Sacred Mountains in Armenia, Polynesia, Arabia, India, Africa, Instances of the Worship of plain Stones. - Story of Niobe ex- Towers in Syria, in Man, in Ireland, in Central Asia. Sanctu- aries in Rocks and Cromlechs. -Dimon, its Meaning illustrated Alexandria-Calabria - Argos- Telmessus of the Nymphs - Cyclopian. - Compostella. — Caves of Purification in Greece. - Cromlechs or artificial Caves in Ire- Passage through Rocks. Regeneration in India, and in Egyp- tian Mysteries. Purification. Ablution in Greece, Rome, New Holland, Etruria, Egypt, and India. - Holy Water and Wells. Rock Basins at the Peak, Halifax, Brimham, India, Ararat, Tabor. Sanctification by Water among the Jews and Origin of Baptism. Regeneration of the Apostles. - The Jews Children of God, born of God.— Regeneration in the Prophets. THE DOCTRINE OF THE DELUGE. SAMAN IS HERCULES. CHAP. XIV. HIS LABOURS EXPLAINED, and the MYSTERIES IN VIRGIL AND HOMER AND ARISTOPHANES.THE PHENEATÆ, THE BOOTIANS, THE THRACIANS, THE TROJANS, THE SALAMINIANS, THE ARABIANS, ALL ARKITES. CONTESTS FOR DIVINE HONOURS BETWEEN MERCURY THE GOD OF THE CAIRN, PAN THE GOD OF THE MOUNTAIN, AND APOLLO.- WHY THE LATTER WAS CALLED PAN AND EGGBORN. EGYPTIAN SHRINES. SINCE the Irish and Oriental mythology are so nearly alike in many points, that the characters of the one usually find their counterpart in the other, it is no small confirmation of the Irish Saman's diluvian origin, when, on turning to the East, we find another Saman, whose character is quite unequivocal. We are told in a Cingalese poem' that in the island of black marble (i. e. Meru, i.e. Ararat,) beyond the seven seas (which surrounded it) a golden palace was erected. The queen that was in the palace, named Kanandoo Bana, or the fishing1 Yakkun Nattannawa, translated by J. Callaway. VOL. II. B baskets (i. e. the Ark), conceived, and ten months after brought forth a son. Seven months after the birth of the child they gave it food, and named it the great black God: he is also called black Samy, and Saman. Through the power of the Gods he obtained permission to receive offerings. He lives continually in the streams, and is thus addressed: "Thou didst spring in that day from the rock in the foul water." The same poem contains another fable, relating to him in his character of Shony; but he is here represented as a Devil, probably in allusion to some attempt to introduce the worship of fire; for both elements are equally familiar to him. On the day the Devil, called Mahasohon, i. e. the great Sohon, came into the world to dwell, he showed many wonders. He fell into the water; the depth of it was eighty cubits, and he swam, and came again out of the water. He entered into the body of the princess Godimbera, and made her sick. He said to Wessamoony', his whole body being covered with flames of fire, "I will dash you upon the great rock Mahameru." Wessamoony, whose head is covered with a pyramid of mountains, was probably the patron of the opposite rites. The Irish and Cingalese Saman, therefore, is the same as the ancient Etruscan Semon 2, or Hercules; 1 If we may resort to an Hyberno-Celtic etymology, Wessamoony will mean the ship of the altar, or the Ark; from Ess, and Mon or Mun. 2 Gruter has this inscription: Semoni. Sanco. Deo. Fidio sacrum ; upon which subject Vossius observes: Semo, idem qui Fidius, sive Hercules. - De Idolol. p. 46. Putabant hunc esse Sanctum a Sabinâ linguâ, et Herculem a Græcâ. - Varro. The Egyptians knew him by the name of Sem, or Som, or Somnoutha. - Jambl. Pan. Egypt. lib. ii. c. 3. Vallancey, Vin. Ir. H. p. 49. |