the sea, and the like; or whether they are to be recognised in those routtd trenches and circles of stones, which still remain in various parts of these islancU, and have been deemed Druidical temples. I shall therefore offer such hints upon the subject as occur to me, and leave them to the consideration of my thologists and antiquaries. As the Britons distinguished the zodiac and the temples, or sanctuaries of their gods, by the same name of Ccur Sidi, and as their great Bard, Taliesin, blends the heavenly and the terrestrial Sidi in one description, we may presume, that they regarded the latter as a type or representation of the former. The two great objects of their superstitious regard, as we have already seen, were the patriarch and the ark ; but un- der the names of Hu and Ceridwen, these were figured or represented by the two great luminaries, which revolve in the celestial zone. And this conceit was analogous to the mythology of other nations. For Liber Pater was the same as Dionusus, who, according to Mr. Bryant, was the pa- triarch Noah ; and Ceres was the genius of the ark : yet we find that Virgil, the most learned of the poets, unites their haracters with those of the sun and moon, * Vos, O clarissima mundi Lumina, lahantem ccelo qui ducitis annum Liber, et alma Ceres! Were a representation of this idea of the poet, to be- O Liber, and holy Ceres, ye bright luminarie* of the world, who lead forth the year, revolring in the heareos! 298 made in sculpture, we should see the two great mythological ciiaracters moving in their proper orbits^ amongst the sigm of the zodiac, which mark the different seasons of the re- volving year, and which the Egyptians style the grand as- semble/, or senate of the twelve gods.* In Mons. de Gebelin's Monde Primitif,"f' I ohserve a curious antique design, taken from the zone of a statue, supposed to be that of Venus, which is highly illustrative of this subject. Here, the story of Ceres and Proserpine is beautifully told. The former goddess is mounted upon a car, formed like a boat or half moon, and drawn by dragons; holding lighted torches in her hands, she flies in search of her daughter, who is violently carried away in Pluto's chariot. Hercules, or the sun, leads the procession, and the group is hastening into the presence of Jupiter, who appears en- throned on a cloud. The whole is surrounded with twelve oblong tablets, or short pillars, upon which are depicted the twelve signs of the zodiac, in an erect posture; inti- mating evidently, that the mythology of those personages was connected with an exact observation of the stars, and of the return of the seasons. And, agreeably to this hint, we find that the mystical Bards, and tales of the Britons, constantly allude to the completion of the i/ear, and the re- turn of a particular dai/, when they treat of the history and the rites of Ceridwen. Were a pantheon, or temple of the assembled gods, to be designed after the model of this sculpture, we should have the principal figures stationed in tlic central area, and the pillars of the constellations ranged about them in a circle. Bryant's Analysis, V. II. p. 483. + Tom. IV. ri. 7, Fig. 1. 299 And were this to be undertaken, by a people who abhorred co vered temples f and either disallowed the use of sculpture ^ or else were ignorant of the att ; the central figures would be repre- sented by rude masses of wood or stone, and the rude pillars of the constellations would occupy the outward circle, a&in the British monuments, delineated by Dr. Borlase and other antiquaries, .. .iL, j That the Druidical temples were generally of a round form, appears by the appellative terms which the Bards Constantly use in describing them, as Caer Sidi, the cireli of revolution ; Cor, a round or circle, Cylch, a circle ; and Cylch Byd, the circle of the world, which occurs m Aneurin and Taliesin.* ,...-, a ^ ~''- It is also evident, that they were composed of stone: for Aneurin, Taliesin, and Merddin, speak of the stones which composed these circles. But let us endeavour to identify one of their circular temples, that we may have some rule to judge of the rest. , . - ,^ < ' ' \ ,', ' , ' ** In the poems of Hywel, the son of Owen, which I have already quoted, that prince says expressly, that the proud" wrought inclosure in the Gyvylchi, in the desert of Arvqn, in Eryri, or Snowden, and towards the shore, was the Cagr, or sanctuari/ of the mystical goddess, and the chosen place of h^r daughter Llywy, or the British Proserpine^ - , .,_- The topography of this temple is sp minutely pointed * To this I may add, Cylch Balch Nevwy, the pr oud;, or magnijicen t celestial sircle, round which the majettic oahs, the symbols 61 'IZronwy, I'lib'gdd of thunder, spread their anus. Talhiin, Cerdd DarDfiwy. 300 otit, that the spot cannot be mistaken : and if we find here a monument which has any appearance of representing the Zodiac, or Celestial Caer Sidi, it may serve as a guide, in distinguishing other British monuments of the same kind. J)vry-Gi/vi/lchi is still known, as the name of a parish, in the very spot where the Cambrian prince fixes his Caer Wen Glaer, or sanctuary of the illustrious Ladi/, in the de- 9erts of Arvoiij in En/ri, and towards the sea: and here the remains of the Caer are still to be found. The annotator upon Camden, having described a strong fortress, " seated on the top of one of the highest moun- ** tains, of that part of Snowden, which lies towards the sea ;'* gives the following account of this ancient temple. 5* About a mile from this fortification, stands the most " remarkable monument in all Snowden, called Y Meineu " Hirion, upon the plain mountain, within the parish of " Dwy-Gi/vycheu, above Gwddw Glas. It is a circular " entrenchment, about twenty-six 3'ards diameter; on the ** outside whereof, are certain mde, stone pillars ; of which " about tzceke are now standing, some two yards, and " others five foot high : and these are again encompassed " with a stone wall. It stands upon tlie plain mountain, as " soon as we come to the height, having much even ground " about it ; and not far from it, there are three other large " stones, pitched oij end, in a triangular form ."* We are also told that, at the distance of about three fur- * Gib&on's Camden, Col, 805. 301 Ipngs from this monument, there are several huge heaps, or Cams, and also cells, constructed of huge stones, fixed in the ground, and each cell covered with one or two stones of a superior size. Such was the sanctuary which was held sacred to Cerid- zeen and Llywy, or Ceres and Proserpine, in the middle of the twelfth century, an age in which the honours of those characters were not forgotten : for we have already seen, that their mysteries, strange as the fact may appear, were still celebrated, not only with toleration, but also under the patronage of the British princes. Hywel's avowed veneration of those mysteries, into which he himself had been initiated, would not have permitted him to speak lightly, and at random, upon the subject of this hallowed fane. And his own studious disposition, joined with his rank in society, must have procured him access to the best information, respecting the antiquities of his country, had any deep research been requisite. But tins case presented no difficulty. There could have been. no doubt of the intention of a temple, which was sacred to an existing superstition. A regular succession of mystical Bards had hitherto been maintained, from the days of Taliesin, and from the ages of pure Druidism. Hence, by comparing this structure with the facts pre- viously stated, we may fairly conclude, that in those ages, the temples which were sacred to British mysteries, were regarded as images of Caer Sidi, or the Zodiac, as they were dignified with its name, or else were so construct- ed as to represent some of the phafiomena, displayed iij that celestial zone. 302 la this monument of the Gyvylchij we find the circh of twelve stones, which undoubtedly represented the twelve signs, the same which appeared upon the Antique, pub- lished by M. De Gebelin, commemorative of the history of Ceres and Proserpine. From the description quoted out of Camden, imperfect as if is, we may infer, that the temple of the Gyvylchi is a work of the same kind as those circular monuments of stone, which have attracted the notice of the curious, from the South to the North extremity of this Island, and which our best antiquaries pronounce, not only to have been tem- ples of the heathen Britons, but also to have been con- structed upon astronomical principles: in short, to have re- presented, either the Zodiac itself, or certain cycles and computations, deduced from the study of astronomy. Hence the frequent repetition of twelve, nineteen, thirty, or sixty stones, which has been remarked in the circles of these monuments. 'Our fane of Snowden, it is admitted, could never have vied in magnificence, with a Stonehenge, or an Abnry. In the ages of Druidism, it could have been regarded only as ^provincial sanctuary, but the number of /we/re stones which constitutes its circle, is twice repeated in the stupendous fabric of Abury ; it frequently occurs also, in the Cornish monuments, noted by Dr. Borlase ; and it is found in the cx)mplete temple of Classerniss, in the Western Isles of Scotland. Here is also the cell, consisting of three huge stones, erected in a triangular form, as in the structure of Abury. . . . . From this little Cambrian chapel, then let us endeavour 303 to trace our way to the larger monuments of British super- stition. That Stonehenge was a Druidical temple of high emi- nence, and that its construction evinces considerable pro- jficiency in astronomy, has been the decided opinion of many respectable antiquaries. That I may not multiply proofs of a fact so generally known, I shall only extract part of the learned Mr. Maurice's remarks upon that celebrated monument. " But of all the circular temples of the Druids, (says the ** author of the Indian Antiquities) as Stonehenge is the *' most considerable, a description of it from the most an- *' cient and the most modern writer oti that subject is " here presented to the reader. I take it for granted, that ** the passage cited by Diodorus, from Hecataus, and be- *' fore alluded to by Mr. Knight, is [to be understood of] *' this identical temple of Stonehenge, or Choir Gain', its *' ancient British name, meaning, according to Stukeley, !** the Great Cathedral or Grand Choir; and surely, no wfl- ** tional church could ever better deserve that distinguished ^' appellation."* The author then quotes the passage from Diodorus, re- specting the Hyperborean temple of Apollo, to which he adds the following remark " Such is the account given ** near two thousand years ago, of this circidar temple, fok *^ IT COULD MEAN NO OTHER, by DiodoHis the Sicilian, *' from a writer still prior in time."-]- Ind. Antiq. V. VI. p. 123^ t Ibid. p. 125. , 504 Mr. Maurice, in the next place, extracts the description which is given of the same monument, in Mr. Gough's edition of Camden ; and these are his remarks upon it. " There is no occasion for my troubling the reader with " any extended observations, on these accounts of Stone- " henge. Whoever has read, or may be inclined to read " my history of oriental architecture, as connected with " the astronomical, and mythological notions of the anci- " ents, printed in the third volume of this work may see " most of the assertions realized, in the form and arrange- " mcnt of this old Druid temple. For, in the first place, " it is circular, as it is there proved, all ancient temples to " the Sun and Vesta were. In the second place, the " Adytum or Sanctum Sanctorum, is of an oval form, re- " presenting the Mundane egg, after the manner that all " those adyta, in which the sacred Jire perpetually blazed " were constantly fabricated. In the third place, the situ- " ation is fixed astronomically, as we shall make fully evi- " dent when we come to speak of Abury : the grand en- ** trances, both of this temple, and that superb monument " of antiquity, being placed exactly North-east, as all the " gates or portals of the ancient caverns, and cavern temples " were ; especially those dedicated to Mithra, that is, the ** sun. " In the fourth place, the number of stones and uprights ** (in the outward circle) making together, exactly sixty, *' plainly alludes to that peculiar, and prominent feature of ** Asiatic astronomy, the sexagenary cycle while the " number of stones, forming the minor circle of the cove, " being exactly nineteen, displays to us the famous MetoniCf " or rather Indian cycle; and that of thirty, repeatedly 305 *' occurring, the celebrated age, or generation of the " Druids. " Fifthly, the temple being uncovered, pVov^s it to have " been erected under impressions, similar to those which *^ animated the ancient Persians, who rejected the im- " pious idea of confining the Deity within an inclosed " shrine, however magnificent, and therefore, consequently, '* at all events, it must have been erected before the age ** of Zoroaster, who flourished more than five hundred " years before Christ, and who first covered in the Persian " temples. ^ # " And finally, the heads and horns of oxen and other ** animals, found buried on the spot, prove that the san- " guinary rites, peculiar to the Solar superstition were " actually practised, within the awful bounds of this hallowed " circle."* ,t' jl^i,.: >;?.. ^ \; I have omitted a few clauses, in which the ingenious au- thor derives the British, immediately from the Indian su- perstition ; partly because his opinion might appear to dis- advantage, unsupported by the arguments which are ad- duced in various parts of this dissertation ; and partly be- cause I have some kind of evidence, that what was exotic in the system of the Britons, came to them by the way of Comzmlly and therefore was probably derived to them from' the Phanicians* Our learned author's opinion of the dignity of this struc- X Ind. Antiq. V. VL p. 128. t See Sect. 5. 306 ture, of the knowledge of astronomy displayed in its plan, and of its destination as a heathen temple, I should suppose will hardly be disputed. Yet still, those gentlemen who assert, that the Druids left no monuments behind them, but their venerated oaks, will pertinaciously contend, that no evidence has been produced to connect the design of this stupendous pile, with the national superstition of the Britons. It appears to 1)9^, however, that considerable evidence of this connection does 'tist ; and I hope, I shall not perform an unacceptable office to the public in bringing it forward. A great and notorious event, namely, the massacre of the British nobility in the neighbourhood of Stonehenge, by Hengist, the Saxon king of Kent, furnished the ancient British writers with occasion, for the frequent mention of ihis venerable pile. The story of this massacre is familiar to the old writers of !^gland and Wales ; but by way of introduction to the do- cuments which I mean to produce, it may be proper to insert a connected account of its circumstances, from a mo- dern aiit|)or of the former nation. Mr. Warrington, in his history of Wales, relates the traiisaction in this manner. When Hengist and his Saxons approached the British coast, after the death of Vortimer, they found 'that the in- habitants, under the command of Vortigern, were fully de- termined to oppose their landing. Upon this occasion, thp Saxon chief had recourse to an expedient, suggested by 307 *- "-^ hiswily and fertile imagination, as well as from a l:nowIed"'e of the people, with whom he had to act. In this artifice, the weakness or the treachery of Vortigern was employed. Hengist sent to assure that monarch, that his purpose of coming into Britain was not to offer any violence to the kingdom, but only- to make a vigorous opposition iagainst his son Vortimer, whom he artfully pretended, he thought to have been alive. ^I^ It was likewise proposed by Hengist, that an interview ' should take place between them, and that each of the chiefs should meet at the place appoTnted, attended by the ' ' most eminent of his train; and in order to banish every ' idea of hostile intention, it was artfully suggested by the Saxon, that both parties should appear without their arms. The proposal was agreed to by the king ; the time of meet- ing was fixed for the May following; and the place ap- '. pointed for the interview was at Stonehenge, upon Salisbury > plain. ! In the meantime, Hengist having assembled his chief- tains, laid open to them his design, that under the colour of meeting the Britons, for the purposes of peace, and to establish a lasting alliance, he intended to murder the chiefs who should attend Vortigern to the interview ; that by striking so decisive a blow, he might cut the sinews of future resistance. At the same time he gave orders, that his train, who attended the meeting, should carry knives concealed in their sleeves ; that when the signal was given, each of them should instantly stab the person who sat next to him ; and he closed this infernal order, by requiring them to behave like men, and to shew no mercy to any person, but to the king. X 2 # Q 08 Notwithstanding the many proofs the Savons had givett of their perfidy, the Britons, Avith ?i degree of credulity, pecuUar to themselves, fell into the snare, and came un- armed to the place appointed for the interview; where, by the contrivance of Hengist, they were placed with his tr^in, alternately at the tables, under the pretence of con- fidence, and of a friendly intercourse with each other. When the festivity was at the height, and probably, iii the ungyjarided mon^ents of intoxication, Hengist gave tlve signal agreed on Ta^e your Seaxes. At that instant, every Saxon drew out his knife, and plunged it into the bosom of the person who sat next to him. Above three hundred of the, British nobility, the jpost eminent for. th^ir talents, in the council or in the field, perished in this bloody ca- rousel. *y or tiger n was spared in the general carnage, though detained a prisoner . by Hengist; probably with no other d^sigij,:thaa,as a pover to a subsequent act of ,the Britjj-h prince, which carries with it a strong appearance of base- ness; for in order to obtain his liberty, he made an assign- nxent to the Saxon chief, of the counties of Norfolk and Su^exy.and also ponfiri^icd him in the possession of his for- Dver territories,* ;o f'>:*^.;} t)iii i..; ,;:, ^a -jui To these ^incicIcBfs of the massacfq, many old writers add the exploit ^f Eidml or EiJol, a British p/ince, vyho had the good fortune to escape. His character is recognizedr. by F/ngli^ih ^qtitjuaries, >\ho cfili him Eldol or Edqlfixn^^ iiiy that he ^y^^ jEcr/of Glgt^cester, in the year 461. f r . . jj ._ _ . ; ...\ : .^ '.'] v.. ^ ___. ,/!;.- . ' ..It: ..':>.-., ...Warrington's Hist, of Wales, 1st, Edit. p^ST*. + Spc Dugdale's B'ftronage, p. 1, with his authority ; and Gibson's Cftnidrn, 0(i] say. i-ui"' must be here regarded as a mcie translation vi hjs hi'itiihi title. 301) The Triads speak of this Eidiol's having killed an incre- dible number of the Saxons, on the day of Hengist's plot, with a quick-beam truncheon.* The Welsh chronicles of Tyssilio and Geoffry, which in this aera, may be allowed to blend some true history with their fable, limit the num- ber which he slew, to seventy men. But these annalists, finding that Eidiol was both a temporal prince^ and a bishop, have thought proper to give us two brothers of that name, styling one of them Earl, and the other Bishop of Glou- cester. This must be a mistake. The two characters were united in one person, and I conjecture,* that this person was no other than Emrys, or Ambrosius, who immediately after the massacre, was elevated to the British throne. The very same actions are ascribed to Eidiol and to Emrys, such as burying the British nobles, erecting their monument at Am- bresbury, taking Hengist prisoner at Caer Gynan, or Co- ijisborow, and causing him to be beheaded.-j- If this Eidiol was not Ambrosius, we must consider him as the great agent and counsellor of that prince, to whon^ his actions were consequently ascribed. But to proceed. It were not to be expected, that the circum- stances of this massacre, so memorable in the history of our country, should be passed over in silence by the Bards of the sixth century. Their lamentations upon the woeful subject, are frequent and pathetic. Of these, I shall produce two in- stances, which will fully explain the ligh(, in which our W. Archaiol. V. II. p. 68. + Compare W. Archaiol. V. II. p. ^5, J?56 .271 273, with Gibson'* Caraden, Col. 847, and Warrington's Hist, of Wales, p. 64, and b;s aw^bjo- rjlies. : ' ; $e.9 ^ho the songs of the C'^dodia, in the sequel of tLis seotioa. 510 tcmotc ancestors contemplated the celebrated fabric of Stonehenge. The first of these documents is the Song of Cv H E L Y N .* Greid bleid blyghawd Gretyf detyf durawd Gnawd brawdwriaeth Gwr oet Eiteol Gorwy r'eol Gordethol docth Gwyth vill Dragon Gosparth Brython Gosgyman weith Gnawt tryganet Gnawt kyhidet Gorset metveith Met win kyvran Marchauc midlan Man meidrolaeth. Medrit mur I or Maus pedir pedror Mawk cor kvvoeth. * W. Archaiol. p. 164. In the table of conients, it is ascribed to a Bard of the eigbtb eentuTT ; but in Mr. Owen'i Cam. B'wg. luoie accurately, tu Cu- hclyn tlie son oi Cw, about the middle of iLe mth antwi/. 311 Moes breisc vreyr Moes wirth vehir Mihvr orwyth. Maer claer kywid Mad cathyl kyvid Moidit ieith. Mas cas nognaw Maer antedawg Maredawg doeth. Medel visci Mel vartoni Mynogi gwyth. Myn vinad vron Medw mal ton Mor tros draeth, Mer kerteu kein Myvir coreiii Mirein Anoeth, Menestir Vytud Meuet vedud Molud esmwyth. Music a gan Mal eur orian Man vyhanieth, Gweith reith rysset S12 Gwich ruicli rywet Rinwet Rieen, Rec rysiolav Rec a archav ' ' lA Ruymav Virchen. Rhuthyr uthyr awel Rynaut uvel Ryvel febin. Ruteur dyrlyt Rychlut clotryt Rihit adien Reuvet parawd Rin vyn wascawd Tra gwawd wobrin. Ry hait itawt Rycheidw y nawt Rac kawt gelyn. Rychetwis detyf Rychwynis gretyf Rae lletyf Ogyrven, Rae dac drossot Reghit brid bod Rot Cubelin. Of tbis poem, tbe following is as close a translation, as the concise and obscure language of the Bard will admit. 313 Darkening was the sullen wrath of the wolf,* naturally addicted to the law of steel, his accustomed rule of decisioni At the time when the brave Eidiol was presiding in the circle, a man eminently distinguished for wisdom : Then the chief, having malice in his designs against the T3ritons, made with them a pretended compact. A proclamation was issued, inviting equal numbers to a conference at a banquet of mead. The mead and wine are distributed by the knight of the inclosure, at the appointed spot : And the spot appointed, was in the precinct of I6r; in the fair quadrangular area of the gkeat sanctuary of THE DOMINION, To indulge the brawny chief to indulge him whose vir- tue was the rushing of spears, the warrior, supreme in wrath. The illustrious chief of song raises the munificent strain in the language of panegyric : ||^ But death was the hateful reward of the indwelling chief of song, magnificent and wise. ^ The reaping blade confounded the honied strain of Bar--.;j, dism with the gratification of fury : HengUt, at k is fuHj evident from the itibsequeat pBUges, 314 The breast, intent upon violence, rages like the drunken wave of the sea, tumbling over the strand : It overwhelms the pleasing strains, the study of the circle, the fair circle of Anoeth. . Thus, the minister of Buddud, possessing the talent to rehearse the gentle song of praise, Chaunted his music, like a golden hymn, on the area oi battle : But it was the battle of sudden assault of the dreadful, bursting shriek the mysterious purpose of the chief. Who exclaimed with a curse " I will rush forth" witK to. execration "I will command! I will bind the so vereign : *" I^ike the sudden bursting of a dreadful gale, blow ye " up the conflagration of war against the youthful heroes. " The flaming gold will he merit, who overwhelms the */ renowned J and he shall be defended blameless: ." Here is affluence provided for us : the purpose of my ** mind is a protection from the obloquy of the enterprise !" Pre-eminent was his merit, who strove to protect the sanctuary from the violence of the foe. He did preserve the institute, though nature groaned indignant before the gentle goddess. S15 Instead of a tew slied over him, may hi soul lie gratified with this tribute of Cuhelin ! When the descriptions in this ancient poem are atten- tively compared with the incidents of the massacre perpe- trated by Heiigist, I think no doubt can remain as to the particular event of history to which the Bard refers. Cuhelyn's design is clearly a tribute of respect to the memory of Eidlol, whose history is invariably connecte^l with that of the Saxon chief. He is here described as high priest, or president of the sacred circle, and as knight of the inclosure, who distributed the liquor at the feast, and after- wards preserved the sanctuary. *I shall presently shew, that each of these particulars i?* fully confirmed by the strains of Aneurin ; from which we also learn, that the feast was celebrated, and the horrid deed perpetrated, in a suite of temporary buildings, upon * the Ystre, or Cursus, into which one of the avenues leads from the great temple. " This (Cursus) is half a mile " North from Stonehenge, ten thousand feet, or two miles " long, inclosed by two ditches, three hundred and fifty *' feet asunder." * Here was the precinct of lor, the fair quadrangular area of the great sanctuary of the dominioi^ lor is a name sometimes applied to the Supreme Being, b^|!^> borrowed from British mythology, where it seems to hat meant the sun movins, within his orbit, or circle. . * Ind. Antiq." Vol. VI. p. 128. t w ^ SIC, Both in name and character, this British divinity seems to be closely allied to the Or us of Egypt, ** The supposed " son of Isis, who was an emblem of the ark, that recep- " tacle, which was styled the mother of mankind. He is " represented as undergoing, from the Titans, all that " Osiris suffered from Typhon ; and the history, at the bot- " torn, is the same. Hence it is said of Isis, that she had " the power of making people immortal; and that, when *' she found her son Orus in the midst of the waters, dead " through the malice of the Titans, she not only gave " him a renewal of life, but also conferred upon him im- ^' mortahty."* " Both Orus and Osiris were styled Heliadae, and often "" represented as the sun himself." f. The identity of Ceridwen and Isis, as to general cha- racter, has been already shewn ; and as we find, that the former was present in this circle by the name of Lleddv Ogyrven, the gentle goddess, so lor seems to have been a name of her recovered son, Avagddt. Geoffry of Monmouth's Choir Gaur, or more accurately, Cor Gawr, the great circle, or sanctum-y, has been often quoded by antiquaries, as the British name of this fabric of Stonehenge, In this poem of Cuhelyn, we have nqt only Mawr C6r, which is exactly synonymous with the other, but Mawr C6r Cyvocth, the great circle, or sanctuary of the dominion, implying its prerogative, as the metropo- litan temple of the Britons 5 which fully comes up to the s idea of Dr. Stukeley and Mr. Maurice. ^%~~ ,. ,', Bryani' Analysis, V. II. p. 327, 330. f Ibid. p. 394. 317 That a heathen temple should be deemed to retain such a prerogative in the middle of the fifth century, must be regarded as a singular fact. But the populace of Britaii> had not hitherto been radically converted from their na- tional superstition ; and in this age, pelagianism, which blended much of that superstition with a few shreds of Christianity, was very prevalent amongst them. Aneurin, as well as our present author, speaks of the murder of a Bard, as the first act of open outrage , Qomr mitted at the feast. This victim is here described as zn- dweliingy or resident in the temple. He is styled the illus- trious president of song, and the minister of JBuddud, t|ie ; same, I presume, sls Buddug, the goddess of victor i/. "i Upon the whole, we have, in this little poem, a full ac- knowledgement of the dignity of the venerable pile of | Stonehenge, and a direct testimony of its consecration to several known objects of superstition, amongst the heathen Britons. I X must now hasten to prepare the reader for the otter W British document, which I promised upon the same sub- ject. This is no other than the celebrated Gododin, a work of about nine hundred lines, composed by Aneurin, a Np;- thumbrian Briton. It will be necessary to introduce this work, with some prefatory observations. * 'H ' Mr. Turner, in his P'indication, has fully, ascertained the J| facts, that such a Bard as Aneurin did live between the--^ years 500 and 600, and that the Gododin is his genuine ,. production. The great antiquary, Edward Llwyd, dates thc^* composition, An. 510. m 318 'An historical poem of that age, composed b}' an indivi- dual of a British trihe, which for a thousand years ha '" ceased to exist, may sureh' be deemed in itself a subject of curiosity. This circumstance, together with the high im- portance which the English antiquaries attach to the struc- turie of Stonehenge, will, I trust, apologize for the neces- sary length of the present article. The name of the Gododin is not new to the public. Se- veral translated specimens of it have appeared, and some of these allured the lofty muse of Grey. The work has been pronounced a n'>/>/c heroic poem, and the subject is said to have been a disastrous action, in which the author himself bore a part. But the work has been re/ebrated, more than studied. Not one of its admirers, that I know of, has at- tempted to identify the event, which constitutes its prin- cipal subject; or has even suspected that it alludes to the actions of Hengist, or to the massacre at Stonehenge : so that I must either establish my proposition, that such is the main business of the poem, or else expect some severe chas- tisement from the modern critics of my country. For the imperfection of the view wl)ich has hitherto been taken of this work, I may aci-ount upon many scores. The poem is ancient, and wholly unattended with explanatory notes. The subject has not much local connexion with the affairs of Wales, and consequently has excited but little inquiry amongst tlie natives, the only people who under- *!Bfuud the language of the Bard. 'J'he orthography is obt- i|k>letc; and the author's dialect had some original variation * from that of any Welsh tribe. J'he Bard st-ldom introduces- thc proper names of his heroes ; but, as it is usual in popu- lar songs, and especially politiitd songs, composed in trou- 319 blesome times, generally describes them by characteristici^ epithets, which, however obvious they may have been in the days of the author, are now become much less so by the lapse of ages. All these circumstances conspire to draw a veil of obscurity over a work, which is viewed through the medium of thirteen centuries. And this obscurity is abundantly increased by the bad preservation of the text. Of this, no greater proof need be given, than a mere exhibition of the various readings, which nearly equal the number of lines. These, for the most part, are only orthographical. They seem to have arisen from the misapprehension of the cha- racters, or letters, of some one copy, which was either anti- quated or defaced. But this supposed original of the modern transcribers, was evidently imperfect; for all the known copies agree in exhibiting certain passages in mer^ fragments, without connection of sense or metre. Such are the reasons why the Gododin has not hitherto been translated entire, or even perfectly understood. But where am I to ground my own pretensions, as an interpreter of this difficult work ? I can only say, in answer to this query, that over and above the share which the Ga- dodin has obtained in my general attention' to the Bards, I have had occasion to transcribe the whole three times over; and once very lately, from a good copy on vellum, written apparently about the year 1200, and which was not used by the editors of the Archaiologia. I have also reduced all the author's words into alphabetical order, with a reference to the lines in which they occur. This labour rendered Aneurin's expressions and phrases familiar to me, gave me a facility in comparing part with pari, and suggested a 320 f^ference, whenever I met with a passage in any othcf Bard, which seemed to bear upon the subject of the Go- dodin. And as all the parts of the work are not equally obscure, I now began to understand passages of consider- able length, and to fix some leading marks, as so many clues to the investigation of the general subject. Thus prepared, I went over the wliole Oodbdin, line by line, with Mr. Owen's Dictionary at my elbow, setting down the literal construction, as nearly as it could be ob- tained, however incoherent it might appear. And in re- vising my papers, I plainly perceived, that this work can- not be regarded as a single poem, composed upon any otie determinate plan ; but that, on the contrary, it consists of a series of short detached songs, relating principally to one great subject, which is taken up and dismissed in one of those detached parts, and again resumed in another. This discrimination agrees with the title of the work, in the very ancient copy upon vellum, described by Edward Lhvyd,* where it is called Y Gododynne, in the plural number The Gododins, In the preface to the Incantation of Cynvelyn, and of Maelderw,i- this work is described as a series of Odleu a Chanuau, odes and songs ; and it is intimated, that they originally amounted to tri chanu a thriitgaint a thri- chant, 3Q3 songs. In the old and valuable copy, lately communicated to me by my excellent friend, Mr. Jones, ;J: what now remains of the work is divided into ninety-four parts, ornamented with large initials, in green and red alternately. And the idea of the detached nature of these Arclixol. Britan. p. 262. + W. Archaiol. V. I. p. 61. X .Tb learned author of the H'lttorf f Ereckaocksliire. songs, -is confirmed by the author himself, who tells us, that it was his custom to compose a Cenig, sonnet, or short song of the Gododin, to amuse the nightly horrors of a solitary prison. I also perceived that the great catastrophe, which tlie Bard deplores in most of the remaining songs, was not, as it has been generally represented, the fall of 360 nobles in the field oj battle^ to which they had rushed forth in a state of intoxication, but the massacre of 360 unarmed Bkitish nobles, in time of peace, and at a feast, where they had been arranged promiscuously with armed Saxons. An event of this kind cannot be supposed to have wholly escaped the notice of history : yet it is clear, that neither his- tory nor tradition, whether British or Saxon, has preserved the slightest hint of any such thing having happened in this island in the sixth century, ox in any other period of the British annals, excepting in one instance, namely, the massacre of the Britons at Stonehenge, about the year 472. The memory of this' event is familiar to the historians of both nations ; and we shall find by the sequel, that the Bard confirms most of the incidents which have been re- corded. This is, therefore, the identical catastrophe which Aneurin deplores. But will this decision correspond with the age of Aneurin? The Bard represents himself as having been present at the bloody spectacle ; and Edward Llwyd refers the era of the Gododin to the year 510, and this, probably, upon the authority of the ancient MS. which he quotes in the same passage. , - Y 322 Here is no discordance of dates, which may not be fairly reconciled. There is no improbability in Aneurin's having attended the feast, as a. young Bard, in 472, and his having bewailed the friends of his youth thirty-eight years after- wards, when, as an old, unfortunate warrior, he had fallen into the hands of the foe, and was confined in a dreary dungeon. And indeed, it appears evidently from the face of the work, that the events which the Bard commemorates, had preceded tlie date of the composition by a long interval of years; for he' supports the credit of the circumstances which he details by the relation of a Briton, who had escaped by the particulars which were known to Taliesin by the oral testimony of some old chiefs and by the authority of certain songs, which had been composed upon the occasion. He also touches upon the affairs of those eventful times, which had succeeded the fatal feast. So that, upon the whole, it is clear, that an interval of thirty or forty years must have elapsed between the woful subject of Aneurin's songs, and the date of their composition. When we have made due allowance for this interval, we must necessarily carry back the catastrophe, which the Bard deplores, from the date of the composition in 510, into the age of Hengist, and fix it, with the greatest ap- pearance of accuracy, at the era of the celebrated massacre at Stonehenge. And to the circumstances which history records of this event, the allusions of the Bard so precisely and exclusively apply, that it is impossible to refer them to any other event. This is my decided opinion. I foresee, however, a few objections, which it may be proper to obviate. 323 tt will be asked Why has not the Bard mentioned iJengist, and his British partizans, by name? To this it may be answered, that Aneurin, at the time when he com- posed most of his songs, was a prisoner of war in the hands of the Saxons. The introduction of names might have subjected him to personal danger : he therefore chose the fjsafer way of gratifying his resentment, by giving such bold hints of the affairs, and the individuals to which he alludecf, that they could not be mistaken ; and this method afforded him an opportunity of painting his indignation more for- cibly, by sarcastic epithets, than he could have done it by explicit attacks upon the person of Hengist* Against the locality of Aneurin's subject, as referred to the temple of Stonehenge, it may be objected, that the term Gododin, in NenniuSf implies the region of the Otta^ dini, between the rampart of Antonine, and the wall of Severus : whilst in several passages of this p6em, we find that Gododin means the same as Cattraeth, the place wher^ the nobles assembled at the feast, and where they fell. This is certainly an ambiguity; and it was probably in- tended as such, for the same prudential reason which I have mentioned above. But if we attend to the compositiorij and the actual application of the name, we shall find that it furnished a fair opportunity for a double interpretation. Godo is a partial covering, and Din a fence Or outwork As applied to the region of the Ottadini, it means that dis trict which is partly covered or protected by the Northern rampart; and the word is equally descriptive of the British temples or sanctuaries, which were open at top^ yet pro- tected by a surrounding rampart or bank. * 3 3U And that the name of Godo was actually appropriated to these temples, we have already seen, in treating of the fa- mily of the British Ceres : for Seithin Saidi, Janus or Satui'n, the representative of the patriarch, is styled Por~ thawr Godo, the guardian of the gate of Godo, or the uncO' vered sanctuary. Cattraeth, or, according to the older orthography, Ca- traithy is liable to the same objection, and admits of the same solution. This name has some similarity to Catarick, near Richmond, in Yorkshire, the Cataracton of the an- cients. Yet it is not hence to be suspected, that by Go- dodin and Cattraeth, our author meant to point out an Ottadinian town of that name; for Cataracton was not "within, or very near the borders of the Ottadini ; so that some other meaning must be sought. In the preceding section, to which I have just referred, it is remarked, that the same Seithin Saidi had a son, named Cadeiriaith, the language of the chair or presidenn/ ; and also Cadraith or Catraith, which seems to be only a con- traction of the former. This mythological character cer- tainly represents the laws, &,c. of the Druids, pronounced from the chair of presidency, or Bardic cathedral, hence figuratively applied to the great temple itself. And, from many passii^s of Aneurin's work, it is evident that this is the precise import of his Catraith. Having, as I have already stated, obtahied such a ge- neral view of the nature and subject of the Gododin, as enabled me to estimate the value of most of tiie various readings, I sat dowo patiently to re-translate the whole as closely as possible, without sacrificing perspicuity to the mere idiom of my author, and wkh the most minute atten- 325 tion to Mr. Owen's explanation of obsolete words, even ia those passages which seemed most intelligible. And, I think, I have made out Aneurin's meaning with tolerable clearness, considering the nature of the work, and the state of the copy ; though it may be admitted as probable, that a careful examination of our original historians would re- flect some additional light upon several passages. I Irad some thoughts of adding the British text, as accu- rately as it can be obtained, from a collation of the various copies ; but as it is of considerable length, I have omitted it, in compassion to the English reader. The division of the songs in this work, was the result of my own observation and conjecture ; and therefore, though it be generally confirmed by Mr. Jones's ancient copy, I submit it to the censure of the critical reader, who, by pass- ing over that division, may read the Gododin as one entire poem. y 5^6 THE GODODIN. SONG I. " GBEDTF GWR OED GWAs."* W. Archaiol. p. 1. ^neurim commemorates the young Bard, his Associate, whom Hengist had slain at the Feast. See the Poem of Cuhehjn, in the former Part of the Section, and No. 16 and 25, of the present Series, Manly was the soul of the youth, whose merit I record with sorrow. A swift thick-maned steed was under the thigh of the fair youth. His shield, light and broad, hung upon the slender courser. His blue and unspotted peapon was the assuager of tumult.-f- With me shall remain no hatred towards thee. I will do better for thee in poetry will I praise thee. The floor will be stained with blood, before thou shalt enjoy the genial Gredyf gwr oed gwast Gwrbyt a'm dks. ' + The clean weapon of the Bard, like the Hasta Pura of the Romans, seems to have been an emblem of peace. The Bards were regarded as heralds of ^eacc. See song 25, where this Bard is introduced by the name qf Ovin, For Ethy ttur a Phan, I read f^fhmwr Aphan, 327 feast. The raven shall have his food, before tliou wilt lift the hostile spear, O Owen, my dear companion ! There is sorrow in the plain, where the spn of Marro was slaughtered ! SONG II. " CAEAWC CYNHAIAWC." p. 1. The Bard descants upon the Manners of Hengist, and touches upon some Particulars of the Plot, which he appears to have concerted, in Part, zcitk Vortigern, the British King. Adorned with his wreath,* the chief of the rustics an- nounced, that upon his arrival, unattended by his host, and in the presence of the ikfaW,f he would "give the mead ; but he would strike the front of his shield,^ if he heard the din of war, and to those whom he pursued, he would give no quarter. But against those who would not retreat from battle, till their blood flowed like rivulets against the heroes who * Caeawc, wearing a wreath This was a wreath of amber beads, as appears from the subsequent paragraphs, which also prove that the Bard means Hengist. I recollect uo authority for ascribing wreaths of amber to the native Britons ; but the costume appears upon many of the old Saxon coins, published by Camden. + Bun, the maid, a name of IJywy, the British Proserpine, at whose festivals contention and tumult were deemed sacrilegious. See song 25. } The phrase, Twl tal y rodawc repeatedly occurs. It'has been translated, " the front of whose shield was pierced }" but it evidently implies, making a signal, by striking the shield. 328 would not give way, he cherished a dark resentment. The man of Gododin, upon his return before the tents of Ma- dawc, has reported but one man in a hundred, who escaped from the hand of the water-dweller.* Adorned with his wreath, the chief of the halberds which oppress the natives, like an eagle, rushed into our harbours when invited.-f- His compact J took effect.' His signal^ was duly observed. He had devised a better stratagem. |( Here, his party did not shrink, though they had fled before the army of Gododin.^ The water-dweller boldly invites us to a mixed assembly, v.here neither spear nor shield** was to be admitted " Thus there could be no strife " amongst the jovial company : the heroes would be pre- " served from a sudden stroke." Adorned with a wreath was the leader of the sea-drifted * The Bard describes the Saxons, in this work, bj several termsy which iin- pl^ sea rovers. At law 'r Mordei. t The Saxons were invited, the first time, by Vortigem, and afterwards bj J?oirea. } The compact of a friendly meeting, proposed by Hengist. The signal for a general massacre of the unsuspecting British nobles. D His^^rif stratagem was the marriage of his daughter ; his better stratagem, the massacre. ^ That is, before the forces of Vortimer, a votary of Godo, "the British Ceres. ** The Bard continually reminds us, that the Britons-had neither offensive nor delcnsive arms. In song 27, he mentions the plea of the Saxons, for the exclusioji of shields That there might be a clear space to light thi area. The coni'ltision of this paragraph, contains a suggestion of Hengist, which is well f xplaiucd b^' Mr. Warrington, p. 59. " And in order to banish every idea " of hostile intention, it was artfully suggested by the Saxon, that both par < IJesthould appear witliout tii^ir arm*." 329 . evolves:* and of amber was that wreath which twined about his temples. Precious was the amber which could merit such. a feast. The haughtyf chief excludes men of a humble station, though Gzcyuedd and the North might have come to his share, with the concurrence of the son of partition;}; the prince with the broken shield. The leader, adorned with his wreath, is armed like a hero. The general mark of his vengeance is t\ie man who had been firm in the bloody field ; but the part which he selects for himself, is to give the first thrust to the conduc- tor of the host,|| before whose blades five bands had fallen even of the dreadful men of Deira and Bernicia, twenty "hundred had perished in an hour. And as food for wolves is sooner provided than a nuptial feast ; as ravens may be furnished with prey, before the funeral bier arrive ; so the blood of our hero stains the floor before he lifts the spear : Kaeawc kynliorawc bleid e maran Mr. Jones' MS. " Adorned with bin " wreath was the chief, even the wolf of the holme," i. e. Thanet. + None but men of the most distinguished rank and character were admitted to the fatal banquet. And of those, the heroes who had fought under Vor- timer, were especially selected for destruction, by the united treachery of Vortigern and Hengist. These were the great objects of resentment to both parties. The British King regarded them as the supporters of a rebellious son; and tbey had expetled the Saxon from the Island of Britain. X Vortigern, who had divided his kingdom with Hengist. II Cynod, yw y gwr gwrd eg gwyawr; Cynran, yn racwan racbydiuawr. The Sr ts and Picts united their forces with the Saxons, who were sta- tioned in the North ; and tlieir combined army was beaten by the lieutenanU f Vortimer. Warrington, with his authorities, p. 52, 53. 330 yet the lofty Kyneid * shall be renowned, whilst a single Bard remains. SONG III. " GWYR A AETH ODODlN." p. 2. The Bard deplores the Fate of the Heroes, "who had fallen at the Feast, and touches upon some of the great Actions which they had performed under Vortimer. The heroes went to Gododin cheerful and sprightly, whilst he, the bitter warrior, was disposing his blades f in order. A short season of peace had they enjoyed. :|: The son of Botgat\ gave them flattering language his hand explained the meaning ! They should have gone to churches to do penance the old and the young, the bold and the powerful the inevitable strife of death is piercing them.|| The heroes went to Gododin The insulting chief kindled * The Man of Kent Probably the British Prince whom Vortigern had dispossessed of his doniinious, tu make room for Hcngist. This chief is in- troduced again, under the name of Tudvwlch. + The Seaxes, which Hengist' party privately wore at the feast. ^ From the expulsion of the Saxons by Vortimer, to the period of Hengisl's return about two years and a half. Botgat or Valgus Hengist's father, whom the SaxoQs call Wetgisse. II Death was inemlaUe, because the unarmed Britons were ranted aJtcrnalelj with armed Saxons The next paragraph describes not a buttle, but a sudden massacre. 331 in the assembly, an irresistible conflict. They were slain with blades, and without din, whilst the princely supporter of the living law was making an atonement.* The heroes went to Cattraeth loquacious was their as- semblage. Pale mead was their liquor, and it became their poison. Three hundred with effective weapons, were set in array :f and after their noisy mirth what a silence en- sued ! They should have gone to churches to do penance : the inevitable strife of death is piercing them. The heroes went to Cattraeth ^They drank the intoxicat- ing mead. Brave and prosperous had they been. I should wrong them, were I to neglect their fame ! Amidst blades, red, tremendous, and murky; incessantly, and obstinately, would the dogs of battle fight. :|: " (O Saxons) had I *' judged you to be favourers of the Bemician clan, like " a deluge, I would not have left a man of you alive!" My companion I lost, when I was secure. Successfully had he withstood the terror of the usurper : the magnanimous * It appears from the subsequent parts of the Gododin, that tlijs interposfr was the celebrated Eidiol, a distinguished prince, and president of the Bardif community ; or, as he was styled in that wretched age of the British church, Bkhop ^of the Britons. Upon this wofu' occasion, he acted as Seneschal, or Governor of the feast. He is to be regarded as Aneurin's hero; and from the particulars recorded of him, I conclude he is the same prince who is called Aurelius Ambrosius, Gwrgwl Emi-ys, or hero of the ambrosial stones. + That is, the retinue of Hengist, who privately wore their SeaJtei mr daggers. } They had fought thus, in the wars of Vortimer. $ Whether this apostrophe is to be understood, as cbming from the Bard bitaself, or from some more warlike chief; its object is to reproach th Saxons jT^r tb)eir treacherous combination with the Picu. 332 heio^iad disallowed the endowment of \he father-in-law* Sucli was the son of Cian, from the stone of Gwyngwn. The heroes went to Cattraeth with the dawn. They were afflicted in time of peace, by those who had dreaded them.f A hundred thousand + were the adversaries of three hun- dred, who uttered the groan of woe, stained with their own blood, when he, the most terrible, manfully stood up, be- fore the retinue of the most courteous mountain chief. || The heroes went to Cattraeth with the dawn. Re- spected is their memory amongst their connexions. They drank thfe yellow, delicious, and potent mead, in that year, when many a Bard fell to the ground.^ Redder than purple were the blades of the foe; their white-sheathed piercers, and their four-pointed helmets, before the retinue of the most courteous mountain chief. The heroes went to Cattraeth with tlie day. (Was there not a disparagement of battles!) jllipy had made, inxleed. This endowment was the kingdom of Kent, which Vortigcrn formally be- stowed upon Hengist, \i\s fathtr-in-luw, when he married Rowena, + They were massacred at an ostensively peaceful meeting, by the united plot of Hengist and Vortigern, to whom they bad been equally formidable. J. X An exaggerated number, implying the whole combined party of Vortigern and Hengist. ,5_ . ^ Hengist, who arose to give the signal of death. II The retinue of Vortigern, who was Lord of North Wales, a mountainous region his great courtesy for the Saxons was a subject of indignation to the Britons. ^ After the execution of Hengist's plot, the Bards defended the temple against the Saxotts, where many of them must have fallen. 333 a mighty carnage.* Effectually had the gem of Christi- anity wielded his protecting blade. Tliis is, most meet, before men have engaged in friendly compact. However great the bloody destruction which they had occasioned, when the day was decided before the army of Gododin, was it not done under the conduct of the magnanimous leader ! To the hero who went to Cattraeth with the day, or drank the white mead, in the celebration of Mai^ eve^f dis- mal was the preconcerted signal of the associated chief, which he had given in secret charge, through the excess of soaring ambition. SONG IV. " NI CHRYSIUS GATTRAETH." p. 2. Tn this Sotig, and the next following, the Bard still dwelling upoji the Subject of the calarhitous Feast, intermixes some Particulars of the Bravery and Fate of a Chief zchom he calls Tudvwlch, which implies a Breach in the Land. By this singular Epithet, he seems to describe the Prince, whose Territories Vortigern had seized, and bestozved npon Tlemrist. To Cattraeth, there hastened not a hero, whose standard That is, in the wars of Vortiiner, to which the Bard alludes, in the con elusion of the paragraph. + Meinoeihydd This was the anniversary of "the great mysteries of the Britons, as we have already seen in Hunes Taliesin. And it w;is the season appointed by Vortigern and Ilengist for the solemn meeting. Warrington, p. 67. 334 had displayed such magnificence of enterprize ; tior has the circle of Eidin (the living one) produced a scatterer of the ravagers, equally great with the lofty Tudvwlch, who being deprived of his lands and towns, had slaughtered the Saxons for seven days. His valour ought to have protected him in freedom. Dear is his memory amongst his illustrious associates. When Tudvwlch, the supporter of the land, came to the feast, the area of the son of harmony* was made a plain of blood. The heroes went to Cattraetli with the dawn. Ah ! none of them had the protection of shields -j ^When th6y had hastened to the Crai, J assembled in gleaming arms, loud as the tumult of thunder, was the din of their shields. The ambitious man, the fickle man, and the base man he would tear them with his pikes and halberds. Standing upon higher ground, he would gash them with his blades but to the grief of the steel-clad commander, the water- dwellers were subdued by the proprietor of the land. Before Erthai, the warrior groaned. Mab Eilydd This was the area of tlie Bards, or the Carsut, in front of tlieir great temple, which was the scene of the massacre. + Of these they were disarmed by the stratagem of Hengist. % This probably means the blood y battle of Cray-ford, in which those heroes, under the conduct of Vortimer, had fought with Hengist, four or five years J)cfore the massacre. In that engagement, both parties seem to have claimed the victory. See Gibson's Camden, Col. 224. Sammet, p. 390. 335 SONG V. " O VREITHELL GATTRAETH." p. 3. Vortigtrn is here implicated in the Guilt and Disgrace of the Massacre. Of the mixed assembly of Cattraeth, when the tale is told, the natives are afflicted. Long has their sorrow con- tinued ! There was a dominion without a sovereign, and a smoaking land.* Yet the sons of Godebawg, "f an iniqui- tous tribe, would obstinately support the secret inviter of the great slaughterer. Dismal was the fate of dire necessity, which was decreed for Tudvwlch, and the lofty Cy vvvlch. Together they drank the transparent mead, by the light of torches : though it was pleasant to the taste, it pro- duced a lasting abhorrence. He+ had previously stationed above Caer Echinig, This alludes to the dreadful ravages committed by Hengist, after the niasiacre. bee Warrington, p. 60. + The princely descendants of Coel Godebawg iuppoited the cause of Vortigeni, who had iiivited Hengist into Britain. J That is Vortigern, " the Inviter of the great slaughterer." It app'ears from this, and other passages, that Vortigern was privy to the design of massacre, wliich he had encouraged, in order to get rid of those counsellors and heroes who had supported the cause of his son Vortimer, and might still be suspected of an intention to elect another sovereign. It is probable, however, that the Brilicih King was not aware of Hengist's design to seize his person, and ex-* turt from him a large portion of hiit domini'.as, as t^ie price of liberty. 336 the j-outiiful heroes of a chief, who was ifi his retinue. M had previously ordered a horn to be filled on the Bludzce, that he might pledge the water-dweller. He had directed that the bevera2re should consist of mead and beer (Bragawd). He had previously ordered the display of gold and rich purple. He had given orders for pampered steeds, which might carry him safe away, whilst Gtcarthlev and JEnovryd were pouring forth the liq^uor. Previous to this, the benefactor whom the ebbing tide had left us,* gave out his private signal a command which concerned, those, who had been loath to retreat. - SONG VI. *' ANAWR GYNHORUAN." p. S. This little Songy which seetns to zcant the Conclusion, is un^ connected with the preceding Subject. It appears evidently, to he an Elegy upon the Death of the victorious Vortimer, zvho had driven the Saxons out of the Country, and was afterwards poisoned in the Court of Vortigern, by the Contrivance of Rozvena, the Daughter df Ilengist. And now the lofty leader, the sun, is about to ascend :f the sovereign most glorious, the Lord of the British Isle. That is Hengist, who, by hastening the execution of his plot, prevented the meditated retreat of Vortigern. + Tliis, I conceive, is not to be understood literally, as a hymn to the sun the Bard is only comparing Vonimer to llie sun, whom the mystical Bards acknowledged as a divinity. Fur Kiv, lieaven, I read K&v, a Lord. 337 Direful was the Jiight, before the shaking of his shield, hastening to victory. But there was an unkind cup in the court of Eiddin : with ostentatious courtesy, the hero was invited to taste the generous liquor. The beverage' of wine he drank in the festival of the reaping. Though the wine which he quaffed was transparent, it had assumed the form of deadly poison. We have a slaughtering harvest the slaughter of the illustrious chief. We raised the song of death the death of the armed hero the death of the winged one, whose Shield had not been withheld from the speajs of battle.f The pre-occupiers fell in the dreadful conflict. Determined was his signal of attack, and decisive the orders which he issued. Without disparagement, he retaliated upon the foe, before the green sod covered the grave of the great and blessed hero. t * Eiddin, he who extorts property or possession an epithet applied to the uturper Vortigern, in whose court Vortimer received a poisoned cup, by the conirivance of Rowena. f Tha Bard alludes to the actioBs of Vortimert previous to hit falL 338 SONG VII. " TEITHI AMGANT." p. 4. In this Place, there is a Chasm in the Original, Its Extent is not known. The following Enumeration must be referred to the Middle of the fifth Century, wJten the Saxons served as mercenary Troops under Fortigem. The complement of the borders were three moving bands five battoUons of five hundred men each three levies of three hundred each three hundred warlike knights of Eiddyn,* arrayed in gilded armour three loricated bauds^ with three commanders, wearing gold chains three adventurous knights, with three hundred of equal quality. These three bands, of the same order, were mutually jea- lous in their bitter and impetuous assaults on the foe they were equally dreadful in the conflict: they would strike a lion flat as lead. Gold had collected all these for warfare.f There came also three princes of the land, who were na- tive Britons Cinric and Cenon, of the stock of Aeron,;{: to oppose the ashen spears of the men who dropped into * Vortigern, as above. It appears that this bloody usurper, who owed his de vat ion to the murder of his lawful sovereign, aud the violence of a party, was-difSdent of the uativc Britons, and kept a body-guard o thite hundred Saxon horse. t It seems by this paragraph, that the Saxoa mercenaries of Vortigera amounted to about 3000. I Acron, the SpleitJid one, or the Queen of Brightness ; a name of one of Iht gieut luraiuancs venei-jred by tht sapcrstitious Biitons. I 339 Deira.* And there came from amongst the Britons, a man who was better than Cenon even he who proved a serpent to the sullen foes, f ^, SONG VIII. " YVEIS Y wIn a MED. p. 4. The Bard resumes the Subject of the disastrous Feast, I DRANK of the wine and the mead of the water-dweller, with the huge amber beads. J In the assembly of social men, it was his glory to make food for eagles. When he hastened to rouse at once his fell associates before he gave the signal at the early dawn, he left the shields [| of split wood at a distance short-tearing weapons^ (he knew) would cut their way. Before the assault, the points of sprigs had been broken ** z 2 That is, the Picts. + The third and principal hero, who is described, and uot named, was pro- bably Eidiol, the Hard's peculiar favourite. t Hengist, with his wreath of amber round his temples. See song 2. " Now, with your seaxes!" ^I'he signal which Hengist had previously agreed upon with his assassins. II This particular of the plot has been already noticed. f The seax had a sharp edge on one side; but the other side was frequently cut into teeth, like a saw. Sammes, p. 413. ** The breaking of sprigs, so frequently mentioned by the Bards, describes the practice of sortilege. It seems, from tliis passage, that the diviner, either from his lots, or private conjecture, had conceived some presentiment of the event, . 340 by the son of Scinno, the Diviner, who knew, that he wh iiad sold his life would cut with sharp blades. He should have declared this openly, then he would have been slain with pointed weapons. Notvyithstanding his friendly covenant,* he was medi- tating a convenient attack. He had boasted of the carcasses of brave and powerful men, whom he would pierce in thft presence of Gwynedd.-\ " I drank of the wine and the mead of the water-dweller, " and because I had drunk, I made a stroke with a small " piercing blade." J " It was not thy excess of drinking " which emboldened the fell chief : when every one made a *' stroke, thou didst the same. But when the issue comes, " it would hf^ve been well for thee not to have offended : the '* present rewarder of your deed has displayed a mighty " and dreadful arm.**' ^* Hengisf s proposal of a friendly meetingt for the ostensible purpose of set- tling all disputes. . , + That is, Vorligeni, Lord of Gicynedd, or North Wales. Golyddan, a Bard of the seventh century, emphatically styles him Gwrtheyrn Gwynedd.- "VV. Archaiol, p. 156. { This is the apology of a Saxon individual, for his atrocious conduct at the feast : to which the indignant Briton replies " It was not thy excess," &c. $ Eidiol, or Ambrosiut, who retaliated upon the Saxons by the death of Hengist. 341 SONG IX. " GWYR A AETH GATTEAETII." p. 4. The Bard, pursuing his Subject, openly charges Vortigern as an Accomplice in Hengisfs Plot. The heroes who went to Cattraeth were renowned. Wine and mead, from golden cups, was their liquor in the year when we accepted of the dignified man who had heen set aside.* Three, and three score, and three hundred wene they, wearing gold chains.-j- Of those who hastened to the excess of liquor, three only escaped from the confident stabbing ; namely, the two war dogs of Aeron, and our destined governor, + and myself, through my streams of blood the reward of my candid song. O my friend ! O thou who truly condolest with me I We should not have been beaten, but for the instigation of the sovereign, who was twice elevated. We should not have been singled out in the court of the mead feast. It was he * Blwyddyn yu erbyn urddyn diiawd The year when Vortigern, who had been deposed for his attachment to the Saxons, was re-elected to the sovereignty, after the death of Vortimer. + '* Above three hundred of the British nobility, tlie most eminent for their " talents in the council, or in the field, perished in this bloody carousal." Warrington, p. 59, with his numerous authorities, t Eidiol, or Ambrosius. It is clear to roe, that under these two names, we are to contemplate but one historical character. Arabrosius had, therefore* already returned from Armorica, either during the reign of Vortimer, or upon the faith of this friendly meeting. As this prince was a peculiar obj,ect of Vor- tigern's jealousy, his Mattering appointment, as governor of the feast, may have been made for the purpose of securing bis attendance amongst the des- tined victims. Vortigern, who had been deposed, and re-elected by his faction. Thft Bard openly charges this infiatuated prince with the odium of the massacre. 342 who made the proscription, in behalf of his convenient friend. Base is he in the field, who is base to his own rela- tives.* The man of Gododin reports, that after the gash-r ing assault, there was none found more ardent than Llywy.t SONG X, *' ARF AGCYNNTJLt." p, 4, 2'his little Dirge mai^ be supposed to have been chaunted over the obtruncated Body of Hengist, when he was taken at the Battle of Caejl Conan,% and beheaded by the Conin mand of Eidiol, or jirnbrosius, the Prince who succeeded Vortigern as King of the Britons. He who now supports no arm, who presents a lacerated form, deprived of motion, has with energy pervaded the land, through the great multitude of the Lciegrian tribes. His shields were extended on the sea coast- his shields, in the battle of pikes. He caused a destruction of men, jtnd multiplied widowed matrons before his death. O vehe- ment son of Hoewgi,| with thy spears didst thou m^ke an effusion of bjood ! * Vortigern had made his way to the throne by tlie base murder of his cousin Constans. Warrington, p. 39. This paragraph records a more shocking instance of his baseness. j" The British Proserpine here she represents tb,e wbp]<3 cpmiaui)ity . of , Bards her votaries. See song 25. , y^j, ,.j^ .. . (.. i Sec Gibson's Camden Col. 817. Warrington and his aoUxMrltles, p. ^ $ ^epgjst's father, ))y the Sa:fons c^ljec) Wetgisse. 343 SONG XL " ARWR Y DWY YSGWYD." p. 5. This Song refers to the Actions of Eidiol^* or AmhrosiuSt subsequent to the Massacre of the British Nobles. The hero of the two shields winged is his variegated van. It is like the velocity of warlike steeds. In Aervre (the mount of slaughter) there was a din there was fire ! Impetuous were his spears, as the rays of the hlazing sun. There was food for ravens there did the raven triumph ! And before the foe was left at large by the eagle's allurer, who delighted in the course, there was scattering on his flanks, and in his front the overwhelming billow ! The Bards of the land will judge respecting men of valour. His counsels were not divulged to slaves. The English historians, the Triads, and the chronicles of Tysilio and Geof- fry of Monmouth, represent this prince as having singly attacked the Saxons, and slain an incredible number of them with a pole. The poems of Aneurin and Cuheljn reconcile the report of bis actions with probability. Having some suspicion of treachery, he takes his station as governor of the feast, and consequently is not involved in the ranks. Upon the first assault, he extends his shaft between the adverse parties, and gives the alarm to the numerous disciples of the Bards, who were celebrating the festivity of May-day, and to tlie populace, whom the solemnity had convened. Some of this multitude parry off the Saxons with the long poles which were used in the procession, whilst others set fire to the temporary buildings about the Cursus, and seize the arms wliich bad been there deposited. It was Hengist's plan, immediately after the massacre, to buirst into the tem- ple, and plunder its treasures : but his Saxons, being half intoxicated, and only armed with their corjslets and short daggers, were thrown into confusion by this subitaneous host of Brilons, and by the surrounding flames ; so that after fome loss, they were compelled to retreat, and, for the present, to postpone the j completion of their design. " ~ 344 Devourers were his spears in the hands of heroes. And, before the deed of the lurkers'covered him in the grave,* he was a man who had energy in his commands. Buddvan (the horn of victory), the son of the bold Bleiddvan (lofty wolf), washed his armour with gore. Injurious, most injurious would it be, 'to neglect th*e me- morial of him, who left not an open gap for cowardice: whose court was not deserted by the beneficent Bards of Britain, upon the calerids of January. It was his resolu- tion, that strangers should not plow his land, though it lay Waste. Indignantly did he resent the stratagem of the great Dragon,-|- who was a leader in the fiekl of blooil, after the fatal wine had been quaffed by Gwenabwy J (the fair corpse), the son of the Lady the warrior of Galltraeth,\ * Or, before he was buried, after those who laid a plot for his life, had accomplished their design. This obscure sentence alludes to the manner of Ambrosius' death. Eppa, a Saxon physician, treacherously poisoned him, by the instigation of Pasctns, the son of Vortigern. See Warrington, and his authorities, p. 65, 66. + Ilengist, who slaughtered tlie British nobles, and wasted the country, after the death of Vortimer, who had fought at Gulltraetk. X Vortimer, who -was made a corpse, or poisoned, by the contrivance of his step-mother, Rowena. Galllraeth, the Gallic strand, or shore of the Gallic sea. The Bard de- scribes the batlle of Galltraeth, song 14, and ascribes the massacre to the resentment of the Saxons, for the victory which the Britons had obtained in that engagement. Hence it appears, that this was Vortimer's victory, recorded by Nennius, Ad Lapidem Tituli, supra ripam GaUici maris, where the Saxoni were entirely beaten off British ground, and compelled to fly to their ships. Gibson'.s Camden Col. 243. Llech Titleu, or Lapii Tituli, is substitnted for Galltraeth in another passage ^f the Gododin. 345 SONG xir. *' BU GWIR MAL Y MEAD Y GATHLEU." p. 5. This Song describes the Conduct of Eidiol at the Instant of the Massacre, and furnishes some Hints of his subsequent Actions. True it was, as the songs* report. No steeds overtook Marchleu-f- (the splendid knight). The governor extended his spear, before the swordsman, J in his thick strewed path. Being educated amongst the sacred mounts, he sup- ported his m3'stic mother : and severe was the stroke of his protecting blade. A spear, of quartered ash, did he ex- tend from his hand, over the stone cei.l of the sa- cred FiRE, whilst the corn-stacks were made to puff out with smoke, by those who had cut with the blade armful* of furze. II Then, as when a reaping comes in doubtful weatjier, did the splendid knight cause the blood to flow. From jthe Southern regions did he send Issac,^ whose * The Bard quotes the authority of songs which had been composed upon the occasion. I + Marchleu and the gevemor, refer to Eidiol : for the action described, is that which is expressly and exclusively ascribed to that hero. I The Saxon. ^ These are important hints upon the subject of the Bardic temple. II In subsequent passages, the Bard expressly describes Eidiol as involving' the Saxons in flames. H A corrupt orthography for Esea " The British prince (Ambrosius) then " laid siege to the city of York, in which place Octa the son of Hengist, and " Esca, his brother, had taken refuge ; but these chiefs were soon obliged to *' surrender, upon condition that they and the Saxon soldiers should retire '' into the country, near Scotland.""-Warringtoni p. 64. v 346 conduct had been like the inconstant sea : he was full of modesty and gentleness, whilst he regaled himself with mead ; but he would possess a territory, from the rampart of Ofer, to the point of Maddeu then the savage was glutted with carnage, file scatterer with desolation. On the heads of mothers did his sword resound ! Our hero was a Murgreid (mighty spirit) praise be to him, the son of Gwyddneu ! * SONG XIII. " CAREDIG CARADWY E GlOD. J). 5. We are here presented with a striking Contrast, in the Cha^ racters of two Heroes^ who fell at the fatal Feast. The former was, probably, Caredig, the Son of Cunedda, who possessed a District in Cardiganshire, which, from him, was called Caredigiawn, whence the English name of the County. The second seems to have been Caradog with the brawny Arm, a celebrated Cornish Piince of the fifth Century. Caeedig lovely is his fame! He protects and guards his appointed spot. Calm is he, and gentle, before he comes into the field. Does he give battle! He is brave with discretion. The friend of harmonious song may he arrive in the celestial region, and recognise bis home ! The Hydrams of the Britisli mysteries. See the third section of this Essay. Eidiol, or Arabrosius, was his mystical son, or an adeyt ia the Bardic ^lysteries. , 347 Caredig, the amiable chief, leading in the tumuItuouB battle, with his golden shield, he marshalled his camp. Lances are darted and shivered into splinters, and pene* trating is the stroke of the unrelenting sword. Like a hero, he still maintains his post. Before he was laid on the earth before the afflictive shock, he had fulfilled his duty jn guarding his station. May he find a complete reception with the Trinity, in perfect unity ! * When Caradoc rushed into battle, like a wild boar, he cut his way, and burst forward. In the mangling fight, be was the bull of the host. Tlie wild dogs were allured by the motion of his hand. For this, I have the testimony of Ewein, the son of Eulat, and Gurien, and Gwyn, and Guriat. But though, from Galltraeth, from the mangling fight, and from Bryn Hydwn, he returned safe,f yet after Ithe clear mead was put into his hand, the hero saw his father nQ wore. SONG XIV. " OWYR A GRYSSIASANT." p, 6. The Bard commemorates several of the Nobles tvho had been slain at the Feast, and celebrates the Heroism which they had displayed in tlfe Battle of Galltraeth, The heroes who hastened to the feast, had moved forth * From this single passage, it appears tbat, amongst alMiis heathenish my-? thology, the Bard acknowledge^ some genuine tenets of Christianity. + He had returned in safety fra the wars ^ Vcrtimer; bwt he did not f scape froim the ftal l^aoqucf. 348 unanimously, even the short-lived heroes who were intoxi- cated over the clarified mead, the retinue of the mountain chief men who had been illustrious in the hour of trial. As the price of their mead in the banquet, their lives were paid by Caradoc and Madoc, Pyll and leuan, Peredur with steel arms, Gwawrddur and Aeddan, who had escaped from the tumultuous fight with a broken shield. Though they had slain the foe, they also were slain : none of them returned to their peaceful home. The heroes who hastened to the feast, were entertained together on that year,* over the mead of the great de- signers.-f- Those deplorable wretches ! how doleful their com- memoration ! the bane of the land to which they had returned ! j By mothers they were not nursed ! How lasting the itesentment and the grief they occasioned ! After men had acted bravely at the moment when they were regaling wdth mead, the dank floor of Gododin receives our vigo- rous heroes. This was occasioned by the choice liquor of the mountain chief, and the resentment of the victory which they had purchased at Galltraeth.j| These men had gone to Galltraeth to battle, as heroes. The year of Vortigern's re-elevation to the sovereignty. See before. + Vortigern and the Saxons'.'*'* ^ -is *- . $ The Saxons had been utterly expelled by Vortimer; and again, they re- turned to Britain upon the restoration of Vortigern. Here Gododin is evTdently a name of the great sanctuary, wberfe the mas-- sacre was perpetrated. ; .,, .^4, ,,^j^ ,i . ,.^,^ II Vortimer's last victory, supra ripam Gallici marii, was the great occasion of Hengist's resentmeut. TJhc Hard now proceeds to desctibe the bravery which his lieroes had displayed in that decisive aclionv ^^^^ ^^. .^ , . ^ 349 with Ae force of warlike steeds, and red armour and shieldi, and uplifted spears, and sharp lances, and glittering mail, and swords, rXhey had excelled they had penetrated through the hofi^ before, their hlades five battalions had fallen. The lofty Rhuvawn* had given gold to the altar; and to the Bard, munificent, honorary rewards. SONG XVi - : OrJw ^.7*'i N*y WNAETHPWYD NEUAD." p. 6. ' "' ^ The Bard speaki 'of the great Temple, in the Precincts of ' which the fatal Banqjiet was celebrated. He recites the heroic Acts of Eidiol, or Amhrosius, zoho is described by Variety of Epithets ; and touches upon some Particulars . of the Retaliation of the Britons, at the Battle of Maes ". Beli. X'-A''h!t; -I ;.;;,' _ , A sTRUCTUEEf was not fonried so eminently perfect, 90 great, so magnificent, far. the conflict of swords. In the place where Morien merited the sacred fire, it cannot be denied that corpses were seen, by the wearer of scaly mail,;}: who was harnessed, and armed with a * KhuvawDi the same as Elphin, the Solar Divinity, or his priut, + The account of the great temple, in this song, deserves the attention of the antiquary. In the passage before us, we are told that it was not made for ttrife being the sanctuary of the pacific Bards and , Druids. Here, tdo, >ya 4 the cell of the sacred fire, mentioned in a preceding paragraph. i t Heagist, who began bii outrage, by killing tho Bwi. '- 350 ]f)iercing weapon, but covered with the skin of a beast. His sword resounded upon the head^ of the chief singer of NoE and Eseye,* at the great stone fence of their com- mon sawc^Ma^. Never inore did the child of Teithan anove. -'^-^ '*f-^;-. ^ This hall would not have been made so impregnable, had not Morien-f- been equal to Caradoc. He did not retreat with sorrow towards Mynawc.;]: Enraged is he, and fiercer than the son of Bedrawc. Fell is the hand of the kntght : in flames he involves the retreating foe. Terrible is the shout of the city,|l to the timid train, who were scattered before the army of Gododin. From the in- closure of fire, precipitately they fled. In the day of their wrath, they becAWfi, nimble* They shrunk from their pur- Mr. Brjant has demonstrated, thiit Saturn and Rhea, 0rJs^ and Isis, &c. implied the patriarch Noah, and the Genius of the Ark : with these, I have identified the Dtvyvmn and Dwyvach ; Hu and Kid ; Tegid and Ceridwen, &c. of the Britons. Klie is here introduced by his proper nanvp ; but I do not infer from hence, that this name had been preserved by the Pagan Britons. The sacred writings w ere knovrn in the days of Aneuriu : and that Bard, or some one before him, had sufficient discernment to perceive, that his Hu, Tegid, or Dwyvan, was origin- ally tlie same person as the Noe of Scripture history. Kseye was certainly the same character as his: and Teithan must be iden- tified with the Greek Titan, or the Sun, who is called Titin, in the Hiberao- Celtic. The Bard, as usual, connects his Arkite superstition with Sabian idolatry. f A name of the same deified person, but transferred to his priest idioI as it is evident from the actio.a ascribed to bim. X The sovereign Forti^em, who is elsewhere styled Mynauc ^I'don, so- vereign of the natives. Bedwyr, the son of Bedrawc, a fabulous hero. II The community of Bards, who probably resided in booths, within the puiward Valium ol the temple. M 351 pose*. Did they merit their horas of mead the slaves of tiie mountain chief !-|- No hall was made so immoveable as this. As for CynonJ of the gentle breast, the governor of the feast, he sat not inactive upon his throne. Tiiose whom he pierced were not |)ierced again. Keen was the point of his lance. Through the painted corslet did the warrior penetrate. Before his resentment, fleet were the hostile steeds. In the day of wrath, the indignant stroke was returned by the blade of Cynon, when he rushed forth with the early dawn. Heavy was the stroke which had fallen in the first as- sault ; but he |j who administered the liquor, put an end to their outrage. Effectual was his valour, in behalf of Elphin.^ His spear pushes the chiefs, who had made war in their merriment. ^The pinnacle of renown is the radiant bull of battle!** ' Heavy was the stroke which had fallen in the first as- sault, as a reward for the mead and wine, which were given That is, their design of plundering the temple, wluch appears* upon this ccasion, to have been richly furnished and decorated. + The Saxons, who had been the mercenaries and the body guard of Vorti' gem, lord of the mountainous Venedntia. Golyddan calls them Cychwya Gwrtheyrn Gwynedd, the boatmen of Vortigern of Gwynedd. X " The Prince" his office and his action prove, that the title must here be referred to Eidiol. $ The sadden attack of Hengist's assassins. II Eidiol, the governor of the feast 1f[ The mystical son of Gwyddnaw the Solar Divinity. See Section 3; * Throughout the Gododin, this singular titli^ implies Eidiol, or Ambrosius, as the priest and representative of Hu, N'oe, or Beli, of whom the bull was the favourite ^vmbol. 352 in the court; but boldly did his weapon interpose between the two ranks. The pinnacle of renown is the radiant bull of battle. Those who made the heavy stroke for the fair treasures, had their host turned aside with trailing shields those shields, which were shivered before the herds of the roaring Bell* From the bloody field, the monster hastens within the fence.f To us, a grey-headed man arrives his chief counsellor with the picture of the prancing steed, bearing a sacred message from the chief with the golden chain the boar, who had made a compact in the front of the course the great plotter. How just was the shout of refusal, which burst forth! This paragraph alludes to the battle of Maes Beli, near Caer Conan, ia Yorkshire, where Aiubrosius (Eidiol) routed Hengist and his Saxons, in the year 481, and put them to a disorderly flight. See Gibson's Camden, Col. 847 Warrington, p. 63. , As the Bard denominates the leader a bull of battle, so his forces were the herds of the roarhig Beli. This last name, though conferred upon several princes, was properly a title of the Solar Divinity, whose sanctuary the Saxons had profuned. . From this victory obtained by his votaries, the field of battle may have acquired the name of Macs Beli, tht field of Beli. + That is, within the fortress of Caer Conan, which the Bard describes in a subsequent passage, as situated upon the high lands of the Done. " The Done runs within view of Connisborow, an old castle, called in British, " Caer Conan, and situated upon a rock ; whither (at the battle of Maishtlly, " when Aurelius Ambrosias routed the Saxons, and put them to a disorderly "flight) Hengist, their general, retired, to secure himself; and a few days " after, took the field against the Britons, who pursued him, and with whom he " engaged a second time, which proved fatal, both to himself and his army. " For the Britons cut off many of them, and taking him prisoner, beheaded " him." Camden. Ibid. It appears by this paragraph of Aneurin, that previous to the last dasperate engagement, Hengist had sent to the British commander a flag of truce, bear- rtig bis own arras ; which consisted of a white prancing hars, tijyoR a red field. Verstegan, p. ISI.. 353 Again, we are conjured by heaven, that he might be re- ceived into protection. " Let him enjoy the kindness which he displayed in his " stabbing assault ! The warriors, since the time of his fa- " mous plot, have fought with one design that his host " might press the ground \" SONG XVI. " AM DRYNNI DRYLAW DRYLEN." p. 7. The Death of the Bard at the Feast the Resentment and Revenge of Eidiol and the Britons. For the piercing of the skilful and most learned man ; for the fair corpse which fell upon the sod ; fo^ the cutting of his hair from his head ; round the aethere^l (temple)* of the eagle of Gwydien,f GwyddhwchJ turned his protect- ing spear the image of the master whom he adored. A A Awyr, the $hj, in this passage, and Wyhr, which has the same import, in the works of Tahesin, seems to imply a building, which, like Stonehenge, and other British temples, is open t the sky. Thus Taliesin " A holy sanctuary ' there is on the wide lake, a city not protected with walls, the sea surrounds " it. Deraandest tliou, O Britain, to what this can be meetly applied ! Before * the lake of the son of Erbin, let thy ox be stationed there, where there ha " been a retinue, and in the second place, a procession, and an eagle aloft in " the sky, and the path of Granwyn" (Apollo). Append. No. 2. So again; he mentions the Druid: of Wybr Geirwnydd, the > h^ their attributes. f Rowcoa, who poisoned Yortimer^ her tep-soa tlicace called, the fair corpse, the son of tite lady. Eidiol, who, though he seems to ha%'e been a much better Druid thaiii Christian, held the rank of bishop, in ihc apostate chuitU of the Brituiu. 355 SONG XVII. " EUR AR VUR CAER." p. 7. This Part of the Gododin is badly preserved. The various Readings exceed the Number of Lines ; yet they are insuf- fcient to make out the Measure or the Construction. The Passage seems, however, to record a Taunt upon the Con- duct of our Bard, in an Affair where he was vested with the Command. The following is the best Sense which I can pick out of the Heap of Fragments. The gold, without the city walls, was dissipated. The ar- dent warrior was calling " Towards the city !" But there, a meek man was stationed, with his shouts, to keep aloof the wandering birds. Syll of Vireun reports, in addition, that from the circum- stance of the Llwy (river?) the army was led round the flood, so that, at the hour of dawn, the officers did not act in concert. When thou, O toiler of panegyric, wast protecting the ear of corn on the height, (if ravagers may be deemed wor- thy of credit) there was free access to Din Drei : there was wealth for him who had courage to fetch it : there was a city for the army that should have resolution to enter. The Bard replies-" Felicity is not claimed where success has been wanting. A A 2 356 Though there be a hundred men in one house I know the cares in which I am involved the chief of the men must defray the charge. SONG XVIII. " NYT WYF VYNAWC BLlN." p. ? The Bard, who is Or-Prisoner of Wary alludes to the preced" ing Sarcasm, and declares the Circumstances under which his Songs were composed. I AM not violent nor querimonious ; I will not avenge my- self on the petulant; nor will I laugh in derision. This particle* shall drop under foot, where my limbs are in- flamed, in the subterraneous house, by the iron chain, which passes over my two knees. Yet, of the mead, and of the horn, and of the assembly of Cattraeth, I, Aueurin, \vill sing, what is known to Taliesin, who imparts to me his thoughts : and thus, a sonnet of the Gododin is finished, before the dawn of day f. * This contemptible scoff. + From this passage, as well as from the general tenor of the work, it is evident that the Gododin was not undertaken as one single pocra, with a re- gular and connected design. 357 SONG XIX. " GOROLED GOGLEDD GWR AE GORUC." p. 8. In the last Song, we found Aneurin amusing the tedious Nights of his Imprisonment, with the Composition of his Sonnets. But iiQii) he has, for some Time, been set at large by a Son of Llyvvarch.* A considerable Interval must, therefore, have elapsed, , since the Date of the pre- ceding Composition. The Bard begins with a Tribute of Gratitude to his Bene- factor ; and then passes, with some Address, to the Subject of the fatal Feast. He enumerates the Fields where the British Warriors had fought, under Voj^timer; but the Paragraph zchich contains this Catalogue is very impefect, and the Sense is collected, with soine Difficulty, out of a Mass of various Readings. The Song concludes with some Allusions to the Retaliation of the Britons in subsequent Battles. The chief renown of the North f has a hero acquired. * Generally supposed to have been Llywarch Hen, the celebrated Bard. But here a difficulty presents itself. Llywarch is tlie reputed author of" an Elegy upon the death of Cadwallon, the son of Cadvan, which happened about the year 646 : and it is obvious, that the son of a man who was living in the year 646, could not have liberated Aneurin, who had witnessed the juas- sacre of 472. I think it probable, that Aneurin's friend was the son of Llywarch Iltn ; but that Llywarcli, who is known to have flourished in the beginning of the sixth century, could not have been the author of the Elegy in question. The piece was anonymous : but some old copyist thinking it worth preserving, transcribed it into a book which contained some of Llywarch's genuine works hence it has passed under liis name. + Our author was a Northumbrian Eritos/ and so was Llywarch H^n. 358 of gentle disposition a liberal JiOrd, who has not been equalled. Yet earth does not support, nor has mother home, a war- rior so illustrious, when clad in steel. By the force of his bright sword, he protected me ; from the horrid, subterra- neous prison he brought me forth from the inclosure of death, from a hostile region. Such is Ceneii, the son of Llywarch, energetic and bold. He would not have brooked the disparagement of a so^ lemn Bardic meeting,* in the character of a Seneschal, with his yessels full of mead. For deeds of violence, he would have supplied swords ; he would have furnished wea- pons for war: but with his arm he would have supported his guests. But before the band of Gododin and Bernlcia,f booths for horses were prepared in the hall : there was streaming gore, and blood-stained armour, and the long knife J to thrust from the hand. And with speed were they distin- guished into tribes, whilst the Lady and her paramour were stowing their parties, an armed man, and a maq im- armed, by turns. || Alluding to the " Gorsedd," or solemn Bardic assembly, in Avhich Hengist lad perpetrated his atrupioub dped. + The Bard being a Nprthern Briton, mentions his own coantrymep with a patriotic distinction, though they had constitute^i pnly a part of the devoted assembly. J The seax, with which Hengist's party were privately armed. ^ Rowena and Vortigern. II The Saxons, wearing their corslets, and armed with the dagger; tlie Britons totally unarmed. " By the contrivance of Hengist, they were placed with his traui, alter- nateiy, at thp tables, under the pretence of confidence, and of a friendly " intercourse with each o^hct." Warrington, p. 39. 359 The^e were not men who would stab and fly. They had been the generous defenders of every region at hhch Leuca, at the stone of Titleu, at Leudvre, at Llech Levdir, at Gardith, at Tithragon, at Tegvare, in front of Gododin, at Ystre Annoriy at the course of Gododin, and at Ragno* Close by his hand, was that hand which had directed the splendour of battle, the branch of Caerwys, though he had been shattered by a tempestuous season a tempestuous season, which had favoured the ships of the ahen host. To form a rank before the royal power, we were allured it was to our ruin ! Deeply did they design sharply did they pierce the whole of our assembly. But the chief of the projecting shield f has had his van broken, before the bull of battle, | whose enemies tremble in sorrow, since the battle of active tumult at the border of Ban Carw. Round the border of Ban Carw, the freckled fingers j| had broken the sprigs, to know who should be overwhelmed, who should conquer to know who should he routed, who, should triumph. The scenes of Vortimer's battles, in which these heroes had distinguished themselves. The paragraph is greatly injured by time, and the present cata- logue is collected from tlie various readings, including those which are inserted ill the text. W. Archaiol. p. 13. +. Hengist. } Eidiol, or Ambrosius, as before. ^ Probably, the old name of Maes Belt, before it had obtained a new designation, from the victory of the Britons. II Hengist, who is elsewhere called Dyvynawl Vrych, the freckled intruder, is here represented as consulting his lots upon the event of the approaching battle. 360 ^ The native is roused the invader is subdued."* In Rhivvdrech,' f he who is not bold, will fail of his pur- pose. Victory is not for him who dreads being overtaken. SONG XX. " NY MAT WANPWYT." p. 8. 2%is little Dialogue may be supposed to have passed bettceen Rowena and a native Briton. It forcibly paints the Feel- ings of the Times. "ROWENA. Not meetly was the shield pierced upon the side of the horse J not meetly did the man of the grey stone pillars mount the lofty steed -dark was his spear. BRITON. It w as dark : but darker, by far, is thy husband in the cell, II gnawing the jaw of a buck. i I II II - , II I I.I I . * This sentence contains the omen, collected from the lots. + " The cUfF of superiority, or prevalence." This seems to be the name which the Britons gave to the scene of Hengist's last fatal action, near the rock of Caer Conan, where he was taken and beheaded. ^ Tiie names of Hengist and Horsa equally imply a horse. One of tliese coiuiuauders had been slain, afed the other beaten ; it is, therefore, uncertain which of thim is here meant. nown the tumult of fire, of thunder and of tempest the exerted bravery of the knight,^ who interposed, the red reaper, whose soul pants for war. The strenuous, but worth- less man has he decollated in battle. The multitude of the land shall hear of his deed. With his shield upon his shoulder, has he poured forth an effusion (of blood) as it were wine out of crystal vessels. He who extorted silver for his mead, has paid ; gold in return, J and Gziaednerth,^ son of the supreme king has had his banquet of wine. It is an imperative duty to sing the illustrious patriots, w'ho, after the fatal stroke, replenished the stream (of he- roism) whose hand satisfied the hunger of the brown eagles, and provided food for the beasts of prey. Of those who went to Cattraeth, wearers of the gold chains, upon the message of the mountain chief, sovereign 1 Kibito Kid the same as Pair Ceridwen ihe Cauldron, or sacred Vase of the British Ceres figuratively', the Bardic lore. + Eidiol, or Ambrosius, who, in the year 481, beheaded Hengist at Cacr Conan. t The meaning is^hat the Saxons paid dear for their outrage at the feast. Force of blood or he v-ho sheds blood by violence, an epithet of the British Mart. 369 of the natives ;* it is manifest there came not to Gododin, in behalf of the Britons, a hero from a distant region, who was better than Cynon.f It is an imperative duty, to sing the complete associates, the cheerful ones of the Ark of the T&orld.% Hu was not without his selection; in the Circle of the worldy it was his choice to have Eidiol, the harmonious : for, notwith- standing their gold, their great steeds, and the mead they drank, only one dignified man returned from thence the president of the structure of the splendid one, the grandson of Enovant. It is an imperative duty, to sing the illustrious patriots, who came on the message of the mountain chief, sovereign of the natives, and the daughter of the lofty Eudav, the same who selected the unarmed, and dressed in purple, those %\ ho were destined to be slausrhtered. O' In the festival of May,]] they celebrated the praise of the holy ones, in the presence of the purifying fire, which was B B * Vortigern, the, supreme king of the Britons. + " The prince" Eidiol or Arabrosius, who had returned from Armorica. X The Arhite mythology of this passage deserves the attention of the curious. The great temple was the ark and the circle oi the world. Hu, the patriarch, was the divinity, and Eidiol, his cliosen priest Hu, at (be same time, was Aeroii, the Arkite p"1Kt or the splendid one such is the mixture of Arkite nd Sabian superstition. From Au anil Tav the false usurper. The lady here intended is Rowena, the daughter of Hengist ; for we liave already seen, that she, in conjunction with her paramour, Vortigern, disposed the ranks at the least. II Meiteyr, the Mnij-men -The meeting took place, at the solemn festival of the Britons, in the beginning of May. Tlie fire here inentioned is well known to the Irish, by the name of Bealt$ine. See the word in bhaw's Gulic and English dictionary. 370 made to ascend on high. On the Tuesday, they wore their dark garments on the AVednesday, they purified their fair attire on the Thursday, they truly performed their due rites Xdevoed) on the Friday, the victims were conducted round the circle on the Saturday, their united exertion was dis- played without the circular dance (didwrn) on the Sunday, the men with red blades were conducted round the circle on the Monday, was seen the deluge of gore, up to the belt.* After the toil, the man of Gododin, upon his return be* fore the tents of Madawc, reports but one man in a hun-^ dxed, who came from thence* SONG XXV. ** MOCHDWYREAWC YM MOBE." p. 10. This Song contains many Particulars of the fatal Assault ^ of the Sanctity of the Bardic Temple, and of EidioV^ Address and Heroism^ in defending it. At early mom arose the tumult of the gate, before the course.f There w;as a breach ; but there was a heap, per- * This passage describes some of the regular ceremonies of the meeting whicli. upon the present occasion, unexpectedly closed, with a dcplorabl( massacre. + The feast was celebrated, and the outrage committed, upon the Cursu/^ at the distance of half a mile from the temple, and to which one of the avenuei leads. Upon this avenue, or perhaps, in the very gate, or passage of the vallum, which surrounds the structure, and which was probably fortified witll a strong palisade ; Eidiol kindled a fire to obstruct the irruption of tte SaxonSi wko intended to plunder the temple. 371 vaded with fire. Like a boar didst thou protect the mount, where was the treasure of tlie associated ones the place was stained with the dark gore of hawks.* Suddenly' aroused, in a moment, after kindling the avenue,-]- before the boundary, and conducting his associates in firm array in the front of a hundred, he thrusts forwards " It was horrid that ye (Saxons)J should make a flood " of gore in the same merriment, with which ye regaled " with mead. Was it brave in you to kill a defenceless^ ** man, with the cruel and sudden stroke of a sword ? How " outrageous were it for an enemy to slay a man not equally " armed ! But he (your chief) has descended, with a sud- *' den and promiscuous stroke. The skilful chief of song " was not to be outraged. To kill him, when he carried *' the branch, was a violation of privilege. It was a pri- " mary law, that Owen should ascend the course that ** this branch should whisper before the fierce onset, the B B 2 * These birds of prey seem to imply the Saxons, though the term is often QSed, to denote the British princes. + Aber, any passage or outlet. J This speech is put into the mouth of Eidiol, and evidently addressed to the Saxons. $ That is, the Bard, who, as we find, was named Owen. He carried the sacred branch, and chaunted the pacific songs of Llywy, the British Proserpine. That Owen was invested with the prerogative of a Druid, appears from the striking coincidence of this passage, with the testimony of Diodorus, respecting those ancient priests. Lib. V. C- 31. The passage is thus translated by Dr. Henry. * No sacred rite was ever performed witliont a Druid; by whom, as being * the favourites of the gods, and depositaries of their counsels, the people of- " fered alt their sacrifices, thanksgivings, and prayers; and were perfectly " submissive and obedient to their commands. JVay, so great was the vene- * ration in which they were held, that when two hostile amirs, inflamed with " warlike rage, with sworcb drawn, and spears extended, were on the point f " engaging in battle; at their intervention, they sheathed their swords, and became " galrn and peaceful." ^ist. of Great Britain, B. I. Chap. 2. 372 " effectual songs, which claimed obedient attention the " songs of Ijlywy^^ the assuager of tumult and battle. " Then would the sword retire to the left side ; the warrior, " with his hand, would support the empty corslet, and th " sovereign, from his treasure chest, would search out the <^ prefcious reward." The placid Eidiol felt the heat of the splendid Grannawrj-f- (Apollo) when tJie maid (Llywy) was treated with outrage even she who was supreme in judgment, possessing the steeds with bright trappings, apd the transparent shield. His (Eidiol's) associates join the fray, determined to stand or fall, whilst he, their wasteful leader, conducts the war ; even he who loves the native race the mighty reaper, whose energy stains fhe green sod with gore. They sound for steeds for trappings they sound; whilst over his temples, he binds the defensive band, and the image of death, scatters desolation in the conflict. In the first onset, the lances are couched to the side, and for a light in the course, shrubs blaze upon the spears. Thus fought the musical tribe,;]: for the injury of thy cell, O Ked, and of the conclave where he resided, who merited the de- licious, potent mead. With the dawn, the ardent hero makes the slaughter The British Proserpine, who was symbolized by the Orutjt Anguinum, an4 to whom the mystic branch was sacred. + GrannawT Gwyn Taliesiu calls hia Gran icyn. i The half pagan Bards, who, in that age, constituted the clergy of the jBptow. 373 clash, O fair Ked,* thou ruler of the Loegrian tribes ; and in his resentment, he punishes the vexatious hirelingsf His renown shall be heard ! SONG XXVI. " GWAN ANHON BYD VEDD." p. U. Xhe Alliteration connects this with the preceding, and the Action is ascribed to the same Person ; but these Lines evi' dently refer to the Vengeance which Eidiol, or AmbrosiuSf wreaked upon Vortigern ; of which we have some further Account in Song 30. He assaults the infamous contriver of ruin, at the mead banquet the same who grasped the violent spear of Gwy- nedd the bull of the host, who had transgressed the laws of princely battle : though he had kindled the land before his fall, the superior band of Gododin provided his grave. Involved in vapours, J is he that was accustomed to ar- mies. The sovereign, but bitter-handed commander of the * The British Ceres, the same as Ceridwcn, the mother of Llywy, or Creirwy. 'f' Or slaves of the Venedotianti phrase by which the Bard reproaches th Saxons. X Vortigem's castle, in Nortli Wales, was burnt to the ground by Am^foaiuSf nd the uafortunt* kiog perithed is the flames. 'V\rarriagtop, p. 62. ' 374 forces; was endowed with talents, but vfehement and arro- gant. In the feast, he was not harsh to his associates, who might remove, and possess his valuable treasures ; but in no respect was he a benefactor to his country. soNG'xxvii. a " AN GELWIr!" p. II. T/ie PVars -. of the Britons and Saxons after the Massacre. The Bravery of Eidiol or Ambrosius, with some Particulars ^:!^pf'M^ Conduct at the Moment of the fatal Catastrophe. We are called! The sea and the borders are in conflict. Spears are mutually rushing spears of those whom we che- rished. There is need of sharp weapons. Gashing is the sword. The Seaxes, in wild uproar, are descending on the pate. Before the hostile band, flaming in steel, there is a prosperous leader, even hej who supported the steeds and the bloody harness,* on the red-stained Cattraeth. The fore- most shaft in the host is held by the consumer of towns, the mighty dog of slaughter^ at the supreme mount.f - We are called ! To the bright glory of conflict, led on by the hand of the meritorious, the iron-clad chief, the Alluding probably to the arms of Hengist, namely, a prancing steed*, upon a red field, wliich was displayed at the fatal banquet. + ^e great temple, or Britifh.illMiyi^of, Judicature,^ whjpa the nobles were slain by Hcngisl. ' ' "' '' 375 iovereign, who is the theme of the Gododin* the sove* reign, who deplores our divisions. Before Eidiol,f the energetic, there is a flame; it will not be blown aside. Men of approved worth has he sta- tioned in command. The firm covering guard has he placed in the van. He it was, who vigorously descended upon the scattered foe. When the cry arose, he supported the main weight. Of the retinue of the mountain chief, none escaped but those defenceless ones, whom his arm protected. By the management of the sea rovers, there was not a shield amongst them.J They insisted upon a clear space to light the area. He who carried the blue gleaming blade, put back his hand, whilst our chief priestjl was leaning upon a priest's long staff, seated upon a grey steed, as go- vernor of the feast. Beneath the blade,^ there was a dread- ful fall of slaughter. Nor from the conflict did he** fly Eidiol or Arabrosius ^the undoubted h^ro of tbe Gododiu. f The original has idjrn> the living one ; but the two next paragraphs clearly evince, that Eidiol is the person intended. ^ Though shields were not offensive arms, yet their admission into the ai- sembly, might have defeated the murderous purpose of Hengist : a reason was therefore devised, why they should be excluded. It was pretended that their wide orbs would obstruct the light of the torches, during the nightly caroussl. The Saxon corslets were not liable to the same objection, $ Hengist. II Eidiol ^The Britons and the Germans had great respect for their horsei ; but the introducing of the governor tf the feast upon his steed, was a whimsical rite, whether considered as religious or luilitary, ^ Of Hengist and his Saxons. * Eidiol, as abore. 376 the spearman, mounted lipon the steed ^lie who did the honours of the banquet of delicious, potent mead. I beheld a spectacle* from the high land of the Done, when they were descending with the sacrifice round the omen fire. I saw what was usual, in a town closely shut up ; and dis- orderly men were pierced with agony. I saw men in com- plete order, approaching with a shout, and carrying the head of the freckled intruder.f- May the ravens devour it! SONG XXVIII. " MAT MUDIG." p. 12. Sequel of the Acts of Ambrosius, after the Fall of Hengist, with a Hint respecting the Manner of his Death. The light and bleached bones of the aliens are removed by the fortunate chief : his blue banners are displayed : whilst the foe ranges the sea, Gwrawl (Aurelius) is in the watery region, with a mighty host. The magnanimous triumphs : disarmed is the feeble. It was his primary order, to make a descent, before the ships of the royal force, with propul- sive strokes, in the face of blood, and of the land. I will love thy victorious throne, which teemed with The death and decollation of Hengist at Ca Conan, upon the bank of the Done. Gibson's Camden, Col. 847. t Dyvynawl FrycA Hengist, as abore. 377 strains of harmony, thou president of the structure of the splendid one, with the luminous speech. I could wish to have fallen the first in Cattraeth, as the price of the mead and wine in the court I could wish it for him who never disgraced the sword, rathei* than that he should be slain with the pale potion.* I could wish it for the son of fame, who sustained the bloody fight, and made his sword descend upon the violent. Can a tale of valour be recorded before Gododin, in which the son of Ceidiawf has not his fame, AS a warlike hero ! SONG XXIX. ^ " TRUAN YW GENNYF." p. 12. The Bard takes a general Retrospect of the Affairs of Britain^ from the Time of Vortimer, to the Beginning of the Sixth Century. With sorrow I reflect, that after our toils, we suffer the pang of death through indiscretion. And again, with pain and sorrow I observe, that our men are falling, from the high- est to the lowest, breathing the lengthened sigh, and loaded with obloquy. (We are going) after those men who extended the fame of our land Rhuvawn and Gzvgawn, Gwyn and Gvsylgedy men most valiant, most magnanimous and firm * Ambrosius was poisoned by Eppa, a Saxon, acting in the character of a physician, Warrington, p. 66. + The Preserver the mystical parent of our hero, as an adept in the mys- teries of Bardism. 378 in the hour of trial. May their souls obtain ^now their toils have ceased a reception in the heavenly region a se- cure dwelling ! He who, through a lake of gore, repelled the slavish chain* he who, like a hero, cut down those foes, M'ho would not retreat to the clear expanse; even he, together with the spear, brought forth the crystal cup with mead, placed before the princes, he encouraged the army. The greatness of his counsels a multitude cannot express. The coward was not suffered to hesitate. Before the velocity of his great designs, together with the sharpened blades, he took care to provide flags of message, the means of support- ing his army, a supply of penetrating weapons, and a strong van-guard, with a menacing front. In the day of strenuous exertion, in the gallant conflict, these displayed their valour ; but after the intoxication, in the banquet of mead, there has been no complete deli- Terance.-}- Our president at the festival^ was prosperous for a season : for it will be recorded, that their impulse was bro- ken, by men and steeds. But fixed was the decree of fate, when they arrived that vexatious multitude with sorrow, I recount their bands eleven complete battalions. Now there is precipitate flight, and lamentation upon the road. Vortimer, who, after a series of bloody battles, drove the Saxons out of Britain. ^ i The Saxons never evacuated th island, after the massacre of tbe British dbbintj. % Eidiol or Awbrosius. 379 Dolefully do I deplore, what I greatly loved the Celtic glory ! And the men of Argoed,* how wofully did they associate, to their own overwhelming, with the wretch, who utterly ruined the prosperity of the country, for the benefit of his chiefs, when upon timbers of rude workmanship j at the deluge of affliction, they caroused together at the feast.f He it was who had robbed us upon the fair Thanet,:^ and with the white and/resA hide.% Thou, O Geraiat,l| didst raise a shout before the South : on the shield didst thou strike a signal, to repair to the white water. . ,.'..' Thou chief of the spear, thou, O gentle chief, didst ren- der our youth attached to the glory of the sea even thou didst render them, O Geraint, a generous commander wast thou! Instantaneously his fame reaches the harbours. At once, the anchors are weighed. Like liberated eagles were his alert warriors men, who with brilliant zeal would support the battle, and scud with a velocity, outstripping the fleetest * The Northern Britons, who made a league with Henglst. t The feast, in which Hengist slew the nobles. X Danad loyw Vortigem, upon Hengisl's first arrival, allotted the Isle of Tlianet for the place of his residence. Warrington, with his authorities, p. 44. Hengist desired of Vortigeni, a grant of as much British ground as he could compass about, with a bull's hide. Having obtained this moderate request, he cut a large bull's hide into small thongs, with which he compassed a considerable tract, where be founded a castle, called from that circumstance. Thong Castle. Camden (Col. ,565) places it in Lincolnshire ; but Verstegan, p, 133, says it tood near Sydingbom in Kent. II Geraint, son of Erbin, a prince of the Britons of Devon, and the com- mander of a British fleet, in the close of the fifth, and beginning of the sixtb century. 380 coursers. If the battle paused, the wine flowed from the capacious vessel. Before he reached the grassy tomb, or his locks became hoary with age, he was a hero, who ho- noured the mead banquet with the generous bowl. SONG XXX. * DIHENYDD I BOB LLAWR LLANWET." ^p. 13 & H, An Elegy upon the Death of Vortigern the Original is ob- scure, and badly preserved. He who brought the influx of ruin upon every region like a man indifferent to aU events strikes the signal upon his shield. At length, the strenuous man obtained a retreat in Rhyvoniawg,* like the nest of those who are buried, and set apart from society. With his warlike steeds and gory arms, he deems it fortunate to remain unmolested. But he who had afflicted great and courageous men, and with his sword, had severely slaughtered in the fight, re- ceives a woful warning of conflict, from him who had pre- pared a hundred songs for the festival.f By the two sons of Urvei was he assaulted ; he was as- In North Wales, whither Vortigern withdrew, fter the massacre, covered with confution and reproach. Warrington, p. 60. "f GeofTry of Monmouth says he had this warning delirered by the Bard, Merddin Emri^, 381 saulted by those two exulting boars, who were of the same parentage as a sovereign prince, and a holy maid. And though the lord of Gwynedd was a dignified sovereign, and the blood (relation) of Cilydd, our deliverer;* yet before the turf was laid upon the face of the magnanimous, but falling prince, he was wisely assailed with battle, and di- vested of fame and privilege. The grave of the lofty Gorthyn is seen from the highlandf of Rhyvoniawg.-|- SONG XXXI. PEIS DINOGAT.** '' A sarcastic Eiegi/ upon the Death of Hengist, addressed to his son Octa, when he was taken at York, whither he had fled from the Battle of Caer Conan, in the Year 481. J The garment of Tinogad is variegated with grey stripes a fabric of the skins of wijd beasts I will ridicule * Perhaps Ambrosius, who was a relation of Vortigera. ^ ilie wilds of Carnarvonshire. i Compare Gibson's Camden Col, 847, with Warrington, p. 64. $ " Br ch out of battle," an epithet of reproach, addressed to Octa, who had deserted his father in extremity, and fled into York. 382 that lampooner, the captive Octa,* with his juggling a;At< whant.-\- When thy father went out hunting, with his lance upon his shoulder, and his provisions in his hand, he would call his dogs so majestically " Gif, gaf ; thaly, thaly ; thuc, " thuc." J Then would he kill a fish in a brook, as a lion kills a calf. When thy father ascended the mountain, he brought back the head of a roebuck, of a wild boar, of a stag, of a grey moor hen from the hill, or of a fish from the falls of the Derwent. As many as thy father could reach with his flesh-piercer, of wild boars, that had been just dropped and licked it was certain death to them all, unless they proved too nimble. Were he to come upon me, and unawares, no foe that I have met, or that I shall encounter, would be more formi- dable. The man has not been nursed, who could be more 'penetrating in the hall, || or more wary in battle. I On the ford of Penclwyd Pennant were his steeds : at a * Th& author calls liim Wyth, which means Octo; and in this burlesque pas- sage, it alo implies Octa. t A mimicry of some Saxon words: the meaning is, possibly, uhitewand. X More of Aneurin's Saxon, -which I shall not attempt to translate. $ A curious anti-climax. jl Alluding to his massacre at the feast 383 tlistance would he seek his fame, closely girt in his armour ; but before the long-haired chief was covered with tiie sod, he, the son of the sea-horse, poured out the horns of mead.* I saw the scene from the high land of the Done,f when they were carrying the sacrifice round the omen fire I saw two,;{: who fell away from their station even two of the disorderly men, who were greatly thwarted I saw warriors, who had made the great breach, approaching with a shout, and with the head of the freckled intruder may the ravens devour it ! The remainder of the printed copy consists only of various readings, of certain passages, which had been collected by some ancient transcriber. * Another sarcasm opon his outrage at the feast. + The death of Hengist, as related above. % A sarcasm upon Octa and Esca, who retired from the field, and shut tfi^mselvcs up in the city of York, where they were forced to surrender. 384 I have now, with considerable labour, and, to the best of my abilities, with accuracy and fidelity, translated and explained the Gododin of Aneurin, that the reader, having the whole work under his eye, may draw his own conclu- sion from it : and this, if I mistake not, must amount to a conviction, that the great catastrophe which the Bard de- plores, was no other than that historical event, the mas- sacre of the British nobles by the Saxon king, in the neighbourhood of Stonehenge ; and consequently, that the magnificent temple, or sanctuary, so often introduced, was that identical structure. i From hence it must follow, that this pile could not have been erected, as fable has sometimes reported, in comme- moration of the massacre; but that, on the contrary, it was a monument of venerable antiquity in the daj's of Hen- gist; and that its peculiar sanctity influenced the selection of that spot for the place of conference between the British and Saxon princes. It is equally clear, that the sacred building did not receive its name, Gwaith EmrySy from EmrySf or Ambrosius, a prince who fought with Hengist:* Yet I think it probable, that the real founder of this temple may have had the name of Emrys, which was a title of the Helio-arkite god, and hence conferred upon his priest, under whose direction the building was completed. Aneurin seems to ascribe its construction to Moricn, Janut Marinus, which was also a name of the same god, and of his priest. The mythological Triads describe Morien the Fnll-beardeJ as a foreigner, who was vested with the sovereignty of Britain. W. Archaiol, V. II. p. 6i. U is the general tradition of the Britons, that the Helio-arkitc superstition was of foreign growth, and that it came to them by the way of Cornwall, and therefore probably from the tin merchants. See the 5th section. And it may be reasonably inferred, that the building of those temples, wliich are con- structed upon astronomical principles, was not prior to the introducliow of that im|crstJtiQn, whatevei- may have beep its date. SS5 but tliat, on the other hand, it communicated to him hi own name, as he was the president and defender of the Ambrosial stones. That this ancient structure was sacred to the Druidical superstition, is fully evident, from the language in which it was described, and the great veneration in which it was held by the primitive Bards, those immediate descendants, and avowed disciples of the British Druids. As the " Great sanctuary of the dominion," or metropo- litan temple of our heathen ancestors, so complex in its plan, and constructed upon such a multitude of astronomi- cal calculations, we find it was not exclusively dedicated to thesM,-the moon, Satur7i, or any other individual object of superstition; but it was a kind of pantheon, in which all the Arkite and Sabian divinities, of British theology, were supposed to have been present : for here we perceive Noe and Hu, the deified patriarch; Elphin and Rheiddin, the sun; Eseye, his; Ked, Ceres, with the cell of her sacred fire; Llj/zt)^, Proserpine; Gwj/dien, Hermes; Budd, vic- tor}/, and several others. We learn from the Gododin, that the conference Avith Hengist, and the fatal banquet, took place upon the Ystre, or Cursus, which is still discernible, at the distance of half a mile North from the temple. Here, we are told, some temporary buildings of rudely hezcn timber were erected, for the accommodation of the assembly. It is easy to account for the choice of this spot, in an age of that gross superstition, which overspread our coun- try in the fifth century. The Celtae of Gaul and Britain, c c 386 (luring their pagan state, were, for the most part, governed by their priests, whose custom it was to assemble, at a certain season, to deliberate upon the greatest civil ques- tions, ifi loco consecrato, or within the verge of their sanc- tuaries. And as this particular sanctuary of Stonehenge had been esteemed pre-eminently sacred before the coming of the Romans, and whilst the Britons were an independent nation, so, at the departure of those foreigners, it had re- coverered its ancient reputation amongst a people, who were still pertinaciously attached to their national usages and superstitions. And Mai/ was the season appointed for the meeting, because it was the solemn anniversary of the British mysteries. To most readers it must appear singular, that in an age when Britain was no'minally christian, the Bards should speak with vciieration of a heathen temple, in which hea- then rites were still celebrated : the fact, however, is re- corded against them in their own compositions. It may, indeed, be urged as an excuse for our present author, that he describes the ancient, rather than the actual solenmities of the place; and that during the great Bardic festival, some ancient rites may have been admitted, which were not, at that time, in general establishment: but I do not mean to be his apologist. Whatever Aneurin might have called himself, it is evident, from the warmth of his lan- guage, when speaking of those mystical characters. Hit, Kcd, i/j/a?/, and the rest, that they were objects of vene- ration to him ; and so, I am persuaded, they were to the body of the British nation, whose profession of Christia- nity was certainly very imperfect. The Bards were generally their priests; and these, as it 387 appears from their own works, were determined bigots to the ancient superstition. Many of the populace of this age were also disciples of Pelagius, whose great aim it was to blend the heterogeneous tissue of Druidism with a few shreds of Christianity. Could a people, who had profited so little by the light of the gospel, complain of the act of Providence, in depriving them of their dominion and their country ? The evidence which has been brought forward in this section, will, perhaps, prove to the satisfaction of the can- did antiquary, that the larger British monuments, consist- ing of rude stone pillars, disposed into circles, whether of twelve, nineteen, thirty, or more stones, were temples, sa- cred to some divinity, or to all the divinities of the hea- then Britons. I shall now proceed to make a few obser- vations upon some other monuments of the same super* stition. In the account of the temple of the Gyvylchi, we are told, that " Not far from it there are three other larse *' stones, pitched on end, in a triangular- form." Such ap- pendages, either within or near to the sacred circles, often occur; and they have been generally regarded as consti- tuting the cell or Adytum of their respective temples. Thus, at Abury, in the Northermost circle, is a cell or Kebla, formed of three stones, placed with an obtuse angle c c 2 388 towards ea6h opening to the North-east, before which laj* the altar, as at Stonehenge.* That the tell of Ceres, or " The stone cell of the //o- " norary fire,' did exist at Stonehenge, is a circura- tance ascertained by Aneurin's Gododin ; and it is highly probable, that the same was recognised in other temples, where Ceres presided, either alone, or in conjunction with other divinities : yet I have considerable doubts, whether the monuments of this kind, which I have seen, or of which I have read the description, did constitute the cells in question. I rather suspect, that these stones were either the very images of the gods, to whom the temples were dedicated, or that they were esteemed peculiarly sacred to them, and viewed as emblems of their presence. Thus the three large stones before the temple of the Gyvylchi, may have represented the three great objects of superstition, Hu, Ked, or Ceridzoen, and JJy^y or Creirrcyy or Bacchus, Ceres, and J*roserpine, whose jiistory and rites were closely connected in British mythology. No images pertaining to our pagan progenitors, carved either into the human shape, or that of any animal, have been discovered and ascertained, unless the figures pour- trayed upon the British coins should be thought to deserve the name of images : hence it is probable, that such things were, at least, very rare amongst them. As the Britons had preserved the usage of the earlie'st ages, in the form and rude materials of their open temples, \vhy may they not have observed the same rule with regard Mauricf*3 Indi Antiq^ Vol. VI, p. 1 j3. 389 to images? And we have gopd authority to assert, that " In ancient times, they had no images in their temples ; *' but in Ueu of them, they used conical stones, called *' BaiTvXia, under which representation their deity was often ** worshipped."* Mr. Bryant also remarks, that Ah-adir was a rf^c?> or stone pillar, representing Ops, the wife of Saturn. One of these stones, according to Pausanias, stood at Delphi : it was deemed very sacred, and used to have libations of wine poured upon it daily ; and upon festivals, it was otherwise honoured.f Again we are told, that " Near the temple of Eleusinian *' Damater, in Arcadia, were two vast stones, called Pe- " troma, one of which was erect, and the other was laid " over, and inserted into the. .former. There was a hoHow " place in the upper stone, with a lid to it. In this, among ** other things, was kept a kind of mask, which was thought " to represent the countenance of Damater, to whom these " stones were sacred. "J These passages are adduced, in order to shew, that nei ther the form nor the situation of those rude isolated stones, which are attached to our British temples, is irreconcileable with the primitive memorials of those very divinities, which our ancestors venerated. Bryant's Analysi*, V. I. p. 49. t Ibid. p. 476. X Ibid. V. II. p. 20i 390 Leaving this hint to the consideration of the antiquary, I go on to inquire for another kind of apparatus, which was deem- ed essential to the due celebration of the heathen mysteries. In the tale of Taliesin's initiation, of which I have treated at large in the preceding section, and in some of that Bard's poems upon the same subject, we are told that Ceridwen, transforming herself into a bird, swallowed the noviciate, who had taken the form of a grain of pure wheat ; that she continued for some time pregnant of him, and that, at the expiration of that period, he was born again. This is a dark allegory; "but we shall find others upon the same epic, of easier solution. In another passage which I have quoted, the Bard re* presents himself as a giain of the Arkites, which had vege- tated upon the mount, and produced an ear of corn ; in thih state, the reaper placed in a close, smoky recess, in order to ripen. In a third passage, the Bard plainly tells us, that he had endured a close confinement in the hall of Ceridwen, where he was subjected to penance, and modelled into the form af a perfect man. This is also the representation which Hy wel, the son of Owen, gives of the afliair. Now it may be fairly presumed, that this confinement in the zcomb of Ceridwen, in the hall of that goddess, and in the smoky recess, implies one and the same tbing : and those representations clearly allude to the inclosure of the novi- ciate, either for mortification, and trial of his fortitude, or for appropriate instruction in some private cell, which was 391 sacred to Ceres, which bore her name, and was, therefore, deemed to constitute her mystical person, of whom the aspirant was to be born again. Something of this kind, I presume, was also implied by the riaro?, or bed, in which it was requisite that the Greek aspirant should be covered, before he could be admitted to the greater mysteries. I have some reason to think, that the British cells ap- propriated to this use, are to be recognized amongst those monuments, which are known by the general name of Cromlech. These consist of a certain number of stones, pitched in the ground, so as to form a cell, which is covered over with a flat stone of enormous dimensions. We have seen, that there are several of these Cromlechs near the circle of the Gyvylchi, in Snowdon ; and they are generally found either in the neighbourhood, or in ilie verv centre of similar monuments. The date of these erections being very remote, and their use entirely forgotten, it is not improbable, that being misled by certain resemblances, which present themselves to superficial observation, we confound two or three kinds of monuments which are really distinct, and which were erected for different purposes ; and that in consequence of this mistake, when we have discovered the use of one Cromlech, we make erroneous conclusions respecting others. I shall mention two or three opinions, which have been thus generally applied. In the Cromlech, some antiquaries see nothing but the hloodif altars of the Druids, smoking with human victims. 392 To this opinion, it has been replied, that many of them seem, by their gibbous form, and slanting position, to be very ill-contrived for the {purpose of altars, and that they bear no marks of the action of fire, upon the upper side. Others pronounce them altogether sepulchral, and sup- port their opinion, with the evidence of bones and urnSf which have been found under someyea? of them; but it may be objected, that several Cromlechs which have been ex- amined, shew no vestige of sepulture, and others seem to have been badly calculated for the purpose, as standing upon unbroken rocks. If it be urged, that because some of them are found to be sepulchres, they^must all be regarded as of the sepulchral form; this argument will only add support to my hypothesis. Initiation represented death, and a renovation from the dead. In the British mysteries, the noviciate passed the river of death, in the boat of Garan hir, the Charon of antiquity : and before he could be admitted to this privilege, it was re- quisite that he should have been mystically buried, as well as mystically dead. And thus much seems to be implied in the ancient Greek formulary ^"Ywo to B-aro" Wi Jnov ^" I covered myself, or was covered in the Serf." Cromlech, according to Mr. Owen, whose opinion, upon this subject, deserves attention, is nothing more than the vulgar name for the Crair Gorsedd, Maen Llog, or Macn Gorsedd; the stone of covenant, or altar of the Bards ; which was placed within the Cylch Cyngrair, or circle of federation : . and on which were performed various ceremonies belonging to Bardism.* ^ See W. Eng. Diet. V. Cromlech. " 393 Crair Gorsedd, literally implies the token or pledge of the supreme seat ; and Maen Llog, the stone of the ark or chest. It is therefore, the same as Aneurin's Llogell Byd, ark of the world, in which the priest of Hu had been inclosed. The application of these terms to the Cromlech, goes a great way towards establishing my opinion : for as a due initia- tion into the sacred mysteries, w^as the last requisite towards completing the covenant or federation of the Bards ; so this stone of the ark was employed in th^- celebration of those mysteries. That some of the monuments, called Cromlechs, were actually resorted to in celebrating the rites of Ceres, and that the'stone arks, or chests which they covered, constituted the womh or hall of the goddess, in which the aspirants were inclosed, will appear from the following observations. CeHdwen, or Ceres, was the genius of the ark ; and that ark had its representative in the temple, or sanctuary of the goddess. Hence the mythological triads record the feat of Gwgazcn Lawgadarn, the severe one, with the mighty hand, who rolled the stone of Maen-Arch, the stone ark, from the valley to the top of the hill, though it was so large, that not less than sixty oxen could have moved it. This Gwgazcn was a mere personification of the Druidical Hierarchy, or of the ministers which ihey employed : and the stone, of the stone ark, is not to be understood as implying one individual slab, but as a general appurtinent to a kind of monument known by that name; and as a memorial of its prototype, the ark of Noah. If we look upon the tops of our hills for monumental 394 Stones, which answer this description, we shall find them only in the enormous Cromlech, the covering stone of the Kist-vaen, stone chest, or ark i name precisely synony- mous with Maen-Arch. That all these monuments could not have been mere aJtarSy or mere sepulchres, is evident from their very form. For instance,^ the monument in Gower, called Arthurs stone, is thus described. " They (the stones) are to be seen upon a jutting, at " the North-west of Kevn Brt/n, the most noted hill in " Gower. Their fashion and positure is this. There is " a vast unwrought stone, probably about twenty tuns " weight, supported by six or seven others that are *' not above four feet high ; and these are set in a circle, " some on end, and some edgewise, or sidelong, to bear " the great one up. The great one is much diminii-hed of *' what it has been in bulk, as having five tuns, or more, '* by report, broke off it, to make mill-stones : so that I *' guess, the stone originally to have been, between twenty- " five and thirty tuns in weight. The common people call " it Arthur's stone under it is a z&ell, which, as the neigh- " hours tell me, has a flux and reflux with the sea."* Here we find the Cromlech, as the cover of a mystic cell or stone ark, furnished with its sacred fountain. The as- cribing of this, and similar monuments, to Arthur, is not, as our author supposes, a vulgar conceit, respecting the hero of that name, who hved in the sixth century. 1 have diV tinguished an Arthur, celebrated in the mythological triads, * Gib'^on's Camdon, Col. 741. 395 uid in the works of the Bards ; as the representative of the patriarch, who was inclosed in the ark; to ^the traditional history of which, the fountain under this Maenarch, or ttone-ark, seems to have had an allusion : for we are told that the inclosure of Sidi, or seat of Ceres, contained a 0ell of water which was sweeter than wine. I have seen the remains of a similar cell, in Llanvareth, in Radnorshire, inclosing a fair spring, called Fynawn Einion, or the well of the just one: and I learn from ^ Mr. Maurice, that foun- tains often occurred in the sacred cells of antiquity, which were appropriated to the celebration of mysteries. Let us hear the description of another Cromlech, which appears as an appendage to an ancient temple. " There are in this county (Pembrokeshire) several sUch " circular stone monuments as that described in Carmar- *' thenshire, by the name of Meineu Gwyr; and Kevn, ** Llechart, in Glamorganshire. But the most remarkable ^' is that which is called Y Gromlech in Nevern* parish, " where are several rude stones pitched on end, in a circu- " lar order ; and in the midst of the circle, a vast rude stone, ^* placed on several pillars. The diameter of the ara is *' about fifty feet. The stone, supported in the midst of " this circle, is eighteen feet long, and nine in breadth ; " and at the one end, it is about three feet thick, but " thinner at the other. There lies also by it, a piece bro- ^' ken off, about ten feet in length, and five in breadth, " which seems more than twenty oxen could draw. It is " supported by three large rude pillars, about eight fe^t " high ; but there are also five others, which are of no Nev-ern, pledge of heaven. 396 *' use at present, as not being high enough, or duly placed, " to bear any weight of the top stone. Under this stone *' the ground is neatly flagged, considering the rudeness of " monuments of this kind."* This Cromlech, covering a rude, but magnificent cell, with a paved floor, and placed in the midst of the sacred circle, has not the appearance of a sepulchral monument. Many of these monuments, it has been observed, bear the name of Arthur, being styled his tables, his quoits, and the like. But in the tale of Talicsin's initiation, the table of Arthur is connected with the mysteries of Ceridwen, and in Llan Beudyf parish, in Carmarthenshire, we find a monument which joins the name of Arthur with another name, which we can only refer to that goddess. It is called Bwidd -Arthur^ Arthur's table, and Gwdl i/ Vilast, the couch, or nro?, of the Greyhound bitch. This is a rude stone, about ten yards in circumference, and above three feet thick, supported by four pillars, which are about two feet and a half high. ;{: Not to insist upon the dogs, which were always exhibited in the mysteries of Isis and Ceres, and the title of dogs, Avith which their priests were distinguished, it must be re- marked, that in the mythological tale wliich I have just Gibson's Camden, Col. r59. Sec also 707, 740, &c. + Ox-house. % Gibson's Camden, Col. 752. 397 mentioned, we are told, that Ceridwen transformed herself into a greyhound bitchy and in that form, chased the aspirant towards the river. In this monument, therefore, we have a commemoration pf the Diluvian patrit^rch, under the mythological name of Arthur ; and of the genius of the ark, under her assumed character of a greyhound bitch. And lest it should be thought, that the latter circumstance is purely accidental, it mus.*^^ be observed, that more than one spot preserves the memory of the mystical bitch. There is a monument of the same kind, and distinguished by the same name of Gzval y Vilast, in Glamorganshire, and a third, called Llech yr Ast, the Jlat stone of the bitch, in Cardiganshire.* And it may be suspected, that some of the connections of this mystical lady, had assumed a correspondent form ; as we find Ffynazcn Maen Milgi, the spring of the grey- hound's stone, a remarkably large stream, issuing out of the side of Berwyn mountain, in Meirionethshire f Near Llech yrAst, in Cardiganshire, there are five Kist Vaens, stone chests, or cells, and a circular area, inclosed with rude pillars, &c, ; so that it appears to have been a work of the very same kind, as the temple of Ceres and Proser' fine, in the Gy vylchi. Ceridwen, the British Ceres, was also represented under the character of the Giantess. Taliesin, giving an account of Gibson's Camden, Col: 772, 77^. t Camb. Regiater, V.I. p. S98, 398 his initiation, styles her Hen Widdon Ddulon, the old dark-smiling Giantess. Under this figure she claims another monument in Cardiganshire, called Llech y Gowres, the flat stone of the Giantess. " Being an exceeding vast stone, *' placed on four other very large pillars or supporters, " about the height of five or six feet. Besides which four, " there are two others pitched on end, under the top stone^ *' but much lower, There are also three stones, two large *' ones, and behind them a lesser, lying on the ground, at " each end of this monument. This Llech y Gowres stands " on such a small bank, or rising, in a plain open field, as *' the five stones, near the circular monument, called " Rolrich stones, in Oxfordshire."* Near this Llech y Gowres are several monuments, which have an evident relation to the same subject; as Meini Hirion, retaining the name and the form of Ceridwen's temple in the Gy vylchi ; Meini Kyvrivol the stones of the equalized computation, being nineteen in number, the cycle of the sun and moon, or Liber and Ceres; Hir vaen Gwyddog, the high stone of the Mystagogue ; unless it be a corruption of Gwydion, Hermes, or Gwyddon, the Giantess; this is a pillar, about sixteen feet high, three feet broad, and two thick. Not far from it is a Maen y Prenvol, the stone of the wooden ark, or chest ; this must have been the memorial, or the repository of an ark of z&ood: and Gwely Taliesin, the bed or, iiaro? of Taliesin, which is also a kind of stone chest. " I take this, and all others of this kind, (continues my Gibson's Camden, Col. 773, 399 ** author) to be old heathen monuments, and am far from " believing that Taliesin was interred there."* And if we allow the probable conjecture, that they are heathen monuments, there is every reason to pronounce them Druidical, and to infer, that they were constructed for that purpose, which general analogy, their peculiar form, and their very names declare. Had they been erected since the times of the Druids, their names, or the traditions respecting them, would surely have preserved some memorial of the occasion of their con- ,struction. Instead of this, we generally find some circum- stance, either in tlieir names or situation, which connects them with the Druidical establishment. Tlius, the great Anglesea Cromlech is surrounded by Tre'r Dryze, Druid's toz^n; Tver Beirdd, Bard's tozon; Bod Ozcyr, the dwelling of the Ovates, and the monument called Cerig y Bryngzisyn, stones of the hill of judicature.'f So again ; there is a parish in Denbeighshire, called Cerig y Drudion, Druid's stones; and the monuments which entitle it to this name, are two Kist Vaens, or stone chests, covered with their ponderous slabs, or Cromlechs; and these chests, are traditionally reported to have served the purpose of prisons. + I must here repeat my hint, that the Cromlech, and Gibson's Camden, Col. 773. t Ibid. Col. 809. t Ibid. Col. 813. 400 \ jL Kisttaen, are constituent parts of the same tnorinmenf, which is distinguished by one or other of these names, asf the incumbent stone, or the inclosed cell, becomes the most considerable object of remark. And though I do not deny, that some monuments of similar form, have servedf the purpose of sepulchres ; yet, I am persuaded, that they were in general, the Maenarchs, or stone arks of the Triads, and those in which the British Ceres, and Proserpine, con fined and humbled their votaries. If it be objected, that at present, we seldom find these cells sufficiently close and secure, for the purpose of con- finement; it must be recollected, that time and accident have injured them ; that in the age of superstition, it is pro- bable they were surrounded with a fence of wood, or some perishing materials, which have long since disappeared; and that the confinement itself, is not supposed to have been absolutely involuntary. It was a trial of fortitude, rather than of force. Even the traditions which report the larger works of this kind to have been sepulchral, will, if closely examined, favour that idea of their application, which I have suggested. Thus, ** We have a tradition, that the largest Cromlech in this " county (Anglesea) is the monument of Bronwen, daugh- " ter of King Llyr^ or Leirus, who, you hiozv, is said to " begin his reign, Anno Mundi 3105."* 1 shall not 'take the trouble to examine the rera of this Anno Mundi sovereign, who, as such, was unknown in Wales before the days of Geoffry, of Monmouth, though Cibiott's Camden, Col. 8tO, 401 our modern heralds h^ve made some efforts to verify liin history. ^ The tale was, originally, mythological ; and the daughter of Ll;^f, the Cordelia of Shakespeare, was Creirddylad, whom Gzeyn ah Niidd, the British Pluto, claims as his mistress.* This lady, therefore, was our Proserpine t^; and the tradition respecting the great Anglesea Cromlech, amounts to nothing more than this that it constituted a cell, sacred to Proserpine. ; I find that the same Bronwen, the daughter of Ll^r, like Creirwy, the daughter of Ceridwen, had a brother, named Bran, the raven, who had the disposal of the mystical cauldron.J This history, therefore, brings us home to the sanctuary, and to the mystical rites of Ceridwen and her family. The daughter of Llyr, the sea, the mistress of Pluto, and the sister of the raven, was no other than Creirwy, the daugh- ter of the B.ritish Ceres, to whom the same cauldron was peculiarly sacred. The Cromlech is distinguished in the Triads by another name, synonymous with Maenarch, and referable to the history of Ceridwen, considered as the genius' of the ark. The name I mean is Maen Ketti. D D W Archaiol. p. 166. t See some farther account of her in the next section. i See Mr. Turner's VindUation,, ? 283, 402 We are told, that the three mighty lahours of the island of Britain were, lifting the stone of Ketti ; building the work of Emrys; and piling up the mount of the as- sembiies.* The work of Emrys implies the sacred circles, such as Stonehenge, which is known by that name; the Main Ambres, in Cornwall ; Dinas Emrys, in Snowdon ; and other Petrai Ambrosiai ; and in Silbury-hill, we may con- template the mount of the assemblies: but what third kind of British monument is there, which displays the effect of great labour in lifting a stone, unless it be the enormous Cromlech ? Ketti is a derivative of Ket, and this must have implied an ark or chest; for we still retain its diminutive form, Keten, to denote a small chest, or cabinet. I have had frequent occasion to remark, that Ceridwen, the Arkite goddess, is distinguished by the name of Ked. Aneurin, in his Gododiu, repeatedly calls her by this name, and speaks of Cibno Ked as synonymous with Pair Cerid- ifcen, the cauldron of Ceridwen, or sacred vase of Ceres. Now, those who are at all conversant in Cambro-British writing, must be aware, that Ked and Kit are precisely the same word, it being usual in our old orthography, to write the final t, where at present we use the d. Thus we have hot, bod; cat, cad; tat, tad; and a hundred more; for the rule is general, and almost without exception. From the things which were produced out of the ark, or chest, the word Ked figuratively implies a benefit, aid, re- W. Archaiol. V. II. p. 70. 403 lief; wherefore Maen Ket-ti signifies the storie of the arkite power f or the stone of beneficence: and it could have beea no other than the ponderous covering of that cell which re- presented the arky and whieh was eminently dedicated to the beneficent Ceres.* I have now shewn, that these monuments frequently re- tain the name of Arthur, the mythological representative of Noah, and the husband of Gwenhwyvar, the lady on the summit of the water ; that is, the ark, or its substitute that the same monuments are distinguished by several titles, which imply an ark, or chest that they commemorate the various names and characters of Ceridweri, the genius of the ark, whilst one of their^. in particular, is distinguished by the name of her votary, Taliesin that they commemo- rate the superstition of the Druids, both by their names and their local situation that they are reported to have been used as prisons and that the mysteries of Ceridwen and her daughter, were celebrated in the circle of thfe Gy- vylchi, to which the Cromlech and its Kist Vaen are attached. And from these premises I infer, that such monuments generally had a relation to that ceremony, which is mysti- cally described as the aspirant's confinement in the womb of Ceridwen, whence he was born again, and thus became her mystical child. For this confinement of the aspirant, which preceded his being shut up in the coracle, and cast into the sea, in the course of the greater mysteries, could have meant nothing more than his inclosure in some D D 2 * I find this goddess described by several derivatives of Ked or Ket, m Kfdig, Kedwy, Y Gedavil, which equally imply the Arkitt and the &enc/5crU. 404 cell, which was sacred to that goddess. And Taliesin has told us, that the Llan or cell in which he was inclosed, wa& Uch llaur, above the surface of the ground. Of the ceremony of imprisoning the noviciates in such cells, we may find some farther hints in the mythological Triads. Thus " The three pre-eminent prisoners of the island " of Britain, were Ll^/r Llediaith, in the prison of Euros- " wydd the sovereign, Madawc, the son of Medrori, and " Gwair, the son of Geiriawn. And one was pre-eminent " over the three, namely, ' Arthur, who was imprisoned " three nights in the inclosure of Oeth and Auoeth, and " three nights with the ladj/ of Pendragon, and three " nights in the prison of Kud, under the Jlat stone of " Echemeitit : and one youth released him from the three " prisons, namely, Goreu, the son of Ci/stenin, his ne- " phew."* The whole of this account was apparently extracted from some ancient mythological talc, relatii^g to the deluge, and to certain mysteries which were celebrated in memorial of it. A short analysis of the circumstances will evince the probability of this fact. The first of the noted prisoners was Lli/r Llediaith, that if, half language, or mysterious representation of the sea.-)- Our heralds have not only given Caractacus, the cele- brated hero of the first century, a grandfather of this W. Archaiol. V. II. p. 12. Tri. 50. + Or, tftking the words in the order in which they stand '^Sea of mystcrv." 405 Hame; but have also furnished this grandfather wth along series of progenitors : so that we have Lli/r Llediaith, ab Paror, ab Ceri hir LlyngzcyUy ab Ceidog, ab Art/ty ab Mei- rion, ab Eranit, ab Eidol.* But as these heralds could have had no authority for surli early pedigrees, excepting the mystical poems of the Bards, and some old tales, which were purely mythological ; as it has been very usual, since the days of Geoffry of Mon- mouth, to mistake British mythology for history; and as the interpretation of proper names generally furnishes the best key to Bardic anigmaSy it may not be amiss to try the series now before us by this rule. Here, then, we arc presented with the mysterious repre- sentation of the seay the son of him who remained, the son of the lofty seed of the white lake (reputed the first navi- gator amongst the ancestors of the Cymry), the son of the preservery the son of the hear (Arth, from Arcto, to con- fine), the son of the guardian, the son of the vessel, the son of the living one. To an ordinary reader, this does not sound like the real pedigree of an ancient British prince ; it is rather a series of mystical terms, relating to the history of the deluge. Even if we suppose that these mythological titles were conferred upon the ancestors of Caractacus, it is nothing more than an early instance of a custom, which is known to have prevailed in the fifth, and beginning of the sixth century, when the Britons, delivered from the Roman yoke, attempted to re-establish their ancient superstition. * Owen's Cam. Biog. V. Llyr. " 406 And still, the confinement of Llyr^ in the prison of Eur-- oszcydd, the splendid destroyer, seems to allude to his ini- tiation into certain mysteries, rather than to his detention at Rome, either with his illustrious grandson, or as a hos- tage in his place. The imprisonment of Madawc, who is sometimes styled the son of Mellt, lightning, is said, in another Triad, to have been amongst' the Gwyddelian Picts ; and the legend, probably, alludes to some similar mysteries, which were celebrated in the North of Britain, when the Romans were masters of the Soutji. The nature of Gwair's imprisonment may be easily com- prehendied, by the assistance of Taliesin's Preiddeu Annwn,* spoils of the deeft, or ravages of the deluge, which begins thus V " I will adore the sovereign, the supreme ruler of the " land ! If he extended his dominion over the shores of the " woi-Id, yet in good order was ttje prison of Gzi;air, in " Caer Sidi. Through the mission of Pwyll and Pryderi " (reason and forethought), no one before him entered " into it. The heavy, blue chain didst thou, O just man! " endure 5 and for the spoils of the deep, woful is thy *' song; and till the doom shall it remain in the Bardic " prayer. Thrice the fullness of Ptydzcen did zee enter " into the deep; excepting seven, none hate returned from " Caer Sidi." This is clearly the history of the deluge ; and Gwair, re- novation, the just man, being the first and principal person * Appendix, No. 3. 407 who entered Caer Sidi, the ark, when the Supreme exerted liis power over the shores of the world, could have been no other than the patriarch himself. Gwair is mystically represented in the Triads as the son of Gwestyl, the great tempest : and in another place, as the son of Geiriawn, the zoord of justice. We are told, that this personage and his family were confined in the prison of Oeth and Anoeth, from which none of his posterity ever attempted to escape.* Hence it appears, that the prison of Oeth and Anoeth was the same as Caer Sidi ; that is, in a primary sense, the ark itself, and in a secondary accepta- tion, the Arkite temple. Oeth and Anoeth seem to be nothing more than the anti- quated orthography of Wyth and Anwyth, wrath, and the remission of wrath or the accumulation and the subsiding of the deluge. We have seen that Cuhelyn uses the term Anoeth, to de- scribe the great temple, before Avhich Hengist committed his outrage that is, Stonehenge. Myvir corein mirein Anoeth. " The study of the fair circle of Anoeth.'* And Taliesin uses Di-wyth and Gorwyth, as synonymous with Anoeth and Oeth. Yn annwfn y Di-wyth Yn annwfn y Gorzoyth.f * W. Archaiol. V. II. p. 68. Tri. 61. + W. Arcljaiol. p. 35. The lines seem to have been transposed by some copyist, who did not understand them. 408 " In the deep which is void of wrath ; ** In the deep where extreme indignation dwells.'* <' The perpetual imprisonment of Gwair and his posterity in this inclosure, can only mean, that the patriarch and his family were once shut up in the ark, and that the Druids acknowledged none as his legitimate descendants, but those who were initiated into the Arkite mysteries, and who per- petuall}' kept within the pale^ or strictly adhered to the laws of their institution. Hence we perceive, that Arthur's first confinement in the prison of Oeth and Anoeth, was the same with that of Gwair; or, in other words, that the Arthur of mythology is only another representative of the polyonymous patriarch. And this idea is confirmed by the same poem of Taliesin upon the spoils of the deep^ where we find Arthur presiding in the sacred ship. " When we went with Arthur in his " splendid labours, excepting seven, none returned from " Caer Vediwid." Arthur's second imprisonment with Wen Bendragon, or the lady of the supreme leader, out of which Geoffry of Monmouth has worked up a curious tale, is either a dupli- cate of the same history, taken from an old mythological allegory, or else it refers to the mysteries of Ceres. For the lady here introduced was Eigt/r, the generative prin- ciple, or the source of generation, and therefore the Magna Mater, Ceridwen, or Ceres, Arthur's third imprisonment in the cell of Kud, or Kyd, under the Jiat stone of Echemaint, evidently alludes to the British mysteries, which commemorated the Diluvian his- tory. And the cell appropriated to this emblematical con- 409 finement, must have been of that kind, which we still dis- cover under enormous " Flat stones," in various parts of Britain. As to the name of Kyd^ the proprietor of this prison, I have already remarked, that it is an appellation of the Ar- kite goddess, and of the ark itself. " Let truth be ascribed " to Menwyd, the dragon chief of the world, who formed " the curvatures of Kyd, which passed the dale of grievous " water, having the fore-part stored with com, and mounted *' aloft, with the connected serpents."* I also observe, that in an old christian poem, which goes under the name of Taliesin, the Jish which swallowed Jonas is called Kyd. A ddug Jonas o berfedd Kyd f i " Who brought Jonas out of the belly of Kyd ?" This is only the Greek Kvro,;, which Mr. Bryant pro- nounces to have been an emblem of the ark.:j: Whether our ancestors viewed their Kyd under this emblem or not, I will not pretend to decide ; but I observe that, in one old copy on vellum, the cell under the Jlat stone is simply called Carchar Hud, the prison of mystery. The name Echemaint, which is given to this stone, I do * Appendix, No. 12. + W. Archaiol. p. 4S. t Analysis, V. II. p. 301 and 408. 410 not understand : in another copy, it is called Y Llech d Chymmraintf the jlat stone of social privilege : and this seems to describe an instrument of initiation^ which ad- mitted the aspirant to the privileges of the regenerate society. But to dismiss this inquiry. Under vfhaxflat stones could the Arkite goddess have confined her votaries, in order to confer these privileges upon them, unless it were those which are attached to her sanctuaries, which cover recep- tacles proper for the purpose, which are denominated stone arkSf and which, in their local designations, retain the name of Arthur and Ceridwen, and the memorial of Arkite mysteries ? Arthur is said to have heen released from each of the three prisons by Goren, Best, the son of Ci/stenin, which is the British name of Constantine ; but no son of that prince could have released the patriarch from the prototype of the mystic cell. We may therefore suppose, that the compiler of the tale plays upon the sound of the word, and that we ought to understand Cistenin, the minister of the ark. 411 SECTION V. Traditions relating to the Progress, Revolutions, and Sujh' pression of the British Superstition. J\ SUCCESSFUL investigation of the progress and revof lutions of Druidism, might he expected to attract the no- tice of the public. It would certainly he curious to trace the changes, whether improvements or corruptions, which took place in the religion of our early progenitors, and to have an opportunity of discriminating between those rites and superstitions, which they originally brought with them into Britain, and those which, in the course of ages, they adopted from other nations, or devised from their owei fancy* But for the basis of such an investigation, we want an (authentic historical document, enlighted by accurate chror nology, and divested of allegorical obscurity. Upon this subject, no such aid is to be found. The religion of the Britons, like that of other heathens, grew up in the dark. All that we have left is a mass of mythological notices, yvhich were certainly written in ages, when Druidism was in high esteem, and had many votaries : and from those, the genuine opinion and tradition of the Britons, duir ing those ages, may be in some measure collected. Frona these aenigmaticai tablets, I shall attempt to make 412 a few slight sketches, with the hope of gratifying the curious, and affording some little light to the antiquary ; though from the nature of my materials, I almost despair of amusing the general reader. In the first place, it may be inferred from the tone of the evidence already produced, that the primitive religion of the Cymry (long before the age of the oldest Bard who is now extant,) was a kind of apostasy from the patriarchal religion, or a mere corruption of it. In the tradition of this people, I have remarked the local account of a vessel, from which they assert, that their pro- genitors sprung after a general deluge : I have noticed their exclusive claim to the universal patriarch of all nations ; I have observed, that their superstition strongly verged from all points, towards the history of the deluge, and towards that system of theology, which Mr. Bryant denominates Arkite: I have shewn that they worshipped the patriarch, as a deity, though they had not forgotten, that he was a just and pious man : and I think I have proved, that the | Ceridwen of the Druids was as much the genius of the ark, as the Ceres and Isis of our great mythologist. If the Bards exhibit, together with this Arkite supersti- tion, that mixture of Sahian idolatry, or worship of the host of heaven, which the second volume of the Analysis traces, as blended with the same mythology, over great \ part of the ancient world ; yet we observe, that the" Solar \ divinity is always represented as the third, or youngest of the great objects of adoration : hence it may be inferred, that the worship of the patriarch, in conjunction with the stm, was an innovation, rather than an original and funda- mental principle, of the Druidical religion. 413 That this opinion was inculcated by our old mythologists, appears from a very singular triad, which I propose to analyze. Biit the reader of taste may require some apology, for the homeliness of its characters. Mythologists have never been very scrupulous in the se- lection of their figures. Gods and their priests have been presented to us, under the form of every animal character, from the elephant and the lion, to the insect and the rep- tile. And it is not to be expected, that our ancestors should have been more delicate in their choice, than other nations more enlightened and more refined. Without any such affectation of superior taste, they bring forward three distinct states of the British hierarchy, but all of them more or less Arkite, under the characters of three mighty srcine herds. Their disciples, of course, consisted of a multitude of swine. I am not calling them names these are the titles they thought proper to assume : and no doubt, they re- garded tliem as very respectable and becoming. Though this representation be partly peculiar to the Britons, it has still, some analogy with the notions and the mythology of otlicr heathens. Thus, we are told that the priests of the Cabirj were styled Sues swine. Greece and Rome consecrated the sow to Ceres, and gave it the name of the mystical animal. The learned and ingenius M. De Gebelin says, that this selection was made, not only because the sow is a verj^ pro- lific animal, but also, because she plows the ground, and 414 because the plough has a figure similar to that of her snout, and produces the same effect.* The Cymry proceeded somewhat further, but still upon the same road. In Britain, Ceres herself assumes the character of Hwck, a sow ; she addresses her child, or devotee, by the title of Porchellan, little pig ; her congregation are Mock, smne; her chief priest is Turch, a boar, or Gwydd Hwchf boar of the wood, or grove ; and her Ilierarchij is Meichiad, a swine herd. The triad which I have mentioned, upon the subject of the three mighty szcine herds, is preserved in several copies, -f from a collation of which, I shall subjoin an English ver- 1 sion, and add some remarks upon each particular. " The first of the mighty swine herds of the island of " Britain, was Pryderi, the son of Pzoyll, chief of Annrcn, " who kept the swine of his foster-father, Pendaran Dyved, " in the vale of Cwch, in Emlyn, whilst his own father, i " Pwyll, was in Annwn." In order to understand the meaning of this mythology, it will be necessary first of all, to take some notice of the persons and places here introduced. Pryderi, called also Gzcynvardd Dyved, was the son of Pwyll, Lord of Dyved, the son of Meirig, the son of Arcof, Monde Primitif. Tom. TV. p. 579. t W. Archaiol. V. 11. p. C 20. 73. 77. 415 with the long hand, the son of Pyr^ or Pur of the East, the son of lAion the ancient.* Though the vanity of certain Welsh families, has in- scribed these princes in the first page of their pedigrees, it would be absurd to connect their history with any known chronological period. It is purely mythological, as ap- pears from the very import of their names. Pryderi is deep thought, or mature consideration : and the general subject of this thought may be collected from his other title Gwt/nvardd Dyved Druid of Demetia. Pzeyllj his father, is reason^ discretion, prudence, or pa^ tience. That both the father and the son were characters, wholly mystical, or personifications of abstract ideas ; is shewn in Taliesin's spoils of the deep,-); where we are told, that the diluvian patriarch first entered the ark, by the counsel of Pwyll and Pryderi. Meirig is 2i guardian. In this series, the word ought to be translated, though it has been the proper name of seve- ral Britons. Ar-col may imply the man of the lofty mount; but as Arcd with the long hand, was avowedly of Eastern ex- traction ; it is probable his name may have been of Eastern derivation : and if so, he may have been no less a personage than the great Hercules, who was known in the East by similar titles, as we are informed by Mr. Bryant ; * Cambrian Biog. under the articles Pryderi, Pwyll, and Meirig. I f Appendix, No. 3. 416 who tells us, that in the neighbourhood of Tyre and Sidon, the chief deity went by the name of Ourchol, the same as Archel and Arcles of Egypt, whence came the Heracles and Hercules of Greece and Rome.* But the history of Hercules, as we learn from the same author, alludes to a mixture of Arkite and Sabian idolatry. " It is said of Hercules, that he traversed a vast sea, in " a cup, or skiff, which Nereus, or Oceamis sent him for " his preservation : the same history is given to Helius, (the " sun) who is said to have traversed the ocean in the same " vehicle." t If the critics can pardon an attempt to identify Arcol, in the character of Hercules, I need not dread their cen- sure for supposing, that his father jPyr, or Pur of the East, is to be found amongst the known connexions of that Demisfod. *o^ Pyr is^the Greek name off re, and mythologically of the sufif who was the same as Hercules. And the great ana- lyzer of mythology assures us, that Pur was the ancient name of Latian Jupiter, the father of Hercules ; that he was the deity of fire ; that his name was particularly retained amongst the people of Pra;neste, who had been addicted to the rites of fre ; that they called their chief god Pur, and dealt particularly in divination hy lots, termed of old, Purim.J Analysis, V. I. p. 40. t Ibid, V. II. p. 404. % Ibid. V, I. p, 124. 417 From hence it may be conjectured, with some degree of' probability, that this mystical family, which was of Eastern origin, had a certain connexion with the history of Jupiter and Hercules. But lest we should lose sight of the fundamental prin- ciples of Arkite theology, our mythological herald takes care to inform us, that Pyr, of the East, was the son of Llion the Ancient, that is, the deluge, or the Diluvian god : for the waters of Llion are the great abyss, which is con- tained under the earth, and which once burst forth, and overwhelmed the whole zcorld. > This mythological pedigree, therefore, only declares the Arkite origin of a certain mystical system, which was in- troduced into Britain through the medium of some Eastern people. The characters here introduced, are represented as princes of Demetia, the country of Seithenin Saidi, who is Saturn or Noah. This region was so greatly addicted to mystical rites, that it was called, by way of eminence, Bro yr Hudy the land of mystery, and said to have been formerly enve- loped in Llengel, a t^eil of concealment. But we are not immediately to conclude, that Pryderi conducted his swine, according to the rules of his Eastern ancestors. These w ere not the property of his father and grandfather, but the herd of Pendaran, lord of thunder, otherwise called Arawn, the Arkite, and managed under his supreme administration. His authority was already esta- blished in the West, and, as we shall presently see, it was different from that of Arcol, and Pyr of the East, E 418 Pryderi kept the swine of his foster-father y Pendaran, in tlie vale of Cnrh, the boat, or ark, in Eml^n, the clear lake, whilst his own father, Pwyll, was in Antmn, the deep the deluge. I must leave the great swine-herd to the management of his charge, whilst I seek an elucidation of this mythology, from a curious tale upon the subject of Pwyll's adventures.* This tale manifestly alludes to Arkite theology; and I think, also, to the reformation of some foreign abuses, or innovations, which were intermixing with the doctrines and rites of the natives, and to the rejection of Sabian idolatry, or solar zcorship. The reader may judge for himself, by the following abstract : Pwyll, lord of the seven provinces of Dyved, being at Arberth, high grove, one of his chief mansions, appoints a hunting party that is, the celebration of mysteries: thus Ceridwen is said to have hunted the aspirant. The place which he chose for this exercise, was Glyn- Czch, the vale of the boat, or ark. Accordingly, he set out from Arberth, and came to the head of the grove of Diar- Wjfa, the solemn preparation of the egg. Cambrian Register, V. 1. p. 177, and V. II. p. 32. From the Red Sook oi Jesus Col. Oxford, a MS. of the 14th century. 419 Pliny's account of the preparation of the Anguimim, by the Druids, in the character of serpents, is well known. Mr. Bryant also observes, that an egg was a very ancient emblem of the ark; and that in the Dionusiaca, and in other mysteries, one part of the nocturnal ceremony con- sisted in the consecration of an egg.* In this grove of the preparation of the e^g, Pwyll con- tinued that night ; and early in the morning he proceeded to the vale of the boat, and turned out his dogs priests, who were called Kt/t?,f dogs under the M^ood, or grove. He blew his horn that is, the herald's horn Thus Ta- liesin says " I have been Mynawg, wearing a collar, with " my horn in my hand: he is not entitled to the presidency, " who does not keep my word." J Pwyll, entering fully upon thcchace, and listening to the cry of the pack, began to hear distinctly the cry of another pack, which was of a different tone from that of his own dogs, and was coming in an opposite direction. This alludes to some mystic rites,, which essentially differed from those of his Eastern ancestors, Arcol and Pyr. The strange pack pursued a stag the aspirant into a level open spot the adytum in the centre of the grove, and there threw him upon the ground. Pwyll, without re- garding the stag, fixed his eyes with admiration upon the 2 Analysis, V. II. p. S60. Kv, \i Mam.s. Schol. in Ljcoph. V. 459, % Cadsur Teyra On. AppeB4ix> No. 4< 420 (logs, which were all of a shining white hue, with red ears.^ Such is the popular notion of the Welsh, respecting the colour of Crvn Anrmn, the dogs of the deep a mystical transformation of the Druids, with their white robes and red tiaras The prince drives away the pack which had killed the stag, and calls his own dogs upon him thus, initiating the aspirant into his own Eastern mysteries. Whilst he is thus engaged, the master of the white pack comes up, reproves him for his uncourtly behaviour, in- forms him that he is a king, wearing a crown, as sovereign lord of jinnwn, the deep, and that his name is Arawn, the Arkite* this is the personage who is also styled Pendarati lord of thunder. Pw)ll having expressed a wish to atone for his impru- dent offsnce, and to obtain the friendship of this august stranger : " Behold, says Arawn, how thou mayest succeed in thy " wishes. There is a person whose dominion is opposite te " mine ; who makes war upon me continually : this is Havgan, " summershine, a king also of Annwn: by delivering me " from his invasions, which thou canst easily do, thou " shall obtain my friendship." ' This summershine, who invades the dominions of the di- In Ihc Cambrian Register, Arawn is oddly translated, "of the silver " tongue." 'Uie word amy imply eloquence ; but considering his cbaiacter, I rather tbiuk it conjcs Irom ])~\H, Aron, an ark, or ihe$t. 421 luvian patriarch, can be no other than the Solar Divinitif, whose rites had begun to intermix with, and partly to super- sede the more simple Arkite memorials. Here then, we have a direct censure of that monstrous absurdity, of ve- nerating the patriarch, in conjunction with the sun. Pwyll, or Reason, is represented as having destroyed this Apollo. It may be conjectured, however, from the works of the British Bards, that he soon revived again, and claimed all his honours. But to go on with the story It was proposed that Pwyll should assume the form of Arawn ; that he should immediately leave his own dominions, and proceed to Annwn, the deep, where he was to preside, in the character and person of the king, for a complete year. This must mean, that he was to be initiated into Arkite mysteries, or to pass through a representation of the same scenes, which the patriarch had experienced. Thus Noah had presided in the ark, for precisely the same period, over the great deep, or the deluged world, On the day that should complete the year, Pwyll was to kill the usurper, Summershine, or the Solar Idol, with a single stroke ; and in the mean time, Arawn assumes the form of Pwyll, and engages to take his dominions under his special charge. It was during this year, of the mystical deluge, that Pryderi guarded the swine of his foster-father. A/ awn, or Pendaran, in the vale of the boa.t. His herd;, therefoie, was purely Arkite, Fvvyll; having determined to engage in this great enter- 422 prize, is conducted by the king to the palace of the deep- as Noah was conducted to the ark. Being received by the whole court, without suspicion, he is attended in due form, by Arawn's ministers, and lodged in the royal bed the nro? or cell of initiation where he preserves an inviolate silence: and as a man, eminently just and upright, shews a wonderful instance of continence in his deportment towards the queen, who is the fairest woman in the world, and sup- poses him to be her own husband. Such were the trials of fortitude and self-government, to which the aspirants were exposed. On the appointed day, Pwyll kills the usurper. Summer'^ shine, and at the completion of the year, returns from the palace of the deep, into his own dominions, which he finds in an improved and most flourishing condition, under the administration of the great Arawn, with whom he contracts a perpetual friendship. This part of the tale blends a mystical account of the deluge,^with the liistory of those mysteries which w-ere ce- lebrated in memory of the great preservation. The prince being now re-established in his palace, at Ar- berth, or high grove, provided a banquet or solemn sacri- fice for himself and his retinue. After the first repast, the whole company walked forth to the top of the Gorsedd, or seat of presidency, which stood above the palace. Such was the quality of this seat, that whoever sat upon it, should either receive a wound, or see a miracle. Pwyll, regardless of consequences, sat upon the mysti- cal seat : and presently, both the prince himself, and the 4^3 whole of his retinue, beheld a lady, mounted upon a horse of a pale bright colour, great, and very high. The lady herself wore a garment, glittering like gold, and advanced along the main road, which led towards the Gor- sedd. Her horse, in the opinion of all the spectators, had a slow and even pace, and was coming in the direction of the high seat. The reader will have no difficulty in comprehending, that this splendid lady was the /m, riding in her humid cloud ; and that she was coming from the court of ArawUy upon a friendly errand. But as she was unknown to all the company now present, Pwyll sent a messenger to meet her, and learn who she was. One of his train rose up to execute the prince' s order; but no sooner was he come into the road, opposite to the fair stranger, than she passed by him. He pursued her on foot with the utmost speed : but the faster he ran, the more he was distanced by the lady, though she still seemed to continue the same gentle pace, with which she had set out at first. She was then followed by a mes- senger upon a fleet horse, but still without any better suc- cess. The same vain experiment was tried the next day. The prince now perceived, that there was a mystery in the appearance : yet, being persuaded, that the lady had business to communicate to some one in that field, and hoping that the honour of her commands might be reserved for himself, he gets ready his courser, and undertakes the enterprizeon the third day. The lady appeared : the prince rode to meet her : she passed by him with a steady gentle pace : he followed her a full speed, but to no purpose. Then Pwyll said 4U. The remainder of the story is lost; consequently, our curiosity, as to the adventures of Pwyil and the mystical lady, cannot be gratified. But I have no doubt, that this lady in the splendid robe was the rainbow, that sacred token of reconciliation, which appeared to Noah after the deluge, and which was univer- sally cominemorated in Gentile mythology. The mounting of her upon a horse, seems to have been a Britisli device. Thus, we are told in the mystical poem, called The Chair of Ceridwen, that Gwydion, Hermes, formed for the goddess of the rainbow a stately steed, upon the springing grass, and with illustrious trappings. The circumstance of the vain pursuit of this phaenome-r lion, which seemed to move so calmly and steadily along, may remind several of my readers of a childish adventure of their own. Many a child has attempted to approach the rainbow, for the purpose of contemplating its beauty. Upon the whole it is evident, that though the transcriber of this ancient tale may have introduced some touches of the manners of his own age, yet the main incidents faith- fully delineate that Arkite mythology, which pervades the writings of the primitive Bards ; at the same time that they pass a severe censure upon solar w^orship, as a corrupt in-: novation. Having taken this view of the great smine-herdy Pryderi^ or deep thought j I proceed to consider the adventures of th^ next in order, where we shall have some hints of the channel, by which this innovation of Sabian idolatry was introduced. 425 The learned author of the Mysteries of the Cabiri, gives me an opportunity of prefixing a few hints, which may serve to keep our British mythologists in countenance. Having remarked from Tacitus, that the Estyi, a people of Germany, worshipped the mother of the gods, and that the symbol which they used was a boar, Mr. Faber thus proceeds. " Rhea, or the mother of the gods, as it has been abun- **' dantly shewn, was the same as Ceres, Venus, Isis, or " Derceto. She was, in short, the ark of Noah, from " which issued all the hero-gods of paganism. With re- " gard to the boar, used by this German tribe as an em- " biera, we find it introduced very conspicuously into ** many of those legendary traditions, which relate to the ^' great event of the deluge. It appears to have been one " of the symbols of the ark, although not adopted so " generally as the mare, or the heifer. In the first Hindoo ** Avatar, Vishnou assumes the form of a fish ; and in the *' third, that of a boar, when he is represented as emerging " from the midst of the ocean, and supporting the world " upon his tusks. Both these incarnations, as well as the " second, are supposed by Sir William Jones to allude to " the history of the flood ; whence, as we have already " seen that B.Jish was emblematical of the ark, it is not " unreasonable to conclude, that the boar may be so like- " wise. Accordim^ly, in the account which Plutarch gives " us of the Egyptian Osiris, he mentions, that Typhon, or " the deluge, being in pursuit of one of those animals, " found the ark, which contained the body of Osiris, and ** rent it asunder." * * Myst. of the Qbiri, V. I. p. 220. 426 The author subjoins the following note : " Perhaps, if the matter be expressed with perfect accii- " racy, we ought rather to say, that a boar was symbolical " of Noah, and a sow of the ark. Hence we find, that as " Vishnou was feigned to have metamorphosed himself " into a boar, so the nurse of Arkite Jupiter, or in other " words, the Noetic ship, is said by Agathocles to have been " a sow."* " Coll, the son of CoUvrewi Rod, the son of Rod of " terrors, guarded Henzcen old lady, the sow of Dallwyr " Dallben mystagogue, chief of mystics, in the vale or " Dalhcyr mystics, in Cornwall. The sow was big with " young ; and as it had been prophesied, that the island of " Britain would suffer detriment from her progeny, Arthui* " collected the forces of the country, and went forth for the " purpose of destroying it. The sow, in the mean time, *' being about to farrow, proceeded as far as the promon- " tory of Land's-end, in Cornrsall, where she put to sea, " with the swine-herd after her. And she first came to " land at Aber Tarrogi, in Gwent Is Coed, her guardian " still keeping hold of the bristles, wherever she wandered, " by land or sea. " At Wheatfield, in Gwent, she laid three grains of reheat, " and three bees: hence, Gwent is famous to this day for " producing the best wheat and honey. * Agatb, spud Athen, Deipnos. Lib. TX. p. 373. 427 From Gwent, she proceeded to Dyved; and in Llonnh " Llonwen, the pleasant spot of the tranquil ladi/, laid a " grain of barley, and a pig : and the barley and swine of *' Dyved are become proverbial. " After this, she goes towards Arvon, and in Lleyn she <' laid a grain of rye : since which time, the best rye is pro- ** duced in Lleyn and Eivionydd. " Proceeding from thence, to the vicinity of the cliff of ** Cyverthwchj in Eryri, she laid the cub of a wolf, and " an eaglet. Coll gave the eagle to Brynach, a Northern ** Gwyddelian prince, of Dinas Affaraon, and the present ** proved detrimental to him. The wolf was given to Men- " waed, lord of Arllechwedd. " These were the wolf of Menwaed, and the eagle of Bry- *" nach, which in after times became so famous. *' From hence, the sow went to the black stone in Arvon, *' under which she laid a kitten, which Coll threw from the *' top of the stone into the Menai. The sons of Paluc, in *' Mona, took it up, and nursed it, to their own injury. " This became the celebrated Paluc cat, one of the three *' chief molesters of INIona, which were nursed within the ** island. The second of these molestors was Daronwy ; and " the third was Edwin, the Northumbrian king." I should not have exhibited this fantastical story, were I not persuaded that it contains sqme important tradition respecting the progress of superstition in our countr\% of which no other account is to be found and that the great- est part of it may be explained. 428 Before we attend to the mystical sow, and her ill-omened progeny, it may be proper to take some notice of her guardian. Rod, the son of the rod of terrors, or of religious awe, the hero of this singular tale, cannot be regarded as an individual person. He is an ideal character, implying a principal agent, or the aggregate of agents, in conducting a particular mode of superstition. Coll is repeatedly mentioned in the mythological Triads. He is there classed with the great deified patriarch, Hu Gadarn, as one of three personages, who conferred distin- guished benefits upon the Cymry nation. He has the credit of having first introduced wheat and barley into Britain, where only rye and oats had been known before his time.* Hence it appears, that he must have been a great favourite of Ceresy the goddess of cultivation. He is again brought forwards, as one of the three great presidents of mysteries.-j- And here, we must regard his doctrine and institutes, as comprehending the mystical theo- logy and rites, which prevailed in a certain age, or over certain districts of these islands. From a collation of the passages in which tliis notice occurs, it may be deduced, that there had been three dis- tinct modes, or stages of mysticism, amongst the Britons. That of Menu, the son of the three loud calls, and of W. Archaiol. V. II. p. 67. + Ibid. p. 7, 71, 7r. 429 Uthyr Bendragon, or the wonderful supreme leader, was the first of these. That of Coll, the son of Collvrezvi, and of Eiddilic Corr, or Gwyddelin Corr, constituted the second : and this agreed with the mode of Rhuddhvm Gawr, or the red, bony giant. And that of Math, the son of Mathonwy, Dryck eil Cibddar, and Gzcydion ab Don was the third. The first of these modes or stages, I suppose to have been that corruption of the patriarchal rehgion, or the more simple Arkite theology, which originally prevailed amongst the Cymry, and of which we have already had some hints, under the characters of Pzayll and Pryderi. As to the second; when we recollect, that Coll first began the superintendancc of his mystical sow in Cormmll, which either was one of the Cassiterides of the ancients, or else certainly carried on an intercourse with those tin islands, it may be conjectured, that the red bony giant, the original introducer of this superstition, and who is repre- sented as the uncle and mystical preceptor of Coll, was no other than the Phanician, or red merchant, half Canaanite, and half Edomite, who traded with the tin islands. And as this became the system of Corr, the Coraniad, or Bel^ gian, and also of Gwyddelin, the Gwyddelian, whom our writers regard as of the same family with the other, it appears to be the meaning of the Triads, that the Belgse of Britain and Ireland adopted the mode of this stranger. Of the introduction pf the same mysticism into Wales, 430 and immediately from Cornwall, we have a more detailed account in the adventures of Coll and his wonderful sow. This superstition contained memorials of the deluge ; but it verged more strongly towards Sabian idolatry. The third mode, namely, that of Math, Drych, and Gwydion, seems to have been a mixture of the two former; that is, of the superstition of the original Cymry, and the more idolatrous rites of the Phcenicians : or that confusion of principles which we find in the old British Bards, and which Mr. Bryant has detected amongst many ancient nations. Coll is, then, the great agent in the adventitious branch of the Druidical religion. Having thus seen what is meant by his character, >ve will proceed to the history of his sow : and we shall find, that however absurd it may be in the literal sense, great part of it will admit of explanation upon mythological principles. The name of this mysticnl animal was Henwen, old lady, a proper title for the great mother, Da-Mater, or Ceres, to whom the sow was sacred. But Ceres, or the great mother, as Mr. Bryant has proved, was the genius of the ark. Agreeably to this decision, it has occurred to our country- men, that under this allegory of a sow, we must understand the history of a ship. Upon the story of Coll and his mys- tical charge, Mr. Owen remarks, that under this extraor- dinary recital, there seems to be preserved the record of the appearance of a strange ship on the coasts, under the appellation of a sow : and that it was probablj' a Phanician 431 ship, which imported into the island the various things here mentioned.* And again in his Dictionary, under the word Hzech, a sow, the same author tells us " It has been also used as an " epithet for a ship, for the same reason as Banw is applied " to a pigf and to a coffer; the abstract meaning of the *' word being characteristic of the form of both. There is " a tradition in Monmouthshire, that the first corn sown " in Wales was at Maes Gwenithy Wheatfield, in that " county, and was brought there by a ship; which, in a " Triad alluding to the same event, is called Ilwch" that is, a sozi\ That this tale alludes to the history of a ship or vessel, there can be no doubt : and we first hear of its being in Cormoall, that part of Britain which is supposed to haYe had a peculiar intercourse with the Phoenicians. But, in a literal sense, wolves and eagles mugt have been very useless, as well as unnecessary, articles -of importation to the ancient Britons. This was a sacred ship. Its cargo consisted, not in common merchandise, but in religious symbols and apparatus. And there is every reason to con- clude, that it was itself a symbol of the ark. I have already observed, that the name of this mystical vehicle, old lady, was a proper epithet for the great mother the ark. The depositing of the various kinds of grain, points to Csjnb. Biog. V. CM. # -0 the ojfHce of Ceres, who was the genius of the ark ; to the British Ked, who passed through the rkluge, stored with corn; and to the character of Ceridwen, who is styled Ogyrven Amhad, the goddess of various seeds, and whose mysteries were Arkite. The whimsical use of the verb dodwi, to lay, as a lieir lays her eggs, when applied to the parturition of the mys- tical sow, or ship, cannot be accounted for, till we recol- lect, that our Arkite goddess is styled and described as a hen. And this symbolical sow, like the Argo of antiquity, proceeds by land, as well as by sea, attended by her mys- tical priest. The place from whence she began her progress, and the persons to whom she belonged, with equal clearness point out her mythological character. For this sow, we are told, was the property of Dallwyr, the blind men, or Mi.r of Dallben, the mystogogue; and was guarded in Glyn Dall- wyr, the glen, or vale, of the mystics, in Cornwall. To this spot she had been confined during a considerable period ; for the Britons were aware of her being there, and were jealous of the innovations which she might introduce. Hence the old prophecy, that Britain would be injured by her progeny. She was, therefore, of foreign extraction ; and the doctrines and rites of her priests difl'ered from the more simple religion of the natives. Wherefore, as soon as siie began to propagate, or produce converts in the coun- try, the mythological Arthur, the mystical head of the native, and hitherto patriarchal religion, collected the forces 433 bf^ the island, in order to exterminate her race ; but the d6- sign proved abortive the novel system gained ground. Let us now consider the various deposits of this mystical vehicle^ The first consisted of three grains of wheat, and a Triad of bees. The wheat, every one knows to be the fruit of Ceres : and in Britain, tlie person who aspired to the mys-* teries of that goddess, was transformed into a mystical grain of pure wheat. And as to the bees of mythology, the great analyzer of ancient tradition proves> from a mul- titude of circumstances, that the Melissa, or bees, were certainly female attendants in the Arkite temples.* The appropriation of this title to the priestesses of Ceres, Mr. Bryant, as usual, attributes to an error of the Greeks in the interpretation of a foreign term. If this be allowed, the same blunders constantly pervading the sacred vocabu- laries of the Greeks and Britons, might be insisted upon as arguments, that the latter borrowed their theology im- mediately from the former, which I think was not the case in general. The history of the provident bee, the architect of her own commodious cell, in which she weathers out the destructive winter, might supply another reason for making her the symbol of an Arkite priestess. But passing over otir author's etymologies, and taking along with us his historical deductions, it will appear, that the sacred ship which brought the bees, was a representa- F F Analysis, V. II. p. 337. 434 tlve of the ark. Vox the same distinguished writer, who first proved that Ceres was the genius of the ark, has also shewn, that she was styled Melissa, or the bee, and that the Melissa were her priestesses. So that in this British tale, we have the record of an Arkite temple, founded in Monmouthshire by a colony of priests, which came from Cornwall, with an establishment of three Arkite ministers. The grain of barley, and the pig, or one of her own species, which the mystical sow deposited in the pleasant spot of the tranquil lady, in Demetia, or Pembrokeshire, amounts to nearly the same thing. The next remarkable deposit, consisted in the tub of a wolf, and the eaglet. The wolf of mythology, according to Mr. Bryant, re- lated to the worship of the sun.* The eagle also, he tells us, was one of the insignia of Egypt, and was particularly sacred to the sun. It was called Ait, or Asto? ; and Homer alludes to the original meaning of the word, when he tenns the eagle Auto,- ou^av.-\ Hence it appears, that the Arkite mysteries of this old lady were intimately blended with an idolatrous worship of the sun that usurper, whom we have seen the great Araun king of the deep, so anxious to remove. Analysis V. I. p. 78. + Ibid. p. 19. 435 The eagle and the wolf were deposited in Eri/ri, or Snow- don; and Coll is said to have presented the former to a Northern prince, and the latter to a lord of Arllechwedd : which must be understood to mean, that these symbols of solar worship were introduced from Cornwall, by a circui- tous route, into the regions of Snowdon, and from thence into North Britain, and Arllechwedd. The place where the eagle and wolf were deposited, de- serves attention. It was on the top of Rhizo Gyxyerthwch the panting cliff, in Snowdon, and in a structure calle Dinas Affaraon, or Pharaon, the city of the higher pozcers.^ The scite was upon the road from the promontory of Lleyn, to that part of the coast which is opposite to Mona, foi the mystical sow takes it in her way. Hence it seems to have been the same which is now known by the name of Y DdinaSf the city, thus described by the Annotator upon Camden. " On the top of Penmaen, stands a lofty and impreg- " nable hill, called Braich y Ddinas (the ridge of the city), " where we find the ruinous walls of an exceeding strong " fortification, encompassed with a triple wall ; and within " each wall, the foundation of, at least, a hundred towers, " all round, and of equal bigness, and about six yards dia- *' meter within the walls. The walls of this Dinas were, in " most places, two yards thick, and in some about three. " This castle seems, while it stood, impregnable, there " being no way to oflfer any assault to it ; the hill being so F F 2 * Pharaon seems to be the British name of the Cabin, their priests, called Pheryll, were skilled in metallurgy, and are said to have possessed certain books upon mysterious subjects. 436 " very high, steq), and rocky, and the walls of such " strength. At the summit of this rock, zcithin the in- ^' nermost zcall, there is a well, which affords plenty of *^ water in the dryest summer. The greatness of the ** work, shews that it was a princely fortification, strength- ** ened by nature and workmanship, seated on the top of " one of the highest mountains of that part of Snowdon, ** which lies towards the sea."* Tlie temple of Ceres, in the Gytyhhi, is only about the distance of a mile from this place. This stately pile, which has left no other local memorial of its greatness, but the emphatical name " The city," must have been, as I con- jecture, the celebrated Dinas Phardon, in the rocks of Snowdon, which had also the name of Dinas Emrys, or the ambrosial city. This was famous, not only for the wolf land eagle, which were deposited by the m3'stical sow, but also for certain dragons,f which appeared in the time of Belt, the son of Manhogan, or, as we are otherwise told, in the time of Prydain, the son of Aedd the Great % tliat is, in the age of the solar divinity. In this Dinas, the dra- gons were lodged by a son of Beli, or child of the sun; and the destiny of Britain was supposed to depend upon the due concealment of the mystery . Gibson's Camden Col. 804. + W. ArcJmiol. V. II. p. 59, 65. 1 Beli is represented as the father of the brave CamvtUaumis, and the son of "Manhogan, radiated uilh splendour^ But Belt and Frydain are titles of the Helioarhiie divinitj^. See Append. No. 11, where he is addressed by boih these names, W. Archaiol. V. H. p. 9, 11, 66, 78. 437 As to these dragons, the reader has seen that they were harnessed in the car of the British, as well as of the Greek Ceres: and more than this, their general connexion with solar superstition is acknowledged by the Welsh them- selves :* hence it appears, that the oM Jady, who wandered from the mi/stic vale in Cornwall, to the regions of Snowdon, imported a mixture of Arkite and Sabian idolatry. But let us come to the last deposit of the mystical sow, namely, the kitten, which was laid under^the black stone, that is, in a cell, or Kistvaen, in Arvon, from whence the mystagogue cast it into the Menai. It was taken up out of this strait, or river, and became the Paluc cat of Mona. Isis, the Arkite goddess, was sometimes represented un- der the figure of a cat, because that animal, by the volun- tary dilatation and contraction of the pupils of its eyes, imitates the phases of the moon, which was also a symbol of Isis: and Mr. Bryant thinks, that the very names of Menai and Mona have a pointed reference to the worship of flip lunar Arkite goddess. But Paluc cat is spoken of as a large and fierce creature, of the feline kind. Mr. Ozcen thinks it was a tyger. It is often mentioned, as one of the molestations of Mona; and as all the symbols imported by the mystical sow, were regarded as pernicious innovations, by those who adhered to the primitive religion of their country, the destroying of Thus IMr. Owen, in his Dictionary, explains the word " draio, a " generative principle, or procreator ; a fiery serpent; a. dragon ; the supreme. ' Dreigiaiu silent tiglitiiing!:. In the mythology of the primitive world, the ' serpent is universally llie symbol of the sun, under various appellations, " but of the same import as the Draig, Adon, Addm; Bd and Bdl amongst th * Cymry." 438 this cat was esteemed a meritorious act. Though it is described as an animal, it seems to have been only an idoly and attended by foreign ministers. TaJiesin calls it Cath Vraith, the spotted cat, and thus denounces its fate Ys trabluddir y Gath Vraith A'i hanghy vieithon * " The spotted cat shall be disturbed, together with her *' men of a foreign language." It should seem, from another passage, to have been a symbol of the sun : for Taliesin, who often speaks in the person and character of that luminary, mentions as one of his transformations Bum Cath Benfrith ar driphren f " I have been a cat with a spotted head, upon a tripod." Upon the whole, we may suppose it to have been the figure of some animal of the cat kind, which was deemed sacred, either to the Helio-arkite god, or the Lunar-arkite goddess, or to both, as it was a male s^nd a female;'!^ and therefore, at all events, a symbol of the mixed superstition. But as Coll, the guardian of the old lady, learned his mystic lore from the red giant, who resided in a nook of Cornwall, a region which had early intercourse with stran- W. Archaiol. p. 73. t Ibid. p. 44. X Cath Vraith, and Cath Ben Vrith. 439 gers, particularly with the Phanician, or red nation; as the Britons had been jealous of the mystical sow, or sacred shipf which introduced the symbols here enumerated ; and as the wolff the eagle, and the cat are mentioned with disappro- bation, as things which proved injurious to those who received them, I conclude that these symbols, and the ido- latry which they implied, were of foreign growth, and did not pertain to the religion of the primitive British nation. Having now dismissed Coll and his old lady, I proceed to consider the history of the third mighty swineherd, who is better known to the reader of English romance by the name of Sir Tristram. " The third swineherd was Trystan, proclaimer, the son " of Tallwch, the overwhelming, who kept the swine of *' March, the horse, the son of Meirchiawn, the horses of " Justice, whilst the swineherd was carrying a message to *' Essyllt, spectacle, to appoint an assignation with her. " In the mean time, Arthur, March, Cat, and Bedwyr, " went forth against him upon a depredatory expedition. <* But they failed in their design of procuring as much as " a single pig, either by donation, by purchase, by strata- " gem, by force, or by stealth. " These were called the mighty swineherds, because nei- " ther stratagem nor force could extort from them one of " the swine which were under their care, and which they 440 " restored, together with the full increase of the herd, to *' their right owners."* This story also describes the meddling with some foreign mysteries, which had been introduced into Cornwall, and from thence extended into other districts : but these mys- teries were regarded as unlawful and depraved ; for the in- tercourse of Trystan with his mistress, Essyllt, was both adulterous and incestuous. As I have hinted above, it seems to allude to the incorporation of the primitive rehgion of the Britons with the rites of the Phoenician sow. By the character of Trystan, we are to understand, as his name imports, a herald of mysteries : and hence a re- presentative of the mystical system, which prevailed at a certain period, or in a certain state of the British hie- rarchv. ^ The memorials of this character in the mythological Triads, are many and various. We are told, that of the three heralds of the island of Britain, the first was Greidiawl, the ardent, or, as he is otherwise called, Gwgon Gwron, the severely energetic, he- rald of Envael, the acquisition of life, the son of Adran, second distribution. The second herald was Gwair Gwrhyd-,^ vazvr, renovation of great energy: and the third was Trystan, the proclaimer, the son of Tallwch, the overnhelming that is, the deluge. And it is added, that such was the privilege of these heralds, that none could resist their authority in |ie island of Britain, without becoming outlaws.f !S T . 1 * . - . . .. ^ VV. Archaiol. V. IT. p. 6, ^0, 72, 77. t Ibid. p. 5, 63, 77. 441 The very names and connexions of these heralds declare, that each of their modes was Arkite, or referable to the his- tory of the deluge, whatever they may have included be- sides : and their authority is precisely the same which Caesar assigns to the Druidical chair. We have, in the next place, some intimation of the dignity with which these characters supported their high of][ice, when we are told, that of the three diademed chiefs of the island of Britain, the first was Huail, vice^ gerent of IIu, the son of Cazi), the inclosure, also called Gzcair, renovation, the son of Gwestyl, the great tempest. The second was Cai, association, the son of Cynyn Cov, the origin of memorial, surnamed Cainvarvog, or with the splendid beard : and the third was Trystan, the son of Tallwch. And Bedwyr, Phallus, the son of Pedrog, the quadrangle, wore his diadem, as presiding over the three.* After this, we are informed of the constancy and resolu- tion with which the authority and dignity of these cha- racters were asserted, For Eiddilic Corr^ the same as Coll; Gwair and Trystan, were the three determined personages, whom no one could divert from their purpose.f Trystan is again introduced as hierophant ; for the three knights, who had the conducting of mysteries in the court of the mythological Arthur, were Menu, son of Teirg- toaedd, or the three loud calls, Trystan, the son of Tallwch, iuid Cai, the son of Cynyn, with the splendid beard. :J: * W. Archaiol. V. II. p. 5, 12. + Ibid. p. 19, 69. I Ibid. p. 80. 442 From these particulars it may be coUectecl, that Trystan is a personification of the great moving power, in the reli- gious establishment of the Britons, during a certain period of their history: and hence it may be inferred, that his amorous intercourse with Essyllt, spectacle, the zcife, other- wise called the daughter, of March, horse, the son of Meir- chiazim, his uncle,* is to be understood in a mystical sense. We also read of Trystan, the son of this March, who seems to be the same personage, and is ranked with Rhy- hazct eil Morgant, the son of Adras, and Dalldav, mysta- gogue, the son of Cynin Cod, principle of memorial, as a compeer in the court of the mythological Arthur.f Such being the mystical character of Trystan, let us now look for the owner of the herd which he superintended, and the husband or father of Essyllt, his beautiful pa- ramour. This personage was a prince of some part of Cornwall ; and his singular name Horse, the son of the horses of jus- tice, must undoubtedly be referred to the Hippos, or horse of the ancient mythologists, which Mr. Bryant proves to have meant the ark. He imputes the name, as usual, to an error of the Greeks : but it is strange, that these errors should be constantly and accurately translated into the lan- guage of our British forefathers. But let us hear our learned author. W. Arcbaiol. p. 13, 73. t Ibid. p. 19$ 74, 80. 443 " I cannot help surmising, that the horse of Neptune " was a mistaken emblem; and that the ancients, in the " original history, did not refer to that animal. What the " 'iwmof alluded to in the early mythology, was certainly a " Jloat, or ship ; the same as the Ceto (the ark) : for, in *' the first place, the Ceto was denominated Hippos : " 'iortro, Toi* j^teyan ^>jtinoy ij^vv, i. e. the Ceto, or whale. Se- " condly, it is remarkable, that the Hippos was certainly '* called Sxa^wj jti qKv^Kj5y?oj. This Hip- *' pos was, in consequence, said to have been the offspring " of Poseidon and Da~mater."f The March, or horse of the British mythologists, must evi- dently be referred to the same Arkite history, which is here intimated by Mr. Bryant : and not only so, but also, as I shall prove in the course of this section, the horse was, amongst our ancestors, a favourite symbol of a sacred ship. Schol. in Lycoph. V. 766i + Analysis, V. II. p. 408. 444 The mystical Prince of Cornwall is styled the son of the horses of justice; probably, with allusion to the just patri- alrch : and, in order the more forcibly to mark his cha- racter, he is represented as a master of ships, and, in this capacity, classed with Gwenwynwyn, thrice fair, the son of Nav, the lord, a title of the Diluvian patriarch ; and with Geraint ab Erbin, vessel of the high chiefs.* And as March \va? a mystical character, we must also search the Bardic pedigree for the lady, whether his wife or his daughter, of whom Trystan .was so greatly ena- moured. We are told, that the three unchaste matrons, of Drui- dical mystery, were daughters of one father, namely, Cul Vunawtfd Pri/dain, which implies, the person occupt/ing the narrow spot, in the waters of Britain. This very title has an aspect to Arkite mystery. The Piluvian god, or sacred bull, had his residence in such a spot.-f- The first of these three sisters was Essyllt, spectacle, surr named Vyngwen, or with the white money the concubine of Trystan, the herald, the son of Tallwch, the deluge. The second was Penarwen, the lady with the splendid head, the wife of Owen, the son of Uiien.:{: W. Archaiol. V. 11. p. 5, 13, 68. There was a prince called GeraiiU ab Erbin, in the beginniug of the sixth century : but tlie name itself is borxowed from mythology, and the Geraint ofi t)ic Welsh tales is a mystical character, See Ed. Llwyd's Archaeol. p. 265. + See the second section of this Essay. t The character assigned to this prince in the Welsh ules is myfhoJogical. 445 The tliifd sister was Bun, the maid Ko-vi, the wife of the flame-bearer.* It is pretty clear, that these three daughters of Bla- nawi/d, refer to three mystical modes of the same origin, and all Arklte : and I think, the reason why they are de- scribed as unchaste, was, either because they were commu- nicated to persons of different nations, or because they in- cluded some foreign and adulterated rites, which had not been acknowledged by the more simple religion of the primitive Bards. Our present business is only with Essi/Ut, whose name Spectacle, or subject of steady contemplation, manifestly im- plies some mystical exhibition. And as she was the wife of the horse, so she is described as havifig a white mane. She was, therefore, a mare ; but the aspirant, Taliesin, saw the British Ceres in the form of a proud and wanton mare; Mr. Bryant also acknowledges Hippa, the mare, as one of the most ancient goddesses of the gentile world, and parti- cularly informs us, that the Arkite Ceres was distinguished by that title, and that even her priestesses were called Hip- pai, mares.-f He seems to have occupied a distinguished place ia the mystical drama. See the story told of him and the lady of the fountain. In the red book of Jesus College, Oxford, it is mentioned by Ed. Llwyd. Archaeol. p. 265. W. Archaiol. V. II. p. 14. 73. Ida, the Northumbrian King, is supposed to be described, under the name of Flamebeare'r. If "such be the meaning of the term in this passage, I should conceive that Bun may allude to the mysteries of his, which Tacitus re- marked amongst the aucieut Germans, and which this pagau prince uiy have celebrated in Britain. t Analysis, V. II. p. 27, &c. 446 Hence we perceive, that it was of this goddess and her sacred rites, that our British Herald and Mystagogue was so deeply enamoured : and that the herd, which he super- intended, consisted of her priests and votaries. Here it may be remarked, that the character of Trystan seems to refer to a period somewhat more recent than that of CoH : for the former w'as entrusted with the care of the mystical sow, before she had farrozced, or pj^oduced vataries upon British ground : but here, the pigs are already pro- duced and multiplied, though they are still objects of per- secution, to the mystical Arthur and his heroes, or the hierarchy of the native Britons. It may also deserve notice, that Coll is uniformly described as a foreigner, who intro- duced something into Britain, but Trystan was a native, and of some mystical eminence, before he tampered with the swine, or the consort of the Cornish horse. The notices which the triads have preserved, upon the subject of the celebrated Trystan, are undoubtedly, ab- stracts of some old mystical tales, which Mere current amongst the early Britons. And although the tales which more immediately regarded the character now before us, have disappeared in the Welsh language, it is evident that they must have existed, and that they formed the basis of certain romantic histories, of the famous knight, Sir Tris- tram, which are still extant in French and English. Of these, the Metrical Romance, written by Thomas, of Ercildoime, and lately published by Mr. Scott, from the 447 Auchinleck MS. is worthy of special notice, as having pre- served much genuine British mythology, though blended with the fanciful embellishments of the thirteenth century. I shall, therefore, remark a few particulars of the story. This author changes the name of Trystan, the proclaimer, into Tristrem, and Trem Trist, which in the Welsh lan- guage implies a woeful countenance; a designation too whim- sical to have escaped the notice of the humourous Cer- vantes, who probably had seen this romance in French or Spanish. The father of Sir Tristrem is here called Rouland, which seems to be a mere French translation of his British name Tallwchy and the Irish Tuileach, a rolling or overwhelming flood. His mother is Blanche Flour, the white flower, the sister of King Mark, who is the March or horse of the Triads. This lady is certainly the lovely Flur of British mythology, of whom the illustrious Cassivellaunus was so deeply ena- moured, that he undertook an expedition into Gaul, at- tended by the gods of Britain, in order to redress her wrongs ; and by this act, provoked the resentment of Julius Caesar.* The character of Flur imports tliat token, or pledge of union, amongst the professors of Druidism which in- * W. Archaiol. V. II. p. 3. 10. 13. 60. Caswallon, the son of Beli was attended by Gwenwynwyn, thrice fair, and Gwanar, the ruler, who were sons of Hi-aws, impeller of the waves, son of Kviyvre, the firmament, by Arianrhod, goddess of the iilver wheel (the Iris) daughter of Beli, the sun. 448 duced the Britons to assist their brethem of Gaul, as re- lated by Caesar, and thus furnished that great commander with a pretext for the invasion of this Island. The emblematical Flur or fiowevy which this fraternity exhibited, was, I imagine, that of the white trefoil or shamrock. This was a sacred plant amongst the Bards,* , displaying the my^sterious three in one, the great secret in- \ culcated by the very form of their Triads Eind Tribanau. Hence we are told, that wherever their goddess Olwen, j the great mother, trod upon the ground, four white tre- 'i foils immediately sprung up.-f- | Flur is the daughter of Mygnach^ a mystical character, the son of Mydnaw, the mover of the ship. In a dialogue which he holds with Taliesin, he comes forward like Arawn. % the king of the deep, with his white dogs, or ministering Druids ; his residence is in Caer Seon, in the mystic island, and the chief of the Bards reveres his Gorsedd or throne, t + By the birth of Sir Tristrem, from the rolling flood, and the symbol of union, the original narrator seems to have implied, that he was a legitimate son of the Arkitt religion. After the untimely death of these, his natural parents. See the poem called the Chair of Taliesin. Every leaf of this plant is naturally impressed with a pale figure of a crescent, which was also a sacred symbol amongst the Druids, and other heathens. + Owen's Cam. Biog. V. Olxcen. From MailU the name of this planf, we may derive CyvaiU, an associate- one who mutually exhibits the Maill. X Appendix, No. 8. 449 our young hero is committed to the care of a prince, named Rohand, who is a mortal enemy of Duke Morgan, son of the sea, a neighbouring potentate. Both these per- sonages are found in the Triads; but with characters some- what differently drawn. Morgan, sur-named Mwynvawr, or most courteous, the son of Adras (Adraste ?) was one of the royal knights in the court of the mythological Arthur.* And the Rohand of the tale, is Rhyhawd, the man of ex cess, styled Eil Morgant, the successor of Morgant ; and this character, as his name implies, carried his mytical loie beyond legitimate boimds. The triads rank him with Dalldav, Mystagogue and March, the horse, as a compeer, in the court of the same Arthur. He is also styled Overvardd, or one who corrupted the Bardic system with a mixture of foreign fable. This is the delineation of a Hierophant, who made some innovation in the Druidical mode. This Roband, anxious for the safety of his charge, di- rected his wife to feign a second delivery, adopted the in- fant as his son, and called him by the inverted name of Trem Trist. He took the greatest care of his education, and had him instructed in all the fashionable arts and sci e^ices, amongst which, the mysteries of hunting are emi* nently discriminated. Under this allegory, which is precisely in the style of the British tales, we have the history of Tristrem's initiation into the mongrel rites of Rhyhawd. Thus the aspirant, Taliesin, was born again of Ceridwen, and instructed in her mystical hall ; and thus the celebration of mysteries is - . G G W. Arcljaiol. V. II. p. 74. Triad, 118. '450 represented in the story of Pwyll, under the image of hunt- ing ; but the new lore, communicated to Tristrem, differed from that of his parents, therefore his name was inverted. We are afterwards told of a strange ship, which appeareai upon the coast of Cornwall. The English translator, a rhymer of the thirteenth century, naturally calls it Norr wegian, but as the story is mythological, the ship must have belonged to a people who visited Cornwall, during the early ages of mythology. This vetesel was freighted with hawks, which Tristrem won at chess, and distributed amongst his friends. Here it may be remarked, that no ship ever sailed with such a cargo ; but the British Ceres transformed herself into a hawk ; * and this bird was a sa- cred symbol in Eastern mythology. It occurs frequently in Egyptian sculpture, as the favourite representative of Isis. Tristrem is now conducted to the court of Cornwall, and by means of a ring, the glain, or insigne of a Druid, which he had received of his mother, is recognized as the nephew of March, knighted, or admitted to the dignities of the Bardic order ; and advanced to the command of an army, or made high priest, having fifteen attendant knights assigned to him, all of them bearing boars heads, ^The meaning of this allegory is evidently the same as that of the Triads, which represent him as a great swine herd. Invested with this power. Sir Tristrem sallies . forth, to attack Duke Morgan, the president of the older system of Druidism ; kills his adversary, and confers his conquered dominions upon Rohand, or Rhyhawd, the corrupter of Hones TaUesin, 451 fiarrlic mystery. Hence the Triads represent Rhyhawd as Eii Morgan, or successor of Morgan. We next hear of our hero's combat with a champion of Ireland, whom he kills in the field: but at the same time, he is pierced with a poisonous weapon. The wound proving incurable, renders his person so disgusting, that he with- draws from society. In mere despair he goes on board a ship, which he commits to the mercy of the wind and waves; but such is his good fortune, that after tossing about for some time, he finds himself safe arrived in the port of Dublin. Here again, I suspect the rhymer has modernized the geography of his tale. The Queen of the country, however, being admirably skilled in medicine, heals the wound of our hero. He is called to court. The king's daughter, the beautiful Ysonde, the Essj/IU, or Spectacle of the Triads, is committed to his care as a pupil, and instructed in music and poetry, and in every be- coming branch of his mystic lore. Upon his' return to Garnwall, Sir Tristrem reports the beauty and accomplishments of his fair pupil to King Mark, who conceives a violent passion for the princess, and com- missions his nephew to return to Ireland in his name^ and demand her in marriage. -o^ Through a series of romantic adventures, the hero of Cornwall arrives at the accomplishment of his commission. The princess is entrusted to his care ; and they set sail. At their departure, the queen mother, anxious to se- /eure the iiappiness of the married couple, prepared, and c G 2 452 delivered to Brengwain, Ysonde's favourite damsel, a drink of might, with directions, that it should be divided between the bride and bride-groom, on the wedding evening. But fortune decided otherwise. During a contrary wind, when Tristrem was faint with heat and thirst from the fatigue of rowing, Ysonde called for some liquor to refresh him, and Brengwain, inadvertently brought the fa.ta\ drink of might , of which Tristrem and Ysonde having partaken, they inbibed the sudden and resistless passion, which death alone could wercome. Even a dog, named Hodain, who licked the cup after it was set down, felt its invincible power, and became their inseparable companion. The drink of might which is here mentioned, must have been the KvKtu*, or mystical potion of Ceres, agreeing with the preparation of the sacred caiddron of Ceridwen, and with the wine and bragget of the Welsh Bards, which was administered to the aspirants upon their admission to the mysteries ; and hence Represented, as communicating all the benefits of initiation. Brengwain was certainly the Bronzcen, or Proserpine of the Britons, whom Bran, the Haven had carried into Ireland, along with the mystical cauldron, and espoused to a sovereign of that country, dis- tinguished by the remarkable i\ame of Math-olwch, form of worship. Hodain, corn shooting into the ear, is the attribute of Ceres, whose priests Taliesin styles Hodigion, hearers of ears of com. Tlie Hodain of this tale seems to have been one of those priests, though he is described as a dog; for heathen priests were called Kfnj ; the British Ceres transformed herself int 453 a bitch; and in the talc of Pwyll, the priesthood are re- presented under the character of white dogs. Ysonde, notwithstanding her intrigue with Sir Tristrem, becomes the Queen of Cornwall : but not long afterwards, an Irish nobleman, her old admirer, arrives at the court of Mark, in the disguise of a minstrel, obtains possession of her person, and conveys her into his ship. I apprehend the import of this incident to be, that the Belgae, or other, inhabitants of ancient Ireland, were initiated into the mys- tical rites which prevailed in Cornwall. But Sir Tristrem recovers the fair Ysonde, and restores her to the king, taking care, however, to devise means of keeping up a private intercourse with her. One of the stratagems to which he had recourse for this purpose, is very remarkable. Being separated from his mistress, he contrived to correspond with her by means of small bits of zcood, on which were engraved secret characters, and which were floated down a small stream, which ran through the orchard of Ysondc's country seat. . This is a clear allusion to the practice of sortilege, by which the Druids consulted their crods. c>^ The bits of wood were the Coelbreni, omen-sticks, or points of sprigs, so often mentioned by the Bards ; or the lots, cut into tallies out of the shoot of a fruit-bearing tree, and dis- tinguished by mysterious characters, as Tacitus has accu- rately described them. As to the orchard, we may either interpret it the Druidical grove, in which those fruit-bearing trees must have been cultivated, or else we may restrain the meaning to tfie lots themselves, which were cut out of that grove. And it is observable, that the hierophant, Merddia 454' I ihe Caledonian, describes the whole circle Of Druidical mysticism, under the allegory of an orchard, containing 147 fruit-bearing trees, which were perfect tallies with each other. Sir Tristrem, after this, is made high constable, or, as th6 Triads express it, Prtv Hud, president of mystery: and, as A privilege annexed to this office, sleeps in the queen's apartment. Here he takes some unwarrantable liberties ; in consequence of which, he is banished the court of Corn- wall, and retires into Wales, where he undertakes the de- fence of Triamour, king of the country, against the usur- pations of the giant XJrgan, whom he kills in single combat. Triamour bestows the sovereignty of Wales upon his protector, together with a little dog, which was spotted with red, blue, and green; but our hero immediately restores the crown to Blanche Flour, the king's daughter, and sends the dog as a present to Ysonde. Triamour seems to be the Triathmor of the Irish, in which the th are not audible. And the title implies a great king, hog, sow, reave, or hill :* so that it is a term of suffi- cient mystical latitude, to denote either the president of the Welsh Druids, the chief object of their superstition, or their elevated place of worship. Ufgan is, probably, the Gwrgi of the Triads, a mystical cannibal ; that is, a priest, or an idol, who delighted in human sacrifices. And here it may be remarked, that the * This ambiguity arises from a general principle, wliicb discovers itself ia every page of tlie Irish vocabulary ; namely, the appropriating of the same term ro eveiy object which presents the same general idea ; and the primary and iibjtract nicaniag of Triath happens to be, bulkiutis, evnincpct, gi jiromitietice. * 455 character of a niythologieal giantf for the most part, im- plies the idea of impietif or heterodoxy. Hence we find^ that the courteous knight of one tale, is not unfrequently the atrocious giant of another. Such circumstances comply with the various opinions of the several narrators. Tristrem's obtaining and immediately resigning the so- tereignty of Wales, may imply, that his system was intro- duced into that country, but not established there. And it is observable, that the daughter of Triamour, as well as the mother of the Cornish champion, was named Blanche Floury that is, the white trefoil, or shamrock, the mystical pledge of union. The little dog was a priest; and his spots of red, hhte, and green, seem to import those insignia, called Gleijttau, which were of the colours here specijfi^d. " These Gemma Anguincs are small glass amulets, com- " monly about as wide as our finger-rings, but much " thicker ; of a green colour, usually, though some of them " are blue, and others curiously waved with blue, red, and " white."* Mr. Owen says, they were worn by the different orders of Bards, each having his appropriate colour. The blue ones belonged to the presiding. Bards, the white to the Druids, the green to the Ovates, and the three colours yendedf to the disciples.f It should seem, then, that this party-coloured dog was either a disciple, or a graduate, in the several orders, * Gibson's Camden, CoL 815, f Owen's Diet. V. Glarn* 456 ' Tiistrem, upon his return to Cornwall, renews his inti- macy with the queen ; in consequence of which, they are hoth banished the court. The lovers retire into a foresty where the}' discover a cavern, that had been constructed in old time by the giants. Here they reside, and subsist upon the venison taken by their mistical dogs. The king having surprised them, when asleep, in this cavern, with a drawn srtord between them, is persuaded of their innocency, an^ restores them both into favour. ' T!h.\s forest was the Druidical grove ; the cavern, a sacred cell, which had been constructed hy the giants, or profes- sors of a different mode ; the dogs were the priests ; the deer their noviciates; and tlie sword, that weapon which was drawn against the irregular disciple, and religiously sheathed again in the solemn meetings of the Bards, upoM the stone which covered the sacred cell.* Our unfortunate hero again falling into disgrace, upon the score of his old offence, is obliged to fly. Having tra- versed several countries, he enters, at last, into the service of Florentin some relation of Flur -Duke of Brittany, who had a daughter, named Ysonde, more chaste, and scarcely less beautiful than the beloved Queen of Cornwall. Tristrem marries this princess; but his ring, or sacred amulet, having reminded him of his former attachment, he treats his lovely bride w ith absolute neglect. This Armorican Ysonde, Essyllt, or spectacle, presents \ tradition of some more simple religious mysteries, which anciently prevailed in Gaul, but which did not satisfy the See Appendix, No. 3, and Owen's- Diet V. CKnilcch. 457 tlebaucheJ taste of the Cornish hierophant ; and the next incident gives us a hint of the particular defect which he found in it. As a nuptial present, Tristrem had received a tract of country immediately adjoining the territories of a ferocious giant, named Beliagog: but this was accompanied with a strict injunction from Floren tin, ' that he should abstain from hunting celebrating his mysteries upon the lands of that monster, who was brother to Morgan, Urgan, and Moraunt. The champion of Cornwall, regardless of this injunction, hunts upon the lands of Beliagog, encounters the giant in person, disables him in combat, and makes him his vassal. .t As Belt was a name of the sun, so I think Beliagog may imply, what would be expressed in Welsh, Beli a gwg, the severe or frowning Beli; the Belenus of the more recent Druids of Armorica, whom Ausonius expressly identifies with Phabus, or Apollo. So that the giant, so greatly abhorred by the primitive hierophants of Brittany, though connected with the Cornish superstition, was the solar di- vinity. And it is observable throughout the Triads, and the mythological tales, that whenever the corruption of Druidism is described, there is always some allusion to the solar worship, or to those symbols by which it is implied. This superstition, indeed, appears in the works of the oldest Bards, which iare now extant, incorporated with their Ar- Irtte mythology : but those who were more peculiarly de- voted to it, had the opprobrious name of Beirdd Beli the Bards of Beli. When we recollect the Gaulish tradition of Caesar's days ^That the diuiplim of Druidism, such as it then was, had 458 heen modelled in Britain and from thence brought over into Gaul,* we may deem the following incident worthy of note. Tiistrem ordered his new vassal, Beliagog, to build a Ttall (temple) in honour of Ysonde and Brengwain the- Ceres and Proserpine of Cornwall. The giant complied with this injunction, and built the hall zcithin his otcn castle^ to which he taught Tristrem , secure and secret approach. He also adorned this hall with sculptures, exactly represent- ing the whole history of his former life, zcith exact represen- tations of Ysonde, Brengwain, Mark, Meriadok, his minister, Ilodaiji, Qnd Petierewe, their mystical dogs. ^ This, surely, as a mythological tablet, describes the in- troduction of a system of theology, and religious rites, out of Britain into Gaul; and this appears to have been a mix- tare of Arkite superstition, and Sabian idolatry. , In the chapter which I have just quoted from Caesar, the historian adds the information, that in his days, those who wished to have a more accurate knowledge of Druidisra, generally went into Britain for instruction. This circumstance was not overlooked in the tale of Sir Tristrem. This knight gave his brother-in-law, Ganhardin, Prince of Brittanj', such an interesting description of the Queen of Cornwall, that his curiosity was strongly excited. Being conducted by Tristrem to the marvellous castle of Beliagog, which he could scarcely approach without trem- bling, and having there viewed the portraits of Ysonde and Brengwain, he was so astonished with their beauty, that he De Bell. Gall. I. VI, c. 13. 459 Staggered, and fell backward in a swoon. Upon his reco- very, he felt a violent passion for the charms of Breno-wain Proserpine, whom he determined to see in person, without loss of time. Accordingly, the Gaulish prince embarks for this island, attended by the British hierophant. They ar- rive in Cornwall, meet Ysonde and Brengwain, in the forest, or grove, where the enamoured stranger is espoused to the latter. The Auchinleck MS. being imperfect, breaks off in this place. The conclusion of the tale is supplied by the learned editor from some French fragments. But, if I may judge from British mythology, which certainly constitutes the basis of the history of Sir Tristrem, this part is less au- thentic than the work of Thomas the Rhymer. The particulars which I have remarked in this story, have the genuine character of that traditional lore, which we find in the Triads, the Mabinogion, and several passages of the ancieht Bards : and they discover one principal source of those romantic narratives, which, for a series of ages, constituted the favourite reading of Europe. Such tales as the Mabinogion, it will be said, do not de- serve to be ranked with sober history. This is freely ac- I knowledged. They are only brought forward, to diffuse a j faint ray over ages, where history refuses its light. In this I sense, they may be useful. They contain traditions of remote times, when Druidism had many private, and some 1 avowed friends : and they are found to coincide with the 1 most authentic documents which we have upon the subject I of British superstition, and with the researches of our best I antiquaries. 460 Thus, under the representation of three mighty swine- herds, or hierophants, we have, first of all, an account of the earliest religion of our Celtic ancestors, concerning which any memorials have come to our times : and this ap- pears to have consisted of a depraved copy of the patri- archal religion, with a strong abhorrence of Sabian idolatry. Coll and his mystical sow, present] the picture of a novel system, which was introduced into Cornwall, and from thence extended into Wales, and into other parts of Britain. This had a general correspondence with the former, in the memorials of Arkite superstition ; but it also included an adoration of the heavenly bodies, and viewed the deified patriarch, as united with the sun. The character of Trystan continues the history of a he- terogeneous superstition, made up of the religion of the native Britons, incorporated with foreign innovation, ex- tending over great part of Britain, and cultivated in Ire- land, but chiefly centering in Cornwall, where it had gained the first establishment upon British ground, and from thence introduced into Gaul. As the cliaracters of the three great swine-herds, present a general view of the history and revolutjions of Druidism, previous to the Roman conquest of Briton ; it may not be amiss to consider a few traditions, relating to those eventjj 461 "which affected the superstition of our ancestors, subse- quent to that period. The British documents, in which these traditions are involved, are, it must be confessed, like the former, suffi- ciently uncoutli and obscure; but they are the best that we have, and I shall pass over them as slightly as pos- sible. That the Romans, during their profession of paganism, shewed but little countenance to the Celtic priesthood, may be inferred from the severe prohibition of their religious rites in Gaul, and from the conduct of Suetonius, towards the Druids, the groves and the altars of Mona. And it cannot be supposed, that this people, after they became Christian, could view the remains of British idolatry, with more favourable eyes. The public sacrifices of the Druids, and their open pro- fession of magic, were undoubtedly suppressed in those parts of the provinces, which were more immediately under the inspection of the government. But this operation of civil edicts, docs not necessarily imply, the immediate eradication of an inveterate superstition from the minds of the people. From what we know of British infatuation, ^fter the departure of the Romans, it is reasonable to con- clude, that during their vassalage, our progenitors had -kept fast hold of their ancient prejudices and customs. We >are told, which is probably true, that in many corners of the island, the Romans permitted the natives to be go- verned partly by their own laws, and under princes of their -own. In those Asyla, people thus disposed, and who 'spoke a language which was unintelligible to^ their political 462 masters, would naturally preserve the memory of their sa- cred poems and traditional institutes : they would also con- tinue to perform such of their mystical rites, as were less obnoxious to observation and public censure. From the language of the Triads, and some ancient poems, there is reason to infer, that they carried their pre- judices still further : that during the Roman government, there was a seminary of Druids some where in the North of Britain, or in an adjacent island ; and probably beyond the limits of the empire, where the doctrine and discipline of heathenism were cultivated without controul ; that those Druids persisted in sacrificing, even human victims : that'cer- tain devotees, from the Southern provinces, repaired to their solemn festivals : that upon the departure of the Romans, some abominable rites were brought back from the North into Mona, and into other parts of Wales ; and that the Northern seminary was not finally suppressed till the close pf the sixth century. The notices upon which I ground this opinion, I now proceed to state. 0f the introduction of the G>rnish mode of Druidism into Carnarvonshire, and from thence into North Britain, we have had a hint in the story of Colly the great mysta- gogue, who is said to liave presented Bn/nach, prince of the Northern Gwyddelians, with the Eaglet wjiich was de- posited by the mystical sow, and which, in after times he- came very famous. The fiune of this eagle and his progeny, is now to be re- cognized only ia the history of the ttvo dusky birds of 463 Gwenddoleu, which guarded his treasure, wearing a yoke of gold; and which were in the daily habit of consuming two persons for their dinner, and the like number for their sup- per.* Such is the language of the Triads : and if this does not imply the sacrificing of human victims, to some divinity, who acknowledged those birds for his symbols^, or his attributes, I know not what to make of it. Gwenddoleu, the master of those consumers, is described as a prince, who resided on the North of the Strath-Clwyd Britons; but contiguous to them. His destructive birds fell together with himself, by the hand of Gall Power, the son of Djjsg Yvedawg, the imbiber of learning, who is re- presented as prin<:e of Dcira and Bemicia. This catas- trophe happened in the battle of Arderydd ag Eryddon, the high eagle, and the eagles, a fanatical contest on account of a bird's nest,f which was decided in the year 593. X These birds which daily consumed their human vic- tims which were destroyed by the pouter of a prince, who had hnbided learning, or embraced Christianity, and In the battle of eagles, are certainly to be understood in a mystical sense ; and as the eagle was one of the symbols under which an object of Druidical superstition was re- presented, I presume that these birds of Gwenddoleu must have the same symbolical meaning, as the eaglet which was * W. Archaiol. V. U. p. 9. 13, 65. + W. Archaiol. V. II. p. H, 65. t Cambrian Register, Y- H- P- 313. - . la "tliis contest, another mystical canibal wa destroyed namely, Gtorgi Garu! luiydtht hideous, grey, human dog. 464 brought foi'th, by the mystical sow, or genius of the ark, and presented to a prince of the North Britons. If this be admitted, it must at the same time be sup- posed, that Gwenddoleu himself was either a priest or a divinity in the superstitious establishment of those Britons. Let us inquire a little into his character and connexions. That there was a celebrated Northern prince in the sixth century, known by the name of Gwenddoleu, and litterally opposed to Rhydderch, in the battle of Arderydd, I will not take upon me to deny ; but ks it was a notorious practice of British priests, to assume some title of the God they worshipped ; and as this name implies of the luminous ob- lique courses, I rather think it was an epithet for the sun. His priest, notwithstanding, tnay have taken a fancy to it. Gwenddoleu was the son of Ceidio, preservation, the son of Arthwys, the incloser, the Arkite, the son of Mor, the sea. Amongst his uncles and brothers we have Pabo, producer of life; Eleuver, the luminary; Cov ; memory, and Nudd, mist. Those are mystical connections of the Helio-Arkite divinit}'. If we look for Nudd, we shall find that he draws his pe- digree somewhat diflferently, but from the same vocabuUiry of superstition. He was the son of Setiyllt, the seneschal or mystagogue, the son of Cedig, the beneficent, a title of the Arkite goddess, recognized by Taleisin.* And this Nudd Appendix, No. 4. 465 )iad a son named Bryreon, the Druidual teacher, whose fe- tinue is celebrated for having voluntarily maintained the contest, in the open course of Arderydd, the scene of Gwenddoleu's overthrow. * The fidelity of Gwenddoleu's retinue is equally famous It is recorded of them, that they maintained the conflict for forty-six days after the death of their Lord, and till they had avenged his fall.f Gwenddoleu was also one of the renowned bulls of the contest of mystery, classed with the Primordial great one, son of the prior zcorld, of former inhabitants; and with the parent, son of the primitive horse, Hippos or sacred ship. He, therefore, personified the great Helio-Arkite god. From these notices offered by the Triads, let us turn to Merddin, the Caledonian. This dignified priest informs us, that his Lord Gwenddoleu had presented, or privately exhi- bited to him, a hundred and forty-seven apple-trees of equal age, height, length, and size, which had sprung from the bo- som of Mercy ; were enveloped by one mystical veil, and were still left under the protection or Olwen, a mythological cha- racter, who must be identified with the Arkitc goddess. The fruit of these trees were precious things which Gwend- doleu freely bestowed. ^ M H W Archaiol. V. II. p. 8. 12. 69. + Ibid. p. 7. 16. 70. The poems of Merddin tlic Caledonian, afford ground of conjecture, that these days were years, during which, the votaries of Dru- idism persisted in their superstitious practiwsi after some severe laws halelfd the great temple upon Swliiburv plain. 483 gather, that one of the secrets communicated by these trees, was the Druidical art of divining by lots: and that Merd- din's Avallen Berett, in this sense, corresponded with the Jrbor Frugifera of Tacitus,* the shoots of which were cut into lots or tallies, distinguished by energetic marks, thrown into a white garment, or covered with a veil, and thus be- came the means of interpreting the will of heaven. These trees still remained under their veil, and in the cus- tody of the diviue maid, Olwedd or Olwen the British Proserpine. But to proceed " The delicious apple tree, with blossoms of pure white, ** and wide spreading branches, produces sAveet apples, for " those who can digest them. And they have always grown " in the zoood, which grows apart. The nymph who appears " and disappears, vaticinates words which will come to " pass, &c. The Bard, having described his trees in the first Stanza, as exactly similar to each other, contents himself in the sequel, with mentioning one of them. The white blossoms seem to imply the robe of the Druid, the spreading branches, his extentive authority, the fruit, his doctrine and hopes, I I 2 * This identity will appear more clearly in the sequel. If it be said, that Tacitus describes a German, and not a Celtic rite, I would reply, that the Barditus or Bardism, whicli the Germans "near the Rhine, possessed, in the days of that historian, was probably a sbrcad of the Celtic institute, which had been expelled from Gaul. I do not find that any such term as Barditui was familiar to the Germaus of Ctsar, ox to ihose of the Edda, 484 and the sequestered wood which had always produced thi^ fruit, his sacred grove. Most of the Stanzas conclude with a vaticination of some great event, which is here put into the mouth of Chzi>ibleianf the nymph, or goddess, who is ahernately visihle and in- visible, still meaning Olwen or Proserpine, who guarded the sacred trees, or presided over the mysteries. In the third Stanza, Merddin tells us, that he had armed himself with sword and shield, and lodged in the Caledo- nian wood, guarding the trunk of the tree, in order to gratify Bun, the maid, Proserp'ne, who, by way of acknow- ledgement, calls to him in the Northern dialect Oian a JPhorchellan, attend little pig, and bids him listen to the songs of the birds. The Bard complies, and learns the secrets of futurity. Stanza 4. " The sweet apple tree has pure white sprigs, *' which grow, as a portion for food. I had rather en- ** counter the wrath of a sovereign, than permit rustics " in raven hue, to ascend its branches. The lady of com- *^ manding aspect is splendidly endowed j nor am I destitute *' either of talents or of emulation." The white sprigs could only have furnished mental food for the Bards, as constituting their lots and their books. The me7i in black seem to have been the m nks, who strove to expose the secrets of Druidism, whilst Merddin, the fanatical devotee of the mystical goddess, was determined to guard them, at the hazard of his life. Stanza 5. " The fair apple tree grows upon the border of 485 ** tlie vale: its yellow apples and its leaves, arc desirable ob- " jects, and even I have been beloved by my Gwnem, and " ray wolf; but now my complexion is faded by long " weeping; I am neglected by my former friends, and " wander amongst spectres who know me not." Thus pathetically does our mystagogue deplore his fbrloru condition, after the ruin of his establishment. Gzcnem eems to be a corruption of Gwenyn, bees, priestesses, which were deposited by the mystical sow ; and especially as they are joined with the wolf, another of her productions. " Thou sweet and beneficient tree! not scanty is the fruit ** with which thou art loaded ; but upon thy account, I am " tenified and anxious, lest the wood-men should come, " those profaners of the wood, to dig up thy root, and corrupt " thy seed, that not an apple may ever grow upon thee " more." " I am become a wild distracted object, no longer greeted " by the brethren of my order, nor covered with my habit. *' Upon me Gwenddoleu freely bestowed these precious " gifts ; but he is, this day, as if he had never been." (Stanza 6.) , " The proper place of this delicate tree, is within a shelter " of great renown, highly beneficent and beautiful ; but " princes devise false pretences, with lying, gluttonous, and " vicious monks, and pert youngsters, rash in their de- ** signs these are the aspiring men who vi ill triumph iii the " course." {Stanza 1.') " Now, alaS; the tree which avoids rumour, grows upora 486 " the confluence of streams, without the raised circle"* (Stanza 8.) In these passages^ we perceive the Bard's great anxiety to preserve his mystical lore, from the effects of persecution, by princes, monks, and their youthful agents, who are em- ployed in pointing and cutting dozen the sacred groves, and demolishing the circular temples. " This sweet apple tree abounds with 5ma// shoots; but " the multitude cannot taste its yelloio fruit" " I have been associated with select men, to cultivate and " cherish its trunk and when Dyvnant shall be named " the city of the stones, the Bard shall receive his per- *' quisite." " Incorruptible is the tree which grows in the spot, set *' apart (the sanctuary) under its wide envelope. For four " hundred years may it remain in peace ! But its root is ** ofteuer surrounded by the violating wolf, than by the ** youth who can enjoy its fruit." " This tree they would fain expose to public view : so ^' the drops of water would fain wet the duck's feather." (Stanza 9, 10, 11.) Here the fanatical priest cherishes a hope, that his Druid- ism, and his temples, will be re-established in some future age, though he has at present, more persecutors than dis- In another copy" On the brow of a rock, without a stone initt circl$ 487 ciples. Ill mentioning the 400 years, he seems to have a retrospect to the period of the Roman government, during which, liis superstition had already weathered the storm of persecution, and therefore, as the Bard inters, it may sur- vive another calamity of four centuries. Stanza 13. " The fair tree grows in the glade of the " wood. Its hiding place has no skilful protector from the " chiefs of Rhi/dderc/ij who trample on its roots, whilst the *' multitude compass it round. The energetic figures are " viewed WMth grief and envy. The Lady of the Day loves " me not, nor v>'ill she greet me. I am hated by the mi- " ?iister of Rhydderch's authority his son and his daughter ** have I ruined. Death who removes all, why will he not " visit me! After the loss of Gzcenddolen* the lady of the " uhite hozc, by no nymph em I respected. No soother " amuses my grief: by no mistress am I visited. Yet, in *' the conflict of Arderydd, I wore the gold collar. Oh " that I were precious, this day, with those who have the " hue of the szcan, (the white robed Druids !)" StaTiza 14. " The tree with delicate blossoms, grows " in co7icealment amongst the forests. A report is heard *' at the dawn, that the minister has expressed his indig- " nation against the authority of the &/naU sprigs f, twice^ " thrice, nay four times, in one day." Stanza 15. " The fair tree grow^s on the bank of a ri\er. GwencUlolen, was the mystical daughter of an ancient king of CnrnxcalL She may represent in general, tlte Cornisn rites; but 1 thinK, more particu* larly, the Lunar divinitij. Thus she answers to G laeiiddoUu, who represeiitcd- the sun. + This surely alludes to the practice of divining by lots. 488 *' A provost cannot thrive on the splendid fruit which I " enjoyed from its trunk, whilst my reason was entire, in " company with Bun, the maid, elegantly pleasing, deli- ** cate and most beautiful. But now, for Jifty years, have " my splendid treasures been outlawed, whilst I have been *' wandering amongst ghosts and spectres, after having '* enjo3'ed abundant affluence, and the pleasant society of " the tuneful tribe." ^ Stanza 16. " The sweet apple tree, with delicate blos- " soms, grows upon the sod, amongst the trees : and the " half appearing viaid predicts words which will come to *' pass ! Mental design shall cover, as with u vessel, the " green assemblies, from the princes, in the beginning of the ** tempestuous hour. The Darter of Hays shall vanquish the '* projane man. Before the child of the sun, bold in his " courses, Suxons shall be eradicated : Bards shall fourisji^* This prophecy, which is put into the mouth of Proserpine, unequivocaUy charges the Bards of Merddin's order, with the abomination of solar zcorship. The child of the Sun must have been his priest, who, like TaUesin, assumed his title and character. " Tlie blooming tree grows in Hidlock, in the Caledonian '^ wood. The attempts to discover it, by its seeds, will be " all in vain, till Cadwaladyr, the supreme ruler of battle, " comes to the conference of Cadvaon, with the eagle of " the Touy, and the leivi till ranks be formed of the " white ones of. the lofty mount, and the wearers of long " hair be divided into the gentle and the^erce." ** The sweet fruits of this tree are prisoners of words.' " The ASS will arise, to remove men outpf pfl&ce; but this 489 ** I know, an eagle from the sky will play with his men, " and bitter will be the sound of Ywein's arms. A veil " covers the tree with green branches and I will foretel " the harvest when the green corn shall be cropped when <* the he eagle and the she eagle shall arrive from France."* {Stanza 17, l8, 19). " The sweet apple tree is like the Bardic mount of as- " serably : the dogs of the wood will protect the circle of its " roots." " Sweet are its branches, budding luxuriant, shooting " forth renowtied scions " {Stanza 20, 21.) Concluding Stanza. " The sweet apple tree, producing " the most delicious fruit, grows in concealment in the * Caledonian wood. In vain will it be sought upon the " bank of its stream, till Cadwaladyr comes to the con- " ference of Rhyd Rheon, with Kynan, opposing the tu- " mult of the Saxons. Then Cymru shall prevail. Her " chief shall be splendid. All shall have their just reward. *' Britons shall rejoice. The horns of joy shall sound ^tbe " song of peace and serenity." f Such are the seemingly wild hints, which Merddin has thought proper to communicate upon the subject of his * Merddin is foreboding the restoration of his Lord Gwenddoleu's canihal cagte$. t Tbij triumphant close very much resembles that of Cadair Taliesin, Cadavr Ceridwen, and several other mystical poems. This seems to have been the etyle of the Bards, at the completion of their diluvian mysteries, io comdie- woration of the returning season of serenity. 490 apple trees, and which, undoubtedly, were agreeable to the mystical lore of his order. These trees, we find, were allegorical, and pointed to that mass of superstition, which the Bards of the sixth cen- tury had retained, and which they were desirous of conceal- ingf preserving, and transmitting safely to posterity. The Christian princes and ministers, who diligently sought for the mystical orchard, for the avowed purpose of destroying it, root and branch, could have viewed it in no other light. *o' But though, under this type, the general system of Dtu- idism may be represented ; yet I am induced to conclude, from many circumstances which I need not recapitulate, that these trees, more particularly refer to the practice of sortilege, and have a marked connexion with the Coelbreni, Omen sticks, lots or letters of the Bards.* As Merddin was the most recent character, deemed by his fraternity, to have possessed the giftof prophec}', his ora- cles were never superseded, during the long ages of supersti- tion: but when new predictions were demanded for political purposes, the succeeding Bards thought it most expedient, cither to interpolate the Hoianau,'\ or to make the prophet speak out of his grave. % That Merddin used them as means of divination, may be further mferred from hence ; in most of the stanzas, a prediction of some great event is imme- diately subjoined to the contemplation of these mystical trees. These predictions, of which I have inserted a specimen or two, are some- times delivered by the Bard himself; at other times, they are put into the mouth of the guardian goddeis, who has the property of alternately appealing and disappearing., f W. Archaiol. p. 135, % Ibid. p. 132. 491 The vaticinations of our ancient priest, are not much cal- culated to derive credit to his order, from the present age; but the absurdity of his pretentions was not peculiar to the Celtaj. Odin, as well as Merddin, was deemed a prophet, and Partridge and Moore were renowned Gothic Seers, of more recent days. Both in their nature, and in the fate which attended them, the predictions of our Caledonian Druid, seem to have resembled the celebrated lots, or oracles of Mtisaus, which are mentioned, and obliquely quoted by Herodotus. These were in such high credit amongst Greeks and Barbarians, that men of rank and talents thought them worth interpolating, for political purposes. But the Athenians deemed the crime worthy of banishment ; and with good reason : the sacred predictions had an authority which could embolden foreign princes to invade their tountry.* When we have once closed the poems of Merddin the Caledonian, we hear no more of the Druidism of the North. Of the countenance which this ancient superstition expe- rienced amongst the Welsh, for some centuries longer ; and of the documents which their poetry and traditions furnish upon the subject, I have endeavoured to give a fair and impartial account, in the present essay, which it is now time to bring to a conclusion. It is hoped, that the general view here presented, will not be deemed superfluous in a Sec Herodot. L. VII. C. 6- 492 British library, and that the cause of true religion cannot be injured by this delineation of the gloomy maz^s of error. I shall take a brief retrospect of what 1 have written, and add a few general reflections. I have shewn, that the Bards pretend to the preservation of the mystical lore of the Druids ; and that a comparison of their works, with the documents of classical antiquity, con- firms the authenticity of their pretentions. From the barren, or desolated field of Bardic philosophy, I hastened to the consideration of religious doctrines and rites ; and here I have shewn, that the superstition of the ancient Britons consisted of two principal branches, inti- mately blended together. One of these was Mr. Bryant's Arkite Theohgr/, which embraced some memorials of the history of the deluge, together with an idolatrous commemoration of Noah, of his family, and of his sacred ship. The other was Sahian idolatty, or the worship of the host of heaven, a superstition, which in many other countries, has existed in conjunction with Arkite theology. It has been remarked, that the Britons constantly inter- weave the memorials of the deluge, with their remotest traditions of the origin of the country and the nation : 493 whence arose an inference, that this was the superstition of the earliest settlers in Britain, and the degenerate off- spring of the patriarchal religion, which our ancestors de- rived from the great stock of the Noachidae. On the contrary, it was shewn, that British tradition learly discriminates, and steadily reports the worship of the sun and moon, as an innovation, which found its way into Cormoall, and from thence diffused itself into various parts of the British islands ; and hence, I judged it a rea- sonable conjecture, that this alloy was derived from the tin merchants of Phcenicra, in whose country, a similar superstition confessedly prevailed. From this analysis it appears, that the religion of the Britons differed from that of most heathen nations, only as a variety in the same species : that it presented no funda- mental principle which can be accounted peculiar. Its two main branches, the Arkite and the Sabian, have been clearly traced, and in the same connexion, over great part of the ancient world. This intimate, and almost universal combination of two systems, which have no obvious relation to each other, I fiaonot contemplate, without searching for some early cause of such connexion. Why should Noah be the sun ? or why should the Arkite goddess be the moon ? This is not the place for a new disquisition ; but' I may be allowed briefly to state a conjecture. The righteous Noah and his family, who had been dis- tinguished by a Supreme Providence, and miraculously preserved amidst a perishing world, must have been highly and justly reverenced, by their pious and obedient chil- 494 drcn, whilst living, their prayers were besought, and their precepts received, as the oracles of heaven. After their death, their memory was revered, and a growing superstition may have begun to invoke these un- doubted favourites of heaven, as mediators with the su- preme being (just so the saints of the Roman church are invoked), and at last proceeded to worship them as gods. The ark, also, was the means of preservation to the righteous. Its figure may have been consecrated, as a reli- gious memorial of that preservation, till superstition began to view it as a pledge of safety, and to put it under the charge of an ideal being, who was worshipped as the uni- versal mother. ^ Thus, the Arkite theology may have sprung from a cor- ruption of the patriarchal religion ; and in a manner which would not set the vain imaginations of man in immediate and open hostility with his fallible reason. As to the incorporation of Sabian idolatry with this su- perstition, when I recollect, that amongst the heathen Bri- tons, the sacred ship, or ark, the zodiac and the circular temple, had equally the name of Caer Sidi, I cannot help surmising, that the confusion arose from an abuse of the earliest post-diluvian astronomy. Whether that science revived in Ararat or Chaldea, it was its evident design, to commemorate the history and cir- cumstances of the deluge, in the disposition of signs and con- stellations. This device may have sprung from an innocent, 01* even laudable motive. 495 But from henceforth, the heavens represented those very scenes, with which Noah and his sons had been conversant. These canonized patriarchs were acknowledged to be im- mortal : for the age which^rst paid religious homage to the deceased, must of course have admitted the immortality of the soul, and the doctrine oi future rewards. Tiie unbridled imagination of man no sooner contem- plated the sun, moon, and planets, expatiating amongst the heavenly mansions of these immortals, than it also began to regard them as emblems of their persons, and of their sacred vessel ; and therefore as mediators between the hu- man race, and the unknown and great Supreme. Thus, the Jlrkite and the Sahian idolatry became one and the same. This union seems not to have been coeval with the ear- liest Arkite superstition of the Noachidaj. Hence the tra- ditions of the Greeks and other nations relative to the persecution of Latona and her children, of Hercules, Bac- chus, and other characters which implied an adoration of the host of heaven. They were admitted, with reluctance, to the rank of gods. Mankind adopted the practice of Sabian idolatry, with an avowed consciousness, that they were departing from the principles of their forefathers. . That the heathen Britons felt this consciousness, we have had abundant proof. It may also be urged, from their own traditions and acknowledgements, that their Arkite super- tition was a manifest corruption of better principles. They had become so gross in their ideas, as to worship Hu the Mighty, or the patriarch, as a god. Yet they had not absolutely forgotten his true history. The Triads view him 496 As a righteous man, and ascribe to him the actions of man. Taliesin says of him and his family" The just " ones toiled: on the sea which had no land, long did they " dwell : of their integrity it was, that they did not oidure " the extremity of distress." * If they were preserved for their integrity ^ it must have been by some superintending power: and this power is acknowledged by the same Bard, in his song upon Dylan, where we find, that " A sole supreme God, most wise un- " folder of secrets, most beneficent," had destroyed a pro- fligate world, and preserved the righteous patriarch. And again : the sovereign, the supreme ruler of the land, extended his dominion over the shores of the worlds or destroyed it by the deluge; but, at tlie same time, preserved the inclosure of the righteous patriarch in perfect security.-^ So that the great Diluvian god, who was worshipped under the symbol of the bull and the dragon, and who was even identified with the luminary of the material heavens, is acknowledged to have been no other than a saint of the most high. If such principles were admitted by heathens, when they came to the candid avowal of the truth, wherein did the great heinousness of heathenism^ and its votaries, consist? Not in an absolute ignorance of a great First Cause, and of his superintending Providence, but in giving his glory to another, and in acting against those better principles, which their own minds could not but acknowledge. Appendix, No. 10. f Appendix, No. 3. 497 " Because that which may he known of God, is manifest " to them, for God hath shewed it unlo them. For the " invisible things of him, from the creation of the world, are " clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made^ " even his eternal power and Godhead ; so that they are " without excuse : because that, when they knew God, they " glorified him not, as God, neither were thankful; but " became vain in their imaginatiofis, and their foolish heart " was darkened. " Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, " and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an " image, made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and " four-footed beasts, and creeping things who changed the " truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the " creature, more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever."* Such is the view of this subject, communicated by a true philosopher, a good antiquary, and no mean scholar. The human mind is prone to such woful lapses, when it gives way to vain imagination and self-conceit to the opinions of fallible, or the views of designitig men. Thus, Druidism was removed but a few paces further from the religion of Noah, than popery, and some other modes of worship, denominated Christian, are departed from the faith, the purity, and the simplicity of the gospel. Wherefore it behoves all men, who build their hopes upon the religion of Christ, not to place an implicit confidence in the practice of a corrupt age, or in the principles of an arrogant and presumptuous teacher; but to have a constant eye to the foundation once laid by the apostles and prophets. K K St, Paul's Epistle to tke Eoinans, Chap. I. 498 Here another remark of some importance offers itself. As Gentilism arose from a corruption of the patriarchal religion, it is reasonable to suppose, that amongst a multi- plicity of errors and absurdities, it preserved some tincture of the venerable source from whence it sprung : in the same manner as popery is acknowledged still to possess some of the genuine forms and tenets of primitive Chris- tianity ; and a diligent comparison of heathen systems with the book of Job, and the first book of Moses, will evince that this was actually the case. Whate^^r Gentilism had thus preserved without corrup- tion, must be regarded as derived from the revelations vouchsafed to the patriarchs, and therefore, in its origin, of Divine authority, like those uncorrupted forms and tenets in popery, which are derived from the truth of the Gospel. We are not, therefore, to conclude, a priori, that every form of sacrifice, every rite of purification, every sacred symbol, or even every fundamental doctrine, which may have prevailed amongst the ancient heathens, was of hu- man device, and therefore could have nothing similar to it in the revealed will and ordinances of the Supreme Being. For this mode of argument would lead us to conclusions, as unjust as the cavils of those scrupulous persons, who siesert, that the church of England must be superstitious, because it retains some of the forms of the church of Rome. As- this church has retained some of the institutes of true Christianity, so Gentilism had not lost every institute of the patriarchal religion: and these uncorrupted institutes are pure and sacred, notwithstanding the general corruption of the channels through which they have flowed. 499 Upon this ground, we may frame an answer to those adversaries of revelation, who having observed, that some modes of sacrifice, some rites of purification, some sacred iymhols, and many other particulars, sanctioned in the writings of Moses and the prophets, have their parallel in the religion of Egypt, Syria, or Chaldea, boldly assert, that these things were adopted from the heathens, and, con- sequently, that the writings of the Old Testament, and the religion of the Jews, could not have been of Divine communication. The answer is ready. As God had revealed his will, and instituted a fortli of worship, by the prophets of the primitive world, Adam, Enoch, and 'Noah, so, when the primitive religion was corrupted by the vanity and wicked- ness of mankind, he renewed this revelation to the Israelites by Moses, and the prophets of the Old Testament. That Spirit, which has neither variableness nor shadow of turning, again inculcated to his chosen people the same expectation of the promised Redeemer, figured out by the same symbolical types, which had been communicated to the patriarchs. And as the Gentiles also had retained some vestiges of the true primitive religion, an occasional analogy between their forms and symbols, and those of the Israelites, was a consequence that necessarily followed. As certain rites and symbols were enjoined to the Is- raelites, not because they* were heathenish, but because they were patriarchal, and of divine institution, so they were not omitted, in consequence of the mere accident, that the Gentiles had retained them. The word of God, that word, of which every jot and tittli must be fulfilled, never turns to the right hand, nor to the left never giv?s way to the error, or the petulence of man. K K 2 500 Vtom the general and unequivocal vestiges of Arkite mythology, which were impressed upon the heathen world, some other important inferences may be drawn. As the united voice of the early ages, they forcibly recal the candid sceptic, if such there be, to the acknowledgment of the true, that is, the scriptural account of the deluge, and the consequent rejection of all those astronomical and geological fables, which plunge the origin of mankind into the abyss of unfathomable antiquity, and thus open the gap into the regions of darkness, and infidel delusion. Let reason only be consistent with itself, in exploring even the history of heathenism, and it must acknowledge the truth of our sacred oracles. The general voice of mythology, to which T may now add that of the sequestered Briton, admits, that' the per- sonage who escaped in his bark from the great deluge, was distinguished from the mass of perishing mortals by a di- vine providence, and miraculously preserved, on account of his piety and righteousness. This attestation to the character of the great patriarch, and from the mouth of heathenism itself, not only asserts the authenticity of his history, but also the truth of his reli- gion, as a man whose faith and conduct were eminently approved by heaven. And this religion regarded man as morally responsible to one supreme and over-ruling God, who mercifully accepted the offerings and the j^ersons of those who sincerely obeyed him, and pardoned their of- fences, through tlie merits of a Redeemer, announced to our first parents. AFFENBIX, CONSISTISO OF ANCIENT POEMS AND EXTRACTS, ILLUSTRATITE OF TUK DISCUSSED IN THE PRECEDING ESSAY. TO WIIICU ARE AODKDf SOME REMARKS UPON ANCIENT BRITISH COINS. Jl HESE poems and extracts from the aneient Bards^ being illustrative of the several subjects discussed in the preceding Essay, are subjoined with the originals at large, for the satisfaction of the antiquarian reader. No. I. M Song of Taliesin, concerning the Sons of Llpr. ^ 1. Golychaf i Gulwydd, Arglwydd pob echen, Arbcnnig torfocdd ynhyoedd am Ordden. Ceint yn yspyddawd, uch gwirawd aflawen : Ceint rhag meibion Llyr, yn ebyr Hen Felen. Gwcleis treis trydar ac afar ac anghen : Yd lethrynt lafnawr ar bennavvr disgywen W. Archaiol. p. 66. Ltyr implies the sta, or the sea-beach. This name bfts a constant reference to the rites of the Diluvian god. It hjis been con- ferred upon his priests and eminent votaries. The sons of J//i/r way dPUOt, in general, those who had been iaitiated la ttic masteries oi the JDruids. 502 APPENDIX. No. I. Ceinl rhag Udd Clodeu, yn noleu Hafren ; Rhag Brochwel Powys, a garwys fy awen. Ceint yn addfwyn rodle, ym more, rhag Urien ; Yn evvydd am an traed gvvaed ar ddien. !Neud amug vnghadeir o beir Ceridwen ! Handid rydd fy nhafawd, Yn addawd gwawd Ogyrwen. I will adore the love-diftusing Lord* of every kind red > the sovereign of hosts and powers, round the universe. There has been a battle f at the feast, over the joyless beverage a battle against the sons of Llyr, at the outlets of Hen Velen. I saw the oppression of tumult, and wrath, and tribu- lation, when the blades gleamed on the glittering helmets in battle, against the Lord of Fame, in the dales of the Severn against Brochwel | of Pow^'s, who loved my muse. There was a battle in the glorious course, before Urien, vith the dawn: blood flowed in streams round our feet, when death prevailed. Is not my chair protected by the cauldron of Ceridwen ! || The Bard speaks of one supreme God, as acknowledged I>y the ancient Druids, together with their subordinate divinities, Ceridwen, Elphin, &c. whose names occur in this poem. + Of the three battles here mentioned, the first, namely, that against the sons of Llyii or the Bards, at the feast seems to have been the same which took place in the avenues or outlets of tjtonehenge, which is here called Htn Veltn, the old beienium, or temple of Apollo. See the songs of the Gododin. I Brochwel was prince of the country, about the dales of the SeTcm, in the sixih century. In his old age, be commanded the Britons in the memo- rable battle of Ciiesler, A. D. 603. { Urien of Reged, a warlike prince of the sixth century. His fame is ce- lebrated in many songs of Taliesin, and his death lamented by Llywarch iien. II The cauldron, and the ncloary of Ceridwen, hare been considered, Stct. 3 and 4. No. I. APPENDIX. 503 Tliereforc, let my tongue be free, in the sanctuary of the praise of the goddess. . Gwawd Ogyrwen Uferen rwy ddigones Arnunt, a Uefrith a gwlith a mes. Ystyriem yn Uwyr, cyn clwyr cyffes, Dyfod yn ddiheu angheu nes nes ; Ac am diredd Enlli dyvi dylles; Dyrcliawr Uongavvr ar glawr aches. A galvvn ar y gwr a'n digones, A'n nothwy rhag gwyth llwyth anghes. Pan alwer ynys Von tirion vacs, Gwyn eu byd hwy gwleiddion Saeson artres. The praise of the goddess is a mass,* which has com- pletely atoned for them, with new milk, and dew, and ACORNS,,,;;^ .^ii u*SM^i^m i*i? ^^iJoW:.!' i>i uif;*.^ f Let us ponder deeply, before confession is heard, that death is evidently approaching nearer and nearer, and that for the lands of Bardsey,-}- there will be an inroad. ^A fleet shall rise on the face of the water. Let us then call upon him whom we have found sufficient, that he may protect us from the wrath of the alien race. When the Isle of Mona shall be called a pleasant field, ^ then happy the lot of the meek nation, whom the Saxons oppress. '# Or obiation, in behalf of the fallen warriors. In this passage, we may remark the bigotry with which the Bards continued to honour the imaginary gods of their forefathers, notwithstanding they ac- knowledged the being of mie love-diffming Lord of the univene. Are there not nominal Chrrstians in the present day, chargeable with practices no less absurd or impious ! t It appears from several passages, that this spot, as well as Mona, was sacred to the ancient superstition. X Thus Merddin, the Caledonian, in his AvalUnnau." When Pyvnaat ' shall be named the city of stones, the Bard shall receive his perquisite." 504 APPENDIX. No. I. s. *. Dodjdwyf Deganhwy i amryson A Maelgwn, mwyaf ei achwyson r Ellyngais fy Arghvydd, yngwydd Deon ; Elphin Pendefig, ri hodigion. Yssid imi deir cadeir, cyweir, cysson ; Ac yd frawd parliawd gaii Gerddorion. Bum ynghat Goddeu, gan Lieu a Gwydion, Wy a lithwys gwydd elfydd ag elestron. Bum i gan Vran yn Iwerddon. Gweleis pan laddwyd morddvvyd Tyllon. Cigleu gyfarfod am gerddorion, A Gwyddyl, diefyl diferogion. O Benrhyn Vleth hyd Luch Reon, Cymry yn unfryd, gwrhyd wrion. I came to Teganwy to maintain the contest with Maelgwn,* the greatest of delinquents : in the presence of Peonf (the Distributor), I liberated my Lord, even /' pAm, J the sovereign of those who carry ears qfcom.^ I have three presidencies, complete and concordant, and till the doom shall they remain with the tujieful tribe. 1| I was in the battle of purposes with Lieu and Gwydion,^ who set The Maglocunus of Gildas Lord of North Wales, from A. D. 517", t 546, and then nominal sovereign of the Britons, to the time of his death, about the year 560. t A title of Hu, Bacchus, or Liber Pater, the Helio-arliite god. Thui Ap- pendix, No. 11. " O Hu, with the expanded wings father Venn !" * See his cbaractef and conpexions in the 3d. Section. $ That is, the priests or votaries of Ceres. 11 Or masters of Bardic lore, ^ lieu, the luminary, was the father of Minauc, the Diluvian patriarchy f?u;i/<| asxEtf, to etercisefcv titude. Diog. Laert. 506 APPENDIX. No. I. Ys whegach no'r gwin gwyn y llyn yndi Ac wedi ath iolaf, Oruchaf, cyn gweiyd, Gorod cymmod a thi ! Deliver thou the C3nairy, in the hour of tribulation ! Three tribes, cruel from native disposition, the Gwydde- lians, the Britons,* and the Romans, disturb our tran- quillity with their tumults': and round the borders of Britain, with its fair dwellings, they contend for the sovereignty, over vessels of mead, f even in the pavilions of the dis- tributor, who bestowed it upon me. The inundation will surround us, the chief priests of Ked. Yet complete is my chair in Caer Sidi,;|: neither disorder nor age will oppress him that is within it. It is known to Manawyd and Pryderi, that three loud strains round the fire, will be sung before it, whilst the currents of the sea are round its borders, and the copious fountain is open from above, the liquor within it is sweeter than delicious wine. And after I shall have worshipped thee, O thou Most High, before I am covered with the sod, may I be found in covenant with thee ! * The Brython, when distinguished from the Cymry, or primitive inhabitants, seem to have been the Belgian tribes, whom the Triads place in the North, a well as the South of Britain. + An allusion to the bloody feast, on the Cursui, at Stonehenge, where D'eon, or Hu, held his court. Taliesin, as chief Druid, and vicegerent of this god, and of Kcd, or Ceres, claims the sovereignty of the British Island. Had bis religion been in full establishment, he would have been acknowledged as supreme judge, from whose decree there would have been no appeal. Merddin was styled Supreme Judge of the North, in the sixth century. % In this passage, our Bard borrows his imagery from Diluvian mythology, and represents his sanctnary as a type of the ark. This sentiment often occurs in the old Bards. It seems to express some degree of dissatisfaction in their heathenish mummery, and to import a tow of becoming Christians, sometime before their death. See tlie first stauza of the following poem. No. IL APPENDIX, 507 No. II. A Poem of Taliesin, called Mic Dinbvch, a View of the Bardic Sancttuiry.* 1. Archaf y'wen i Dduw plwyf esgori. Perchen nev a Uawr, pwyll fawr wofri, Addfsvyn Gaer y sydd, ar Giawr Gweilgi; Bid Uawen ynghalan eirian y ri : Ac amser pan wna mor mawr wrhydri, Ys gnawd gorun Beirdd uch medd lestri. ^ Dyddybydd gwaneg, ar frys, dybrys iddi, A ddaw hwynt i werlas o glas Fichti : Ac am bwyf, O Ddews, dros fy ngweddi. Pan gattwyf amtnod cymmod a thi 1 I will address my prayer to God, that he would delivr our community, f O thou Proprietor of heaven and earth, to whom great wisdom is attributed, a holy sanctuary there is on the sur- face of the ocean : may its chief be joyful in the splendid festival, and at the time when the sea rises with expanding energy ! Frequently does the surge asail the Bards, over their vessels of mead : and on the day when the billows are ex- cited, may this inclosure skim away, though the billows come beyond the green spot, from the region of the Picts.:|: And, O God! May I be, for the sake of my prayer, though I preserve my institute, in covenant with thee! W. Archaiol. p, 67. + The whole language of this Bardic prayer, u strongly tinctored with the Diluvian, or Arkite lore of the Druids. X The same Northera people with the Brythmt mentioDed in the precedin||^ |K}em / 1508 APPENDIX. No. 11. AddfwjTi Gaer y sydd, ar lydan lyn, Dinas diachor, mor a'i cjlchyn. Gvgyvarch ti, Prydein, cwdd g5mgein hyn ? Blaen llyn ab Erbin boed teu vbyn : Bu gosgordd, a bu cerdd, yn eil mehyn, Ac eryr, uch vvybr, allwybr Granwyn, Rhag Udd fFelig, nag esgar gychwyn. Clod wasgar, a Gwanar ydd ymddullyn. A holy sanctuary there is, on the wide lake ; a city not protected with walls ; the sea surrounds it. Demandest thou, O Britain, to what this can be meetly applied ! 13efore the lake of the son of Erbin, let thy ox be sta- tioned * there, where there has been a retinue, and in the second place, a procession, and an eagle aloft in the sky, find the path of Granwyn before the pervading sovereign, who would not deviate for the tumult of those who dis- parage our praise, though they were marshalled by their leader. 3. * Addfwyn Gaer y sydd ar don nawfed, Addfwyn ei gwerin yn yniwared : Ni wnant eu dwyn cyt, trwy fcflhaed ; Nit ef eu defawd bod yn galed. Ni lefaraf au, ar fy nhrwydded : * The Bard, by an enigmatical description, reminds his countrymen of the ancient solemnities connected with the insalar sanctuary. 1. Tlie >acred X of the patriarch, the Ych Banawg, is stationed before the lake, ready to draw the Avanc or Shrine to land, out of its watery repository. 2. It is th lake of hraint ab Erbin, or of 'the vessel of the loftii chief's. 3. The retinue of priests assembled on the occasion, and joined in the mystical procession. 1'. Th eagle, or symbol of the sun, was placed aloft in the sky, that is, in the opeu sethereal temple, which is often so called. 5. There was the representatioa f the path of Grontw/n, or Apollo an image of the ecliptic, in which tli^ pomp was conducted, preceded by the waving eagle. And 6, this was done in the presence of the great sovereign, or the sun himself that iSi it ww 4 ^iutuftl cttlebratioii, which commenced at the dawn, St;c Noi Q. No. II. APPENDIX. 509 Nog cillion deudraeth gwell caeth Dyved. Cyweithydd o rydd wledd waredied ; Cynnwys rhwng pob deu goreu ciwed. A holy sanctuary there is, upon the ninth wave. Holy are its inhabitants, in preserving themselves. They will not associate in the bonds of pollution. It is not their es- tablished custom to act with severity. I will not abuse my privilege, in declaring a falsehood. The restrained man of Dyved* is better than the shaved ones, of the two strands. If our associate gives the banquet of the Preservers; f- mutual harmony amongst brethren is the best society. 4. Addfwyn Gaer y sydd : a'i gwna cyman, Meddut, a molut, ac adar ban. Llyfn ei cherddau, yn ei chalan: A'm Arglwydd hyvvydd, H'iwr eirian, Cyn ei fyned yn ei adwyd, yn derfyn llan, Ef a'm rhoddes medd a gwin o wydrin ban, A holy sanctuary there is it is rendered complete by the ehearsal, the hymn and the birds of the mountain.;]: Smooth are its lays, in its periodical festival: and my lord, duly observant of the splendid mover, before he entered his earthly cell, in the border of the circle, gave me mead and wine out of the deep crystal cup. 5. Addfwyn Gaer y sydd yn yr Eglan ; Addfwyn y rhoddir, i bawb, ei ran. Demetia, Pembrokeshire, and the neighbouring districts. + The Cabiri, the deities of Arkite mythology. See Cadair Ceridwen, in the third Section. < X The Bard distinguishes three particulars id the business of bis sanctuary. 1. The rehearsal of ancient lore. 2. The chaunting of hymns, in honour of the gods. 3. The interpretation of iheir will, by birds of augury. The hieropbant, by whom the Bard had been initiated, and of whom he bad received the mead and wine, or the KJ^xiw* of the British Ceres. 510 APPENDIX. No. IL Adwen, jn Ninbych, gorwen G vvylan, Cyweithydd wleiddydd, Udd Erlyssan: Oedd ef fy nevawd i, nos Galan, Lleddfawd y gan ri, ryfel eiran, A lien, lliw ehoeg, a meddu prain ; Hyn a fwyf tafawd ar feirdd Prydain. A holy sanctuary there is, within the gulf; there, every pne is kindly presented with his portion. I knew the eminently white sea-mew * in Dinbych the meek associate the lord of the supreme court: it was my custom to attend, on the eve of the festival, to what the ruler sweetly sung (the war of the splendid onef) with my robe of bright green,:j: possessing a place in the assembly. Hence my word is paramount over the Bards of Britain. 6. Addfwyn Gaer y sydd, a'i cyffrwy Ced wn ; Oedd men ei rhydau, a ddewisswn. Ni lyfaraf i daith rhaith rysgattwn : Ni ddyly celennig hi wyppo hwn. Ysgrifen Brydain, bryder brifFwn, Yn yd wna tonneu eu hamgyffrwn, Pe reit, hyd bell i gell attreiddwn. * By the description which is given of this sea-meto, it is evident, he was no other than the hierophant, or chiet Druid, mentioned above. Hywel, the son of Owen, describes the Druids under the same figure. The choice of this aquatic bird as their symbol, arose from their Arkite rites, and Diiuvian my- thology. Amongst the ancients, the sea mew was the symbol of Minerva, as an Arkite goddess. See Faber's Cabiri, V. I. p. 106, 185, &c. The sanctuary, or sacred island, wiiich was fabled to have wandered from place to place, like the ark of old, now fixes itself upon the border of the dood, and proves to be the insular spot, now containing the town of Tenby, in Pembrokeshire : for it is evident, from what the Bard Jiad said before, that he means Dinbych, in Dyved. This is but a small distance from Arbertk, High Crove, the chief seat of the mystical PwylL See Sect V^. + Probably, some ancient and sacred poem upon the adTcntures of the He^ lio-arkite god. J Green was tlie colour of the ovate, or of him who had already been ini- tiated into the first principlfs of Bardism. See Owen's Diet. V. Clain and Ovj/dd. No. tl. APPENDIX. 511 A holy sanctuary there is, with its productions of the vessel of Ked* I possessed myself of its courses, which I had made my choice. I will not disclose the progress of the law, which I religiously observe. He who knows not this, is not entitled to the perquisite at the festival. The writings of Britainf are the first object of anxious regard : should the waves disturb their foundation, I would again, if necessary, conceal them deep in the cell. Addfwyn Gaer y syad yn arddvvyrein : Gochawn y meddut y molut gyfrein. Addfwyn, ar ei hor, esgor gynrhein. Godde gvvrych dymbi, hir ei hadein, Dychyrch bar carreg, creg ei hadnein. Llid y mewn tynged : treidded troth mein ; A bleiddud gorllwyd goreu affein. Dimpyner, odduch pwy, LUad cofein. Bendith culwydd nef gydlef afein Arnyn, gwnel yn frowyr gorwyr Ovvein. A holy sanctuary there is, exalting itself on high. The small reeds, with joined points, declare its praise : fair, in its borders, the first points shoot forth. The cauldron of inspiration, implying the mysteries of Bardism. See Sect. III. + Or writings of Prydain, who was the same as Hu. See No. 11. We may gather from hence, that the Druids had certain ancient writings, which they deemed more sacred by far, and of greater importance, than those songs and tales, which were made public, or recited in the ears of the people. These writings had already been concealed in times of persecution, probably during the Roman government : and they were known only to the Druids, or Bards of the highest order ; for Taliesin tells us, that in case of necessity, he possessed the effectual means of concealing them again. We can only guess, in general, that these arcana comprehended the sacred history, and rituals of tiie J)rHids, together with the rules of divination, and most mysterious doctrines of the an- cient priesthood. From the beginning of tho next stanza, it appears that this code was com- jposed in the mystical characters of the Bards, consisting of reeds, and tlie points, and shoots of trees. To tiiis kind of writing Taliesm alludes, when he says " 1 know every reed, or twig, in the cave t-f Uie chief diviner." 512 APPENDIX. No. II. A cormorant approaches me,* with long wings. She assaults the top of the stone with her hoarse clamour. There is wrath in the fates ! Let it burst through the stones I Contention is meet only amongst the grey wolves. The memorials of Llad shall be secured from the assault. May the blessimr of the beneficent Ruler of heaven, who is harmoniously praised in the heights,' be upon them ; and may he make the late posterity of Owen possessors of the land! 8. Addfvvyn Gaer y sydd ar Ian Lliant : Addfwyn j'd roddir i bawb i chwant. Gogyfarch ti fyned boed teu fwyant Gwaywawr ryn rein a dderllyssant. Duw Merchyr gvveleis wyr ynghyfnofant : Dyfieu bu gwarthau a amugant. Ag ydd oedd friger coch ag och ardant Oedd lludwed fyned dydd y doethant. Ac am gefn Llech Vaelwy cylchwy friwant. Cwyddyn y gan gefn llu o Garant. A holy sanctuary there is, upon the margin of the flood : there shall every one be kindly presented with his wishes. I warn thee to depart ! -j- Thou be prosperous ! Spearmen, with vibrating spears, will occupy the spot. On the day of Mercury, I saw men in mutual enjoyment: on the day * Here we perceive tlie augur in the solemn exercise of his divining art the cormorant, a bird of ill umen, denounces an approaching persecution. The Druid comprehends the hint, and conceals his sacred niemorials. IJdd, in other passages, is a name of the Arkite goddess. In Taliesin's Avgar Ct/fi/n- dated, she is represented as the mother of the Celtic Apollo. Her memorials teem to imply the same thing as the writings of Prydain, mentioned above. + After the Bard had received the omen from the cormorant, and concealed his memorials, he still persists in celebrating his holy sanctuary, till he is inter- rupted by a repeated message from some bird of augury, protecting spirit, r Irother Vni.id, who seems to speak to the end of the stunzs. No. III. APPENDIX. 513 of Jove, there was a disparagement of what they had protected. The hair was red with blood, and there was clamourous woe. Tliere were funeral processions on the day when they arrived. They will break the circle behind the flat stone of Maelwy* Let the multitude of our friends retire. No. III. A Poem of Taliesin, called Preiddeu Annwn, The Spoils of the Deep/" I HAVE had repeated occasion to mention this piece in the preceding sections : but before I insert it at length, it may be proper to observe, that Mr. Turner has introduced it in his Vindication^ with the following preface. " There is so much of Taliesin's poetry, which no one *' can understand, that I cannot but place him, in point of *' intrinsic merit, below the other Bards; although, in " the estimation of his countrymen, he seems to have been ** ranked in a superior class. His Cad Goddeu, The Battle " of the Trees, is eminently incomprehensible ; and so are " others. That 1 may not be thought to condemn him *' unjustly, I will beg leave to present the reader with his " poem, called Preiddeu Annzvn, The Spoils of Annwn. " If its allusions are at all historical, they are too much *' involved in mythology, to be comprehended. In his 77iead *' song, there is a connected train of thought : in the fol- " lowing poem, all connexion of thought seems to have " been studiously avoided." L L W. Arliwol. p. 45. 514 APPENDIX. No. III. The author adds this note. *' It is, however, fair to remark, that if the Mahinogion, " and all the Welsh remains, were to be accurately studied, " it is propable, that enough might be gathered from them, " to elucidate some of the allusions of Taliesin to the opi- " nions, tales, and traditions of his day. This would make *' intelligible many passages, now obscure." I may be thought rather too adventurous, in encountering this select specimen of incomprehensibility, which was no less enigmatical to the chair of Glamorgan, than to the learned Vindicator of the Bards : but if I succeed in point- ing out a due connexion of thought throughout the poem ; if I can satisfactorily prove, that the Bard alludes, with consistency and accuracy, to the mysteries of the British Bacchus and Ceres; that he connects these mysteries with Diluvian mytholog}-; and that he represents them as the basis of the Bardic or Druidical system ; then I may be allowed to presume, that I possess the true key to the mys- tical poems, and to the adytum of British superstition. At the same time, I am ready to admit, that another hand might be more dexterous in moving the rusty wards, which guard these mysteries. In order to make the experiment, I shall, first of all, state, that the subject of the poem is the mythology of the deluge, and the mysteries which zcere celebrated in commemo' ration of it. PREIDDEU ANNWN. 1. Golyehaf wledig, pendefig, gwlad ri. Pe kdas y pennaeth, tros draeth Muad No. III. APPENDIX. 515 l^u cywair carchar Gvvair, ynghaer Sidi. Trwy ebostol Pwyll a Phryderi, Neb cyn nog ef nid aeth iddi. Y gadwyn dromlas, cywirwas, ai cedwi ; A rhag preiddeu Annvvfn tost yd geni: Ac, yd fravvd, parahawd yn Barddvveddi ; Tri lloiieid Prydwen ydd aetham ni iddi ; Namyn Saith, ni dyrraith o Gaer Sidi. " I will adore the sovereign, the supreme ruler of the " land. If he extended his dominion over the shores of *' the world, yet in good order was the prison of Gwairt ** in the inclosure of Sidi. Through the mission of Pwyll " and Pryderif no one before him entered into it. " The heavy blue chain didst thou, O just man, endurei '* and for the spoils of the deep, woful is thy song ; and " till the doom shall it remain in the Bardic prayer TJtrici " the number that z&ould havejilled Prydwen, we entered into " the deep ; excepting seven, none have returned from Caer <' Sidir In this Airst stanza, we find the Bard Acknowledging the existence of one supreme God, and declaring his resolution to adore him, because he had shewn respect to Gwair, the just man, and preserved the inclosure of Caer Sidi, in which he had shut him up, at the time when he extended his dominions over the shores of the world, or sent forth the universal deluge. The Supreme Being waSj therefore, adored for his beneficent providence, which had distin- guished the just man, and preserved him through a calamity which- overwhelmed the world. This, I conceive, was a genuine principle ef the patriarchal rehgion; I have already observed, that Gwair, the principal per- son who escaped this catastrophe, was the patriarch Noah. The Triads represent this Gwair, with his family, as con- fined in the prison of Oeth ag Anoeth, wrath, and the L L 3 5l6 APPENDIX. No. IIL remission of rvrath, from which none of his descendants, to the latest posterit}^, attempted to escape. The allegory implies, that as the patriarch, >vith his family, had beea shut up in the ark, so the Druids acknowledged those only as his legitimate descendants, who were brought within the pale of Arkite mysteries, and who religiously preserved the laws of their institution. The prison of Gwair is here called C I ' '. '-I i^" ! I. . I IM.- II i-^ W Archaiol. p. 43. 534 APPENDIX, No. V. " The fire, the fire!" whispers Aurora. " He is *' high above the lofty gale. High above every sacred " spirit ! Vast is the bulk of his courser ! He will not de- " lay in the skirmish ; nor at the wedding feast of Llyr" (the sea). Thy path * in the sea is perceived thy impulse in the mouths of rivers ! Aurora, smiling, repels the gloom! At the dawn, at his ardent hour, at every meet season, at the meet season of his turnings, at the four stages of his course, will I extol him, who judges the ambitious the mighty lord of the din f dreadful is his wrath ! This, surely, implies the practice of Jire-zcorship. The Bard, however, has not forgotten his Arkite lore. In the course of the poem, he celebrates the mythological steeds, which pertained to that superstition; and then recites a catalogue of his own transmigrations; amongst which we have the following Bum llif, yn eirth. Bum ton, yn engweinh. Biim ysgof j-sgeiniad JJilyw. " I have been a Jlood on the slope. 1 have been a zcave " on the extended shore. I have been a viemorial of the " spreading deluged * It should seem, that the Bard imputes the flowing and ebbing of the tide to tlie snn's influence. + The phrase lihwyv Trydar, lord, or leader of the din, which Taliesin and Ancurin apply to tt.e sun, with others of similar iiopott, seem to denote, that the Druids welcomed his risings with frantic shouts of joy, accompanied wiiU pit' vocal hymii> and instrojueutai music. No. VI. APPENDIX. 535 No. VI. A Poem of Taliesin, called^ Buarth Beirdd, The Dx-pen of the Bards.* 1. Edd, ympeibli, oedd ympuylled, O feirdd Prydein, pryddest oferj Ymryoreu, ymryorsedd, Digawn gofal i gofan gordd. Wyf eissyg pren cyfyn an gerdd. Buarth Beirdd, ar nis gwypo, Pymthengmil drostaw, Yn ei gyinhwyaw. Wyf cerddoliad : wyf ceiniad ciaer : Wyf dwr : wyf Dry w : Wyf saer : wyf syw : Wyf sarph : wyf serch, ydd ymgestaf. Nid wyf fardd syn, yn yryfreidiaw. Pan gan ceinied, canu yngof. Nyt ef wnafyt wy ryfedd uchon, Tlandid a mi eu herbyniaw ; Mai arfoU dillad heb law ; Mai ymsawd yn WyUy heb naw. Gliding with rapidity were my thoughts, over the vain poetic art of the Bards of Britain,^ who labouring to make an excessive shew at the solemn meeting, with sufficient care hammer out a song. I require a stfify at unity with the Bardic lore. As for him who knows not the ox-pen J * W. Archaiol. p. 27. + Taliesin censures those Bards who were ambitious of displaying their talents, without having acquired an accurate knowledge of the mystic lore of the order. It appears- from the sequel, that his satire is pointed chiefly against those poetical geniuses, who attended at the gates of the great. J The insular cell or stall of the sacred ox, which represented the Arkite god, and was known only to the regular Bards or Druids. ^3t) APPENDIX- No. VI. pf the Bards, may fifteen thousapd overpower and afflict him at once ! I ain a skilful composer: 1 am a clear singer: lam a tower : * I am a Druid : I am an architect: I am a prophet : J an^ a serpent : I am love ; in tlie social banquet will I indulge. A liard am I, not doating upon superfluous trifles, When a master sings, his soqg will be close to the subject. He will not be searching for those reniote wonders. Shall I then admit these, like men suing for garments, without a hand to receive them like men toiling ia tjic^ Jake, without a ship ! -j- fi. Tyrfi aches eofii, yngradd Uchel; yngwaed, morddwyd trefydded, Craig, am waneg, wrth wawr, trefnad, An clut ysgmt, esgar noddiad : Craig pen Perchen, pen an^gnad. Yna gwna meddut medddawt meddydd W'yf Cell : wyf dell : wyf darw Becrlled: Wyf llogell cerdd : wyf lie ynjdd ; Caraf y gorwydd, a gorail clyd, A bardd a bryd, ni pryn yred. Nyt ef caraf amryssoniad ; A geibl celfydd, ny meuedd medd. 3Iadws myned i'r ymddiod, A chelfyddeid, am gelfyddyd, A chanclwm, cystwm cywlad. Bugeil brooedd, porthoedd neirthiad, 'riic iiiystagopne, as usual, blcncjs his own personal character with th^ ynib(is i)t' lii)i god tlie tower or pyramid, the serpent, ice. t Several whinniciil cotnparisois arc added in the original poem, for the purjMi.scot' ridiCTiluijj the ^rcteudt;d Bards; bull have oiuiUcd iheaj, as c^cs- ttlLite ol lutcresi. ^^0. VI. APPENDIX. 557 Mai ymdaith, heb drcfet, i gad Wyt* bardd neuodd, wyf ky v kadeir ; Diaonaf i feirdd Uafar llestair. Boldly* swells the stream to its high limit. Let the thigli be pierced in blood. Let the rock beyond the billow, be set in order, at the dawn, displaying the countenance of iiiM, who receives the exile into his sanctuary. The rock of the Supreme Proprietor, the chief place of tranquillity. Then let the giver of the mead feast cause to be pro- claimed, f " I am the cell; I am the opening chasm ; I ** am the bull Beer JJed;\ I am the repository of the mys- ** tery ; I am the place of reanimation. I love the tops of " trees, Avith the points well connected,! and the Bard " who composes without meriting a repulse: but him I *' love not, who delights in contention. He who traduces ** the adept, shall not enjoy the mead. It is time to has- - ' __.^ __^__ This passage describes tht preparatimi for the solemn periodical rite, of xeTuoving ilii' shri'ie out of the cell, in the Arkite island, which seems to have been surrounded only at high water. Here we may remark. 1. A ritual ob- serviiiion t)f the time of flood, alluding to the deluge. 2. A fanatical rite of piercing the tlngh, so as to draw blood. ^Thus, the idolatrous Israelites " cried aloud, and cut themselves, after their manner, with knives and lancets, t^U tlic blood gushed out upon them." 3. A ritual adorning of the sacred Tock, which was, at that time, to display the countenance of the Arkite god. 4. This was done at the dawn, that the Helio-Arkite god might be coming forth from the cell, at the precise hour of the sun's rising, b. This rock was the cinet place of tranquillity ; lor here the divinity was supposed to reside, excepting at the time ot the solemn procession. 6. This patriarchal god, the Supreme Proprietor, was ho who received his family, exiled from the world, into his ark or sanctuary. + This proclamation is made in the name of the Arkite cell, and of the tau- rif'erm god. X A foreign term : perhaps from 1'-^, which implies both an ox or bull, and ^Iso the dawn or n)iorning ; compounded with DH/, Jiame, Jire, inchantment. The bull of fire was an apt title tor the Helio-Arkiie god, as the bull was the symbol of the patriarch, and the sun was worshipped in the form of Jire, or Jlame. I It will occiir to the reader, that the other meanings of these terms, were strictly pertinent to the niysiicism of the Druids, whose god came forth in the morning, aUd was esteemed the president of inchuntort, II The inystagogue requires a song, not only perfectly consistent with the lore pf the Bards, but also, noted in their mystical characters, or omcn-tticks. i That is, " Shall not be admitted to the mysteries, where the mead ie }f ritually administered by the priests. 538 APPENDIX. No. VII. ** ten to the banquet, where the skilful ones are employed " in their mysteries, with the hundred knots* the custom *' of our countrymen." The shepherds of the plains, the supporters of gates,"j- are like persons marching to battle, without their clan. I am the Bard of the hall, I am the stock that supports the chair : I shall succeed in impeding the progress of the lo- quacious Bards. No. VII. Conclusion of Taliesirt's Cad Goddeu, or Battle of the Trees.l I. ^^ Handid cynt, mN'r mawr, Erpan gigleu'r awr, A'n deilas blaen bedw, A'n datrith, a'n datedw. , A'n maglas blaen derw, O warchan Maelderw ; Wherthinrawg, tu cralg, Ner, nici ystereig. Existing of yore, in the great seas, from the time when * By which, the symbolical sprigs above mentioned, were confined to their places, in the compusitiou of" the sacred hymn. t Who seem, according to the vulgar phrase, to prop the gatrs of the great, where they attend as vciial minstrels. As Druidism was not now establiilied by law, the president had no weapon but his satire, wherewith to silence these poetasters. X This piece contains much of the Hclio-arkitc lore : but it is so full of mys- tical allusions, whicli are become ;bsciirc, from I'le loss of monuments, that I hope to be pardoned. It I do not succeed in explainnig the whole. It is here exhibited, in order to exercise the ingenuity of belter uiylhologists. See W. Atchaiol. p. oO. No. Vir. APPENDIX. 539 the shout* was heard, wef were put forth, decomposed and simplified, by the tops of the birch. ;{: The tops of the oak connected us together, by the incantation of Mael Derw;j| whilst smiling at the side of the rock, Ner^ re- inained in calm tranquillity. 2. Nid o Fam a Thad, Pan ymddigonad, A'm cr'eu, am cread ;' O naw rhith llafanad, O fFrwyth, O ifrwytheu, O fFrwyth Duw dechreu, O friallu, blodeu bre, O flawd gwydd a goddeu, O bridd, o briddred, Some passages in the modern Bards might countenance the idea, that this fhout refers to the Creation ; but I rather think, the mythologist alludes to the joy wliich took pli^ce at the opening of the ark, and the putting forth of its inhabitants. + The original fraternity of Bards and Druids. i As Bedwen, a birch, implies the may-pole, or Phailui ; and, as the term used by a celebrated Bard, D. ab Gwilym, ia a very gross sense : I suspect Taliesin alludes to the powers of nature, in their simplest form. ^ The oak was sacred to the great god of the Druids, who is styled Buanawr, the quickener, before when heaven and earth tremble a dreadful fee, whose name in the table book is Dryssawr, the deity of the door. This m,ust apply to the dei- fied patriarch, who received his connected family into the ark, and his con- nected votaries into the Druidical sanctuary. II Beneficent of the oaks. There is a most dark and difficult poem, called tht Incantation of Maelderw. See No. XVI. 5J Kereus, the deluge, the abyss, which was now appeased- The name seems to be derived from the Hebrew "inj, Ner, to run or flow, as water. *' Hence (says Mr. Parkhnrst) the Greeks and Romans had their Nereus, which " originally signified the great abyss, or the sea considered as communicatvig " with it." Thus Nereus is addressed in the Orphic hynia. Possessor of the ocean's gloomy depth. Ground of the seA, earth's bourn and source of all. Shaking prolific Ceres' sacred seat, W hen, in the deep recesses of thy reign, The madding blasts are, by thy power, confin'd; 3ut oil! the earthquake's dreadful force forcfend \ Hcb. Lex. V. ".r^:. 540 APPENDIJy. No. VII. Pan ym digoned ; O flawd danet, O ddwfr ton nawfed. When my formation was accomplished,* not of mother and father was I produced ; but of nine elementary forms ' of the fruit of fruits ; of the fruit of the primordial god ; of primroses, the blossoms of the mount ; of the flowers of trees and shrubs; of earth, jn its terrene state was I modelled ; of the flower of nettles, and the water of the ointh wave* 3. A'm swynw3'sei Math, Cyn bum diaered. Am swynwys i Wydion, Mawr nwr o Brython, O Eurw}^, o Eurwn, O Euron, O Fedron, O bump puuihwnt Celfyddon, Athrawon, ail Math, Pan ymddygaid, A'm swynwys i Wledig, Pan fu led losgedig. A'm swynwys Sywydd Sywyddon, cyn byd. Pan fci gennyf fi vot. Pan fei faint byd hardd, Bardd IJudd an gnawd ; A'r wawd y tueddaf, A draetho tafa\vd, ' ) ' ' * From henceforth, the niystagogiie describes the furniation, and details th Itistory of the great preside^it of the Druidical order, the priest, prophet, and vicegeieiit of liie HcHo-arkite god ; who, upon tlie principle of the nieteiupsj- cho9t> had preserved his enistencc and his identity throQ^h ull ages, from the titue when tite ark waslBrst cunstructd. The fruitk Dowers, earth, amt water here mentioned, are the same kind of ingredients whicli were used in the mystical purifications, with a view tu form. or rt"tiicratc the members of the Uardic order. No. VII. APPENDIX. 541 I was exorcised by Math,* before I became immortal. I was exorcised f by Gwydion, the great purifier of the Brython, of Eurwys, of Euron and Medron, of the multi- tude of scientific teachers, children of Math. When the removal J took place, I was exorcised by the sovereign, when he was half consumed. By the sage of sages was I exorcised in the primitive world, at which time I had a being : when the host of the world was in dignity, frequent was the benefit of the Bard. I am he who influ- ence the song of praise, which the tongue recites. 4. Gwarieis yn Uychwr : Cysgais ym mhorfFor. Neu bum yn ysgor, Gan Ddylan, ail mor, Ynghylchedd, ymherfedd, llhwng deulin teyrnedd, Yn deu wayw anchwant, O nef, pan doethant Yn Annwfn llifeiriant. Wrth frwydin, dybyddant Pedwar ugein leant, A gweint ar eu chwant. Nid )'nt hyn, nid yut iau No mi, yn eu bannau. I sported in the gloom ;|| I slept in purple ; I truly was * M^th was a mighty operator with the magic wand, who. at the time of the deluge, set the elements at large; and Gwj^dion was the Hermes of tha Jlritons. Compare No. X. with Cadair CerHicen. t These repeated exorcisms, or purifications by mystical rites, seem to imply the initiation of the great pontifical character, every tijiie he descended into a cw body. ^ The separation of the NoachidiP, or the dispersioti from Pabfel. Or " The Bard of Bi,dd conversed much with men." I This passage clearly asstrfs, that the hierarcb passed through the deluge. 542 APPENDIX. No. VIL in the ship with Dylan, son of the sea, embraced in the centre, between the royal knees, when, like the rushing of hostile spears, the floods came forth, from heaven to the great deep. On the perforated surface, fourscore hundred assemble, attendant on their will. Thej' are neither older nor younger than myself in their divisions. 5. Arial cannwr a geni. Pawb, o naw cant, Oedd gennyf inneu, Ynghleddyf brith gwaed. Bri am darwedd O Ddofydd; A golo He ydd oedd. O dof hyd las baedd, ^ Ef gvvrith, ef dadwritb, Ef gwrith ieithoedd. Llachar ei enw, llawfer, Lluch llvwei nifer, Ys gein ynt, yn ufel, O dof yn uchel. *Tl3 the animated singer who chaunts. The complete number of nine hundred pertained to me, with my blood- stained sword.i- To me was dignity allotted by Dovydd;;^ and where he was there was protection. If I come to the green plain of the boar, he will com- which was regarded as a great lostration. And this achievement was performed in the sacred vessel of the patriarch. These 8000 were, perhaps, sacred fountains, which ponied forth their waters to meet the descending rhin, and complete the lustration of the globe. f Stained with the blood of victims, which he bad sacrificed. J Domitor, God- $ " Tacitus informs us, (hat the Estvi (a German tribe) worshipped the " mother of the gods, and that the symbol which they used was a bnnr the * mother of the gods was, in short, the ark of Noah, from wliich issued " all the hero-gods of paganism. With regard to the boar we find it intro- " ducd verjf conspicuously into many ot those IcgetKiaiy traditions, wbicb No. VII. APPENDIX. 543 pose, he will decompose, he will form languages. The strong-handed darter of light is he styled : with a gleam he sets in order his numbers, who will cause the flame to spread when I ascend on high. 6. Bum neidr fraith, ym mryn. Bum gwiber yn llyn. Bum ser gan gynbyn. Bum bwysferhyn, Fy nghassul am cawg, Armaaf, nid yn ddrwg, Pedwar ugeint mwg, Ar bawb a ddydd wg. Pum pemhwnt angell A ymdal am cyllell. Whech Marcli Melyneil : Canwaith y sydd well, Fy march Melyngau, Cyfred a gwylan. Mi hun nid ebs^n, Cyfrwng mor a glan. Neu gorwyf gwaedlan, Arnaw cant cynrhan. Rhudd em fy nghylchwy, Eur fy ysgwydrwy. Ni ganed, yn adwy, A vu im goywy, Namyn Goronwy, O ddoleu Edryw}'. * relate to the great event of the deluge. It appears to have been one of the " symbols of the ark." Fabcr's Myst. of the Cabiri, V. I. p. 220. Perhaps, if the matter be expressed with perfect accuracy, we ought ra- " ther to say, that a hoar was s^'mbolical of Noah, and a sow of the ark. " Hence we find, that as Vishnou was feigned to have metamorphosed himself " into a boar, so the nurse of the Arkite Jupiter, or, in other words, the JSoetic " ship, is said bj Agathocles to hare been a sow." Note. Jbid. 544. APPENDIX. No. Vlt I have been a spotted adder* on the mount I have been a viper in the lake I have been stars f among the supreme chiefs; I have been the weigher of the faUing drops,J drest in my priest's cloke, and furnished with my bowl. Not unskilfully do I presage, at fourscore smoking altars, the fate which will befal every man. To my knife, |l a mul- titude of thighs have submitted. Six steeds ^ there are of yellow hue : than these, a liun- dred times better is Melyngau, my steed, swift as the sea- mew, which will not pass by me, between the sea and the shore. With the circle of ruddy gems on my golden shield,** do I not preside over the area of blood, which is guarded by a hundred chiefs? The man has not been born, who can compare with me in the gap, excepting it be Goronwy, from the dales of Edrywy. 7. Hirwyn fy myssawr. Pell na bum heussawr. Treiglais y mewri llawr, * Cyn bum lleenawr. ^ The adder or viper wai a symbol of the Helio-arkite god ; and hence of "hx* priest, who occupied his station upon the sacred mount, ur in the Diluviaa lake. + A constellation, representing a sacrificing priest. X A priest, representing the Diluvian god. II He snpported the character of a soothsayer, or harnspex. $ He vraK a sacrificing priest. 5T Sacred ships symbols of the ark. Melyngan was of this order, as appear* by tfce road which lie travelled. I hate shewn, ia a note upon No. II. that th^. sea-mew was a Diluvian symbol. The shield of the Helio-arkite god, and of his priest, having the image of Caer Sidi, the zodiac, or the Druidical temple, formed of gems, and set ii gold. The device still appears upon some old Hritish coins. The hierarch presided in^ the area of the altar, which was guarded by the priesli, an4 drenched witii the blood of victims. ^ Gor-cn-wy, Supreme Lord of the Wtter the dei6ed patriarch. Ko. VIL APPENDIX. 545 Treiglais, cylchyneis, Kysgeis cant ynys ; Cant kaer a thiugys. 4 Derwyddon doethur, Darogenwch i Arthur, * Yssid y sydd gynt Neu'r mi, ergenhynt, A Christ y croccaw A dydd brawd rhag Haw, Ac am un adderyw, O ystyr dilyw ? Eurem yn euryll, Mi hydwyf berthyll, Ac ydwyf drythyll, O ormes Fferyll. Long and white are my fingers. It is long since I have been a herdsman.* I wandered in the earth, before I be- came a proficient in learning. I wandered, I went the cir- cuit, 1 slept in a hundred islands ; through a hundred Caers I toiled. Ye intelligent Druids, declare to Arthur all that has been predicted of yore. Have theyf not sung of me, and of Christ J that was crucified, and of the day of future doom, and of one that has been endowed with the lore of the deluge. With my precious golden device upon my piece of gold, N N So Heilin, the Helio-arkite god, is styled Paigadwr, the feeder, No. IV. The Bards had some tradition that their solar divinity, or his chief priest and representative, in ancient times, had been a herdsman or shepherd. The Greeks told the same tale of their Apollo. See Apollodor. L. I. c. 9. and L. III. c. 10. + That is, the diviners of former times. i This sacred name is introduced as a cloak into many of the heathen songs f the Britons. 546 APPENDIX. No. VIII. Lo, I am that splendid one, who sportively come froiii the invading host of the Feryll. * m No. VIII. Dialogue between Ugnach, the Son of Mydno, of Caer Seon, and Taliesin, of Caer Deganwy.f TALIESIN. Marchawc, a girch y Dinas, Ae con gwinion, ae cirn bras, Nyth adwaen : ni rythwelas. O knight, who approachest the city with white dogs J and large homs,| I know thee not: to my eyes thou art not familiar. ^ UGNACH. Marchawc, a circh ir Aber, Yar March cadarn, cadfer, Dabre genhiw : nim gwatter. Thou knight, who repairest to the river's mouth, on a stout, warlike steed, [) come with me; I take no denial. TALIESIN. Mi nid aw ina in awr : Or Pheryll, Cabiri Helio-arkite^. + W. Archaiol. p. 46. The monks say that Ugnach, otherwise called Mygnach> the son of Mydnaw, the skip mover, was principal of the college of Caer Gybi, or Holyhead. But these legendaries often confound the votaries of Druidism, with the eurlj ssunts of their own calendar ; and it may be inferred, from the fotlowiiig poem, which certainly is ancient, that Ugnach was a distinguished hierophant in Arkite mysteries. If his station was Holyhead, it must follow, that this islet was a Seon or Sena of the British Bards. See Sect. II. t Cwn Annwn, or dogs of the deep, a mystical representation of the white- robed Druids. So Arawn, the Arkite, King of the Deep, had his pack of tohite dogs with red ears. See Sect. V. $ Attributes of the tauriform god, whom this priest represented. {| Taliesin's horse, named Meli/ii^im, as we have already seen, was a sacred ship. Sec No. VII. No. VIII. APPENDIX. 547 Gollew gweith y godriccawr, Elhid bendith new a llawr I At present, that is not my road abstain fromim injurious act, for the blessing of heaven and earth ! UGNACH. Y gwr nim gwelas beunit, Y tebic i gur deduit, Ba hyd ei dy, a phan delit? O thou who hast not often seen me thou who resemblest one of the initiated, ho^y long wilt thou absent thyself, and when wilt thou come ? TALIESIN. Ban deuaw o Caer Seon, f O imlat ac itewon, I tau Caer Leu a Gwidion. When I return from Caer Seon,* from contending with Jews, I will come to the city of Leu and Gwydion.f UGNACH. Dabrede genhiw i'r Dinas,' A thuit met ara phellas, Ac eur coeth ar di wanas. Come with me into the city, ihou shalt have mead J which I have prepared, O thou with pure gold upon thy clasp . TALIESIN. Mi nid aduen y gur hy, N N 2 * Segontium, near Caernarvon, was called Caer Seiont, from the river Seiont (Amnis Sagarum), being probably the place where the S'ion, or Galli- cencs, lauded from Mona. The Seon here mentioned was an isolated sanctuary Seon Tewdor or representative of the ark. See No. X. + The former of these was the father of the Diluvian 'patriarch. See Cadair Ceridwen, inserted in the third Sect. The latter was the British Hermes, often laentioned. X The cup of initiation. 4 A trinket, which was viewed as th in8igDe APPENDIX. No. X. Pedair Peunoeth, Meinoeth tymhor : Cwyddynt gytoed ; Ni bu clyd coed, Gwynt yn gordr. Math ag Eunydd, Hudwydd gelfydd, Rydd elfinor. Ym myw Gwydion Ac Amaethon, Atoedd cynghor, TwU tal y rodawg, Ffyryf ffodiawg, Ffyrf diachor : Cadarn gyngres Ei faranres, Ni bu warth for. Cadarn gyfedd, Ymhob Gorsedd, Gwnelid ei fodd. Cu cynaethwy ! Hyd tra fy w fwy, Crybwyllettor. Disturbed is the island of the praise of Hu, the island of the severe remunerator ; even Mona, of the generous bowls, which animate vigour the island whose barrier is the Menai. There I enjoyed the beverage * of wine and sweet liquor with a brother, who is now departed. The universal tyrant puts an end to every energy the leader of destruction. Deplorable is the fate of the arkf of Aeddon, since it is tm n I I I I II Which was administered to the attendants at the sacred festival. + The ark of the god, which was under the protection of his priest. No. X. APPENDIX. 555 perceived, that there neither has been, nor will there be his equal, in the hour of perturbation. When Aeddon came from the land of Gwydion^ into S'ion of the strong door,* a pure poison diffused itself for four successive nights, whilst the season was as yet serene. His contemporaries fell. The woods afforded them no shelter, when the winds arose in their skirts. Then Math and Eunydd, masters of the magic wand, set the elements at large : but in the living Gwydion and Amaethon, there was a resource of counsel, to impress the front of his shield with a prevalent form, a form irresistible. Thus the mighty combination of his chosen rank .was not overwhelmed by the sea : and in every seat of presidency, the will of his The ark; and hence the insulated fanes, sacred to Arkite mysteries. Cwydion was Htrmes. His land may have been the old world, which was over- whelmed by the deluge ; as it was bis traditidual office to conduct the dead into a region beneath the abyss. In this passage, we have much Arkite mythology. 1. The patriarch came from the land of Hermes, or the old world. 2. He entered the inclosure of Seon, or of the nine sacred damsels, which was guarded by a strong door, or barrier. This inclosure was the ark. 3. When he was shut up in this sanctuary, the great supreme (Sec No. III.) sent forth a poisonous vapour, to destroy the wicked world. To this bane, the Bards often allude. See Cadair Ceridxoen, Marvmad Dylan, &c. But the messenger of death entered not the inclosure of Seon. In the same strain of fable, Maelgwn is said to have retired into a church, to avoid the contagion of the yellow pestilence : here he would have beea safe, had he not seen the demon of destruction through a small hole in the door : but the inclosure of Seon was better secured. 4. By this pestilential vapour, which filled the whole atmosphere, the pa- triarch's wicked contemporaries were destroyed. But the earth was still polluted. 5. Then the great magicians, with their magic wands, set free the purifying elements : one of the effects of which, as described in the Triads, was the dreadful tempest of fire, whicli split the earth to the great deep, and con- sumed the greatest part of all that lived. W. Archaiol. V. II. p. 59. Upoo this, the waters of Llyn Llion, or the abyss, burst forth. 6. These powerful agents would have destroyed the patriarch and his family in Caer Seon, had not Hermes counselled him to impress a mysticfil form, or to strike a peculiar signal upon his shield. This, I [suppose, had the same eiFect as the horrid din, with which the heathens pretended to save the moon, at the hour of her eclipse. 7 This device, together with the integrity of the just ones, preserved them from being overwhelmed by the deluge. ' 8. Hence, an imitation of these adventures became a sacred institution, which was duly observed in the mysteries, and conducted by the presiding priest. S56 APl^ENDIX. No. X. mighty representative in the feast will be obeyed. The dear leader of the course whilst my life continues, he shall be commemorated. 2. Echrys ynys Gwawd Hu, ynys Gwrys gochymma. Y rhag Buddwas, Cymry ddinas Aros ara ; Draganawl ben, Priodawr, perchen Ym Mretonia. . Bifa gwledig, '^^' Or bendefig, Ae tu terra ! Pedeir morwyn, Wedy eu cwyii, Dygnawd eu tra. Erddygnawd wir, Ar for, heb dir, Hir eu trefra.: Oi wironyn, Na ddigonyn Dim gofetra. Ceryddus wyf, Na chrybwyllwyf A'm rywnel da. I Iwrw Llywy Pwy gwa harddwy, Pwy attrefna ! I Iwrw Aeddon, Pwy gynneil Mon Mwyn gy wala ? No. XI. APPENDIX. 557 Disturbed is the island of the praise of Hu, the island of the severe inspector. Before Buddwas,* may the com- munity of the Cymry remain in tranquillity ; he being the dragon chief, the proprietor, the rightful claimant in Britannia ! What shall consume a ruler f of the illustrious circle is it a portion of earth ? The four damsels ;j: having ended their lamentation, have performed their last office ; but the just ones toiled : on the sea which had no land, long did they dwell : of their integrity it was, that they did not endure the extremity of distress. Yet still am I oppressed with sorrow, unless I commemo- rate my benefactor. In behalf of Llywy, who will now exercise restraint, who shall restore order ! In behalf of Aeddoriy who shall support Mona's benign associates ! No. XL An ancient Poem, called Marwnad Uthyr Pendeagon, the Elegy of Uther Pendragon.\ To the readers of Geoffrey of Monmouth, and his num- berless copyists, the name of Uther Pendragon, the old * A title of Hu, who was venerated in the symbol of a huge serpent, and acknowledged as tiie supreme lord of Britain, where his chief priest governed as his vicegerent. See No. XI. + The priest, who was considered as still living, Orbe aUo, though his cor- poreal parts had been dissolved. \ GaUicenx, Gwyllion, or Scon. Those devoted priestesses, whose office it was, in the mysteries, to lament the supposed death of their god, as the Jewish women wept for Tammuz. Here the Bard, as usual, digresses into his Arkite mythology The just ones, or Arkites, had been afflicted and tossed about upon the face of the deluge ; but their integrity brought them to a safe harbour. The natural inference was, that this good priest, their votary, had also escaped from (rouble. Notwith- standing this implied hope, the Bard is grieved for the departure of his bene- factor, whose loss will be long felt by the fraternity of Mona. ^ The name implies wonderful supreme leader, or wonderful chief dragoa. 558 APPENDIX. No. XL King of the Britons, must be perfectly familiar. In this poem, however, be appears in the character of a heathen divinity, and his history is clearly referable to that of the deified patriarch. In the former part of the piece, this divinity is personi- fied by one of his priests, who recites part of the attributes and history of the pageant god : in the latter part, he is addressed by a sacrificing priest, with a prayer for the prosperity of Britain. The whole seems to have been taken from a mystical formulary. 1. Neu fi liossawg 3m trydar ; Ni pheidwn, rhwng deu lu, heb wyar. Neu fi a elwir Gorlassar. Fy ngwregys bu envys im hesgar. Neu fi tywyssawg, yn nhywyll, A'm rithwy am dwy pen kawell. Neu fi, ail Cawyl, yn arddu, Ni pheidiwn heb wyar rhwng deulu. Neu fi, a amug fy achlessur, Yn divant, a charant, casnur. Neu'r orddyfneis i waed am wythur, Cleddyfal, hydyr, rhag meibion Cawr Nur ! Neu fi a rannwys fy echlessur, Nawfetran, yngwryd Arthur ! Neu fi a dorreis cant Caer : Neu fi a leddais cant maer : Neu fi a roddeis cant lien : Neu fi a leddais cant pen : Neu fi a roddeis, i Henpen, Tlie reader will recollect, that the titles of the Helio-arkite god have often ben conferred upon his priestSt aud upon those princes who were favourites with the Druids and Bards. See W. Archaiol. p. 72. No. XL APPENDIX. 559 Cleddyfawr, gorfawr gynghallen. Neu fi a oreu terenhydd jHaearndor, edeithor pen mynydd. Ym gwedduit im gofid, Hydyr oedd gyhir ; Nid oedd fyd na bei fy Eissillydd. Mydwyf Bardd moladwy-anghywreint * Poet y gaa vrein, ac eryr, ac wytheint * Afagddu ae deubu ei gymaint, Pan ymbyrth pedrywyr rhwng dwy geint. Dringaw i nef oedd (y chwant, Rhag eryr, rhag ofn amheirant. Wyf Bardd, ag wyf telynawr, Wyf Pibydd, ag wyf Crythawr, Seith ugein cerddawr, Dy gorfawr gyngallen. Behold me, who am powerful in the tumultuous din ; who would not pause between two hosts, without blood. Am I not called Gorlassar* the {Stherial? My belt has been a rainbow, enveloping my foe. Am not I a protecting prince in darkness, to him who presents my form at both ends of There are many things worthy of remark in the character of this British Pantheos, as delineated by his priest and representative. He is lord of the din, which, as we have seen, is a description of the Helio- arkite god : he is the god of war the astherial god and the deity to whom the rainbow pertains ; that is, the deified Noah. See Cada^r Ceridiven. He is a protector in darkness a husbandman, like the Diluvian patriarch a protector of the ark, and Arkite temples, like the sovereign On. See No. IV. He is the vanquisher of the Diluvian giants, the inspirer of heroism, and the president of mystic lore. He gave the invincible sword to Henben (the ancient chief, some idolized monarch of early ages), and accomplished the purification of Haeamddor, S3)^o3y^, the ark, the same as Seen Tewdor, and Ynys Pyhyrddor. His state of affliction (during the deluge) was symbolized by an ox submitting to the yoke. He was the father of all mankind; and, as the great demon-god of the liards, and their original instructor, he was skilled in all the mysteries of the order being a Bard, a musician, and an enchanter. At the same time, he disliked the symbol of the eagle, which may have offended the Druids, when he displayed his wings on the Roman standard. 560 APPENDIX. No. XL the hive ? Am not I a plower, like Kawyl? Between two hosts I would not pause, without blood. Have not I pro- tected my sanctuary, and, with the aid of my friends, caused the wrathful ones to vanish ? Have not I shed the blood of the indignant, in bold warfare against the sons of the giant Nur? Have not I imparted, of my guardian power, a ninth portion, in the prowess of Arthur ? Have not I destroyed a hundred forts ? Have not I slain a hun- dred governors ? Have not I given a hundred veils ? Have not I slaughtered a hundred chieftains ? Did not I give to Henpen, the tremendous sword of the enchanter? Did not I perform the rites of purification, when Haearndor moved with toil to the top of the hill ? I was subjected to the yoke for my affliction ; but com- mensurate was my confidence : the world had no existence, were it not for my progeny. I am the Bard as for the unskilful encomiast, may his lot be amongst ravens, and eagles, and birds of wrath ! May utter darkness overwhelm him, when he supports the square band of men, between two fields ! It was my will to ascend into heaven from the eagle, to avoid the homage of the unskilful. I am a Bard : I am a master of the harp, the pipe, and the crooth. Of seven score musicians, I am the mighty enchanter. 2. Bu calch fri friniad, Hu, esgyll edeniad, Dy fab, dy Feirddnad, Dy Veir, Dewn dad . _ _ _ Fy nhafawd, I draethu marwnad, .;' ; Handid o meinad Gwrthgloddiad byd. No. XI. APPENDIX. 561 Pryd Prydain, Hu ysgein, ymhwyllad. Gwledig Nef, ynghennadeu nam doad ! Keiii gyfeddwch, Y am deulwch, Llvvch o'm plaid. Plaid am gaer, Caer yn ehaer, Ry ys crifiad, Virein ffo rhagddaw, , . ; Y ar Hen caw, Mwyedig vein ; Dreig amgyfFreu, Odduch lleeu Llestreu Had ; Llad yn eurgyrn, Eurgyrn yn Haw, Llaw yn ysci, Ysci ymodrydaf. Fur itti iolaf, Buddig Veli,- A Manhogan, Rhi, Ryeidwei deithi, Ynys Fel Veil ! Privileged on the covered mount,* O Hu with the ex- o o * In this passage we may remark, 1. The titles and character of the god* 2. The character and office of the priest. And 3. The time and place where he performs his sacred function. The god is named Hu, and the glancing Hu, who is described as having ex- panded wings : he is invoked as the father of the priest he has the title of D'eon, distributor, and Prydain, ruler of seasons : he is the gliding king, that is, the dragon, who pursues the fair one alluding to some such fable as that which represents Jupiter in the form of a dragon, as violating Proserpine, and by her becoming the father of Bacchus. See Myst. of the Cabiri, V. I. p. 208. He is also named the victorious Beli, that is, the sun, and adored as lord and pro' tector of the British isle. The priest describes himself as the son of the god his Bardic proclaimer, or mystagogue, and hu deputy governor. His office was to recite the deatk 562 APrENDIX. No. XI panded wings, has been thy son, thy Bardic proclaimer, thy deputy, O father Deon : my voice has recited the death song, where the mound, representing the world, is constructed of stone work. Let the countenance of Pry- dain, let the glancing Hu attend to me! O sovereign of heaven, let not my message be rejected ! With solemn festivity round the two lakes ; with the lake next my side ; with my side moving round the sanc- tuary ; whilst the sanctuary is earnestly invoking the gliding king, before whom the fair one retreats, upon the veil that covers the huge stones; whilst the dragon moves round, over the places which contain vessels of drink offering ; whilst the drink oifering is in the golden horns ; whilst the golden horns are in the hand ; whilst the hand is upon the knife ; whilst the knife is upon the chief victim ; sincerely I implore thee, O victorious Beli, son of the sovereign Man-Hogan, that thou wouldst preserve the honours of the HONEY island of Beli!* song, before the victim was struck to inroke the god to lead the mystical processioQ round the sacred lakes and the temple to offer a libation with the horn of consecrated liquor ; and tben to take the knife and slay the victim. These ceremonies are performed at a public and solemn festival, w'hilst the sanctuary, or assembly of priests and votaries, invoke the dragon king -. and the place of celebration is on the sacred mount, within the stone circle and Boand, which represented the world and near the consecrated lakes. At this time, the huge stones of the temple were eovered with a veil, on which was delineated the history of the dragon king. There seems also to ITe been a living dragon, or serpent, as a symbol of the god, who is de- scribed as gliding from place to place, and tasting the drink offering in th acted vessels. Britain, or the island of Beli, was also the island of Hu, No. X. : but Hu and BU were the same. Ko. Xir. APPENDIX. %63 No. XII. An ancient Poem, entitled Gwawd Lludd y Mawr, the Praise of Lludd the Great* Lludd, or Llud, the son of Beli, is represented in oar romantic chronicles, as the elder brother of Cassivellaunus, who fought with Julius Caesar. His name does not occur in this very obscure poem, which is evidently the work of an obstinate heathen, and contains some curious traits of British mythology. 1. Kathl goreu gogant, Wyth nifer nodant, Duw Llun dybyddant, Peithiawg ydd ant ; Duw Mawrth yd rannant, Gwyth yn ysgarant : Duw Merchyr medant, Ryodres, rychwant; Duw leu escorant Eiddiolydd anchwant ; Duw Gwener, dydd gormant, Yngwaed gwyr gonovant; Duw Sadwrn Duw Sul, yn geugant, ,^^ Dieu dybyddant, Pum Hong, a phum cant, O'r anant oniant O Brithi Brith oi Nu oes nu edi o o 2 "- W.ArcUaiol. p. 74. 564 JIPPENDIX. No. XII. Brithi hrith ankai Sych edi edi eu roi Eil coed cogni, Antaredd dymbi, Pavvb i Adonai, Ar weryd Pwmpai. A song of dark import was composed by the distinguished Ogdoad* who assembled on the day of the moon,f and went in open procession : on the day of Mars, they allotted wrath to their adversaries : on the day of Mercury, they enjoyed their full pomp : on the day of Jove, they were delivered from the detested usurpers : on the day of Venus, the day of the great influx, they swam in the blood;}: of men : on the day of Saturn ------ on the day of the sun, there truly assemble five ships, and five hun- * It may be inferred, from the general tenor of the poem, that this Ogdoad consisted of the Diluvian patriarch and his family. They were, therefore, the same as Sydyk and his seven sons, the Cabiri, mentioned by Sanchoniatho ; and the same as the sacred Ogdoad, or eight primitive gods of Egypt, who guided the ship of the sphere, thus nialiing the ark an emblem of the system of the heavens. See Faber's Myst. of the Cabiri, V. I. pp. 56, 61, 76. Bryant's Analysis, V. II. p. 234. + These supposed labours of the Diluvians seem to have been regarded as inodelii of a Druidical festival, in which the various rites had their appro- priate days. J The accumulating deluge, which overwhelmed and dashed to pieces the inhabitants of the earth, is figuratively styled the blood of men. Sanchoniatho speaks of the blood of the primitive race, as being mixed with rivers and fountains. Or, Jive ships, with Jive hundred men, embarked. These were wicked inha- bitants of the old world, who being now terrified by the raging flood, approach the ark of the just man, and pray for protection. Their prayer is in a foreign language, probably that of the mysteries which were introduced by Coll, the Cornish hierophant. Taliesin has elsewhere informed us, that the spotted cat of Mona, one of the idols which pertained to this superstition, was attended by men of a foreign language. We are also told by the same Bard, that the Druidical lore had been delivered in Hebreu; or Hebraic. See No XIII. And the words, Adonai and Pompai, which occur in the context, seem to imply, that thin fragment has a near aflTiuity to the Hebrew, or some of its dialects. In that language, the former of these teriutt signifies lord ; and Mr. Bryant tells us, that P'ompi nieans the oracle. Ana- lysis, V. I. p. 259. Some idea of the purport of this passage may be collected from the context ; and as it may serr* to determine the important queiition, whcUier the Dniidi No. XII. APPENDIX. W5 dred of those who make supplication " Brithi Brith oi, " &c. ------ O son of the compacted wood, ** the shock overtakes me : we all attend upon Adonai, on " the area of Pumpai." 2. Darofyn darogan, Gwaedd hir, rhag gorraan : Hir cyhoedd cynghan, Cadwaladr a Chynan Byd, buddydd bychan, Difa gwres Huan. Dysgogan Deruydd, A vu auudydd, Wybr Geirionydd, Cerddawn a genhydd Wylliawd, eil echwydd, Yn nhorroedd Llynydd Ban beu llawn hydd ; Brython ar gynghydd, I Vrython dymbi, Gwred gwned ofri, Gwedi eur ag eurynni, DifFaith Moni a Lleeni, Ac Eryri, annedd ynddi, Dysgogan perffaith : Annedd yn difFaith, possessed sacred hymns in the Phcenieian language, I shall attempt to write the lines in Hebrew characters, with the hope, that some good Orientalist may think them worthy of attention ; and if they present the vestiges of Phoenician antiquity, do me the favour of correcting them. nn 13 fy i3 >:}") in nn nn "p 566 APPENDIX. No. XII. Cymry pedeiriaith Symudant eu haraith. Yd y vi y vuch freith, A wnaho gwynieith. Meinddydd brefawd ; Meinhoeth berwhawd: Ar dir berwhodawr, Yn Uonydd yssadavvr. They implore the oracle withjoud and continued cry, against the overwhelming. In their public and united song, long had Cadwaladr and Cynan* declared to the unprofitable world, that the heat of the sun should be wasted. It was the presage of the Druid,f who earnestly attended in^ the aethereal temple of Geirio- nydd,J to the songs of the Gwyllion, the children of the evening, in the bosoms of the lakes " When the covert " shall be full,^ when the Britons || shall be concealed to- " gether; then shall the Britons have an inclosure of great " renown. After the possession of gold and glittering " trinkets, Moni and Lleeni shall become desolate, and " Eryri (the heights of Snowdon) shall receive inhabitants." Cadwaladr, supreme ruler of batUea. title of the Diluvian patriarch : Cynan, the prince one of his sons. This passage implies some tradition of the preacher of righteousness: but how is liis character perverted ! t The patriarch, as father and primary instructor of the Druids, is so staled by way of eminence. See No. IV. and XI. t The dominion of Gwair, the son of Geiriawn, the word of justice, other- wise called the son of Gwestyl, the great tempest. This Gwair was the Dilu- van patriarch. See Sect. V. and App. No III. Taliesin, the Arkite priest, was said to have dwelt upon the bank ol the lake of Geirionydd. The pa- triarch is fabled to have had a temple, open to the sk^', like the Caer Sidi of the Druids. Ihe Gwyllion, or Gwyllawd, were the prototypes of Mela's GaUicen lands of ivy. No. XIV. APPENDIX. 577 was the clattering of shields, round the ancient cauldron, in frantic mirth : and Hvely was the aspect of him, who, in his prowess, had snatched over the ford,* that involved ball, which casts its rays to a distance, the splendid product of the adder, shot forth by serpents. But wounded art thou, severely wounded, thou delight of princesses, thou who lovedst the living herd! It was my earnest wish that thou mightest live, O thou of victorious energy! Alas, thou buLl, wrongfully oppressed, thy death I deplore. Thou hast been a friend of tranquillityl In view of the sea, in the front of the assembled men, and near the pit of conflict, the raven has pierced thee in wrath ! 2. Tardei donrt, Gyvryngon : Gowydawd byt^ Ef gWrthodes, Ar llwyth peues, Ar lies pedyt, Pedwar Uiwet, Petwar mi let, Miledawirbyt* Aessawr yn nellt ; A llavyn eg waUt, Un o bedror : p p * The same fable, respecting the acquisition of the Anguinum^ which is re- lated by Pliny Praetei'a est ovoruin genus in magna Galliarum fani^, omissum Groecis. An* gues innumeri aestate convoluti, salivis fauciuin, corporumque spiimis, glonic- rantur ; Anguinum appellatur. Druidae sibili* id dicunt in sublime jactari sagoque opportere intercipi, ne tellurem attingat. Profugere raptorem equo: serpeatcs enim insequi^ donee arcentur amnis alicujus interventu, &c. Hist. Nat. L. XXIX. c.3 As the person who had acquired this prize was styled a bull, it may be con- jectured, that it was his privilege to represent the tsuriform god in the solemn proce^jjon, 578 APPENDIX. No. XIV. Gwr gwyllyas, O gyrn glas, Med meitin, Gwr teirn vawr, O blith porphor, Portliloed bedin. Breein Tutvwlch Baranret dost, Bengwaed gwia : Yr med a favyryf, ,i)ta . Yd aethaut aeryf, Dros eu haw fin; Gwyalvan weith, Er cadw kyvreiih, Bu kyvyewin. Kynati kenon Teithvyw o Yon, Ar vreint goiiliu ; Tutvwlch ky vwlc^h, A oreu vwlch, Ar vann caereu. Gan Vynydawc, Bu atveillyawc Eu gwirodeu. Blwyddyn hiraeth Er gwyr Catraeth, A'ln maeth, ys men Eu llaviieu dur - Eu med, eu bur, Eu hualeu Aryf angkynnuU, Angkyman dull, Twryf neus kigleu ! No. XIV. APPENDIX. 579 And now a wave * bursts forth from the central region t the afflicter of the world refused, from the inhabitants of the land, and for the benefit of his train, four multitudes,f and four that were resigned, to the chace of the unirersal hunter. The shield is split into lath;+ but his blade descends oa the head of one selected from the quadrangle of that man who, even now, had been pouring mead from the blue horns, the great ruler, enveloped in purple, the supporter of the army. The dignified Tudvwlch had attended the woful assembly, in which blood was mixed with wine in which they who freely regaled with mead, drank of the cup of slaughter, amidst their excess ; and the inclosure that had been wat- tled, for the preservation of law, became full of confusion. The princely Cynan had journeyed from Mona, to sup- port the privilege of the higher order : Tudvwlch, the bat- terer, had made breaches in the bastions of forts : hence the destruction they found, in their banquet with My- nyddawg. (| For the men of Catraeth, my supporters, I have borne a year^ of sorrow. Their steel blades their mead their p p 2 * This wave was Hengist and his Saxons, The imagination of the Bards was so wholly engrossed hj their Diluvian lore, that they borrowed most of their imagery from it. t The inhabitants of those districts which Vortigern had assigned to Hesgist. X When Hengist advised, that shields should be excluded from the place of conference, as useless and iiicoavenient in a friendly assembly, he seems to have hewn his own shield into splinters, by way of enforcing his argument. Aneurin, in the Gododin, speaks of his leaving at a distance the shield that was split into lath. Tudvwlch, whom Hengist selected for his own victim, and for that purpose placed next to him at the feast. The fate of this prince is deplored in the ^ongs of the Gododin. II The movLntain cfcie/" Vortigern the Venedotian, as in the Gododin. REMARKS UPOIf " plate annexed), but instead thereof, have several members " and symbols adjusted together, in such a manner as to " imitate the shape of a horse, and become, when joined *' together, the emblem, rather than the figure of that " creature, which the first engraver knew no better hozo to *' design. These several symbols are not to be explained, " but by comparing the coins in which we find the same *' parts inserted in the composition of an entire figure, and *' others, in which the same parts are detached and un- " connected. " The latter must derive their light from the former. " For example : in No. VIIL you find three of the figures ** marked in the table of symbols (Borlase's Antiq. ISo. I.) *' In No. IX. there are four of the same symbols. What *^ should be the intent of placing such figures, in such " numbers, on these reverses ? Why, in No. XVIII. (see " the plate annexed) and XIX. we find the legs of the horse " made in this unnatural fashion ; and it is observable, that *' where the horse is not, there these legs, the most useful " parts of this creature, are placed. _ - - - They are " placed two and two, with a ball or wheel between them, *' as in the coins which have the horse entire. Between " them, the half moon (of which by and by) dips his convex ** part somewhat in the manner of the horse's barrel, above *' which, another crescent-like bunch forms the back; a round " Imll turns to shape the buttock, and on the fore part a " tliick handle of a javelin slopes upwaidsfrom the breast, to " form the neck and crest of the horse." (Borlase's Antiq. of Cornwall y p. 276.) Tlius far Dr. Borlase, who only contemplates the civil and raihtar}' affairs of the Britons, and imputes every de- viation from nature to the rudeness of the engraver's art. But as I have shewn, that the entire figure, called the horse, was a symbol of the British Ceres, so it appears that each of the heterogeneous parts which enter into the com- position of that figure, was symbolical of something in the mystical establishment of that goddess. Ked, or Ceridwen, was an imaginary genius, supposed to preside over the sacred ship; and in these coins a de- tached lunette, or boatf is actually substituted for the body of tlie horse; and in one specimen, that part presents the elevation of the Cromlech, Maenarch, or Maen Keili, which ANCIENT BRITISH COINS. 597 covered the cell of that divinity; whilst the back of the figure is composed of a crescent, the celestial symbol of the same mystical personage. Instead of the hinder parts of the horse, we remark cer- tain hollow circles,* or ovals, exactly resembling those cir- cular and oval temples which embellish the Antiquities of Cormcall, and to which the Bards so frequently allude. As a substitute for the neck and crest, either a staff, or the branch of some evergreen, slopes upwards, from the di- rection of the boat, which constitutes the centre of the figure. This staff or branch I regard as the gestamen of the priests the Hudlath and Hudzai/dd, or magical wand, mentioned by Taliesin ; and the branch which was carried by the Bard, as the badge of )iis sacred character, and of which Aneurin says " That branch might whisper, before " the fierce onset, the effectual songs which claimed obe- *' dient attention the *songs of Llywy, the assuager of " tumult and battle. Then would the sword retire to the " left side, the warrior, with his hand, would support the *' empty corslet, and the sovereign, from his treasure chest, " would search out the precious reward," (Gododin, Song 25.) The head and beak are those of a bird, that is, of Cerid- zcen, the hen; and the legs are composed of little strait bars, of equal length and size, which may be referred to those lots or tallies, so often mentioned by Taliesin and Merddin. These tallies are generally mounted at both ends by thick rings, or perforated globules, which I can compare to nothing but the sacred glains described in Camden's Denbighshire. This complete figure of a horse, therefore, as here de- picted, seems to have represented, not only the person of the British Ceres, but also the whole of her mystical esta- blishment. The belly was the sacred ship, of which that goddess was the representative genius. The back was the moon, her celestial emblem. The hinder part of the body constituted the sacred circle, which inclosed the Maenarch, Mone ark, or womb of the goddess, in which her aspirants * In Camden's coins, which seem to have been struck in ages when onr my- thologists paid more regard to the simplicity of nature, we generally find tbeie circles distiuct from the figure of the bore. J$9B llEMARKS UPON were regenerated. The neck was the mystical staff, or branch, carried by her priests, as the badge of their office and authority. The legs were the lots or tallies, by wliich her will was interpreted, and these were guarded by the mystical glahis, tlie appropriate insignia of her votaries ; whilst the head and beak represented that bird, whose forin she had assumed, with some allusion, perhaps, to the birds of au(rwy, mentioned by Taliesin and Merddin. Such is the whimsical fancy of heathenism. It is not my lusiness to defend its various conceits, but only to point them out, and explain their meaning, as well as I can. I may^ however, vindicate the cause of my countrymen so far, as to remind the reader, that the unnatural combina- tion of parts, in the forming of sacred symbols, was not peculiar to them. The pagans of most barbarous nations had gods equally monstrous, and perhaps more inexplicable. The various symbols which make up the image of the Bri- tish Ceres, arc agreeable to general mythology. Mr. Bryant has shewn, that Ceres was the genius of the ark ; that a boat, or a crescent, was her symbol ; that she was the same character as Jiippa, the mare; and that she was generally attended by her favourite bird. Were the image of this goddess, with her British em- blems, to be designed by a Greek or Roman, in the meri- dian age of their refinernent, he might represent her as a venerable matron, seated in a boat, with her various attri-. butes disposed about her in decent order. But the unrefined Britons were satisfied with a grotesque figure, which com- prehended the various emblems of their goddess, and, as we jcarn from Taliesin, suph figures were introduced into theif sanctuaries, In the light with which I view the British coins, I cannot help admiring the precision with which they display the very same mass of superstition, which I had already con- templated in the Bards and the Triads. There I had traced the lore of Druidisni in written language, which, though mystical, was seldom impenetrably obscure : here I read the same legend, impressed upon tablets of gold, and silvery and brass. ! The reader will have gathered from the preceding Essay, |hat though the mythological hofses of the Britons are no{ ANCIENT BRITISH COINS. 599 invariably to be regarded as symbols of Ceres, yet they had always some reference to a sacred ship. Thus the black horse of the seas, which carried the eight mystical personages out of Caledonia into Mona, and the two others which are classed with him, have evidently this allusion. The steed of the sun is repeatedly mentioned by Taliesin: but it must be recollected, that the solar divinity was ho- noured in conjunction with the Diluvian patriarch; that he presided in the same Caer Sidi, which was sacred to Ce- ridwen; and that the great feat of his horse was to carry his master from the marriage feast of the ocean, and to make his path be perceived in the sea, and in the mouths of rivers; so that the whole tradition respecting mytholo- gical horses, refers to the history and connexions of that in3'^stical character, who appeared to every astonished an(J dismayed aspirant in the shape and size of a proud mare, yet swelled out like a ship on the ivaters, and actually set sail. Instead of a horse, we are, then, for the most part, to contemplate a mare, the symbol or personification of the British Ceres, and the same as the mythological Hippa of the ancients. It is not my intention to enlarge upon the subject of these coins ; but merely to point out the use of Bardic imagery in their explanation : I shall, therefore, only con- sider the figure of the horse and his accompaniments, upon some specimens of Camden's collection. In No. 6, Tab. 1. (see the plate annexed), the drawing ap- pears to be purely British. The obverse presents the rude figure of a horse, stooping under an enormous vase, which, instead of being laid upon his back, seems to rise imme- diately out of his body, which it completely covers. This vase, having a ridge of pearls round its border, corresponds w ith Taliesin's description of that famous emblem of Dru- idisra, the sacred pair, or cauldron of Ceridwen, and the ruler of the deep. Neud pair pen Annwfn ! Pwy y vynud ? Gwrym am ei oror a mererid - - - " Is not this the cauldron of the ruler of the deep ! What " is its quality? With the ridge of pearls round its border?* (See Appendix f No. III.) 600 REMARKS UPON As in the Kam-bre coins, the boat, the circular temple, the magic branch, &,c. constitute the several parts of the mystical horse, so, in the present instance, we find that important vase, which was of indispensible use in the sacred mysteries, intimately connected with the person of the Ar- kite goddess. The symbolical animal supports upon its head a circle, or disk, containing three small rings, or balls. These dhninu- tive figures, which embellish most of the British coins, must have had some definite import. The Ovum Jlngiiinum, described by Pliny, was esteemed in Gaul, Insigne Druidis, the peculiar badge of a Druid. The same was known in Britain, where it was equally respected: hence the Bard says " Lively was the aspect of him who, in his prowess, " had snatched over the ford, that involved ball, which ** casts its rays to a distance, the splendid product of the *' adder, shot forth by serpents." (See Append. No. XIV.) I have shewn, that the glain, or glass ring, was a similar mark of distinction amongst our heathen ancestors : and I presume that the balls and small rings upon the Britisli coins, are intended for some of those sacred trinkets; and that they are introduced as embleryis of those characters who had a right to carry them. Hence the presence of the ovum, or glain, implies the presence of a JDruid, or priest. And the three balls, inclosed within one circle, and sup- ported by the mystical goddess, may be viewed as symbols of the three orders of the priesthood the Druids, properly so called, the Bards,, and the Ovates, Over the sacred vase is a large studded circle, raised upon the ground of the coin, and inclosing another circle, with four raised studs in the centre. As in these coins we often find similar circles, encompassing an appropriate part of the field, and ambitiously exhibited, I conclude they also must have had some determinate meaning. Medallists have sometimes called them strings of pearl: but here is no ap- pearance of strings, and the studs are, beyond all propor- tion, too large for pearls. It may also be remarked, that the studs are not adjusted as ornaments of the principal figures, nor thrown carelessly down, as if they were in- tended for the display of riches ; but, on the contrary, they are disposed on thejield in regular order, as the outlines of permanent demarkation. I therefore regard them as figures ANCIENT BRITISH COINS. 601 of those circular temples, which are so frequent in several districts of Britain, and some of which are ascertained to have been sacred to Ceres, and those characters which were honoured in society with that goddess. On the coin before ns we have, then, the circular temple, with its central Adytum, or sacred cell, inclosed within a raised mound, as we often find it in British monuments. On one side of this temple, and over the vase, is a figure resembling a rose, which probably alludes to the select plants and flowers employed in the preparation of the cauldron ; or to the flowers which the Bards and Druids wore at the so- lemn festivals. The reverse of this coin gives a duplicate of the mystical animal, as well as of the temple, and the disk with the three connected balls. But the horse is now delivered of his load, the season of the great solemnity, when the cauldron was produced, is now past. Two of the horse's feet rest upon a small chest, or some such thing; the disk is taken down from his head, and he is in the act of depositing a figure like the leaf of a trefoil, which was the symbol of union in the three orders. This coin is wholly occupied by memo- rials of the worship of Ceres. No. 8 (see the plate annexed) is a gold coin which, in the figure of the horse, displays the free hand of the British my- thologist, contemning alike the simplicity of nature, and the elegance of art. Though the group of heterogeneous mem- bers produce something like the rude outlines of a horse, just enough to procure it that name amongst antiquaries, nothing can be more dissimilar to that animal in all his parts. This horse, like those on the Kam-bre coins, ^as the sharp beak of a bird so Ceridwen assumed the shape of a bird, and was emphatically styled the hen. This horse, upon his bird's head, has a high crest so Ceridwen was described as Idr ddu gopazvg, a hfack, high-crested hen. This crest is divided so Ceridwen was lar grafrudd, gri- hesgar a hen with red fangs, and a divided crest. And the divided crest is curved into the horns of a cow, or thcshape of a crescent; but the cow and the crescent were symbols of Ceridwen. The body of the horse is bent downwards, so as to re- 602 REMARKS UPON semble a boat, or the hulk of a ship. Thus Ceridwcn pre- sented herself to the eyes of the noviciate, in the combined form of a hird, and a proud mare; and, at the same time, began to swell out like a ship on the zcaters. That the cur- vature of the body is actually intended to imitate a ship, or boat, is evident from the Karn-bre coins, and several others, in which the simple and detached figure of a boat is substituted for the body of the horse. This is therefore the image which Tahesin contemplated with dread and astonishment, upon his entrance into the mystic hall of Ceridwen. Instead of feet, this horse, like those of the Karn-brS coins, has short, detached figures, resembling billets, or tallies of wood, and these are headed with the sacred glains. Such feet, as I have already hinted, seem to represent those tallies or lots, so often mentioned by the Bards as means of divination, or of discovering the will of the gods ; and the priests, symbolized by the glains, were the interpreters. This grotesque horse holds in his mouth a luniform figure, resembling a covered coracle, or British boat. It may be recollected that Ceridwen, the mare-bird, covered her aspi- rant in a small coracle, and carried him into the sea. Three Ova are suspended from the tail of the horse, and appear as if they were dropping to the ground. These are, probably, the three orders, symbolized by the Ova proceed- in"- from the mystical sanctuary, which is described as the womb of the goddess. On each side of the neck is the trefoil, or emblem of union amongst the three orders. These seem to have fallen from a coracle, which is reversed or emptied under two cir- cular tmples. Under the belly of the horse, we remark a plain circle, inclosing a wheel. In the same situation, we sometimes find a studded circle, or concentric circles, and sometimes a female figure rising to view. ISfr. Walker, in his notes upon Caniden's coins, says, that " The wheel under the horse, amongst the Romans, " intimated the making of an higliway for carts, so many of which being, in the Roman times, made in this <* country, well deserved such a memorial." Upon which passage Dr. Borlasc remarks" What the wheel signified ANCIENT BRITISH COINS. 603 ** among the Kotnans, I shall not dispute; but it could not '* be inserted in the British coins (as he seems to imply) for " that purpose; for there were no Roman ways made in *' Britain till after Claudius's conquest, and we find the '* wheel common in Cunobelin's coins, and in Cassibelan's " - - - - and also in the Cornish coins, which, from *' all their characters, appear to be older than the rest.** (Antiq. of Cornzcall, p. 277-) These circles, wheels, and female figures, are, probably, various representations of Arianrod, the goddess of the silver tcheel, the Iris of antiquity, of whom we have had some account in the poem called the chair of Ceridwen. We are there told, that when Avagddu, the son of Ceridwen, wanted a rampart to protect him from the repetition of the deluge^ Gwydion (Hermes) composed this sacred character of cer- tain flowers, and adorned her with the bold curves, and the virtue of various folds, " Then the goddess of the silver ** wheel, of auspicious mien, the dawn of serenity, the great- " est restrainer of sadness, in behalf of the Britons, speedily ^' throws round his hall the stream of the Iris; a stream " which scares away violence from the earth, and causes the *' bane of its former state, round the circle of the world, to " subside." As this character obtained her name from a wheel, that implement may be regarded as her proper emblem. But instead of a wheel, we often find two concentric circles, pne studded, and the other plain, or an image of those temples which consist of a circle of massy stones, and aii orbicular bank of earth. The reason of this may be collected from the passage I have just quoted. This auspicious goddess was protectress of the circle of the world, or mundane circle, which is a well-known name of the Druidical sanctuary. In this situation, therefore, she still poured the mystic stream round her Arkite votaries, and thus kept aloof tlie demons of mischief from the hallowed precinct. She is stationed beneath the mystic horse, because she is connected with iand subservient to the genius of the ark. The reverse of this coin exhibits nothing remarkable but the word Bo duo, probably of the same import as Budd, am 9i thp names of the British Ceres; whence Buddu^f 604 REMARKS UPON the goddess of victorr/y a title assumed by the famous Queen of the Iceni. For my own satisfaction, I have examined most of the symbols on the ruder and uninscribed coins, and found them, in general, consistent with Bardic imagery ; but for the present, I shall only request the attention of the reader to a few specimens which present inscriptions in Roman characters, and which appear to have been struck between tha aera of Caesar's invasion, and the full establishment of the Roman government in this country. In this series, the designs are more elegant and simple. We may suppose that they were executed by Roman ar- tists, or else that the British engravers had improved by their intercourse with the Romans. It may be curious to ascertain, whether these carry any marks of the national superstition, which appears in the older specimens. The first of this description in Camden's collection, which carries the figure of the horse, is No. 3, Tab. 1. (seethe plate annexed.) This is a gold coin, attributed to Cunobeline, a British king, who lived in the reigns of Augustus and Tiberius. On the one side, we read the word Cuno, which has been considered as an abbreviation of this prince's name ; and on the other, Camu, implying Camulodunum, his principal city. But here it must be remarked, that Cuno is found upon coins that bear a great variety of heads, sometimes female heads; and upon others which have no head at all. Hence it may be presumed, that this inscription has a close affinity with the British word Cun. a chief or sovereign personage^ which may be translated Dominus, or Domina, as the case shall require. Instead of the head of Cunobeline, the coin before us displays an ear of corn, which was an attribute of Ceres, even amongst the Britons : for she is styled by the Bards, O^yrven Amhad, the goddess of various seeds : and we are told " The dragon chief of the world (the Diluvian pa- " triarch) formed the curvatures of Ki^d (her sacred boat), " which passed the dales of grievous waters (the deluge), " having the fore part ^ored with cornf and mounted aloft, ANCIENT BRITISH COINS. 605 ** with the connected serpents." In the mystical process, the Arkite goddess devours the aspirant, when he has as- sumed the form of a grain of wheat : and that aspirant says of liimself, that he had been a grain of the Ar kites, wliich had grozcn upon a hill. Hence the priests of this goddess are styled Hodigion, bearers of ears of corn; and it was the office of Aneurin, her distinguished votary, Amteyn ty- wysen*' gortirot to protect the ear of corn on the height. Thus it appears, that this symbol was sacred to the Ar- kite goddess : it cannot, therefore, have represented Cuno- beline as a British king, or have appertained to him, unless he was one of her priests, or, at least, an adept in her mysteries. On the reverse of this coin is the horse, or rather the Hippa, or mare, whose form this divinity had assumed. The animal does not here exhibit the wild extravagance of a British raythologist; yet it carries certain emblems to mark its mystical character. Over the back is a small ririg or ball, from which a fame appears to ascend. Close to the mouth is a second ball, and at the other extremity a third. The Ovum or Glain being the symbol of a priest, ^e may infer that the Ovum over the back of the horse, with its ascending fame, represents the presiding priest, who kept up the perpetual fire of Ceres. To this fire we have fre- quent allusions in the Bards, particularly in the songs of the Gododin. As for the other two balls, or Glains, their peculiar situa- tion seems, especially when compared with the i-uder speci- mens, to allude to a certain process in the British mysteries. These figures being regarded as emblems of devotees, we may recollect, that both Taliesin, and the tale which de- scribes his initiation, represent the mystical mare 2iS de- vouring her noviciate, and afterwards reproducing him as her own offspring.. Under the belly of the horse we remark a studded circle, It may be proper to apprise the mythologist, that ryu;v the Spica, also implies a general, but obscene symbol of heatUeoism. The cuiloui may ee sa example, Qamb, IRrg, V. II. p. 307. 6*06 REMARKS UPON inclosing a protuberant mass, or else a concentric circle. This I luive already remarked, as a symbol of the goddess of the silver wheelj who guarded the limits of the British temple. This coin, therefore, relates solely to the honours of the British Ceres, and to those chaiacters which superstition had placed in her retinue. No. 5, Tab. 1. (see the plate annexed), is a silver coin, which has the name Cunobeline at full length: but whether the head is that of the prince who bore this title, or that of the British Apollo, must remain a question, as it has no peculiar attribute. It must be understood, that Cun implies a lord or lad^j ; and Belin is the name of the British Apollo, or of tlie Helio-arkite god, the same as ////: (see Append. JSo. XI.) so that Cunobelinus is nothing more than Dominus BelinuSy or Dominus Sol.* I have had occasion to observe in the preceding Essay, that it was a general practice amongst the old British princes, to assume some title of the god to whom they were devoted: and it must have been in consequence of tliis cus- tom, that we had a celebrated prince, in the reigns of Augustus and Tiberius, styled Cunobelinus. This does not seem to have been his real name, but merely an assumed title; for we are told he was the father of the renowned CaraotacHS. (See Baxter's Glossary. V. Caractacus.) Yet the Bards and Triads always mention the father of that prince by the name of Bran, Brennus, or the raven. ' On the reverse of this coin, the horse is accompanied by a crescent; whence it may be inferred, that he is merely the representative of a character, of which the moon, or a boat, in the form of a crescent, was also an emblem. But Mr. Bryant has shewn, that the crescent, whether referred to the moon or the boat, was an emblem of the Arkite god- dess. The same thing appears in our national mythology. * Thdt Uie Biitons understood this as a title of their Apollo, is evident, from No. 7 of this tables where Apollo appears playing upon Iiis liarp, with the in- scription Cunobt ; and from No. 23, which presents the same figure of Apollo, with the name Cunodeli, Dominm Beli. So Merddin mentions the seven sjcred tires (q. planets?) of which Cunobeline was the first. (Append. No. 1\.) And in "^he poem called the Talinnan of CutubeUnc, he is represented as a deuion-godt ANCIENT BRITISH COINS. 607 Both Lloer, the moon, and Cwrwg, the boat, were symbols which pertained to the British Ceres. (See the poem called the Chair of Taliesm.) The horse upon this coin is, there- fore, the mystical Jietoys, or Ceridweii. And it has occurred to me as a general remark, that those coins which have either the name or symbols of Be/in, the Helio-arkite god, on one side, constantly discover some emblem of the Arkite goddess upon the other side; and thus connect the two great objects of superstition, which were worshipped in conjunction with the sun and moon. Thus we find that the devices upon those specimens, which combine the native thoughts of the Britons with the simple elegance of Roman art, have a marked allusion to the worship of Ceres, and to that peculiar kind of super- iBtition, which runs through the works of the Bards and the British Triads. I may also add, that the legends* appear strictly appro- priate to the mythology of the engraver, and confirm the idea I have suggested, as to the mystical nature of his design. To give a few examples. Wlioever will look over Cam- den's tables, will perceive that the ear of corn, that fa- vourite attribute of Ceres, is frequently depicted upon the coins which have the image of the horse. But on No. 13, the mystic animal appears without his discriminative sym- bols; on the reverse, however, we find the word Di as in- closed within a curious frame. This word, in the Irish language, implies an ear of corn: it is therefore introduced instead of that sacred symbol. It is remarkable, that the word Tasc occurs more fre- quently than any other upon the British coins. I'asc, in the language and orthography of the ancient Bards, sig- nifies a pledge, or bo7id of confirmation. In the present Welsh it is spelt Tasg, and in Irish Taisg; and both dialects have preserved its meaning. The legends or inscriptions arc, undoubtedly, in the dialects of the several tribes by whom the coins were struck. These dialects may have varied ia their oithography and inflexion in the course of eighteen centuries : yet it may be presumed, their radical words are to be found in the two principal branches of the ancient Celtic, namely, the language 9f the ancient Bards, and that of Irish MSS. 608 REMARKS UPON To Tasc, the letters ia, ie, or io, are often added. Irt order to account for them, 1 must ohserve, that De, I)iay and Dio, in several Celtic dialects, imphed, God, of God^ sacred, or divine. The Irish lanjjjuage supplies them all, either as distinct words, or in composition: and in this lan- guage the d is silenced hy a point, or an h; so that Tasc- dhe, Tasr-dhia, Tasc-dhio, would be pronounced Tascie, Tascia, Tascio, the divine or sacred pledge. It may fairly be presumed, that our engravers ISpelt their legends as they were pronounced. The reader will recollect that the Arkite goddess^ presided over corn; that she was represented as a gigantic woman ^ and that her favourite symbols were a mare, a bitch, and a sort?. We shall find the word Tasc enter into the composi- tion of legends which allude to her worship, under each of these symbols. Thus in Camden's first table. No. 23, we have the human head of this goddess, with the legend Tasc van it. Tn the composition of Irish words, Bhan, pronounced Van, implies a zvoman or lady; and Ith, anciently It, is com. In Welsh composition. Wen implies a lady, as in the sacred titles, Cerid-esi/^/z, 0\-wen, &c. and Yd, anciently It, is corn : so that Tasc Van It imports, pledge of the lady of corn. Mr. Whitaker has published a coin (see the plate annexed), in which this goddess appears under the combined image of a TToman and a mare, with the legend Tasc 'la No Van It. Naoi, in Irish, implies a ship; and I have shewn that the Bards use Naze in the same sense, and that Aw, in a hun- dred instances, are contracted into o. lasc ia no van it, imphes, therefore, the sacred pledge of the shiv of the lady of com. The same author has published a coin,* on which a child appears mounted upon a dog, with the abbreviated legend, 2'asc No Va pledge of the ship of the lady. This must appear obscure, till we recollect that Ceridwen assumed the form of a bitch, chaced the aspirant, repre- sented as an infant, and in the mystical process caught him, and inclosed him in the sacred boat. Se Hist, of Manchester, V. I. p. 342, and V. II. p. 67. 2d EdiU ANCIENT BRITISH COINS. 609 The reader has seen a curious mythological tale, la which tiiis lady, or \\ev skip, is represented under the name and figure of a sow. And in Camden's table, So. 22, we see the image of the mystical sozv, with the legend Tasc no VAN IT, pledge of the ship of the lady of corn. How shall we account for these similar inscriptions upon such a variety of devices, without referring to the national mythology, which ascribed these several symbols to one and the same mystical character? On Camden's coin, No. 16, we have the horse in his natural shape, and in good proportion, but without any peculiar attribute, excepting the inscription Orceti. This evidently consists of two British words: Or is a limit, circle, or sunclnary ; and Ccd, anciently written Cet, is one of the most familiar names of the British Ceres. It often occurs in the passages which I have quoted, and in the Appendix. This goddess was also called Ceti, or Cetti: thus I have shewn that the Crom- lech, which covered her sacred cell, was called Maen Cetti, the stone of Cetti. The Roman engraver having, for the nake of neatness, omitted the studded circle, or temple of Ceres, which generally accompanies the mystical horse, thought proper to identify his subject by adding the legend, Or Ceti, the sfinctuary of Ceti. * On another of Camden's coins, No. 32, we perceive a female head, with the legend Direte. History mentions no queen or city of this name ; but in our old orthography, Direit, and in the modern, Di/rreith, is a title of the mys- tical goddess, who is introduced by that name in the talis" man of Cunoheline, where she assumes the form of a horsey and carries the generous hero to battle and victory. These inscriptions, combined with the various symbols which have been remarked, are to me demonstration suffi- cient, that these coins are to be explained only by the my- thological imagery of the Bards. But almost every medallist who has taken them up, per- ceives, exclusive of the symbols I have mentioned, the figures of zcarriors, pieces of armour, a.nd other military implements. All this seems perfectly to accord witt one of the uses to which they were applied. ~ E 9, 6l0 REMARKS UPON T have promised to produce some evidence, that certairt pieces of gold and silver, which answer the description oY several of these coins, were regarded by the old Britons as cbarvis or talismans, and as such delivered to those votaries of Biudism, who took up arms, when the Druids sanctioned tear, for the defence of tlie country. What I have now to add, will shew the high probability of this curious fact, if it will not ascertain its absolute certainty. Part of Tahesin's poem, in which he commemorates the mythological horses, has been presented to the reader. (Set Append. No. V.) The Bard introduces the subject with a hymn to the suji, tu which he mentions the steed of that luminary, and concludes the poem with a recital of certain symbols of Diluvian lore: whence it may be inferred, that the matter which occupies the intermediate space, pertains* to the same Helio-arkite superstition. lliis part of the poem is filled with an account of certain celebrated horses ; and the Bard does not mean the iiving animals, but mere figures, which were the subject of magi- cal preparation ; for thus he brings forward his catalogue. Nid mi gwr IKvfr llwyd, Crwybr, wrth clwj-d, ^ Hud fy nau garant. *' I, the grey-headed man, am no remiss character, con- '^ cealing under a iiurdle the magic of my two friends.'* And as it may be presumed, that these magical figures are the same to which the Bard alludes in other passages, it is evident that they were impressed upon pieces of gold and silver; for Taliesin tells us (IV. Archaiol. p. 28) Atuyn cant ag ariant amaerwy Atuyn march ar eurgalch gyicbwy. " Beautiful is the circle with its silver border Beautiful " is the horse on the gold-covered circle.'^ As certain Druids, under the name of Pheri/llt, were fiimous for some magical preparations in metal, so their art comprised the formation of these talismans, whatever they w ere : and to this the same Bard evidently alludes, when he says (iV. Archaiol. p. 34.) ANCIENT BRITISH COINS. 6ll Gvvneynt eu perion A ferwyiit heb don ; Gwncynt eu delidau Yn oes oescu : Dyduth dyddyccawd Oddyfnwedydd gwawd. " Then they caused tlieir furnaces to boil, teithont rcater, ** and prepared their solid metals, to endure for the age of " ages: the trotter (horse) was brought forth, from the " deep promulgator of song.'* And the Bard immediately proceeds to recite the mythology of the Helio-arkite god and the Arkile goddess, to w hoin these horses pertained. But to go on with the &ong of the horses. The talismans which presented these magical figures, were of small com- pass. They could be conveyed, as private tokens, out of one person's hand into that of another O'm Haw ith lax^ dyt dwp dim " Out 'ot my hand into thy hand put on the ** covering, whatever it be." Hence it may be assumed, that these were the Arwyddon, or tokens, which the Helio-arkite god, or his priest, deli- vered to his votaries, and of which he demanded the exhi" bition, at the solemnities of his great festival " Who are the three chief ministers, who have defended ** the country ? Who are the three experienced men, who, ** having preserved the token, are coming with alacrity to " meet their lord ?" (See Append. No. IV.) And not only so, but that they w^ere the same as the Eurem and Eurell, or small pieces of gold, which the Ca- biric priests displayed, as credentials of their office and authority. (See Append. No. VH.) The proprietors of these magical horses are the gods, or distinguished votaries of the old superstition. We have here March Mayawg, the horse of Main, the great mother , A March Oenethawg, and the horse of the damsel Ko *i, or Proserpine A March Caradawg, Cymrhwy teithiang, and the horse of Caractacus, characterised by his ring. After these, come the horse of Arthur, of Taliesin, and of Cei- diaWf the mystical father of Gwenddoleu ; Ac eraill, yn rin, Kac tir allwyn. B R 3 6'12 REMARKS UPOX " And others of mysterious power, against the affliction " of the land." Let us now consider the shape of these talismanic horses, and we shall be convinced, that tliey arc precisely the same monsters which are exhibited in the tables of Camden and Borlase. The first pair are described as Den dich far diclacarit, ** tite tzco heii-lieaded, luibiassed steeds." These are the /lorscs of the old coins. Then comes Pi/htfr llul llwi/nin, " the ** strenuous horse of the gloom of the grove" a name which marks his connection with the prevailing superstition. To him is subjoined, Cornan cynne'ifuKg, " the accomplished *' horse of the crescent." T^liis is the same which carried Cifuvelyn and his companions to see the sacred fires of the liruids. (W. Archaiol. V. II. p. 20.) To this succeed Tri charn qfiawg, "" three liorses, having *' the hoof, or foot, secured zvith a band." They seem to be of the same kind as Carngraff, the horse of Bran, or Cu- nobeUne, which had the ring, or band, round his foot. (W. Archaiol. p. l67.) And the same as Cam Gaffon, " the " horse which was hoofed with a circled sto\ mentioned in the talisjnafi of Cunobeline. And thus Cam Jfaug de- scribes those horses, whose feet consisted of little staves, capped with thick rings, such as I have remarked in the Karn-bre coins, and in some of Camden's collection. Ano- ther of these horses was Cethin, March Ceidiaw, Cam avarn arnaw. " Hideous, the horse of Ceidio, which has the horn of " Avarn." Whatever the word Avarn may imply, I have remarked in Camden (Tab. I. No. 8, see annexed plate), a horse which truly answers the name of Ceithin, hideous, or monstrous, with a pair of large horns. This is a gold coin ; and the Bards speak of the gold of Avarn (see Onen's Diet, in voce), as having a power to arrest or pervert judg- ment these tokens may have had tlie same influence, ad victorias Utium, as the Ovum Anguinum, described by Pliny, These remarks upon Taliesin's Canu y Meirch, may serve to prepare the reader for an attentive perusal of the curiou;^ 4 poem, called Gwarchan Cj/nvelj/n. " the talisman of ANCIENT BRITISH COINS. 61 " CUNOBELINE." In the introductory section of the pre- ceding Essay, 1 inserted some passages of this poem in Mr. Owen's translation ; but not to dwell on the ficcdom ot* his version, which is not sufficiently close for a discjui.siiion of this kind, I observe, that the text of the original, as given by Mr. Owen (Gent. Mag. Nov. 1790), is essentially different from the old copies, cited in the Welsh Archuio- gia, as well as from the still older MS. of Mr. Jones. I shall therefore give the text from the latter, with scrupu- lous accuracy, and add as literal a translation as the idioms of the two languages will admit : the singularity of the sub- ject demands a few pages of introduction. This poem has been generally ascribed to TaUesin; but it appears from internal evidence, that it is the production of Aneurin. The author speaks of himself as having been present at the fatal banquet of Catraeth, where lie was. wounded and made prisoner, and from whence he narrowly escaped with his life. This was the pecuhar fate of Ancuria, as we learn by his Gododin. The date of the composition must be, somewhere in the interval, between the massacre of the British nobles, and the death of Hengist ; for the Bard deplores the fall of the former, and denounces vengeance against the Saxon king. The design of the poem is to excite the spirit of the Bri- tons, to retaliate upon their enemies, and to assert their own independence. With this view the Buvd, whether in compli- ance with his own fanatical delusion, or as an artful manager of the prevailing superstition, enlarges upon the awful conse- quences that would ensue, were he to practise certain ma- gical rites in the exhibition of a charm or talisman. Whilst he is descanting upon this subject, his indignation bursts forth, he has recourse to his mystic art, and the talisman is produced. The power of this spell is declared to be such, that it would safely guard the patriotic warrior tluough every hazardous enterprise, and ensure the destruction of the treacherous foe. With this solemn nunnmery, our ma- gician mixes some elogia upon certain distinguished cha- racters, who had bravely defended their country, or glo- riously fallen in the assertion of its cause. Tliesc parts [ shall pass over at present, and offer some remarks upon the connection of the Bardic talisman, with those uucoulb figures which appear upon the ancient British coins. 614 EEMARKS UPON In the opening of the poem, the Bard announces his charm, as comprising, 1. Gorckegin, the high shoots, such as were used in the formation oi lots, or omen-siicJcs ; 2. Grceil- ging, the wand or gestamen of the divining Bard ; and 3. Torch, the wreath or coil. This word generally implies the Wreath or torques of gold which the noble Briton wore about his neck; but Aneurin uses the term, to describe the diadem or wreath that surrounded the temples of a prince Torchawr am ran: and it is here called the wreath of the unobstructed per- vader; that is, of the solar divinity,^ whose laurel wreatli so frequently occurs upon the old coins, together with the lotSy and the sacred wand or branch. Mr. Owen's copy, instead of Trychdr'wydd, the title of the Helio-arkite god, reads Tzcrch Trzn/th, the boar of the spray, a personage often introduced in the ancient tales. But whether this variation is from authority, or conjectural amendment, it comes nearly to the same point. The my* thological boar and sow were the Arkite god and goddess. The boar of the spray was the son of Taredd, the pervasion ; and j4n Taredd is a name of the deluge. (See Appendix, No. XII.) Edward Llvvj'd quotes the following passage relative to this character, out of an old mythological nar- rative. Ny ladavd namyn un parchell, o voch y Tvrch Trvyth. Gouynnvys y gvyr y Arthur, beth oed ystyr yr hvch hunnv: Y dyvait ynte, Brenhin uu.* '* Of the swine of Tw^ch Trwyth, only one little pig was " slain. The men inquired of Arthur, the import of that ^* hog ; and he replied. He was a king.'^ But what figure were the shoots, the wa7id, and the wreath or circle, when duly adjusted, to produce upon the face of the Bardic talisman ? We find it was the Jigure of a horse. This horse, however, was of the same monstrous shape as those which we often contemplate upon the ancient coins. In ithe first place, he is named Try-Chethin, thoroughly monstrous or hideous, which is the same as the Cethin of .* Yftt. K. ab Kiljdh. Archaiol. lint p. 23a. ANCIENT BRITISH C0IN5. \15 Taliesitt and the Triads. He is described as cut off at the haunches these are distinguishing features of the figure upon the Karn-bre and some other British coins. lie is called Cam Gaffon his hoof or foot consisted of the Of- foH, stick, which was guarded at the end uith a hand or ring, or else staff of fear: this must imply, either the di- vining loty or the augural staff; both of which appear in the Nummi Britannici. The talismanic horse had ifiort, detached Jt,sgyrn ^bones), or, according to the copy in the Welsh Archaiology, Esyrn, legs: and this is also a mark of the figure upon, the myste- rious coins. ,.,,,, ., , Again : it had short, diminutive riders. By this phrase, the magical Bard may have intended the lunettes, glains, and trejoil leaves, so often found upon the back of tlie horse in the British coins. And to fix at once the character of the talismanic horse,, he had the beak or bill of a bird. This is evidently the great enigma of the British coins, which I have already expounded. The particulars hitherto related, are found in the Bard's introductory boast. When he comes in the next paragraph actually to produce his talisman, it appears that the fir:t ceremony was the due breaking of the rods, or the formation of lots. He then exhibits the mystical horse, which was to be delivered to the patriotic warriors severally, together with the nail or rivet, the border, the high-rimmed vessel^ and the gem or glain, figures which may easily be recog- nised in the old medals. And these symbols were to be conveyed to them, upon the gold which was distributed. Hence it is clear, that the characters of this talisman were impressed upon a piece of gold, or gilded metal, and that the device was not confined to a single copy ; but that a sufficient number of duplicates were procured for those per- sons who had a claim to receive them. And we are told in the conclusion of the poem, that the sons of the auful omen, or those who had a right to approach the sacred fare,, possessed them in common. The charm thus conveyed to the votaries of Druidism^ and their patriotic warriors, was emphatically styled Ga'ar- 616' REMARKS UPON than Cynvelyn, the talisman of Cunobeline. Tt must then have consisted of certain pieces, ascribed to Cunobeline, which contained a magical device. It is known to every antiquary, that this is the name which most frequenth' oc- curs upon the British coins : and as it implies Domi?ius Beliniin, sc, Sol, those specimens which exbfihit the attri- butes of the solar divinity, though they want the title, may be deemed sacred to him. This talisman was regarded as the highest acquisition of magical rites, and as the shield of the sacred festival, with w^hich the man of fortitude repelled the affliction of his country. To this reputation it must have had an undoubted claim, could the Bards have made good all their assertions in its favour. For it was announced as an infallible pledge, that C^'Hvelyn himself (here the magician must mean the demon god), and a goddess, named Di/rraith, would assimie the forms of horses, and carry the patriotic heroes through the perils of battle; whilst the Guyllion, or Galliceiue, those mysterious priestesses, or island nymphs, who had the power, se in cfia velint animalia vertere (Pomp. INIela, L. III. c. 8.) to assume the form of zchatever animals they phased, would attend the expedition, and pronounce their blessing upon the sanctified cause. DyRRAiTH, who is here associated with the Heho-arkitc f^od, is described as of equal rank with Mor-ion, Jajins Nauta. As her name implies she was the goddess oi' J'aic, or necessiti/, the same who conducted the Ogdoad through the deluge (see Append. No. HI.), and therefore the Arkite goddess, who was venerated in the form of a mare. Dyrraith is, undoubtedly, the same name which appears upon the old coins, under the softened orthography of Di- RETE. Her head is that of an unadorned female, and the reverse has the horse, with some complex figure upon his back. (See Gibsons Camden, Tab. I. ISo. 3*2.) When it was requisite for the defence of her votaries, the British Ceres assumed the character of a fury, and in that department she appropriates a variety of names, Mr. Baxter (Glossar, Autiq. Britan.), under the article Andrasta, has remarked the following Btian hodih An- ANCIENT BRITISH COINS. 6'17 dras, See. " Amongst our Britons, even of the present " day, Jndras is a popular name of the goddess Maien, or *' the /adj/, whom the vulgar call Y Fall, that is. Fauna " Fatua, and Mam y Drwg, the Devil's dam, or Y Wrack, " the old hag. - - - - Some regarded her as a flying " spectre. - - - - That name corresponded not only ** with Hecate, Bellona, and Et/o, but also with Bona " Dea, the great mother of the gods, and the terrestrial " Venus. - - - - In the fables of the populace, she is " styled Y Vad Ddu IJi/ll, that is, Bntia Furva Fffera; " and, on the other hand, Y Vad Velen, that is, Helena, *' or Bona Flava. - - - Agreeably to an ancient rite, " the old Britons cruelly offered liuman sacrifices to this " Andrasta; whence, as Dion relates, our amazon, Von- " dicca (Boadicia) invoked her with imprecations, previous " to her engagement with the Romans. The memory of " this goddess, or fury, remains to the present day; for ** men in a passion growl at each other, Mae rhyw Andras, *' arnochwi, Some Andrasta possesses youJ* And again, under the article Minerva. " Malen is a popular name amongst the Britons, for the " fury Andrasta, or, as the vulgar call her, the Devil's " dam. Fable reports, that she had a magical horse, called " March Malen, upon which sorcerers were wont to ride " through the air. Whence the common proverb seems to " have taken its rise A gasgler ar Varch Malen dan ei dor " ydd a What is gotten on the back of the horse of Malen, *' n:ill go under his belly." This magical horse of tradition is, undoubtedly, the same which our tuneful wizard is conjuring up in the poem before us :,and, from the description of his points, he may surely be recognized in the portentous monsters, which are found upon the old British coins. Here it may be remarked, that the office of our Bard was not to design the figure of the horse, or to strike the talismanic coins. They had been filjcady formed and deposited in a sacred stream,* from I have remarked (Sect. II.) that it was a custom of the Celtx, mergere, to sink or dcfxtsit their gold and silver in sacred lakes or streams. As this rite was performed under the direction of the priests, or Druids, they knew undoubt- edly where to find their treasure again, wliea it was wanted. Thus the Bard ?jieajcs of the jecovery of the old talismanic pieces of Trychdrviydd, the unoh* 618 REMARKS UPON' ^vlience he was, rituaUy, to procure them, and deliver them, auspiciouslyj to their respective claimants. But let us hear his wordsk GORCHAN KYNVELYN. 1. Pei mi brytwn, pei mi ganwn, Tardei warchan, gorchegin, Gweilging, torch Trychdrwyt. Trychethin trychinfvvrch Kyrchesit, en avon, Kynn noe geinnyon. Tyllei garn gafFon, Rac carneu riwrhon Ryveliiodogyon. Esgyrn vyrr, vyrrvach varchogyon, Tyllei Ylvach Gwryt govurthiach. CUNOBELINE'S TALISMAN. 1. Were it that I performed the mystic rite : were it I that sung, a talisman would spring forth the high shoots, the toand, the wreath of the unobstructed pervader.* The most hideous form, even that which is cut off from the haunches, should be procured in the river, rather than his beautiful steeds. The (horse),t which is hoofed with the capped stick,. itmcted pervader, who was the same as Cunobeline, Dominus Sot ; and it is re- markable, that he prefers as most efRcacious, those which resemble the Kara- bre coins; and exhibit the monstrous figures, cut off at the hauriches. These pieces, then, were deemed magical, and duly concealed by the Druids, iii order to be re-productd upon some urgent occasion. That ivho were martyred together. Yet fair is thy ruddy genius,^ O island, meriting the glowing hymn, the mead and the steeds. Does not the furze bush burst forth into a blaze ! And has not the talisman of Cunobeline, upon Gododin,|| made 41 sufficient commemoration, with a direct impulse? As for him who consigned to me the shaft of the gold- * Hengist had excluded shields from the feiitival ; but. it seems, this charm would repair the injury which ensued upon that occasion^ and enable the pa> trjotic warriors to drive out the invader of their country. Such infallible trinkets must have often deceived the wearer; but an ill- omened expression, or the slightest instante of misconduct, was always sufficient to account for the accident, and support the credit of the solemn impostor. t This is mentioned !a the Gododin, and in Cwarchan Maeiderw. It seems to imply the great temple. } The Bards were distinguished by their blue garment?. Gen, or i, a spirit, or intelligence the presiding dirinity. II It should seem, that the Bard imputed his escape from the feast, and consequently th* opportunity of composing faifi Oododia, to the virtue of his taliii&sa. 622 REMARKS UPON covered circle,* may it be for the benefit of his soul ? He, the son of Tecvan,f shall be honoured, in numbering, and in distribution the grandson of the horn of battle that pillar of sun-beams. When weapons were hurled over the heads of the wolves of battle, with speed did he come for- ward in the day of distress. Trywyr, a thriugeint, a thrychant, I vreithyell Gatraeth yd aethant : O'r saw! yt gryssyassant, Uch med menestri, Namen tri, nyt atcorsant. Kynon, a Chadreith, a Chathlew, o Gatnant | A minheu, o'm creu, dychiorant Mab coel kerth, vyg werth y a wnaethant ; O eur pur, a dur, ac ar^^ant. Evnyved, nyt nodet, e cawssant : Gwarchan kyrd Kynvelyn kyvnovant. 5. Three heroes, and three score, and three hundred,;j: wen* to the mixed assembly of Catraeth : of those who presented themselves in haste before the distributors of mead, none but three returned, namely, Kynon, and Cadreith, and Cathlew, of Cadnnnt I also, with my bloody wound, was bewailed by the sons of the awful omen (sacred fire)^ who contributed my ransom in pure gold, and steel, and silver. The portable sacred pledge, unobsei'ved, have they ob- tained. Cunobehne's mystic talisman they possess in common. Thus ends the poem upon the talisman of Cunobeline. Being now about to take my leave of the reader, I would tequest his attention to these memorable facts. The old Britons, as their own writings testify against them, in an * This shaft was ps ohab\y xho Iludlath, nui^ic p>fin^, OTtbe Ctngen, brtaicht %hich was carried by the divining Bard. " " -^ ^ + Perliaps an errtr of the" copyist fof TcHMJan, t&e' tradUioDal father of Cunobeliue. . ' ' ; -! ' X These were the heroes whose fall fs mourned in the Gododin ; which see. ANCIENT BUITISH COINS. 62S age of the greatest public calamity, and after the cospel had been published in their land, neglected the worship of the true god, and sought protection from heathenish rites, charms, and incantations. These vanities deceiired them; their crimes were justly punished, and they lost their poli- tical existence. As to the nature of the charms to which they had re- course, I have shewn, from Taliesin, that they had certain magical figures of horses, impressed upon small pieces of gold and silver, which were delivered to the deluded people as pledges of supernatural assistance; that these figures were sacred to the gods of heathenism ; were deemed effi- cacious for the defence of the country, and were precisely of the same form, as the monsters which we find upon the ancient British coins. To this I have added Aneurin's account of a talisman, for the protection of the patriotic warrior, and the destruc- tion of the foe. This talisman had those very symbols which we discover on the coins, and they were so adjusted, as to constitute the figure of a horse, of the same monstrous form which the coins exhibit, and with the same accom- paniments. This talisman was impressed upon gold ; many duplicates of it were provided, and it was emphatically styled the talisman of Cunobeline. Its preparation was deemed the highest effort of British magic; it was the shield of the solemn festival, sacred to the Arkite god and goddess, whose names and attributes appear upon the coins; and it was given to the warriors as a certain pledge, that these divinities would attend them in their enterprise. If all this will not produce conviction, that many of the British coins, published by our antiquaries, are the iden- tical talismans intended by our Bardic magi, I have nothing more to urge. Yet I trust, however this may be deter- mined, that the candid critic will acquit me of having taken up the idea upon slight or improbable grounds, and that he will acknowledge, that the Britons ascribed supernatural virtues to some trinkets, of similar device. But whilst I leave the original use and application of these coins to the judgment of the public, I must declare my own conviction, that the symbols and inscriptions which I have remarked, agree so minutely with the lore of 624 REMARKS, &C. the Bards and Triads, that it is evident, onr writers aixl engravers had precisely the same system in view. And this unity of design gives the strongest support to the credit of our national jnonuments. The fabrication of the coins cannot be stigmatized as a modern device for the purpose of elucidating the Bards : nor will the judicious critic assert, that the works of the Bards are recent forgeries, with a view to the explanation of the coins. Both the one and the other have remained inexplicable for ages ; but, in my opinion, they may now be regarded as consistent, not only amongst themselves, but also, allowing for local peculiarities, with the most ancient and general system of mythology, developed by two of the first antiquaries of our age. The Bards, the mythological Triads, and the coins, are therefore proved by mutual evidence, in which there can be no collusion, to be genuine monuments of the heathenish su- perstition of Britain. And they unite in their testimony, that this superstition, notwithstanding the singularity of a few minuter features, could boast of no great and fundamental principle, which was appropriate to itself. Like the general error of other nations, it consisted of certain memorials of the preserva- tion of mankind at the deluge, and some perverted reliques of the patriarchal religion, blended with an idolatrous wor- ship of the host of heaven. INDEX. INDEX TO TH E Mythology and Rites of the British Druids. Abyss, the abode of an evil principle, 49 Account of the British Triads, 27 Acorns offered by the bards, 503 Actions of Eidiol, or Ambrosius, 343, 349 Adar Ban, birds of augury, 509 Adder, symbolical, 544 Addvwyn Gaer, 507", &c. Adras, a mystical character. 449 Adytum of Stonehengc, 304 of a bar- dic temple, 384 Aedd, the arkite god or his priest, 122, 259 Aeddon, 117, 348 elegy of, 553 Aeron, the splendid one, 338 Aervre, battle of, 343 Aethereal temple, 353 Agitators of fire, 531 Al adur, a sacred title, 528 A>ka3't Mvrcu, 237 Allegory relating to mystic rites, 419 Amber, 339 wreath of Hengist, 327 Ambrosial stones, 385 Ambrosius poisoned by Eppa, 344 Amreeta, the water ot immortality, 227 Anachronism of the chair of Glamorgan, 33 Analogy between the British and Greek rites, 220, 221 and mysteries, 262 Ancient bards, 2 Andras, Andrasta, a British goddess, 617 Aneurin, an ancient bard, 2 not de- graded for having seen naked swords, 62 mythology of, 113 a North Bri- ton, -his age, 317 authorities and vouchers of, 322, 347^ wounded, 341 a prisoner, 356 corresponds with Taliesin, jfc, released by a son of Llywarch, 357 takes a retrospect of historical events, 377 is a half pa- gan, 386 Angar, 52 son of Ladon, 526 Anghen, the goddess of necessity, 188 Angor, a sacred title, 116, 367 Angues, druids, 18 Antuinum, 208, 209, 419, 577 Animal kept by the druids, 138, 524 Annwn, the dep, the abyss, 198, 206 Anwas, the winged, a mystical cha- racter, 288 8 8 Ape, sacred, 122, 568 Aphorisms of the bards, 75 Apology for the ancient triplets, 76 for Arkite mythology, 90 Appeal from the chair of Glamorgao to ancient documents. 36 Apple-tree, symbolical, 11, 284 Apple-trees of Merddin, 465, 480 Arawn the arkite, king of the deep, 198, 417, 420 Arberth, a seat of mysticism, 418, 423 Arbor frugifera, 23 Arcol, a mystical character, 414, 415 Arderydd ag Eryddon, battle of, 463, 474, 480. Area of blood, 544 Aren, the ark, 193 Arenees, temple of Apollo in the, 194 Argat, the ark, 200 Argoed, men of, made a league with Hengist, 379 Arianrod, 205, 266 the rainbow, 268 daughter of Don, 205 of Beli, 447 Ariant Gwion, 275 Ark, worshipped ia conjunction with the moon, 90 symbolized by islands and rafts, 154, 160 deified and repre- sented as the mother, the consort, or the daughter of its builder, 178 Ark of Aeddon, 118, 554 of the world, a name of the bardic temple, 113, 369, 393 arkitP, 584 Arkite cell inclosed fire, 199 arkite goddess, 175 venerated by the Ger- mans, 179 of the druids, 183 god, titles of, 559 Arkite lore, 507, &c. 555 memorials, 170 establishedi n Britain,266, 267 rites, prevalent in Britain, 131, 184, 637 sanctuary, 157 temple in Mon- mouthshire, 434 -theology of the dru- ids, 492 arose from the corruption of the patriarchal religion, 495 why in- corporated with Sabian idolatry, 493, &c. Arkites styled just ones, 118 Arthur, a mythological character, 187 188, 199, 202, 394, 404, 432, i2* 626 INDEX, Arthur's llyn llion, 143 stone, a crom- lech, 394r table, 396 Arts of the pheryllt, 215 Ascending stone of the bards, 250 Aspirant, a mystical infant, 2S0, 233 swallowed by the arkite goddess, 230 cast into the sea, ib. Associates, the society of bards, 369 Astronomical principles remarked in the British temples, 302, &c. Astronomy of the druids, 53, 217 Ailantis, the antediluvian continent, 148 Auchinleck MS. 447- Augur, iu the act of divining, 512 Augury of the druids, 44 by birds, 39 Authenticity of the mystical poems, 5 Authorities from the bards, why inserted at length, 86 Authority of the arch-druid, 57 of princes, supported by the bards, 59 of the small sprigs, or lots, 487 Avagddu, son of Ceridwen, 190, 203, 204 the same as Elphin, 241 regene- mted, 263 Avallen beren, arbor frugifera, 23, 483 Avaiic, 95 the shrine of the patriarch, 142, 267 the beaver, an emblem of the patriarch, 129 AvaoD, 135, 200 Avenue to Stonehenge, 371 Awen, o bair Kyrridwen, 20 origin of, 40 renders the aspirant complete, 256 a mystical character, 468 the bardic muse, 528 Awyr, the $hi/, a name of tbe open tem- ple, 353 B Bacchanalian rites, 169 Bacchus worsliipped in Britain, 89 the helio-arkite Noah, 127 inventor of agriculture, 128 styled a bull, 127, 174 BatTfTua, conical stones, which repre- sented the gods, 389 Bala, the going forth, 192 Balls and rings on British coioSi ^0, 605 Banawg, what, 128 Ban carw, battle of, 359 Banc of corruption, M2 Bangu, a sacred ox, 140, 141 Banners of the bards, 20 Banquet of mead, 3l3^mystical, 462 Bard, what the term anciently imported, 467 Bard slain at the feast at Stonehenge, 313, 317, 326, 363, 362 Bardd Cadair, 25, 200 Caw, 165 Ogyrven, 17 Bardic senigmas, how to be expounded, 405-mount vf assembly, 489>f>eti'- tion, 16 questions, 52 tow, 285 worship, 17 Bardism of the chair of Glamorgan, 32 supported the spirit of independ- ence, 283 Bards, an order connected with the dru- ids, 11 constituted judges, 12, 19 disciples of the druids, 9, 84 priests of the ancient Britons, 387 professed magic, 42 promised to recant before their death, 283 sometimes warriors, 63 works of, genuine, 3 consistent with history, 88 town of, in Angla- sea, 399 of Beli, 457 of the house- hold, 271, 272 of the middle ages, 9 Bardsea, 164. 503 Bath, mystical, 218 Battle of Gwenystrad, 62 of mystery, 133 Bear, representative of Arthur, 187 Beaver, 129 emblem of Noah, 267 see Avatic. Bed of mystery, 422 bed dilan, 193 Tidain, it. beddau, heathen sanctua- ries, ib. Bedwen, a may-pole, phallus, &c. 539 Bedwyr, son of Pedrawc, a mystical cha- racter, 340 phallus, 441 Bees, deposited by the mystical sow, 4?6 ^symbols of arkite ministers, 433 Belenus, a Celtic god, 116 temple of, in the Arenees, 194 Beli, name of Hu, the helio-arkite god, 116, 121, 143, 562 son of Mauhogan, 436 herds of, 352 Beliagog, 457 Benefits of initiation, 252 Berwr Taliesin, 275 Beverage of the festival, 509 Bird, transformation of Gwion, 250, 235 of augury, 509 of Gwenddolen, 463 of wrath, 266, 287, 560 Birth of Taliesin, mystical, 239 Bitch, transformation of Ceridwea, 232 Black horse of the seas, a sacred hip, 475 Black stone, 427, 437 Blanche Flour, a mystical lady, 447, 455 Blessed ones, Meawyd, 17^ Blue robes of the bards, 14 Boar, arkite symbol, 425, 442 of the spray, 614 Boar's heads, arms of Sir Tristrem's knights, 450 Boat, attribute of Ceridwen. 186, 237 of Ked, 176 -vale of the, 418 boat of glass, 211, 277. Boiling of the mystical cauldron, 313 Books of astronomy, 213 of the 4iuids, 266 of the pheryllt, 213 m INDEX. 627 Botany of Ceridwen, 21S Bradweu, Rowena, 354. 361 Branch, sacreJ, 206 of the burds, 371 liread and wine offered by the druids, 280 Breaking of sprigs, 339, 359 Brengwain, Bronwen, Proserpine, 452 Brewer of the mystical cauldron, 279 Brindled ox, 138, 523 British Ceres, 184 council, over ruled by Vortigern, 361 documents, 1 corroborated by mutual evidence, 624 British mythology, how far investigated by the author, 85 analogous to that of early heathens, 123 arkite, 289 Britons addicted to magical rites, 37 hyperboreans, 131 Bro yr HQd, land of mystery, 417 Bronwen, daughter of Llyr, 400 Bryant's heathen theology, 90 Brychan instructs the Welsh in the Christian faith, 282 Brynach, a northern mystagogue, 427, 462 Brython, inhabitants of ancient Britain, 506 Buanawr, a sacred title, 539 Buarth Beirdd, 136, 535 Bddd, victory, a sacred title, 364, 584 Budd, Buddugre, titles of Hu, 116 Bfid Ner, god of victory, 468 BQddudi Buddug, goddess of victory, 314, 317 Buddvan, horn of victory, 344 Buddwas, a title of Hu, 118, 557 Bull, 127, 200 of battle, 116, 133, 351, 359, 363 Beer lied. 120, 137, 537 Beli, 134 of brass, 131 demon, 135, 478^emblem of the patriarch, 131 of flame, 137 of fire, 537 of the host, 347, 373 mystical, 465, 577 sovereigns, 134 of the sphere, 133 Bull, title of the god, or his priest, 172 slain, ib. Bull and dragon, sacred to Hu, consi- dered as Bacchus, 128 Bulwark of battle, sacred title, 362 Bun, the maid, the British Proserpine, 327, 445, 468, 484, 488 Butu, sacied lake of, 159 C Cabiri, 216 Cabiritic divmity, Noah, 216 rites, arkite, ib. Cad Goddeu, a mystical poem, 100, 538 Cadair Ceridwen, 260 Teyrn On. 120, 527 Taliesin much older than the sixth century, 280 Vaelgwn, 22 Cadair, an amicable knight, 199 Cadeiriaith Saidi, 199, 292, 324 Cadvaon, conference of, 488 3 s 2 Cadwaladyr, supreme ruler of battle, name of Hu, 121, 488 Caer, a name of the sacred ship, and druidical sanctuary, 154 Caer, or sanctuary of Ceridwen, 285, 286 Caer Conan, 35'^ Echinig, 335 Pedry- van, 517 Rheon, seat of the nor- thern druids, 478 Seon, 169, 448, 546, 547 Caer Sidi, 201, 292,299,407, 615, 516 represented as a floating vessel, 154 implied the ark, 293 the zodiac, ib. the druidical temple, 294 circle of revolution, 294 sanctuary of Ceres, 295 form of, 296, &c pourtrayed on the sacred shield, 514 Caer Wydyr, name of the ark, 212, 521 Caers which represented the ark, 516 sacred, 531 Caesar's accurate information relative to the druids, 45 Cainc yr ychain Banawg, 1 29 Caledonia, forest of, the haunt of Meid- din, 73, 552 Caledonian druids, respected by the southern Britons, 475 wood, seat of the northern druids, 409 Cantref y Gwaelod, 241 Canu y byd mawr, 53 Car of Hu, drawn by oxen, 139 Caradoc, character of, 347 Cardigan bay, 162, 242, 251 Caredig, caradwy e glod, 346 Cams, attached to temples, 301 Carousal of the bards,' 136 * Casnodyn, 35 describes the day of judgment, 101 Cat, paluc, 427 Cathedral bard, 272 Cath Vraith, 438 Cattraeth, import of, 323, &c. place of conference with Hengist, 331 Cauldron, mystic, 16, 21 of Awen, 530 of Ceres, 222 of Ceridwen, 20, 26, 185, 213, 265, 502 what it im- plied, 217 divided, 214 an emblem of the deluge, 225, &c. Cauldronofthe ruler of the deep, 119,165 warmed by the'breath of nine dam- sels, 518 cauldron of five plants, 279 Cave of the arch diviner, 73-^sacred, 456 Cedig, title of the arkite goddess, 464 Ceidiaw, mystical father of Aurelins, 377 Celestial circle, name of a druidical temple, 41, 138, 550 Cell of Kfed, 372 of initiation, 236, 390 m y stical, 537 of the tauriform god, 137' Cells pertaining to British temples, 301 628 INDEX. Celtae, liad Cabiritic rites, 216 were governed by their priests, 386 Celtic glory, deplored by Aneurin, 379 j Cenig y Gododin, 321 Cerddglud Clyd Lliant, 467 Cerdd Ogyrycn, 14 Ceremony of arkite procession, 537 of the bardic feast, 370 of degradation, 64 of drawing the avanc out of the lake, 129 meaning of, 170 Ceres worshipped in Britain, 89 K)f the Britons, 184 symbolized by the moon, 279 worshipped in the twelfth cen- tury, 286 Ceriawen, 175, 205 the Ceres of Bri- tain, 185, 289 described as a furj-, 229, &c. 260 as a botanist, 21339 the first of womankind, 184-^as a gi- antess, 256 as the goddess of corn, 8 as the modeller of youth, 285 as the moon, 270 as a mystic goddess, 18 as ruter of bardism, 20 as a sail- ing vessel, 256 transformed into a bird, 390 cauldron and sanctuary of, 502 extraordinary endowments of, 169, 265 various emblems of, 257 how described in the twelfth century, 284 worshipped in tlie twelfth cen- tury, conjointly with the moon, 285 Ceto, the ark, 114 Ceugant Beilliawg, 247 Chain of the sacred oxen, 111, 129, 141 of the diluvian patriarch, 137, 515 Chair, bardic, 502 of Caer Sidi, 292, 295 of Caermartben, 33 of Ceridwen, a mystical poem, 265 imitated by Meilyr, 10 of Glamorgan, 32, 35, 56, &c. of the solar divinity, 523, 531 of Taliesin, 73, 269 Challenge from the chair of Glamorgan, 64 Character of Ceredig, 346 of Cerid- wen, 183, &c. of Hu, compared with Noah, 111 of the patriarch, in Bri- tish mythology, 105, &c. of Taliesin, mystical, 239 Characters supported by the mystic priests, 289 Cherisher, or brooding heD| Ceridwen, 259 Chest of the aspirants, 255 Chiefdruid, sovereign of Britain, 119,122 Chief singer of Nor, 114 Child of the sun, 488 of Teithan, that is, the helio-arkite god, 114 Chinese tradition of the deluge, 149 Christianity of the Welsh bards, blended with druidism, 17 Cibddar, mystic, 134> 200 Circle of Anoeth, 314 *of gems, 544 of the mystical tree, 489 of Sidm, that is, the zodiac, 296 of stones, 121 , 486 of twelve stones, 302 a term for a British temple, 313 of the world, name of a bardic temple, 113, 266 369 circle with its cromlech, 513 circle and wand of the magician, 42 Circles of rude stones in druidical tem- ples, 387 Circular dance, 172 entrenchment, 300, 585 temple, with its central crom- lech, 395 temples, sacred to the sun and Vesta, 304 destroyed, 550 Cities of Cantre'r Gwaelod, 242 City of the bards, 23, 350 Clattering of shields in a British proces- sion, 172 K)f arms in the festival of Bacchus, 175 Clergy and monks persecute the bards, 283 Clydnaw, ship-bearer, a mystical cha- racter, 364 Code of the chair of Glamorgan, 32 objections to the authority of, 33 Coelbreni, 43, 490 Coins, British, 589 display the image of Ceridwen, 257 antiquity of, 590 impressed with sacred symbols, 589, 590 exhibit druid temples, 591 found at Karn-brS, 591 regarded as druidical badges, 591 impressed with magical devices, 591 talismanic, 593, 610 design of, consistent with bardic imagery, 598 legends of, 607. Se Horse. Coll, son of CoIIvrewi, 426, 428 a Cor- nish mystagogue, 429 foreigner, 446 Collar of the sacred ox, 138, 524 Colours of the glains, 211 Columba persecutes Merddin, 471 Commemoration of the deluge in China, 150 Community of bards, 473 Complete system of druidism exhibited by Taliesin, 58 Completion, a mystical term, 288 Compound figure of the arkite goddess, 257 Concealing of the dragons, what it im- plied, 244 Connexion of mystical characters, 241, 244 Consecration, by the water of the aul- dron, 219 Constellation lyra, the harp of Arthur, 187 constellation representing the chief druid, 544 Convolutioui of tbt bards, S78 INDEX. 629 Cor, circlet appellative of a druidical temple, ii!99--Cdr Kyvoeth, Stone- henge, 3l0 Coracle of Ceridwen, 230, 237 symbol of the ark, 248 of initiation, 161 on British coins, 602 Cordelia, the British Proserpine, 206,401 Cormorant, a bird of ill omen, 512 Corn in the ear, carried by the druids, 504 corn stacks, 345 Cornan, crescent, a mystical horse, 476 Cornish mysteries, foreign, 432, 438 probably Phoenician, 429 introduced into Wales, tfc, and several parts of Britain, 460 Cornwall, seat of mystery, 426 Cosmography of Taliesin, 45 Covenant of Hengist, 340 Covering stone, sacred, 122 cloth, 256 Cow, spotted, 121, 567 emblem of the arkite goddess, 177 Cradle of the innocent preserved, 146 Craig pen peichen, 536 Crair Gorsedd, name of the cromlech, 392 Crane, 132, 161 sacred to the sun, 245 Creation, bardic question relating to, 52 Creirwy, 175, 205, &c. the British Pro- serpine, 196- the symbolical egg, 210, 212 Crescent, mystic horse, symbol of the sacred ship, 477 on British coins, 606 Cresses, purifying, 220, 273 Cromlech, various opinions respecting the, 391 ancient names of, 392 re- garded as a druidical altar, 391 ob- jections to that opinion, 392 deemed sepulchral, but not always so, 392 attached to druidical temples, 391, 397, &c. whether it contained the cell of initiation, 391-i-a mystical tomb, 592 !-distinguishedby the names of the arkite god and goddess, 396, &c -reputed a prison, 399- sacred to Proserpine. 400, &c. called Maen Ketti, 401 sacred to Ceres, 393 constituted the mystic cell of that goddess, 403, 408, 410 in Gower de- scribed, 394 in Nevern described, 395 Cub of a wolf deposited hy the mystical sow, 427 Cuckoo proclaims the festival of Hu, 122, 171 Ciidd, the ark, 171, &c. CuheJyn, 7, 8, 185 son of Caw, 310 Cul Vanawyd Pryain, a mystical cha- racter, 444 Cuno, import of, 604 Cunobeline, a British king, 604 title of the sun, 606 *a god, 650 taliimul of, 613, 618 Cursus at Stonehenge, 315, 370 Cwch, the boat, 198 vale of, 414 Cwn Annwn, hell-hounds, 420, 546 Cwy, the diluvian patriarch, 138 Cycles, marked in British temples, 302 at Stonehenge. 304 Cylch balch Nevwy, 41, 299 byd, 266, 299 names of the druidical temples 299 Cyngrair, the same, 392 Cymry, represented as Aborigines of Britain, 97 Cynddelw, 11 a half pagan, 19 Cynhaval mab Argat, 134, 200 Cynvawr cad Gaddug, 133 Cynvelyn, 42 a sacred fire, 552 a god, 616 Cyverthwch, oliff of, 427 Cyvyldiij temple of Ceridwen in, 286 D Dadeni liaelon, 21 Dccmons of wanton animatioft^ and of the flowing sea, 135 Dales of Devwy, 138 Dall ben, mystagogue, 426 Dallwyr, Mvrxi, 432 Dance of the druids. 16, 171, 172 in the orgies of Bacchus. 173, 175 sa- cred, .528, 530, 568, 576 Dark receptacle, the boat of Ceridwen, ^ 256 Darkness of the ark commemorated, 521 Daronwy, molester of Mona, 427 Darter of rays, 488 of light, a sacred title, 543 David ab Gwilym, 64 Dawn Dovydd, Selago, 280 Death typified in the mysteries, 231 and revival of the aspirant, 259 Dedwydd, E-nro-nrTu?, 252 Dee, a sacred river, 152 worshipped, 153 . Deep water, the mystical bath, 280 Defect of information in the chair of Glamorgan, 34 Defence oC the mystical pogins, 5 o the triads, 27 Delos, a floating island, 160 Deluge, British traditions of the, 95, &c. sacred, 142-^represented in British rites, 161 in what light regarded by the Britons, 226 extended to the vo- taries of bardisra, 285 universally acknowledged, 500 ^memorials pf the, 534 traditions of the, 542 Demolishing of circles, 486, 513 of groves, circles, &c. 486 630 INDEX. Peon> Ho, the Silurian god, 119, 121, 504,306 Deo Mouno Cad, 134 Derwyddon, 6, 11, 12, 14, 21, 22 Description of the mysteries, 231 Design of a druidical temple, 298, &c. Destruction of druidical temples, 138 Deucalion's deluge, 97 Deus Lunus, Noah, Meen, Mcnes, Me- non, &c. 262 Dew Danwantaree, Indian name of Noah, 228 Dewrarth Wledig, 241, 246 Dialogue between Rowena and a Briton, 360 Dien propitiated, 273 Dignity of the bards, 24 Diluvian imagery, 41 god, 117 lake, 192 mythology, 506 Din, mighty lord of the, title of the sun, 534 Din Breon, 6 Drei, 355 Dinas AflFaraon, 427, 435 Beirdd, 473- Cerddorion, 23 Diachor, 508 ^Em- rys, 215, 243-^Pharaon, or Emrys, 436 Dinbych, a sacred isle, 155 Diogenes Laertius, druidical triad re- corded by, 75 Dionusus, Noah, 258 AKpvijf, 258, 528 Dirge over the body of Hengist, 342 Discipline of the probationer, 286 Distributor, a sacred title, 247 Divination of the druids, 44 ^by lots,339, 359, 483, 532 by victims, 544 Diviner, son of Serano, 340 Divining magician, 42 staff, 528 Diviaticus Aeduus, a druid, 44 Diwyth a Gorwyth, 407 Doctrine of the mysteries, 252, 254 Dogmasof the chair of Glamorgan, 55, 60 Dogs introduced in mystical exhibitions, 232, &c. why emblematical of hea- then priests, 234 of battle, warriors, 331 mystical, 419, 452, 454r of the wood or grove, 489 Done, banks of the, 376, 383 Door of the ark, how regarded, 231 of the aik, and arkite temples, 520 Door-keeper of Godo, a mystical cha- racter, 199 Dor-Marth, the British Cerberus, 234 Dovydd, a sacred title, 272, 542 Dragon, 16, 24, 67, 127, 562 chief, the helio-arkite god, 118 name of Hu, 121 ruler of the world, 122 afflicted by the deluge, 168 a sovereign, 279 - diaj^on gyrchiad, 133 dragons of Snowdon, 243 of Dinas Pharaon, 436 F alluded to solar worship, 43^ Drawing of the mystical wear, 258 Drink of the festival, 219 of might, 452 Druidical documents preserved in Bri- tain, 2 temples, round, 299 Druid ism preserved in Wales, 6 tole- rated in Wales, 16 -professed by the bards, 2.T^composed of heterogeneous principles, 86 fundamental prmciples of, 87 allied to the Greek and Romaq superstition, 88 -founded in a corrup- tion of the patriarchal religion, 182 a mixed superstition, 291 originally ar- kite, afterwards helio-arkite, 412 of the bards, 430 originated in Britain, 457 how far it survived the Roman government in Britain, 462 re-im- ported out of Caledonia into Wales, 475, 480t outlawed, 488 Druids, wearers of gold chains, IS promoters of heroism, 14 of Britain, 22 the magi of Gaul and Britain, 37 druid's town in Anglesea, 399 druid stones, parish so named from cer- tain cromlechs, ib. prediction of, 571 Drum, mystical, 221 Essyd, 362 Drws porth Uffern, 518 Drych eil Cibddar, a mystic character, 429 Duw Celi, a title of Hu, 110 Dwelling of the wood, sacred grove, 24 Dwyvan and Dwyvach, 95, 105 Dwyvawr and Dwyvach, 152, 192 Dylan, son of the sea, 99. 194, 542 the patriarch Noah, 100, 102-!-wave of, 285 Dyrraith, a mystical character, 609, 616 rank of, 620 Dyved, Demetia, 198 Dyvynawl Vrych, Hengist, 376 Each triad a whole, 30 Eagle leads the procession, 119 of Gwydien, 353 of mythology, 434 i of Brynach, 462 mystical, 488 in the sky, 508 eagles' nests, 163 al- Inrer, 343 eagles of Snowdon, 21 < eaglet deposited by the mystical sow, 427 Ear of com protected, 335 on British coins, 604 Earth, bardic questions relating to the, 52 moves in an orbit, 55 propitiat- ed, 276 earthquakes, bardic question relating to, 51 Ebriety, sacred in the British festivals, 119 of Seithenin, 198 Echel with the pierced thigh, 199 Effects of initiation, 240 lEgg, symbeljcal, 205, 207-^of the ark. INDEX. 631 SOT, 908, 419-olemn preparation of, 418 Eiddilig Coir, a mystical character, 429 Eiddin, Vortigern, 337 Eidin, 585 Eidiol, 113, 308, 309, 313, 315 the same as Ambrosius, 309, 331 the harmo- nious, 369 the placid, 372 actions of, 343, 362, 364 sacrifice of, 365 gjr, the mother of Arthur, 187 the Eisame as Ceridwen, 408 Eirin Gwion, 275 Eiry Mynydd, 75, 80 Election of the arch-druid, 61 Elementary trees, 505 Elements, nine, 53 Eleosiniaa care, antique sculpture of, 233 Elgan, 138, 550 Elidyr Sais, 21 Ellyll Banawg Gwidawl Malen, 135 Elmur, a name of the tauriforiu god, 134 a sovereign bull, 200 Elphin, 20, 204, 259 a mystical cha- racter, 238 sovereign of the bards, 246 the same as Avagddu, 246 the sun, 247, 351 ^honours of, 504 deli- verance of, 532 Emrys the sovereign, 242, 244 a name of the helio-arkite god, 384 EnchantDienl ascribed to Hu, 120 Englynion Misoedd, 82 Enigat the Great, 49 Enumeration of VortigernU auxiliaries, 338 Epilogue to the mysteries, 253 ETPocTvjf, what, 254 Equality, whether a doctrine of the bards, 57, &c. disavowed by them, 83 Equiponderate mass g. whether the earth or the Logan stone, 135 Erch (bee), a mystical horse, 478 Errith a churrith, 549 Eseye, the arkite goddess, 114 wor- shipped at Stonehenge, 350 Essyllt, spectacle, a mystical character, 439, 442, 444, 456 Ethics, druidicaJ, 76, &c. Etruscan Janus, Noah, 159 Etymologies of Mr. Bryant, &c. 90 Euxine, mythological tale of its over- flowing, 98 Eve of May, 576 Exorcised spot, 277--exorciras, 541 External purity required, 250 Eye of the light, 72 F Faher's heathen theology, 90 Fair family, 156 Faifle of Stonehenge, 364 Fangs of the mystical hen, 256 Festival of the arkite god, 170 of the tauriform god, 537 Fire, sun worshipped in Britain by the name of, 120, 533 preserved in the druidical temples, 154, 295 by the bards, 271 Fish, a transformation of Gwion, 229 Flag of truce sent by Hengist, 352 Floating islands represented the ark, 154, 158, 159, 160 sanctuary, 507, &c. Flood of Dylan, 102 Flowers exhibited at the festivals, 278 Fliir, a mystical character, 447 Foam of the ocean, used in purification, 220 Foreign attendants of the mystical cat, 437 Formulary, previous to initiation, 221 mystical, 250 of introduction, 287 Fortitude inculcated by the druids, 75 Fountains, mystical, 23, 50 Fragment in an unknown language, 564 Freckled intruder, Hengist, 376, 383 Fruit-bearing tree, 23 G Gallicenoe, Gwyllion, 168 priestesses of Ked, or Ceridwen, 169 Galltraeth, battle of, 344, 348 Garden, sacred, 155 (Jarlands of the mystics, 576 Garwy Mr, 199, 286 Gate of sorrow, a mystical dog, 234 of hell, 518 Ga*ls consecrated their gold in 8 lake 144 were initiated into Cornish mys- teries, 458 espoused the gods of Cornwall, 459 Geirionydd, 157 aethereal temple of,' 566 Genius of the ark, names of, 184 of the rainbow, 264 Gentllism preserved some principles of the patriarchal religion, 498 Genuiness of bardic mythology, 258 Geographical triads of the Gauls and Britons, 28 geography of the druids, 53 Geraint, 199 ab Erbin, 444 com- mander of the British fleet, 379 German mythology, 179 Giantess, Ceridwen. 256 Giants vanquished by Hu, 120 antedi* luvian, 148 of. mythology, 455 Glain, how produced, 52, 164 an eni- blem of renovation, 210 glains, arti- ficial, lllrsacred in Samothrace, 211 212 how distinguished, 455 Class, sacred amongst the druids, 211>^ inclosure of, 522 632 INDEX. Glewlwyd Gavaelvawr, guardian of the sacred gate, 287 Glyn Cwch, vale of the boat, 418 Dall- wjr, vale of the mystics, 432 God of war, 120 of victory, Buddu- gre, 365 gods of the druids, what they were, 87 of the heathens, all referable to the sun, 124 deified mor- tals, 254 worshipped at Stonehenge, 385 represented by rude stones, 388 the same worshipped at Stonehenge and in North Britain, 468 Godde Gwrych, a bird of ill omen, 511 Goddess of various seeds, 186 of death, Ceridwen, 230 of the silver wheel, character and office of, 266 god- desses of paganism referred to the ark, the moon, and the earth, 178 Godo, 199 appellative of a British temple, 324 Gododin, 113 poetical work of Aneu- rin, 317 subject of, 318, 384 why obscure, 318 consists of a series of songs, 320 meaning of the term, 322, song 1. 326 how composed, 356 place of conference with Hengist, 330 name of the great sanctuary, 348 Gododin, gomynaf, 362 Gold chains of the druids, 13 of the British nobles, 341, 368^ pipes, a plant, 275 gold shield of the chief druid, 544 trinkets, 645, 547 Goronwy, 41, 199 a mystical character, 544 Gorthyn, Vortigem, 381 Gorwynion, imitated by Gwalchmai, 10 Governor of the feast mounted on his horse, 375 Grain of wheat, transformation of G wion, 230, 235, 256-rof the arkites, 257, 390, 573 grains deposited by the, mystical sow, 426, 431, 433 Grannawr, a title of Hu, 116 of the British Apollo, 372 Granwyn, a title of Hu, 116, 119 of Apollo, 508 Great cathedral. Stonehenge, 303-r-sanc- tuary of the dominion, 313 Greidiawl, a mystical character, 440 Greyhound bitch, a transformation or symbol of Ceridwen, 229, 396 Grey stones of the temple, 138 Grove of Diarwya, 418 druidical, 483, &c. Guardian spell, 42-wK>f the gate, 287 of the door, 520 Gwaedncrth, the British Mars, 368 tiwair, a mystical prisoner, 404, 406 on of the great tempest, 406, 441 title of the arkite god, 479 the pa- triarch, 515 Gwaith Emrys, a name of Stonehenge, 384, 402 Gv/kl y Vilast, 396, 597 Gwalchmai, 10 a mystical character, 199 Gwarchan Maelderw, 538, 582 Gwarthawn, an evil principle, 48 Gwawd Eludd, 121, 563 Gwely Taliesin, 398 Gwenddolen, a mystical character, 487 Gwenddoleu, who, 463 family of, 464 cannibal birds of, 463 a bull, 465 chief of the northern princes, 466 pillar of bardic lore, t6. sacred lire of, 476 Gwenddydd Wen, fair lady of day, 468 Gwenhwyvar, the ark, 187 Gwgan Lawgadarn, a mystical perso- nage, 393 Gwtn a Bragawd, 219 Gwion the Little, 213, 229, 275 Gwlad yr Hfld, 198 Gwlith, gwlith Eryr, 274 Gwlydd, Samolus, 274 Gwrawl, Aurelius, 376 Gwreang, the herald, 213 Gwrgi Garwlwyd, a mystjcal C^nibal, 454, 463, 474, 477 Gwrtheyrn Gwynedd, 340 Gwrthmwl the sovereign, 478 Gwrvorwyn. 197, 205 Gwyddno Garanhir, 161 the same as Seithenin, 244 the same as Tegid# 251 office and character of, 250 poems of, 249 wear of, 238 mysti- cal father of Ambrusius, 346 Gwydion, son of Don, Hermes, 118, 204, 263, 353, 429, 504, 541 contends with the birds of wrath, 266 Gwylan, the sea-mew, 110 Gwyllion predict the deluge, 157 what they were, 166, 606 Gallicenae, 168, 223 song of, 566 Gwyllionwy, mystic river, 41 Gwyn ab Nudd, the Pluto of the Britons, 206 lord of the lower regions, re- presented in the mysteries, 288, 466 contends with Gwyddno, 249 Gwynedd, title of Vortigem, 340 Gwynvardd Brecheiaiog, 140 Dyved* 414 Gwythaint, birds of wrath, 267 Gyvylchi, temple of Ceres in, 299, 387, 436 H Haearndor, iren door, name of the ark and arkite temple, 130, 560 INDEX. 635 Hatd, swarm, a mjstlc&I horse. 478 Hall of Ceridwen, 255,390 of the mys- terious god, 286 of mystery, 458 Hanes Taliesin, 186 Chap. ii. mS Chap. iii. 229 Chap. iv. 238 Harbour of life, 162, 250 Hare, a transformation of Gwion, 229. Havgan summershine, a mystical cha- racter, 420 Hawk of may, 199 transforma4ion of Ceridwen, 235 Headband of the sacred ox, 138 Heathen sanctuaries appropriated to christian worship, 140 Heathenism, wherein criminal, 496 Hebraic origin of bardic lore, 94 Heifer a symbol of the ark, 131, 425 Heilyn, a name of the solar divinity, 162 impeller of the sky, 250, 261 the feeder, 261, 528 Helanus, the lunar divinity, 145 Helio-arkite god, a comprehensive cha- racter, 123, 126 identified witl} a bull, 135 superstition, 90 Heliodorus, flat stone of, 475 Hen Vclen, name of a British temple,502 Hen, symbol of Ceridwen, 205, 230 sa- cred amongst the Britons, 236- with red fangs and a divided crest, 259, 574 Hengist, described by Cuhelyn, 313 by Aneurin, 327 freckled, 359 death of, 352 sarcastic elegy upon the death of, 381 Hen Wen, old lady, a mystical sow, 426- the great mother, 430 Herald of peace, 60 of mysteries, 214- privilege of the mystical, 440 Hercules, history of, helio-arkite, 416 Herds of the roaring beli, 352 master of the fair, 549 Hewr Eirian, splendid mover, title of the sun, 119, 509 Hierophant attended by three pricsts,288 High stones, sacred, 681 Hillof Aren, 193 Hippa, mare, the arkite goddess, 258, 443, 445 Hippos, horse, an arkite symbol, 442 History of Taliesin, a mythplogical tale, 186 Hodain, a mystical dog, 452 Hoianau, a p'oem of Merddin, in a nor- then dialect, 469, 470, 490 Holme, sacred, 172 oly sanctuary, 507, &c. Honours of the ancient bards, 14 Horn of the lustrator, 171, 530 of the herald, 419 horns carried in proces- sion. 172 jlofse, emblem of a sjiip, 252, 443, 475, 478, 599 ofEIphln.the bardic chair, 239 of Gwydduo, 214, 251^mysti- cal, .544 mythological, 476 of the sun, 528, 534 symbolical, 594 on the British coins, .593 image of K6d or Ceridwen, .595, 601 figure of, abridged, 595 parts of, described, 596 parts of, symbolical, 597 Horses, magical, 610, 614 Hop.se, shrine of the patriarch, 171 of glass, a sacred ship, 212, .522 Howel, Dda, triads of, 29 of Llandin- gad, 64 Hn, patriarch and god of the bards, 24 Gadarn. 9.5 the deified patriarch, 106 how described in the triads, 106 how described by lolo Goch, 108 Emperor of land and seas, 180 the lifeor paient of all, 108 a husband- man, after the deluge, 109 deifi- ed and worshipped, 109 the greatest god 110 worshipped in conjunction with the sun, t&. presided in the ack, and circle of the world, 113, 169 was called Noe, 114 the lord of the British Isle, 115 the god of Mona, 118, 554-^the father of man- kind, 120 the winged, 121 the sovereign of Heaven, 121 the Bac- chus of the Britons, 126, 289 a bull, 136, 137, 139 a benefactor, 428 a patriarch and god, 495 sacred isle of, 479 titles of, 461 Huan, name of Hu, the sun, 115 Hudlatb, magic wand, 41 hudwydd, the same, 268 Huge stones of the temple, 171 sacred to Ceres, 389 Human sacrifices, 463, 466 Hunt, mystical, 229, 418 Husbandry taught by Hu, or Noah, 109 Hwch, sow, the British Ceres, 414 Hydranws, the mystical baptist, 214, 220 r symbolized by an otter, 235 Hygre, 143 Hymn to Bacchus, 127 to the sun, 367 chaunting of, 509 hyperborean Apollo, temple of, atStone- henge, 303, 528 Hywcl Voel, 23 son of Owen, 283, 301 I, J. Janus, 199, 201 Iculmkil, 164 Idsei Dactyli, 216 Identity of heathen gods, 125 god- desses,178 mythological persons,203 Images of British gods, 388 Imitation of Taliesin, 15 Impeller of the sky, 167 Irapriionment of "the aspirant, 259 of 634 INDEX. Aneurin, 356 of Gwair, 408 of the diluvian patriach, 515. 516 InauguratioD ot Arthur, 527 Incantation, 4^ of Cynvelyn, 63 Incircled mount, guarded by mystical characters, 288 Incloser of flame, 199 Inclosure witti the strong d6or, the ark, 226 Indian tradition of the deluge, 226, &c. Ingredients of the mystical cauldron, 218, 220, ^76 Innocence inculcated by thedruids, 75 Inundation, mystical, 506 Insigne draidis, 208 Interpolation of mystical poems, 269 lolo Goch, 108 lona, probably the seat of the northern druids, 479 I6r, a sacred title, 313, 3l5 Avagddu, 316 Iris, 204 represented as a lady, 423 see rainbow Island, sacred,120 symboloftheark,aad druidical sanctuary, 154 of the mount of debarkation, 161 of Hu, 164 sacred to Bacchus, 173 of the cow, 177 of German mythology, 179 with the strong door, 165, 167, 520 island temple, 160 islands venerated by the ancients, 161- see floating Islets, sanctuaries of the Gaals, 144 of SciUy, 165 Jurisprudence of the druids, 74 Just Ones, arkites, 118, 557 Ivy branch, 122, 574 K Karabre, a station of the druids, 591 coins found there, 591 description ef, 593 KM, a title of Ceridwen, 8, 119 the ceto of antiquity, 114, 122 the daughter of the patriarch, 122, 176, 671 the ship of the patriarch, 176 preserves corn at the deluge, 176 invests Taliesin with the sovereignty of Britain, 122 rules the British tribes, 176 the British Ceres, 368, 372, 402 the arkite goddess, 176, 432 chief priests of, 506 vessel of, 51 1 Kedawl, the arkite goddess, 249 Kedig, the arkite goddess, 532 Kedwidedd, 266 Kedwy and the boat, 549 Kernos, a small chest, carried by the as- pirants, 221 Ketti, stone of, 40? Kibuo Ked, 368 King Lear, 206 Kine of the British Ceres, j30 KjjtVaen, 394 Kitten deposited by the mystical sow,427 Knight of the inclosure, 313 knights of Eiddin, 338 Kid, cell of, nnder a flat stone, 408 prison of, 404 Kvee?, dogs, symbols of heathen gods, and their priests, 234 Kyd, the vessel of the patriarch, 122,563 Kykeon, the liquor of the festival, 221 L Lacns Cespitis, 157 ^Tegeius, 191 Ladon, Latona, 526 Lady of the silver wheel, 205-^mysti- cal. 423 Lake of Llion, 95, 226 sacred, 119, 171, 503 symbol of the deluge, 142 of adoration, 143 of consecration, 143 of the grove of I6r, 143 ofTliou- louse, 144 sacred to the moon, 145 of Lomond, 158, 163 of Vadiraon, 158 of Buto, 139 ofGerraan mytho- logy, 179 containing the arkiie gods, 191 of the Areuees, 195 Lakes, British mythology of, 142 sa- cTed amongst the coutinetal CeltoB, 144 swallowed up cities, 145 of Snowdon, 157 inhabited by theGwyl- lion, 157 Lampoon, by Trahaearn, 66 Land of mystery, 198 Landing place of th bards, 251 stone, 162 Language of the mysteries, 90 of the chair, a mystical character, 199 Law, of the inclosure,200 of Ceridwen, 256, 265 of mysteries, 511 laws of Howel, 74 Leader of the din, 565, 534 Leaves of plants discriminated, 51 Legends of the British coins, 607 Levelling principles, 56, &c. Libation of honey, 276 of wine, 279 Liberation of elphin, 247 Liberty and equality, 56 Lights, or torches of Ceridwen, 261 Lion, title of the sun, 116, 127, 364 Little song of the world, 54 Living ox, emblem of Hu, 139 herd^ 172 Llad, the arkite goddess, 175 274 Llan, the sacred ship, 257 dingad, 67 Llech, Titleu, 344 Leuca, battle of, 359 yr ast, a cromlech, 397 y gow- res, 398 Vaelwy, 518 Lien g^l, veil of mystery, 198, 417 Carthen, 256 lliw ehoeg, 510 Lleveni, a sacred river, 151 Llevoed, a moral bard of the lOtb ceo- tur^, 83 INDEX. 635 Llion, the ancient, a mystical character, 415, 417 Llogell Bjd, name of the circular tern- pie, 393 Llonnio Llonwen, 427 Lludd ilaw Eraint, 206 Llwch Llawinawg, 1^88 Lljn Llion, diluvian lake, 14^, 143' Llyn Creini, Urddjn, Gwyddior, 143 Savaddau, 146, l5l Tegid, 152 y D3'warchen, 157 ab Erbiu, 508 Llyr, a mystical name, '206 Llediaitb, 404, 405 sons of, 501 X-lys Ceridwen, i!55 Llywarcb, ab Llywelyn, 19 Hen, 31, 60, 357 I-Jywy, the British Proserpine, 175, 196, 205, 342, 371 daughter of Ceridwen, sister of the aspirant, 285 venerated in the temple of Gyvylchi, 286 in Mona, 559 steeds and shields of, 372 Local traditions of the deluge, 147, 148 Locality of ancient tradition, 97 Lofty one, Hu, 141 Lord of thunder, 198 of the water, 199 Lore of the druids, preserved in Wales, 9 professed by Taliesiu, 117, 279 delivered in Hebrew, 573 of the de-' luge, 545 Lots, magical, 43 Bardic, 490, 532 Lustration, diluvian, 142, 226 M Mab Eilydd, 334 Mabgy vre, elements of instruction, 49, 100 Mabinogian, 147, .155 how far useful, 459, 514 Mabon, a mystical character, 287, 288 Maceration and sprinkling, 279 JVladawc, 348 Dwygraig, 24 mab Brwyn, 247 Madien, Bonus Janus, Seilhenin, 116, 367 Slaelgwn, destroys the temple of the druids, 137 confines Elphin, 246 reprobated, 504 ^a persecutor of the druids, 549 Maelwy, flat stone"", of, 513 Maenarch, stone of, 393 Maen Ketti, 401 Maen Llog, name of the cromlech, S98 Macs Beli, battle of, 352 Magic of the druids and bards, 37 how to be understood, 39 wand, 41, 268, 555 spells, 42 flag or standard, 582. &c. figure of a horse, impressed upon gold and silver, 610 horse upon the old coins, 614 &c. horse of Ma- len, 617 Magna Mater, 165, 175 Malen, Minerva, 135 Manawyd and Pryderi, 295 Manaw- ydan, son of LJyr, 188 Mangling dwarf, a mystical character, 367 M^on, a sacred title, 584 March, horse, a mystical character, 439 prince of Cornwall, 442 master of ships, 444 Mare, hippa, a transformation of Ceres, 258, 445 symbol of the ark, 425 Marwnad, Dylan, 102 Aeddon, 553 Massacre at Stonehenge, 306, 321, 363, 579 how occasioned, 348 Master of song, an office claimed by the druidical line, 13 of the ox-berd, 138 Math, son of Mathonwy, a mystiaal cha- racter, 429, 541-pand Eunydd, sorcc- reis, 268, 554 Matholwch, form of worship, a royatlcal king of Ireland, 452 Maurice, remarks of Mr. upon Stone- henge, 303 Maurigasima, 149 Alaxiins, druidical, in the form of triads, 28 May day), 163 festival of, 369 eve, 121-^a sacred anniversary, 238, 241, 333 celebrators of, 585 swordi- men of, 569 Meichiad, swineherd, a mystical title, 414 Meini, Hirion, a circular temple, 398 Kyvrivol, ib. Meirig, a mystical personage, 414 Melisss, the muses, arkite priesteisei, 224 Melyn Gwan wyn, a sacred ox, 132 Melyngan, a sacred horse, 544 Memorials of the bards, 14 of the de- luge, in ancient Britain, 95 Menu, Noah, 228 a mystical character, 428, 441 Menw, or Menyw, 13 Menwed, blcM- ed ones, 576 Menwaed, a mystagogue, 437 Menwyd, Noah, 176, 568 Merddin, 2, 21 a druid, 7 teacher of druidism, 26 a pretended prophet, 21, 39 a warrior, 62 Vardd,164 the Caledonian, 453, 465, 466 su- preme judge of the north, 467 wore the gold collar, 487 a mystical swine- herd is persecuted, 469 retires into the Caledonian forest, 470 having opposed^ the introduction of Christia- nity, 472 interpolated, and why, 468, 470 apple trees of, 480 mad- ness of, coupterfeited, 481 636 INDEX. Merin, a sacred title, 116 son of Mo- rien, 367" Merit of the aspirant, how ascertained, 251 Merlin, no prophet nor conjuror, 38 McrvynGwawdrydd, 80 Metre of the triplets obsolete, 80 Meugant, 6 character of, S8 Mic Dinbych, a mystical poem, 507 Mighty bear, title of Gwyddno, 246 Military devices on the British coins, 609 Milk offered by the bards, 503 Minawc ap Lieu, Noah, 260. 261 Minyae, Noachidae, 148 arkites, 262 Minyas, 147 Misseltoe, 280 several names of, 281 Moch, swine, mystical, 414 Modes of mysticism, 428 Mohyn Cad, 134 Molesters of Mona, 427 Mona, 503, 554^-the island of Hu, 117 named from a cow, 177 Monks reproached by Taliesin, 525 Moon, worshipped in conjunction with the ark, 125, 280 emblem of K6d or Ceridwen, 176, 284 priests of, 277 Moral philosophy of the druids, 74 in- structions of the bards, 75 stanzas, 80 Morda, ruler of the sea, 213 Morien, Janus Marinus, 115, 349, 350, 354, 361 preserved the saored fire, 1 14-foundedthe temple of Stonehenge, 115, 384 Morvran ap Tegid, 189, 241 charac- ter of, 202 Most ancient, powerful, sacred titles, 354 Mother of mankind, the ark, 184 Mount Baris, 207 of debarkation, 161 192 of the assemblies, 402 Mountain of Fuawn, the visible world, 49 of Mynnau, 47 mauntain chief^ Vortigern, 332, 366, 368 Mundane circle, 121 rampart, the temple of Hu, 122, 568 egg, 207 represented at Stonehenge, 304 Mfir Idr, Stonehenge, 310 Murgreid, a sacred title, 346 Muses, arkite priestesses, 223, &c. Mydnaw, ship-bearer,a mystical charac- ter, 167, 448 Mynawg, 350 Mynweir, 529 Myrrh and aloes, used in the festivals of the druids, 273 Mysteries of the Cabin, 90 of the Gen- tiles, diluvian, memorials, 183, 256 greater and less, 237, represented the adventures of the patrianch, 248 consisted of icenical or symbolical representations, 257 of Ceres, cele- brated in Wales, in the Ifth century 292 Mystical poems, Mr. Turner's opinion of, 4 the best documents of British druidisnn, 26 goddess, 18 caul- dron, 40 ingredients of, 282 cora- cle, 162 river, 23.5 grove, 285 process, 240 personages of a British Ogdoad, 475 formation of the arch druid, 540 Mythological tales, 31 bulls and oxen, 130 Mythlogy of the Britons, genuine and ancient, 112 N. Nadredd, druids, 210 Names, common to the god and his vo- taries, 134 of the Dee, 152 borrow- ed from mythology, 194 of the ark, 510 Natural philosophy of the druids, 44, 45 Nav, the diluvian patriarch, 105, 444 Naw, a ship, 245, 535 Naw Morwyn, 517 Neivion, Neptune, 105 Nfer, god of the ocean, 19 Nereus, 163 the deluge, 539 Nevydd Nav Neivion, 95, 105 Night, bardic questions relating to, 51 nightly solemnitj', 273 Nine damsels of British mythology, 166, 219, 223, 518 of Egypt, 225 nine maids, monument so called, 166 Noah, worshipped with the sun, 90 the great god of the druids, 181 how re- presented in mythology, 107 truth of his religion virtually acknowledged, 500 Nocturnal mysteries, 72, 183 N'oe, name of Hu, 114 of the arkite god, worshipped at Stonehenge, 350 Northern druids visited by the South Britons, 476 Number, sacred, 79, 482 potent, 528 of the British nobles who were slain, 341 O Oak, symbol of Taronwy, 299 sacred, 539 Oar, implement of Ceridwen, 229, 232 Oath of the initialed, 119 of admission, 287, &c. Obscene language disallowed in British mysteries, 285 Obscurity of the chair of Glamorgan, 34 Ocla, lampoon addressed to, 381 Oeth ag Anoelh, 404, 406, 515 Offering of wheat, 273 of nev mU^ dew and acorns, 503 Office of Taliesin, 271 INDEX. 637 Ogdoad of Taliesin, 94 arkites, 121 of the druids, 475, 564 incloicd iu the ark, 517 Og^rven, 502 Aiiihad, 8, 186, 432 Oian a phorchellan, 469, 484 Old lady, title of the British Ceres. 426 Olwen produced trefoils, 448, 465 Omen sticks, 43, 453,490 fire, 376, 383 Oracle of a Gaulish deity, 168 Orchard, mystical, 453 of Merddin, al- legorical, 481 Orgies ot the British Bacchus, 172 Otter bitch, a transformation of Ceiiu- wen, 320 Outlawry of druidism, 488 Ovum Anguinum, 18, 208 carried in procession, 172 Owen Cy veiliawg, 14 an ancient bard slain at Stonehenge, 327, 371 Ox stationed before the lake, 119, 508 *mblen of the ark, revered as a deity, 130 a British emblem of Noah, 133 of German mythology, 179 of the ship, 194 brindled, 523 stall of the, 120 oxen of Hu, 95, 128 seen in a thunder-storm. 111 roared in thun- der, and blazed in lightning. 137 drew the sacred car of the patriarch, 141 ox-pen of the bards, 136, 535 P Paganism similar, in some points, to the Jewish religion, and why, 498, &c. Pair, Prydain, 17 Awen, 21, 213 a cauldron, figuratively expcessing the druidical system, 217, 218 Pum- wydd, 218 Pen Annwfn, 517 Ogyr- ven, 529 meaning of, 219 Paluc, SOBS ofi 427 cat of Mona, 437 Paradise of the druids in the southern hemisphere. 53 Ilarj-o?, the cell of initiation, 391 Path of Granwyn, 608 Patriarch, received divine honours, 105 was forewarned of the deluge, 149 Patrick's causeway, 162 Peace of the ploagh, 70 Pearls round the mystic cauldron, 219 Pedigree, mystical, 405, 414, 464 Pelagius, a half pagan. 387 Perable meer, 152, 189, 191 Penance of the aspirants, 255 Penr.rwcn, a mystical female, 444 Ptndaran Dy ved, 198, 414, 417 Pendevig raawr, a sacred title, 525 Penliyn, residence of Tegid Voel, 189 People, condition of under the druids, 58 Peril of violating the mystic laws, 288 Perpetual fire, 215, 362 Persecution of the druids, 485, 549 of the Sabian divinities, 495 Pestilentiiil wind, 226 Phallus. 539 Plwraon, Urifi-h gods, 215, 243, 584 higher powers, 435 Pheryllt. priests of the Cabiri, 215, 216, 435, 546 had a seminary at Oxford, 215 books of, 213 Phle(;yse, 147 Phlegy an Isle destroyed, 148 Phoenician rite recorded in the Bible, 180 Phoroneus compared with Hu, 107 Physiology of the druids and bards, 44 Piece of gold, a credential of the druids, 545, 593 Piercing or cutting the thigh, 170 Piety inculcated by the druids 75 Pig deposited by the mystical sow, 427 Pillars of the twelve signs, 298 attached to the circular temples, 387 Planetary hours observed by the bards, 40, 213, 238 Pledge of faith towards the clergy, 70 pledges mutually comniunicated, 279 Plemochoe, a mystical vase, 222 Plot of Hengist, 328. 358 Plurality of gods maintained by the dru- ids, 88 Pluto of Britain, 206 Poetry of Taliesin, mythological, 5l3 Poets multiplied the gods of the gentiles, 124 Points of sprigs broken. 339 of trees, 472 of trees of purposes, 278 Poison of the mystic cauldron, 214 of the air, 555 Pole of the wear, a phallic symbol, 238, 472 Politics of the chair of Glamorgan, 55 of the bards, ib. &c. Polytheism, origin of, 124 Pontifical character of Taliesin, 272 Porchellan, little pig, a mystical title, 414 Porthawr Godo, 199 Precinct of I6r, 313 Predictions of the druids, 6. 7 Pre-eminence of authority supported by the druids, 57 Preiddcu Annwn, 218, 406, 513, 514 Pren pur aur, misseltoe, 280 Pres::rvation of the patriarch commemo- rated, 151 Preserver, Ceridwen, 266 preservers, the Cabiri ot Britain, 509 Presidency of Ceridwen, 265 presiding bard, 200 Priest of Aedd, lives and dies alter- nately. 122 -of the ship, 161, 245 Priests of Ceridwen, ancient, 188 of the iaoou,277*assumed the namesof their 638 INDEX. gods, 216 were called dogs, 419 priestesses of Bacchus, 173 Primary oxen of mythology, 132 Primitive bards, 20 religion of the Cymry, 412 primitives of mytholo- gical language, 92 Primroses exhibited at the festival, 278 Principles of Celtic and Greek supersti- tion, the same, 89 of the author, founded in British documents, 94 Prisoners, mystical, 404 of words, 488 Privacy of the druids, 72 Privilege of the bardic branch, 371 Procession, sacred, 119 of the arkite god, 172 ^of the druids, 508 Proclamation, bardic, 136, 537 Profligacy of mankind punished by the deluge, 102, 104, 149 Progeny of Hu, l37 Promontories sacred to diluvian rites, 161 Prophecy communicated by the mystic water, 214 prophetic maids, 167 Proprietor of Britain, 118 of Heaven and earth, 507 proprietor, 524 titles of Hu, 461 Proscription of British nobles by Vorli- gern, 342 Proserpine worshipped in Britain, 89 of the druids, 205 Proserpinas Limen, 232 Prospectus of druidical theology, 86 Prototype, son of the ark, 134, 200 Proud mare, symbol of Ceridwen, 256 Pry dain, name of Hu, 121 son of Aedd, 243, 436 Pryderi, a mystical swinherd, 414 names of, 4l5 Prydwen, 515, 517 Publicity of bardic meetings, 72 Punishment of a disorderly votary, 518, 519 Pur of the east, Jupiter, 416 Pure man, formed in the ipystic hall, 255 Purifying cauldron, 2l9-r-fire, 369 Pwyll, the arkite, 198 chief of Annwn, 414,415 tale of his adventures, 418 transformed, assumes the government of the deep, 421 and Pryderi, 5l6 Pyr of the east, a mystical personage, 415 Q Quadrangular caer, 165 area, 3l3, 315 inclosure, 518, 620 Quagmire of hell, 122, 571 Questiones druidicae, 49 R Raft, symbol of the ark, 150 sacred, 155, 160 Rainbow, 203, 205, 266--the girdle of Hu, 120, 559 obtained by Gwyddno, 251 pursuit of, 423 Ramus aureus, 280 Rape of Proserpine, 206 Raven of the sea, 189 of Noah, 202 slays the bull, 172 Re-auiraation, place of, the mystic cell, 537 Reaper, the dilnvian patriarch, or his priest, 122, 259 Recapitulation, 85, 180, 289, 492 Red book, 33 bony giant, 429 dragon, 584 Regeneration, mystical, 236 Rehearsal of ancient I ore, 509 Reign of serenity, 279 Religion of Hu opposed to that of Christ, 109 Remarks on British mythology, 182 Reraunerator, a title of Hu, 117 Renovation by the mystic cauldron, 218 Repository of mystery, 537 Republican principles, 60 Rheea rym awyr, 260 Rheiddin, the radiant, title of the sun, 365 Rheonydd, seat of the northern druids, 478 Rhewys, Ceridwen, 256 Rhuddlwm Gawr, a mystical character, 429 Rhuvawn Bevyr, 204, 247, 248 a sa- cred title, 349. See Eljihin Rhwyv Trydar, 534 Rhydderch, the liberal, champion of the faith, 470 country and family of, 472 persecutes the druids, 487 Rhyvoniawg, the place of Vortigern's retreat, 380 Ring, mystical, 450, 456 rings and balls on British coins, 600, 605 Riles of the Britons, 85, &c. 561 of the druids, similar to those of Samothracc, 89 of Bacchus, celebrated in Britain, 131 of the British Bacchus, described by an eye witness, 172, 576 of the Bacchus of Greece, 173 of druidism, restrained by Roman laws, 283 River of spectres, or the Gwyllion, 41 divine, 15V of the mysteries, 235 rivers worshipped by the druids, 143 sacred to the diluvian patriarch, t5l Roaring Beli, herds of, 136 Robes of the druids, 14 green, of the ovate, 510 Rock, sacred, 161 to arkite rites, 163 of the supreme proprietor, 537, 539 Rod of the bard, 363 of Moses, apoem* 427 lods bjroken, 619 INDEX. 639 tlomance ef Sir Tristrem, mjtboiogical, 459 Kowena contrives the death of Vorti- mer, 337, 344 Bowena and Vorti- gern, S58 Rude stone pillars, 300 Iluefui steed, 251 Ruler of the deep, title of Hu, 1 IP- cauldron of, 219 ruler of the sea, 122 of the mount, 266 S Sabian idolatry blended with arkite la- perstition, 90 adventitious in Britain, 181 of the druids, 492 Sacred fire, 476, 552 preserved in dru- idical temples, 114 at Stouehenge, 304, 345, 349, 362 grove of the Ger- mans, 179 islands, emblems of the ark, 161, 168 lake, 158 ox, sta- tioned before the lake, 171 oxen employed in British rites, 129 rivers, 152 rock, 162 rocks or petrai in Loch Lomond, 163 terms of the bards, 93 Sacrifice on the banks of lakes, 145 to the deep, 251. 252 carried round the omen fire, 376, 383 sacrificer, name of the diluvian patriarch, 121 Saidi, 199 nsune of the patriarch, 197 Samolus, a sacred plant, 274 Samothracian rites in Britain, 89 tradi- tion of the deluge, 98 Sanctuary of the bards, 17, 19 of ini- tiation, 255 of Ceridwen and Llywy, 301 Sarcastic elegy upon Hengist, 381 Saturn, Noah, 197, 201 Saturnalia, ib. Saxon auxiliaries of Vortigern, 338 Saxons reproachfully described, 348 involved in dames, 350 Schism of the chair of Glamorgan, 33 Sculpture of Ceres and Proserpine, 298 mystical, 458 Sea, how divided, 53 overwhelms the land, 198 represented the deluge, 248 of Dylan, 256 sea-drifted wolves, Saxons, 328 sea-mew, mys- tical, 510, 544 Season of serenity, 489 Seat of presidency, 422 Seaxes, Saxon daggers, 330, 339, 374 Segyrfug, a sacred plant, 277 Seissyll, a descendant of the druids, 12 Seithenin Saidi, 417 son of Seithin Sai- di, 198 the drunkard, 242 Seithin Saidi, 197, 324 king of Dy ved, 242, 243 Seithwedd Saidi, 197 Selago, a sacred plant, 280 Semuiary of druids in the north, 463 Semno, father of the diviner, 340 Sena, sacred island, 168 Senate of twelve gods, 298 Seneschal of the nirad feast, 358 Seon, a sacred island, 118 with the strong door or barrier, 167, 553 priestesses so called, 167 inhabiting Sena, 168 devoted to Bacchus, 169 Caer Seon, 546, 547 Serpent, the same as Hu, 116 emblem of the sun, 131,367 symbolical, 208, 210, 536 serpent'* egg, 208 ser- pents drew the car of Ceridwen, 186 Sessions of the druids, 72 Seven score aud seven, a mystic number^ 524 Severn boar, 143 Severus, a planet, 53 Shield struck by ancient warriors, 327 shields excluded from the conference with Hengist, 328, 375 split into lath, 579 Ship of Nevydd, 95 of Dylan, 100, 542 of the earth, 231 of Janus, 201 of initiation, called Llan, 257 symbol of Ceridwen, 256 represent- ed as a horse, 475, 478 as a sow, 430, 431 sacred symbol of the ark, 431 Shrine of Agruerus, 142 of Hu, drawn by oxen, 139 of the patriarch, 142 drawn forth, 171 of the arkite god- dess, drawn by cows, 179 Shout, mystical, 539 St^D, the arkite goddess, 202, 292, 557 Signs of the zodiac, the grand assembly of twelve gods, 298 Silence observed by the aspirant, 422 Sir Tristrany, 439 story of, 446 Sky, name of the open temple^ SOS- skies, seven, 53 Slaughter, the mother of spoliation, 365 Sleep, bardic question upon, 50 Smoke, bardic question upon, 50-' smoky recess of probation, 259 Snow of the mountain, 80 Snowdon, a landing-place of the dilu- vians, 243 Solar superstition at Stonehenge, 305 worship, 457 Son of the Creator represented in the mysteries, 287 of partition, Vorti. gern, 329 sons of harmony, bards, 334 Song of Cuhelyn, 310 Soors procure the water of immortalitj. Sorcerers, 268 produce a sudden ibow er, 266 640 INDEX* Sortilege, 43, 453 rite of, 532 Soul, bardic questioo upon, 51 Source of energy, a sacred title, 115, 354 Sovereign of the power of the air, 261 Sovereignty of Britain conferred upon the chief druid, 119, 506 Sow, sacred to Ceres, 413 symbol of the ark, 426 tale of the mystical, 426 ^relaied to the history of a ship, 430 Sparrow-hawk, a transformation of Ce- ridwen, 230 Speech of Hengist, 314 Spheres, seven, 53 Splendid mover, title of the sun, 119, 509 Spoils of the deep, a mystical poem, 137, 513 Sprigs, mystical, 472, 484, 511, 537 broken into tallies or lots, 532 au- thority of, 487 Sprinklmg, a sacred rite of purification, 219, 220 Sprites of the gloom, 42 Staff of Janus, 201 Stall of the cow, 122, 177, 568 of the ox, 535 Stanzas of the months, 82 Steed with illustrious trappings, 264 of the ruler of the sea, 284 steeds, ships, 569 Stone, cell, of the sacred fire, 345 pil- lars, 360 ark, 393 Stonehenge, a great druidical temple, 303, 385 described by Diodorus, 303 celebrated by British writers, 306 described by Cuhelyn, 313 by^neu- rin, 349, 364, 384 the great stone fence of the common sanctuary, 350 not older than the introduction of he- lio-arkite superstition, 384 why se- lected for the place of conference with Hengist, 385 called Hen Velen, Old Belennium, 502 Story of Gwyddno, mythological, 241 of Llyn Savaddan, 146 of Pwyll, 418 Strata of the earth, bardic question upon, 52 Stream of life, 152 Studded circle on the sacred shield, 592 on the British coins, 600 Styx, an emblem of the flood, 153 Subject of the Gododin, 321 Submersion of cities, 145 of islands, 148, 149 of Cantre'r Gwaelod, 242 Sues, swine, a title of heathen priests, 413 Suffocation of the aspirant, 256 Summershine, a mystic character, 420 slain, 422 Sun worshipped in conjunction with Noah, 125 tiilei of, 336 Supreme Being acknowledged by the bards, 496, 502, 506, 507. 515, 526 cause, declared in the mysteries, 254 mount of the bards, 374 proprie- tor, a title of Hu, 120, 136, 537 Swelling sea of knights, 361 Swine, mystical, 414, 470 swineherds of mythology, 413, 439. 460, 469 Sword, when to be unsheathed, 64, 456 carried in procession, 172 of the chief druid, 542 Symbol of the egg, 205 of the deluge, 25 symbolical imagery ,131 death, 163 Syw, a diviner, 272, 467 sywed Ced, 505 Sywedydd, 271, 272 T Tair Orian, three hymns, 505 Tale of the sacred oxen, 139 of a lake in Brecknockshire, 155 of Loch Lo- mond, 163 Taliesin, 2, 200 poems of, mythologi- cal, 4 genuine, 9 publisher of bar- dic lore, 18, 20 taught druidisra, 26 professed natural philosophy, 52 contemplated battles, 62 mythology of, druidical, 181 a mystical infant, 239 a title of the sun, 296 was pre- sent in various ages, 505 poetry of, characterized by Mr. Turner, 513 Talisman of Cunobeiine, 613, 618 Tallies, 43, 482 Taronwy, a tree divinity, 41 Tarvos Trigaranus, 13? Tauriform god, 127 rites of, 170 Tay, druids baptized in the, 473 Teganwy. place of a bardic meeting, 504 Tegid Voel, 189 the Satnm of the Bri- tons, 195 known by various nanfes, 198, 199 the patriarch, 200 Seith- wedd Saidi, 197 Gwyddno, 241 Teithan, Tydain, Titan, the sun, 114, 115 Tempest of fire, 226 Temples of the druids, 291 Ternary arrangements of the Celtx, 28 Test of the British bards, 37 Testimonies in favour of the mystic bards, 6 Teyin On, Apollo, 120, 526 Thanet, residence of Hengist, 379 Theology of the Britons, 85, &c. of the druids, recorded by Ciesar. 88 Thigh pierced or cut, 199, 505, 537, 544 Third rank assigned to the solar divinity, 526 Three fountains, 47, 48 ministers, 287 hyntns round the fire, 295 stones erect, 300, 302 cranes, 245 INDEX* 641 Thrice born, 240, 253, 258 Titaresias, a sacred stream, 153 Titles of the British gods, 350 of Ce- ridvren, 403 Token of the egg, 189 of life, 190 Topography of a temple of Ceres, 299 Topv of the birch aad oak, 539 Torches of Ceridwen, 261 of the druids, 277 Traditions of the Britons, where pre- served, 31 of the deluge, 95 of the oxen of Hu, 129 of the changes of druidism, 411-^traditioa not always consistent, 98 Trahearn Brydydd Mawr, 32 age and character of, 6.5 disgraced, 69 out- lawed, 70 curious poem of, 67 Transformations, mystical, 229 of Ta- liesin, 573 Transmigration, 15 Trefoil, a sacred plant, 448 on British coins, 601, 602 Triads, ancient, 3 mythological, 27 mentioned by Aneurin and Talieun, 29 derived from ancient bardic lore, 30 systematical, 200 Triplets, moral, 75 derived from the school of the druids, 79 Trystan, a mystical personage, 439, 440 Tumulus of the egress, 193 Twice born, 258 Twrch, boar, a mystical title, 414 Trwyth, 614 Ty Gwydrin, 212 Tydain Tad Awen, Apollo, 193, 526 Tylwyth Ttg, the British fairies, 156 U Un Duw Uchaf, 103 Uncovered temples, 305 Unity of God, 87, 103 Unspotted weapon of the bard, 326 Universal peace, 60 Urien of Reged, 59, 502 Uthyr Bendragon, 120, 187, 429, 557 Utter darkness, 190, 203 V Vale of the beaver, scene of a mystical conflict, 266 Vadimon, or Vandimon, Janus, Noah, 158, 159 Veil of the temple, 171, 562 of the mystical lots, 483, 489 Venedotian, Vortigern, 361 Vervain, use of, 43 a sacred plant, 220 exhibited in the festival, 273 used in casting lots, foretelling events, &c. 275 several names of, ib. an in- gredient in the purifying cauldron, 276 Vessel with the iron door, 120 Viaycum of Llevoed, moral poem, 83 X T Vices of the gods, 254 Victims, when slain, 171 Vindication of tiie bards, 3 Vipers, 19 symbolical, 544 Vortigern, 329 treachery of, 335, &c. 341 deposed and re elected, 341 parricide and usurpation of, 3-12 over-rules the British council, 361 character and death of, 373^ elegy upon the death of, 380 Vortimer, elegy upon the death of, 336 battles of, 357, %c. W Wand of the bards, 206 Wandering island, 155 War deemed lawful by the druids, 61 of the splendid mover, a sacred song, 510 war song of the Britons, 374 warriors praised by Taliesin, 62 Warburton's account of the mysteries, 254 \yater of inspiration, 40, 185, 213, 214 'of immortality, 227, 228 of the cauldron, why poisonous, 220 of pu- rification,, 250 water-dweller, Hen- gist(328 , Weapon not to be held naked in the pre- sence of a bard, 60 Wear of Gwyddno, 238, 248 Web of heroism, a magical standard, 583 Well in the sacred cell, 394, 395 WelsTT, not wholly converted to Chris- tianity in the sixth century, 282 princes patronized the bards, 25 to- lerated druidism, 282 Wheel on the British coins, 602 a sym- bol of Arianrod, 603, 606 White robes of the druids, 23 dogs, 546 Wild boars hunted by Hengist, 382 Wind of purposes ? 53 Wolf of mythology, 434 of Merddb, 485 Woman composed of flowers, 264 Wonderful supreme ruler, a sacred title, 287 World, an animal, 46, 47 ascending from the deep, 47 the arkite family, 207 Wort contributed for the festival, 273 Wren, a transformation of the aspirant, 235 Writings, druidical, 511 Y Y Ddinas, in Snowdon, described, 435 Y Meineu Hirion, temple of Ceres, 300 Ych Brych, 133, 523 Ychen, Banawg, 128 originally three, 139 Dewi, 140 Yellow ox of the spring, 133 642, INDX.. Ynys Pybyrddor, 519 Yoke of the sacred oxen, 129 of Hu, 137 of gold, 463 of the arkite god, 560 , Ys Colan contends with Merddia, 471 ' burns Brilish books, 472 Ysgrifen Br^daiii, 510 Yssadawr, the coasumer, ISl Ystre, the course, at Stonebuige, 385 Ystwyth, the Styx of the druids, 251 Z Zodiac represented bj the druidical tem- ples, 293, &c. Zones of the earthy 53 ERRATA. Owing to the Author's distance from the Press, and the defect of his vision, some errors have escaped, notwithstanding the care of the Printer. .. ^._, notwithstanding The following affect the sense. page line for read 7 6 bnzbiduvydd hwy bieuvydd. 7 8 Dernetia Demetia 33 13 Area ^ra 68 13 Twedor Tewdor 76 14 i its 85 8 expiate expatiate 103 10 gwastradth gwastraetli 103 21 beddirwedd bedeirwedd 116 22 little title 131 26 Tentones Teutooes 134 17 Taw Tarw 135 23 Bollona Bellona 139 12 profession procession 140 7 Britaiiis Britons 156 21 flour flower 198 21 populace populous 221 16 tXi*of9ffli tK^W^r,iQt S65 3 farmer farner 275 13 Gravnif Graigay 275 14 Bonus Berries 390 13 epic topic 460 2 from the bottom, Britoo Britain 472 14 illusion allusion 644 26 harnspex haruspex 549 17 wcapoues weaponfc 573 8 eiddaw eidduw 582 19 anoothwe anorthwe 586 20 ddogyn dhogyn 597 31 complete DIRECTIONS TO THE BINDER. Tlie Plate to be placed at the end of tii Work; ^y^P INDEX TO CELTIC RESEARCHES. A, natural expression of that rocal power 408 Ab, hab, av, hav, primitives, 474 Abaris, a Druid, 184 his country ascer- tained from ancient writers, 189 Ac, ach, primitives. 480 Ad, adii, had, hadh, primitives, 487 Acdh, the i^uof the ancient Gauls, 167 Af, haf, primitives, 517 Ag, Hag, primitives, 496 Al, hal, primitives, 50O Alphabet of the Bards, 254 tte same as the Etruscan, 271 upon what prin- ciples founded, 278 how copied from nature, 3'28 Alpiiabets of irees, acknowledged by the Arabians, Hebrews and Chaldeans, 305, &c. inferred from metaphors, 306 Alphabets of the nations sprang from one origin, 335 Am, ham, primitives, 506 An, ban, primitives, 514 Analogy between the Bardic and Greek letters, 329 Annwn, the deep, or lower regions, 173 Antediluvian, astronomy and chronology, 21, 28 Antedil:ivians, their advantages in the acqubition of experience, 9 Ap, hap, primitives, 517 Apollo, worshipped in Britain, 190 Ar, har, primitives, 524 Armorican language, related to the Welsh and Cornish, f^20 its dialec- , tical difference from the Welsh existed in the age of Caesar, 221 a test of Celtic dialects, 222 Articulate sounds have their appropriate force in expressing ideas, 364 Arts cultivated by the Antediluvians, 9 As, has, primitives, 531 At, hat, primitives, 537 Authority and subordination essential to civil society, 46 Authority, patriarchal, 48 B. B, natural expression of that articulate power, 441 Ba, Va primitives, 475 Babylonians, visited Stonebcnge, 196 Bards, A-ncient British, 245---disciple$ of tlie Druids, 246 profess druidism, 152, 309 preserve druidical tradition i 152, 270 Be, ve, primitives, 476 Beigs of Britain, whence, 208, &c. Celtae, for the most part, 229 Bi, vi, primitives, 478 Boreadffi, name of the Druids, 189 Britain, probably colonieed by a patri- arch, who was born in the first postdi- luvian century ; that is, about 500 years after the deluge, or in the ago of Abraham, 104, &c. the early his- tory of, an important study, 117 Britons, from Armorica, 167 traded with Spain in their own vessels, 228 Bryant, objections to his opinion of the aggrandisement of Nimrod's party, and of the house of Ham, 115 Bu, vu, primitives, 480 C, natural expression of that artlculatd power, 443 Ca, primitive, 482 Cad Godden, a mystical poem, 258 Cadmus, a Carian, 317 his letters, ib. &c. Ce, che, primitives, 483 Celtse, state of society amongst thenit 118 Noachidas, 121 .primitive inha* bitants of great part of Europe, 122 descendants of Gomer, 123 and, pro- bably, of Ashkenaz, 127 the Hy- perboreans of early authors, 176 two principal branches of, 211 Celtic language, distinguished from the Gothic, 215 essential to druidism, 218 fixed and established by druid- ism, 223 preserved in Armorica tn 2 INDEX TO CELTIC RESEARCHES. the close of the fourth century, and probably to this day, 219, &c. dia- lects and character of, 224 remains of a peculiar dialect of, 213 general characteristics of, 234 simplicity of its primitives, 256 Chaldeans, who they were, 66, 80 suc- ceeded the subjects of Nimrod in Ba- bylonia, 75 Changes in the elementary sounds of language, 393, &c. Characteristics of primitive language, 386 Chinese characters, 338 Chronology, vindication of the Hebrew, 61 Ci, chi, primitives, 484 Cimmerii, Celtae, their ancient territory, 135 ancient inhabitants of Thrace, 144 Civil arts of the first ages, transmitted to the Noachidfe, 18 Civil life cultivated in the first age, 8 Classiftcatiou of consonant powers, 396 Co, cho, primitives, 485 Coelbreni, bardic lots, or letters, 9,70 Colonies which settled in ancient Britain, 153, &lC. Confusion of tongues, its probable aera. 79 Connection between primitive letters and hieroglyphics, 340 Consonants, examples of their natural expression, 365, 440 classes of, 396 table of mutations, 402 Coranied, Coritani, Corii, Coitani, an- cient colonists of Britain, 200, 201 a Belgic race, 202, 208, &c. came from the neighbourhood of the Rhixie, 204 spoke a language similar to the Irish, 203. Cu, primitive, 487 Oy mry , ancient Britons, came from Thrace or Tbessaly, 165 P, natural expression of that articulate power, 445 Da, primitive, 488 De, primitive, 490 Deluge, local and national traditions of i^ from the Noahchidae, 107 British traditions of it, 157 Di, primitive, 491 Dialects, why various, 353 their origin, 885 Diluvian patriarch, his various titles in British tradition, J 63 Divination by rods, i!!93 Do, primitiTe, 49:! Drnids, their rank, studies and office, 119 their name extended only d, 120 See this opinion qualified. Myth, and Rites of the British DruiHs. Sect. 2. retired into Mona, from the Romans, 141 not inventors of arts, but preservers of ancient lore, 150 how to be estimated in a political view, 172 summary of their system, 185 Druids acquainted with letters, 238, 242 preserved an alphabet, 283, 309 similar to the Orphic priests, 326 Druidical alphabet referred, by tradition, to the age of the deluge, 287 Druidisro, traditional founders of, 160 its original design, 170 eorrtipted be- fore the age of Caesar. 171 preserved in Armorica, 218 not originating fron\ the Phoenicians, 229 lingered in Gau! to the sixth century, and in Britain to the reign of Canute, I5l Du, primitive, 493 E E, natural expression of that vocal power* 414 Eb, heb, ev, hev, primitives, 476 Ec, ech, primitives, 482 Ed, edh, hed, hedb, primitives, 489 Eg, beg, primitives, 495 El, hel, primitives, 501 Em, hero, primitives, 508 En, hen, primitives, 513 Ep, hep, ef, hef, primitives, 519 Equality of condition, not recognized by the primitive ages, 46, 48 Er, her, primitives, 526 Es, hes, primitives, 5.S2 t, iiet, primitives, 539 F, deriyative of P, its natural expression, 462 Formation of language, 373, &c. G G, natural expression of, 448 Ga, primitive, 494 Ge, pritnitive. 496 INDEX TO CELTIC RESEARCHES, Gentilism, whence it arose, 85 Geography ofthe primitive ages, 29,31,33 Gesture connected with articulation, 566 Gi, primitive, 497 Giants, how described by ancient tradi- tion, 80 Go, primitive, 498 Gomer, the nations that sprang from hb three sons, 12$ Gorwynion, a mystical poem, 249 Goths, some hints on the subject of, 133, &c. Gu, primitive, 499 Gwydion ab Don, the British Hermes, 168, 174 Gwyn ab Nudd, the British Pluto, 174 H Hebrew, whether the primitive language, 89 why a sacred language, 93 not the general language of the children of Heber, nor peculiar to his family, 96 spoken by the Canaanites, 97, 100 the principal dialect of the primitive language, 101, &c. Hercules, mythological tales which bring him into contact with the Celts, 193 Hewys, a mythological character, 196 Hieroglyphics partook of the nature of letters, 339 Hu, the traditional patriarch and con- ductor of the cymry, 154, 158 the first husbandman, 158 the god of the Druids, 163 identified with the patri- arch Noah, and the sun, 164 oxen of, 157 Hypeiboreans of the early authors, Cel- tae, 178 not Scythians, nor inhabitants of the north-east, 179 dwelt in the nortli-west, 180 Britain, chief seat of, 181, 188 the same athe Druids, 181, 549 traditions, which are referred to them, preserved in Britain, 554 Hyperborean temple of Apollo visited by the Babylonians, 196 I, natural expression of that vocal power, 421 -lb, hib, iv, hiv, primitives, 477 Ic, ich, primitives, 483 Id, primitive, 490 Idris, a mythological character, 161, 173 Ig, big, primitives, 496 II, hil, primitives, 502 Im, him, primitives, 508 In, hin, primitives, 514 Ifidian tradition of the Noachide, 197. it appears that this taU ha$ been cor- rupted and interpolated, q. what is it$ real state in the ancient iooktt Ip, bip, if, hif, primitives, 520 Ir, hir, primitives, 522 Irish names of places, in Rhctia and Vindelicia, 207 Irish language allied to Asiatic dialects, but radically Celtic, 224 the dialect of the ancient Bclgse, 229 a chief di- alect of the Celtic, 231 its defecU, 232 its excellencies, 233 Irish letters, 274, &c. names of, similar to those of the Hebrew letters, 333 Is, his, primitives, 533 It, hit, primitives, 540 L, natural expression of, 449 La, primitive, 500 Language, vestiges of the primitive, 88 whether the Hebrew be the primitive, 89 first principles of, founded in na- ture, 367 opinions relative to the first principles of, 575^Mosaic account of its origin, 374 nature of the first ru- diments of, 376, &c. Languages of Savages, no test of the pri- mitive, 103 of the Noachidae, dialects of the primitive, 386 Le, primitive, 502 Letters, whether known to the Celtse, 237 f the Druids, resembled the Greek, 240 of the Hyperboreans, 241 of the Turditani, 241 not Phoenician, 242 of the Bardt, distinguished by primitive Celtic names, 273 Letters bardic, with their appropriate names and symbols, 277 compared with the Runic, 311 ^bardic and Ru- nic from the same origin, 314 bardic, compared with the Greek and Roman, 315, &c. of Cadmus, 317 Irish, pre- serve the names of the symbolical trees, 274 Greek, their names, 321 num- ber of radical, in old alphabets, 322 names of the Roman, probably, Pelas- gic, significant in the Celtic, 325 of the ancient Gauls, 327 Hebrew, their names, 332 Asiatic, sketches of na- tural or artificial objects, 332 Irish, their names similar to the Hebrew, yet native terms, 333 originally hicro- glyphical, 339 ancient method of using, 301 Li, primitive, 503 Lo, primitive, 504 Lots of the Bards, 246 of the GermgQSj 281 Lu, primitive, 505 4 iNllfek* WI4tlfe' llESrARCHES. M Ak M, natural expression of, 452 Ma, primitive, 506 Man, his original state, 3 ascertaiaed by the sacred scriptures, 6 from the beginning, a social and rational crea- *'. ture, 7 in the first age, exercised the . attB of civil life, and enjoyed pro- perty, 8 Magic of the Druids. 161 MoUi, the Metis of autiquitj, 285 Me, primitive, 508 Menw of the Britons, the patriarch Noah, 197 ;^., ^^ Mi, primitive, 599 Misseltoe of the oak, sacred to Proser- pine, J44 Mo, primitive, 510 Monuments of druidical superstition, . 146, 160 constructed upon astroa- mical principles, 192 pertained chief- ly to the Aborigines, 202 Moral law, known to the primitive world, 15 Mu, primitive, 511 Mutations of consonants, 402 of vocal . and articulate sounds in the Celtic dialects, 403 Mystical rites, their origin, and mis- chievous consequences, lOy, 112, &c. Mythological talc of the Arraoricans, 558 Mytliology of Britain connected with that of Greece, 176 N N, natural expression of, 456 Na, primitive, 512 Katural expression of articulate sounds, 347, &c. taught by the Bards, and recognized by several ancient nations, S48, &c objections to, 350 answer- ed, 352 a subject of general percep- tion, 362 acknowledged by ancient and modern writers, 370 a principle necessary to the formation of lan- guage, 371 exemplified in consonant powers, 365 exemplified in the vow- els, 408, &c. Natural history of the Antediluvians, 19 Natural state of man, 357 Ne, primitive, 514 Ni, primitive, 515 Nimrod, his kingdom not universal, 32, 55, his rebellion and apostacy, 54 liis subjects comprised individuals of divers families, 59 not the founder of the Assyrian empire, 63 his king- dom early overthrows, and succeeded by thatofElaiD,76 No, primitive, 516 Noachida; profited by the experience o( the Antediluvians, 10 their wisdom venerated in the age of Job, and de- veloped in his book, 11 their patri- mony assigned to tliem in the age of Noah, 32 and by lot, 33 early se- paration of, ordered by a wise de- cree, 51 evib that must have resulted ^rum their continuing under one go- vernment, 53 settle in their respec- tive portions, 104 state of society, in the new colonies of, 106 carried the institutions of the patriarch into their respective patrimonies, 106 degene- racy of their decendants accounted for, 113 Noah and his descendants preserved the discoveries of the first ages, 50 Nu, primitive, 517 0, natural expression of, 424 Ob, hob, ov, hov, primitives, 478 Oc, och, primitives, 485 Od, odh, hod, primitives, 491 Og, hog, primitives, 497 Ogygia, whether it meant Ireland ? 206 01, noi, primitives, 503 Om, hom, pri- mitives, 509 On, hon, primitives, 5l5 Op, hop, of^ hof, primitives, 521 Or, hor, primitives, 529 Original language, Egyptian experiment for its discovery, 369 Original terms, of what class ? 380 Orphic rites prevalent amongst the Cim- merii, 145 Os, hos, oz, primitives, 534 Ot, hot, primitives, 541 P, natural expression of, 459 Pa, fa, primitives, 518 Patriarchal authority, 48 Pe, fe, primitives, 519 Pelasgi, 244 Pelasgic letters, 315 the same as the bardic, 325 first published by the Thracian Bards, 327 Philosophers atlieistical, regarded man as originally a savage, 3 modern, adopt their hypothesis, 5 religious, acknowledged the original dignity of human nature, 4 Phoenicians left no considerable colouie* in the British Islands, 2^6 Fi, fi, primitives, 521 IK0EX TO CELTIC RSARCHE% Plenydd, a title of the sun, 170 Po, fo, primitives, 522 Power, civil, its exercise lawful : its bose unlawful, 49 Piimitive language, its general charac- ter, 373, &c. its characteristics, 386 how far preserved, 389 its pro- gressive stages, 384, &c. Primitive vowels, 392 Primitive words, examples, SffT Progress of language, 390 Property, its nature ascertained in the first age, 8 Prydaln, a title of the sun, 169 Pu, fu, primitives, 524 m R H, natural expression of, 463 Ra, rha, primitives, 525 Re, rhe, primitives, 527 Religion of the primitive ages, 14 re- tained in some districts to the age of Abraham, 57 Reliqucs of Druidisra, preserved ia the Welsh language, 222 Ri, rhi, primitives, 529 Rights of man, modem doctrine of, founded in Atheism, 46 Ro, rho, primitives, 530 Rod and staff, symbolical, 291, &c. Rods of priests and other officers, 291 abused by the heathens, 292 joined, in making covenants, 295 broken, in dissolving covenants, 296 ^used mys- tically by Jacob, 303 Ru, rhu, primitives, 530 Rooic characters, 311, &:c. S, natural expression of, 466 Sa, primitive, 531 Sacrifice instituted in the first age, 16 Sanchooiathon's Phoenician traditions, 109 Saronides, what they were, 161 Saturn, his character allusive to Noah, 148 Satyavrata, 77 Savage life, its origin accounted for, 84 diffused into various regions, by the fugitives from Babel, 106 not the natural state of man, 357 Scythae, not powerful in Europe, till the sixth century before Christ, 139 Se, ze, primitives, 532 Shepherd kings of Egypt, 77 Si, primitive, 534 Simplicity of the primitive language, 376, &c. So, primitive, 535 ^^.; .,^ .- ^^t.* .-,*g^ Society primitive, chril, not ran(, 4^, 50 Sounds naturally expressive, 256, 348 360 State of nature, scriptural sccooot vi^ 10 distinguished fion th sawigp state, 357, &c. Story of twa savages, 358 Su, primitive, 536 s Sui, priests of the Peaati in ^imwt thracs, 140 Symbolical sprigs employed, to expren the elements of language, 162, 246, &c. modern remains of their use, 252 arranged and confined by knots, 253 adapted to the formation of an alphabet, 254 uttered distinct sounds. 263 read by those who delivered books, 266 derived from an ancient and general system, 289 the basis of the Runic characters, 313 their sys- tem comparatively simple, 334 Symbolical trees known to Adam, Noah, Jacob, and the Jews, 269, &c. Syw, an appellative of a Druid, 139 T, natural expression of, 469 Ta, primitive, 538 * Taliesin, a Druid, 246 Te, primitive, 540 Ti, primitive, 541 Tithes prior to the Levitical law, 17 To, primitive, 542 Tradition, the only ancient history of Greece and Rome, 2 superseded by philosophical speculation, 3 of the primitive ages, appropriated by dif- ferent nations, 108, 112 Traditions of the Druids, 147 of the deluge, locally appropriated, 162 Trees sacred to particular gods, 299 symbolical, 296, &c. Triads of the Druids, recorded by an- cient authors, 150 ^Welsh, contain druidical tradition, 152 specimens of the Welsh, 153 aenigmatical and mythological, 162, 168 Tu, primitive, 143 Tydain Tad Awen, the solar diviulty, 159, 169 U U, natural expression of, 431 Ub, hub, uv, hnv, primitives, 480 Uc, uch, primitives, 486 Ud, bud, primitives, 49Z INDEX TO CELTIC RESEARCHES. Vegetation gradually recovered after the deluge, 30 Ug, hug, primitives, 493 Ul, hul, primitives, 505 Um, hum, primitives, 511 Un, huD, primitives, 516 Vowels primitive, 391, &c.- mutatioDS of, 394, 396 Up, hup, uf, huf, primitives, 523 Ur, hur, primitives, 530 Us, hus, primitives, 53^ Ut, hut, primitives^ 543 W Waldensic language, 225 Welsh, its importance in Celtic litera- ture, 222 Writing, antiquity of the art of, 34, 45 older than the tables of the decalogue, 35, &c. known to the Noachidae, and probably to the antediluvians, 37 Writings of the primitive agea, probably, quoted by Moses, 39 Y Year of the primitive ages, S2, &c. ESjy OF INDEX TO CELTIC RESEARCHES. 4 London: Printed by J. Barfield, 91, WardourtreeU wcy VVRSIli OF O ^'