CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY FROM Cornell university Library BL910 .035 Cornell University Library The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924029164824 THE ■MYTHOLOGY AND RITE^ OP THE 3Stit(s5 Brute ASCEKTAINED BY NATIONAL DOCUMENTS; AKS COMPABED WITH TBC GENERAL TRADITIONS AND CUSTOMS OF HEATHENISM, AS ILLUSTRATED BY THE MOST EMIIfENT ANTIQUARIES OF OUR AGE. WITH AN *^9 CONTAININO ANCIENT POEMS AND EXTRACTS, WITH SOME REMARKS ON ^ANCIENT BRITISH COINS. AD HVK XOSCEHDA ITBB INOREDI, TBAMSMITTERS MARE SOLEMCSt £A 8VB OCVLIS FOSITA NEGLIGIMUS, — PlIH. L. VIII. £pi 20. By EDWARD DAVIES, RECTOR OF BISHOPSTON, IW-THE COUNTY OF GLAMORGAN, AND AUTHOR OF CELTIC RESEARCHES. S.ontion: , PEINTED FOR J, BOOTH, DUKE-STREET, PORTLAND-PLACE, , ' 1809. , I. BARtifiLD, PrinWr 91. W»rilour-SU«e«- ,T0 THE KIGHT REVEREND FATHER IK GOD, RICHARD, LORD BISHOP OF LANDAFF. MY LORD, THE noble frankness with wJiich^ovir Lordship grants a favour, encourages me to hope, that you will pardon the liberty I now take, in pre' fixing your name to an Essay upon the Mythology and Rites of the Heathen Britons. It is with diffidence I lay this subject before a man of your Liordship's 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. But whatever the merits of this Work may be, I eagerly embrace the opportunity which it affords me, of acknowledging a debt of gratitude, in the au- dience of the Public. *^ 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, itwa^syour ~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 emboldens me to aspire to tlie preservation of your good opinion.. I have the honour to remain. Your Lordship's much obliged and devoted humble servant, E. DAFIES. PREFACE. L 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 preiiiising 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 — JVhat interest has tfie present age, in a view 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 inquiry, an investigation of the form and principles of this sup^rstitiQU, must surely be a ^subject of interest. In our times, a spirit of research, which few are so, 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 uuworthy of our attention? Ancient and authentic documents, of the opinion^ and customs of the old Britons, have been preserved, though long concealed by the shades of a difficult and obsolete language. And can a dispassionate eJ^amination of their contents, which are totally uu- a 3 VI known to the Public, be,^deein©d a subject of no interest or utility ? These* documents are foundf, upon investigation, to develope a system of*t6ligion, which, for many ages, influenced the affairs of the human race, iiot only in these islandsji^but also iri the adjaQent regions of Europe: aijd are we not to inquire in what this religion consisted, and wliat hold il took « 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 atid warlike arfwcw^Mrer*— 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 " regioQ of G-afis, in Asia. Is it possible to imagine *' a'stronger contrast ?" — (Vide Critical Review, August, 1804, p. 374,) Tbe contrast, as here drawn, is strong enough : but I must take the liberty to hint, that the critic, or his proinpter, has perverted the whole of this vaunted passa^, in consequence of having mistaken the iheattibg of a single word — Dygorescynan, which ite rehders were the first colonists, simply implies, tvill agaiti invade, or, according to Mr. Owen, will subjugate, or overcome : so tliat 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 ara of these invaders. Lludd and Llefelis are repre- sented, by the Welsh chronicles, as brothers of Cas» sivellaunils, who fought with Cassar, though it is pretty clear that, in simple fact, they were no other than those princes of the Trinobantes» whom the Koman historiai^ mentions by the names of ImariU' entius md Mandubrasim, Hence it appears, that these J?/"*/ colonists of Britain arrived in the age of Julius Caesar.* 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 Gafi^ or rather Gafys. Whoever has Welsh enough to translate Taliesin, must be fully aware, that it* is the genius of that langtiage to change c into g, and p into /. Let us then replace the ori- ginal letters, and we shall have the region of Capys, 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 s 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- spe;pt their own characters. And as our author has positively pronounced hjs warlike race the jirst co- la^ists, of Britain, it may be presumed, that his iassertion has some adequate support in other parts of the poem. In order to* determine this pointy I shall exhibit the whole, for it is not long, with a translation as close and as faithful, to say the least of itj as that which we have in the preceding critique* yMARWAR LUJDD.—Btfcham Yn enw Puw Trindawd, cardawd cyfrwys! Llwyth Uiaws, anuaws eu henwerys, Dygorescynnan Prydain, prif fan ynys ; Grwyr gwlad yr Asia, a gwlad Gafys ; * The romantic cturoniclei of Archdeacon Walter, and Qeo&y of Bfbn- (Hoath, qndi after tbem, some late annotatora on the li'iiadSi aaj, that tb» CotAAieSl, a Be'lgiC; tribe, arrived in the age of Uudd.". This is evideDtly erro* oeous. . The rcadelr will tee presently, that the Batd meant the BaiiMBa,,Mi() BO Rther people. XII Pobl pwylted enwir : eu tir ni wya Famen : gorwyreisherwydd maris. Amlaes eu peisseu; pwy ei hefelis ? A phwyllad dyvyner, ober efias, Europin, Arafin, Arafanis. Cristiawn difryt, diryd dilis, Cyn ymarwar ijudd a Llefelis. Dysgogettawr perchen y Wen Ynys, Rac pennaeth o Ryfein, cein ei eclirys. Nid rys, nid cyfrwys, Ri : rwyf ei araith (A rywelei a ryweleis o anghyfieith)- DuUator pedrygwern, Uugyrn ymdaith, Rac Rhyuonig cynran bara,n goddeith, Rytalas mab Grat, rwyf ei areith, Cymry yn danhyal : rhyvel ar geith. Piyderaf, pwyllaf pwy y byirideith— » Brythonig yniwis rydderchefis. PACIFICATION OF LLVDD— Little 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 :+ 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,«|[ with theiir short spears,** those fqes * The Bard addresses himself to a Christian. . f The subject of the poem is Cssar's second invasion. Hie parttcle dy, in composition! conveys the sense of iteration, I The district of Troy> whence the Romans dedqcei} theix origin. $ When the orac)e commanded ^neas and his company — * Dardanids durii que vos a stirpe parektum Prima tulit tellus, eadem vos nbere Isto Accipiet reduces; antiquam exqiiirite Matrem-i— Virg. «En. III. V. 93. We are informed, that they knew not where to find this parent region, and con- sequently wandered through various seas in search of it. To this tale the JBard evidently alludes. B The Roman toga, or gown. fl We learn from Cssar, as well as fronn the British Triftds find chronicles, that the Romans were invited into this island by the ptii)ces pf the Tripo- bantes, whet were at war with Cassivellaunus. •• Such was the forn«dable filvm, as appears from a variety qf Roman coins and sculptures. Of the Europeans, the Ammites, and Arl^enians.* 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 JRoman 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.^f The son of Graid,** with his voice, directs the retaliation^ The Cymry burst into a flame— rthere is war upon the slaves.f-)- With deliberate thought will I declare the stroke that made them decamp. It was the great exaltation of British energy. %^ * The Romans had carried their arms, not only over the best part of Eu- rope, but also into Aram, oi Syria and Armenia, before they iqvaded Britain. + These reputed brothers of Cassivellaunus, were the prince^ of the Tri- nobantes, who deserted the general cause of their country, and sent ambas* ladors to Julius Ctssar. t The reader will see hereafter, that the ancient Bards conferred this title upon the solar divinity, and his chief minister. f That is CassiTellauHus, whose abilities and prudence are acknowledged by the Roman commander. H The fortress or town of Cassivellaunus, St2i;ii paludihusjue namitum, De Bell. Gall. L. V. Q. 21. H Relinquebatur ut neqne longins ab agroine legionum disced! Ciesar pate- retur, ct tantum in agris vastandis, incendiisque J'aciendU, taostibus 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 Csee Cssar, lb. c. SO, 21), and on whom Cassivellaunus retaliated, after Ceesat'* departure. tt The Bard, fn a strain of venial patriotism, ascribes the departure of Cffisar and the Romans to the prowess of his countrymen. Other Bards have dropped pretty strong hints to the same purpose. Lucan sayi — Territa qussitis ostendit terga Britannis. And Pope, with less asperity — Ask why, from Britain Caesar would retreat ? Cesm himself migUt whispet— J wat beat. xW By this time, I trus^ 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 Csesar; and that it contains not the most distant hint of iis Jirst colonists. The stfong con^ trast has changed its position : but I abstain frora 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 juist, 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 SECTION I. PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS ON THE WRITTEN MO- NUMENTS OF THE EARLY BRITONS THEIR AUTHEN- TICITY PROVED, BY THE TEST OF, CLASSICALi AN- TIQUITY ----------- Page 1 — 84 SECTION IL GENERAL VIEW OF DRUIDICAL THEOLOGY — CHARACTER AND RITES, OF HU, THE HELIO-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 OF 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 291—410 (THE GODODIN, Page 326— 383.) SECTION V. XVI CONTENTS. SECTION V. TRADITIONS RELATING TO THE PROGEESS, REVOLU- TIONS, AND SUPPRESSION OF THE BRITISH SUPER- STITION, - ------- Page 411 — 500 , — \ APPENDIX, CONSISTING OF ANCIENT POEMS AND EXTRACTS, --------- Page 501^-588 REMARKS UPON ANCIENT BRITISH COINS,' Page 589— 6Z4, INDEX, - --_- Page 625— 642 ERRATA, - ----- _ Page 642 THE MYTHOLOGY ANl) RITES Of THE BSnttejft Sruttis^ SECTION I. ^ Preliminary Observations on the written Monuments of tht early Britons, Thei^AutheHticity f roved, by the Test of classical Antiquity. JLN a reteospeet of the state of socie^, which formerly prevailed ia our coiHutry, tli© coatempiative mind is not more agreeably, than usefully employed. Hence many writers, of distingttished eiaiinence, have umdertaken to elu. ctdate the modes of thinking, and the customs of the early Britons, together with their religious opinions and su.p€rstitioH& rites. Upo» this subject, many notices are scattered amongst the remains of Greefc and Koman learn« iag. These have been collected with dili!g;eBce> arranged and appreciated with ingenuity. But here the research of our arri;iquaries has been checked, by the compass of theii own studies, rather than by the defect of other existing monuments: whereas, upon a topic that claims iavestjg^x tion, every pertiaent document ought to bQ considered ; and 3 especially, those documents which lea^ 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, pontain many new ai^d 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 unjwrejudiced 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 introductory section, in pointing out the particular writings of the Britons, upon which I ground my opinion ; in shewing that t^ose 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 Taliesin, Aneurin, and Merddin the Caledo- nian, Bards who lived in the sixth century of the Christian * In this Section, I must also talce notice of the objections of some of my own countrymen, who, since the publication of the Celtic Researches, have I industriously spread a report, that I do not produce the genuine traditions of the Welsh Bards. However little concera I might feel, for the mere accident of thinking differently from these men, yet, as'I have made my opinion public, I deem it a duty which I owe to my own character, as well as to the generous patrons of my book, to shew, that I am competent to judge of the genuine lemains 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 wiH call for a few remarks, upon the grounds of the idTerie opinion; but I hope to vindicate myself with temper. 3 «ira. With these works, my acquaintance is not recent. 1 have 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 Myvyrian Archaiology of Wales, in 1801. To the primitive Bards, I add the historical and mytho- logical notices, called Triads, published 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 io the genuineness of the works ascribed to our ancient Bards, it may be expected, tliat I should offer something in their defence upon this score. But from the greatest part ol 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, hias stated, and fully substantiated the following proposition ; namely, " That there are poems, now existing in the Welsh, or " ancient British language, which were written hy Aneurin, " Taliesin, Llywarch MSn, and Merddin, who flourished " between the years 500 and 600." 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 extraoidiiiary in the fact^ B 2 4 which his Essay is directed to substantiate; that thcse- 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, being interested pi^y in the credit of the historical poems of these Bards, has xiirected his Vindication, principally, to the support of their c^use ; 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 appeUa-tion of mystical poems, candour requires, that I should state this gentleman's opinion of the latter, aAd plead something in their defence, -where he seems toi have deserted them, .Of these mystical pieces, Mr. Turner thus dedares hi J sentiments. — r" Some (of Taliesin's poems) are unintelligibjc), " because fuU of Bardic, or Druidical allusions." f And again: " Of Taliesin's poetry, We may say, in g€r " neral, that his historical, pieces are valuable; his Others " are obscure : but, as they contain much old mythology ^ *' and Bardic imagery, they are worth attention, because " some parts may be illustrated, and made intelligible." J I have quoted these passages, at lengthy in order to shew my reader, that the author's censure is not directed against the pretensions of these poems to genuineness, or authenr * Vini,icathn of the Genuinoteis of the Ancient British Sardt, 8to. lioadon^ 1803. fcee p. 16 to SO. 4 Ibid. p. 14. J Ibjd. p. «60. ijclty, 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 rnuch old my- thology, certainly supposes, that they are ancient and authentic ; I mean so far authentic, «.s to be real documents of British mythology. 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, men 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 page. 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. Turner 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 an unva- lied stream of national belief ascribes them, without dis- tinction, to the authors whose names they .bear. Here I might rest the cause of jhese old poems, till they prove their own authenticity, by internal evidence, in the 6 course of my Essay ; did I not deetn it requisite, to adduce some testimonies of the real existence of Druidism, amongst the AVelsh> 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, allude to the mystical strains of Taliesin, and establish their credit, as derived from the source of Druidism. Mevgant, a Bard who lived in the seventh century, writes thus. , Cred i Dduw nad Derwyddon 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 piount, where the Bards, the ancient judges of the land, assembled, to decide causes. The author here alludes to 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, su~pposes, that Druidical predictions were known, in the days of Meugant, and that they were regarded as oracles of truth. • W. Arehaiol. p. 161. GbLYDDAN, a Bard of the same century, asserts the existence of Druidical prophecies, and considers the desr 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 byd Ddanet huz biduvydd, &c.* « " Druids vaticinate— a multitude shall arrive : from Me- nevia to Armori^a 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 — cyvervydd 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. + I think Mr. Owen has, more accmately, ascribed this work to CvhAyn ab Cew, a Bard of the sixth century. ,r « . ■ Can. Biog. V. Cuhelyn, teligious ode, which bears the name of this Bard,. has the following passage : Deus Rheen rhymavy Awen- Amen, fiat! Fynedig wawd frwythlawn draethawd, Rymibyddad. Herwydd urdden awdyl Keridwen, Ogyrwen amhad, Amhad anaw areith awytllaw Y Caw ceiniad, Cuhelyn Bardd Gymraeg hardd Cyd wrthodiad Certh cymmwynas, Ked cyweithas, Ni vaintimad. Cathyl cyvystravvd cyvan vtflawd, Clutawd attad. " God the Creator! Inspire my 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 chaunler of Caw, Cu- " helyn, the elegant Welsh Bard would utterly reject. " The awful enjoyment of the society of KSd could not be " maintained. A song of direct course, of unnjixed praise, " has been offered to thee."* * There is another poem of Culielyrii whiQli details some curious particular of Bardic lore. It is introduced iu the fourth section of this Essay. 9 The songs of Ceridwen~o{ the chaunters of Caii), 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 tkose 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 diey were forgotten, 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 faiysteries, and discipline, 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 1120 and II60, composed an elegy upon the death of two princes of his country, the first line pf which runs thus. Gwolychav i'm Rheen, Rex Awyr.* " I will address myself to my soverragn, the King of the « Air." This is an evident imitation of the first line of the Chair of Ceridwen — Rh'een 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 i^eilyr the Bard. GwALCHMAi, the son of Meilyr, wrote between the years ^50 and II90. In a poem, entitled Gorhofedd, or The Boast, he thus imitates the Gorwynion, a poem ascribed to Llywarch Hfen^ upon the subject of the mystical sprigs., Gorwyn blaen avail, bloden vagwy, Balch caen eoed — Bryd pawb parth yd garwy. J * W. Archaiol. p. 192. + Ibid. p. 66. t Ibid. p. 193. 11 " The point of the apple tree, supporting blossoms, " proud covering of the wood, declares — Every one's desire " tends to the place of his affections." In his elegy upon the death of Madawc, Prince of P#^vysj the same Bard exclaims, ' Och Duw na dodyw Dydd brawd, can deiyw Derwyddon weini nad — Diwreiddiws Pywys peleidriad — rhy vel ! * " Would to God the day of doom were arrived, since " DiTiids are come, attending the outcry— TAe gleaming *' spears of war have eradicated Poteys" The 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, ppsi*. tively asserted. CynddElw, the great presiding Bard, and Gwalchmai'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, Owen Gwynedd, we find the Bardic and the Druidical character thus united, and our author himself placed at the head of the order. Beirnaid amregyd Beirdd am ragor : • W, Arcliaiol. p 202. n Ath volant Veirddion, Dei-vvyddou ttiif O bedeiriaith dyvyn, o bedeir 6r. Ath gyvarwyre bardd bre breudor, Cynddelw, cynhelw yn y cynnor. " 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 Bardr of " the steep mount will celebrate tRee, efven Ct/nddelw, the " first object in the gate. / In his elegy upon the death of the same Prince, Cynd- delw mentions a prophecy of Gwron, whom the Triads represent as one of the first founders of Druidism. Am eurglawr mwynvawr Mon Nid gair gau Sv goreu Gwron. " Of the golden protector, the most courteous Prince of " Mona, no vain prophecy did Gwron deliver." The same Gynddelw maintained a poetic contest for the Bardic chair of Madawc, Prince of Powys, against another Bard, named Seisyll, who asserts his claim to the honour, in virtue of his direct descent from tiie primitive Bards, or Druids of Britain, a distinction which his adversary Qould not boast. Mi biau bod yn bencerdd O iawnllin o iawnllwyth Culvardd ; 4kh^n Gynddelw vawr, cawr cyrdd, O hem ni henyw beirdd.* W. Arehaiol. p. 210. 13 " It is my x'ig^^t to be master of song — ^being in a direct '• line, of ±he 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 np Bards." In his reply, Cynddelw makes light of this argument of his opponent, alledging that he himself was acknowledged to be distinguished by the discipline, 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* trious order' as still in being, Nis gwyr namyft Duw a dewinion — byd, ' A diwyd Derwyddion ' O eurdorv, eurdorchogiori, Ein rhiv 3m rhyveirth avon.* *' Excepting God alone/ and the di\5iners of the land, *' anct sedulous Druids, of the splgndid race, wearers jo/^ " gold chains, there is none who knows our number, in the f' billows. of the stream," ■. These billowt, 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, ^he son of Madawc, assimilates the character of this Prince to that of Menw, or Menyw, recorded in the Triads as one of the first instructors and legislators of the Cymry. Here we • W, Aichaiol. p. 213. u Jiave ttisp a discirimination of some of the honpurs, which the Princesi usually conferred upon th^ ancient Bards. Ago red ei lys i les cerddoripn — byd: Eithyd i esbyd ei esborthion. Ym my w Meliw aqhes buches beirddion : Ym buchedd gwjedig gwlad orchorddion, , GorddyynEis uddud budd a berthion Gorwyddon tuthvawr tu hir gleision.* : ; " His hall was open for th? benefit of the singers of the *' land : for his guests . he made provision. Whilst Memp "lived, the memorials, of Baj-ds 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 Owe^ Cyveiliawg, Prince of Powys, who was himself a distinguished B&rd, ' Cynddelw makes repeated mention of the Druids, and their cerdd Ogyrven, or songs of tlie Goddess ; that is, the mystical stiains of Taliesin. The piece opens thus. Dysgogan Derwyddon dewrwlad^ — y esgar, Y wysg^yd weiniviad : - ' ' "Dysgweinid cyrdd cydneid cydnad, • Cyd v-oliant gwr gormant gormeisiad. ' " It is commanded by Druids of the land, which dis- " plays -valour to the foe — even by those administrators in " flowing robes'— let songs be prepared, of equal move- ' -■>> ■■ -.- , '■ h ' ■■"-^-— ■ — — ■ "— ' ' ' ' I.. I. ■ .-■ . . ' . ■' I . ^~~. — I , — ™*.4^ . •--W. Archaiol. p. 220. . , .,...„., ^ , ■ 15 *' raent and corresponding sound, the harmonious praise of " the hero, who subdues the ravager." , f 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. »o' Mynw ehovyn colovyn eyvwjrein, Mur meddgyrn mechdeyrn' Mechein, Mwyn ©"^ydd i veirdd y vaith goelvain — raij Meirch mygyrvan cynghan cein. Yn rhith rhyn ysgwyd Rhag ysgwn blymnwyd Ar ysgwydd yn arwain Yn rhith Hew rhag Uyw goradain ; Yn rhith Uavylj anwar llachar llain ; Yn rhith cleddyv claer clod ysgain — yn aer Yh aroloedd cyngrain; Yn rhith; drftig rhag dragon Prydain ; Yn rhith blaidd blaengar vu Ywain. " This intrepid hero, like a rising column, like a bul- *' wark, round the meadhorns of the rulers of Mechain, as *' a gentle ovate to the bards of the ample lot, in^parts 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 lion, before the chief with the mighty wings *' —in the form of a terrible spear, with a ghttering « blade — in the form of a bright sword, spreading fame in " the conflict, and overwhelming the levelled ranks — ia " the form of a dragon, before the sovereign bf Britain " and in the form of a daring wolf, has Owen appeared." After a few more sentences, the Bard presents us with a curious glimpse of the mystic dance of, the Druids. Prud awyrdwythj'amnwytb, amniver, Drudion a Beirddion A vawl h&b draston. *J3^ " 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 citpd, abundaiitly prove, not only that there were avowed professors, pf Druidism in North Wales and Powys, during the twelfth century, and that they regarded the. same mystical lore, which is ascribed to Taliesin, as the standard of their system; but^also, that their profession' was toljeratedj and even patronized, by the Princes of those, districts^ That the case was neariy the same in South Wales, ap- pears from several passages ; and particularly,, from a con.-^ ciliatory address to Rhys, the Prince of that countjy; ia which Cynddelw makes a genera] intercession for the cause, the mysttries, and the worship of the primitive Bards. He even introduces the saci'ed cauldron^ which makes a prin.-^ cipal figure in the mystical .strains of Taliesin. i\ Corv eurdorv can dohwyv i adrev Ith edryd ith adrawdd i$ nSv Pa.r eurglawr erglyw vy marddley { 17 Paiv I'rydain provwn yn nhangneV. 'Tangnevedd am nawdd amniverwch-— riv, Riallu dyheiddwcb. Nid acjiai- llachai' Uavarwch ; Nid achles avles aravwch ; Nid achludd eurgudd Elrgelwch J Argel earth cerddorion wolwch. Dor ysgor ysgwyddeu amdrwch. Doeth a drud am dud am degwch ; ' Tarv aergawddi aergwl gadarttwch. *' O thou, consolidator of the comely tribe! since I am " returned home into thy dominioii, to celebrate thee undef " heaven — O thou, with the golden, protecting spear, hear " my Bardic petition ! In peace, let us taste the cauldron " of Prydain. Tranquillity j;ound the sanctuary of the " uneven number, with sovereign power extend ! It (the " Bardic sanctuary) loves not vehement loquacity; it is no " cherishfer of useless sloth; it opposes no precious, con- " cealed mysteries (Christianity): disgrace alone i.s ex- " eluded from Bardic worship. It is the guardian bulwark " of the breaker of shields. It is wise and zealous f9r " 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 tnystical 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 nidwy v gyvyrwen ! 18 IVTor oedd gyvrin fyrdd cjrdd Kyrridwen : Mor eisiau eu dwyn yn eu dyrwen ! * " 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 " trute 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 mouth of Taliesin is the' Bardic mystery con-^ " cealed by the Bards ; the Bardic lore, by my direction, " shall be set at large." Pliny's account of the O'oum Anguinum is sufficientljr known : but it may be conjectured, from the language of Cynddelw, that the ungues, or, serpents, which produced, these eggs, were the Druids themselves. Tysiliaw terwyn gywrysed Parth a'm nawdd adrawdd adiysedd — Peris NSr &r niver nadredd, Praf wiber wibiad amrysedd."}- ,i - I ■ I I 1 r I ■— ^», ^ 1, 1 1 . ■ » W. Avcbaiol. p. 230. + Ibid. p. 243. 19 " Tysilio, ardent In .controversy^ respecting my sane- " tuary, declares too much. Ner (the God of the Ocean) *' produced, out of the number of vipers, one huge viper, " with excess of windings. Tysilio, the son of Brochwel, Prince of Powys, 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.* Llywaech ah Llywelyn, was another cathedral Bard, who wrote between the years II60 and 1220. He thus speaks of the privileges of his office, and his connection with the Druidical order. Vy nhavawd yn vrawd ar Vrythbn O vor Ut h^yd vor Iwerddon. Mi i'm deddv wyv diamryson, O'r priv veirdd, vy tnhrlv gyveillion.f "My tongue pronounces judgment upon Britons, from • W. Archaiol, p. 263. ♦ Ibid. p. 283. c 2 ^0 " the British channel to the Irish sea. By my institute, t " am an enemy to contention — of the order of the prirt}i- " five BardSj who have been my early companions." He admits the power and efficacy of the! mystical cauld'tbn. jDuw Dovydd dym tydd feitun Awen— her Tal o hair Kyrridwen.* " God, the Rulef, gives me a ray of melodious song, as " if it were from the cauldron of Ceridwen." And again, in his address to Llywelyn, the son of lor-^ %verth, he acknowledges Taliesin as the publisher of the mystical train. . Cyvatchav i*m E.h§n cyvarchvawr Awen, Cyvreu Kyrridwen, Rhwyv Barddoni, Yn dull Taliesin yn dillwng Elphin, Yn dyllest Barddrln Beirdd vanieri. " 1 will address my Lord, with the greatly greeting muse, " with the dowry of Kyrridwen, the Ruler of Bardisnij^ " in the manner of Taliesin, when he liberated Elphin, " when he overshaded the Baidic mystery with the banner* « 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 Translation, 21 Darogan Merddin dyvod Breyenhin O Gymry werin, o gamhwri : Bywawd Derwyddon dadeni haelon, O hll eryron o Eryri. " Merddin prophesied, that a King, should come, from *' the Cymry nation, out of the oppressed. Druids have " declared, thoit liberal ones should be born anew, from the " progeny of the eagles of Stiowdon." Such is the testimony of this venerable Bard, as to the genuineness of those mystical poems, which bore the name of Taliesin and Merddin; and in which the lore of the Druids was communicated to the Britons of his age. "o^ Eli DYE Sais, the contemporary of' Llywarch, deduces the melody of his linea from the mystic caiildrQ,ni which had been the source of inspiration to Merddin, as well as to Taliesin. Llethraid vy marddair wedi Merddin, Llethrid a berid o bair Awen.* " Flowing is my bardic lay^ after the model of Merd- ** din: a smoothness produced from the cauldron of the " Awen. Philip Bbydydd 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 certain pretended • W. Aichaiol, p.8SO,252.. 22 Bards, or mere poets, in t'le court of iJ/tyS, Prince of South Wales, thus expresses his sentiments. Cadair Vaelgwn hir a huberid — i Veirdd ; Ac nid i'r goveirdd yd gy verchid : Ac am y gadair honno heddiw bei heiddid Bod se ynt herwydd gwir a braint yd ymbrovid : Byddynt Derwyddon pruddion Prydain ; ' Nis gwaew 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 fiUed, 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 being. In the same poem, he asserts the dignity of the Druidical order, and ridicules some popular errors respecting their scanty meanji of subsistence. Ar y lien valchwen ni vylchid — y braint Yd ysgarawd henaint ag ieuenctid. Rhwng y pren frwythlawu A'r tair priv fynawn, Nid oedd ar Irgrawn Yd ymborthid. ♦ W. Arehaiol. p. 37r. 25 . ■*' Of the proud white garmerit (the Druidical robe) 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 uipon green ber- " ries that they subsisted."^ The fruit-bearing 'tree was the same as the arbor frur gifera of Tacitus, ajid 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 formation 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 VoEi, viTOte between 1240 and 1280. In an bde, addressed to Owen, the son of GrufFudd, he compares his hero to Gwron, one of the three founders of Druidism, iand acknowledges him as protector of the city, or commu- mty of Bards. Uigabyl wawr, gwriawr val Gwron, Gwraidd blaid bliant arwyddon Dinam hael, o hil eryrori, Dinag draig dinas Cerddorian.'j- " Fairly dawning, manly-like Gwron, the root whence " sprung the pliable tokens (the mystical spugs or lots) '" blameless and liberal, of the xace of eagles, undoubted " dragon (guardian) of the city of Bards." • W. Archaiol. p. 393. 24 We shall find, that eagles and dragons are conspicuous figures in Bardic mythology* Madawg DwYGRAiG lived at the period when the Welsh government 'was finally ruined, and wrote between the years 1290 and 1340: He thus laments the death of his patron, Gruffiidd ab Madawg. Yn nhair llys y gwys gwaisg ddygnedd, Nad by w llun teyrnaidd llyw, llin teyrnedd Balch y beirdd, bobl heirdd harddedd — hu ysgwr Bryn, hynavwalch gwr brenhineidd wSdd. Yn nhrevgoed i'n rhoeli anrhydedd — Digeirdd Ym, ac vhein veirdd am overedd, Yti gynt no'r Uuchwynt arllechwedd — Ystrad.* " In three halls is felt the oppression of anguish, that h« '' lives not, the chief of princely form, of the royal and. f' 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) honour was awarded to us : whilst uninsti- " tuted, though elegant Bards, were pursuing vanity " swifter thai^ ^he 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 deemon god of the British Druids. We are now come down to the ag^ of Edward the Firsl, .* W. AtctmiQl. p. 481, S5 tlxe reputed assassinator of the Bards, the tale of whose cruelty has been hmnortalized 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 suifered, 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 lor the following inferences ; 1. That the ancient supei'stition 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 vfery last period of the Welsh Princes. 2. That these Princes were so far from discouraging this ?uperstitition, that, on the contrary, they honoured its pro- fessors with their public patronage. 3. That the Bards who flourished under these Princes, especially those who enjoyed the rank of Bardd Cadair, or filled the chair of presidency, avowed themselves true dis-. ejples pf the ancient Prviids, , 4. That they pi-ofessed to have derived their knowledge of Druidical lore, from the works of certain ancient and primitive Bards, which constituted their principal study, and which were regarded as genuine, and of good au- thority, 5. That amongst these masters, they mention, with emi- nent respect, the names of Tnliesin and Merddin ; and particularly extol that mystical lore, which was derived from the cauldron of Ceridwen, and published by ihe 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 liie mystical pieces, preserved under the names of Taliesin and Merddin ; so that there can be no doubt as to the identity of those pieces. And, 7. That upon the subject of genuine British tradi- tion, they specifically refer to no writers which are no\T extant, as of higher authority than Taliesin and Merddin. I therefiare conclude, that the poems of the ancient Bards, here specified, however their value, as compoifltion, may be appreciatedy are to be ranked amongst the most authentic documents which the Welsh possess, upon the Subject of British Druidism. A diligent attention to the worTcs of those Bards, will enable us to bring forward some other ancient documents, which have been drawn up in a concise and singular form, for the purpose of assisting the memory; which are evi- dently derived from the sources of primitive Bardic loie. 27 and therefore are undoubted repositories of genuitie British tradition. The documents I Inean, are those which are generally called the historical Triads, though many of them, strictly speaking, are purely mythological. These dociimeuts have lately been treated with much af- fected and unmerited contempt. ■ It is admitted, that the notices eontaihed in some fevir of the Triads, appear, upon a superficial view, to be eithei: absurd or trifling ; and it may be inferred, from one or two others, that the Welsh had hot wholly relinquishied this mode of composition, till a short period before the dissolu- tion of their national governmeM. 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 theiir cohtaining 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, sks well as to assert, before lip comes to his conclusion. 28 / 1' know' of no peculiarity in the habits of the Celtie na- tions more prevalent, or which can be traced to higher anr tiquity, than their propensity to make ternary arrangements r-^to describe one thing under three distinct heads, or to bring tiiree distinct objects under one point of view. This feature presents itself in their geographical and po- litical schenies. The nations of Gaul were divided into> three great confederacies ; the Belgce, the Aquitani, and the proper Celia: and these were united in one body, by the Concilium totius Galliee, in /which we find that the members of each confederacy had equally their seat.* Again : we are told, that in omni Gallia, or throughout .these ^Aree confederacies, the inhabitants were distributed into three ranks — the Druida, t^e Equites, and the Plebes.; and that the priesthood was subdivided into Druids, Bards, and Ovates. The Britons, in like manner^ divided their island, into Lloeger, Cymru ag Alban : and wheri they were shut up in Wales, that district, without regard to the actual number of their reigning Princes, constituted three regions, called Gwynedd, Fywys a Deheubarth; and each of these was distxibuted into a number pf Cautrevs, Cwmmtvds, and Trevs. That this humour of ternary classification pervaded tlxe- Druidical school, I have already shewn from ancient autho- rity; which presents us with the only maxims of the Druids, which had become public, in the "identical form of Welsh Triads. • C«3. 'd« Bell. Gal. L. I. c. SO^—L. VI. c. 3, The ancient Welsli laws, which were revised by Howel t)da in the former part of the tenth century, present us with a long book of Triads, and these are called Trioedd Cyvraith, Triades 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 fuH of allu- ision to Triads, which had existed from remote antiquity, and which he cites with respect, by way of authority., yor example. 1 . Tair fynawn y sydd. W. Archaiol, p. 20. 2. Trydydd par yngnad, p. 35. 3. Tri thri nodded. 4. Tri charn avlawg, p. 44. 5. Tri lloneid 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 898. 30 9. Tair llynges yn aches. 10. Tri diwedydd ead. 11. Tri phriawd Gwlad, p. 64. 12- Trydedd dovn doethur. 13. Tri chynweisad. 14. Tri chyvarwydd, p. 65, &c. &c. That Triads were perfectly familiar to the age of Aneurm and Taliesin, is a fact which needs no farther proof : and I know of no reason to surmise,- that they had not beett committed to writing before that period. Some of the identical Triads, mentioned by the oldest Bards, are still preserved 5 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 l^e had some particular account. The research of later times has not been competent to make up the deficiency, i* As the authority of the Triads was quoted, with eminent respect, by the most ancient Bards now extant, we may faii-ly infer, that the matter contained in them was analog gous to the doctrine of those Bards, and that it is the genuine remaiiis of more ancient Bards, 'who had professed the same religion. I shall make it appear, in the course of th6 Essay, that such was the real state of the aifair. * The term Collection has offended some minute critics. They ask for the ^ook of Triads, and the name of the author. They might as well ask for th& Book of adages, and llie name of the aiithor. Every Triad is a whole in it-, self; and the ancient copyists transcribed only asjoan^ as suited their acca- siun, or pleased their fancy. t W. Archaiol. Vol. JI. p. 75. 31 Out 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 Taliesin, Ane.urm, and Merdclin, as ge^ liuine repositories of British tradition: and to these I shall sidd some mythological tales, which appear, from internal evidence and correspondent imagery, to have been derived from the same source. From the general persuasioi* 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 great 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. Onsen, the author of the Welsh-English Dictionary, and Mr. Ed. Williams, author of two volumes of ingenious poems. la order to estimate the value of such novel claimants as these records, I shall, first all, consider their pretensions, as Btated by those writers who have announced them to the Public. Mr. Owen's edition of Llywarch H6n appeared in the 32 y6at 179^- fhe introdaction contains a long account' of " Bardism, drawn 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 la&t Llewelyn, certain members of the order established a chair, a kind of Bardiocollege, in Glamorganshire, which has continued to this day. A catalogue is given of the presidents and mem- bers of this chair, from Trahaearn 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, laM's, and traditions of the order into books ; that these collections were revised and ratified in the seventeenth century ; and that they are Btill received as the fundamental rules of the society.* - f From the passages to which I refer, it appears, that Mr. Owen derives his information from Mr. Williams; ami the latter from the acts, traditions, and usages of the Chafr of Glamorgan, as contained in their ra^/^ec? documents of the seventeenth century. It may fairly be pleaded, tliat the acts of a society of Bards,, which was incorporated within twenty year* after the * See Mr. Owen's Irrtrod. to LI. Hgn. pp. 60, 61, 62. Mr. Williams's Ptiems, Vol. II. p. 94. See also Mr. Turner's Viniicaxian, p. 226, and a circumstantial nett« communicated by Mr. Owen, p, %%7, &c. S3 deprivation of the Welsh Princes^ the undoubted patrons 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 inquiry into the credentials of the society itself, will discover some marks of gr'oss misrepresentation, if not of absolute forgery ; and, consequently, suggest the necessity of great caution in admitting its traditions. . ' - i ■■ , i. Trahaearn l^rydydd 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 teattied antiquary, Ed. Llwyd, gives the area of the same Trahaearn, An. iSSOjf and this from the Red Book of Her- gest, a MS. written about the cl6se 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 ISOO, 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. 3. 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. + Arcliseol. Brit. p. 264. % See Tuinei't Viodic. p. SS9, &c. and Ovre&'s Introd. p. 60. 34 the genuine usages of their predecessors ; for in auch, dis- sentions, the right cause is always pleaded by both sides. f 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 WeMi nation, far from receiving its acts as the genuine tradition of the coun- try, had scarcely any knowledge or tradition of th© exist- ence of swch a society. The few rustics by whonj the members were noticed in their fanatical meetings, generally supposed them to be irifidek, conjurors, and we knov> not what* 4. It does not appear, from their own profession, nor from the research of Llwyd,, ajid other antiquariesj that this society possessed a single copy of the works of the ancient Bardsj 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 eoHection of their acts, which was begun about the year 1560, 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 illustriam Une of 'primitive Bardsf reearers of gold chains. And a defect, of mformation actually appears, in an in- stance where we sliould, least of all, have expected to find it. • Ed. WiUUnis' Poems, V, 11. p. 161. 35 Trahaearn is brought forward as the founder of the chair, or the first president ; and yet the members have neither document 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, zeho distinguished him' self vnder 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 Drijids, 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 i A pretended search after truth leads men into the inextri- cable mazes of new phnosophy and new politics, as well as of new religions, just as they are conducted by the various I 'i I ' ~ • Owen's- Cam, -Biog. V. Trnfcoeom, t Intxod. to Ll. Hen. p. 28. 2 36 iFailcies of thdr guides, or by their own ; and if a society swowedly departs from its original principles, to pursue one 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 infullible repositories of ancient tra- ction, ancient opinions, anA 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 he styles hiitiself president, or golci surviving member, values himself highly upon his superior collection of Wel^h manuscripts. Whatever h« has, that can bear the light, I should be glad to see it produced to the Pubhc ; and I would cheerfully contribute my mite to faciUtate its appearance. But he has no copy »f 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, has 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 ierived from the Dru- idical school. In order to ascertain, as nearly as I can, that degree of ■ credit which is due to the artcierit Bards, it is part of my plan to confront them with a few historical facts relative to the Driiids. Mr. Williams cannot object to the candour of my pro- ; ceeding, if, occasionally, I bring the d*ogmas 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. Bbrlase 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 " casremouiis, ut eaan, 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, there is not a " syllable that mentions, or even alludes. to any such thing" * Antiq. of. Cornwall, B. II. ch. 21, 22. t L. 29, c. 1. This assertion, coming from a man who has, for viaj^ mars, been an adept in the- mysteries of Bardism; who pas- sesses and has read more Welsh MSS. than my otfwi- man in the principality ; and has mude the works of the Bards his particular study for more than ffty years, seems to bear hard, not only upon the propriety. -of my expression, hut upon the claim of the Bards themselves to the lore of the Druid«. ' If this assertion be correct, in vain shall tbe Barfs of thg twelfth and thirtemlfc centaury, ascribe to Taliesin; and in vain shall he acknowledge the Druidical character. But the precipitate use which this writer occasionally makes of his extensive information, emboldens me toexa* mine his accuracy in the present instance. I find it is a settled maxim with the chair of GlEEmorgail, that the British Bards were no conjurors. Ina note upon his Poems,* which were published in the yeai* 1794, the President having stated, upon the authority of Edmund Prys, that Meugant lived about the clo^e of the fourth century, and was preceptor to the celebrated Merlin, sub- joins the following information, as from himself t " There are still extant some poems of Meugant, as well " as of his disciple Merhn ; and from these, pieces, w« " clearly perceive that they were neither ^topkks' nor con- " jurors, though said to have been such, by some who w«ie " certainly no great conjurors themselves : they were honest ": Welsh Bards, who recorded, in verse, ; the occunrences " of their own times, never troubling themselves with /' fjiturity," • V. II. p. 5. As to the seras of Meu^ant &nd Merlin (or Merddin), it toay be obsertecJ, that there are no remains of the former, but an elegy upon the death oi Cyf^difflati, a Prince of Powys, in the tixth century ; and another littJe piece, which Inentions Cadvan, who died about the year 630.* The only Merlin^ or Mej'ddin, of whom any thing is extant, was Merddin Wyllt, the Caledonian, who was present at tlife batde of Arderydd, near the dose of. the sixth century, and survived th^t event by many years. And how can these Batds be said never to have troubled themselves with futwrity ? The first of Meugant's poems opens in the high prophetic style —Dydd dyvydd — " The day will come ;'' and speaks of the Druids as true prophets. Aild, Under the name of Merddin, we have scarcely any thing, either genuine or spurious, but descriptions of ma' gical lots, tiuguries by birds^ and strings oi pretended vati- cinations. So 'much for the integrity of this dictatorial chair. And, if the recollection of the President deserted him, upOn a subject so notorious, may we not surmise the possibility of a few passages, which contain some allusion to magic, hav- ifflg escaped his memory. Before I adduce proofs of the fact here suggested, I must |iremise, that I do not understand the term magic, when applied to the Druids and their disciples, as restricted to the profession of necromancy, or conjuring ; but as including the practice of mysterious rites, under pretence of pro- ducing extraordinary effects, from natural causes. Such, I * W. Aiebaiol. p. SSi}, HOa^ 40 apprehend, was the magic of Britain, which Pliily eonttem- platrted, with astonishment. If, therefore, it be true, that the ancient British Bards neither mentioned nor alliided to magical rites, in this or any otlier sense, it is an unanswer- able objection to the authenticity of their pretensions, as preservers of Druidjcai Ipre. BMt;this. is by no means tjie- case. In the passages which I have extracted, ftom the Bards of the middl; centuries, wf have had frequent mention of the mystical cauldron, which' was viewed as the source of inspiration. Tiiliesin acknowledges the same cauldron as the fountain of his genius; and, in a mythological tale, describing the initiation of that Bard, we find the Goddesss Ce,ridwen pre* paring tli^ water of ,this sacred vage, which contained a decoction of potent herbs, collected with due observation of the planetary hovrs. So efficacJQus was this medicated water, that no sooner had three drops of it touched the Hps of the, Bardj than aH futurity was displayed to his view.* As I shall have occasion hereafter to introduce this cu- rious tale, I shall not enlarge upon it &\ present, or upon Taliesin's account of the various ingredients of the caul- dron, in the poem called his Chair, I only submit to the reader'ajudgnjent, that this is absolute. magicj as understood * W, Arefeajpl. p. ir. This genuine Bardic account of the pioduetian of jihe water of At^in, o» Inspiration, is scarcely reconoilcable with the doctrine which Mr. Owen derives Irom the chair of Glamorgan ; namely, tliat — " The Bardic theolpgji laws and ,«• principles, have, in all ages, been referred to inspiration, or asserted to be " deri*ed/f)U>i heaven^ under thcHeuonjiuation of Aweii." lutfod. to H. lUn, p. 6S. 41 by the aiiciehts. But lest this sliouM not come up to the idea which has been conceived of the mysterious art, I must endeavour to produce allusions to something* that looks more like conjuring, ■ In the Welsh Archaiology, there is a remarkable song ascribed to Taliesin, which begins thus. Duw difer nevwy rhag Uanw lied ovrwy ! Cyritav attarwy atreis tros vordwy, Py bren a vo mwy noc ev Daronwy, Nid vu am noddwy, amgylch balch Nevwy, Yssid rin y sydd ta^rj, gwawr gwyr Goronwy, Odid a'i gwypwy; hudlath Vathonwy, Ynghoed pan dyvwy firwythau mwy Cymi-wy Ar laa-Gwyllionwy : Kynan a'i cafwy ' Piyd pan wledychwy.* " May the heavenly God protect us from a general over- " flowing ! The first surging billow has rolled beyond th« " sea beach. A greater tree than he, Turonwy, there has " not been, to afford us a sanctuary, round the', proud celes.. " tial circle. " There is a greater secret, the dawn of the men of Go- " ronwy, though known to few — the magic wand of Ma- " thonwy, which' grows in the wood, with more exuberant " fruit, on the bank of the river of spectres: Kynan shall *' obtain it at the time when he governs." W.Aicliaiol. Pj62. 4^ ;,'1rhis wa^ purely caviies some allusioai to the profession ef magk, an art )(?lu<3|b i» op$aly ^vow^d iai the l^ajcitatioi)^ of Cynvelyn.* - But lest the accuracy of my translation should be dis- puted, I shall exhibit a few passages of that remarkabla poem, in Mf. Oweijijf owji version. ^f,- " Were I to compose th!0 strain— -were. I to sing — magic " gpdh would spring, Mlie those produced by the spcle and " wand of Twrcb Trwyth." " CynV)elyii-»-the ewricher of di^e^mimng magician, whpsff " spell shall be as powerfiil as tlie form of Morien — under " the thiglm of the generous, in equal pace sh«.ll run, die " sprites of the gloonit skimmihg along the pleasaat hills." , < ■ ' * , " The superiot) of iJie prize-contending songs is jthegi/ar- " dian spell of Cynvelyn, the beloved chief, from jwhom " blessmgs flow." " The guaidian ^pelloi Cynvdyn — oniihe plains ofCfo- " dodin-rr'shall it not prevail over Odiaf f Such are the poems, in which it has been asserted, " there is not a syllable that mentions magic, ox even alladf ^ " to any -such diing." And such is the candid translation, with which our ingenious lexicographer gratified the cn- tiotis, only two years before he published his Llywarch Hen, and announced the principles of the chair of Gla- morgan. • Vr. ArchaioF. p. 158. " t Goat. Msg. Nev. 17*0.» 43 Thus it appears, that the Druidical profession of the ^rds is not discreditett by an abhorrence of magic, an art which antiquity positively ascribes to their piedecessors, both in Gaul and Britain. Let the recent code make gqod its own assertions. That the Druids did use sortilege, or divination by lots, which seems to have been a branch of magic, is another historical fact, aiscertained by the testimony of Pli'ny, who says, that they exhibited the Vervain in the exercise of that superstitious rite. It may be added, tliat the use oi tallies, or sprigs, cut from a fruit-bearing tree, which Tacitus as- cribes to the Germans, was probably common to them with the Druids, bec&use we still find alMsions to the same sub- jeet in the British Bards.* In my late voltmie, I stated what appeared to me the genuine tradition of the Britons, relative to these lots^ and With' them I connected the letters, which are called Coel- breni, Omensticks, Lots, or Tallies, f My opinion, I thdught, was innocent at least ; but it pro- duced from Mr. Williams a severe philippic, together with an exposition of some curious Ihythology, upon the origin of letters and language, which is not to be found in any anfcieht British writer. This was put into the bands of my best friends : but I shall not take farther notice of manu- script ox oral criticism. I only wish the author to publish it; when I sfee it in print, thy answer shall be ready. • See Sect. V. f Celt. Bes. p. 245, &c 44 I now go on to consider the character of the ancient Bards, as natural pliilosophers. With what success the Druids, their avowed preceptors, cultivated the study ©f natare, and what system of physiology they taught to their disciples, may be matter of curious inquiry, which I must leave to others. iBut as to the fact, that they addicted themselves to studies of this kind, we- have maiiy express testimonies in th« ancients. I select the following;. * " Ea divinationum ratio, ne, in barbaria quidiem gen- " dem gentibusneglectaest: siquidem, et in Gallia, Dru- " ides sunt, e quibus ipse Divitiacuni Aeduum, hospitem " tuum laudatoremque, cognovi : qui et natura rationem, <' quam physiologiam Grteci appellant, notam esse sibi pra- "Jitetur, et, partim auguriis, partim conjectun% qui3e essent ♦* futura dicebat." \ Upon this. passage I would remark, that Cicero does ijot- speak from' vagiie report : he declares the profession of a man who was personally known to him, who had been his guest, and with whom he had familiarly conversed. He also gives unequiVocal testimony, that Divitiacus Aediius was a Druid, and Well versed in the various studies of hip. order. It must be recollected, that this same Prince of the Aedui was the intimate friend and companion of Caesar,^ * " This method of divinaiion lias not been neglected even amongst barbae " rolls nations. For there are Druids in Gaul, with one of whom I was ac- " quainted, namely, Divitiacus Aeduus, v»ho enjoyed the hospitality of your " house, and. spoke of yon with admiration. This man not only prolessed an, " intimate knowledge of the system of nature, whieh the Greeks call Phyiiologift " but also foretold future events, partly by augury, and partly by conjecture,"^ + Cic. de Divinatione, L. J^ , 45 and that he enjoyed the confidence of that great man, at the very time he drew up his valuable account of the Druids. It is more than barely probable, that this adcount was col- lected from the actual communications of Divitiacus ; for it is immediately subjoined to the relation of his embassy to the senate of Rome, and the acknowledgment of the pre- eminent rank of his countrymen, the Aedui. From hence I would infer, that Ciesar had procured :the most accurate information upon the subject of the Druids, and conse- quently, that every circumstance in his memorial has a claim to the highest respect. This competent historian,' therefore, having stated the tradition, that the discipline of thepe ancient priests had been first established in Britain ; and the fdct, that at the time when he wrote, those who wished to be more accu- rately instructed in the Druid lore, generally went into Britain for their education ; proceeds to specify, amongst the topics of their study-^* Multa prasterea— de rerum na- turS. — disputant — et juventuti tradunt. f. We have, then, abundant authority to assert, that the Druids aspired to the character of natural philosophers : and it would be reasonable to demand of the Bards, theii; professed disciples, some pretensions of the same kind. The poems of Taliesin furnish several passages, which may be classed under this head. Of these, the following cosmography may be given as a curious specimen. • They also dispute largely upon siibjests of natjiral phUosqphy, and inr struct the youth in their piinciples. ♦ De Bell. Gall. L. VI, c. 14. 46 Os yTvch brfv veirddion Cyrwyv celvyddon, Traethwch- orchuddion O'r Mundi maou— Ymae prjrv atgas, O gaer Satanas, A oresgynas Rh#fig'«}wvn: a bas. Cyvled yw ei enau^ A mynydd Mynnau i Nys gorvydd angau JSsi llaw oa llavnau. Mae llynyth naw can maen Tn rhawu dwy bawen : Un-Uygad yn ei ben Giwyrdd val gl&s iaen. Tair fynawn y sydd Yn ei wegorlydd ; Mor vryched arnaw A noviaat trwyddaw Bu laith bualawn Deivi" ddonwy dyvr ddawn. Henwau'r tair fynawn ganol eigiawn ; Un Uwydd heli Pan vo yn corini 1 edryd lliant Dros movoedd divant. Yr ail yii ddinam A ddygwydd arnam 47 Pan vo'r glaw allaa Drwy awyr ddylan. Y drydedd a ddawedd. Trwy wythi rnynyddedd Val callestig wledd O waith rex rexedd** '* If ye are primitive Bards, " According, to the discipline of qualified instructors, " Relate the great secrets " Of the world which we inhay t.— wkm " There is a formidable animal, ,,-^ " From the city of Satan, iJMi> ** Which has ,made an inroad " Between the deep and the shallows. " His mouth is as wide , . <* As the mountain of Mynnau : " In his receptacles ; " So thick about him, " And flowing through him/ " Have been the moistening horna " Of Deivr Donm/, the giver of waters. • W. A^shaiol. p. 30. ,;{, 48 " The names of the three fountains, that iprifig " From the middle of the deep. ~f- " One is the increase of salt water, " When it mounts aloft, " Over the fluctuating seas, " To replenish the streams. ,<'' The second is that which, innftcetttly, " Descends upon us, " When it rains without, « Through the boundless atmosphere* " The third is that which springs " Through the veins of the mountains, " As a banquet from the flinty rock, *' Furnished by the King of Kings." Though the Bard has introduced the foreign terms, Sa^t tanas, Mundi, and Rex, yet it is evident, that he intends the doctrine contained in this passage, as a select piece iof Druidical lore : hence he proposes the question, as a touch- stone, to prove the qualifications, of those who professed themselves instructors in primitive Bardism. The Druids, therefore, represented the visible world. Hot as formed by the word of a wise and beneficent Creator, but as an enormous animal, ascending out of the abyss, and from the abode of an evil principle. The same subject is touched upon in another passage, where we discover, that the British name of this evil principle was Gwarthawn„ Yssid teir fynawn Ym mynydd Fuawn : 49 Yssid Gaer Gwaithavvn A dan don eigiawn,* " There are three fountains " In the mountain of Fuawn : " The city of Gwarthawn " Is beneath the wave of the deep." t might have compared anothelr passage with the above, had it not been for the want of curiosity in the transcribers of our old manuscripts. Mr. Morris has consigned great part of an ancient poem to oblivion, because " it contained " an odd sort of philosophy, about the origin of salt water, " rain, and springs." f The absurd and monstrous idea of the formation of the world, which we have been now considering, is certainly from the very lowest school of heathenismi It is utterly irreconcilable with Mr. Williams's new British Mi/thology, and with his story of Enigat the Great; though not much dissimilar to the genuine doctrine of his chair, exhibited at the conclusion of his poetical works. The reader may not be displeased with a few more Ques- tiones Druidica, as proposed by the same Tahesin. The Bard has not, indeed, added the solutions of his problems, but they may serve to point out the subjects of his study, and his ambition to be esteemed a general physiologist. In a poem, which is called. Mab^vreu, or Elements of Instruction, he demands of his disciple — , E <*»« — II I ■ I ■ ■ • W. Aichaicvl, p, 32. + Ibid. p. 47. 50 Py dadwrith mwg ;, Pyd echenis mwg I " What is it which decomposes smoke ; *' And from what ekment does smoke arise ^ Py fynawn a ddiwg, Uch argel tywyllwg. Pan y w calav can ' 'Pan yw n6s lloergai?? " What fountain is that, which bnrsts forth, " Over the covert of darkness/ " When the reed is white, " And the night is illuminated by the moon ?' A wyddosti beth wyd Pan vyth yn cysgwyd : Ai corph ai enaid, Ai argel cannwyd ?] " Knowest thou what thoxi arty " In the hour of sleep — " A mere body — a mere sbul — " Or a secret retreat of hght ?" Eilewydd celvydd, Py'r na'm dyweid ? ■ A wyddosti cwdd vydd Nos yn aros dydd ? A wyddpsti arwydd Pet deilen y sydd ? Vj. drychevis mynydd Cyn rhewioiaw elvydd ? 51 1*7 gynneil magwyif Daear yn bieswyl. Enaid pwy gwynawr Pwy gwelas ev — Pwy gwyr ? *' O skilful son of harmony, " Why wilt thou not aiiswer me ? " Knowest thou where the night awaits " For the passing of the day ? " Knowest thou the token (mark or character)- " Of every leaf which grows ? " What is it which heaves up the mountain " Before the convulsion of elements ? " Or what supports the fabric " Of the habitable earth ? " Who is the illuminator of the soul— " Who has seen— who knows him \" The following seems to be a reflection upon the teachers of another system* ^ Rhyveddav yn llyvfau Na wyddant yn ddiau Enaid pwy ei hadnau ; Pwy bryd ei haelodau : Py barth pan ddinau ; Py wynt a py frau. " I marvel that, in their books, " They know not, with certainty, " What are the properties of the soul : *' Of what form are its mfembers : " In what part, and when, it takes up its abode; " By what wind, or what stream it is supplied." £ 2 5^ In the Angar Cyvyndawdf of which I^ have inserted the beginning in the Celtic Researches, we haVe several ques- tions of the same kind proposed j as^ " At what time, and td what extent, will land he pro- " ductive ?' — " What is the extent and diameter- of the " earth?" — ^Who is the Regulator, hetween heaven and " earth?" — " What byngs forth the clear gem (glain) " from the working of stones ?" — " Where do the cuckoos, " which visit us in the summer, retire during the winter ?" " From the deep I bring forth the strain' — let a river be " specified — I know its qitalities when it ebbs or flows, " swells or subsides." " I know what foundations there are beneath the sea : I " mark their counterparts, each in its slopirtg plane." — > Osgeri " Who carried the measuring line of the Lord of causes " — what scale was used, when the heavens wa.e reared " aloft ; and who supported the curtain, from the earth to " the skies ?*' Of these, and a multitude of similar questions, Taliesin professes, that he could teach the true solution. In his own opinion, therefore, he was as great a physiologist as Divitiacus Aedmts, or any other Druid of the hallowed grove. 53 "Amongst the studies of the Druids, Caesar enumerates astronomy and geography ; but the remaining works of the Bards scarcely afford us an opportunity of judging, as to their proficiency in these sciences. If the poem called Canu y byd mawr, " The great song " of the world," contains any thing of Druidism, we must acknowledge at least, that it is mixed with a large propor- tion of foreign msitter. The subject is 77ian and the universe. — ^The soul is said to be seated in ,the head of man, who is composed of seven elements. Fire, Earth, Water, Air, Vapour, Blossom (the fructifying principle), and the wind of purposes (q, whether the soul or the passions'?) He is endowed with seven senses, appetite and aversion being admitted into the number, — Hence, perhaps, the vulgar phrase, of . being frightened out of one's seven senses. There are seven skies or spheres over the head of the diviner, There are three divisions of the sea, answering to the like number of shores. Thus far, for aught I know, the Bard may have drawn from the source of Druidism s but he proceeds to reckon up the seven planets, by names which are borrowed or cor- rupted from the Latin — Sola, Luna, Marca, Marcarucia^ Venus, Severus, Saturnus, Of the^t;e zones of the earth, two are cold, one is hot »nd uniivhabited, the fourth contains the inhabitants of pam 54 radtse, and the fifth is the dwelling-place of mortals, divided into three parts, Asia, Jfrica, and Europe.* In the little song of the riiorld, the Bard brings foni^ard a national system, differing from that which was t^rUght by tlie Bards of the world, or the instructors of other nations- This little piece d^eryes attention. It is not mythological, but philosophical, and seems, in some respects, to corre-? spond with the systenj of Pythagoras, who had many ideas jn common *ith the Druids, and is expressly vecpjrded to bavp studied in the Gaulish school, Kein geneis canav Byd undydd mwyav ; Lliaws a bwyllav Ac a brydej-av, Cyvarchav veirdd byd— ^ Pryd na'm dy weid ! Py gynheil y byd Na seirth yn eissywyd : Neu'r byd pei syrthiej Py S,r yd gwyddei ? Pwy a'i gogynhaliei ? Byd mor y w advant I Pan syrth yn divant Etwa yn geugant, Byd mor yw rhyved4 Na syrth yn unwedd, Byd mor yw odid Mof yawr yd sethrjd, '♦ Though I have sung already, I will sing of the yrtaild t - -II I — ■ ■ . ; • W, Arphaiol. p. 25. 55 *' one day more : much will I reason and meditate. I will " demand of the Bards of the world—why will they not " answei- me! What upholds the world, that.it falls not, *' destitute of support : or, if it were to fall, which way " would it go ? AVho would sustain it ? How great a wan- " derer is the world ! Whilst it glides on, without resting, " it is still within its hollow orbit. How wonderful , its • " frame, that it does not fall off in one direction ! How " strange, that it is not disturbed by the multitude of " tramplings!" ^ Some idle Rhymer has added to the conclusion, that the four evangelists support the world, through the grace of the spirit: but Giraldus Cambrensis complains, that in his age the simple works of the Bards had been disfigured by such modern and ill-placed flourishes. 1 have now endeavoured to catch a glimpse of our early Bards as natural philosophers, and have shewn, that they were not less ambitious of the character, than their vene- rated preceptors, the Druids, are recorded to have been. Hence I proceed to contemplate the same Bards, and their instructors, in. a political light. Through this maze of inquiry, the chair of Glamofgan kindly offers its torch of direction. One of the leading maxims of its Druidical code, as announced to the PuWip, is ^ political principle, frequently touched upon, both by Mr. Williams and Mr. Owen, but more fully detailed by the latter. ♦' Superiority of individual power is what none, but 56 " God, can pdssibly be entitled to ; for the poiver that" gave " existence to all, is the on^jf power that has a claim of " right to rule over all. A man cannot assume authority " over another ; for if he may over one, by the same rea- " son he may rule over a million, or over a world. All men " are necessarily*«qual : the four elements, in their natural " state, 01- every thing nOt njaijufactured by art, is the " common property of all." * The merit of the doctrine which is here held forth, it is not my province duly to appreciate. I have nothing to do with it, any farther than as it purports to be a principle drawn from the source of -Druidism, through the channel of the British Bards, At the time when this book first appeared, I was not absolutely a novice in the remaining accounts of the Druids, or in the works of the British Bards ; yet I must own, that all this was perfectly new to me. I am now, upon farther acquaintance with the works of our Cambrian progenitors, fully convinced, tha( they never taught any such thing, "^i^ I would therefore advise the partizans of the oracular chair, jto reconsider this code of Jaws, a;nd search, whether this doctrine is to be found in the first copy, which was compiled in the sixteenth century, or only in that copy, which was revised, rectified, and ratified during the great rebellion in the middle of the seventeenth. And if it be found only in the latter, I would ask, was not Druidism, as far as this goes, very popular amongst Briton's and Saxons In the age of Cromwell ? — Perhaps I wrong that age. * Jqtrod. to LI. Heo. p. 54. 57 The principles here announced, seem to go rather beyond the levellers of the Tseventeenth century, and to savour strongly of a Druidism which originated in Gaul, and was from thence transplanted into some corners of Britain, not many ages before the year 1792, when the memorial of JBardism made its appearance. It were well, if the sages who prepared that memorial, would revise their extracts, and recal any accidental inaccuracy, that might otherwise mislead future antiquaries. They must know, as well as I do, that this is not the Druidism of history, nor of the British Bards, Let us hear Caesar's testimony. The Druids of Gaul, with whom* he was intimately acquainted, were supreme Judges in all causes, public and private. Every thing bent to, their decree. The sacred order, therefore, possessed a pre-eminence of authority over the people, whom they did' not acknowledge as their necessary equals. Nor were the Druids upon a level amongst themselves ; for we are farther told — * " His omnibus Druidibus preeest unus, qui summann *' inter eos habet auctoritateni." ' Nor did they deem it unlawful for even temporal princes to enjoy pre-eminence of power. Divitiacus, an accredited Druid, complains of the ingratitude of his brother, Dum- norix, who had been advanced to great authority by the exertion of his influence. ^ But as the Druids and the princes were generally rela- tions, it may be argued, that they connived at a trifling dereliction of principle in their own families, and contented * " Over all these Druids, there is one president, who enjoys supreme avi* ^.»' thoritj amoiigst tlisin." 58 themselves with moulding the people into a state of perfect equality : which they might have done, had they been so disposed ; as the whole community of the nation was formed under their control. Here, then, if any where, we may expect to discover the operation of the great levelling scheme. But here we are farther from the point than ever.-^*/* Plebes poene " servorum habetur loco^ quc5, per se, nihil audet, et nullb " adhibetur concilio. Plerique cum, aut sere alieno, aut " magnitudine' tributorum, aut injuriS. potentium premnn- " tur, sese in servitutem dicant nobilibus. In hos eadem " omnia sunt jura, quae dominis in servos." f When the Romans came into Britain, where Druidisra. had also an establishment, they found the insular tribes subject to their respective princes, who had authority, riot only to govern during their lives, but also to bequeatli their dominions. It is therefore evident, that individual authority and pri- vate property were countenanced under the auspices of Druidism. But was this the case in the times of those Bards, who still exist in 4heir works, and to whom the levelling system has been imputed? Let us ask Taliesin, " whose poems (according to Mr. Williams) exhibit a com- " plete system of Druidism." J * "The common people are regarded as nearly upoTi a level with slaves. " They have uo power of their own, and are never admitted into the assemblies " of the states. Many of these) when oppressed by debt, by the weight of " taxes, or by the injury of the great, devote themselves to the service of the " nobles, who have, in all respects, the same power over them, which masters *' have over iheir slaves." t De Bell. Gall. L. VI. c. 13, } Pflems, V. II. p. 7. 59 This venerable Bard thus sppaks of the Prince of Reged.* " There is superior happiness for the illustrious in fame ; " for the liberal in praise — there is superior glory, that " Urien and his children exist, and that he reigns mpremef " the sovereign Lord." f Butwhy should I select quotations? Who, amongst the ancient Bards, was not patronized by princes, whom he has celebrated, not less for the grea,tness of their power, than for the eminence of their virtues ? If either historical authority, or the testimony of the Bards> can have any weight in deciding this question, this cUrjous dogma of the pretended chair has nothing at all to do with Druidism or JBardism. That it is not even countenanced by the ancient Bards, must be known to every man who is conversant in their works. It therefore rests with the advocates of this chair, to inform us, whether it was introduced into their code by the levellers of the seventeenth century, or fabricated during the late anarchy of France, as a new engine, fit for imme- diate execution, I am far from professing myself the general advocate of the Bards, or the Druids 5 I only wish to exhibit them in their true colours ; but I find it impossible to write upon this subject, without vindicating their character from an imputation, as groundless as it is infanfous. • W. Archaiol: p, 31. •i Mr. Turner's Translation. Vindic. p. ISr. 60 / - Another particular in the! traditions of the dictatorial chair, which does not perfectly correspond with the testi- mony of the ancients relative to the Druids, or with the sentiments and practice of the Bards, is that invisolable attachment to peace, which is ascribed to the whole order. ' " It is necessary to remark (says Mr. Owen), that Lly- " warch was not a member of the regular arder of Bards, " for the whole tenor of his life militated againsi the lead- " ing maxims of that system; the groundwork :of which " was, universal peace, and perfect equality. For a Bard " was not to bear arms, nor even to espouse a cause by any " other active means; neither was a naked weapon to be " held in his presence ; he being deemed the sacred cha- " racter of a herald of peace. And in any of thes6 cases, " where the rules were transgressed, whether by. his own ♦' will, 6x by the act of another, against him, he was de- " graded, and no longer deemed one of the order." * Here again I suspect, that the president of the chair has not been quite accurate in his notes. I do not recollect to have seen this doctrine, in its full extent, promulgated by any code, before a certain period of the 'French Revolu- tion, when the meek republicans of Gaul, and their modest partizans in Other countries, joined" the indefeasible right the same Bard justifies the destruction of the foe; nor does he think hia hand polluted, either with the cup or the speai-, that carries the mark of slaughter, " Fury, in a torrent, shall flow against the Angles.— " Slaughter is just! The raven's due is our heaps of slain! " Before the man who is naturally endowed with song, - " light unfolds the mystery — and; hearing woe> he shall " return, his glittering yellow cup, besmeared with gore, " hiding the froth of the yellow mead. Satiated with en- " terprise, his heavy spear, with gold adorned, he^ bestowed " on me. Be it for a benefit to his soul !" f Such is the genuine language of the Bards ; and, agi-ee- able to this language, is the decision of the learned and candid historian, who has done us the honour of vindicating their cause, " These Bards were warriors. Their songs commemo- • Taliesin's Battle of (rwen^strad. Gent. Mag. Mareb, 1790, t Gent. Mag. Nov. 1795. Mr, Owen's translationi 64 " rate warriors; and their feelings and sentiments are whefly " martial."* But is it true, that an abhorrence of weapons, and an inviolate attachment to peace, were established principles, even in the chair of Glamorgan ? There are circumstances which seem to imply the contrary. According to Mr. Owen's list, David ab Gwil3rm pre- sided in the year 1360. f In a foolish quarrel with Gruf- fudd Gr^g, this Bard challenges his adversary to decide their dispute with the sword. Gruffiidd accepts the chal- lenge, and bids him defiance. Then, indeed, but not tiU then, the worthy president manifests a disposition for peace. J If the Bards, according to the code of £his chair, were never to espouse even a just cause, what becomes of the " Necessary, but reluctant duty of the Bards of the island " of Britain, to unsheath the sword against the lawless and " depredatory ?"§ -Or how can the chair reconcile this inviolate principle, with its own practice, of bringing the assault of warfare against a degraded member, unsheathing the sword, calling to him three times, and proclaiming, that the sirord was naked • Mr. Turner's Vindic. p. SOT. t latrod. to LI. H6n. p. 62, I See D. ab Gwilym'a Worksi p. 344, &c. § This duty is acknowledged by the imtitutimal Triads of that very cbait. — WiHiams's Poems, V, II, p, 838. 65 against him? * — Surely this manifests a disposition as hdS- tile> as can well be tolerated by the present laws of society. The few observations upon the novel maxims, and die* tatorial tone, of the chair of Glamorgan, which the prin- ciple of self-defence have extorted from me, may supply a useful hint to future inquirers into Welsh Antiquities. It is not, however, my aim, to pass a general censure upon the traditions of that society. I am willing to suppose, that thdy would reflect light upon many subjects which are now obscure, were they brought forward, unmixed with modern speculation. That the particulars here selected, have neither support nor countenance amongst the ancient Bards, or their pre- ceptors, the Druids, I have already shewn. It remains for me to inquire, whether they correspond with the personal character and sentiments of Trahaearn Brydydd Mawr, who is announced as the first president ; and consequently, whe- ther it is probable, that he established a society upon such, principles. Under the name of this bold and turbulent genius, we have only two pieces preserved : but they are highly cha- racteristical, and furnish us with some important anecdotes. Trahaearn appears to have been a free guest in the man- sion of Howel of Llan Dingad, in the Vale of Towy, about — "-r * Inttod. to LI. Hto. p. 51. a hundred j'ears after Wales had finally submitted to th« English government. Howel's peace establishment, as de- $cribed by the muse of his Bard, was much in the style of Sir Patrick Rackrent; and, in his heroical capacity, he made some local efforts to assert the independence of his country, in an age when such patriotism could be no longer a virtue. This gentleman's Bard made a Christmas visit to Cadwgan, vicar of i/aw Gynog, where, it seems, he met with a scanty and very homely entertainment. His resentment dictated a furious lampoon upon the vicar, his daughter and his son-in-law ; in which he declared, that " if the house " were burnt upon the eve of the new year, it would be a " good riddance ; and any shabby wretch might perform a " meritorious act, by killing the alien son-in-law with the " sword." Snch an outrage might have been treated with merited contempt, had not the vicar's house been actually burnt, and his son-in-law killed upon that very new-year's eve. This, I presume, was the notorious circumstance which marked the lera of our Bard in the year 1380, Whether Trahaearn himself was, or was not, personally engaged in this atrocious act, does not appear : but his efforts to clear himself in the subsequent poem, prove, at least, the exist- ence of suspicion* In just abhorrence of his conduct, the incendiary and assassin was disowned by the family of Llan Dingad, an^ became a necessitous wandterer for a long period. During this season of disgrace, if ever, he presided in the chair of nciliation with the grcendsoris of his patron ; but with what success, is unknown at present. The reader will par- don my giving a translation of the whole piec6, as it con- stitutes no unfavdurable specimen of the Bardism of the fourteenth century. Sung, by Trahuearri the grekt poet, in ptaise of Howeil of Llan Biflgad, in the Vale of Towy, 1350.* 1-t A dauntless leader in the conflict, the vSty 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 : arid this dragon, I know, will be illustrious in the memorials of his country. A dismal Cattlage was seen amongst the people, wheii the daring hawk gave battle. In equal pace rushed the cata-i racts of blood, and the incessant spears, during the shocks Woe's my heart, that I remained silent for a single night ! 3- Wider and Wilder did the groans of nature extend, wheit * W. Archaioi. p. 499. The editors have prohahly inserted 1350, by way of accpmmodatiott with tire chronology of the cftair. The only copy to which they refer, as their original, has the date 1380, lyhich came ftom the authority of Dr. pavies of Mallwyd, andis the same vrtiich is given by Ed. Llwyd, in his Archceologia. f The places mentioned in this poem, are iti the neighbourhood of' Ltando- very, iioradircgad is the parish. in Which that town is situated: The manor of ifirOTj/n comprehends part of that parish. Gaew, or CynvU Gaio, is at the dis* tance of about ten miles, on the Ltanbedr road ; and Myddvai, which joins the parish of Uanditigad, was famous for its succession of pllysiciansj in the f^ily of Hhiwallawn, from the 13th to the 18th century. 68 the vessel of racking poison poured the pangs of destiny;^* whilst he was encouraging his host to protect the 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, Jike the tumultuous flame in the mountain heath. J 5. Though fierce in his valour, like Lleon, with 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 table. 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 the severe Lion uninterrupted success, in the deadly battle of Caew : the area was filled with terror, and the * It appears hy this passage, that poisoa had been administered to the trat- rior, just as he was going to battle. + England. i It is the custom in many parts of Wales, to bum the heath» upon the mountains, in order to clear the turf, which is paiied off, for fuel. § Some nobleman, who took his title from a place in the North, oi withia tlie £mits of ancient Bemicia. ^9 buildings reduced to ashes, as with the wrath of Lhjr Lh' diaith, and the conduct of Cat.* 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 him, 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, * Herges «f ancient fable, who vill be mentioned again in the course of this Essay. 70 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 goldeji president in his district, an entertainer of the Muses, ija the great sanctuary of the children pf panegyric — the supporter of thPUsaiids, 12. I will not dissemble. As it is my privilege to judge, I will declare my sentiment, that no wayward lampoon shall sport with the great renown of the hero ; and, that I shall not be found in the company, or in thefoiin of an outlaw, or mthout a pledge of inviolable faith towards the clergy. In 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-i ther, the love-difFusing Lord, the supreme dispenser of Jigbt, 14. I will relate (and the tribute of love will I send forth) a golden tale, a canon of the natural deliiieation of the muse for my tribe : and this with joy wiU I do; to prevent the colouring of falsehood, till the spring ef my genius be gone^ with the messenger that calls me hence. U. For want of the discretion to compose good words, I have Ipst the incessant invitation to the cauldrons, and the IRwnificent banquets pf the laad of elpquenpe, and genefous 71 horns of delicious liquor, amongst the mighty pillaris 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 j 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 rash transgression, I have forfeited the valuable prvDilege, 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 Hirvrytiy 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 immediatelj' con- vinced, that the feehngs 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 canse of his coiihtry and his patron, as well as of his own appetite. And here is not a syllable that countenances the doctrine of perfect equality i As I shall have occasion to mention the noctv.rnal mysf' 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 qf their meetings could be holden, but in a conspicuous placBj whilst the sun was above the horizon.* As this unqualified publicity is referred to the principles and practice of the Pruids, it must stagger the confidence of those who have been accustomed to contemplate the awfiil secrets of the grove, and. the veil of mystery which was thrown over the whole institution. The annual, or quarterly sessions of the Druids, where they sat, f zw loco consecrata, to hear and decide causes, may have been held in a conspicuous- T^a/ce, 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 veligion, was cei^tainly conducted with greater privacy, " J Decent multa, nobilissimos gentis," says P. Mela, *'%clam, et diu, vicenis annis, iii specu, aut in abditis " saltibus.\\ And their effectual regard to secrecy, is foi?- cibly pointed out, by what the author immediately adds • See Owen's Introd. to U. H€n. p. $7, 48. Also. Williains's Poems, V. II. p, 39, note, and p. 216. f In 4 consecrated plE|ce. J " They give lesions upon a voriety of subjects, to the first nobility of the « nation," § <• These lessons are private, and continued for a long time— for the 'spaqe « of twenty years, in a cave, or amongst inaccessible forests." II Lib. m. Q. 8. 73 — .«*Ujjum ex iis, quae prseoipiunt, in vulgus effluxit."-^ The attentive ear of curiosity- had been able to catch but ene of their institutional Triads. Caesar also mentions the solicitude of the Druids, lest th6ir discipline should be exposed to public view : and their religious meetings, though covered by the inaccessible grove, were holden in the night, as well as at noon, " + Medio cum Phoebus in axe est, Aut Goelum nox atra tenet." + + With all this, the celebration of the nightly mysteries, described in the chair of Tdliedn, his. Ogoj; Gorddewin, Cave, or Specus of the Arch-Diviner, the torches of Cerid' wen, which flamed at midnight, and at the damn, together with Merddin's concealment injthe Caledonian forest, per- fectly accord. I shall close my preliminary section, when I have brought the Bards into one more point of comparison with thejr venerable instructors, the Druids, This ancient order of men does not recommend -itseir to our notice, merely as teachers, of a false philosophy, or presidents of a gloomy superstition, • One of the maxims which they teacl|, has found its way to the Public. + " When the sun is in th( covers the sky," } Lucan. Fhaml Ub. III. + " When the sun is in the middle pf his co«r»e, of When the dar^^ight * covers the sky," 74 " The Druids were remarkable for justice, moral and *' religious doctrines, and skill in the laws of their country : *' for which reason, all disputes were referred to their arbi-s " 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 GoiData, says — " "j- Habent facundiam suamj magistrosque sapientisii « Druidas."J Sotion, in Libro successibnum, confirmat^ Druidas, di- v'mif humanique Juris, peritimmos fuisse.^ The learned Mr. Whitaker regards the three first books of, the Lazes of Howel, as comprising the Laws of the j4n- dent Britons. And the Manksmen ascribe to the Dniids, those excellent laws, by which the Isle of Man has always, been governed. II 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 contimial lapse in religious principles, the only real foundation of laws and of morals ; which disallows the existence of human authority, and insists upon an equality so absolute, as to precluile 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 theit Druids as teachete o( ♦• wiadom." t Lib. III. c. 3. $ Lei. de Script. Brit. p. 5, U 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 piett/ towards the Dejty, 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 Bards profess to have drawn all their doctrines ffom the Druidical fountain, I think, there is no subject which ascertains the authenticity of their pretensions bet-i 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 aphorisms. 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 feature qf these versicles is, that tha 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 like. To this is frequently subjoined, something that savours more 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 e:^'' Blaiijed by a few examples. Eiry mynydd — gwangcus laj- Gochwiban gwynt ay dalar — Yn yr ing gorau yw'r C^- 76 " Snow of the moutitain ! 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 Godf why " hast thou formed the slothful !" t Y ddeilen a drevyd Gwynt*— Gwae hi o'i thynged; — Hgn 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 bom !" 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 us consider, if any thing can be said in their defence. Some praise must be due to the ingenuity of a devifee, which was calculg,ted, through the rudeness of ancient • The true teading seems to be — y ddeHcti'gWi/nt «.'i threved. 77 British society, to lead the mind, imperceptibly, from it 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 peculiarly 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, arid those in few hands, must have found the beniefit of this mode of instruction. Whatever 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 — r" 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 wjam, 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 home to 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 vflffo has neglected hi& duty or his business, to indulge an indolent habit, is re- 78 minded, by a sprinklitog showei*, &f 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 imme-^ diately strengthened by the emphatieal reflection—" Gre- " ating God! why hast thou formed the slothful !" The emblem of the shortness and frailty of human life, in the third examj)le, is soifliciently obvious. I shall subjoin a few more translated specimais 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 (Celvydd)." " It is the eve of winter. The stags are lean — the tops " of the birch are yellow: deserted is the summer dwelling " — Woe to him who, for a ta:ifling advantage, merits " disgrace." " Though it be small, yet ingenious is the bird's fabric *' in the skirt of the wood — The viituous and the happy *' are of equal age." " Chill and wet is the mountain— *Cold. is the grey ice — " Trust in God; he will not deceive thee; nor wiU perse- " veriog 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 foam,'— *' Patience is the fairest light for man." 79 *' Snow of the mountain! bare is the top of the reed— *•• The man of discretion Cannot assodiate with the silly-^- " Where nothing has been learned, there can be no ge- *' 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 gopd for the wickied." Though it be admitted, . that this metSbd of teaching moral wisdom, was continued by the Britons for some time after the introduction of Christianity, yet I tliink, 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 numbea: amongst the Druids. The metre is also the most ancient, of which the Welsh have any tradition. And it does not appear from history, that the Britons could have borrowed the model of sucl* 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 of rude sim- plicity, and accurate observation, which histpry ascribes tQ so tlie Druids. Here, the barbaric muse appears in hef tustiC dress, without a single ornament of cultivated taste. This sententious way of writing h&i, for many c6nturies^ become obsolete amongst the Welsh. J^^othing 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 H§n, 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, tliough 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! troubksome is the world I • Twelve of these are ascribed to Mervinduawdrydd, whose age is unknown, unless it be a corrupt reading for Anturin Cwawdr'ydd} and niueteen beat tlw name of n son of Llywarch Ilea. 81 '* No man can foretd the accidents to which wealth is ex- " posed. Anogance will not arrive at a state of security. " Prosperity often comes after adversity. Nothing endures " hut for a season. To deceive the innocent, is utterly dis- " graceful. No man will ever thrive by vice. OifGod " alone let us place our dependence." " Snow of the mountain! white it the horn of smoke, " The thief is in, love with darkness. Happy is the man " who has done no evil. The frowafd 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 iridi- " gence succeeds." " Many are th6 ifriends of the golden tongue." " Beware of treating any thing with coritempt." " Obstruct not the prospect of futurity, tb 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, o* " sail or anchor, is the young maiji 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 physical remarks. Thus, for example. tc In the month of April, thin is the air upon the heights. The oxen are weary. Bare is the surface of the ground. " The guest is entertained, 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 uri- " worthy of the healthy. Shame has no place on the cheek * Or, Wh» hm jjo friend. m " o( the upright. Desolation awaits the phiJdren of the *' unjust. After arrogance, comes a long abasement." "The Viaticum of Llevoed, a Bard of the tenth jceiitury, is the most modern production of any known author in this aphoristical style. I give the foUdwing 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 wiU succeed, when the rain " 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— Tfho, 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 mart ■vyho breaks the unity of society, is the bier " mish of the assembly, the aifliction of the woi^b that " bare him; the detestation of the country." G 3 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 11. p' General View of Druidical Theology — Character and Rites of Hv, the Helio-Arkite God — the Bacchus of the heathen Britons. JL N the introductory section of this Essay, I have brought home the profession of Druidism to the ancient Welsh Bards; and, by a collation 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 Biitish 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 gejieral 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 importaift 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, X 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 Rome, or firom wellrknown 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 w^ords of my authors, with close English translations. Such au- thorities 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 them 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 the nature and source of the 3)ruidical superstition, that he may have a clear prospect of the point at which I mean to arrive, and be better enable^ to judge of my progress towards jt, Pruidism, then, as we find it in British docuinentS, was A systeiii of guperstitipn, composed _of heterogeneous prin« 87 ciples. It acknowledges 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 diyine honours. And this ?\iperstition 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 hilman 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. Cassar, in his deliberate and cir- cumstaiitial ^account of the Druids, gives us this informa- tion. " Multa — * de Deorum immortalium vi, ac potestate, " disputant, et juventuti tradunt. Deum maxime Mercu- " rium colunt — hunc omnium inventorem artium ferunt " —post hunc, , ApoUinem, et Martem, et Jovem, et Mi- " nervam. De his eandemyer^, quam reliquae gentes, ha- " bent opinionem," &c. This memorial was drawn up, after the historian had enjo3^ed 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 affirmed 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 Druidipal 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 autlior'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 the force and power of the immortal gods, and instruct the youth in their principles. Of all the gods, they pay the greatest honours to Mercury, whom they represent as the inventor of all arts. After him, ihcy worship Apollo, and Mars, and Jupiter, and Minerva. Their cpiliion respecting these, nearly coincides with that gf other nations, &e. 89 fered, must place his testimony above the reach of critical objection. Some allowance, however, may be demanded^i 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 geneml 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."-|' 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 observiation, it must follow, that these superstitions are reducible to the same principles, and that th^y proceeded from the same source. And here our British documents point, with clearness and * Perieg. V, 565, &e. + Lib. JV. 90 energy, to the very same eoncluslons, which have bee* ' 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-r tiles to the deification of ISfoah, his ark, and his immediate progeny, joined wjth the idolatrous worship of the host of heaven. With a dutiful regard to his illustrioiis master, though superior to servile imitation, Mr. Faber pursues the inves-r ligation still farther, and discovers, that Noah was wor- shipped in conjunction with the sun, and the ark in conjunc- tion with the moon ; and that these were the principal dim- nities of the 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 Hilany points of coincidence with my previous observations, that I determined to revise the whole, to alt^r a few para- graphs, and add occasional notes. That the opinion of the Public is not uniformly favour- ijble 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 presumedj that those who thus condemn them in the mass, had either too mucK. prejudice, or too little patiencCj to go step by step over the * '91 ground. Men of leai-ning and genius may have been se- duced, by a favourite system, into minute and particular «rrors 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 soon 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 Xiniversal kiiag 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 Jmt 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 Noah, 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 \(forship; or else, r6pr'esented that Providence, which had guided it in safety, through the tumult of a boundless de- luge, as a benign goddess, the Genim of the sacred vessel. . Just so the brazes serpent, set up by Moses in the wil- derness, was adored by the idolatrous Israelites t — 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 militate 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 tq their own. The Greeks having admitted, that many of the terms connected with their superstition were of foreign origin, &nd some writers having asserted, that the language of the mysteries was that of Egypt, or of Assyria, these mytho- I'ogists undertake to retrace the sacred terms of heathenism, to the fountain from whence they sprung. With this view, each of them has selected a list 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, &c. 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 » ? Kings, ch. XYJii. v. i. 93 pi^actice of carrying them back, in disjointed syllables, to their supposed originals^ This has given oflfence to many critical readers, who maintain, that by such a mode of proceeding, any common word may be forced into whatever meaning the author ipleases. 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 gentlexnen 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 1 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, 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 mythology. 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 not the case. 94 In Ae mystic, fiards and tales, I find certain tefins, which evidently pertain to the Hebrew language, or to some dialect of near affinity; as Adonai, the Lord; Al Adiur, the Gloriom God; Arazen, the Arkite, and the like, Taliesin, the chief Bard, declares, that his lore had haeQ detailed in Hebraic;* and in a song, the substance .of which he professes to have derived froni the sacred Ogdoad, ,or Arkites, there are several lines together in some fojeiga dialect, apparently of great affinity with the Hebrew, though obscured by British orthography. •{- 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, which 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 adopit* ing the mere grammatical blunders of the Greeks. Thus I am compeiHed to decline any g£aieral assistance from the derivations of our learned mythologists. At the same time, I shall not scruple to remark occasional coin- cidences between British terms, and those which appear ia their works. This, I trust, I may do with impunity. If some of their etymologies are forced or doubtful, others may be .natuial, and well founded. Thus far I have deemed it prudent to meet the objection* of criticism. Should this compromise prove unsatisfactory, i must farther declare, that the ba&ia of my argument doa» * See Appendix, No, 13. t Ibid. Nb. is. 95 not Test 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 tiie Druids was radically the same with that of other nations. In my attempt to establish my main proposition, I mean t® 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 lias already been touched upon in the volume which I lately published. I there remarked a curious record in the British Triads, of an cCmful 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 thiese was. Building the ship of Nevydd Ndv Neivion, which carried in it a male and a female of every animal species, when the Lake 'of Llion burst forth: and the second was. The drawing of -the Avanc ,to land, out of the lake, by the oxen of Hu Gadarn, -so that the lake burst no more.* These are evident traditions of the deluge; and their — -.,— — 1-1 — ....I. ■■■■ - - — ■!- - .■■. .. ■ .-I l.-l— ^i _ • See Celt. Res. p.- 157, from 4rchaiology of Wales, V. II. p. 59, and 7U 96 ideality, as well as their other peculiarities, furnishes stiffi* cient proof, that they must have been ancient natvtnal 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 oxen ancestors were concerned in theT)uildina: of this vessel, ' they naturally ascribed the achievement to that couiitry, 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 tlie avanc, or beaver, out of tlie lake. &7 And tlie want of more accurate information gstve them drt opportunity of placing this ideal achievement in the island of Britain. In such tales as these, we liave 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 undoubtedly the flood 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 borne 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 couiitry. It may be remarked, that upon their popular tradition of the deluge, the Britons grounded another national error. They represented the Cynii-y as having descended from one inother (thei 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 Biatan- niae pars interior ab iis incolitur, quos natos in insuld ipsa, jdKMORiA PjtOBrrrM dicunt.* •De Bell. Gal, L. V. c. 18. 9^ But the mass pf heathen tradition is always foujjid to have soip,e degree 6f iflfonsistency with itself. Sopie cjreum- stance of true history^ which is disguised in oqe tale, is frequently let out in another. Thus I have remarked a tra-s dition in the same Tricids, which brings the Cymry under thi^ cqndijct of, Hu, from a place called Defrobani, in the laijjd, o£ H^v; and this i^. understooid to imply thj? neigh- bourhood of Constantinople, in the eastern part of Thrace, The former may have been the popular tradition of the ii^tcrior Britons, or what their teachers thought proper to i^icH^ate to the multitude; whilst the latter belonged fa those who had preserved a few more vestiges. of ancient, his-- tory. -4nd that this had been the route of thg. Cymry, in. their, progress out of Asia into Britain, is incidentally con- -f^rpi^e^ by t^e popi^lar tradition of the Britons respecting thg deluge. For though tfe? memory, of &is event was afeost universal, yet the traditions of every-yeople fipon this subject, had some circimistances which were local, or nationp,lly discriniin^tive. And . the .tradjliion of Briims, and of the Samothracians, as to the cause of the delnge, were precisely the same, .,_ 'y. , . " -. The British tradition tells us, that the waters of a lake burst forth, ajftd .the inundation covered the face of all lan^s, . The same tale was told in the ancient Samos, which was,, perhaps, the /S'iJaw^ of British, mythdogy. " §amothj;ace is famous for a deluge which inundated the " country^ and reached the very top of the mountains. " This inundation, which happened before, the age of the " Argonauts, was oteing to the sudden overflow of the waters " of the Euxine, which the ancients considered merely as a " lake."* * Lemphere Bib, Class. V, Samothracia* 99 That thd pefversion of real history, in botli these ac-s counts, is precisdy the same, must bfe obvious to every one. Such a peculiar coincidence could not have hap- Jjened, without direct communication : and the tradition could not have become national,- without having been brought by a colony from one nation to aiiothef; and pre" liserved without interruption/ But the mythology of Samo- thrace mounts up to- a very remote sera of antiquity, and the Euxine, iri its neighbourhood, with i£s wide extent, find narrow outlet, furnishes a more probable! occasion fof such a tale, than any lake in the' neighbourhood of Britain. Hence the supposition, that this mythological story came with a colony from the l^egioh 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 Artemidorus, that the mysteries of Ceres and Proserpine were celebrated in one of the British islands, with the same rites as in Samothrace^ tends to corroborate the inference which I draw from our national tradition. The allusions to the delugfe, 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 Mri 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 fhffs expresses. " Dylan ail Ton, a chieftain who lived about the begin- H 2 • Celt; Res, p, 163, loo " ning of the sixth century, whose elegy, composed hj' " Taliesin, is preserved in the Welsh Archaiology/' As Mr. Owen grounds his opinion upon this elegy, I shall examine its contentSi In the mean J;ime, 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 bis Cad Groddeii,* speaks thus of Dylan-^ " Truly I was in the ship " With Bytart, 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." This passage surely has an evident allusi,on to the deluge. The Bard, therefore, must have regarded Dylan as no other than the patriarch who survived that catastrophe,- and whom hejMsf/y styles Teyrnedd, or Hoyal, as being the uni- versal monarch of the new world; So again, in his Mabgyvreu, f the same Bard alludes to the British tiaditron of the deluge, and speaks of the day of Dylan, as a peculiar theme of his muse.- Arall ni chan — wyd Dy ysgvvyd allan, - — b. — HI • — , I ■■ I II • W. Archaiol. p. 30. t Ibid. p. 'ii. 1(51 Pan yw gofaran — twrwf Tonneu wrth Ian, Yn nial Dylan; Dydd a haedd attan, *' 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— tt f A day which extends to us," The last line of this passage, as I shall shew hereafter, alludes to certain mystic rites, which the Druids celebrated in coHjmenioration of the deluge, 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 the same time, he introduces certain images, which may remind us of the Druidical opinion, that fire and tmter would, at some pe^ liod, prevail over the world,* " 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 countenance^ the house of ♦' earth will uplift itself over 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 tcUI " dash around the shore: the glancing flame will take to •' itself the vengeance of justice, r-ecruited by the heat of <' contending fires, ever bursting forth."-}- • Strabo, L. IV. t W, Archaiol. p. 431, 102 In the same poem, the Bar^ thus «S3fpresses himself, in aij jKldress to the_S)]preme Being — Trevnaist syr a mjr morawl Dylan. ' (( Thou didst set in o):4er the stars, ai^d the seas, of the f sea-faring D^lan.'^ Pence it \% clear, that the anpient and rnodern Pards regarded Dylan, the son of the sea, as no other personage than the pa,triarch, whose hjstory is connected wifh that of the deluge, It is now time to look for the elegy, which Taliesin com-r posed for this venerahle character. This little piece is not to be fouiid 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 jyfarwnad Dylan, the Elegy of Dylan, it ought to have been, Cerdd am Ddylan, § Song respecting Dylan. The argument is simply this, A certain plain having been inundated in the age of pur Bard, he expostulates with the Deity upon the occasion of this event. He then maies 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 pf his countrymen frpij^ the ejfisting cfilamity, Sqrjie of the lines are impprfect in my copy ; but >vith the correction of a few syllables, as suggested equally by the' sense, by the measure, and by the alliteration which jiiat Riea?ure require^, it stands as foljows— r K)3 Uil Duw uchAvj , Devvin doethav, Mwyav o vael. Py delis maes, ' ■ ■■■ Pwy ai swynas Yn Haw f rahael ? Neu gynt nog ev ' ' Pwy oedd tangnev, Ar reddv gavael ? '• Gwythriv gwastradth Gvvenwyn a wnaeth Gwaith gwythloesedd. Gwenyg Dylan Adwythig Ian, Gwaith yn hydredd. Ton Iwerddon, Ton Vanawon A thon Ogkdd, A thon Prydairi Tdrvoedd virain Yn beddirwedd^— Golychav i Md, Duw, Dovydd D&d, Gwlad heb omedd ; Creawdr Cell y' ■ A'n cynnwys ni ' ' Yndrugaredd! Which may be thiis trandated*^ " Q sole, supreme God, most wise urifolder of Ste'crets, " most beneficent ! What has befaiUen the plain, who has ** enchanted it ift the hands of the inost geiierdus ! In for- 104 " mer times, what has been more peaceful than this district, f as a natural possession J. " It was the counter-reckoning pf. profligacy, which pro* f' duced the bane in the laborious pang of wrath — the Ml-; f lows of liylan furiously attacked the shore : forth, imper '' 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 fguir ofdprs, " I will pray to the Father, God, the Ruler, the Fathef ** who reigns without control, that he, the Creator, the ♦* Mysterious One, would embrace us witlj his mercy j" This little ode, I think, cannqt supply the slightest shade of authority, for ranking Dylan ail Ton amongst the British chieftains of the sixth century. The namp merely occurs in the recital of a few circumstances of the national and local tradition of pur ancestors, respecting the deluge ; and thus \t connects the character of Dylan with that of Dwyvan, iaild Nevydd Ndv Neivjop, recorded in the Tpja^s, Dylan, the Declari of Jrish tradition, sounds like a con- traction of Deucalion ; and the people who preserved this name^ affirm, t]iat they derived their origin from the neighr bourhopd of Thessaly, where the story pf Deucalion was t:oId. But not to insist upon these circumstances, I may be allowed tp rpmark, that the sea, the waves, or even the streams of Dylan, are used in t|ie Welsh language, to de-; note the main ocean, or a boundless expanse of water ; and thq,t the roetaphpr evii^pptly refers \p the deluge. ]H[g,ving now produced some evidence, that the Britons (^id retain certain giemorials of the deluge, and of the pa«. 105 triarch who survived that catastrophe, I will, in the next place, consider their representation of thatpatriarch's cha^ ractef, that we may discover how far their notions respect- ing him, and the incidents of his days, affected their Rational religion. This venerable personage has already been introduced by » variety of names, as Dwyvan, I^evydd Ndv Neivion, and Dylan ; but wfi have had no positive evidence that he re-r peived divine honours. Were I permitted to Jay stress upon obvious etymologies, I might say, that some of those names are remarkable, and import that proposition. Thus Dwy, cause, origin, the existent. Dwy-van, the high or lofty cause — the father of mankind., His wife's name was Dwy-vach, the lesser cause — the mother of mankind. These names seem analogous to the Pangenetor and Magna Mater of antiquity, whiclt were objects of worship. So again : Nevydd, as a derivative of Nev, Heaven, im-r plies the celestial. Ndv, a Lord, the Creator: like many other terms of aijcienf British mythology, it is still used as a name of the Supreme Being. Neivion, in the Baxds, js 3, name of God. " Also the name pf a person in the " British njythology, probably the same with Neptune.''^ So that Nevydd Nav Neivion is the Celestial Lord Neivion. Under these consecrated characters, we may infer, that the patriarch Noah received divine honours; and conse- qijently, thg,t he constituted ppe pf the principal divinities acknowledged by the Druids. r^ — i:x- fs-^ — ' — — - — ■ ■ ■ '' * Pwen's Dipt, ji} V9cf. 106 1 This fact admits of absolute pfoof, when we conteftiplate the charactei- of the same pattiarch, as delineated -under the name of Hu (pron. HeeJ, who secured the world from a repetition of the deluge, and whom the Cymry acknow- ledged as their remote progenitor, as the great founder 6f theijr sapred and civ^l institutes, and as their God, ■- ■ -.4-- 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 saered ship which preserved the human and br'iite species, when the lake bupst forth and drowned the world, is subjoined. The drawing of the avanc ta Idmd out of the lake, by th^ oxen qf Hu GadaeI*-, 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 folloAving particulars are riecorded pf him. 1. He lived in the time of th^ flood 5 and 2. With his oxen, he performed sOtae atehievent^nty which prevented the repetition of that calaniity. Triad 97.* 3. He first collected together, or carried the primitive race; and 4. Formed them into edmmunities or femilies, Triad 57. • These numbers refer tp that series which begins p. $7. W. Arshaiol. t07 5: He first gave traditional liiws, for the regulation and government of society. Tria^ 92. 6. He was eminently distinguished' ifor his regard to jus- lice, equity, and peace. Triad 5. 7- He conducted the several families of the first race jto their respective settlements in the various regions, Triad 4. 8. But he had instructed this r^ce in the art of husbandry previous to their removal and separation. Triad 56. Such are the particiilars which I find recorded ip 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 jne to transgress the laws of criticism, which have been air Jowed in similar cases. The great Mr. Bryant is satisfied with such marks as the^e : 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 f generally represented as the father (jf 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 f of mortals. The outlines of his history are so strongly *' marked, that we cannot mistake to whom the mythology *' relates. He live^ifi, the time of the flood : He flrst built f an altar : He flrst collected men together, and formed them (' ifito commifinitk^: He first gcoie. lazps, a^i . ^dstrib^t&i 108 *' jmfiee : He dimded, mankind by their families and natfonSf '^ ove?' 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 Phoroneus, Before I trace the character of this personage, as delj^ neated by the ancient Bards, it may be proper to hear what was :sjiid and thought of him in the middle ages. lolo Goch, a learned Bard, who wrote in the fourteenth century, thus draws t}ie portrait of Hu, as a patriarch. Hu gadarn, por, hoew geidwawd Brenin a roe'r gwin a'r gwawd Emherawdr tir a moroedd A bywyd oil o'r byd oedd, Ai dalioedd gwedy diliw Aradr gwaisg arnoddgadr gwiw i, Er dangos ein ior dawngoeth I'r dyn balch, a'r divalch doelh Vod yn orau, nid gau gair, • Ungreft, gan y tid iawngrair. ^' Hu the Mighty, the sovereign, the ready protector, " a king, thfe giVer of wine and renown, the emperor of the " land and th^ seas, anith^ life of all that are in the zcorld " was he. ♦ Afialyaw, V. H p. 366.. 109 *' Afur the deluge, he held the strong-ieamhd ploii^hf *' 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 ^le " faithful father 5 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 {Lppropriate. The picture can be ascribed to no othei' mortal; Yet this patriarch was actually deified and worshipped, by the ancient Biitons. — Sion Cent, an illustrious poet, of the fifteenth century, complains of the relics of the old su- perstitioii, and thus characterizes the religion of the votaries of Hu, as distinguished from that of Christ. l)wy 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 gehvydd, vudr argoeliant t Yr b »n a gavas gwyr H u, Carnrwysg prydyddion CymrUj " Two active impulses truly, there are in the 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 sling) oi falshood " and base omens: this has been obtained by the men of ^' Hu, the usurping Bards of Wales." 110 Here, the Welsti are cliarged with their devotiori fo Hit^ as a Heathen God ; nor was this complaint of the Christian Bard teholly out of season ; for, however, strange it may appear in the present age, some of his conteflipordries were not ashamed to avow thera^lves the votaries of this Pagaflf divinity. Of this, the following lines of Hhys 3rydydd fnr-» aish a glaf iftg prodft Bychanav o'r bychenyd Yw Hu Gadarn, ve i barn byd ; A Mwyav a Nav i ni. Da Coeliwn, a'n Duw Celi. Ysgawh ei daitlr ag esgud: Mymryn tSs gloewyn ei gliidv A mawr ar dir a moroedd A mwyav a gav at goedd, Mwy no'r bybodd ! 'marbedwii Amharch gwael i'r mawr hael hwn ! " The smallest of the small is Hu the Mighty, in the " world's judgment ; ■ yet he is the greatest; and Lord over m^ we sincerely believe, and our God of mystery. Light is his course, and swift: a, particle of ludd sunshine is his car. He is great on land and Seas — the greatest whom I shall behold — greater thart- tlie worlds! Let us beware of oifer- ing mean indignity to him, the Great and the Boun' tifuir Here we find that Hu the Mighty, whose history as a pa- triarch, is precisely that of Noah, was promoted to the tank of the principal Demon God amongst the Britons ; and» as his chariot was composed of thg rays of the sun, it may be presumed that he was worshipped, in conjunction with that Ill luminai'y : arid to the same supefstijasoo, we laay refef what 18 said o£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, arid glaring in the lightning, upon which subject we have the following lines, by Llywelyn Moel. Ychain yn' o chynhenid H 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 bull, the lion, the serpent, and other general emblems of the Heliodcemo- 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 musej by the name of Dawn y Derwyddon, 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 Mona, as ap- pears from the opening of the poem.* " Disturbed is the isknd of the praise of Hu, the island " of the severe remunerator; even Mona 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 • 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 Hit, 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 Hu must have been the great god of Mona, in the earlier ages of Druidism. It appears by the sequel of this poem, that the priest of Hu 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 Seon, at the 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. Hu, the lord of Mona, is again styled the severe inspec- tor. He has the title of Buddwas, 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 jud ones, upon the sea which 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 hiin, 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 tiis authority, had claimed and exercised the power imr plied by this title ; and that the god who invested him with this high privilege, was the chief object of his homage. In this poem, the honours of Hu are connected with those of a goddess, named KSd, or Ceridwen, of whom I shall say more hereafter. We next find the ox, the attribute of Hu, 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 Gramvyn, the pervading sovereign (the sun). This divinity is styled Hewr 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. ■\ Another poem mentions Pen Annwvn, 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 haying drank out of the cauldron of this ruler of the deep, was doomed to destruction. ;{: * Appendix, No. 1. ■f Ibid. No. 2. % Ibid. No. 3. 120 The poem called Cadair leyrn 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 Vas actually worshipped under the character of 'Fms. Yet tJiis 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 Diliivian 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, ai^id'has his sanctuary in an island surrounded by the tide. J 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 Uthr Pendragon, § that is, wonderful supreme leader, or Znonderful chief dragon, this god is introduced in pageantry, and describes himself as the god of rear, the &therial, hav- ing the rainbczv 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 Haeai'ndor, 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 th^ 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. i Ibid. No. 6. J Ibid. No, H, 121 contaminated the history and character of the venerable patriarch. In the second part of this poeim, a sacrificing priest in- vokes this god with a prayer for me prosperity of Britain. He styles him Hu, with the expanded wings — Father, and King of Bards — Father D'eon, presiding in the mundane circle of stones. He is again named Prydain — the glancing Hu — the sove- feign of heaven— Xhe. gliding king — the dragon, and the victorious Belt, Lord of the Honey Island, or Britain. In the song called Gwawd LlMd 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 pretended vaticinations relating to subsequent times. The chief of the Diluvians, and therefore //m the Mighty, is styled Cadrmladr, the supreme disposer of battle, and described as a Druid. He is attended by a spotted cow, which procured blessings. .On a serene day she belloreed, 1 suppose as a warning presage of the deluge; and after- wards, she was boiled, or sacrificed, on May eve, the season in which British mythology commemorated the egress from the ark. The spot where she was sacrificed, afforded rest to the deified patriarch, who is here styled Yssadawr, the con- sumer or sacrificer. . Appendix, No. 12, 122 The same personage has the name of Gwarthmor, ruler of the sea, Menwyd the blessed, and the dragon ruler of the world. He was the constructor of K^d, the ark, which passed the grievous waters, stored with corn, 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 th6 father of K&d, the ark, which is represented as an animal, I suppose Kdto?, the whale, investing the Bard with the sovereignty of Britain. We have already seen this prerogative exercised by Hit, 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 coverings 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 livefL alternately ; 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^j)issages to which I • Appendix. No. 13. 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 Buii, or in some manner identified with him ; and that this compound divinity was regarded as thjeir chief god. But as Caesar 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 helio- 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 ^14 religion of the nations contemplated the objects of adora- 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. '■ 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. n. c. 53.) that Homer and Hesiod were about 400 " years before himself, and not more. These," says he, " were the persons who 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 spzcimen of the statuary's ar^ exhi- " bited : no such substitutes were in those times thought « of."* Again— " The blindness of the Greeks, ia 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 thiy may have separated and distin- 'f 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. 160. n5 " There was by no means, originally, that diversity of gods " which is imagined, as Sir John Marsham has very justly " observed. Neque enim tanta woXuSeotd; Gentium, quanta " fuit Deorum m>.vmvii.i«," " Pluto, amongst the best " theologists, was esteemed thesame as Jupiter ; and indeed " the same as every other deity."- " Porphyry (ap. " Euseb.) acknowledged, that Vesta, Rhea, Ceres, Themis, " Priapus, Proserpine, 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! fjCom 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, we 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. + Mysteries of the Cabiii, V. I. p. 17. 126 " hnsbanclman, a legislator, and a zealous adVaCate for the " worship of the gods; that Typhori, or the- s?a, con* " spired against him, and compelled him to enter into an « ark/' &c * Such being the result of the most elaborate iaqtiiries which have been made into the theology of the Gentiles, I may be allowed to assert, that the HelicArkite 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 in-oentor 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 light, he was their Beli^ fxx Apollo. As King of Heaven, he was their Jupiter. As supreme, disposer of battle, he was their Marsi 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 wine and generous liquor, and as president of festive carousals, which is his favourite picture amongst the Bfirds, he was certainly that Bacchus, whose rites, ac- cording to pionysius, were duly celebrated in the British islands. Under this chai-acter, he appropriates the title of • Mysleiies of the Cabiti, V. I, p. 151. 127 Hu, which is precisely the 'r-m, or 'r-nrof antiquity, without the termination. His two great symbols, the bull and th© dragon, so often introduced, come under the same point of view. " I haVe obsierved," says Mr. Faber, " that Bacchus, or " Diontisus, was one of the many titles of the Helio- " Arkite Noah: accordingly, in his person, the two em- " blems at present under consideration (the bull and the " dragon) will be founcj. to be eminently united. The " Athenians, as we learn from ^maw, 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 bull. 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 Hon.— — And thus the author of the Orphic hymns " styles him, the deity with two horns, having the head of " a bull, even Mars-Dionusas, reverenced in a double form, " and adored, in conjunction with 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 sea " shore; come, heifer-footed deity, to thy sacrifice, and 128 " hung the graces in thy train ! Hear us, O buU, worthy " of our veneration : hear us, O illustrious bull!" " Aft&r atjiempting 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 qf them in the British Bards, alludes to the worship of their Helio-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 therefore be proper, in order to catch a glimpse of those rites, to consider the British mythology of oxen, lakes, and islands, embosomed in lakes. 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 langua.ge has maintained its ground, Few indeed pretend to tell us precisely, what the Ychen Banawg were, or what the Avanc was, which they drew out of the lake. Mr. Owen explains Banawg — prominent, conspicuous, not~ able. And tradition tells us, that the oxen, which appro- • MjTst. of tUe Cabiri, V, I. p. 190, ka. with the author's authoijjies. 129 priated this epithet, were of an extraordijaary siie, and that they were subjected to the sacred yoke. I have also several reasons to suppose, that in Pagan Britain, some rites in commemoration of the deluge, and in which the agency of sacred oxen was employetl, were periodically celebratedj on the borders of several lakes. la 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 drawmg the Avanc out of the lake. * The beasts which the Druids employed in this rite, were probably bulls of the finest breed which the country afforded, but distinguished, either by the size of their horns, or by some peculiar mark, and set apart for sacred use. ^y A-vanc, we generally understand the beaver, though in the present instance, tradition makes it an animal of pro- K • Wehb Eng. Pict. V. Banowj . 130 digioTis bulk and force. In this druidical fable, the Avane 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'saered o3fen. I once thought the story contained only a mythological allusibn to- the sacrifice of oxen offered by Noah, when he obtained a promise, that the waters should no more return to cover the earth. : And l^is idea seems to be countenanced, by a passage of Taliesin, already cited, and importing, that the diluvian patriarch- found rest- upon the spot, where the spotted comzoas boiled or sacr^ed. 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 mythologists. Mr. Bryant Vvas decidedly of opinion, that the bulls and oxen of mythology had constant reference to Noah, to the ark, or to the history qftlie deluge. " It is said' of the patriarch, after the deluge, that he " became an husbandman. This circumstance was reli- " giously recorded in all the ancient histories of Egypt. *' An ox so usefal in husbandry, was, 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 his horns; and not " only so, but the living animal was in many places, held " sacrid, and revered as a deit^."* j • 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 — " Bulk 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. Fabef, 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 bull" 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 arliite 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 ^mbol of the deity of the ark. " By this god, made of brass, says Dr. Borlase, the " Cimbri, Tentones, and Jmbrmes, swore to observe the K 2 ' Analys. V. II. p. 422. + Myst. of the Cabiri, V. I. p. 177, 132 " articles of capitulation, granted to tlie Roman*, Vfhif '■' 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 w^ith Jupiter, Esus, and " Vulcans being called Tareos Tiigaranui, from the three " cra«ei*l)erching, 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 biill, Spoke a language very similar to our Cambro-British : for Tarw Trimranus is Welsh for a bull viith 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 lofty '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 form of this animal. A,hd first of all, I shall consider a few aotices, which are scattered ia the mytholog'ical Triads. tVe are here informed of three primary oxen of Britain : the first of which was, Melyn Gwanwyn, the yellow ox of the spring; the next was Gmneu, Ych Gwlwlydd, the broan • Mjst. of thoCabiri, V. I, p. SIO.— Ajjtiq. of CorQwall, B. 11. C. 16. » us ox, vohich stqpped the channel, and the third Ych Brych, bids el bearhwif, the briiidlefi ox with the thick headband.* The yellow ox of the spring, I make no doubt is the sign Taunis, into which the sun entered at the season when tlie Druids celebrated their great arkite mysteries. Mr. Faber has shpwri, that the bull of the sphere, in general mythology, was the god of the ark.j- 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 pf 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 saipe thing, will be granted : and I find that the Triads mention three bulls of battle. ^ The first of them is styleA Cynvawr Cad Gaddug, mab Cyrniyd Cynvydion : that is, the primor- dial great one, of the contest of mystery, son of the prior world, of former- inliabitants. This elaborate title, evidently poiats to that personage, who was son of the antedi- luvians, an inhabitant of the fojmer world, and the great patriarch of the new. He was the bulj, Mars- Dionusus of the Orphic poet. And, as the great one of the mystery, he was no other than the Mighty IIu 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 gyrcMad Cad Gaddug. The dragon repairs to tlie battle of mystery. • See W. Arcliaiology, V. IL p. 21 and 80. + Mjst. of the Cabiri, V. 1. p. S06. - -J- See Appeqdix, No. 3. j. W. Archaiol. V. II. p. 4. 72. 7^, 134 If I am not mistaken, this bull of battle is recognized topott some of the ancient altars remaining in Britain. The Bards sometimes introduce Moliyn or Moyn, for Tarw, a bull.* Therefore Moy« Cad is synonymous with Tarw Cad, bull of battle: and Camden has copied two inscriptions, Deo Mogonti Cad, and Deo Mouno Cad. f It should appeat 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 thd Britons was venerated, under the title and form of a bull. The two other bulls df battle, mentioned in this Triadj are said to have been British princes, in the sixth century ; but I must observe, that the priest of the god, or the princ6 who eminently patronizes his worship, is often dignified with one or other of his titles. Thus Aneurin styles the isolar deity, Beli Bloeddvawr, the loud roaring Beli, tliat 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, J one of whom is named Elmur mab Cadeir. The frm or established spirit, 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. 3. + Gibson's Camden Col. 1075. % W. Arehaiol. V. U- p. 4. l3. 76. 135 The third bull sovereign was Jvaon or Adaon,' son of Tei- liesin; but it appears, that Avaon is one o£ the cardinal points in the sun's course ; and Taliesin, rkdiant front is a title of solar deity, though conferred on his chiefpriestl The mythological bulls of ifoitain, whether warriors or aoieereigns, still pertain to the Helio-arkite superstition. Let us consider their character, as DtEOTow*. - The three bull damons of Britain were Ellifll Gwidawl, the di^mon of the whirling stream; Elh/ll Uyr Merini, th« demon of the flowing 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 dartion god of pagan Britain. And we are told, that of the three daemons which were recognized in this islandj the first was Ellyll Banawg : but this was the epethet of the oxen of Hu. To him, therefore, the symbolical bir or bull chiefly pertains. The other diBin%)ns, in this Triad, are not said to have been itt' the form of this animal. One of them is called Ellyll Ednyoedawg Drythyll, the dnemon of wanton animation, and seems to allude to a symbol which disgraced, even paganism itself : the last was Ellyll Mcilen, the dmmon Malen, the Minerva or Bollona of Britain, -f In these notices we And the Helio-arkite god identified with an ox oi\ bull, whethet as the leader in battle, as su- preme ruler of the landj or as the great object of daemon worship. It, may, therefore, be presumed that the Dluids adored him in the image of a bull; or that they kept the » W. Archaiol. V. II. p. 16. i I6id. V. II. p. 16, 17, 71. 136 living animal rs his representative* But let us hear what the ancient Fards have said upon this subject. That Aneurin calls the Helio-arkite god the roaring belt, and gives his priest the title of bull of battle, has been ob- served. SoTaliesin, who, in the poem called Buarth Beirdd, 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 inclosure was situated in a small island, or rock, beyond the billowgi The rpck displayed the countenance of him who recei-ces tJie ^exile info his sanctuary, that is, of the, deified patriarch, who admitted his frien4s, banished from the old world, intp Jlis ark. It was also the rock of the supreme proprietor, that is, of H^ the Mighty^ who is repeatedly called the supreme proprietor of the British islands, and the emperor of the land 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 ax-stalf, jt must be in- ferred, that the god presided in his temple, either in the image of a. bull, or under, the representation of the living animal. Accordingly, we find the priest, who gives the mead feast, and introduces the votaries into the temple, making procla- mation in the nstme of the sacred ^diftce, and of the god 137 himself—" I am the cell — I am the opening chasm-i-I am " the Bull, Beer-Lied." This title has no meaning in the British language. It seems to consist of two Hebrew terms, implying the 6m// of J?flj»e.* And the ideaj! presented- by such a derivation, perfectly harmonizes with the geiier&l tenor of British my thology. For, as those oxen, which were merely the attendants and ministers of Hu, roared in thunder, and blazed in lightning, we must suppose that the supreme bull himself, had an es- sence still brighter, and displayed his form in the'solarjlre. Hu was therefore worshipped in the form of a bulL But this bull, tipon a great occasion, had submitted to the sacred yoke, and dragged the chain of affliction. Th"fe 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; " foul commesurate was my confidence ; the world had ho " existence, zeere it not for my progeny." f Here it seems to be implied, that our mythologists re- garded an ox, submitting to the yoke, as an apt symbol of the patriarch, in hjs fifflicted 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, " Ojuit ntan endure } and for the spoils of the deep (the " ravages of thie deluge) doleful is thy song."| J- T I I I - ■'■ ■ r - I I | - I m. I J l ii V Appendix, No. 11. J Jj3id, No, 3. 158 la the isame poem, the Bard says of certain pefsofls, who were not admitted into the society of the p^ktiatch, and into the mysteries of his own order — " They knew not oh *' what day the stroke would be given, nor what hour of *^ the splendid day Cwy (the agitated person) would be " born, or who prevented his going into the dales of Devwy '' (the possession of the waters). They know not the brin- *' died ox with t^e thick head-baml, iiasing seten score knobs " in his collar." '•■•■, •This irindkd ox is the sam» tattriform god, whom tfee Triads mention as one of the primary oxen of Britain. A. few lines lower down, we have ahintj. that the Dxaids kept an ox as the *fepresen'te.*ive of theirgdd. The Bard says— *♦ They know not what animal it is, which the silver-headed " ones (the hoary Druids) protect." This animal must have been th& brindled ox mientioaed in the preceding pa- l-agraph. - Indeed,^* keeping of saored oxen seems toihave been essential to the ^tablishment of these fanati«il priests. Thus, Taliesin and Merddin are introduced, bewailing the ^*rttcti©ft 6f their temitles- and idols in the sixth century. : ^' It was Maelgwti whom I saw, with piercing weapons : •* bUkita the Master of the fait ox^herd (tfer y vtilu), his " hdusehoM-wilt ndt be silent. Before the two persotiages, * th^ lahd in the eel^tial circle-^before the j^sing form " and the fix*d fditiil, 6\et the psilfe white boundary. The "grey stones they. actt^Jly- remove. Soon is - Jl^an (tlie " supremely fair) and his retinue discovered — for his slaugh-< " ter, alas, how great the vengeance, that ensued !" * This * S«e Appendix, No, 9. J 39 Etgan, master oT the Fair herd, seehis to hav*been the syia* boi of Hu, and hte was a litifig tmimali as ajJpears froM the, fate which befel hitti. Upon' the whble, it appears diat the Helio-arkite ged was represented by a bull. I dd not think, hdwever, that he is to be' identified with the Ychain Banawg, or oxen which he employed in drawing the avanc otlt 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 shrifie 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 iuittifeters of the same species. But the original and historical Hu, Was no other than the patriardi Noah. iSo his original Ychain Banawg may have had human exists- ence. And it ihay be conjectured that, in reality, they Were the three sons df the patriarch, who attended Up6n him, with the title of tPth*^, which implies both kadtts, princes, and oxen. Ahd 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, ciMifteeted with th« Arkite mythology of the Britons. Yet populat tiradition 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 hence may have arisen the &ble of the D'SVN drawing the ghrins ont of the water. 140 sockets, and he dropped down dead, as soon as the feat vas 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. Sojne such f incident may have happened during the comme- morative rites of ithp.Britains; and the locaHty of the tale implies a probability, that this spot was sacred tp the rites of Hu, and his oxen. In this instance, as well as in man;^ others, the early Christians selected the sanctuary of their heathen predeces, sons, for. the place of a religious ^stabUshment. 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 ,tp contemplate in those places; but it had generally a contrary effect. Dewi, first Bishop of St, David's, founded a church and a religious seminary at Brevi. But so far was this from obliterating the memory of the old superstition, that th« history of the Christian bishop seems to have been confounded with that of a hear theja god ; and the Bards transferred to him the mytholo- gical oxen of the votajies of Hu. Thus Qwynvafdd Brer cheiniog, a Bard who wrqte in the former part of the twelftlj century. Deu ychen Pewi deu odidawc , Dodyssant hwy eu gwarr dan garr kynawe. Deu ychen Dewi arterchaw^2( was left behind, bearing his ehain; and the two " 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 upbn God and Dewi, " the two leaders of hosts, who, at this hoar. Willingly so- " journ amongst us." Throughout this curious poem, which is of considerable length, the Bard intermi^rfs a large proportion of mytholo- gical imagery and description, with the popish lefgends of Dewi. We need not, then, be surprised, that he assigns to his patron saint those celebrated oxen, which were the ascertained property of Hit, 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 Banawg, 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 o/" the lefty one, or of Hii, the patriarch god, to whom the oxen were consecratfed in solemn procession. And if this was the meaning of the memorial, the avanc of mythology, which the sacred oxen drew out of the lake, and which gave 142 rise to the ceremony, must imply the identical sftrine, of vehicle; which inclosed the Dilmuian patriarch Such ceremonies were not peculiar to the Britons ; and, perhaps, did not originate in these islands. Mr. Faber has proved, by just reasoning, that the Phoenician Agruemsy the patron of agriculture, was no other than the deified patriarch 'Noah. But, as the author observes—" Sancho- " Qiatho informs us, that his statue was greatly revered by " the Phcenicians,, that his shrine was drami from place to " place hy, a yoke of oxen, and that, amongst the Byblians, " he was esteemed even the greatest df gods !"* Here we have the avane, and the Yehain Banawg of Hu Gadam; but the Phoenician historian does not teU 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 phsBnomena which they presented. The Druids represented the deluge under the figure of a lake, called lAyn Idion, the waters of which burst forth, and overwhelmed the face of the whcJe earth. Hence they regiarded a lake as the just symbol of the deluge. But the deluge itself was viewed, not merely as an instrument of punishment to destroy the wicked inhabitants of the gk)be, but also as a divine lustration, which washed away the bane qf corruption, aijd purified the earth for the reception of the jt(st ones, or of the deified patriarch and his family' Consequently, it was deemed peculiarly sacred, and com- municated its ddstingjujshing character to those lakes and b?iya, by which it was loeaJly represented. '■■ ■ " III ■ .- ! ■ ■>■ ■ i J I I m im I Hi * See Myst. of thetJabiri, V. I. p. 35, 43, 45, &c. 143; As. a relict of this superstition of our ancestors, I may adduce the najnes of certB^Q: lakes ajuongst the Camhrian mountains; as, lilyn C^ini, the lake of adoration, upon Cevn Creini,^ the hill of cidoration : and Llj/n Urddyn^ the lake of consecration, in Meirionethshire ; and Llyn Gwydd lor, the lake of the grow of, Mr, or God, in Montgomeiy- shire.* ,Such names evidently imply, that some religious id^as were anciently conneetedi 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 Mopes, and Geoffrey of Monmouth. These writers, in the mass of thjeir romance, involve a fevr genuine nattonat tradi- tions ;. which they would fain pass upon the world for sober history. Thys. they introduce Arthn?, as ^yingr— r*4 There " is a lake, near the Severn, chilled Llyn Llion, whicl^ 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 pour^ its, waters over the " banks, so that wh " and painted the faces of both idols red. The next morn- " ing notice was given to the king, that the idols' faces " were red : upon which, little imagining it to be done by " such wicked hands, but looking upon it as a miraculous " event, and undoubted sign of the island's destruction " being now at hand ; he went forthwith on board his ships " with his family, and all that would follow him ; and with " crowded sails, hastened from the fatal shores, towards the " coasts of the province Foktsju, in China. After the " king's departure, the island sunk ; and the scoffer, with " his accomplices, not apprehensive that their frolic would " be attended with so dangerous a consequence, were swal- " lowed up by the waves, with all the unfaithful that re- " mained in the island, and an immense quantity of por- " celain ware. " The king and his people got safe to China, where the " memory of his arrival is still celebrated by a yearly fes- " tival, on which the Chinese, particularly the inhabitants " of the southern maritime provinces, divert themselves on " the water, rowing up and down in their boats, as if they " were preparing for a flight, and sometimes crying with a " loud voice, Peirmm, which was the name of that prince. " The same festival hath been, by the Chinese, intro- " duced into Japan ; and is now celebrated there, chiefly " upon the western coasts of this empire." " It is easy to see, continues Mr. Faber, that this tradi- " tion, respecting the island Maurigasima, is a mere adap- " tation of the fable of the Atlantis, to the manners and " habits of the Chinese. The same local appropriation " which fixed the one i^sland in the western, fixed the other 151 ", in the eastern' ocean ; and, while the Greeks and Phceni- " cians worshipped the great solar patriarch, under the " name of Atlas; the Chinese revered the common proge- " nitor of mankind, under the title of Peiruun, or P'Arun' " the Jrkite." * To the same general conclusion, to which Mr, Faber is led by a view of universal mythology, I had arrived by the contemplation of British tradition. This coincidence fur- nishes a presumption, that we are both right, and that these local tales of people so widely separated in time and situa- tion, must allude to some great event, in which the ances- tors of all nations were conceriied. This event could be no other than the deluge. And as the tales of the submersion of towns and province^, presented our rude ancestors with local commemorations of the destruction of mankind, by the deluge; so, on the other hand, we find the country full of tradition, which must be referred to the preservation of the patriarch and his family through the midst of that awful calamity. To this class pertain the rivers which are represented as passing uncor- rupted and unmixed through the waters of certain lakes. Let it suffice to mention two instance's, Camden, speaking of Lli/n Sataddan, already described, says — ■ " Lkazeeni, a small river, having entered this lake, still " retains its own colour, and as it were, disdaining a mix- • Myst. of the Cabiri, V. 11, p. 289, from Kcempfer's Japan, Appendix, f>. 13. 152 " t}ire, is tjiought to carry out no more, nor other wat€l^ " than what it brought in."* Again, " In the East part of the county (Meirioneth) *' the river Dee springs from two fountains. — This river, " after a very short course, is said to pass entire and nn-t *' mixed, through a large lake, called Llyn Tegid, in Eng- f lish, Pemble Mear — carrying out the same quantity of *' water that it brought in."f ' As the lakes themselves were symbols of the deluge, so these incorniptible rivers were the stream of life, which passed, whole and uninjured, through those destructive fvaterjS, Here it is to be remarked, that the fountains of the Dee are distinguished by the names of Dreyvawr, and Dwyvach ; and these are the very names of the mythological pair al- ready mentioned, who were preserved in the sacred ship when the lake burst forth and drowned the world. Hence it must be inferred, that these united and immaculate streams, were regarded as symbol? of those distinguished personages. Such are the sacred rivers reported by Gildas, \o have been worshipped by the Pagan Britons. The honours of the Dee may be inferred, not only from the consecrated spots and tem'^lps which ailom its banks, but from its very names. It was callpd Dyvrdrpy, the di- vine ^a^er; Puvrdonwt/f the water conferring virtue or grace; * Gibsons's Camden, Col. 706. t |bid. Col. 791. 153 and^ Peryddon, a divine stream, or, the stream of the great causes or commanders.* Tfie Dee was then [worshipped as the image of the deified patriarch, and his supposed consort. Nor were even these conceits peculiar to our Celtic ancestors. Mr. Faber has shewn by a variety of arguments and deductions, that Styx, the river or lake of helij^-iifce our British lakes, was a personification of the flood, -f " Accordingly, adds our author, the Sholiast upon Hesiod " declares, that Styx was the T^ter which proceeded from " the lowest parts of the earth, and occasioned the ph 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, thefe always hap- pened some instance, whenever the annual solemnity of un- covering the temple was celebrated.* The Gallicena: 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- cateto her priests, a view of all future events. ^lib. IV. See Dr. Borlase'* Antiq. of Cornwall, p. 87, 170 Strabo's priestesses were immediately consecrated to Hu, the British Bacchus, whose cell, quadrangular inclosure, or stall of the ox, they covered annually with branches. The geographer's narrative fully illustrates the meaning of our Bards, when they allude to the calamitous slip of one <^ 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 lofti/ one, we may perceive what is meant by that important rite, of drawing 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 groimd ; or investing him with the empire of the recovered earth. The Bards supply many curious hints respecting the rites tised upon this occasion. The usual residence of this tauriform god, was in his consecrated cell, or ox-stall, on a rock surrounded with the billows, the rock of the supreme proprietor, the chief place of tranquillity^. At a certain season, his festival com- mences with the adorning of the rock and the cell ; then a solemn proclamation is issued, the bacchanals hasten to the joUy cafousal, and, amongst other extravagances, pierce 171 their thighs, 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.''^ 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 Banawg, is sta;tioned 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 Granwyn, the sokr 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. I Ibid. No, 2. " Ih 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 croolced '' 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 " the sovereign (the god himself), on the bush and the " spear (the thyrsus). Ruddy was the sea beach, whilst " the circular revolution was perfoimed by the attendants^ " and the white bands, in graceful extravagance^ " 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 hi^ 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 " lo^nedst the living herd! It was my earnest wish that thou " jnightest 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."* Whether the wounding of this hull, 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 wprship of that god to the British islands, 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.*]- " 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, f Come, with thy Naician maids, a festive train, " Who, wild with joy, and raging o'er the plain, (' jFor thee the dance prepare, to thee devote the strain"! Here, as well as amongst the Britons, this god has his f esidence in a small island, Naxos, where he is attended by * Appendix, No, 14. -t Antig. V. 1162. t TranelfUn'i fanshtion. 174 his frantic priestesses, 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 thy train! Hear us, O bull, worthy of our " veneration ; hear us, O illustrious bull!" * The following passages of Euripides, preserved by Strabo,-^ Tepresent the rites of this god much in the same manner as our British Bards, allowing for the homeliness of the -Celtic muse. " Happy the man who, crown'd with ivy zereaths, " And brandishing his thyrsus, *' The mystic rites of Cuba understands, " And worships mighty Dionusus. " Haste, ye Bacchae ! ** 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 timbreh " sound." * QusBst. Grasc. p. 299. + Lib. %, 175 " Then the Curetes clasb'd their sounding arms, " And raised, with joyful 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, J)articipates 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 Ked, Ceridwen, Lldd, Awen, and many others ; and she has a daughter, named Creirwy or JJywy, whose attributes are not easily distinguished from those of her mother. At present, I shall only touch upon a 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. , Ked, or Ceridwen, presides in the same floating sanc- tuary which was sacred to the Arkite god.-f- She, as well • Mr. Faber's translation Mjsf. of the Cabiri, V.'ll. .p. 329. t Appendix, Ko. 1 and 4. m as that god, is proprietor of the mystic cauldron.* In conjunction with Hit, she has the title of ruler of the Bri-, tish tribes, f Consequently, the privilege of investing the cbief Bard, or priest, with the dominion of Britain, per^ tains to her, conjointly with the Arkite god.:j;. In order to discover what is meant by this character, it may be remarked, that her s3'mbol, 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 K^d " (the ark), which passed the dale of grievous waters, hav- " ing the fore part stored with corn, 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 jtheir 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 she 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 2^. ^ ' t Compare Appendix, No. 1 afid 12. § Ibid. No. 9. 1] Ibid. Np. 12. J! See Cadair Taliejiu ip the ensuing septiion. 177 Tvith the Arldte god, and dignified, like him, with a celes- tial symbol. But the god Hu was represented by a bull, and presided in his sacred stall. It is also probable, that the female deity was sometimes viewed under the emblem of & cozv, and had animals of this species set apart for the sacred office of drawing her shrine. The' Triads mention three mythological cows, 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 coze, when the preservation of her sacred stall was deemed of such importance, that, witK- viit it, the world would become desolate, not requiring the song of the cuckoo to convene the appointed dance over the gi^een. 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 cow. Such fantastical coihmemorations of that sacred ark, in which the Divine Providence sa,ved an expiring world, were not peculiar to the pagan Britgns. N * W. Archaiol. Vol. II. p. 82. + Appendix, No. 12. 178 " The various goddesses of paganism," says Mr. Faber, " seem to be all one and the same mythological character ; " though they sometimes represent the moon, sometim e " the ark, and sometimes the globe of the earth, emerging^ " froUx 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 world, rising from the midst of the waters, " the ark, wandering over their surface, and upon the " introduction of Sabianism, the lunar 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 moon, and a third " of the earth ; but, on the contrary, all these various ob- " jects of worship are frequently symbohzed, upon diflerent " occasions, by one and the same deity. Thus Venus, Der~ " ceto, Isis, Ceres, Proserpine, and Latond, are severally " and equally the moon, the renovated globe, and the ark " 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 the ark.§ ♦ Mysteries of the Cabiri, V. I. p. 17". + Ibid. p. 138. i Ibid. p. 182. § Ibid. p. 177. &c. 179 Mr. Faber also takes notice of a rite mentioned by Ta citu^ 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, arid the symbolical " 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 lawfully " 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, unbounded festivity prevails, " and all wars are 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 Sanchoniatho ; and that it is not in^probable, that the mode which the Philis- tines adopted, of sending home , the ark of God, was bor- rowed from this very superstition. Willing to pay it all possible honour, they conveyed it, like the shrine of the - great iJ^cenician 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 them ; " 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 preserved 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 Helio-arkite deity was their chief god, appropriating the attributes of most of the principal gods of the Gentiles, but more particularly corresponding in character with 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 aU 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 I ■ — > — + Myst. of the Cabiri, V. I. p. 213, 181 which I shall produce in the sequel, that the worship of the sun was an adventitious branch, 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' confirnaation to them, by the positive assertion, thp.t 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 Anenrin, the contemporary of Hengist, and Taliesin, the president of the Bards in the sixth century ; that great repository of tradition, which was ancient in his days; that bigot to the religion of his forefathers, which he was not ashamed openly to profess, acknowledged the same Hu as the mystical ruler oj^ Britain, ajld as the god of ancient Mona, 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 qf IJu, the severe remunerator. This could have been no i^ew superstition in the days of Taliesin. For the fabrication of such an idolatrous system 182 hy 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 the 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 : and 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, vphose 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 as a man, in the midst of the grossest superstition and errors, without supposing that their ancestors, at some period of their history, had respected the righteous l^ws of Noah, and professed his pure rehgipn, 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 Rites of KSd, or Ceridwen, the Arkite Goddess of the Druids. Her Iden- tity with the Ceres of Antiquity. JL HE detection of those divine honours, which the Bri- tish sage awarded to the patriarch Noah, under whe^tever 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 nations seem to have been meni(jrials 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 ia these mystic • Analysis V. II. p. 331. 184 rites, the 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 Silene, Isis, Ceres, Rhea, Vesta, Cybele, Archia, Niobe, 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."-!' , 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 Ked, or Ceridwen, 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 womankind, having " neariy the same attributes with Venus, in whom are per- f' sonified the generative powers." * Analysis, V. II. p. 268. + Ibid. p. 47S. 185 In this description, she is evidently acknowledged as the great mother u and Mr. Bryant says of Ceres, that she 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 section 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 alone 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 words, to have been ini- tiated into her mysteries. All thi-s 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 Venus, why should I labour to connect her more particularly with the character of Ceres'? I must .observe, in reply, that this station seems to be • Analjrjtis V. II. p. 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 Amhad, 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 com over the grievous waters, and, like the car of Ceres, mounted aloft with its harnessed serpents.* The history and clifiracter of Ceridwen are exhibited in a very curious mythological tale, called lianes 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 individTial, 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. II. and the poems there 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 bear is his representative in the heavens, and the constellation, Jj^ra, is his harp. He is the son of Uthyr Bendragon, 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 one 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,-\ 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 Gwen-wy-vsr: the H in this word is merely fonnative. 188 And as for Arthur himself, Taliesin's Spoils of the Deep,^ a poem which treats wholly of Diluvian mytholagy, repre- sents this prince as presiding ^n 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 commemo- rated, was the same as his mystical parent, XJthyr Pendra- gon, or the deified patriarch Noah. It appears from Taliesin, that Ceridwen 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 Rhln Ystyriaw Awen Py ddyddwg Anghen Cyn no Cheridwen ! Cyssevin ym Myd A vu ei Sywyd. " I 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 * Appemlfx, No. 3. + Taliesia's Mabgyvren, or Elementi. W. Arcbaiol, p. »1. 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 story of Hanes Taliesin 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 names 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 " Pejillyn, the end of the lake. His name was Tegid Voel, " bald serenity, and his paterna,! estate was in the middle of " the lake of Tegid, or Fernhjle 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 Creir^i^w,-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 In otheir passages, this name is written Crdrwy, the tohen of the egg. rgo " sacred token of life. She was the most beautiful datosel " in the world " But toese children had a brothery named AvagidUf " utter darkness, or black accumulation, 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 sanctijaries. 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, that the paternal estate of Tegid Voel, the husband of Ceridwen, 191 was in the centf'e of Pemble meer, the largest of the Welsh lakes. This estate must have heen limited to the space of a raft, skip, 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 Llyn Llion, their Dilu- vian lake, and justify the choice of our mythologists, in making the one a type of the other. * " Hispida qua tellus Mervinia respicit Euruitt, " Est Lacus, antiquo Penlinum nomine dictus. " Hie Lacus illimis, in valle Tegeius altS., " Late expandit aquas, et vasfum conficit orbem, " Excipiens gremio latices, qui, fonte perenni, " Vicinis recidunt de montibus, atque sonoris " lUecebris captas,^ demulcent suaviter aures. " Illud habet cert^ Lacus admirabile dictu, " Quantumvis magna pluvid nan cestuat; 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 the yielding ground, " Increas'd with constant springs, that gently run " From the rough hills with pleasing murmurs down : " This wond'rous property the waters boast, " The greatest rams are in its channels Jost, " Nor raise the flood j but when the tempests roar, " The rising waves with sudden rage boil o'er, ? " And Gonqu'ring billows scorn th' unequal shore." ' 19^2 " Aere turbato, si veutus munnitra tollat, " Excrescit suhito, rapidis violentior undis, " Et tumido superat contemptasftumine ripas." It is here that the sacred Dee rises, from two fountainSj. which retain the "names of the god and goddess of the ark — here these fountains unite their venerated stream, which they roll, tincorrupted, through the midst of the Diluviait lake, till they anive at the sacred mount of the debarkafion. 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 Josephns, that the place of descent from the ark,' on Mount Ararat, was called Awo£aT)ifio» ; and from Pausanias, that the place where Da- naus made his first descent in Argolis, was called 'AvaZa^jMq. And that Danaus (whose sole history is referred to the deluge, and to Arkite superstition) is supposed to have brought' with hirh the Amphiprumnon, or sacred model of the ark, which he lodged in the Aciropolis of Argos, called Larissa.* " Hence our mythologist 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 Dwifvawr and Dwyvach, or the incorruptible Dee, emerges safe from the waters of the lake, we find the Bala, or going forth. The term is applied to the shooting,, or coming forth of leaves • Analysis. V. II, p. a','9. 193 and flowers, from the opening buds of plants ; and at this Bala there is a large artificial mount, called TomenyBala; 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 Aren?, 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, Titaii, the father of the inspiring muse^ or Apollo, f who, as we have already seen, was the Helio-arkite patriarch. The bards speak of the sanctuaries of their gods, and ca- nonized personages, by the name of Beddau, Graves, or Testing places ; just as the temples of Osiris, in Egypt, were legarded »s the sepulchres of that god. And it is remarkable, that Taliesin joins the Bidd 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 Silan Llan Beuno. j: • Analysis, V- U. P- 328. 518. t Thus we find a temple of ApoUo opon Mount Fania|$u9, \rhere the ark of bencalion rested. t W. Arohaiel. p. 79. ] 194 " T{ie resting place of Tydain, the father of ike inspiidng " muse, is in the border of the mount of Ar en: >hilst the " wave makes an oyerwhelming din, the resting place of " Dylan is in the fane of Beuno,* 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 ; tlie 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 to 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 Britatiy, there are the ruins of an old fabric, which is positively decided to have been a temple of the same god.f From its situation, in the skirt of Armorica, and in the neighbourhood of Baiefux, it may be conjectured that this was that Identical temple of Belen, or Apollo, in which AttiUs Patera the friend of Ausonius had presided. ' For that professor is called Bagocassis, and is said to have been Stirpe satus Druidum — Gentis A^^niorictz. % A, The Arenes of Britany, like that of Wales, may also have furnished their Druids with a local opportunity of • JSd, an ox, and A'aiu, a ship. ^i See Voyage dans 1« Finistere, Tom. I. X Anson. Prof, 4 and 10. 195 fcortimetaorating the deluge, as they contain a natural phoe- homenon, 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 Arnes, "" belonging to this town, there is a lake, fed by subterrane- " ous channels, which sometimes dries up, and is suddenly *' filled again."* But, to return to 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 aware of this fact, when he placed the paternal estate of Tegid, the husband of Ceridwen, in the bosom of Pemble Meer. Let us, therefore, lake 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 of 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, o a , Atlas Geogtifh. X4- mi. p. 1062. 196 most of the superior gods of the heathens; here then, we contemplate him in the character of Saturn^ The parti- culars of Tegid's appropriate history have disappeared ; but by a little 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 Llywy, the putting forth of the egg, mentioned by Aneurin and Taliesin, in conjunction with Hu or Aeddon. This identity appears from the poems bf Hywel, son of Owen, prince of North Wales, who styles Llyxey 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 Hy well 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 Gdney ; but the mistress o£ Garwy was Creirwy, the daughter of Ceridwen. Neud wyv dihunwyv hoen Greirwy — hoyw — deg A'm hudoedd val Garwy .-j- Am I not deprived of spirit ! I am enchanted like Garwy, by her who equals Creirwy, sprightly and fair." Creirwy and LlyWy bfeing thus the same personage, it * See tbe latter put of the present Section, t W. Arcbaiol. p. SIS^ m fqllows, that the father of Creirwy was also the father of lilywy; but the parent of the latter is mentioned in the Triads, by the name of Seithwedd Saidi.* .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- 'oorzeyn, a man-maid, which must imply a virago, at least, if not something still less attractive. From these premises it is clear, that Seithwedd Saidi was a name of Tegid, the father of this mystical lady ; and this name, as well as Tegid, must be referred to the character of Saturn. We shall now have an opportunity of investigating hi§ 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 Sdd, firm, or just. From this word, and Wtti, a covered vessel, Mr. Owen deduces the Welsh name of Saturn ; so that Sad-wrn is xhejust 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 lof the sMne patriarch, was called Said-on,-f which comes near to our Shidi,. I Seithwedd, or as he is sometimes called Setihin Saidii '"■>■ • W. Archaiol. V. 11. p. 15. n. t Analysis, V. II. p. 300. 198 is represented as king of Dyved, Demetia ; but this leads us again into the regions of mythology. Dyved was the patrimony of Pwyll, reason or patience, who embarked in the vale of Cwch, the boat, for Anntipn, the great deep,- which he governed for the space of a com- plete year, whilst 4rawn, jnN the Arkite, styled alsp Pendaran, lord of the thunder, superintended his paternal dominions. ' Upon a future occasion I shall produce more of this tale. In the mean tinie, 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 Llengil, a concealing veil: and it was by way of eminence;^ denominated Grpldd Yr Hud, the land, of mystery. There is a story recorded in the triads, of Seithetiin, 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 sen 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 Britaii^, which I h^ve remarked in the preceding section. , But Seithenin is nothing more than Septimianus, a titje which the Romans conferred upon Saturn : so that Seitbe-, nin, and his mythological father, Seithwedd, are in reality, ^he s^arae character. 199 I jSiid a son of this Saidi under another name, which, together with his lank 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 inclosureythe son oi Perthawr Godo, the doorkeeper of ihe partial covering, that is, the ark, or. its representative. * This doorkeeper w^as therefore, the same person with Saidi, and with Tegid, the husband of Ceridw^n ; and his name, and the office imphed by that name, must be referred to Janus, the deify 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 Avith Gor-on-Wi/, great. lord of the water, the son of Echel, with the pierced thigh ; and with a third character, named Fleid^r Flam, the incloser of fame, son. of Gqdo, the arJcite 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- ter's edge, son of Geraint, the -vessel, son of Erbyn, the lofty cJiiefs.f This €axiair, or presidency, of Saturn, was also named • See W. Archaiol. V. II. p. 4 and 26. t Ibid. p. 19 and 74. 200 Cibddar, the Mystic, and . he had a son styled Elmiir, the fixed or established spirit, ranked as one of the sovereign Bulls.* Here we come round to the history of Hu, the Tauriform, Helio-arkite god, and his sacred animals. The royal bnll before us, as I have already observed, is con- nected with Cynhaiial prototype, the son of Argat, the ark; and with Av'ion, 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 Mr. 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, Seithwedd 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 Dittids intended, by their personification of the language of the chair, or law of the inclosureof Satvimi 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, Archaiol. V. II. p. 4, 13, and 69. 201 or Druidf 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 mytholpgist, 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 emblenis 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 ©t-faio?, or the deity of the door or passage. * Mr. Bryant alsd 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, f 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, &«.• + Ibid. p. 260. 20§ iicary of Sidi; but according to Mr. Bryant, XiJij, Sidee,' \vas 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 Monran, r alien of the sea. Of this personage, a few particulars are recorded. He was dark and hideous in his person ; he was Ysgymmydd 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 Naah'^ raven. It is repiarked, 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., i* , > But this faithless messenger was for the most part, es- • See Analys. V. 11. p. 380. t Ibid. 286, t03 t€em€d a bud of ill omen. His very croaking would put a stop 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 Avagddu, utter 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 ^d life, at the close of the deluge. » See Analys. V. 11. p. 399. , ')' For these particulars, see the sequel of Hanet iTaliain, and that re- ^ailtable poem called the Cb^ir of CeridweD, whi(;b I shall produce ia the poi|rse of this S^ctipq. 204 And as our complex mythology identified the character of the patrianch, 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 delu"-e. This gloom was afterwards changed into ligJit and cheerfulness; and thus the son of Ceridwen may he recog- nized, in his illuminated state, under the titles of Elphin and Rhuvawn Be'oyr, which implies bursting forth with ra- diancy, and seems to he an epithet of the Helio-arkite god. The chair of Ceridwen represents Gwydion, 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 bow, which, a& well as the bow of Apollo, alluded to the Iris, f I am not sure, however, that the character of Avagddu had not a secondary aUusibn, in his forlorn state, to the uninitiated, and in his renovation, to the adept in the mys- teries of Druidism : as the former was regarded as living in • Brjant'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 Uywy, 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 rainbozo, df which she was, therefore, the appropriate genius; and with Gwen, Venus, the daughter of Cy-wryd, Crydon, 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 sevefe matron, • Bryant's Analysis, V. II. p. 260. The author observes from Schediui, de Diis Germ, that Saturn had the name of CfoAo. The parentage of the British Venus seems to hare corresponded with that of the Greek. t Ibid. p. ^1. 206 supposed to preside in those public sanctuaries, where tbtf Arkite rites were celebrated: whilst Creirwy, on the ofeef hand, was regarded as the genius of the same sacred vessd, 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 flowing or floating,-^ and described as the daughter of Uudd Llaw Eraint, the chief who governed the vessel, or of Uyr, 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 ah Nuid, King oT Annwn, is introducedjas a speaker, this potentate describes- himself as — Gordderch Creirddylad merch Lludd,* " The paramour of Creirddylad, the daughter of Lludd." Here we have a hint of a British tradition upon the sub-- ject of the rape of Proserpine. Gzcyn ab Nudd was the Pluto of the Britons. Annwn, the kingdom of that god, in its popular acceptation, is liell, or the infernal regions j but in the mystical poems and tales, Aimwn seems to be no " - - ■ I ., ■ ■■ .1 ■■■»-. ■ I .. - ■■■! ^11 I Ml P 11 I ■ IM^- !■■ ■ • W. Archaiol. p. 166. w other; than that deep or a^T/ss, the waters of which burst forth at the deluge, Gwyn, the King o£ Annwn, was there- fore the genius of the deluge; and the fable means nothing more, than that the ark was forcible/ carried away by the Jlood. 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, whp observes, that in many hiero- glyphical descriptions, the dove, Oinas, 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 liucius Anjipelius, a passage to this efFect-rr-Dicitur et Eu- phratis fiuvio, Ovum piscis columbam assedisse dies pluri- mos, et exclusisse Deam benignam, et misericordem homi- jiibus, ad vitam bonam ; he thus accounts for the topogra- phy of the fable. The ark rested upon mount Bans, 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 zeorld, says Mr. Bryant, was Noah 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 renewar 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.-f- From the contemplation of this symbol of foreign super- stition, we naturally turn to the celebrated Ovum jingui- num, or serpent's egg, of the Celtic priesthood, as described by Pliny. 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 referaice 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. m lum ejus esse, si contra aquasjluitet, vel auro vindurti — That the test of its genuineness, was its, floating against the water, even with its setting of gold. I suppose the author means, that it would keep upon the surface, when drawn Cgdinst the stream; and that, in this passage, he gives us a hint of its mystical import and character, as an eiivblem of in floating tesseL It must also be procured, we are told> Certd Lundf at a certain time of the moon. This information exhibits the connexion of mythological ideas j for the moon was a sym- bol of Ceridwen, and of the arkt The efficacy of the Anguinum, ad victorias litium, et JRegum aditvs, 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 fabulous story of the production of this trinket — Angiies innumeri, testate, 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 bi/ serpents." * * Appendix, No. 14. 210 But this was iftei'ely so much dust thrown into the eyes of 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 sei-pent, 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 Arkite mas- 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 themi certain dis- criminative tokais, 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 thte same material ; such as those which the Welsh 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 Anguinum : 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.— See aUo Owen's Diet. V. Glam, 211 MeHyr calls Bardsey-^" The holy islarid 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 blue, some white, a third sort green, and a fourth regularly varie- gated with all these sorts of colours ^ but still preserving the appearance of glass : whilst others again were composed of earth, and only glazed over.-t- 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 ptiests Carried about them certain trinkets of vi- trified matter, and that this custom had a view to their Arkite mystei^ies. Thus, in the poem called the chair of Taliesin, we find the stranger admitted to the ceremonies of lunar worship, upon his exhibiting the Czerwg Gwydryn, 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 vras sometinles described under that figure, and called Selene, the moon.%' - • W. Archaiol. p. 193. t See Camden, as cited before. t " With similar reverence the Samothracians, whose devotion to the Cabirie " rites is well known, regarded their magical rings. These were of tlie 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. 653. 212 I suppose that it was from the material, of which this symbol was composed, that even the vessel, in which the patriarch and his family were preserved, was denominated Caer Wydyr, the inclosure, or circle of glass.* And Merd- din Emrys, and his nine Bards, are represented as having put to sea in the Ty Gwydrinfy or home 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, was the Crair, or Insignk of the Druids ; and when made or dressed up in the figure of an egg, it became Creir-wy, 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 own island, we 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. t W. Arshaiol. V. li. p. S9. 213 HANES TALIESIN.— Chap, II. " Then she (CeridWen) determined, agreeably to the mys- ** tery of the books of Pheryllt, to prepare for her son a " cauldron of Awena Gwyhodeu, water of inspiration and " sciences, that he might be more readily admitted iiito " honourable society, upon account of his knowledge, and " his skill in regard to futurity. " The cauldron began to boil, and it was requisite thfet " 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 Llanvair, the fane of the lady, in Caer " Einiawn, the city of the just, in Poajiys, the land of rest, " to superintend the prepara,tion of the cauldron : and she " had appointed a blind man, fivrm, 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 interrupted, 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 coUecting plants " of every species, which possessed any rare virtiies. " On a certain day, about the hompTetion of the year, ** whilst she was thus botanizing arid muttering to herself^ 214 " three drops of the efficacious water happened to fly out of " the cauldron, and alight upon the finger of Gwion the *' Little. The hep,t of the water occasioned his putting his " finger into his mouth. ". As soon as these precious drops had touched his lips, " every eveijt 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, With extreme terror he fled towards his na- " tive couwtry. ." 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 aftenvards called. The poison of " Gwyddno's horses." l^he most renxarkable subject brought forward in this ch£|,pter, 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 enrploys 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 who officiated in the celebration of the mysteries of Ceres, one was distinguished by the title of Keryx the Herald, Another was named Hydranus, from Wwj, water : 215 atid'his tkle, though perhaps not his functioin, correspauded, 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 thing as maintaining a perpetual fire. And this was a solemn rite iji the temples of Ceres. Ceridwen, like Ceres and I sis, 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 treats 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 ifnplies chymists or metallurgists. But chymistry and metallurgy seem rather to have taken their British name from these ancient priests, being called CgHnyddyAau Fhe- ryllt, the arts of the Pheryllt, or some of those mysteries in which they were eminently conversant. As primary instructors in the rites of Ceridwen, or Ceres^ I regard the Pheryllt as priests of the Fharaon, or higher powers, who had a city or temple amongst the mountains of Snowdon, called also Dinas Emrp, or the ambrosial 21^ city. And, therefore, iJiey were the same, in effect, as the priests of the Cabiri, Mr. Bryant assures lls, that the supposed genius of tn© ark was worshipped und6r 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 Cabiritic divinity was no other than the patriarch, who was of so great repute for his piety and justice. Hence, the other Cabiri, his im-s mediate offipring, are said to be the sons of Sadyc, 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 Telckinian and Cabiritic rites, we are told by the same author, consisted in arkite memorials. They passed from Egypt and Syria into Phrygia and Pontus, from thence into Thrace, and the cities of Greece. They were carried into Hetruria, and into the regions of theCe/te.-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 Celtse of Britain 5 * Analys. V- H- p. 461. i Ibid. p. 471. and with those Fheryllt ox Druids, who directed the mys- teries of Ceridwen. 'The tale before us also mentions, books of astronomy. Whether the Druids actually had such books or not, it is certain that Caesar enumerates astronomy amongst the sciences which they professed ; and that they not only re- 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 religious regard tp their influence, I come now to the cauldron of Ceridwen, which makes & very conspicuous figure in the works of the mystical Bards, from the beginning of the sixth, to the close of the twelfth century. In these authors, we find the, term pair, OT cauldron, used metaphorically to imply the whole mass of doctrine and discipline, together with the confined circle of arts and sciences, which pertained to the ancient priest- hood of Britain. The preparation of this vase being a ne- cessary preliminary, to the celebration of their most sacred mysteries, it stands as a symbol of the mysteries themselves* and of all the benefits supposed to result from themi. 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. ^ From 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 contents were designed ^18 for one simple purpose. In the tak before us it is described, as used in the preparation of a decoction of various select plants, which was to constitute the water of inspiration and science. A few drops pf this water fall upon the finger of the attenda;nt, he puts it i^tP hi» mouth, and immediately all futurity is open to his view.. Such knowledge, however, must not bg regarded as the result of merely tasting the water, or of any single c^emojay whatever ; but of a com- plete course of initiation, of which the tasting of this water was an essential rite. i 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, as 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 Jive 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 th^m of utterance :* allud- ing to the o^th of secrecy f which was administered privioxis to mitiatiqn. In the poem called Preiddeu Anrmn,-\ Taliesin styles it • See a^r. Turner's Vindication, p. 283, + Appendix, No. 3. 2ig the cauldron of the ruler 6ftJt£de.ep, (the aarkite go^ rshkh first begem to he warmed, \yy the breath of nine damsels (the Gwffllion, or GaUicena).* He describes it as having a lidg^ of pearls round its borderj and says, that it will not bdil the food of the cowardi who is not bound by his oeith. Yet the author of Hanes Taliesin, speaks of the residue ©f 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 bath: that a smaill 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 Gwin a Bragawd, that is, wine mth 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 weVe supposed to confer these benefits upon the votaries. * See tbe precfdjog Seetiqn. 2S0 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 eAanweZ 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 shall find, that the first ceremony was that of purification by water, that this rite was per- formed, both by crinkling 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, parley, sea^water, and crotens oi flowers. They even passed through the fire, and were at lastj plunged into the water,, whence the hierophant, who was charged , with this office, had the name of Hydratips, or the Bap- tist.* The sacred vessel which contained this mixtnre of salt, barley, sea-water, and other ingredients not specified, must have corresponded with the mystical cauldron of the Britons, amongst the contents of which I find certain " berries, the "foam of the ocean, cresses of a purifying quality, xaort, " and chearful, placid vervain, which had been borne aloft, " and kept apart fron;i the Moon."f • Monde Ptimitif. Tom. IV. p. 318. j t Cadair Taliesin, W. Arcliaiol. p. 37, 221 Thus far, the analogy, between, the purifying water of the Greeks and Britons, may be traced. But. the mystical pauldroji 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, will appear still more close. Weare 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 rvitzsmn {(fxyov, $» xVf/SuMv txnot, tKin(fiiMtit, vers Tgy 'monrov 'vErt^vov,.— " J have eaten " out of the drum, I have drunk ,out of the cymbal, I have " carried the kemos, I have been covered in the bed." M. De Gebelin explains the cymbal, as signifying a vessel, in the form of a krge goblet, out of which the aspirants drank a liquor, called kykeon, which was a mixture of wine, honetf, water, and meal; precisely the Gwin a Bragawd of the British Bards. The ancients and mytholdgists, as my author observes, tell us, that these symbols were intended as memorials of what had happened to Ceres, who, upon her arriysil.in Attica, when she was. wanderiiig in search of her daughter. 222 received this liquOT from a wQBjan named Bawbb,* and drank it off at a sin^e dr£^ght.f The vessel used in th^ preparation of this miiturfe, -which was preseinted to Cerefe, is described by Antontiitrs Liberalis as AifuTO SaBvv, a deep kettle or boiler; this might, with pro- priety, be denominated the caraMfon 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 thje 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 Plemochoe, from this name of a large earthen vessel, of considerable depth, and widening^ from the bottom upwards. On this day, the last of the feast, as we are informed by Athen3ejtis,J they filled too 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- * 3(tVa, ia tbe ^tierhbX6l(ic, implies a nyttdcg. t Honde Ptimitif. as cited J>efaie» . . t Lib. XI. chap. t5. 223 nonnciiig this piiayer, 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 figurativie sense, as corresponding with the several sacred vessels employed in the mysteries of Ceres : and that genim, icience, and immortality, the benefits supposed to be derived froim 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 ym«/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 fanatical priestesses, bearing the same title, and styled Gallicene bv Pomponius Mela. Here it will probably occur to the readel^ that these nine mystical damsels allude to the mme muses; or that they were merely their representatives in British mythology. Th^ muses, ittdeied, were T^?irded as promoters of ge- iiius, as the patronesses pf science, and as conferring a kind ' ■ ■ ■' ■ '" ' • "< "' ■ — * S6«. Monde Piim. Ten, ^V. p. 3S9. 224 of iminortality : 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 priestesses of Arkite temples, or attendants on those deified characters, whose history is decisively referred, both bylMr. 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 hymns, 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 ha,unt 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 bees — Melissa : and adds, that the Melissa were certainly female attendants in the Arkite temples.* In the next page, the learned author tells us, that as tlie .priestesses of Damater (Ceres), who sung .the sacred hymns, were called ]\ielissiE, so that goddess and Persephone, -■■ ' . — ' ■ — j; ' _^_ • _ 1 ' ., • Analysis, y.. 11, p. 376. 225 had the title of Meiittodes, from the songs made in their honour. The MelissiB, or muses, were therefore the priestesses of Ceres, Osiris wasS 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 estabUshment 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 warnied the mystical caul- dron of the ruler of the deep, and the Arkite goddess. And this circumstance adds another link of connexion between the mythqlogy of Britain, and that of Greece and Egypt. But whence came the original idea of the purifying water, prepared in this celebrated cauldron f In the tradition of our ancestors, we find that the myst 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 f for the discovery of which, it may be proper to take a brief vie>v of the ideas which the Britons, entertained respecting that a^vful event. e 226 . The following circumstances may fee verified ty passages in the Bards and the Triads. The profligacy of mankind had provoked thcigrea^ Su- preme to send a pestilential wind 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 just 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 aa 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 ; whicli 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. n7 But how ar£ we to account for such a coincidence in the mythology of nations, so widely separated i Perhaps it would not be an unreasonable supposition, that the rudi- ments of those fanciful systems, which prevailed over the Oen tile 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 symr 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 tliese remote regions. But ,the experience of our country- men and neighbours, for the 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 inay 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 Soars, bemg 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 thu6. " 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 Q ^ 228 "juices, produced from those streams, trees, and planti, " 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 romantip the language in which it is clothed, this " fact may he 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 " of 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 ■ease, full of " the water of life — 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 variety 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 Danwan- *' taree of India, who sprung from the foam- of the churned " ocean, bearing the Amreeta, or vital ambrosia, to tlie " renovated world."* To the reader, who is not furnished with the Indian anti- quities, I need not apologize for the length of these ex- "" ^ i— I I I !■ .11.111 -III Ml iBi~ r "• • • Indian Autiq. "V. II. p. S70, &c. 229 ti'acts; and, I trust, .the learned, author will excuse my 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 k«xeb», or sacred mixture of the Arkite goddess, and her renovating mysteries. But to return to the British story. HANES TALIESIN.-Chap. Ill, " 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. " Thou 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 bitch, turned him, and " chased him towards a river. " Leaping into the stream, he assumed the form of a " ^sh : but his resentful enemy, who was now become aa 230 " otter hitch, 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 hawk was gaining upon him — she " was just in the act of pouncing him. " 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 Hack, 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 Certes, 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 Ceridwen Wrach, the hag, or fury. This fury was the goddess of death. The death of Arthur is implied, by his contending with the fury in the hall cf Glaston" 231 hary.* And, as Ceridwen was the genius of a sacred ship, ®o death, of which she was the goddei the character of the ship of the earth. ®o death, of which she was the goddess, is represented under Pawb a ddaw i'r Ddqear Long,\ says the Bard — " Every " one will come into the ship of the earth ;" that is, all rnen must die. All this is strictly applicable to Ceres, considered as the genius of the airk. 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 dea^/«. When the ark was constructed, Noah made a door in its side ; a circumstance continually commemorated by the Gentile writers. The entrance 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 he 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 'i terrified aspirant. It was a rude and fearful march, tiirough " night and darkness— and now, arrived on the verge of • W. Archaiol. p. 67 + Ibid. p. 322. J Bryant's Analysis^ V. I. p. 48S. i Ibid. V. II p. 257. 232 " death and initiation, every thing wears a dreadful aspect ; " it is all horror, trembling, and astonishment: — * Accessi " confinium mortis, says Apuleius, et calcato proserpinee " limine, per omnia vectus element^ remeavi."f But let us proceed to consider the incidents of the story — Ceridwen seizes an oar, and strikes the Damon of the sea upon his head. The instrument was a proper symbol to be employed by the genius of a Routing vessel, and the action an emblem of her triumph over the wdte/ry element. The goddess then transforms herself into a bitch. How- ever degrading the symbol, these animals seem to have had a particular connexion with the mysteries of Ceres and Isis. Vijgil, in the sixth book of his iEneid, describes all that it was lawful to reveal of the Eleusinian mysteries ; and we find that the first terrific objects which presented them'- selves to the senses of his hero, whilst the priestess was con-, ducting him towasds the mystic river, were in the form of iitches.-^X Fisaque capes ylulare per umbras. | Upon this passage, M. De Gebelin remarks — ^[Pl^thon • " I apptoacbed the conflnes of death, smd having nearly trodden the thres- '* hold 6{ Fiosperine, I returned, being ca^rie^ t^iou^h aU the eleo^ents." i See Ind. Antiq. V. II. p. 312, &c. % And bitche.3 seem to howl amidst the gloom. J V. 257. H Fletho, in his notes upon the magical pracles of Zoioaster, also speaks of the dogs mentioned by Virgil, It is th^ custom, saya he, in the celebration of the mysteries, to exhibit to the initiated certain fantoms, iij tU$ figure oX dog^s^ Qn4 (ROQy otb^r monstfons spectres and apparitions. (Scholies sur les oracles magiques de Zoroastre) parle aussi des chiens, dont Virgile fait mention. Cest la contume, dit il, dans la celebration des mystereSj-^de-faire paroitre devant les initios, des fant6mes, sous la figure des vhiens, et plu- sieurs aiitres spectres et visions monstreuses."* In the sculpture which, according to this author, repre- sents the Eleusinian cave, Ceres is attended by a dog, and the aspirant in the form of a child, is brought into the cave by another dog.-^ Plutarch tells us, that Isis was assisted by certain dogs, in the discovery of Anubis, the child of Osiris, whom his mother had exposed, because she dreaded the anger of Typhon. This child, the. goddess adopted and educated ; he became her companion and faithful guard. He had the name of Anubis, because he displayed . the same vigilance in the cause of the gods, which dogs manifested in behalf of their human masters. The tale, as here related, can only be regarded as the his- tory of an aspirant, who was initiated into the mysteries of Isis, instructed in the rites and discipline of her temple, and afterwards became her priest. Mt. Bryant quotes the authority of Diodosus, who in- foiTns us, that at the grand celebration of Isis, the whole solemnity was preceded by dogs. This author indeed, pro- duces.^ many instances of gods, and their representatives, the • Mpnde Primitif. Tpbj. IV. p. 33fi. + im- p. 339. 234 priests being termed K3mf,dogs; but he attributes this title to the ignorance of the Greeks, who, according to him, mistook the Hebrew and Egyptian term, cohen, a priest, for Kvut, which in their own language, implies a dog.* But, as the mythology of other nations, not intimately connected with the Greeks, and who did not use their vo- cabulary, furnishes, us with a similar application of eqniva- lent titles ; and as gods sad priests, with dogs' heads, appear in Egyptian, and other foreign monuments ; it may be sus- pected, that there was something more in these titles, than a mere blunder of the Greeks. Agreeably to Plutarch's hint, there may have been some allusion to the fidelity, vigilance, and sagacity of the animal. And whatever served to keep aloof profane intrusion, and defend the awful sanctity of the temple, may have been symbolized by the guardian dog. Thus the dog of Gwyn ab Nudd, the British. Pluto, is named Dor-Marth,-\ the gate of sorrow: this was no real dog, but probably the same as the Proserpina Limen, which Apuleius approached in the course of initiation. These particulars may suffice to account for the device of our British mythologist, in transforming Ceridwen, the Ceres or Isis of the Druids, into a bitch ; whilst the aspirant was converted into a hare. This animal, as we learn from Caesar, was deeHied sacred by the Britons ; at the same time it was an emblem of timidity, iiitimating the great terror to wbich the noviciate was ex|)osed, during the mystical process. » See Analysis, V. I. p. 40. 108. 329,' &c. t W. ArChaiol. p. 166. 235 This hare is turned, and driven towards a, river. But he is still in the road to initiation. After the preparation of the consecrated water, and the k.vk£uv, the first ceremony in the mysteries of the Greeks, was that of purification, which was celebrated, upon the banks of rivers. The Athenians per- formed this ceremony at Agra, on the Ilissus, a river of Attica. Hence the banks of that river were called the mystic banks, and the stream itself had the name of ©tswesio?, the divine. Here our noviciate takes the form of a fish, whilst the goddess herself, or rather her priest, assumes the character of an otter. If xukj, dogs, represented heathen priests in ge- neral, and especially those of Ceres and Isis ; the otter, or water dog, may very aptly typify the priest, called Hydranps, who always attended those mystieries, and whose ofiice it was to plunge the aspirant into the stream. The next change of the aspirant was into a bird. The ispecies is not named. It was probably the Dryw, which implies both a wren and a Driiid; and Taliesin tells us that he had been in that form. His adversary became a hawk; but we are told, that the hawk was a known symbol of Isis.* At last, the novitiate becomes a grain of pure wheat, and mixes with an assemblage of the same species and character. He was now cleansed from all his impurities, and he had assumed a form, which was eminently sacred to Ceres. In this form, therefore, the goddess receives him into her bo- som. In order to accomplish this design, she transforms • Iqd. Antiq. Y- H- P- 348. 236 herself into a hen, wliich was , deemed a sacred animal by the Britons, ,in the days of Caesar-* The singular representation of Ceridwen, as swallowing the aspirant ; and of the latter, as continuing for a consi- dfirahle time imprisoned in her womb, must imply some- thing more than his mere introduction into the sanctuary. This aspirant was intended for the, priesthood: and we have here the history of his inclosure, in some ship, cell, or cave, which more immediately symbolized the person of the mystical goddess, In this inclosure, he was subjected to a rigid course of discipline. Here he studied the fanati- cal rites, and imbibed the sacred doctrines of Ceridwen. This is consonant with the practice of other heathens. Porphyry, in his treatise, De Antra Nympharum, tells us, that Zoroaster consecrated a natural ceU, adorned with flowers, and watered with fountains, in honour of 'Mithra, the fatli.er of the universe : and that the Persians, iatending mystically, to represent the desc€;nt of the soul into an in- ferior nature, and its subseqiient ascent, into the intellec- tual world, initiated the priest, — in caverns, or places so fa- bricated as to jesemble them.-)' I shall return to this subject in a future section, when I inquire into the nature of some of the monuments of Dru- idism. But I must now remark, that as the completion of the initiatory rites was deemed by the Gentiles a regene- ration, or new birth, and distinguished by that name; so our aspirant is represented as having been born again, of the mystical Ceridwen. • Vide De Bello Gallico, L. V. C. 18. + See Ifii. Antiq. V. II. p. 24?. Q37 As yet, however, we seem to have been only contemplat- ing the lesser mysteries — the greater are still to succeed. After the aspirant had completed his course of discipline in the cell, had gone through the, ceremonies of the lesser mysteries, and had been born a^ain of Ceredweh ; we are told, that this goddess inclosed him in a small boat, covered with skin, and cast him into the sea. This will be best explained by the Greek solemnities. The first day of the greater mysteries of Ceres, was called Agyrme, the convocation, being destined to the reception, ablution, and purification of the candidates. The second day had the natne of "aAkJe M»rai, " Noviciates " to the sea:" this being the form by which the herald sum- moned those who had passed through the lesser mysteries, to the sea shore, for the purpose, as some have supposed, of completing their purification; but the ceremony seems to have had a further meaning, and it is probable, that on this day, the noviciates embarked upon the sea in certain vessels, commemorative of the real history of Ceres, as ge- nius of the floating ark : for, in these mysteries, the whole « truth was to be revealed. Accordingly we are told, that Phocion, the Athenian general, taking advantage of this day's solemnity, put to sea, and engaged the enemy in a naval combat.* But let us observe the progress of the Bri- tish ceremony. • PIul. in Vita Phor. "238 lilmS f AOESIN.— Chap. IV. " In thdse times, Gwyddno's wear stood out in the beach, " between Dyvi and Aberystwyth, near his own castle, " And in that wear, it was usual to take fish, to the value " of a hundred pounds> every year, upon the eve of the " first of May. " Gwyddno had an only son, named Elphin, who had " been a most unfortunate and necfessitous young man. " This was a great affliction to his father, who began to " think that he had been bom in an evil hour. " His counsellors, however, persuaded the father to let " this son have the drawing of the wear on that year, by " way of experiment; in order to prove whether any good "fortune would ever attend- him, and that he might have " something to begin the world. " The next day, being May-eve, Elphin examined the ." wear, and found nothing : but as he was going away, he " perceived the coracle, covered with a skin, resting upon " the pole of the dam. " Then one of the wearmen said to him, Thou hast never " been completely unfortunate before this night ; for now " thou hast destroyed the virtue of the wear, in which the ^' value of a hundred pounds was always taken upon the " eve of May-day. ~ " How so ? replied Elphin — that coracle may possibly " contain the value of a hundred pounds. 239 " The skin was opened, and the opener perceiving the " forehead of an infant, said to Elphin — Behold Taliesin, " radiant front ! " Madiant front he his name, rephed the pjince, who " now lifted the infant in his arms, commiserating his own " misfortune, ^and placed him hehind him upon his own " horse, as if it had,heen in the most easy chair, " Immediately after this, the habe composed for Elphin " a song of consolation and praise ; at the same time, he " prophesied of his future renown. The consolation was " the first hymn which Taliesm sung, in order to comfort >' Elphin, who was grieved for his disappointment: in the '-* draught of the weai; ; and still more so, at the thought " that the world would impute the fault and misfortune " wholly to himself." Elphin carries the new-horn babe to the castle, and pre- sents him to his father, who demands whether he was a human being or a spuit; and is answered in a mystical song, in which he professes himself &■ general primary Bard, who had existed in all ages, and identifies his own char.acter with that of the sun. Gwyddno, astonished at his proficiency, demands ano- ther song, and is answered as follows : Ar y dwr mae cjfflwr, Stc* » W.Arcliaiol., p. 76. 240 " Water has the property of Conferring A blessing. It is " meet to think rightly of God. It is meet to pray earnestly " to God ; because the benefits which proceed from him, " cannot be impeded. " Thrice have I been born. I know how to meditate. It " is woeful that men will not come to seek all the sciences " of the world, which are treasured in my bosom ; for I ♦' know all that has been, and all that will be hereafter," &c. Let us now make a few observations upon our jnytholo- gist's account of Ihose mystic rites, to their final com- pletion. I have already taken notice, that Taliesin, radiant front, was, properly a title of the sun, and thence transferred to his priest. This priest had now, for a complete year, at- tended the preparation of the mystical cauldron i he had received the water of inspiration, and with it the sacreJ lessons of Ceridwen : he had been received and swallowed up by that goddess, and had remained for some time in her womb, or had been subjected to a course of discipline in the mystical cell, and at length he had been born again. But after this, we find him inclosed in a coracle, or small boat, cast into the sea, and consigned into the hands of Gwyddno Garanhir, and hi's son Elphin. The very process here described, evidently relates to a connected Series of mystical rites, allusive to one history t and the character and connexions of Ceridwen, the great 241 ageilt, compared with the import of the mysteries of Ceres, teis elucidated by Mr. Bryant and- Mr. Faber, abundantly prove, that the reference must be made to the history of th deluge. According to this tale, therefore, the Britons celebrated the commemoration of the deliverance out of the ark upon the eve of May-day. And if they supposed the deluge to feave continued for a year and a day,^ the: period which, was employed in preparing the mystical cauldron, the anniver- sary of its commencement would fall, of course, upon the twenty-ninth of April. As Ceridwen threw the coracle into the sea upon that day, so opportune for .the- drawing' of Gwddno's wear on the morrow, it may be inferred, that Gwyddno and his son Were intimately connected with the family of Ceridwen. Taking all circumstances into account, we may even pre- sume, that they were the same as her husband Tegid, and her unfortunate son Avagddu. Tegid, indeed, is said to have had two sons, whereas Gwyddno is described as having but one at this time : but it may be yeplied, that Morvran, the raven of the sea, had de- sertted his family, previous to the debarkation from the ark. The idea here suggested respecting Gwyddno, differs from the received opinion of- the Welsh, which Mr. Owen thus details in his Cambrian Biography. " Gwyddno Garanhir, or Dewrarth Wledig, was a Prince " of Cantrev j Gwaelod, and also a poet, some of' whose " composition is in the, Welsh Archaiology. He flourished, " frbm about A. D. 460, to 520. Thfe whole of his terri- " tory was invtndatecl by the sea in his life-time, and it " forms the present Cardigan Bay." The whole of this account, though literally understood in the country, appears to me nothing more than a piece of local mythology, of the same kind as those tales, which assert the submersion of cities in the lakes of Wales.- But let us hear the record of the catastrotphe, as preser>ved io the Triads. " Seithinin the Drunkard, the son df Seithin Saidi, King "of Dyved, in his liquor let in the sea, over Cantre'r " Gwaelod, so as to destroy all the houses and lands &f the " place, where, prior t6 that event, -there had been sixteen ** cities, the best of all the towns and cities of Wales, ex.- " cepting Caerleon upon Usk. This district was the domi- " nion of Gwyddnaw Garanhir, King of Caredigiawn. " The event happened in the time of Mmrys, the sovereign. " The men who escajied the inundation, came to land in " A'rdudwy, in the regions of Arvon, and in the mountains " of Snowdon, and other places which had hitherto been " uninhabited." * This is, undoubtedly, the substance of an old Mabinogi, or mythological tale, and ought not to be received as au- thentic history. Eor, in the first place, Cardigan Bay did e^^t in the time of Ptolemy, who marks the promontories by which it is circumscribed, and the mouths of the nvers which it receives, in nearly the same relative situations which they retain at present. But neither Ettdemy, nor » W. Archaiol. V. II. p. 64. any other aiioient geographer, takes notice of owe of those sixteen cities, >vhich are said to fhave been los.fe there in the sixth century. In the next place, we know enotigh of the geography of Wales, both ancient and modern, to form a decisive con- clusion, that a single Cantrev, or hundred, neyer did con- tain sixteen ito>v;ns, which would ibear the slightest compa- rison with Caerleon, siKjh as it was in the supposed age of Gwyddno. Again; the incident is generally represented as having happened, in consequence of having neglected to close a sluice; a cause inadequate, surely, to the alleged effect. And the omission is imputed to a son of Seithin Saidi, King of Dyved, a character whom we have already traced into the regions of mythology. We have marked his intimate connexion with the history of the deluge, and the mystic rites by which it was commemorated, and have ascertained his identity with Tegid, the husband of Geridwen. The landing of those who' escaped from this drowned country, upon the mountains of Snowdpn, is like the land- ing of Deucalion upon Mount Parnassus. It is not his- tory, but mythology. The district of Snowdon, from the remotest period of -British mythology, was famous for its Arkite memorials. Here was the city of Mmrys, or the ambrosial city — this was also called the city of Fhardon, or ■tlie higher powers ; that is, the J^aalim, or AiJiite patriarchs. Here the dragons were concealed in the time of Beli* (the solar deity), and in the time of Prydain, ihe son of Aedd E 2 — — — ■ . - ■ '• ^ r- rrr-'T— • W.ArchBiol. V. 11. p.59. ike Great j'^ a mystical personage o/ the Same family* As dragons were harnessed, in the car of the British Ked, as well as in that of Ceres, the concealing of these animals, in a city of the higher powers, must imply an establish- ment of her mysteries. The land of Gwyddno is said to have been inundated in the time of Emrys, the sovereign. This is the parsonage from whom the temple of Stonehenge, as well as the sacred city in Snowden, derived its name. . If the Britons of the fifth century had a monarch who bore this title, we can only say, that like his successors Uthyr anc( Arthur, he was complimented with a name out of the vocabulary of the Druids; and that the age otEmrys was any age, which ac-» knowledged the Helio-arkite superstition. Let us then return to the dominions of Gwyddnaw. We are told that , his castle stood near the shore, between Dyvi and Aberystwyth: atid that his wear, in which a valuable capture was annually made, upon the eve of Mdy-day, was near that castle, in the opposite beach. This gives the same topography of the coast which we find at present ; and the stated period of the capture points to some mystical mean- ing. It connects the tale of Gwyddnaw with that of Ce- ridwen, who chose the time and place, in the exposure of the. coracle, so conveniently for its recovery in the mystical wear, upon the sacred eve. Hence we may expect to find, that Gwyddnaw was the same character as Seithinin, or Serthin, who introduced the sea over the land, and conse- • W. Arclisiol. V, U. p. 55. 245 «juently tlic same as Tegid; or a representative of the great patriarch. His name seems to imply pn'esf of the ship, from Gziiydd, presence, attendance, and Now, an old term for a ship, which is retained by Taliesin and, Meugant.* This prince had the surname or title of Garanhir, which literally means, the long or high crane. Ag to the propriety of this title, it has been already seen, that the tauriform god, of the continental Celtae, was styled Tri-garanos, from the circumstance of his carrying three cranes ; and I may add, that Mr. Bryant has remarked the same symbolical bird, in the HeHo-arkite superstition of other nations. The Egyp- tian crane, Abis or Ibis, he tells us, for its great services to mankind, was held in high honour, being sacred to the god of light. He adds that Geranos, the Greek name of this bird, was a title of the sun himself, and that the priest of Cybele, the same character as our Ceridwen, was styled Camas, which was a title of the deity whom he sei-ved, and of the same purport as the former, f -The names Gwyddnaw and Garanhir appear, therefore, to have had a marked reference -to Arkite superstition, and to the character of Ceres, or Cybele. But, as the mythological personages of the Britons, * Mai ymsawdd jn llyn lieb Navo W. Archaiol. p. 27. Myned e Fenai cyn ni'm bu Naw- Ibid. p. 159. t See Analysis, V. I. p. 47. ' V we advert to the natural history of the crane, he is an aquatic bird, and a great fisher ; so Gwyddnaw was a Vilwiian priest, aud afisher of men. 24« thougTi few in 1-eality, are honoured with a multiplicity of titles, importing the various functions which they filled, or alluding to the several circumstances of their history ; so the same GwyddftaVv is distinguished by the liairie of Dew- rarth Wledig. The first of these terms implies the mightif bear, and k nearly synoriyitious with Arthnr, the mytholo- gical representative of the patriarch: whilst Wledig is a title of such eminent dignity, that it is only applied to so-« vereigns of tlie highest' order. Elphin, the sori of this persofiage, is represented as having beeii a most forlorn and unfortunate character, previous to the opening of the coracle, or mystical ark ; but afterwards he became illustrious. As the preparation of the cauldron was designee^ for the beiiefit of Avagddu, and the drawing of the wear, for that of Elphih, and as these mystical rites had a mutual coiinexion and dependence, 1 think it highly probable, that under these two names, we have a description of the same personage. The mystical poems r'epreseiit Maelgwn, as having con- fined Elphin in a strong stone tower. This may be mere mythology, or it liiay imply, that the Venedotian king of that name, prohibited some of the heathenish rites of the Britons. Be this a,s it may, wfe find that Taliesin, the great presi- dent of the Bards, devotes himself intirely to the interest of Elphin, styles him his sovereign, and drops many hints, which evidently place him in the connexion of the British Ceres. Thus — " I came to Tegaiiwy, to maintain the con- " test with Maelgwn, the greatest of delinquents : in the ^47 " presence of the Distributor, I liberated my lord, even " Elphin, the sovereign of those who carry ears af corn."* The chief of the Bards seldom assumes the character of a prophet, without adverting to this great atchieveDqent of liberating Elphin ; it was his most brilliant enterprize, in which he was assisted, even by a train of radiant Seraphim. In short, he always speaks of this act, with as ipuch self- importance, as if he were delivering an oracle, or interpret- ing the will of a present god. Taliesin himself was honoured with a title of the sun : he presided in Ca.er Sidi, which, as I shall shew hereafter, was a type of the Zodiac, and he claimed the viceroyalty of the Britisli island, by the investiture of the Helio-arkite god, the acknowledged emperor of the earth and seas. We may therefore be sure, that when he speaks of Elphin, not only as his Zort?, but as the sovereign of all the disciples of Dru- idism, he regarded him, as in some sense, identified with that splendid divinity. The same thing may be inferred from another title of Elphin, namely, Rhuvawn Bevyr, he who radiantly shines forth. The son of Gwyddnaw, distinguished by this appellation, is styled Gwyndeym, the blessed or illustrious sovereign.\ He is also called Eurgelain, the golden body, and ranked with Madawc mab Brwyn, the benificeM son, of Sprigs, and Ceugant Beilliazeg, searcher of certain truth ; two ideal per- sonages who seem to have presided over the art of divination, of oracular mystery. And we are told, g in the bottom of Cardigan bay. Their story has been misunderstood; and the titles which primarily belonged to the Helio-arkite patriarch, were transferred to those priests who supplied his place, in certain departments of the mystic rites ; and particularly, in the finishing scene^ where the truth was to be revealed. Here the noviciate was committed to the sea, which repre- sented the deluge, in a close cordch, the symbol of the arh} and after the example of the just patriarchy was to be saved from this image of the flood, at Gwyddnaw's' ©eor, the type of the mount of debarkation. This wear, I conjecture, from its marked topography. • W. Archaiol. V. II.' p. 15 and 69. + Ibid. v. in. S 249 was no other than the natural causeway, or reef of rocks, in Cardigan bay, which the Welsh call Sam Badrig. With these ideas, the poems ascribed to Gwyddnaw, ex« actly correspond. They seem to be nothing more than old songs,' designed to be chaunted at these mystical representa- tions; but their style and orthography are so very un- coutli, tha;t it is difficult to ascertain the meaning of some i)ass9.ges. One of them is said to have been sung at the time, when the sea covered the land of Gwyddnaw. It con- tains an imprecation upon some damsel who poured the sea over the land. This Nereid or Fury, is described as— Fynnawn wenestyr mor terwyn — *' The attendant on the fountain of tlie raging sea." The calamity, as usual, is ascrib^ to the prevalence of pride and excess. The water covers the plains. They call, in their extreme distress, upon God, who had provided the chait of Kedazel, the Beneficent, whichis a title of the Arkite god- dess, as a place of refuge. Here Gwyddnaw, the priest of tht ship, confines himself in his chamber, and is preserved from the calamity, The subject of another of these poems is a contention, between Gwyddnaw and Gwyn ab Nudd, the Demon- who presided over Annwn, the deep, or abyss. I shall attempt the translation of another ^tt^e po^n, ^.scribed to Gwyddnaw, as it throws considerable light upon 250 bis character and office. It is evidently a formula in the celebration of the mystical rites. It pertains to the cere- , mony of inclosing the aspirant in the coracle, and launching him into the water, as described in Hams Taliesin, and the reputed author supports the dignity of Hierophant. The Probationer, seeing the wear, or Sam Badrig, at a prodigious distance, and tremUing at the thought of the perilous adventure, exclaims, " Though I love the sea beach, I dread the open sea ; a " billow inay come, undulating over the stone," To this, the solemn Hierophant replies — ' " To the brave, to the magnanimous, to the amiable, to " the generous, who boldly embarks, the ascending stone of " the Bards reill prove the harbour of life ! It has asserted th& f.' praise of Heilyn, the mysterious impeller of the sJttf; " andj till the doom shall its symbol be continued'' PKOBATIONEE. " Though 1 love the strand, I dread the ^ave : great has " been its violence — dismal t,he overwhelming stroke. Even " to him who survives, it will be the subject of lamen- " tation." GWYDDNAW. " It is a pleasant act, to wash on the bosem of the " fair water. Though it fill the receptacle, it will not " disturb the heart. My associated train regard not its " overwhelming. " As for him who repented of his enterprize, the lofty 251 " (wave) has hurried the babler far awTay to his death j " but the brave/ the magnanimous will find his cdmpensa- " tion, in arriving safe at the stones. The conduct ofiJiB " water will declare thy merit." (The Hieropliant then addresses the timid j or rejected can- didate.) " Thy coming without external purity, is a pledge that " I will not receive thee. — Take out the gloomy one! — ^' From my territory have I alienated the rueful steed — my <' revenge, lipon the shoal of earth-worms, is their hopeless *" longing, for the pleasant allotment. Out of the recep- ** tacle wliich is thy aversion, did I obtain the eain- *' BOW."* This little piece throws more light upon the character and office of Gwyddnaw, than half a volume of hypothetical reasoning could have done. He performs that Very ceremony, which Hanes Tdliesin ascribes to Ceridwenj the Arkite goddess, upon the imtiga, tion of her husband. He was then, that husband ; or he was a priest, who personally represented the deified patriarch: and upon certain stated daysy exhibited an eniblem of the deluge, by turning his noviciates a drift in Cardigan hay, At the mouth of the Ystiisyth, Styctuis, or Stys!, of the Druids, and in covered coracles> which were manifest sym- bols of the ark. The worthy candidate was encouraged to adventure in this hardy probation, with the prospect of being fished up again at the latiding place of the Bards, when the tide, or pretended deluge had subsided. ♦ W. Archaiol, p. 165. 252 Gwyddnaw and his assistants, ought to have been wa)! ac- quainted with the setting of the currents, though it be fairly admitted, that occasionally, they made a sacrifice to the deep. The doctrine inculcated by this perilous ceremony, is suf- ficiently obvious. The same superintending providence, which had protected the magnanimous and amiable patriarch, from the waters of the deluge, would likewise distinguish his worthy descendants ; and by conducting them in safety to the sacred landing place, ascertain their due admissioii to the privileges of the Baidic religion. At the same time, the very form and condition of this ceremony must have de- terred the pusilanimous candidate, as well as him that was conscious of secret crimes. Fortunately, this was the last hazardous scene in the ini- tiatory rites of the Druids. For we find, that as soon as Elphin had extricated the aspirant from his coracle, he re- ceived him in his arms, gently lifted him upon his steed, or into his ship, for such were the mythological steeds of the Britons, conducted him to. his father, and acknowledged him a Complete Bard of the highest order. The old Bards speak in magnificent terms, of the benefits which were derived from these mysterious rites. They were viewed as most important, to the happiness of human life. They imparted sacred science in its greatest purity and per- fection ; a,nd he who had completed his probation, Mas called Dedwydd, one zcho has recovered intelligence, or rather, has been brought back into the presence. It is nearly equi- valent to the Greek term, Ettoot^k, which describes a person who had beeft initiated into the greater mysteries. S53 tlpon this subject, the little poem said to have been re-» cited hy Taliesin, immediately after he had gone through the cqncluding ceremony, is worthy of remark. He dcr 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 have translated : in one of these, the Bard acknowledges a Divine Providence ; but h6 introduces a christian idea, representing the son of Mary a.t the pledge of his happiness. He then tells us, that God, the true Cresitor of heaven, with whom he had a sure refuge, had been Kis instructor, and his guardian, and that he would finally take hiin to himself. Thus the author, whoever he was, mixes his Bardism with some reference to the christian system. But, as his reflections result from the celebration of rites, which Were certainly heathenish, we cannot doiibt, but that tli^y Were of the same kind with the formula which had been usfed"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 thegreat Bishop Warburton. mi iUs lordship, having remaxkei Jthe divisloji of ^tlje Eleii-' sinian mysteries, into thje /e«s ;a»4 the gi-eater ; and having Btated, that in the former, was inculcated the general be- lief of a Providelice, and a future state, ^i^d that they were only preparatpry to the greater — thus proceeds — " But there was one insuperable obatacle in .paganism, " to a life of purity afld holiness, which was the vicious " exaiiq)les of their gods." — '—" There was ^ ixecessity " therefore of remedying this evil, which could only be " done by striking at the root of it; so that such of the " initiated, ias were judged capable, were made acquainted " \yith the -w.bple .delusiojj. The mystagogue taught them, *' th?kt Jupiter, Mercury, Venus, Mars, gnd the whole rab.Me of licentious deities, were indeed, .only \vy-Gyvycheu, above Gwddw Gl&s, It is a circular " eiitrenchment, about twenty-six yards diameter; on the " outside whereof, are certain rude, stone pillars ; of which " about twelve are now standing, some two yards, and " others five foot high : and these are again encompassed " with a stone wall. It stands upon the 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 on end, in a triangular form."* We are also told that, at the distance of about three fur- Gibson's Camdea, Col. BOS. 301 longs from this monument, there are several huge heap*, or Cams, and also cells, constructed of huge stones, fixed ia the ground, and each cell covered with one o^ two stones of a superior size. Such was the sanctuary which was held sacred to Cerid- wen and Tulyiey, or Ceres and Proserpine, in the middle of ijie twelfth century, an age in which the honours of those characters were nol forgotten: for we have already seen, that their mysteries, strange as the fact may appear, were still celehrated, not only with toleration, hut 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 subjects 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 this 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 Taliesih, 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, werie regai-ded 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 phanomena, displayed in that celestial zone. ' '"" 302 In this monument of the Gymfhhi, we find the eii'de of tpelve stones, which undpubtedly represented the twelve signs, the same which appeared jipon the Antique, pub- lished by M. De Gebelin, commemorative of the history of Ceres and Proserpine. From the desoription quoted out of Camden, imperfect as it 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 theSouth to the North extremity of this Island, and which our best antiquaries pronounce, not only to have been tem^ pies of the heathen Britons, but also to have been con- structed upon dstronomifial principles : in short, to have re- presented, either tl^e Zodiac itself, or certain cycles and computations, deduced frqrn the study of astronomy. Hejice the frequent repetition of twehe, nineteen, tMrty, oi sixty stones> which has been remarked in the circles of these Our fane of Snowden, it is admitted, could never have vie4 in inagnificence, with a Stonehenge, or an Ahury. In the ages of Druidism, it could have been regarded only as a^opincial sanctuary, but the number of twelve stonds which constitutes its circle, is twice repeated in the stupendoiis fabric of Ahury ; it freq^uently occurs also, in the Cornish monuments, not^d by Dr. Bqrlase ; and it is found in the complete temple of Classemiss, in the Western Isles of ScQtland. Here is also the cell, consisting of three huge stones, erected in a, triangular form, as in the structure of Ahury. From this little Cambrian chapel, then I§t us endeavou? 303 - to trace our way to the larger moauments of British super- stition. That Stonehenge was a Druidical temple of high emi- nence, .and that its construction eyinces considerable pror ficiency 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 leai-ned 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 on that subject is " here presented to the reader. I take it for granted, that " the passage cited by DiodoruSt from iJecatew^, .arjifl be- " fore alluded to by Mr. Knight, is [to be understood of] " this identical temple , of Stonehenge, or Choir Gaur, its " ancient British name, meaning, according to Stukeley, " the Great Cathedral or Grand^ Choir; and surely, no wa- " 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 circular temple, for " IT COULD MEAN NO OTHER, by Diodorus the Sicilian, " from a writer still prior in time."f • lod. Antiq. V. VI. p. 1S3. + Ibid. p. 13$. 304 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 archi|ecture, as connected with " the astrononjical, 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- " ment of this old Di-uid 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 fire perpetually blazed^-— " were constantly fabricated. In the third place, the situ- *' ation is fixed astronomically, as we shall make fuUy evi- " dent when we come to speak of Abury : the grand en- " trances, both of this tjemple, and that superb monument " of antiquity, being placed exactly North-east, as all the " gdies 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 «zjr/y, " 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 Metonic, " or rather Indian cycle; and that of thirty, repeatedly 505 •' occurring, the celebrated age, or generation of the ": Druids. " Fifthly, the temple being uncovered, proves it to have " been erected under impressions, similar to those which " animated the ancient Persians, virho rejected the ini- " 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 hortts 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."* 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 Cornwall, and therefore was probably derived to them from the Phoenicians.* Our learned author's opinion of the dignity of this struc- • Ind. Antiq. V. VI. p. 128. t See Sect. 5. 306 tttre, of the knowledge of astronomy displayed in its plan, and of its destination as a heatlien temple, I should suppose will hardly be dispi^ted. 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 me, however, that considerable evidence of this connection does exist ; 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 this venerable pile. The story of this massacre is familiar to the old writers of England and Wales ; but by way of introduction to the do- cuments which I rnean to produce, it may be proper to insert a connected account of its circumstances, from a mo- dern author of the fornier nation. Mr. Warrington, in his history of Wales, relates the transaction 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, the Saxon chief had recourse to an expedient, suggested by 307 liis wily and fertile imagination, as well as from a kriowledge 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 oifer any violence to the kingdom, but only to make a vigorous opposition against his son Vortimer, whom he artfully pretended, he thought to have been alive. 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 appointed, 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 futureresistance. 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 jiierson, but to the king. 308 Notwithstanding the many proofs the Saxons had givert of their perfidy, the Britons, with a degree of credulity/ peculiar to themselves, fell into the snare, and came nn-' armed to the place appointed for the interview; where, 'hy the contrivance of Hengist, they were placed with hi» train, 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, in the unguarded inonifents of intoxication, Hengist gave the signal agreed on — Take 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 most eminent for their talents, in the council or in the field, perished in this bloody ca- rousal. — Vortigern was spared in the general carnage, though detained a prisoner by Hengist ; probably with no other design, than as a cover to a subsequent act of the British prince, which carries with it a strong appearance of base- ness; for in order to obtain his liberty, he made an assign- ment to the Saxon chief, of the counties of Norfolk and Sussex, and also confirmed him in the possession of his for- mer territories.* To these incidents of the massacre, many old writers add the exploit of Eidiol or Eidol, a British prince, who had the" good fortune to escape. His character is recognized by English antiquaries, who call him Eldol or Edol, and say that he was Earl of Gloucester, in the year 46 1 .f » Warrington's Hist, of Wales, lat Edit. p. 57. + See Dugdale's Baronage, p. 1, witli his authority : and Gibson's Camden, col. 287. EaH must be here regarded as a mere translation of his British title. 309 Tlie 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 sera, 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 Eidiolwas 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 'Bisfiop 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 Amhrosius, 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 Aui- bresbury, taking Hengist prisoner at Caer Gymn, or Co- ijisborow, and causing him to be beheaded.']- If this Eidiol was not Ambrosius, we must consider him as the great agent and counsellor of that prince, to whom his actions were consequently ascribed, But to proceed. It were not to be expected, that the circum- , stances of this massacre, so menjiorable 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 wjU fully explain the light, in which qui • W. Arehaiol. V. II. p. 68. + Compare W. ArchaioJ. V. II. p. 255, 856—271—273, with Gibson's Camden, Col. 847, and Warrington's Hist, of Wales, p. 64, and his aulho- Tilies. See also the songs of the Godo'dio, in the sequel of this section. 310 remote ancestors contemplated the celebrated fabric of Stonehenge. The first of these documents is the Song of CUHELYN.* Greid bleid blyghawd Gretyf detyf durawd Gnawd brawdwriaeth Gwr oet Eiteol Gonvy reol Gordetliol doeth Gwyfch vill Dragon Gosparth Brython Gosgyman weith Gnawt tryganet Gnawt kyhidet Gorset metveith Met win kyvran Marchauc midlan Man meidrolaeth. Medrit mur Ior *■ Maus pedir pedror Mawk cor kyvoeth. * W. Atchaiol. p. 164. In the table of contents, it is ascribed to a Bard of the eighth eentury ; but in Mr. Owen's Com. Biog^ more accnrately, to Cu- helyn the son of Caw, about tl>e middle of the sixth cmtury. Sll Moes breisc vreyr Moes wiith vehir Milwr orwyth. Maer claer kywid Mad cathyl kyvid Moidit ieith. Mas cas nognaw Maer antedawg i' I Maredawg doeth. Medel visci Mel vartoni Mynogi gwyth. Myn vinad vron Medw mal ton " ' M.or tros^draeth. Mer kerteu kein Myvir corein Mirein Anoeth, Menestir Vytud Meuet vedud Molud esmwyth. Music a gan Mal eur orian Man vyhanieth. Gweith reith rysset 312 Gwich ruich rywet Rinwet Reen. Rec rysiolav Rec a aichav Ruymav Virchen. Rhuthyr uthyr awe! Rynaut uvel Ryvel febin. Ruteur dyrlyt Rychlut clotryt Rihit adien Reuvet parawd Rin vyn wascaw4 Tra gwawd wobrin, Ry hait itawt Rycheid^ y najvt Rac kawt gelyn, Rychetwis detyf ,^ Rychwynis gretyf Rae lletyf Ogyrven, Rae dac drossot Reghit brid bod Rot Cuhelin, Of this poem, the 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 decisioti. At the time when the brave Eidiol was presiding in the circle, a man eminently distinguished for wisdoip : Then the chief, having malice in his designs against the Britons, 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 knighf of the inclosure, at the appointed spot : And the spot appointed, was in the precinct of Idi" ; in the fair quadrangular area of the gkeat sangtua^y of THE DOMINION. To indulge the brawny chief— to indulge him whose vir- tue was the rushing of spears, the warrior, supreme ii^ 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^ (dism with the gratification of fury : * ffengitti a: it >9 fully evident from tbe subsetjueot passages. 314 The breast, intent upon violence, rages like the dtunken wave of the sea, tumbling over the strand: It overwhelms the pleasing strains> the study of the ch'cle, the fair circle of Anoetk, Thus, , the minister of BvMud, possessing the talent to rehearse the gentle song of praise, , Chaunted his music, like a golden hymn, on the area of battle: But it was the battle of sudden asSattlt— of the dreadful, bursting shriek — the mystetibus purpose of the chief. Who eixclaimed with a curse — " I will rush forth" — with an execration — " I will command! I wiU bind the so- vereign : " Like the sudden bttr&tiilg 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 ; and he shall be defended blameless : " Here is aflSuence 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. 315 Instead of a tear shed over him, may his soul be 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 Hengist, 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 Eidiol, whose history is invariably connected 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 is 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 Idr, the fair quadrangular area of the great sanctuary of the dominion, lor is a name sometimes applied to the Supreme Being, but borrowed from British mythology, where it seems to have meant the sun — moving within his orbit, or circle. • Ind. Antiq. Vol. VI. p, 316 Both in name and character, this British divinity seems to be closely alHed to the Orus 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 hot- " tom, 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- " mortality,"* " Both Oriis 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 Lieddv, Ogyrven, the gentle goddess, so lor seems to h^ve been a name of her recovered son, Avagddu, Geoffry of Monmouth's Choir Gaur, or more accuratelj', C6r Gawr, the great circle, or sanctuary, has been often quoted by antiquaries, as the British name of this fabric of Stonehenge. In this poem of Cuhelyn, we have not only Manor Cor, which is exactly synonymous with the other, but Mawr Cor Cyvoeth, the great circle, or sanctuary of the dominion, implying its pi'erogative, as the metropo- litan temple of the Britons ; which fully comes up to the idea of Dr. StuTceley and Mr. Maurice, • Bryant's Analysis, V. II. p. 327, 330. t Ibid, p, 394. 517 That a heathen tenl{)le should be deemed to retain stich a J)rerogative in the middle of the fifth century, must be regarded as a singular fact; But the populace of Britain 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 com- mitted at the feast. This victim is here described as in- dteelling, or resident in the temple. He is styled the illus- trious president of song, and the minister of Buddud, the same, I presume, as Buddug, the goddess of victory. 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 must now hasten to prepare the reader for the other British document, which I promised upon the same sub- jecti This is no other than the celebrated Gododin, a work of £^bout nine hundred lines, composed by Aneurin, a 'Nor- thumbrian Briton. It will be necessary to introduce this work, with some prefatory observations. Mr. Turner, in his Vindication, has fully ascertained the 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 the composition, An. 510. 318 An historical poem of that age, composed by an indivi- dual of a British tribe, which for a thousand years has ceased to exist, may surely he deemed in itself a subject of curiosity. This circumstance, together with the high im- portance which the English antiquaries attach to the struc- ture of Stonehenge, will, I trust, apologize for the neces- sary length of the present iarticle. The name of the Gododin is not new to the public. Se- veral ti'anslated specimens of it have appeared, and some of these allured the lofty muse of Grai/. The work has been pronotlnced a noble 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 celebrated, 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 sucli 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 which has hitherto been taken of this work, I may account 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 the natives, the only people who under- stand the language of the Bard. Tlie orthography is ob- solete ; and the author's dialect had some original variation from that of any Welsh tribe. The Bard seldom introduces the proper names of his heroes ; but, as it is usual in popu- lar songs, and especially political songs, composed in trou- 3X9 blesome times, generally describes them by characteristical 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 o»e 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 mere fraginfsnts, 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 Gof 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 Archaiqlogia. I have also reduced all the author's words into alphabetical ordef, 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 part, and suggested a 3m fefefetice, whenever I met with a passage in any othfii' Bard, which seemed to hear upon the suhject 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! whole Gododin, line by line, with Mr. Owen's Dictionary at ipy 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 one 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 Llwyd,* where it is called Y Godadynne, 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 soil gs ; and it is intimated, that they originally amounted to tri chanu a thriugaint a thn- chant, 363 songs. In the old and valuable copy, lately communicated tome 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 " ArcliSEol. Britan. p. 262. + W. Arclmiol. V. I. p. 61. $^The learned author of the History of Brecknockshire. 321 songs, is confirmed by, the author himself, who tells us, that it was his custT)m to compose a Cenig, sonnet, or shoit song of the Gododin, to amuse the nightly horrors of a solitary prison. I also perceived that the great catastrophe, which the 13ard deplores in most of the remaining songs, was not, as it has been generally represented, the fall of 360 nobles in the f eld of battle, to which they had rushed forth in a state , of intoxication,' hut the massacre of 360 unarmed British 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 whplly 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, or 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 correspoiid with the age of Aneurin? The Bard represents himself as having beep 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 be quotes in the ^ame passage. . 329 Here is no discordance of dates, which may not he 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 iato 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 the date of the composition by a long interval of years; for he supports the" credit of the circumstaficefs 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 songsj 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 cleai-, that an internal 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 tlie 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 othfer event. This is my decided opinion. I foresee, however, a few objections, which it may be proper to obviate. • It will be asked — Why has not the Bard mentioned Hengist^ and his British partizans, by mmef To this it may be answered, that Aneurin, at the time wheii 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 safer way of gratifying his resentment, by giving such bold hint^ of the affairs, and the individuals to which he alluded, that they could not be mistaken ; and fhis method afforded him an opportunity of paiiiting 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 Aneulrin's subject, as referred to the temple of Stonehenge, it may be objected, that the term Gododin, in Nennius, implies the region of the Otta" dini, between the rampart of Antonine, and the wall of Severus : whilst in several passages of this poetn, we find that Gododin means the same as Gatti'aeth, the place where 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 composition, 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 triot 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 » surrounding rampart or bank. y 2 324 And that the name of Godo was actually/ appropriated to these temples, we have ah-eady seen, in treating of the fa- mily of the British Ceres : for Seithin Saidi, Jamts or Saturn, 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- traith, is liable to the same ol^jection, and admits of the same solution. This name has some' similarity to Cataiick, near Richmond, in Yorkshire, the Cataracton of the an- cients. Yet it is not h^tice to be suspected, that by Go- dodin and Cattraeth, our author meant to point out an OUadinian 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. Ill the preceding section, to which I have just-referred, it is remarked, that the same Seithin Saidi bad .a son, named Cadeiriaith, the language of the chair or presidency ; 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 passages of Aneurin's work, it is evident that this is the precise import of his Catraith. Having, as I have already stated, oblaiued such a ge- neral view of the nature and subject of the Gododin; as enabled me to estimate th,e value of most of the various readings, I sat down patiently to re-translate the whole as closely as possible, without sacrificing perspicuity to the mere jdiom of my author, and with the most minute atten- 3^5 tion to Mr. Owen's explanation of obsolete words, even in 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 bad 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. 32<1 THE GODODIN. SONG I. " GEEDvr GWK OED GWAs."* — W. Archaiol. p. 1. Aneurim commemorates the young Bard, his Associate, whom Hengist had slain at the Feast. See the Poem of Cuhelyn, in the former Part of the Section, and No. l6 and 25, of the present Series. Manly was the soul of the youths 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 taeapon 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^ Gwthyt a'm dias. t The clean weapon of the Bard, like the Hasta Pura of the Romans, seemj to have been an emblem of peace. — The Bards were regarded as heralds of peace. — See song 25, where this Bard is iatroduQed by the name of Oicf R« For Ethy aur a Plmn, I read jjAjiwr Aphan, \ 327 feast. The raven shall have his food, before thou wilt lift the hostile spear, O Owen, my dear companion ! There is sorrow in the plain, where the son of Marro was, slaughtered ! SONG II. " CAEAWC CYNHAIAWC." — p. }. The Bard descants upon the Manners of Hengist, and touches upon some Particulars of the Plot, which he appears to have concerted, in Part, zeith Vortigern, the British King. Adokned with his wreath,* the chief of the rustics an- nounced, that upon his arrival, unattended by his host, and in the presence 6f the Maid,-f he w J Hengist's father, l>y thp Saxons CE^led Wet^isse, 343 SONG XI. " AEWR Y DWY VSGWYD." — p. 5- TMs Song refers to the Actions of Eidiol,* or Amhrosius, subsequent to the Massacre of the British Nobles. The hero of tlie 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 blazing 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 Bard^ 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- frj of Monmouth, reprpseiit this prince as having singly attacked the Saxons, and sISin an incredible number of them with a pole. The poems of Aneurin apd Cuhelja reconcile the report of his action; with probability. Having sonje suspicion of treachery, he takes his station a> 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 the populaccr 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 which had been there deposited. It was Hengist's plan, immediately after the massacre, to burst into the tem- ple, and plunder its treasures: but his Saxons, being half intoxicated, and only armed with their corslets and short daggers, were thrown into confusioii by this subitaneous host of Britons, and by the surrounding flames ; so that after some loss, they were compelled to retreat, and, for the. present, to postpone the fOmpletioij 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 enei'gy in his commands. Buddvan (the horn of victory), the son of the bold Bleiddvan (lofty wolr), washed his armour with gore. Injurious, mOst injurious vvotiH it be, to neglect the 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 calends 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,f who was a leader in the field of blood, after the fatal wine had been quaifed by Gwenabwy-J (the fair corpse), the son of the Lady — the warrior of Galltraeth.^ , * Or, before he was buried, after those who laid » plot for his life, had accomplished their design. This obscure sentence alludes to the mnnner oV Ambiosius' death. Eppa, a Saxon physician, treacherously poisoned him, by the instigation of Vaictia, the son of Vortigern. See Warrington, and liis authorities, p. 65, &6. + Hengist, who slaughtered the British nobles, and wasted the country, after the death of Vortimer, who had fought at Galltraeth. i Vortimer, who was made a corpse, or poisoned, by the contrivance of bit step-mother, Rowena. § Galltraeth', the Gallic strand, or shore of the Gallic sea. The B^d de- ecribes the battle of Galltraeth, song 34, and ascribes the massacre to the resentment of the Saxons, for the victory which the Britons had obtained in that engagement, Hruce it appears, that this was Vortimer's victory, recorded by Nennius, Ad Lapidem Tituli, supra ripam Gallicl maris, where the Saxons were entirely beaten off British ground, and compelled to fly to their ships., Gibson's Camden Col. 243. Lkch Titleu,' or Lapit Tituli, is substituted for Galltraeth in another passage- of the Go(}odin. 345 SONG XII. " BU GWtR 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. Jfo steeds overtook Marchleu-)-. (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 mystic 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 cell of the sa- cred FiRE,§ whilst the corn-stacks were made to puff out with smoke, by those who had cut with the blade armfuls of furze. II Theii, as when a reaping corties in doubtful weather, did the splendid knight cause the blood to flow. From the Southern regions did he send Issac,^ whose * The B^ard quotes the authority of songs which had been composed upon the occasion. ^ + WarchUu. and the governor, refer to Eidiol : for the action described, ij that which is expressly and exclusively ascribed to that hero. J The Saxon. $ These are important hints upon the subject of the Bardic temple. II In subsequent passages, the Bard expressly describes Eidiol as iavolviug the Saxons in flames. H A corrupt orthography for ^sea — " The British prince (Ambrosius) then " laid siege to the city of York, in which place Ocla, 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, "o-Warrington, p. 64. 346 conduct had been like the inconstant sea: he wasftiUof modesty and gentleness, whilst he regaled himself with mead ; but he would possess a territory, from the rampart of Ofer, to the point of Madden — then the savage was glutted with carnage, the 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. " CAEEDIG CAEADWY E GLOD. p. 5. We are here presented with a- striking Conttast, 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 Prince of the fifth Century. CAEEDi(ii — 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 his home ! * The Hydrams of the British mysteries.— See the third section of this Essay. Eidiol, or Ambrosius, was his mystical son, or an adept in the Batdi? mjsteries. ' 347 Caredig, the amiable chief, leading in the tumultuous 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 hi* duty in 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, he was the bull of the host. Tire 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 the clear mead was put into his hand> the hero saw his fathe? 1^0 more. SONG XIV. ♦' GWYK A GEYSSIASANT."— p. 6. The Bard commemorates several of the Nobles who had been slain at the Feast, and celebrates the Heroism which they had displayed in the IBattle of Galltraeth. The heroes who hastened to the feast, had moved forth • From this single passage, it appears that, amongst all his heathenish my- ' tl)olpgy» the Bard acknowledged some genuine tenets of Christianity. + He had returned in s^ety from the wars of Vortinjerj but he did uot psc^pe ffon) the fatal banijuet. 348 Wflanimously, 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 motheis they were not nursed ! How lasting the resentment and the grief they occasioned ! After men had acted bravely — at the moment when they were regaling with 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.|| 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. t The Saxons had been utterly e!:pelled by Vortimer ; and again, they re- turned to Britain upon the restoration of Vortigern. ' \ Here Gododin is evidently a name of the great sanctuary, where the mas-- sacre was perpetrated. ' H Vortimer's last victory, snpra ripam Gallici maris, was the great occasion of Hengist's resentment. The Bard now proceeds to describe the bravery which his heroes had displayed in that decisive' actimi. ' 349 with thp force of warlike steeds, and red armour and shields> and uplifted spears, and shjarp lances, and glittering mail, and swords. — They had excelled — they had penetrated through the host^-^before their hlades five battalions had fallen. The lofty Rhuvawn* had given gold to the. altar; and to the Bard, munificent, honorary rewards. SONG XV. " NY WNAETHPWYD NEUADD." — p. 6. The Bard speaks of the great Temple, in the Precincts of which the fatal Banquet was celebrated. He recites the heroic Acts of Eidiol, or Ambrosius, who is described bi( a Variety of Epithets ; and touches upon gorne Particulars of the Retaliation of the Britons, at the Battle of Maes Beli, A STKrcTUKEf was not formed so eminently perfect, so great, so magnificent, for 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, j who was harnessed, and armed with a • Jlhuvawn, the same as Elphin, the Solar Divinity, or his priest. + 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 far strife — being the sanctuary of the pacific Bards and Druids. — Here, also, was-' the cell af the sacred fire, mentioned in a preceding paragraph. ^ Hengist, who began his outrage, by killing the Bard. 550 piei'cing 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 sanctuary. —^^e\er more did the child of Teithan move. This hall would not have been made so impregnable, had not Morienf been equal to Caradoc. He did not retreat with sorrow towards Mynawc.J — Enraged is he, and fiercei' than.the son of Bedrawc.§ Fell is the hand of the knight i in flames he involves the retreating foe. Terrible is the shout of the city,l| to the timid train, who wf re scattered before the army of Gododin. From the in- closure of fire, precipitately they fled; In the day of their wrath, they became nimble. They shrunk from their pur- * Mr. Bryant has demonstrated, that Saturn and Rhea, Osiris and Isis, &c. implied the patriarch Noah, and the GenitiS of the Ark : with these, I have identified the DiDi/van and JDwyvach; Hu and Kid; Tegid and Ceridaen, &c. of the Britons, ti'iie is liere introduced hy his proper name ; but I do not infer from bencea that this name had been preserved by tlie Pagan Britons. The sacred writings were known in the days of Aneurin : and that Bard, or some one before him, had sufficient discernment to perceive, that his H«, Tegid, or Dwyvan, was origin- , ally the same person as the N'oe of Scripture history. Eseye was certainly the same character as Isisi and Teithan must be iden-> tified with .the Greek Titan, or the Sun, who is called Titin, in the Hibetno- Celtic. The Bard, as usual, connects his Arkite superstition wilhSabian idolatry. + A name of the same deified person, but transferred to his priest, Eidiol, as it is evident from the action ascribed to him. $ The sovereign— yorfigern, who is elsewhere styled Mynawe M'don, so* rereign of the natives. 5 Bedwyr, the son of Bedrawc, a fabnlous hero. II The community of Bardsj who probably resided iu booths, withiD the ouiward vailum of the temple. 35.1 pose*. Did they merit their horns of mead — the slaves of the 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. Those whom he pierced were not pierced 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|| 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 plnnderiag the temple, which appears, upon this sccasioD, to have been richly furnished and decorated. + The Saxons, who had been the mercenaries and the body guard of Vorti- gern, lord of the mountainous VcTiedntia. Golyddan calls them Cychmyn Gwrtheyrn Gwynedd, the boatmen of Vortigern of Gwynedd. J " The Prince" — his office and his actiob prove, that the title miist here be referred to Eidiol. § The sudden attack of Hengist's assassins. II Eidiol, the governor of the feast. 5J The mystical son of Gwyddnaw — the Solar Divinity. — See Section Si ** Throughput/the Gododin, this singular title implies Eidiol, or Ambrosius, as the priest and representative of Hu, Noe, or Beli, of wliojii the bull was the £ivourite symbol. 352 in the court ; but boldly did hi s 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.-|- 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, in Yorkshire, where Ambrosius (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. JVs the Bard denominates the leader a hull of battle, so his forces vreie the herds of the roaring Beli. This last name, though conferred upon several princes, was properly a title of the Solar Divinity, whose sanctuary the Saxons had profaned. Prom this victory obtained by his votaries, the field of battle may have acquired the name of Maes Beli, ihe 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 rims within view of Connisborow, an old castle, called in British, ■" Caer Conan, and situated upon a rock ; whither (at the battle of Maisbelly, " when Aurelius Ambrosius 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 desperate engagement, Hengist had sent to the British commander a flag of truce, bear- ing his own arms j which Consisted of a white prancing horse, upon a red field. Verstegan, p. 131. 353 Again, we are conjared 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 --thait his host " might press the ground !" . SONG XVI. " AM DEYNNI DEYLAW DRYLEN."— 'p. 7. The Death of the Bard at the Feast-y-the Resentment and. Revenge of Eidiol and the Britons. Foe the piercing of the skilful and most learned man ; for the fair corpse which fell upon the sod ; for the cutting of his hair from his head ; round the sethereal (temple)* of the eagle of Gwydien,^ G wyddhwchj turned his protect- ing spear — the image of the master whom he adoTed. A A • Atnyr, the slcy, in this passage, and Wyhr, which has the same import, in the works of Taliesin, seems to imply a building, which, like Stonebenge, and other British temples, is open t» the shy. Thus Taliesin — " 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 ! Before " tke lake of the son of Erbin , let thy ox be stationed — there, where there has " been a retinue, and in the second place, a procession, and in eagle aloft in " the sky, and the path of- Granwyn" (Apollo). Append. No. 2. So again ; he mentions the Druid of Wybr Geirivnydd, the ethereal (tem-, pie) 0^ Geirwnydd. — Append. No. 12. + The same as Gwydion, the Hermes of the Britons. t The«iiid boar — anepitliet Applied to EidioU 354 Morien* defended the blessed sanctuary — the basis, and chief place of distribution of the source of energy, of the most powerful, and the most ancient.f — She is transpierced ! Though Bradwen J (the treacherous dame) was a damsel, she fell— the just expiation for Gwenabwy (the fair corpse) the son of Gvven (the lady). For the piercing of the skilful, most learned iflan, the minister § bore a shield in the action. With energy, his sword descends on the pate. In Loegria, his stern ones cut their way before the prince. He _ who handles the wolf's neck, without a cudgel in his hand, will have a rent in his garment. . .. , . In the conflict of wrath and resentment, the treacherous lady perished — she did not escape. • A title of the god, and hence of his priest — as hefore. -f- 1 must leave it to the antiquaries, to ascertain tliese di^iinitieSi, b; theii; attributes. J Kowona, who poisoned Vortimer, her step-son — :thence called, the fair corpse, the son of the lady. $ Eidiol, who, though he seems to have been a much belter Druid thiR Christian, held the rank of bishop, iq the apostate church of the Britons. 355 SONG XVII. " KUR 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- ficient 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 ther^, 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 iiot claitaed where success has been wanting. AA 2 35d Though there be a hundred men in one house — I know the cares iti which I am involved — the chief of the men mu8t defray the charge. • ■ SONG XVIII. " NYT WYF VYNAWC BXIN." — p. 7. The Bard, who is a Prisoner of War, alludes to tie preced- ing Sarcasm, and declares the Circnnistarices undei^ which his So?igs were composed. I AM not violent nor querimonious : I will not avenge my- self'on the petulant ; nor will I laugh in derision. This parti'ele* 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 hlorn, and of the assembly 6f Cattraeth, I, Aneurin, will sing, what is khown to Taliesin, who imparts to ■ me his thoughts : and thus, a sonnet of the Gododin is finished, before the dawn of day+. * 'this contemptible scoff. "'*"' i . ' ■ ' » '. • T From this passage, as well as from the general tenor of the work, it IR evident that the .Gododia was not undertaken as one single poem, with a re» gular and connected design. 357 SONG XIX. " GOROLED GOGLEDB GWR AE GOEUC." — p. 8. In the last Song, we found Aneurin amusing the tedious Nights of his Imprisonment, with the Compgsition of his Sonnets. But now he has, for some Time, been set at large by a Son of Llywarch.* ji 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 Vortimer; but the , Paragraph which confains this Catalogue is very imperfect, and the Sense is collected, with some 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 lo have been Llywarch Hin, the celebrated Bard. But here a difficulty presents itself. Llywarch is the reputed author of au 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 640, could not have liberated Aneurin, who .had witnessed the ma^ sacre of 472. I think it probable, that Aneurin's friend was the son of Llywarch Hin ; but that Llywarch, 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 abook which contained some of Llywarch's genuine works — hence it has passed under his name. f Our author was a Korthumbriaq Britoo^ and so was Llywarch H^n. 358 of gentle disposition — a liberal Lord, who has not been equalled. Yet earth does not support, nor has mother borne, 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 Ceneu, 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 vessels 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 Bernicia,"f- booths for horses were prepared in the hall : there was streaming gore, and blood-stained armour, and the long knife :{: 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 man un- armed, by turns. II • Alluding to the " Gorsedd," or solemn Bardic assembly, ia which Hengist li^d p^rp^tr^ted his atrocigus d^ed. + The Bard being a Northern Britoq, mentions hjs own countrymen wkh a patriotic distinction, though they h^d constituted only a part of the dcvoteij assembly. i The sear, with which Heugist's party wer« privately armed. % Bowena and Vortigern. || The Saxons, wearing their corslets, and armed with the dagger^ the Britons totally unarmed. " By the contrivance of Hengist, they were placed with his train, alter- ~" natel^, at the tables, under the pretence of confidence, aijd of a f5ien(ll» " intercourse with each other."— Wflrringlim, p. 59. 359 These were not men who would stab and fly. They had been the generous defenders of every region — at TJech Leuca, at the stone of Titleu, at Leudvri, at Llech Levdir, at Gardith, at Tithragon, at Tegvare, in front of Gododin^ at Ystre Annan, 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 alien host. To form a rank before th^ 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 K had broken the sprigs, to know who should be overwhelmed, who should conquer — to know who should be 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 the various readings, including those which are inserted in the text. W. Archaiol. p. 13, + Hengist. j: Eidiol, or Ambrosias, as befor?; . ^ Probably, the old name of Maes Beli, before it had obtained a new Resignation, from the victory of the £ritons. II Hengist, who is e'sewhpre called Vyvynawl Vrych, the freckled intruder, is here repiejEnted as consulting his lots upon the event of the approaohiDg battle. 360 ** The native is roused— ^the invader is subdraed."* In Rhiwdrech, f he who is not bold, will fail of his pur- pose. Victory is not for him who dreads being overtaken. -^^•>^*- J, SONG XX. " NY MAT WANPWYT." — p. 8. ^his little Dialogue may be supposed to have passed between Rowena and a'native Briton. It forcibly paints the FeeU ings of the Times^ %0WE]ied for some time pregnant of him, and that, at the expiration of that period, he was bom 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 grain of the Atkites, which had vege- tated upon the mount, and produced an ear of cortr; in this 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 Celidwen, where he was subjected to jje«a«ce, fLXid modelled into the form of a perfect man. This is also the representation which H}'\\'el, the son of Owen, gives of the affair. l^ow it may be fairly presumed, that this confinement in the zvomb of Oeridwen, in the hall of that goddess, and in the smoky recess, implies one and the same thing : and those representations clearly allude to the inclosure of the novi- ciate, either for mortification, and trial of his fortitude, or for fippropriate instruction in some private cell, which was 591 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 kijnd, I presume, was also implied by the n«rvho per' petually 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 sevens none returned frow " Caer Vediwid." Arthur's second imprisonment with Wen ^endragon, or the lady qf the supreme leader, out of which GeofFry of Monmouth has wprked up a curious tale, is either a dupli- pate 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 Eigi/r, the generative prin- ciple, or the source, of generation, and tiierefore the Magna Mates, Ceridrcep,, py Ceres. Arthur's third imprisonment in the cell of KM, or Kyd, under the flat stone of Echemaint, evidently alludes to the British mysteries, which commemorated the Diluvian his, |ofy, And the cell appropriated tb this emblematical cona \ 409 Unement, 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 corn, and mounted *' aloft, with the connected serpents."* I also observe, that in an old christian poem, which goes under the name of Taliesin, the jfeA which swallowed Jonof is called Kyd. — , A ddug Jonas o berfedd Kyd \ « Who brought Jonas out of the bdly of Kyd?" This is onlyt the Greek kiw?, 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 flat stone is siniply called Carchar HM, the prison of mystery. The name ISchemaint, which is given to this stone, I do * Appendix, No. IS. + W. Archaiol. p. 43. % Analysis, V. fit. p. 301 and 408. 4tO ^ not understand: in another copy, it is called Y Llech m Chymmraint, the flat 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 whatj^aif 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 denoniinated stone arks, and which, in their local designations, retain the name of Arthur and Ceridwen, and the memorial of Arkite mysteries ? Arthur is said to have been released from each of the three prisons by Goreu, Best, the son of Cystenin, 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 tlie word, and that we ought to understand Cistenin, the minister of the arJc, 411 SECTION V. Traditions relating to the Progress, Revolutions, and Sup- pression of the British Superstition. jI\ ^CCESSFUL investigation of the progress and revo- lutions of Druidism, might be expected to attract the no- tice of the public. It would certainly be curious to trace the changes, whether improvements or corruptions, which toot place in the rdigion 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 pations, or devised from their own fancy. But for the basis of such an investigation, we want an authentic historical document, enlighted by accurate chro- 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 hav€ left is a mass of mythological notices, which were certainly written in ages, when Druidism was in high esteem, and had many votaries : ^nd from those, the genuine opinion and tradition of the Britons, dur- ing those ages, may be in some measure collected. From these aenigmatical tablets, I shall attempt to make 4>n 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 apbstasy 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 toward? 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 \ think I have proved, that the Ceridwen of the Druids was as much the genim 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 volupie 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 sun, was an innovation, rather, tlian 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. But the reader of taste may require some apology, for the homeliness of its characters. Mythologists have never been very scriipulous 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 pf the British hierarchy, but all of them more or less Arkite, under the characters of three mighty szeine 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 them as very respectable and becoming. Though this representation be partly peculiai* to the Britons, it has still, some analogy with the notions and the mythology of other heathens. Thus, we are told that the priests of the Cabiri were styled Sues — swine. Greece and Rome consecrated the soffl to" Ceres, and gave it the name of the myistical animal. The learned and ingenius M. De Gebelin says, that this selection was made, not only because the sow is a very pro- lific animal, but also, because she phws the grovnd, and 414 because the plongli has a figure similar to that of her snotit, and produces the same effect.* The Cymry proceeded somewhat further, but still upon the same road. lu Britain, Ceres herself assumes the character of Hwch, a sow ; she addresses her child, or devotee, by the title of Forchellan, little pig ; her congregation are Mock, swine; her chief priest is Turch, a boar, or Gwydd Hwch, boar of the wood, or grove ; and her Hierarchy is Meichiad, a swine herd. The triad which I have mentioned, upon the subject of the three mighty swine herds, is preserved in several copies, ■{•" from a collation of which, I shall subjoin an English ver- 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 Pwyll, chief of Annwn^ " who kept the swine of his foster-father, Pendaran Dyved, " in the vale of Cwch, in Emlyn, whilst his own father, « 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 Arcol, * Monde Primitif. Tom. IV. p. 679, t W. Arcliaiol. V. 11. p. 6. 20. 72. 77. 415 with tbe long haad, the son of Pyr, or Pur of tHe East, the son of Llion 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 mytliofe^cal, 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 hi? other title — Gwynvardd Dyved — Dr.uid of Demetia. Pztyll, his father, is reason, discretion, prudence, or pa- tience^ That both the father and the son were characters, wholly mj'stica], or personifications of abstract ideas; is shewn in Taliesin's spoils of the deep,f where we are told, that the diluvian patriarch first ^entered the ark, by the counsel of Pwyll and Pryderi. Meirig is a 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 Arcol 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, v.ho was known in the East by similar titles, as we are informed by Mr. Bryant ; • Cambrian Biog. under the articles Fryitri, Fvyll, and Meirig. f Appendix, No, 3. 416 who tells us, that in the neighbourhood Of Tyre and SKdoii^ the chief deity went by the name of Ourchol, the same as ArcJiel 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,OT Oceanus 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 Areol, in the character of Hercules, I need not dread their cen* sure for supposing, that his father Pyr, or Pur of the East, is to be found amongst the known connexions of that Demigod. 'o^ Pyr is the Greek name ofjire, and mythologically of the sun, 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 Prseneste, who had been addicted to the rites of fire ; that they called their chief god Pur, and dealt particularly in divination by lots, termed of old, Purim.J ♦ Analysis, V. I. p. 40. + 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 JSas^erw 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 world. This mythological pedigree, therefore, only declares the , Arkite origin of a certain mystical system, which wa^ 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 Hud, the land of mystery-, and said to have been formerly enve- loped in Llengil, a veil of concealment. But we are not immediately to conclude, that Pryderi conducted his swine, according to " the rules of his Eastern ancestors. These were 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 sec, it was different from that of Arcol, and Pyr Of the East. E S 418 Pryderi kept the swine of his foster-father, Pmdaran, in the vale of Cwch, the boat, or ark, in Eml^n, the clear lake, whilst his own father, PwyU, was ia. Annwn, 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 worship. The reader may judge for himself, by the following abstract : PwyU, lord of the seven provinces of Dyved, being at Arberth, Jiigh 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 whjch he chose for this exercise, was Glyn- CfflcA, the vale of the boat, or ark. Accordingly, he set out from Arberth, ^nd came to the head of the grove of Diar- wya, the solemn preparation of the egg. • Cambrian Register, V.I. p. 177, and V. II. p. 3Jg. From tht Red Sook of Jesis Col, Oxfordi -a MS. of the 14lh century. 419 Pliny's account of the preparation of the Anguinum, by the Druids, in the character of serpents, js well known. Mr. Bryant also observes, that an egg was a very aftcient emblem of the ark; and that in the Dionusiaoa, 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 egg, 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 Kuwj,f dogs — under the wood, 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 fo the presidency, " who does not keep my word." J Pwyll, entering fully upon the chace, 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 E £ 2 • Analysis, V. II. p. 360. + KbHej, 'oi Mamij. Schol. in Lycoph. V. 459. % Cadait Teyrn On. Appendix, No. 4. 420 dogs> which were all of a shining white hue, with red ears, — Such is the popular notion of the Welsh, respecting the colour of Cwn Annwn, 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 Annwn, the deep, and that his name is Ai-awn, the Arkite* — this is the personage who is also styled Pendaran — lo)-d of thunder. Pwjrll having expressed a wish to atone for his impru- dent oifence, 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 to " 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 summeishine, who invades the dominions of thedi- * In the Cainbtian Register, Arawu is oddly translated, " of the silver ■' tunguc." 'i'iie word may imply eloquence ; but cuusidcring his chaiacter> I rather think it comes 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 confijsion 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 mSant by his character, we will prodeed 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 mystical animal was HSnwen, old Iddy, a proper title for the great mother, Da-Mater, or Ceres, to whom the sow was sacred. But Ceres, or thd' 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 Mid 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 cosists, under the appellation of a sow : and that it was probably a Phamician 431 ship, which imported into the island the various things here mentioned.* And again in his Dictionary, under the word Hwch, 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 pig, 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 Gteenith, Wheatfield, in that " county, and was brought there by a ship; which, in a " Triad alluding to the same event, is called Hwch" — that is, a sow. , I That this tale alludes to the history of a sMp or vessel, there can be no doubt : and we first hear of its being in Cornwall, that part of Britain which is supposed to have had a peculiar intercourse with the Phoenicians. But, in a literal sense, wolves and eagled must 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- elude, 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 » Carob. Biog. V. Coll. 432 the office of Ceres, who was the genius of the ark ; to the British Ked, who passed through the deluge, stored mtk corn; and to the character of Ceridwen, who is styled Ogyroen Amhad, the goddess of various seeds, and whose mysteries were Arkite. The whimsical use of the verh dodwi, to lay, as a hen lays her eggs, when. applied to the parturition of the mys- tical sow, or s}dp, 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 Murai of Dallben, the mystagogue; and was guarded in Glyti Dall- wyr, the glen, or ^a/e, 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 whi9h 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 differed from the more simple religion of the natives. Wherefore, as soon as she 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 of the island, in order to exterininate her race ; but the de* sign proved abortive — tlie novel system gained ground. Let us now consider the various deposits of this mystical vehicle. The first consisted df three grains of wheaty and a Triad of bees. The wheat, every one knows to be the fruit of Ceres : and in Britain, the person who aspired td the mys-* teries of that goddess, was transformed into a mystical grain of piire 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 templesi* The appropriation of this title to the priestesses of Certs, Mr. Bryant, as usual, attributes to an error of the Greeks in the interpretation of a foreign term. If th\s 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 our author's etymologies, and taking along with us his historical deductions, it will appear, that the sacred ship which bi-ought the bees, was a representa- F E ♦ An»ly3is, V. U. p^ 33r. 434 tive of the ark. For 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 pleasiint spot of the tranquil lady, in Demetia, or Pembrokeshire, amounts to nearly the same thing. The next remarkable deposit, consisted in the cuh of a wolf, a,nd 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 Aeto?; and Homer alludes to the original meaning of the word, when he terms the eagle Aieto? ai9(<)».-f- 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 Arawn 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/n, 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 he 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 qn the top of Rhizv Gyxierthwch the panting cliff, in Snowdon, and in a structure called Dinas Affaraon, or Pharaon, the citi/ of the higher powers.* The scite was upon the road from the promontory of Lleyn, to that part of ^he 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 Ddinas, 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 " eacA 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 offer any assault to it ; the hill being so F F 2 * Pharaon seems to be the Britisli name of the Cabiri , their priests, called Fheryll, were skilled in metallurgy, and are said to have possessed certain books upon mysterious subjects. 436 " very high/ steep, and rocky, and the walls of socb " strength. At the summit of this rock, within the'irt- " nermost Wall, there is a well, which affords plenty t)f " 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."* The temple of Ceres, in the GytylcU, is only about the distance of a mile from this place. This stately pilel, which has left no other local memorial of its greatriess, but the emphatical name — " The city," mnst have been, as I cont- jecture, the celebrated Dinas Phar'don, in the rocks of Snowdon, which had also the name of Dinas Emrys, or the amhrosial city. This was famous, not only for the wolf and eagle, which were deposited by the mystical sow, but also for certain dragons,-^ which appeared in the time of Beli, the son of Manhogan, or, as we are otherwise told, in the time of Prydain, the son of Aedd the Greaf% — that is, in the age of the solar divinity. In this Dinas, the dra- gons were lodged by a son of Belt, or child of the sun; and the destiny of Britain was supposed to depend upon the due concealment of the mystery .§ » Gitson's Camden Col. 801. + W. Archaiol. V. II. p. 39, 65. t Beli i3.,represeiitecl as the father of the brave CasihtUammSt and iTie son of Manhogan, radiated with splendour. But Beli and Prydain are titles of the Helio-arkite divinity. See Append. No. 11, where he is addressed by both tliese names, $ W. Archaiol. V. II. 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: ani more than this, their general connexion with solar superstition is acknowledged by the Welsh them- selves:* hence it appears, that the old ladi/, wbo wandered from the mystic vale in Cornwall, to the regions of Snowdon, imported a mixture of Arhite and Sabian idolatry. But let us come to the last deposit , of the rnystical 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 Paliic 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 the lunar Arkite goddess. But Paiuc cat is spoken of as a large and fierce creature, of the feline kind. Mr. Owen thinks it was a ti/ger. 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 Mr. Owen, in his Dictionary, explains the word^" braig, a ** geiierative prmcipU, or procrsator; a fiery serpent; atiragon; tho supreme, " Dreigiau, silent lightnings. In tlie mythology of the priinilive world, the " ^erpent is universally the symbol of the sun, under various appellations, " but jof the same import as the Draig, Mm, Addm ; Bel and Bil amonjjst, Ure 458 tills cat was esteemed a meritorious act. Though it is described as an animal, it seems to have been only an idol, and attended by foreign ministers. Taliesln 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 transfonnations — 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 kirld, which was deemed sacred, either to the Helio-arkite god, or the Lunar-arkite goddess, or to both, as it was a male and k 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 Cormcall, a region which had early intercourse with stran- * W. Archaiol. p. rS. t Ibid. p. 41. \ Cath Vraith, and Catli Ben Vrilh. 439 gers, particularly with the PJeanician, or red nation; as the Britons had been jealous of the mystical sow, or sacred ship, which introduced the symbols here enumerated ; and as the wolf, 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 oi foreign growth, and did liot pertain to the religion of the primitive British nation. Having now dismissed Coil 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 Tiorses of " justice, whilst the swineherd was carrying a message to " Essyllt, spectacle, to appoint an assignation with her. " In the mean time, Arthur, March, Cai, and JBedwyr, " went forth a,gainst 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 mightyswineherds, because nei- " ther stratagem nor force could extort from them one of " the swine which were under their care, ^nd which they 440 f' 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 Trystaij with his mistress, Essyllt, was both adulterous and incestuous. As I have hinted above, it seems to allude to the incorporation of the primitive religion of the Britons with the rites of the Phaniciafi sow. By the character of Tristan, we are to understand, as his name import;s, 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- rarchy, 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, Grpgon Gwron, the severely energetic, he- rald of Envael, the acquisition of life, the son of Adran, second distribution. The second herald was Gwair Gwrhyd-. mzor, renovation of great energy: and the third was Trystan, ,the proclaimer, the son of Tallwch, the overwhelming — that is, the deluge. Arid it is added, that such was the privilege of these heraWs, that nonecould resist their authority ii^ the island of Britain, without becoming outlaws.f ■ ^ ^ , r-T— It * W. Archaiol. V. II. p. 6, ;?0, 72, 77, • t Ibid, p. 5, 63, 77, 441 The very names and connexions of these heralds declare, that eadh of their modes was Arkite, or referable to the his- tory of the deluge, whatever they, may have included be- sides ; and their autliority 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 office, when we are told, that of the three diademed chiefs of the island of Britain, the first was Huail, vice- gerent of Hu, the son of Caw, the inclosure, also called Gwair, 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 ^A Trystan, were the three determined personages, whom no one could divert from their purpose.-j- 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^ waedd, or the three loud calls, Trystan, the son of Tallwch, fl,nd Cai, the son of Cynyn, with the splendid beard. J * W. Archaiol. V. II. p. 5, t + Ibid. p. 19, 69, } Ibi4. p. go. 442 _ From these particulars it may be collected, 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 niay be inferred, that his amorous intercourse with Essyllt, spectacle, the wife, other- wise called the daughter, of March, horse, the son of Meir- fhiawn, his uncle,* is to be imderstood 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 iJ/ty- hawt eil Morgant, the son of Adras, and Dalldav, mysta- gogue, the son of Cynin Cot), 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 errorsr sliould be constantly and accurately translated into the lan- guage of our British forefathers. But let us hear our learned author. * W. Archaiol. p. 13, 73. + Ibid. p. 19s n, 80. 443 " I cannot help surmising, that the horse of Neptune " was a mistaken emblem; and that the ancierits, in the " original history, did not refer to that animal. What the " "lOTBros alluded to in the early mythology, was certainly a " Jloat, or ^hip ; the same as the Ceto (the ark) : for, in " the first place, the Ceto was -denominated Hippos : " 'iOTiro», TOK fisyat fia^«{;io» ix^vt, i. e. the Ccto, or whale. Se- " condly, it is remarkable, that the Hippos was certainly " called 2!£»ipios xai sku^mj.* I therefore cannot help think- " ing, that the supposed horse of Neptune, as it has so " manifest a relation to the Ceto and the Scyphus, mnst " have been an emblem of the like purport; and that it " had, originally, a reference to the same history, to which " the Scyphus and Ceto related (that is, the ark). The " fable of the horse certainly arose from a misprision of " terms, though the mistake be as old as Homer. The " goddess Hippa is the same as Hippos, and relates to the " same history. Therfe were many, symbols of an horse. " The history of Pegasus, the winged horse, is probably " of the same purport. So does Palsephatus, a judicious " writer, interpret it — "om/a* J' tii/ tb imT^na, ntiyajo?. This Hip- " pos was, in consequence, said to have been the offspring " of Poseidon and 'Da-mater."-^ The March, or horse of the British mythoIpgists> 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. 766; + 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- arch : 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 was a mystical character, we must also search the Bardic pedigree for the lady, whetherhis wife or his daughter, of whom Trystan was so greatly ena- moured. We are told, that the three unchaste matroijs, of Drui- dical mystery, were daughters of one father, namely, Cut Vanawyd Frydain, which implies, the person occupying the narrow spot, in the waters of Britain. This very title has an aspect to Arkite mystery. The Diluvian god, or sacred bull, had his residence in such a spot.f The first of these three sisters was Essyllt, spectacle, sur- named Vyngwen, or with the white mane, the concubine of Trystan, the herald, the son of Tallzech, the deluge. The second was Penarwen, the lady with the splendid head, the wife of Owen, the son of Urien.+ * W. Archaiol. Y- II. p. 5, 13, 68. There was a prince called Geraint ah Erhin, ia the heginning of the sixth centiery : but tlie name itself is boMowed from mythology, and the Geraint gf the Welsh tales is a mystical character, — See Ed. Llwyd's Archa;ol. p. 265. + See the second section of this Essay, % The character assigned to this prince in the Welsh tales is mythologicsi}. 445 Th^ thil'd sister was Bun, the maid Kopti, the wife of the flame-bearer.* It is pretty clear, that these three daughters of Ma- nazoyd, refer to three mystical modes of the same origin, and allArkite: 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- chided 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 Essyllt, whose name Spectacle, or subject of steady contemplation, manifestly im- plies some mystical exhibition. And as she was the wife of the Imrse, so she is described as having 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 hex priestesses were called Hip- pai, mai-es.f He seems to have occupied a distinguished place in 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. Archa;ol. p. gei). « W. Arehaiol. V. II. p. 14. 73. Ida, the Northumbrian King, is supposed to be described, tinder the name of Flamebearet. If such be the meaning of the term in this passage, t should conceive that Bun may allude to the mysteries of Jaxs^ which Tacitus ' re- marked amongst the ancient Germans, and whicl\.this pagan prince Kiay haVe celebrated in Britain. t Apalysis, 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 Coll : for the former was entrusted with the care of the mystical sow, before she had farrowed, or produced vataries npon 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 witb 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 were 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 ihat 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 Ejiglish. Of these, the Metrical Romance, written by Thomas, of Mrcilioune, 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 pa;rticulars of the stbry. This author changes the name of Trystan, the proclaimer, into Tristrem, and ^fem Trist, which in the AVelsh lan- guage implies a ®o^/m/ 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 Tallwch, and the Irish Tuileach, a rolling or overwhelming Jlobd. His mother is Blanche Flow, the white fiower, 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 Csesar.* The character of Flur imports that token, or pledge of union, amongst th^ "professors 6f Druidism vrbich in- * W. Archaiol. V. 11. p. 3. 10. 13. 60. Caswallon, the son of Beli was attended by Gwenviynwyn, thrice fair, and Cwanar, the ruler, who were sons of Lli-aws, impeller rf the icaiies, son of ■Nwyvre, the firmament, by Arianrhod, goddess of the siijie^ wheel (the Iti») daughter of Beli, th« sun. 448 duced the Britons to assist their brethern of Gaul, as re- lated by Caesar, and thus furnished that great commander with a pretext for the invasion of this Island. The emblematical Fliir or flower, which this fraternity exhibited, was, I imagine, that of the white trefoil or shamrock. This was a sacred plant amongst the Bards,* displaying the mysterious three in one, the great secret in- culcated by the vgry form of their Triads and Tribanau. Hence we are told, that wherever their goddess Olwen, the great mother) trod upon the ground, four white tre- foils immediately sprung up.-f- Flur is the daughter of Mygnacli, a mystical character, the son of Mydnaw, the mover of the ship. In a dialogue which he holds with Taliesin, he comes forward like Arawtf, the king of the deep, with his white dogs, or ministering Druids ; his residence is in Caer Seen, in the mystic island, and tile chief of the Bards reveres his Gorsedd or throne, ± 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 Arkite religion. /■ After the untimely death of these, his natural parents, • See the poem called the Chan nf Taliesin- Every leaf of this plant is naturally impressed with a pale figure of a crescents which was also a sacved symbol amongst the Druids, and other heathens. + Owen's Cam. Biog, V. Olwen. From MoiU, the name of this plant, we may derive Cy-vaill, an associate— gne who mutually exhibits the Maill. i Appendix, No. 8. 449 oui- young hero is committed to th^ 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; hut 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 bounds. 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 Rohand, anxious for the safety of his charge, di- rected his wife to feign a second jlelivery, 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 ences, amongst which, the mysteries of hunting are emi* nently discriminated. Under this allegory, wllich 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 bom again of Ceridwen, and instructed in her mystical hall ; and thus the celebration of mysteries is G G * W. Archaiol. V. II, p, 7i. Triad, 118. '450 represented in the story of Pwyll, under the inoage of hunt- ing : but the new lore, communicated to Tristreai, differed from that of his parents, therefore his name was i/jccrf erf. We are afterwards told of a strange ship, which appeared upon the coast of Cornwall. The English translator, a rhymer of the thirteenth century, naturaUjr qalls it Nor- wegian, hut as the story is mythological, the ship must have belonged to a people who visited Cornwall, during the early ages of mythology. This vessel 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. Tristiem 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 boards heads. — The meaning of this allegory is evidently the same as that of the Triads, which represent him as a g7'eat 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 Khyhawd, the corrupter of * Hones Toiiesm. 451 Bai'dic mystery. Hence the Triads represent Rhyhawd as Eil Morgan, or successor of Morgan, K 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, ^n mere despair he goes on board a ship, which he commits to the mercy of the wind and waves; but such is his good fortuncj 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 Essyllt, or Spectacle of the Triads, is committed to his care as a pupil, and instructed in music and poetry, aud in every be- coming branch of his mystic lore. Upon his return to Cornwall, 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. 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- cure the happiness of the maiTied couple, prepared and o G 2 452 delivered to Brcngwain, Ysonde's favourite damsel, a <&^'nft 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 Tristreni was faint with heat and thirst from the fatigue of rowing, Ysonde called for some liquor to refresh him, and Brengwain, inadvertently brought the fatal drink of might, of which Tristrem and Ysonde having partaken, they inbibed the sudden! and resistless passion, which death alone could overcome. Even a dog, named Ilodain, 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 K.vtiim, or mystical potion of Ceres, agreeing with the preparation of the ^acred caiddron of Ceridwen, and with the wine and bragget of the Welsh Bards, which was administered to the aspirants upon theiradmission to the mysteries ; and hence represented, as communicating all the benefits of initiation. Brengwain was certainly the Bronwen, 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 name of Math-olwch, form of worship. Hoda'.n, corn shooting into the ear, is the attribute of Ceres, whose priests Taliesin styles Hodigion, bearers of ears qf corn. The Hodain of this tale seems to have been one of those priests, though he is described as a do^ : for heathen priests M-ere called KfH! ; the British Ceres transformed herself into 453 a bitch; and in the tale of Fwyll, 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 iniport of this incident to be, that the Belgte, 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 wood, on which were engraved secret characters, and which were floated down a small stream, which ran through the orchard of Ysonde's country seat. This is a clear allusion to the practice of sortilege, by which the Druids consulted their gods. 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 & 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 I'estrain the meaning to the lots themselves, which were cut out of that grove. And it is observable, that the hierophant, Merddin 454 the Caledonian, describes the whole circle of Druidical mysticism, under the allegory of an orchard, containing 147 fruit-bearing trees, which were perfect tailies with each other. Sir Tristrem, after this, is made high constable, or, as the Triads express it, Priv 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 Urgan, 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 Triathm^r of the Irish, in which the th are not audible. And the title implies a great king, hog, sow, wave, 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 liieir elevated place of worship. TJrgan 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 • Tbis ambiguity arises fiom a general principle, wliicli discovers itself in every page of the Irish vocabulary ; namely, the appropriating of the same term to every objecl which presents the same general idea ; and the primary and abstract meaning of Triath happens to be, biilldness, eminence, or prominence. 455 character of a, mythological giant, for the ftiost part, im- plies the idea of impielif 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- vereignty 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 Flour, that is, the white trefoil, or shamrock, the mystical pledge of union. The little dog was a priest; and his spots of red, blue, and green, seem to import those insignia, called Gleiniau, v/hich were of the colours here specified. " These Gemma. Angmnce are small glass amulets, com- " monly about as wide as our finger-rings, but much " thicker ; of a gr^en coloui-, 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 blended, 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. + Owen's Diet. V. Clam, 456 Tristrem, upon his' return to GornVall, renews his inti- . macy with the queen ; in consequence of which, they are both banished the court- The lovers retire into a forest, where they discover a cavern, that had been constructed in old time by the giants. Here they reside,- and subsist- upon the venison taken by their mystical dogs. The king having surprised them, when asleep, in this cavern, with a drazen sword between them, is persuaded of their innocency, and restores them both into favour, ^ lihis forest was the Druidical grove; the cavern, a sacred cell, which had been con|tructed by the giants, or profes- sors of a different mode ; the dogs were the priests ; the deer their noviciates; and the sword, that weapon which was drawn against the irregular disciple, and religiously sheathed again in the solemn meetings of the Bards, upon 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 with absolute neglect. This Armotican Ysonde, Essyllt, or spectacle, presents a tradition of some more simple religious mysteries, which anciently prevailed in Gaul, but which did not satisfy the - • Sec Appendix, No, 3, aail Owen's Diet V. Cffinlectf. 457 debauched 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 Florentin, 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 As Beli Was a name of the sun, so I think Beliagog may imply, what would be expressed in AVelsh, Beli a gwg, the severe or frowning Beli ; the Belenus of the more recent Druids of Armorica, whom Ausonius expressly identifies with Phcebus, 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 Jriads, 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 are now extant, incorporated with their Ar- kite mythology : but those who were more peculiarly de- ■ voted to it, had the opprobrious name of Beirdd Beli^^th^ Bards of Beli. When we recollect the Gaulish tradition of Caesar's days r^That the discipline of Druidism, such as it then was, had 458 been modelled in Britain and from thence brought over info Gaul,* we may deem the following incident worthy of note. Tristram ordered his new vassal, Beliagog, to build a hall — (temple) — in honour of Ysonde and Brengwain — the Ceres and Proserpine of Cornwall. The giant complied with this injunction, and built the hall within his ozim castle, to which he taught Tristrem a secure and secret approach. He also adorned this hall with sculptures, exactly represent- ing the whole history of his former life, with exact represen- tations of Ysonde, Brengwain, Mark, Meriadok, his minister, Hodain, and Peticrewe, 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- ture 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 Druidism, 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 Brittany, 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 ■ ■' — ■ , I - m -,.-1. ■ W- ■ * De Bell. Gall. L. VI, c. 13. 459 staggered, and fell backward in a swoon. Upon his reco- very, he felt a violent passion for the charms t)f Brengwain, Proserpine, whom he determined to see in person, without j^ss 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 t)ie 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 ancient 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- knowledged. They are only brought forward, to diffuse a faint ray over ages, where history refuses its light. In this sense, they may be useful. They contain traditions of remote times, when Druidism had many private, and some avowed friends : and they are found to coincide with the most authentic documents which we have upon the subject of British superstition, and with the researches of our best 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 onr Celtic ancestors, concerning which any memorials have come to our times : and this ap-§ pears to have consisted of a deplaved 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 characters of the three great swine-herds, present' a general view of the history and revolutions of Druidism, previous to the Roman conquest of Briton; it may not be amiss to consider ajew traditions, relating to those events 461 which affected the superstition of our ancestors, subse- quent to that period. * The British documents, in which tliese traditions are involved, are, it must be confessed, Kke the former, suffi- ciently uncouth 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 Ciraul, and from the conduct of Suetonius, towards , the Dritids, 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, does not necessarily imply, the immediate eradication of an inveterate superstition from the minds of the people. From what we know of British infatuation, after 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 bf the island, the Romans permitted the natives to be go- verned partly by their own laws, and under princes of their own. In those Asyld, people thus disposed, and who spoke a language which was unintelligible to their pohtjcal^ 462 masters, would naturally preserve the memory of their sa- cred poems and traditional institutes : they would also con- tinue to pei-form 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 Dniids 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 of the sixth century. The notices upon which I ground this opinion, I now proceed to state. Of the introduction of the Cornish mode of Druidism into Carnarvonshire, and from thence into North Britain, we have had a hint in the. story of CoU, the great mysta- gogue, who is said to have presented Brynach, prince of the Northern Gwyddelians, with the Eaglet which was de- posited by the mystical sow, and which, in after times be- came very famous. The fame of this eagle and his progeny, is now to be l"e- *' 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 " oftener 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 Q, 10, llO Here the fanatical priest cherishes a hope, that his Druid-i ism, and his temples, will be re-established in some future age, though he has at present, more persecutors than dis- f In ataotlier copy—" On the hrow of a rock, without a stoni in its meh. 487 ciples. In 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 tjie Bard infers, 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 Rhydderch, who trample on its roots, whilst the " multitude compass it round. The energetic figures are " viewed with grief and envy. The Lady of the Day loves " me not, nor will she greet me. I am hated by the mi~ " nister 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 Gwenddolen,* the lady of the " [white bow, by no nymph am 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 swan, (the white robed Druids !)" Stanza 14. " The tree with delicate blossoms, grows " in concealment amongst the forests. A report is heard " at the dawn, that the minister has expressed his indig- " nation against the authority of the small sprigs f, twice, " thrice, nay four times, in one day." — Stanza 15. " The fair tree grows on the bank of at river.. • Gwenddolen, was the mystical daughter of an ancient ling of Cornwall, She may represent in general, the Cornish rites ; but I think, more particu- larly, the Lunar dimnity. Tims she Answers lo Gwenddoleu, who represeatsd the sun. «..-»' + This surely alludes to the practice of dwining 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 fifty yean, haw " my splendid treasures been outlawed, whilst I have been " wandering amongst ghosts and spectres, after having " enjoyed abimdant 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 maid predicts — words which wiU come to *' pass ! — Mental design shall cover, as with a vessel, the " green assemblies, from the princes, in the beginning of the " tempestuous hour, — The Darter of Rays shall vanquish th^ " profane mrni. Before the child of the sun, bold in his " courses, Saxons shall be eradicated: Bards shall flourish" This prophecy, which is put into the mouth of Proserpine, imequivocally charges the Bards of Merddin's order, with the abomination of solar worship; The child of the Sun must have been his priest, who, like Taliesin, assumed his title and character, — " The 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 Towy, and the Teivi — till ranks be formed of the *' white ones of the lofty mount, and the wearers of Jong. " 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 out of office; but tlijs 489 " I know, an eagle from the sJcy 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 com shall be cropped — when " the he eagle and the she eagle shall arrive from France."* —{Stama 17, l8', 19). " The sweet apple tree is like the Bardic mount of as- " sembly : the dogs of the wood will protect the cir(;k of its " roots."— " Sweet are its branches, budding luxuriant, shooting *' foxth renowned scions." — {Stanza QO, 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- " feyence of Uhyd Jtheon, with Kyrian, opposing the tu- ^' mult of the Saxoiis, Then Cymru shall prevail. Her " chief shall be splendid. AH shall have their just reward. *' Britons shall rejoice. The horns of joy shall sound — the " song of peace and serenity ."-{• Such are the seemingly wild hints, which Merddin has thought proper to communicate upon the subject of hi? * Merddin is foreboding th^ restoration of his Lord Gwenddoleu's canibjtl Uglet, ' + This triumphant close very mucli resembles that of Cadair Talietin, Cadair Ceridweit, and several other mystical poemc. This seems to have been the style of the Bards, at the completion of their diluvian mysteries in comnie* ffioration of the reCuruing 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- ing, presening, and transmitting safdy to posterity. The Christian princes and ministers, who diligently sought for the mystical orchard, for the avpwed purpose of destroying it, root and branch, could have viewed it in no other light. '£3' But though, under this type, the general system of Dru- 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 Mtrddin was the most recent character, deemed by his fraternity, to have possessed the gift of prophecy, his ora-r 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, either to interpolate the Hoianau,-\ or to make the prophet speak out of his grave. J • That Merddin used tliem as means of divination, may be further inferred from hence ; in most of the stanzas, a prediction of some great event is imme- diately subjoined to tlie contemplation of these mystical ttees. These predictions, of which I have inserted a specimen or twoj are some- times delivered by the Bard himself; at other times, they are put into the mouth of the guardian goddess, who Las the property of alternately appearing and disappearing. + 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; T)ut the absurdity of his pretentions was not peculiar to the Celtffi. 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 Musaius, 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 country.* 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 seme 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 no* time to bring to a conclusion.^ It is hoped, that the general view here presented, will not be deemed superfluous in a • See Herodot, L. VII. C, 6- Am Britisli library, and that the cause of true religion cannot he injured by this delineation of the gloomy mazes of error. I shall take a brief retrospect of what I 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 Theology, which embraced some memorials of the history of the delugS, together with an idolatrous commemoration of Noah, of his family, and of his sacred ship. 'ihe oXfaox vi3i5 Sahian idolatry, orthe vrorship'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 reniotest traditions of the origin of the country and the natioai m •*vhence arose an inference, that this: was thai superstition of the earUest settlei-g 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 clearly discriminates, and steadily reports the worship of the sun and moon, as an innovation, which found its way into Cornwall, and from thence diffused* itself into various parts of the British islands ; and hence, I judged it a rea- jBonable conjecture, that this alloy was .derived from the iin mei-chaats of Phoenicia, 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 ^branqhes, the Arkite and the Sabian, have been iCleaxly traced, and in the same connexion, over great part of the ancient world. This intimate, and alnipst universal combination of two systems, which have no obvious relation to each other, I cannot contemplate, without searching for some early cause of such connexion. Why should Noah be the sun f 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 dren, 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 involte 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 refr 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 sprang 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. i« As to the incorporation of Sabian idolatry with this su- perstition, when I recollect, that amongst the heathrai 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 dispositioti of sigrts and con- stellations. This device may have sprung from an innocent, or even laudable motive. 495 But from henceforth, the heavens represented those very scenes, with Avhich Noah and his sons had heen conversant. These canonized patriarchs were acknowledged to he im- mortal : for the age yfhich first paid religious homage to the deceased, must of course have admitted the immortality of the soul, and the doctrine oi future rewards. The 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. Thug, the Arkite and the Sabian idolatry became one and the same. This union seems not to have been coeval with the ear- liest Arkite ^perstition of the Noachidse. 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 " even his eternal power and Godhead; 50 that they are " without excuse : because that, when they knew God, they " gldrified him not, as God, neither were thankful ; but " became vain in their imaginations, 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'~T^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 sOch woful lapses, when it gives way to v?Ga imagination and self-conceit — to the opinions oi fallible, or the views of designing men. Thus, Druidism Was removed but a few paces further from the rdigion 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 arfbgant and presumptuous teacher; but to have a constant eye to the foundation once laid by the apostles and prophets. , K K • St. Paul's Epistl* to the Romans, Chap, I, 49a Here another rematlt of some iffiportaflce offers itse^. As Gentilisai arose from a corruption oT the patriarchal religion, it is reasoaahle to suppose that amongst a multi- plicity of errors and absurditi«s, it preserve^ liOUJe tiwctju* of the venerable source from whence at sprung : in the same manner as popery is acknowledge^^ s^til to, possess some of the genuine forms and traiets of primitive Chris- itianity; and a diligent comparison of heatheji systems ^ith the hook of Job, and the first book of Moses, wiU -evince that this was actually the case. Whatever Gentilism had thus preseJved without corrkip- tion, must' be regarded as derived- from the fevelatron^ vouchsafed to the patriarchs, and therefore, in its origin, of Divine authority, like those uacorr«pt«sdr. forms and tenets in popery, wHich are derived from the truth of the Gospel. We are not, therefore, to conclude, a priori, thateye^-y 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 hd- man device, and therefore could have nothing similM^,;to it in the revealed will and ordinances of the. Sapreme Being. For this mode of argupient , would lead us. to conclusions, as unjust as the cavils of those scrupulous persons, who assert, that the church of Englatiid must Ije superstitious, because it retains some of the forms of tl^e church of jRowze. i As this church has retained somejsi the institutea of true Christianity, so Gentilism had not lost every institute of the patriarchal religion: and these uncorrupted institutes are piiffe and sacred, notwithstanding- the general corruption of the channels through which thejt have flowed. 499 Upon this ground, we may frame an answer to tlJose edversaries of revelation, who having observed, that some modes of sacr^e, some rites of, purification, some sacred symbols, and many other particulars, sanctioned in the ■writings of "Moses and the prophets, have their parallel in tJie 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 Pivine communication. The answer is ready. As God had revealed his will, and instituted a form 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 df 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- Taelitesj not because they were heaithenish, 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 gives way to the error, or the petulence of man. K K 2 500 -from the general- and unequivocal vestiges 'of j^rftiVe mythology, which were impressed upon the hieathen worlds some otlier 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 delug^ 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. Xet reason only Jbe consistent with itself, in exploring even the history of heathenisni,vand it must ackaowledgie thg truth of our sapied oracles. The general voice of mythology, to which I maj 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 liis piety and righteousness. This attestation to the character of the great patriarch, .atidfrom the mouth of heathenism itself, not only asseris tfeje 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 nesiporisible to one supreme and •Over-ruUng God, •who mercifully accepted the offerings and the pei"sons -of •those w|io sincerely obeyed him, and pardoned their cS- jfences, through the inerits of a Redeemer, announced to our first parents. . • , A P F E N B I X, coNsiSTiNo or ANCIENT POEMS AND EXTRACTS, ILLUSTRATIVE OF TU£ g»ubjerts DISCUSSED IN THE PRECEDING ESSAY. TO WHICH ARE ADDED, , ^ SOME REMARKS UPON • ANCIEFT BRITISH COINS. J. HESE poems and extracts from the ancient Bards,' lieing i%strative 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. JL Song of Taliesin, concerning the Sons of Ll^r.* Golychaf i Gulwydd, Arglwydd pob echen, Arbennig torfoedd ynhyoedd am Ordden, Ceint yn ysp^'ddawd, uch gwirawd aflawen:. Ceint rhag meibion Jilyr, yn ebyr Hen, Felen^ Gweleis treis trydar ac afar ac anghen : Yd lethrynt la.fnawr ar bennawr disgywen * W. Archaiol. p. 66. Lhfr implies the sea, or the sea-beach. Tliis name ' t%s a co^tant reference to the rites of the .I)ilj>vian god- .It .has been con- ferred upon his priests and eminent votaries. The sons of Lhjr may denatSt . %n gentital, those who had been initiated in the Hiysteries of the Pruids. ■'« 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 ewydd am an traed gwaed ar ddi'en. Neud amug ynghadeir 6 heir Ceridwen ! Hand id rydd fy nhafawd, Yn addawd gwawd Ogyrvven. I will adore the love-diffhsing Lord* of every kindred, the sovereign of hosts and powers, round the universe. There has been a battle f at the feast, over the joyless Iseverage — a battle against the sons of Llyr, at the outlets of Hgn Velen. I saw the oppressipn 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 tlie Severn — against Brochwel J of Powys, who loved my muse. There was a battle in the glorious course, before Urien,§ with the dawn: blood flowed in streams roimd our feet, when death prevailed. Is not my chair protected by the cauldron of Ceridwen ! || * The Bard speaks of one supreme God, as acknowledged by the ancie&t Sraids, together with their subordinate divinities, Ceridwen, Elphin, &c. whoae names occur in this poem. + Of the three battles here mentioned, the first. naine]y,.that against the sons of Llyr, or the Bards, at the/eas< seems to have been the same which toolt place in the avenues or outlets of Stonehenge, which is here called Hen, Velen, the eld Belenium, or temple of Apollo. — See the songs of the Gododin. I Brochwel was prince of the country, about the dales of the Severn, in the sixth century. In his old age, he commanded the Britons in th6 merao< rable battle of Chester, A. D. 603. V ^ j^° °^ Reged, a warlike prince of the sixth century. Hisyfarae is ce- lebrated m many songs of Taliesin, and his death lamented by Llywargh II The cauldron, and the sanctuary of Cttithven, have betn considered, Stct. 3 and 4. No. I. APPENDIX, |03 Therefore, let my tongue be free, in tlie sanctuary of the, praise of the goddess. 2. Gwawd Ogyrwen Uferen rwy ddigones Arnunt, a llefrith a gwlith a m^s. Ystyriem yn Uwyr, cyn clwyr cyffeS, Dyfod yn ddiheu angheu nSs n§s : Ac am diredd Enlli dy vi dylles ; Dyrchavvr Uong^wr ,ar glawr ^ches. A galwn ar y gwr a'n digones, A'b nothwy vhagigwyth Uwyth anghes. Pan alweif ynys'Von tirion vaes, , Gwyn eu byd hwy'gwleiddiori Saeson artriSs. , The praise of the goddess is a mas$,* which has com- pletely atoned for them, with new milk, and dew, an6 ACOBNS. , . Xet us porider deeply, before confession is heard, that ^eatl\is evidently approaching nearer and nearer, and tha* tor the lands of Bardsey,f there will be an inroad. — A fleet shall rise on the face of the water. Let us then call upon ism whom we have found sufficient, that he may prote(^ MS from the wrath of the alien race. — When_the Isle of Mona shall be called a pleasant field, J then happy the lot of the meek ^nation, whom the Saxons oppress. • Of ohlation, in behalf of the fallen wauiors. 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 one love-diffusing Lord of the universe. Are there not Nominal Chrrstians in the present^ day, chargeable with practices no (ess absurd or impious ! f It appears from several passages, that this spot, as well iis Mona, was sacred to the ancient superslitioh. ; ,, , ,, , } Thus Merddin, the Caledonian, in his Avallennau. — '• When I'yvnaRt *'' shall be named the eily of stones; the Bard shall receive his perquisite," 504 APPENDIX. No. L 3. Doddwyf Deganhxvy i amryson A Maelgwn, mwyaf ei achwyson : EUyngais fy Arglwydd, yngwydd Deon; Elphin Pendefig, ri hodigion. Yssid imi deir cadeir, cy^veir, cysson ; Ac yd frawd parhawd gan Gerddorion. Bum ynghat Goddeu, gan Lieu a Gwydion, Wy a rithwys gwydd elfydd ag elestron. Bum i gan Vran yn Iwerddon. Gweleis pan laddwyd morddwyd Tyllon. Cigleu gyfarfod am gerddoridn, A Gwyddyl, diefyl diferogion. O Benrhyn VIeth hyd Luch Reon, Cymry yn unfryd, gwrhyd wriop. I came to Teganwy to maintain the contest witfe Maelgwn,* the greate&t of delinquents : in the presence of Deon t (the Distributor), I liberated my Lord, even El' j)Aew,;J: the sovereign of those who carry ears ofcom.% I have three presidencies, complete and concordant, and till the doom shall they ifemain with the tuneful tribe^\\ I was in the battle of purposes viitla. Lieu and Gwydion,^ who set • Tl?e Maglocunus. of Gildas— Lord of North Wales, from A. D. 517, t» 546, and then naminal soTei^igQ of the Briton;, to the time of his death, abpat , thr, jear 560. ■i A Me ot Wv, Bacchus, ar tibtr Paler, the Helio^rkit* god. Thu* Af.- pendix. No. 11. " Hu, with the expanded wings— O father Deon !" t See his character and connexions in the 3^ Section. . $ That is, the priests or votaries of Cetcs. I Or masters tf Bardic lore. ^ LUu, the lti,minary, was the father of UinmiCf the Diluvian patriarelv PioyrfioB was the ]ij^ritish Hermti. See the Chair of Ceriiuiai, in Sect 3. By wffiiigtii order tlie ekmmtary trees, is implied, lavine. the frit foundati*n ^ Wri^tdit jnemottals, ' ■* ■ ■» ^ -* •' f No. I. APPENDIX. 505 in order the elementary trees and plants.* I was with Brdnf in Ireland. I saw when the thigh of Tyllon was cut. I heard the conference, respecting the Bards, with the Gwyddelian, polluted fiends. From the promontory of BlethJ to Lluch Reon> the Cymry are of one mind, exercising fortitude. Gwaret dy Gymry ynghymelri ! Teir cenedl gwythlawn, o iawn deithi, Gwyddyl, a Brython, a Khomani, A wahan dyhedd a dyvysgi : Ac am dierfyn Prydein, cein ei threfi, Ceint rhag teyrnedd, uch medd lestri, Yngheinion Deon, i'm a'i dyroddi : A'n dwy ben sywed Ced ryferthi. Ys cyweir fy nghadeir, ynghaer Sidi : Nis plawdd haint a henaint a fo yndi. Ys gwyr Manawjd a Phryderi, Tair Orian, y am dan, a gan rhegddi ; Ac am ei banneu ffrydieu gweilgi, A'r ifynawn ffrwythlawn yssydd odduchti. *'Ele$tren, more particularly, mean the water liliet, or Jiagt-^the Lotos of the Druids. ^ Bran ap Llyr, Raven, son (>f the ua, was the traditional father of the celebrated Caractacus. He first introduced the mystical cauldron into Ireland, probably with a view to secure his mysteries from the; persecutions of the invad- ing Romans.^-Sets Turner's Vindic p. 283. The name of this Ciluvian priest is referable to the raveh of Noah. Our mystical Bard, like Pythagoras of old, pretends to have been present in the transactions of various ages. As he held in the doctrine of Metempsychosis, he blended his own personal character, with that of the TalUtim, or priests of the sun, who had gone before him. i Perhaps .Bfatum of the Itinerary — ^Bu2ni>, at the West eiid ef the wall q^ Severus, Liuch Riion, the chief seat of the Northern Druids. — See Sect. 5. Oiie of the great mai(imi of the Dntids itU^At^^tiat OfXitv, to uercififoT' iitade. Diog.Laert. 506 APPENDIX. No. I. Ys whegach no'r gvvin gwyn y Ilyn yndi— Ac wedi ath iolaf, Oraehaf, cyn gweiyd, Gorod cymmod a thi ! , Deliver thou the Cymry, in the hour of tribulation! Three tribes, cruel from native disposition, the Gwydde- lians, the Britons,* and the Romans, disturb owr 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 K6d. 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 die sea are round its borders, and t^e copious foimtain is open from above, the liquor within it is sweeter than , delicious wine. „ ( ; I And after I shall have worshipped thee^ O thon Most High, before I am covered with the sod, may I be found in covenant with thee ! § , ; * The Srython, when distinguislied from the Cymry, or primitive inhabitants, seem to have been thf Belgian tribes, whom the Triads place, in the North, as wi'll as the South of Briton. + An allusion to the bloody feast, on the Cursns, at Stonehenge, where Depn, or Hu, held his court. Taliesin, as chief Druid, and vicegerent of this god, and of Kid, or Ceres, claims the sovereignty of tlie British Island. Had his religion been in full establishment, he would have been acknowledged as supteiHe judge, from whose t|ficree there would have been no appeal. Merd^diii, was styled Sufreine Judge of the North, in ihe sixth century. '" ' " $ In this passage, our Bard borrows his imagery from Diluvian'mythology, and represents his sanctuary 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 vow of Becoming Christiafas.-soiuetime before their death.— See the first stanza cfthft loUowing poem, •" No. II. APPENDIX. 507 No. II. A Poem of Taliesin, called Mic Dinbych, a View of the Bardic Sanctuary.* 1. Archaf y'wen i Dduw plwyf esgori. Perchen n£v a Ikwr, pwyll fawr wofri, Addfwyn Gaer y sydd, av GJawr Gweilgi? Bid llawen yrighalan eirian y ri ; Ac amser pan wna m6r mawr wrhydri, Ys gnawd gorun Beirdd uch medd lestri. i)yddybydd gwaneg, ar frys, dybrys iddi, A ddaw hwynt i werlas o glas Fichti ; Ac am bwyf, O Ddews, dros fy ngweddi. Pan gattwyf ammod cymmod a thi ] I will address my prayer to God, that he would deliver our cotnmunity. +— O thou Proprietor of heaven and earth, to whom great "Wisdom is attributed, a holy sanctuary there is on the sur- face of the ociean : 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, pver 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.f And, O God! May I be, for the sake of my ^rayeify though I preserve my institute, in covenant with thee I * W. ArcUajol. p. 67. + the whole language of this Bardic prayer, is strongly tinctured with the Diluviani or Arkite lore of the Druids. - 1 Tlie same Northero people with the Brythm, mentioned in the piecediDS poenji •■ 50a APPENDIX. No. II. 2. Addfwyn Gaer y sydd, ar lydan lyn, Dinas diachoE, m6r a'i cylchyn. Gvgyvarch ti, Prydein, cwdd gyngein hyn? Blaen llyn ab Erbin boed.teu voyn : Bu gosgordd, a b\i cerdd, yn eil mehyn, Ac eryr, uch wybn allwybr Gtranwyn, 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! Before the lake of the son of Erbiii, 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, q,nd 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 legderj, 3. Addfwyn Gaer y sydd ar don nawfed, Addfwyn ei gwerin yn ymwared : Ni wnant eu dwyn cyty trwy feflh'aed ; 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 iqsalai; sanctuary.— 1. The sacred ttx of the patriarch, the Ych Banawg, is stationed before the lake, ready to draw the Avaiie pr Shrine to land, out of its watery repository, — S. It is the. lake of Ermnt ab Ertin, or of 'the vessel of the Itifty chiefs, — 3. The retinue of priests assembled on the occasion, and joined in the mystical procession. — i. The eagle, or symbol of the sun, was placed aloft in the sfcj(, that is, in the open athereal temple, which is often so called. — 5. There ,was the representation of the path of. Gr^nwyn^ or Apollor-^an image of the ecliptic, in which the 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 is, . it was 4 diuro»l selebiaden, whiclt cosuiienlced at th« iawn, — Se« No. i. No.-II. APPENDIX. 509 Nog eillion deudraeth gwell caeth t)yved. 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 1"^ mutual harmony amongst brethren is the best society. ■ 4. Addfvvyn Gaer y sydd: a'i gwna cyman, Meddut, amolut, at adar ban. Llyfn ei cherddau, yn ei chalan : A'm Arglwydd hywydd, iJea>r eirian, Cyn ei fyned yn ei adwyd, yn derfyn llan, Ef a'm rhoddes medd a gwiii o wydrifl ban. A holy sanctuary there is-^it is rendered complete by the rehearsal, the hymn and , the birds of the mountain ."J 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 t,he deep crystal cup. . 5. Addfvvyn Gaer y sydd yn yr.Eglan; Addfwyn y i'hoddir, i bawb, ei ran. * Demetia^ Fembtokeshire, aiid \^e neighbouring dist^icts^. + The Cabwi» the deities of Arkite, inytholbg/.'-"Sde CndaiT^Ctriiietn, in the third Section, . X The Bard distinguisUes three pstticalars in the business of his sanctiiary. 1. The rehearsal of ancient lore. 3. The chaunting of hymns, in honour of the gods. 3. ,The interpretation of their will, by bjrds of augury. § T'lte hierophaiit^ by whom the Bard, had been initiated, and of whom be bad received thewead and wine, or the YLfmWv of the British Ceres. 510 APPENDIX. No. II. Adwen, yn Ninbych, gorwen Gwylan, Cyweithydd wlewMjudd, Udd Erlyssan : Oedd ef fy njewaasdd^ nos Galan, Lleddfawd y.gan ri, ryfel eiran, A lien, Uiw ehoeg, a meddn prain ; Hyn a fwyf tafawd ar feirdd Prydain. A hpiy sanctuary there is, within the gulf; there, every one 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 one+) with my robe of bright green,J possessing a place in the asstembly. Hence my word is paramount over the Bards of Britain. Addfwyn Gaer y sydd, a,'i cyffrwy Ced wn ; Oedd meu eirhydau, a ddewisswn. Ni lyfaraf i daifh rhaith rysgattwn: Ni ddyly celenhig ni 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 sta-mew, it is evident, he was no other than the hieiophant, or chief 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 Diluvian my> thology. Amongst the ancients, the sea mew was the symbol of Minerva, 'as an Arkite goddess. — See Faber's CaiirU V. I. p. 106. 185j &c. The sanctuary, or sacred island, which was fabled to have wandered from place to place, like the ark of old, now fixes itself ftpon the border of the ' flood, and proves to be the insular spot, now containing the town of Tenby, in Pembrokeshire : for it is evident, from -what the Bard had said before, that he means Dinbych, in Drfoed. This is bat a jsmall distance from Arlierth, High Grove, the chief seat of the mystical Pwyll, See Sect. V. f Probably, some ancient and sacred poem upon the adventures of the He- tio-arkite god. J Green was the colour of the ovate, or of him who had already been ini- tiated into the first pciaciplet of Bardism, 6ce Owen's Diet. \.'Glain and Om/dd. No. 11. APPENDIX. 5U A holy sanctuary there is, with its productions of the vessel of K6d*— I ipossEssed myself of its courses, which I had made my choicei 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 waitings oi Britaik-^ areAe first object of anxious regard : should the iwaves disturb their foundation, I would again, if necessary, conceal them deep in the cell; 7. Addfwyji Gaer y sydd yn arddwyrejn : Gqchawn y meddut y molut gyfrein. Addfwyn, ar ei hSr, esgor gynrhein. Godde gwrych,dymbi, Mr ei hadein, Dychyrch bar earreg, creg ei hadnein. Llid y mewn tyriged : treidded troth mein ; A bleiddud gorllwyd goreu affein. Dimpyner, odduch pwy, Lllad cofein. Bendith culwydd nef gydlef afein Arnyn, gwnel yn frowyr gorwyr Owein, 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. , f„Tihe cauldron of ^spirftion, implying the mysteries of 'Bardism. ' See Sect. III. + Or writings of _Prt/tJain, wljp^was.fjie same,as,jHn, See Ko. 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 'piibltc, or recited in the ears of the people. These writing?, had already been concealed in.timea of persecution, probably doVipg the.Rpjnan government : and they were knawn only to the Druids, or Bards 6f ithe highest oirdeir; forTaliesin tells usj thaitin case of necessityii he possessed the effectual means, of concealing them against We can only guess, in general, that these arcana comprehended the saoced history, and rituals of the Drnids, together with tiie rules .of idivination, and most mysterious doctrines of the an- cient priesthood. . . .i'rojn the beginning of. the .next stanza, it appears that thiscode was com- posed in the.,my.sticjil charaqteis of the Baras>, consisting of reedst and the points; and shoots qf trees. > , Tff this kind, of writing.T^lifesin alludes, when ^e «ayj — •• I know every reed, or twig, in tne cavS Jt the 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! Contention is meet only amongst the grey wolves. The memorials of Ukd shall be secured from the assault. May the blessing 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 yd roddir i bawb i chwant. Gogyfarch ti fyned — boed teu fwyant — Gwaywawr ryn rein a dderllyssant. Duw Merchyr gweleis 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 Va^lwy cylchwy friwant. Cwyddyn y gan gefn Uu o Garant. A holy sanctuary there is, upon the margin of tlie flood: there shall every one be kindly presented with his wishes. I warn thee to depart ! f Thau 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 vie perceive the augur in the solemn exercise of his divining art— the cormorant, a bird of ill omen> denounces an approBchiag persecution. The Druid compi-ehenda the hint, and conceals his sacred memorials. UAJ, ib other passages, is a name of the Arkite goddess. In Taliesin's Angar Cyvyn- dawd, she is represented as the mother of the Celtic Apollo. Her memoriali seem to imply the same tiding as the writings of Ptydam, mentioned above. f 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 ouguryk protecting spirit, et brother Djuii, whs teems to speak to the end of the stanza. No. III. APPEND^. 513 of Jove, there was a dispEtragement of what they had protected. The hair was red with hlood, and theire Was claraourous woe. There were funeral processions on the day when they arrived. They will break the circle behind the flat sfohe of !R|aelwy. Let the multitude of Out friends retirci No. III. A Poem of Tailiesin, called PreidDeu Annwn, T/jc Spoils of the Deep.* I HAVE had repeated occasion to mention this piece in the preceding sections : but before I insert it at lengthy 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 nb on« " can understand, that I cannot but pkce him, in point of " intrinsic merit, below the other Bards J although, in. " the estimation of his countrymeii, he seems to have been " ranked in a superior class. His Cad Goddeu, The Battle " of the Trees, is eminently incomprehensible j and so are *' others. That I may not be thought to condemn him "unjustly, I will beg leave to present the reader with his " poe'rii, called Preiddeu Annwn, The Spoils of Afinwii. " If its allusidns are at all historical, they are too much ^' involved in mythology, to be comprehended. In his mead *' song, there is a connected train of thought : in the fok " lowing poem, all connexion of thought seems to have " been studiously avoided." ' r 1 - ■ ■ -• ' I i l . I I ■■ 1 . Ill I II ■ I I ' . ail I I . I . V * ■ -■ * W. AicbMel. p. 4$. 514 APPENDIX. No. III. The author adds this note. " It is, however, fair to remark, that if the Mabinogion, " and all the Welsh remains, were to be accurately studied, " it is propable, that enojigh might be gathered from them, " to elucidate some of the allusions of Taliesin to the opi- " nions, tales, and traditions of his day. This wouW make " intelligible many passages, now obscure." I may be thought rather too adventurous, in encountering this select specimen of, incpmprtfeemibility, 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 satisfa,Gtorily 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 mythology; and that he represents them as the basis of tlie 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 Biitisli superstition. At the same time, I am ready to admit, that another hand might be more dexterous in moving the rusty wards,, which ^uard these mysteries." " In order to make the experiment, I shall, first of all, state, that the subject of the poem is the mythology of tite deluge, and the mysteries which were celebrated in commemo- ration of it. PREIDDEU ANNWN. Golychaf wlcdig, pendefig,, gwl?id ri. P6 ledas y pennaeth, tros drapth'Mundi; No. III^ APPENDIX. 615 Bu cywair carchar Gwair, ynghaer Sidi. Trwy ebostol Pwyll a Phryderi, : Neb cyn nog ef nid aeth iddi. Y gadwyn dromlas, cywirwas, ai cedwi ; A rhag preiddeu Annwfn tost yd geni: Ac, yd frawd, parahawd yn Barddweddi ; Tri Uoneid Prydvven ydd aetham ni iddi ; , Namyn Saith, ni dyrraith o ;Gaer Sidi. . " I will adore the sovereign, the supreme ruler of thtf " land. If he extended his dominion over the shores of " the world, yet in good order was the prison of Gwair, " in the inclosure of /SzW. Through the mission of Pwyll *' and Pryderi, no one before him entered into it. " The heavy blue chain didst thou, , O just man, endure; " and for the spoils of the deep, woful is thy song ; and " till the doom shallit remain in ,the Bardic prayer — Thrice " the number that weuidluvoe filled Prydwen, we entered into " the deep. ; excepting seven, none have returned from Caer *' Sidi.", In this first 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 Ceipr Sidi, in wh^ch he had shut him up, at the time when he extended his dominions over the shores of the world, or sent forth tlie • universal deluge. The Supreme Being was, 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 of., the patriarchal religion. 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 prisoi^ .of Oeth ag Anoeth, Wdth, and the L L 2 516 APPENDIX. No. III. remission of wrath, from which none of his descendants, to the latest posterity, attempted to escape. The allegory implies, that as the patriarch, with his faiiiily, had been 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 Caer Sidi. This has been explained above, as implying, in the first place, the ark, in which the patriarch and his family were inclosed ; secondly, the circle of the zodiac, in which their luminous emblems, the sun, moon, and planets, revolved; thirdly, the sanctuary of the British Ceres, which represented both the ark and the zodiac. The other Caers, mentioned in the conclusion of the several stanzas, are allusive to the same history, and may be regarded as so many titles of the ark : thus, Caer Bediwyd, the inclosure of the inhabitants of the world — the ark, which contained all that was living; or, Caer Mediwyd, the inclosure of the perfect ones, or of the justfamih/. Caer Ri-gor, the inclosure of the roi/al assembly-^oi the patriarch and his sons, who were kings of the world. Caer Golur, the gloomy inclosure — the ark, which was closed up, so as to exclude the light. Caer Vandwy, the inclosure resting on the height. Caer Ochren, the inclosure whose side produced life. The patriarch entered his inclosure, through the mission, «r apostleship (which, I fear, implies a profane scoff at the gospel), of Pwyll and Pryderi, reason or prudence, and serious meditation. It has been seen, that these ideas were personified in British mythology, and that their ^listory relates to the deluge and Arkite mysteries. In the vale of tKe Boat, Pwyll was met by Arawn, pendaran, the Arkite No. ril. APPENDIX. .517 7ord of thunder, who commissioned him to take the go- vernment of the deep into his own hands for a whole year, &c.* The ehain mentioned by our Bard, was the symbol of that confinement, which the just man ,had endured; and of the restraint to which those pf his descendants, who were ini- tiated into Arkite mysteries, patiently submitted. The woful song of the patriarch implies his pensive rer . flection upon thp multitudes which had been swept away by the deluge. At the conclusion of the other stanzas, the Bard repeats the same reflection, with some variety of ex- pression, as the burden of his own song. Frydwen, sometimes inentioned as the shield of the my- thological Arthur, was more properly his ship, and a title of the ark. It is derived from Prud, beauty, the general order of things,, ^Koi^M^; and Wen, which marks a female character — The lady of beauty, The lady of the world, who had carried all its surviving inhabitants. According to the mythology of our Bard, thrice the number of men which would have filled the ark, embarked in their vessels on the deep; but none escaped, excepting the patriarch, and the seven, who were inclosed with him in Caer Sidi. Let u? now go on to the second stanza. Neud wyf glod geymyn cercjd, o chlywid, Ynghaer Pedryfan pedyr y chwelid ! Ynghynneir o'r pair pan leferid, Oanadl naw morwyn gochynnessid, Neu pair pen Annwfn : pwy y vynud ? Gwrym am ei oror, a mererid, Ni beirw bwyd llwfr, ni rydyngid. » See Sect V. 518 APPENDIX No. Ill; Cleddyf lluch, lleawc, iddaw rydderchid : Ac yn Haw Lleminawg ydd edewid : A rhag drws porth Uffern Uugyrn Uoscid — A phaa aetham ni gan Arthur trafFerth Uethrid, Namyn Saith, ni ddyrraith o Gaer Vediwid. " Am I not contending for the praise of that lore, if it « were regarded, which was four times reviewed in the qua- " drangular incisure !* As the first sentence was it uttered " from the cauldron, which began to he warmed by the " breath of the nine damsels. Is not this the cauldron of ♦' the ruler of the deep ! What is its quahty ? With the " ridge of pearls round its border, it will not boil the " food of a coward, who is not hound by his sacred oath. " Against him will be lifted the bright gleaming sword: " and in the hand of the swordrbearer shall he be left : and " before the entrance of the gate of hell, shall the horns " of light be burning. And when we went with Arthur " in his splendid labours, excepting seven, iione returned from " Caer Vediwid." The , Bard here insists upon the peculiar sanctity of the lore which he taught. It had been four times revised in the sacred cell, or Adytum, before it was uttered, as the first sentence, or fundamental- doctrine of the mystical caul- dron of Ceridwen, and the Tuler of the deep. The subject of this sacred vase has been alre'ady introduced. It im-:- plies, metaphorically, the whole system of Arkite mysteries amongst the Druids, in the same manner as the baptismql font stands as an emblem of the Christian religion. The cauldron had been first warmed' by the breath of nine damsels, or prepared by those Arkite prjestesses, called GwylUon and Seon, The same cauldron, as typifying the * Or the inclpsuie irhicb batl four aTeniits or passiges, pointing diffemit No. III. APPENDIX. 519 sacred mysteries, communicated science, wisdom, virtue, happiness, and even immortality ; but it would not pre- pare the food of the coward, the remiss or refractory per- son, who wanted yesol\ition and fortitude to preserve the institues of his order, or who disregarded the dreadful oath, with which he had bound himself, at the time of ad- mission. The fate of such a wretch is described in the^next sen- tence — " Against him will be lifted the bright gleaming *' sword," &.C. Of the ceremony to which our Bard alludes, the chair of Glamorgan have preserved some tradition. — " Degradation (the punishment of a refractory member) was " a particular act of the Gorsedd (solemn session) be- " fore the close of it, and it was called Dwi/n cyrch cyslavan " ya ei erbyn. — To bring the assault of warfare against him, " after thedecision, all the Bards covered their heads, and " one of them unsheathed the sword, named the person " aloud three times, with the sword lifted in his hand, add- *' ing, when he was last named — the sword is naked against *' him." — After this he could never be re-admitted, and he was called " A man deprived of privilege, and exposed to war- '' fare."* This chair proceeded no further : but it should seem, from the language of Taliesin, that the Druids did not scruple to use the sword against the caitiff, thus de- prived of privilege and hope, and to consign him to- Abred, or their lowest hell. The Arthur, mentioned in the conclusion of this stanza, is a mythological character, the representative of the pa- triarch Noah. Neud wyf glod geimyn cerdd gly wanhawr ! Ynhaer Pedryfan, ynys Pybyrddor, .1 ■*■■■■ 1 I I , — ■ *-|ii ■■■■ m l I I ■! ■— ..■■■ M i ^ . ^ - —. - ^ ■■■■■ ^ I 11^ i^lM^fc^ n ■■ IM ■ I ■ «■> • Introd» to LI. HSp, p. 5i. 520 APPENDIX. No. IIL Echwydd a muchedd cymysgettor, Gwin gloyw eu gwirawd, rhag eu gosgor— ^ Tri lloneid Prydwen ydd aetham ni ar for ; Namyn Saitb, ni ddyrraith o Gaer Rigor. " Am I not contending for the honour of a lore that d*-. " serves attention ! " In the quadrangular inclosure, in the island with the " strong door, the twilight and the pitchy darkness were " mixed together, whilst bright wine was th^ beverage, *' placed before the narrow circle — " Thrice the number that would have filled Prydpsen, we *' embarked upon the sea ; excepting seven, none returned from f Caer Rigor." The quadrailgular inclosure is the cell, or Adytum of the ark itself; and hence, of an Arkite temple. It fol- lows, that the island with the strong door, was that of the iSeoM or Owyllion, which contained this sacred Arkite cell. The Druids seem to have appointed a great divinity, as the guardian of the door, or entrance pf this sanctuary. Thus Taliesin says — " The oak, the mover, * before whom heaven and earth f' would tremble — a vindictive foe ! The guardian of the *' door is his name in our table books." Again, in a poem cited above, Qlewlwyd Gafaelfawr, the Jioary severe one, with the ample dominion, is the guardian of the door, in the Druidical sanctuary: and the Triads ni^ke Seithin Saidi, Saturn or Janus, the guardian of the door of Godo, the ark. All this has its counterpart, in the mythology of other nations. " When the ark was constructed, Noah made a ?' door in its side j a circumstance continually commemo- , . .r ' ■ ' '■■ ' ■ " ',n> ^ Or QuicJicner. No. III. APPENDIX. 521 •* rated by the Gentile writers. The entrance through it, " they esteemed a passage to death and darkness ;' but the " egress from it was represented as a return to life : hence " the opening and shutting of it were religiously re- « corded.'^* , The confusion of twilight and utter darkness, in this sacred , inclosure, alludes to the internal gloom of the ark, a cir- cumstance seldom forgotten in the mystical poems. Ce» ridwen, the Arkite goddess, was the mother of A'vagddu, Vtter darkness, who could not be illuininated, till the re- novating cauldron had boiled for a complete year. The torches of this goddess were burning in the dead of night, and at the hour of dawn : the aspirant to the greater mysteries was cast into the sea, Mewn boly tywyll, in a dark receptacle; and in the poem before us, the ark is styled Qaer Golur, the gloomy inclosure. Mr. Bryant has re- marked numerous allusions to the same circumstance. We are here told, that bright wine was the liquor placed before the narrow ,circ|e of the Diluvian patriarch. That revered personage was the first upon record, who planted the vine, and drank of its produce. Jle was the Dionust^ of antiquity. The British Bards represent hinji uuder the character of Hu, as the giver of wine: and they seldom ^allude to his mystical festivals, without mentioning the piead and the wine, whiph see^l to have been int;:pduced ^s sacred memorials. .4. Ni obrynaf llawyr Hen Uywiadur-^ Tra Chaer Wydr, ni welsynt wrhyd ArthHr— Tri ugeint canhwr a sefi ar y mur ; * Bryant'sAnalysJs, V. II. p. 257. See alsQ p. S64,-where we find a divinity expiassly sppointedj asgucfdicp* j^ the dpur, 522 APPENDIX. No. IIL Qedd anawdd, ymadrawdd a'i gwiliadur — Tri lloneidd Prydwe^ ydd aeth gan Ar^iur ; Namyn saith, ni ddyrraith o Gaer Golur. " I will not redeem the multitudes with the ensign of the " governor. Beyond the inclosure of glass, they beheld " not the prowess of Arthur. " Thrice twenty hundred men stood on its wall: it was " difficult to converse with its centinel. " Thrice the number that would have filled Prydwen went " forth with Arthur ; excepting seven, none returned from « Caer Golur/' The Bard here represents the inhabitants of the old world, as ready to enlist under the banners of the patriarch, when alarmed by the prospect of impending ruin.— They were ascending the sides of the ark, and imploring protec- tion ; but they implored in vain. The circumstance is po- etically imagined. The ark is here called Caer Wi/dr, the inclosure of glass. We are not, hence to conclude, that the Druids regarded the sacred ship as constructed of that material; but they esteemed certain .little glass models, as very sacred symbols of the mystical vessel, and held the material itself in reli- gious esteem. Thus the stranger, in the chair of Taliesiri, is introduced to the nocturnal mysteries, by exhibiting his boat of glass, which must have been an emblem of the ark. Merddin Emrys find his nine Bards put to sea in the house of glass, which could have been nothing more than- a mystical representative of the ^rk. The Druid distrijjuted the sacred liquor to his disciples, wydrin Ban, out of the deep cup of glass ; and those sacred insignia, the Glain, and the Ovui;p Anguiniim, were pieparatioas of some vitrified substance, AH these com- No, III. APPENDIX. 523 memorate that sacred vessel, which, amongst its multitude of names, had that of Caer Wydr. 5. Ni ohrynaf i llawyr llaes eu eylchwy. Ni wyddant hwy py ddydd peridydd pwy, Py awr, ym nieinddydd, y ganed Cwy, ' Pwy gwnaeth ar nid aeth doleu Devwy. Ni wddant hwy yr ych brych, bras ei benrhwy, Seith ugein cygwn yn ei aerwy — A phart aetham ni gan Arthur, afrddwl gofwy; Namyri saith, ni ddyrraith o Gaer Vandwy. " I will npt redeem the piultitudes with trailing shields. " They knew not on what day the stroke would be given, " nor what hour in the serene day, Cwy (the agitated per- " son) would be born, or who prevented his going into the *' dales of Devwy (the possession of the [w;ater). They " know not the brindled ox with the thick head^iband, " having seven score knobs in his collar. — And when we *' went with Arthur, of mournful memory ; excepting seven, " none returned from Caer Vandwy." Taliesin here reprobates those inhabitants of the old and new world, who fled with trailing shields, or wanted the invincible fortitude of Bardism. ' Providence had not dis- covered to tlie former, on what day the fatal stroke of the deluge would be given; at what time the patriarch, who was tossed upon the waters, would be born again from his vessel, or who prevented his sinking to those dales, which were covered with the deluge. The latter knew not the brindled ox. See. In almost every British memorial of the deluge, the ox is introduced. The oxen of liu the Mighty dxew the beavei: out of the lake, and prevented the repetition of thie deluge. ' 5U APPENDIX. No. IIL ' And an ox or bull, as I have shewn in the second sec- tion, was the symbol of the Helio-afkite god. Whatever is to be understood by the knobs, in the collar of this brindled ox, it must be observed, that seven score, or seven score and seven, constituted a sacred number with the Druids, or ancient Bards. Thus Taliesin says, that seven score Ogyrvens, or mystical personages, pertain to the British muse. The mystical trees exhibited to Merddin, were 147 : and the stones which completed the great temple on Salisbury plain, are computed at 140. If the sacred ox was kept in this temple, the stones of the fabric may have been described, as composing his ring, or collar. By rwt knowing this ox, the Bard implies an ignorance of Arkite mysteries, or of the Druidical religion. 6. Ni obrynaf i lawyr llaes eu gehen. Ni wddant py ddydd peridydd Pen : Py awr, ym meinddydd, y ganed Perchen ; , Py fil a gadwant ariant y pen — Pan aetham ni gan Arthur, afrddwl gynhen ; Namyn saith, ni ddyrraith o Gaer Ochren. " I will not redeem the multitudes with unguarded *' mouths. They know not on what day the chief was " appointed : on what hour in the serene day, the propri- " etor was born; or what animal it is, which the silver- ** headed ones protect — " When zee went with Arthur into the mournful conflict ; " excepting seven, none retprnedfrom Qaer Ochren." Tlie persons of unguarded mouths, were those who violated the oath of secrecy, administered to them before their ini- tiation, The chief and the proprietor are titles of the Reified patria|:ch, and gf his representative in the myste- Na III. APPENDIX. 525 ries: and the animal yfa.s the symbolicial ox, ^nentioned iu the preceding stanza, which was kept by the hpary Druids. 7. ' •■ -, .'. Mynaich dychnud, fal cun in cor, O gyfranc uddudd ai gwyddanhbr— Ai un hynt gwynt : ai un dwfr mor ; Ai un ufel tan, twrwf diachor ! ''' Monks congregate, like dogs in their kennel, wrangling " with their instructors. — " Is there but one course to the wind — but one to th«i " water of the sea ! Is there but one spark in the fire of " boundless energy. _, Taliesin having asserted the merit of his own system, proceeds in this, and the concluding stanza, to reprove the monks, the determined adversaries of the Bards, for tHeir illiberality and their ignorance. He seems to say — Though one may be right, it does not follow, that the person who thinks differently must be zvrong.^-" Is there but one course " to the wind, &c. 8. Mynejch dychnud fal bleiddiawr, O gyfranc uddudd ai gwyddyanhawr. Ni wddant pan ysgar deweint a gvvawr; Neu wynt pwy hynt, pwy ei rynnawr ; Py va ddifa, py dir y plawr. . Bed sant yn ddifant o bet allawr : Golychafi Wledig, Pendevig Mawrl " Monks congregate like wolves, wrangling with their " instructors. They know not when the darkness and the ^* dawn divide; nor what is the course of the wind, or the " cause of its agitation ; in what place it dies away, or oa " what region it ejtpands. 526 APPENDIX: No, IV. " The grave of ttie saint ' is vanishing from the faoti of "the altar: I will" adore the soveeeigj*, the great " SUPREME !" This is the proper conclusion of the poem, and it has something of sublimity. , The Bard had introduced his sub- ject, with a resolution to adore the Great Supreme, who had preserved the just man from the water? of the deluge ; and he closes with the same sentiment. Some idle copyist, however, as usual, has .added a Christian idea, in a verse which disagrees with what has gone before, in language, in metre, and in final rhymer-^ Na bwyf^ trist, Crist am gwaddawl. " That I be not sorrowful, may Christ be my portion." No. IV. In the Celtic Researches, I have observed, that Tydain Tad Awen — Titan, the father of inspiration, the third of the chief regulators; and Angar, thefouf^din of heat, the son of Ladon, and the third of the equal judges, corresponded in character with Apollo. Yet Tydain and Angar are evidently connected with the Arkite theology of the Britons., The former had his tomb, or shrine, in the hill of Aren ; and Mr. Bryant informs us, that Aren was the ark. Ladon, the mother of Angar, was no other than Latona j and the same great mythologist assures us, that Isis, the Arkite goddess, and Latona, were the same personage. This solar divinity of the Britons appears again in a poem of Taliesin, with the title T&frn On, the sovereign On. And he still retains the same ordinate rank, being de- scribed as the third deep mysteiy of the Sage. No. lit APPENDIX* 527 A passage in Taliesin's poem, on the rod of Moses, con- nects this On with the Egyptian divinity, On, or Helios. The patriarch Joseph had married a daughter of the priest, or prince, of On, which is also called Heliopolis ; and thus he had become the son of this prince. And the Bard says of Joseph, " The son of Teyrn On collected treasures from his asso- " ciates,/ and the sons of Jacob had those treasures in " possession." The poem, which commemorates the Helio-arkite divi- nity by this name, is entitled Cadair Teyrn On, the chair of the sovereign On. It is cur-ious upon many accounts, and particularly as it was composed upon a memorable occasion, the inauguration of the renowned Arthur. I shall therefore give it entire. , KADAIR TEYRN ON.* Areit awdl egliir, Awen tra messur, Am gwr deu awdwr, O echen Aladur, A'i iFonsai, a'i ffwr, A'i reon rechdur, A'i ri rhwyfiadur, A'i rif ysgrythwr, A'i goch, gochlesswr, A'i ergyr dfos fwr, * W. Archaiol. p 65. 5^8 APPENDIX. No. IV. A'i gadair, gymmesswr, Ymhlith gosgordd mwr; Neus dug o gawrmwr, Meirch gwelw gostrodwr, Teyrn On, henwr, Heilyn Pasgadwr, Trededd dofn doethwr, I fendigaw Arthur. The declaration of the luminous strain, of the iinjjounded Awen (Bardic muse), concerning the person of two ori- gins,* of the race of Al Adur,-\ with his divining staff, and his pervading glance, and his neighing coursers, and his regulator of kings, and his potent number, and his blushing purple, and his vaulting over the boundary, and his appropriate chair, amongst the established train. ; Lo, he is brought from the firm inclosure,J with hi» light-coloured bounding steeds — even the sovereign On, the ancient, the generous feeder,| the third profound object of thte sage, to pronounce the blessing upon Arthur. * Alluding, perhaps, to the double birth of the Arkite god. Thus Dioausus (Noah) was styled Ai^mj;. Or else, the B»rd may hare had an eye to the niystieal union of the patriarch and the sun, t ")li<^N, Vie Glorious God. I shall not undertake to explain the various particulars introduced in this passage : only, I suppose, that by the solar god's vaulting otier the boundary, thf Bards intimated his crossing the equator. This may have been represented by some mystic rite. Diadorus t^Us. us, that Apollo had his appropriate chair in the great Hyperborean temple, which antiquaries, of no mean name, pro- nounce to have been no olher than the famous structure of Stonehenge- There the god amused himself with a dance, once in nineteen years, amongst hii established train. As it was the known practice for certain priests, in the celebration of the mysteries, personally to represent the sun and moan, I con- jecture ihat the Druids, in their great festival of the cycle, dressed up a pageant of their own order, to personate this luminons divinity. J Cavir mi,r, firm inchsure. Or strong boundary^ seems to mean tlie fir- mament. § Or, Heilin the Feeder, the soUt divinity, whom the Bards always place im the third tank. No. IV. APPENDIX. 529 Arthur fendigad, Ar gerdd gyfaenad, A'r wyneb ynghad, Arnaw bystylad ! Pwy y tri ehynweissad, JVwerch^dwis gwlad ? Pwy y tri chyfarwydd, A gedwis arwydd, A ddaw wrth awydd, Erbya eu harglwydd ? Arthur ! may he be blessed, according to the lore of the society,* when his face meets the battle, which wantonly assaults him ! 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 alJirity to meet their lord ? 3. Ban rinwedd rotwydd. Ban fydd hyn hoywedd. Ban corn cerddetrwydd : Ban biw, wrth echwydd : Ban gwir, pan ddisgleir ; Bannach pan lefair. Ban, pan ddoeth o ba,ir Ogyrven, Awen teir. Bum Mynawg, mynweir, Ynghorn i'm neddair : M M *, Apollo is her« introdiicqfl in per^oq, as jiroaouncing the solemn benetdic- tion, and calling his chosen votaries into his presence,, to join in the celebration of mystic rites. The remainder of the poem is put into the mouth of the priest, wfap tepre- sents this divinity. 530 APPENDIX. No. IV. Ni ddyly cadair, Ni gatwo fy ngair. Cadeir gennyf glaer, Awen hyawdl daer. Eminent is the virtue of tbe free course, when this dance* is performed. Loud is the horn of the lustrator, when the kinef move in the. evening. Manifest is truth when it shines; more maaifest when ^ it speaks ; and loud it spoke, when it came forth from the cauldron of Awen^ the ardent goddess. I have been Mynawg,f wearing the collar, and carrying my horn in my hand. He is not entitled to the, presidency, who will not keep my decree. I hold the splendid ,chair of the eloquent, the ardent Awen. 4. Pwy yw enw y teir caer, ^' Rhwng Uiant a llaer ? Nis gwyr, ni fo taer, » Eissillut eu Maer. Pedair caer yssydd Ym Mhrydain Powyssedd : Rhieu MerWerydd. ' . » Am ni fo, md fydd : Nid fydd, am nid fo. Llynghessawr a fo; Tohid gwaneg tra gro, Tir dylyn, dir, bo Nag allt nag ado, Na bryn na thyno. The dance, in which Apollo joined with his votaries. T The tine of Ceres, which drew her ark, or chest. Her procession seems to have Commenced in the evenings as that of the solar divinity did in the morning, See No. 6. t Oi Minauc— the deified patriarch.i-»nd hence his priest and lepTeseDtatWe. No. IV. APPENDIX. 581 Na rhynnawd Godo, Rhag gwynt, pan sorho ; Cadeira Teyrn On : Celfydd rwy catwo. What are the names of the three Caers,* between the flowing and the ebbing tide? The man of slow intellect recognizes not the offspring of their president. Four Caersf there are, stationary, in Britain: their governors are agi-> tators of fire. As for what may not be, it will not be — It will not be, because it may not be. J Let him {On} be the conductor of his fleet | — then^ were the billows to overwhelm beyond the strand, so that of firm land there should indeed remain neither cliff nor defile, nor hill nor dale, nor the smallest sheltering cover from the" wind, when its fury is rouged; yet the sovereign On will protect his chair : skilful is he who guards it» 5. Ceissitor yngno! Ceissitor Cedig, Cedwyr coUedigj Tebygaf dduU dig/ O ddifa Pendefig, O ddull difynnig' O Leon lluryg, Dyrchafawd Gwledigj Am derwyn Hen Enwig, M M 2 • Insular sanctuaries. See the Essay, Sect. II. and Append No. II, «pd VI. The Bard may also allude to tlie sacred rafts, or boats. See Sect. III. + Sanctuariesj containing the cells of* the sacred fire. t A curiotis specimen of Druidical logic. i The pageant means to say—" Were the world to be again OTerwhelmed, " Rs at the deluge, yet the Arkite sanctuary, the chait of the Helio-aitite god should remain in lectfrity. 532 APPENDIX. No. IV. Breuhawd bragawd'brtg — Breuhawd eissorig. Orig, a merin, Am derfyn chwefrin, leithoedd eddein, Mordwyaid merin. Aches ffysgiolin O blan Seraphin, Dogyn, dwfn, diwerin, Dyllyngein Elphin. There let them be sought! Let application be made to Kedig,* for the men of Ked,\ who have been lost. When it seemed most likely that, in a wrathful manner, the nobility would be destroyed, with lacerated forms, then, clad in legionary mail, a sovereign was exalted. Round the ancient and renowned focus, the shooting' sprigs were broken : they were broken into tallies.^ " A moment, and they shall dissolve! Round the bor- " ders, the severe speeches of the roving sea adventurers " shall vanish away.' " A quick gliding train of radiant seraphim, in due or- " der, mysteri^ous and pure, shall deliver Elphin." * The same as Kid, the Arkite goddess, whose renovating cauldron could restore the slain to life : but, ak. the same time, it deprived them of ptterancer or obliged them to take an oath of secrecy. See Turner's Vindic. p. 383. The efficacy of this cauldron is here illustrated, by the energy which wa» displayed by a prince of the Bardic order> after the massacre of the nobles. + Or warriors. X This passage describes the rite of sortilege — the concluding lines contain the vaticination, deduced from the experiment. No. V. APPENDIX. 533 No. V. In the last poem, we have s,een the solar divinity, as personified and represented by his priest and namesake, Taliesin, connected with the Arkite superstitions of the Britons. There is also reason to conclude, that the magi of Bri- tain, like those of Persia, worshipped the sun, under the name and character ai Jire. Let the reader form his judg- ment upon this subject, from the following extract of Ta- liesin's poem on the inythological horses.* Torrid, anliynudawl, Tuthiawl Dan iogawl — Ef iolen, o dduch lawr 1 T&n Tan! hustin Gwawr! Uch awel uchel ; Uch no pob nyfel ! Mawr ei anyfel : Ni thrig yngofel, Na neithiawr Llyr. Llyr llwybyr y tebyr Dy far, ynghynebyr. Gwawr gw6n wrth Uchyr — Wrth wawr, wrth wrys ; Wrth pob hefelis ; Wrth hefelis Nwython ; Wrth pedyr af aon, Arddwyreaf i a varn Gwrys, Cadarn trydar — dwfri ei gas. Let him burst forth, with rapid speed— The moving, the vehement fire : even he whom we adore, high above the earth ! * W Archaiol. p. 43, 634 APPENDIX. Nd. 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 I He will not de^ " lay in the skirmish ; nor at the wedding feast of Llyr" (J^the sea). Thy path* in the sea is perceived — thy impulse in the mouths of rivers ! Aurora, smiling, repels the glpom ! 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 — ^tJie mighty lord of the dinf — dreadful is his wrath ! This, surely, implies the practice of Jire-worship. The Bard, however, has not forgotten his Arkite lore. In the pourse of the poem, he celebrates the mythological steed?, which perta;ined to that superstition; and then recites a catalogue of his own transmigrations; ainongst which we have the following — Bum Uif, yn eirth. < Bum ton, yn engwelrth. Bum ysgof ysgeini^d Dilyw. " I have been a flood on the slope. I have been a wave ff on the extended shore. I have been a memorial of the f spreading deluge," * It should seem, that the Bard imputes the flowing and ebbing of the tid? tp the sun's influence. + The pl^rase Rhwyv Trydar, lord, or Uaier of the din, which Taliesin an4 Aneurin apply to tlie sun, with others of similar import, seem to denote, that the Druids welcomed his risings with frantic shouts of joy» accompanied witl) jbe vocal hymn, and instrumental music. No. VI. APPENDIX, 535 No. VI, A PQfm of Taliesin, called, Buaeth BeirdD) The Ox-pen of the Bards.* 1. Edd, ympeibli, oedd ympuylled, O feirdd Prydein, pryddest ofer, Ymryoreu, ymryorsedd, Digawn gofal i gofan gordd. Wyf eissyg preh cyfyn an gerdd, Buarth Beirdd, ar nis gwypo, Pymthengmil drostaw, Yn ei gymhwyaw. Wyf cerddoliad ; wyf ceiniad claer : Wyf dwr ; wyf Dryw : Wyf saer : wyf sy w : Wyf sarph : wyf serch, ydd ymgestaf, Nid wyf fardd syn, yn yryfreidiaw, P?,n g§,n ceinied, canu yngof. Nyt ef wnafyt wy ryfedd uchon, ' Handid a mi eu herbyniaw ; Mai arfoll dillad heb law ; Mai ymsawd yn llyn, 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 ste^, at unity with the Bardic lore. As for him who knows not the ox^petf]^ ' W. Archaiol. p. 27. + Taliesin censures those Bards who were ambitious of displaying their talentS) without having acquirtjd 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. t 'The insular eell or stall of the sacred ox, which represented the Atkite god, ajid was known only to the regular Bards or Druids. , 536" APPENDIX. No. Vt of the Bards, may fifteen thousand overpower and afflict him at once ! I am a skilful composer : I am a clear singer : I am a tower : * I am a Druid ; I am an architect : I am a prophet ; I am a serpent : I am love : in the social banquet will I indulge, A Bard am I, not doating upon superfluous trifles. When a master sings, his song will be close to the subject, Jle will not be searching for tbosg remote wonders. Shall I then admit tf^ese, like men suing for garments, without a hand to receive them — like men toiling in the lake, without a ship ! f 2. Tyrfi aches cofn, yngradd Uchel; yngwaed, morddwyd trefydded. Criiig, am waneg, wrth wawr, trefqad. An clut ysgrut, esgar noddiad : Craig pen Peichen, pen anygnad. Yna gwna meddiit medddawt meddydd — Wyf Cell : wyf dell : wyf darw BecrUed; Wyf llogell cerdd : wyf lie ynydd : Caraf y gorwydd, a gorail clyd, A bardd a bryd, ni pryn yred. Nyt ef caraf amryssoniad : A geibl celfydd, ny meuedd medd. Madws myned i'r ymddiod, A chelfyddeid, am gelfyddyd, A chanclwra, cystwm cywlad. JBugeil broQedd, porthoedd neirthiad. * The mystagogue, as asiial, blends his own personal character with the symbols of jiis god — the tower or pyramid, the serpent, &c. tf Several whimsical comparisons are added in the ori^inaljiocm, for the p)irpoi,e of ridiculing the pretended Bards j but 1 have omitted ft)eqv ^^ ^^^ ^((^(e ot luteffsi. ^ • No. VI. APPENDIX. 537 Mai ymdaith, heb drefet, i gad — — Wyf bardd neuodd, wyf kyv kadeir ; Digonaf i feirdd Uafar Ilestair. Boldly* swells the stream to its high limit. Let the thi^h be pierced in blood. — 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 rock of the Supreme Proprietor, the chief place of tranquillity. Then let the giver of the iivead feast cause to be pro- claimed, "j- — " I am the cell ; I am the opening chasm ; I " am the bull Seer JL/ed; J I am the repository of the mys- " tery ; I am the place of reanimation. I love the tops of " trees, with 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 the preparation for the solemn , periodical rite, of temoving the shrine ont 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- servation of the time of flood, alluding to the deluge, 2, A fanatical rite of piercing the thigh, so as to draw blood. — ^Thus, the idolatrous Israelites " cried aloud, and cut themselves, after their manner, with knives aiid lancets, " till the blood gushed out upon them." — 3. A ritual adorning of tlie sacred rock, 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. 5. This rock was the chief place of tranquillity ; for hare the divinity was supposed to reside, excepting at the time of the solemn procession. 6. This patriarchal god, the Supreme Proprietirr, was he 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- fiferm god. J A foreign term : perhaps from ^p3, which implies both an ox or bull, and «l80 the dawn or morning ; compounded with 10\T7, flame, fire, inchantment. The bull of fire was an apt title for the Helio-Arkite god, as the bull was the symbol of thfe patriarch, and the sun iVas worshipped in the form of foe, or flame. It will occur to the reader, that the other meanings of these terms, were strictly pertinent to the mysticism of the Druids, whose god came forth in the morning, and was esteemed the president of inehantart. II The mystagogue requires a song, not only perfectly cMisistent with the lore of the Bards, but also, noted in their mystical characters, or omen-sticks. § That is, " ShaH not be admitted to the mysteries, where the mead ii ♦' 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 Anofo*— the custom " ©four countrymen." The shepherds of the plains, the supporters of gates,t 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 TaliesitCs Cad GoDDEtr, or Battle of the Trees. % 1. Handid cynt, myr mawr, Erpangigleu'r awr, A'n deilas blaen bedw, A'n datrith, a'n datedw. A'n maglas blaen derw, O warchan Maelderw ; Wherthinrawg, tu craig, N^r, nid ystereig. Existing of yore, in the great seas, from the time when ' '■ — '. ' —\ =^ * By whiph, the symbolical sprigs above mentioned, were confined to their, places, in the composition of the sacred hymn. t Who seem, according to thevulga.r phrase, to prop tfte g«<« of the great,' wTiere tlicy, attend as veual minstrels. As Braidism was not now established tiy-law, the president had no weapon but 'I^is satire, wherewith to sikiice these poetasters. J This piece contains much of the Helio-atkite lore ; but it is so foil of mys- tical alloi*ons, which ar? become obscure, from the loss of monuments, that I hope to be pardoned. If I do not succeed in explaining the whole. It is here exhibited, in order to eij,erci3e th?. ingenuity of better injlliologists. See W. Archaiol. p. oO, No. VII. APPENDIX. 539 the shout* was heard, vsTf were put forth, decomposed and simplified, by the tops of the birch. J The tops of the oak § connected us together, by the incantation of Mael Derw;l| whilst smiling at the side of the rock, Ner^ re« mamed in calm tranquillity. 2. Nid o Fam a Th^d, Pan ymddigonad, A'm creu, am cread ; O naw rhith llafanad, O ifrwyth, O ffrwytheu, 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 ideaj that this shout refers to the Creation ; but I rather think, the mjthologist alludes to the joy which took place at the opening of the ark, and the putting forth of its inhabitants. -f- The original fraternity of Bards and Druids. 'f As Bedwen, a birch, implies the may-pole, otPhallia; and, as the term is used by a celebrated Bard, D. ab Gwilym, in 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 Buanavir, the quickener, before whom heaven and earth tremble — a dreadful foe, whose name in the table book is Dryssavrr, the deity of' the door. This must apply-to the dei- fied patriarch, who received his connected family into the ark, and his coa« inected votaries into the Druidical sanctuary. II Beneficent of tite oaks. There is a most dark and difficult poem, called (he tncantation of' Maelderw. See No. XVI. 5f Nereus, the deluge, the abyss, which wis now appeased- 'The name seems to be derived from the Hebrew "1111, Ner, to rim or flow, as water.—' f Hence (says Mr. Farkhurst) the Greeks and Romans had their Nereus, which " originally signified the great abyss, or the sea considered at communicating f- with it." Thnrlfereus is addressed in the Orphic hymn. Possessor of the ocean's gloorny depth. Ground of the sea, earth's bourn and source of all, • Shaking prolific Ceres' sacred seat, When, in the deep recesses of thy reign. The madding blasts are, by thy power, confin'd ; Sut oh! the earthquake's dreadful force foiefend.l Heb. Ler. V. "nJ, 540 APPENDIX. No. VII. Pan ym digoned ; O flawd danet, O ddwfr ton nawfed. When my formation was accomplished,* not,of motlie^ and father was I prodnced ; 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, in its terrene state was J modelled ; of the flower of nettles, and the water of the pinth wave, S. A'm swynwysel Math, Cyn bum diaered. Am swynwys i Wydion, Mawr nwr o Bfython, O Eurwys, o Eurwn, O Euron, O Fedron, O bump pumhwnt Celfyddon, Athrawon, ail Math. Pan ymdd^gaid, A'm swynwys i Wledig, Pan fu led losgedig. A'm swynwys Sywydd Sywyddon, cyn byd, , Pan fei gennyf fi vot. Pan fei faint byd hardd, Bardd Budd an gnawd : A'r wawd ytueddaf, ' , A draetho tafawd. * From hencefortb, the mystagogue describes the formatioDi and details the history of the great president of the Draidical order, the priest, pcophet, and vicegerent of the Helio-arkite god ; who, upon the principle of the metempsy- chosis, had preserved his existence ^nd his identity through all ages, from the time when the ark was first constructed. The fruits, tiowprs, earth, and water here mentiohbd, are tfte same kind of ingredients which wore used in the mystical purifications, with a view to form ot'figenttate tfie members of the Bardic order. No. VII. APPENDIX. 541 1 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 6ard.§ I am he who influ- ence the song of praise, which the tongue recites. 4. Gwarieis yn llychwr : Cysgais ym mhorfFor. Neu bum yn ysgor, Gan Ddylan, ail jh6r, Ynghylchedd, ymherfedd, Rhwng deulin teyrnedd, Yn deu wayw anchwant, O nef, pan idoethant Yn'Annwfn llifeiriant. Wrth frwydin, dybyddant Pedwar ugein kant, A gweint ar eu chwant. Nid ynt hyn, nid ynt iau No mi, yn eu banilau. I sported in the gloom ;|| I slept in purple ; I truly was • MSth W8S a mighty operator with the magic wand, who, at the time of the deluge, set the elements at -large; and Gwydion was the Hermes of the Britons. Compare-Nxi. X. with Cadair Ceridwen. , ^ T These repeated exorcisms, or purifications by mystical rhes, seem to imply the initiation of the great pontifical character, every time he descended into a, new body. X The separation of the Koacfaids, or the dispersion from Babel. $ Or — « The Bard of BCidd conversed much witt men." I Thit passage clearly asserts, that the bieraith passed through the del aget )• 542 APPENDIX. No. mi, m the ship with l)ylan, 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. They are neither older nor younger than myself in their divisions. 5. Arial cannwr a geni. Pawb, o naw cant, Oedd gehnyf inneu, Ynghleddyf brith gwaed. Bri am darwedd^-O Ddofydd; A golo He ydd oedd. O dof hyd l^s baedd, Ef gwrith, ef dadwrith, Ef gwrith ieithoedd. Uachar ei enw, Uawfer, Lluch llywei nifer, Ys gein ynt, yn ufel, O dof yn uchel. Tis the animated singer who fehaunts. The complete number of nine hundred pertained to me, with my blood- stained sword .-f- To me was dignity allotted by Dovydd;J and where he was there was protection. If I come to the green plain of the boar, § he will com- whicb was regarded as a great lustration. And thi» achievement tias performed in the saoied vessel of the patriarch. • These 8000 were, perhaps, sacred fountains, which pouied forth their waters to meet the descending rain, and complete the lastratioa of the globe. 'f Stained with the blood of victims, which he had saciificed, I Domitor, Gadi § " Tacitas informs us, that the Estji (a German tribe) worshipped the " mother of the gods, and that the symbol which they used was a boar^—tUe " mother of the gocls-^ — was, in short, the ark of ^oah, from which issued " ali the hero-gods of paganism. With regard to the boar — we find it intro- " dueed very coBspicuously into many ot those legendary traditions, which N». VH. APPENDIX. 543 pose, he ^^111. decompose, he will form languages. The etrong-banded da,rter 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 neidy fraith/ ym mryn. Bum gwiber yn Uyn. Bum «er gan gynbyn. Bum bwysferhyn, _ Fy .nghassul am cawg. Armaaf, nid yn ddrwg, Pedwar ugeint mwg, Ar bawb a ddyddwg. Pum pemhwnt angell A ymdal am cyllelL Whech March Melynell : Canwaith y sydd well, Fy march Melyngan, Cyfred a gwylan. Mi hun nid eban, Cyfrwng m&r a glan. Neu gorwyf ^waedlan, Arnaw cant cynrhan. Rhudd em fy nghylcbwy, Eur fy ysgwydrwy. Ni ganed, yn adwy, A vu ira govwy, Namyn Goronwy, O ddoleu Edrywy. " relate to the great event of the deluge. It appears to have been one of tbti " symbols of the ark."— Faber's Myst. af the Cabiii, V. I. p. 22b. •' Ferhaps> if the matter be expreased with perfect accuracy, we ought ra- " ther to say, that a baar was symbolical of Noab, and a sow of the arb. " 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 wotds^ the Noetic " ship, is said by Agathocles to have been a sowt"-^W»t«. Hid,- 544 APPENDIX. No. YM* I have been a spotted adder* on the mount — I have been a viper in the lake — I have been stars -J- among the supreme chiefs ; I have been the weigher of the falling drops,J drest in my priest's cloke, and furnished with my bowl. Not unskilfully do I presage, at fourscore smoking altars,^ tlie fate which will befal every man. To my knife, || a mul- titude of thighs have submitted. Six steeds ^ there are of yellow hue : than these, a hun- dred times better is Melyngam,, 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 mewn llawr, Cyn bum Heenawr. * The adder qr viper was a symbol of the Helio-arkite god ; and hence of bis priest, who occupied his station upon the sacred mounti or in the Diluvian lake. + A constellation, representing a sacrificing priest. % A priest, representing the Diluvian god. II He supported the character of a soothsayer, or hainFpex. $ He was a sacrificing priest. ^ Sacred ships — symbols of the ark. Melyngan was of this order, as appears by the road which he travelled. I have shewn, in a note upon No. II. that the sea-mew was a Diluvian symbol. •* The shield of the Helio-arkite god, and of hisr priest, having the image of Caer Sidi, the zodiac, or the Druidical temple, formed of gems, and set in gold. The device still appears upon some old 'ntish coins. The hitiarch presided in the area of the altar, which was guarded by the priestt« aoil drenched with the blood of victims. j^ Gar-on-viy, Sufveme Lord of the Water— \he deified patriarch. Nt>. VII. APPENDIX. 545 - Treiglais, pylchyneis, "* Kysgeis cant ynys ; Cant kaer a thiugys. ^ Darwyddon 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 ,?uryll, : , Mi hydwyf herthyll, 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 huudre4 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 Pasgadwr, the feeder. No. IV. The Bards had some tradition that thdr solar divinity, or his chief priest and representative, in ancient times, had been a herdsman or shepherd. The Creeks told the same tale of thdr Apollo. 1 See ApoUodor. L. I. c. 9. and L. III. c. 10. + Tliat is, the diviners of former times. i This sacred name is introdaced as a cloak inlo many of the heathen songs qf the BritoBS. 546 APPENDIX. No. VIII. Lo, I am tliat splendid one, who sportively eome from the invading host of the Feryll,* ISTo. V'lII. Dialogue between XJgnach, the Son of Mydno,-of Caer Seoii, and Taliesin, of Caer Degantm/.f TAHESIN. Marchawc, a girch y Dinas, Ae con gwinion, ae cirn bras, Nyth adwaen : ni rythwelas. O knight, who approachest the city with white dogs f and large horns,| I know thee not: to my eyes thou art not familiar. 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, II come with me; I take no denial. TALIESIN. Mi nid aw ina in awr : • Or Pheryll, Cabiri — Helio-arkites. ^ W. Archaiol. p. 46. The monks say that Ugnach, otherwise called Mygnaeh, the son of Mydaaw, the ship mover, was principal of the college of Caer Gybi, or Holyhead. But these legendaries often confound the votaries of Draidisin, witlT the eariy saints of their own calendar ; and it may he inferred, , from the following poem, which certainly is ancient, that Ugnach was a distingnished hierophamt in Arkite mysteries. If bis station was Holyhead, it must follow, that this islet was a Stfon or &nii of the British Sards.— rSee Sect. II. % Own Annwj), or dogscf the deep, a mysU,cal representation of the- white. Tohed Druids. So AtqiDm, tiie AtMte, King of the De^ni >■. Trie yma hyd dyv Merchir. '" " Taliesin, chief of men, thou victdr in the contention of Bong^ remain here till Wedniesday. ' TALIESIN. Ugnach, moihav y alaw, Ath ro rad y gulad penhaw : Ny haetaw Kabit, ny thrigiaw. Ugnach, the most affluent in riches, on thee may the supreme Ruler bestow his. bounty ! I merit not the booth — I may not stay. • The n«ro;, or cell of initi«tion. + Or seat of presidency, which Ugnach filled, as chief of his order. By inboduction into his Helio-arkite mysteries. No. IX. APPENDIX. 549 No. IX. A Songf apparently composed by Merddin the Caledonian, in form of a Dialogue between himself and I'aliesin, in which the Bard deplores the Persecution of the Druids.* MYEDDIN. Mor truan genhyf, mor truan A dery am Kedwy a chavan ! Oed llachar kyvlavar cyvlavan. Oed yscuid o Tryvrwyd, o truan ! How great my sorrow ! How woful has been the treatment of Kedwy f and the boat ! Unanimous was the' assault. Math gleaming swords. From the piercing conflict, one shield escaped. — Alas, how deplorable ! TALIESIN. Oed Maelgwn a welwn, yn ymwan, Y deulu, rac ter y uulu, ni thawan. It was Maelgwn J whom I saw, with piercing weapoues before the master § of the fair herd, his household will not be silent. MYEDDIN. Rac deuwr, yn nentur, y tiran : Rac Errith a Churrith, y ar welugan. Meinwineu, yn ddiheu, a ddygan. Moch gweler y niver gan Elgan: Och, oe laith, mawr ateith y deuthan ? Before the two personages, they land in the celestial * W. Archaiol. p. 48 f The Arkite goddess, whose appropriate emblem was the boat. In the days of Merddin, her votaries were exposed to a severe persecution. J The MagUcunus of Gildas. § The tauriforra god, or his chief priest. 550 APPENDIX. No. IX* circle* — before the passing form, and the fixed foirmf over the pale white boundary. The grey stones J they actually remove. Soon is Elgan§ and his retinue discovered — for his slaughter, alas, how great the vengeance that ensued ! TAHESIN. Rys undant, oedd rychuant, y tarian. Hyd attad y daeth rbad eyflawn. Lias Cyndur, tra messur, y cwynan. Lias haelon o ddynon, tra fuan Trywyr nod, mawr eu clod, gan Elgan. Thou that rushest forth, with one tooth (thou boar) thy shield has overwhelmed. To thee, complete liberality had been extended — Excessively is the slaughter of Cyndur deplored — Slain are three men, || who were liberal in their lives ; even three eminent men, highly esteemed by Elgan. MYEDDIN. Trwy a thrwi, vug a rug, y daethan, Traw a thraw, undoeth Bran a Melgan. Llad Dyuel, oe diwed cyflafan, Ab Erbin, ae werin, a wnaethan. Through and through, wide and pointed, they came, ad- vancing and surrounding the only wise Bran (raven), the son of Elgan. Dywal, the son of Erbin, with his retinue, did they slaughter in their last assault. TALIESIN. Liu Maelgwn, bu yscwn y daethan : * The circular temple, representing the zoSrac, &c. Tl is also called C^h balchNevwy, the magnijicent celestial circle, Cyjcft igidi the nvandane circle, £cc. t Some symbols of the moon and sun. t The persecHtors of the Druids, it seems, amongst other acts of hostility, broke to pieces, ot defJSed, the sacred circles. This was deemed, by the vo. taries of the old superstition, a most heinous outrage. See No. XIL ■§ The sacred ox, or his chief priest. II These seem to haie been three attendant prietff. No. IX. APPENDIX. 551 Aerwyr cad, trybelidiad, gwaedlan. Neu gwaith Arysderydd, Pan fydd, y deunydd, O hyd y wychydd, Y darparan. The host of Maelgwn, exulting, advanced: and severely did the embattled warriors pierce in the bloody inclosnre. Even the battle "of Arysderydd,* which is at hand, with th^ utmost energy will they prepare. MYRDDIN. Lliaws peleidrad, gwaedlad gwaedlan. . Lliaws aerwyr bryw breuawl Sidan.j Lliaws ban briwher : Lliaws ban foher, Lliaws eu hymchwel, Yn eu hjraiwan. A host of flying darts, in the bloody plain, prepare the banquet of gore, A host of warriors, destroy the tottering Sidan.f Many a festive horn is broken: many a horn- bearer is put to flight, whilst the host is forcing them back , to promiscuous slaughter. TALIESIN. Seith meib Eliffer, Seith gwyr, ban broffer, Saith gwaew ni ochel, Yn eu seithran. The seven sons of Eliffer, J seven heroes, when put to the test, shun not the seven spears, in their seven stations. • Or Arderydd, in wliich the Northern establishment of the Jlruids was ut- terly ruined. See Sect. V. Merddin makes Taliesin prophesy of this calami- tous event. , t The same, I suppose, as Sidi or Sidin, the Hclio-arkite temple. See Sect. IV. This stanza seems to describe the fanatical battle of Arderydd. t Surnamed Gosgorddvawr, with the great retione. He was brother of CeidJaw, Gwenddoleu's father. 552 APPENDIX. No. IX. MYEDDIN. Seith tan ufelin, Seith cad cyfeibin, Seithfed Cynfelin, Y pob cinhvan. Seven blazing fires will counteract seven battles : tbe se- venth is Cynvelyn,* in the front of every mount. TALIESIN. Seith gwaew gowanon Seith loneid afon, O gwaed Ginreinon, , Y dylanwan. Seven piercing spears shall fill seven rivers; with the blood of leading heroes shall they fill them. MYEDDIN. Seith ugein haelon A aethan yg wllon ; Ynghoed Celiddon, Y darfuan. Canys mi Myrtin, Gwedi Taliesin, Bythawd cyffredin Fy darogan. Seven score liberal heroes are now become wandering spi- rits : in the forest of Caledonia,f they met their fate. Since I, Merddin, am next aft^r Taliesin, let my pro- phecy be received, in common with his. • Lord Belin, Dominus Sol. The name has been conferred upon some of hi8 favourite priests and votaries. In this passage, the mystagogue seems t« predict the re-establishment of his cause at some future period. ' + Into which the remains of the Druid host retired for safety. No. X. APPENDIX. 553 No. X. 4 Song of Taliesin, called Marwnad Aeddon o Von, the Elegy of Aeddon * of Mona.f 1. Echrys ynys Gwawd Hu, ynys Gwrys Gobrettor ; Mon, mad gogeu, Gwrhyd erfei, Menei ei dor. Lleweis wirawd Gwin a bragawd, Gan frawd esgor. Teyrn wofrwy, Diwedd pob rhwy, Rhwyf rhewintor. Tristlawn ddeon, Yr Arch Aeddon, Can rychior, Nid fu, nid fi, Ynghemelrhi, Ei gyfeissor. Pan ddoeth Aeddon, O wlad Wydion, Seon tewdor ; Gwenwyn pur ddoeth. * Lord of the Din — a title of the Helio-arkite god, who is styled Cadam Trydar, the mighty one of the Din. No. V. and Rhwyi) Trydar, Itader of the Din. Gododin. He seems to have derired these names from the fanatical hymni^ and frantic shouts of his votaries, at the hour of his rising. The title is here transferred to his priest. - + See W. Archaiol. p. 70. 554 APPENDIX. No. X^ Pedair Peunoeth, Meinoeth tymhor : Cwyddynt gytoed ; Ni bu clyd coed, Gwynt yn goror» Math ag Eunydd, Hudwydd gelfydd, Rydd elfinor. Ym myw Grwydion Ac Amaethon, Atoedd cynghor, Twll tal y rodawg, Ffyryf ffodiawg, iffyrf diachor: Cadarn gyngres Ei faranies, Ni bu warth for. Cadarn gyfedd, Ymhob Gorsedd, Gwnelid ei fodd. Cu cjrnaethwy ! Hyd tra fyw fwy, Grybwyllettor. Disturbed is the island of the praise of Hr, 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 m ' I I ■ - ' '* * Wliicli vas administered to tlie attendants at the sacred festival. 4 The ark of the godj which was under the prot' .tioD 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 Seon 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 M&th and Eunydd, masters of the magic wand, set the elements at large: but in the living Gwydion and Amaetkon, 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. Gwydion was Hermes. His land may have been the old world, which was over- whelmed by the deluge ; as it was his traditional office to coBduct the dead into a region beneath the abyss. In this passage, we have much Arkite mythology. 1. Tlie 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 svpreme (See No. IIL^ sent forth a poisonous vapour, to destroy the wicked world. To this bane, the Bards often allu.de. See Cadair Ceridwen, Marwnad Dylan, &c. But the messenger of death entered not tl;e 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 been sate, had he not seen the demon of destruction through a small hvle 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, which split the earth to the great deep, and con- sumed the greatest part of all that lived. W. Archaiol. V. II. p. 59. Upon this, the waters of Llyn Lllon, or the abyss, burst fofth. 6. These powerful agents would have destroyed the patriarch and his family in Caer Seon, had not Hermes counselled him to impress a mystical form, or to strike a peculiar signal upon his shield. This, I (suppose, had the same effect as the horrid diii, with which tire heathens pretended to save tte moon, at the hour of her eclipse. ., 7. This device, together with the integrity of the just ones, jjreserved them from being overwhelmed by the deluge. 8. Hence, an imitation of thefefe adventures became a sacred institution, which was duly observed in the mysteries, and conducted by the presiding priest. 556 APPENDIX. No. X. mighty representative in the feast will be obeyed. The desEr leader of the course — whilst my life continues, he shaD be commemorated. 2. Echrys ynys Gwawd Hu, ynys. Gwrys gochymma. Y rhag Buddwas, Cymry ddinas' Aros ara ; Draganawl ben, Priodawr, perchen Ym Mretonia, Difa gwledig, Or bendefig, Ae tu terra ! Pedeir morwyn, Wedy eu cwyn, Dygnawd eu tra. Erddygnawd wir, Ar for, heb dir, Hir eu trefra : Oi wironyn, Na ddigonyn Dim gofetra. Ceryddus wyf, Na chrybwyllwyf A'm ry wnel da. I Iwrw Llywy Pwy gwa harddwy, Pwy attrefha ! I Iwrw Aeddon, Pwy gynneil Mou Mwyn gywaJa? No. XI. APPENDIX. 557 Disturbed is the island of the praise of Hu, the island of the severe iiftpector. 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 f 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 vcasj.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 Uywy, who will now exercise restraint, who shall restore order ! In' behalf of Aeddon, who shall support Mona's benign associates ! No. xr. An ancient Poim, called Mabwnad Uthyr Pendragon, the Elegy of Uther Pendragoni^ To the readers of Geofftey of Monmouth, and his num- berless copyists, the name of Uther Pendragon, the old * A title' of Htt, who was venerated in t:he symbol of a huge serpent, and acknowledged as the supreme lord of Britain, where his chief priest governed as his vicegerent. See No. Xli , + The priest, who was considered as still living, Orbe alio, tbongh his cor- poreal parts had been dissolved. J Gallicenie, Gwyllion, or Scon. , Those' devoted priestesses, whose offic? it was, in the. uiysteries, to lament the supposed death of their god, as the Jewish women wept for Tammuz. Here the Bard, as usual, digresses into his Artite mythology, — The Just ones, or Arkites, had been afflicte'd 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 trouble. Notwiih- itanding this implied hope, the Bard is grieved for the departure of his bene- factor, whose loss will be long felt by the fraternity of Moua. $ The name implies wonderful supreme leader, or wonderful chief dragon. 558 APPElsfDIX. No. XL King of the BritoHs^ must be perfectly familiar. In this poem, however, he appears in the charact^ of a heathen divinity, and his histoiy 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 yn 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. Nen'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, The reader will recollect, that the titles of the Helio-arkite god have ofteo been conferred upon his priestSt and upon those princes w^o were favourites with the Druids and Bards. See W, Archaiol. p. rs. No. XI. APPENDIX. 559 Cleddyfawr, gorfawr gynghallen. Neu fi a oreu terenhydd — Haearndor, edeithor pen mynydd. Ym gwedduit im gofid, Hydyr oedd gyhir ; Nid oedd fyd na bei fy Eissillydd. Mydwyf Bardd moladwy-angbywreint Poet y gan vrein, ac eryr, ac wytheint— Afagddu ae deubu ei gymaint. Pan ymbyrth pedrywyr rhwng dwy geint. Dringaw i nef oedd fy chwant, Rhag eryr, rhag qfh ainheicant. Wyf Bardd, ag wyf tetynawr, 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 atherial'? My belt has been a rainbow, enveloping my foe. Am iiot 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 Fantheas> as delineated by his priest and representative. , He is lord of the din, which, as we have seehjMs 4 (Inscription of the Helio- arkite god I'te is the god of war-r-the aetherial godr—and the deity to whom the rainbow pertains; that is, the deified Noah. See Cadair Ceridwen. He is a protector in darkness — a-husbandmani 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 Henhen (the ancient chief, some idolized monarch of early ages), and accomplished the purification of RaeamddoT, 2"l^i>&«g», the ark, the same as Seqn.Xewdor, and Ynys Pyhyrddor. His state of affliction (during the deluge) was symbolized by an oi submitting to the yoke. He was the father of ail. mankind; and, as the great demon-god of the Bards, and their original instructor, he was skilled in all the mysteries of the ordet — 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 bis wings on the Roman standard. 560 APPENDIX. No. XL the hive ? Am not I a plower, like Karsyl? 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 M«r? 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 Gwrthgloddikd byd. Np. XI. APPENDIX. 561 Pryd Prydain, Hu ysgeiij, 3nnhwyllad. Gwledig Nef, ynghennadeu nam doad ! Kein gyfeddwch, Y am deulwch, Llvvch o'm plaidj Plaid; am gaer, Caer yn ehaer, Ry ys crifiad, Virein fFo rhagddaw, Y ar lleii caw, ; .Mwyedig vein ; „ Dreig amgyiFrj?u, Odduch lleeu . Llestreu Had ; . . Llad yn eurgyrn, Eurgyrn yn Haw, Llaw yn ysci, Ysci ymodrydaf, Fur itti iolaf, BuddigVeli, A Manhogan, Rhi, Ryeidwei deithi, Ynys Fel Veil ! Privileged on the covered mount,* O Hu with the ex- • GO * In this passage we may remark, 1. The titles and character of the god. 9. 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 wiipgs : he is invoked as the father of the priest— -he has the title of Deon, distributor, and Prydain, ruler of seasons : he Is the gliding king, that is, the dragon, who pursues the fair one — alludijig to some such fable as that which represents Jupiter in the form of a dragon, as violating Proserpine, and byher 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 asthesonof the god — his Bardic proclairaer, or Hiystagogue, and his deputy governor. His office was to recite the death 562 APPENDIX. No. XL panded winge, lias been fhy son, thy Bardic proclaimer, thy deputy, O father Beon; my voice lias recited the death song, where the mound, rejpresenting the world, is constructed of stone worlj. Let the countenance of Pry- dain, let the glancing ttu attend to me! O sovereign of heaven, let not my message be rejected ! "VV^ith solemn festivity round the two lakes; with the lake next my side ; wit& my side moving round the sanc- tuary ; whilst the sanctuary is eaypeslly invoking the gliding ?ot I before whom the fair one retreats, upon the veil that iAj^eis the huge stonefe ; whilst the dragon moves round, over the places which contain vessels of drink offering ; whilst the drink offering 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 #ie chief victim; sincerely I implore thee, O victorious Beli, son of the sovereign MaQ-Hoga.n, that thou wouldst ■preserve the honours of the HONEY island of Beli!* song, before the victim was strnck-^p invoke the god — to lead the mystical procession round the sacred lakes and the temple— ^to offer a libation with the born of consecrated liquor ; and then to take the knife and slay the victim. These ceremonies are performed at a public and solemn festival, whilst the sanctuary, or assembly of priejits and votari^^ mvoke the dragon king : and the place of celebration is on the sacred mount, within thd stone circle and mound, which represeiited,the Avorld— and near the conieerated lakes. At this time, the huge stones of the temple were covered with a veil, on which was delineated the history of the dragon king. There seems also to have 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 the sacred vessels. • Britain, or the island of Beli, was also the island of Ha, No. X. : but Hu and Belt were the ^ame. ifo. XII. APPENDIX. 563 No. XII. An ancient Poem, entitled Gwawd Lludd y Mawe, the Praise of Ltvddthe Great* Lludd, or Llud, the son of Beli, is represented in our romantic chronicles, as the elder brother of Cassivellaufius* 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 carious traits of British mythology. 1. Kathl goreu gogant, Wyth nifer nodant, Duw Llun dybyddant, Peithiawg ydd ant ; Duw Mawrth yd rannant, Owyth yn ysgarant : Duw Merchyr medant, Ryodres, rychwant; Duw leu escorant Eiddiolydd anchwant ; Duw Gwener, dydd gormant, Yngwaed gwyr gonovant; Duw Sadncrn - Duw Sul, yn geugant, Dieu dybyddant, Pum Hong, a pbum cant, O'r anant oniant — Q Brithi Brith oi Nuoesnuedi o o 2 • W.ArcUaioli p. 74. 564 APPENDIX. :No. Xll. Brithi brith anhai Sych edi edi eu rot Eil coed cogni, Antaredd dymbi, Pawb i Adonai, Ar weryd Ptsmpai. A song of dark import was composed by the distinguished Ogdoad* who assembled on thie day of the moon,t 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, thiey were delivered from the detested usurpers : on the day of Venus, the day of the great influx, they swam in the blood J 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 gpcm. that this Ogdoad consisted of the Diluvian patriarch and' his famiFy. ' They were> therefore, th« 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, whft guided the ship of the sphere, thus'making the ark an emblem of the system of the heavens. See Faber's Myst. of the Cftbiri, 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 models of a. Druidical festival, in which the varidus rites had their appro- priate days, i The accumulating deluge, which orerwhelmcd 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 wer^ 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 CoU, the Cornish liierophant. Taliesin has elsewhere informed us, that, the spotted eat of Hona, 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 SrQidical lore had been delivered in Hebretp, or Hebraic- See No XIII. And the words, Adonai and Pompai, which occur in the context, seem to imply, that this fragraent has a near afiinity to the Hebrew, or some of its dialects. In that language, the former of these terms signifies lord ; and Mr. Bryant tells us, that P'ompi means the eracle. — Ana- lysis, V. I. p. 259. Some idea of the purport of this passage may be collected from the context; and as it may serve to determine ttjie important question, whether the Druids No;xit. . APPENDIX. 66^ tt dred of those who make supplication — " O Brithi Brith oi, " &c. ----__ O son of the compacted wood, " the shock overtakes me : we all attend upon Adanai, on the area of Fumpai." 2. . , Darpfyn darogan, > Gwaedd hir, rhag gorman : Hir cyhoedd cynghan, Cadwaladr a "Chynan Byd, buddydd bychah, . Difa "gwres Huan. Dysgogan Deruydd, A'vu auudydd, Wybr Geirionydd, Cerddawn a genhydd Wylliawd, eil echwydd, Yn nhoirroedd 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 diffaitw. possessed sacred hyitins in the Plidnieian 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 Fhceniciau anliqaily, do me the favour of correcting them. >3x n'-in >nn3 'yi in nn nn id 566 APl>ENDIX. Np. XII.- Cymry pedeiriaith Symudant ,eu h^raith. Yd y vi y vuch freith, A wnaho gwynieith, Meinddydd brefawd ; Meinhoeth berwhawd: Ar dir berwhodawr, Yn llonydd yssadawr. They implore the oracle with loud and continued cry, against the overwhelming. In their public and united song, long had Cadwaladr and Cynan * declared to the unprpfitable world, that the heat of the sun should be wasted. It \yas the presage of the Druid,f who earnestly attended iii the oethereal temple of Geirio- nyddjj 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 cencealed to- " gether; then shall the Britons have an inclosure of great " renown. After the possession of gpld and glittering " trinkets, Moni and Lleeni shall become desolate, and " Eryri (the heights of Snowdon) shall receive inhabitants." * Cadwaladrf supreme ruler of battle — a title of the Diluvian patriarch : Cynan, the prince— one of his sons. This passage implies some tradition of the preacher' of rigbteoumess-: but how^is his character perverted ! + The patriarch, as father and priraarji instructor of the Druids, is so styled by way of eminence. See No. IV. s*nd XI. t The dominion of Gwair, the son of Geiriawri, the word afjtistice, other- wise called the son of Gweityl, tUe great teiupest. This Gwair was the Dilu- van patriarch. See Sect. V. and App. No^ ill. Taliesin, the Arkite priest, was said to have dwelt upon the bank of the lake of Geirionydd. The pa- tri^rcli is fabled to have had a temple, open to the sky, like the C jer Sidi of tfie jDruids. The GwyUion, or GwyUawd,.\iere the prototypes of Mela's GaUicen^. § This prophecy of the Gwyllion ailludes to the ark, which was fabulously reported to have rested upon Erji-j, or the heights of Snowdon. Such was the local appropriation of Diluvian history. See Sect. H. and III. H As Bardic mythology placed the principal events of the Diluvian age within this island, so the patriaicb and his fam^y aie emphatically styled Brython. Are we still to look for the origin of that name in Eastern mythology, and 4ri the root n"Q,' wllofice rinS, and Jin'~Q ? The language of the Bard seems to favour that idea. No, Xlt APPENDIX. 567 It is a perfect vaticination— There will be dwelling in the desart, and the Cymry of four dialects will change their speech — ^Then will come the Spotted cow,* which sha]i pro- cure a blessing. On the serene day will she bellow ; on the eve of May shall she be boiled, and on the spot- where her boiling is completed, shall her consumer rest in peace, 3. Cathl gwae canhator, Cylch Prydain, amgor. - Dedeiiant, un gyngor, I wrthod gwarthmor. Boet gwir Venuit, Dragwynawl byd, Dolwys dolhwy K^d, Dol aethwy eithyd, Cynran llawn yt, Cysarth cynud. Heb eppa, heb henvonva, Heb ovur byd, Byd a fydd difFaith, Diraid cdgeu, tynghettor Hoywedd trwy gvoywedd. liCt the song of woe be chaumtedj-f- round the sacred * Emblem of the ark — bellowing, tefore tbe deluge, foi 'm sa\eet company —then boiled, or tossed about by the flood, and finally consumed en the spot ■where the patriarch landed, and found rest. + This division of the poem presents a traditioni of Nimrod'a rcbelJion, oiti^f a subsequent dereliction of some principles, which tbe Druids deemed sacred. His customairy honours had been withholden from the patiiiarcb, wlio is here described as ruler of the sea, in allusion ft> his riding upon tbe deluge, fiei has the name of Menwyd, which, if it be British, seems to imply the bUsiei^ he is'the dragon chief of the world, or the uniyersai patiiancb and king, vene- rated under the symbol of a dragon-^he is the fabricator of £yfitsta 568 APPENDIX. No. XII. border of Britain! Men will assemble, with one purpose, to resist Gwarthmor (him who presided over the sea) — Let truth be ascribed to Menwyd, the dragon chief of the zeorld, who formed the curvatures of Kyd, which passed- the dale of grievous water, having the for€ part stored with corn, and mounted aloft with the connected serpents. Without the ape, without the stall of the cow, without the mundane rampart, the world will become desolate, not requiring the cuckoos to convene the appointed dance over the greeq. 4. Gwyr bychain bron otwyllyd, Torwennawl tuth iolydd, Hwedydd ar fedydd. Ni wan cyllellawr Meiwyr cleddyfawr. Nid oedd uddu y puchyssyn : Maw angerddawl trefddyn, Ac i wyr caredd creuddyn, , Cymry, Eingyl, Gwyddyl, Prydyn. Cymry cyfred ag asgen, Dygedawr gwyddfeirch ar Uyn. Gogledd a wenwynwyd o Hermyn, the ape. This animal tlie Egj'ptians held sacred to t"he god Apis (Bryant's Analysis, V. I. p 335),. who was Noah (Tb. V. II. p. 268), worshipped under the form of a bull. lb. p. 418. As the ape was not a native of Britain, or of any other Northern climate, it may be Inferred, that the Druidism of this Bard was tinctured with the super- siidon of some Southern people. The second object of persecution was the stall of the cow, or the cell which contained the< symbol of the Arl^te goddess : and the third was the mundane rampart, or circular temple, representing the great belt, which surrounds the world. Thp fanatical Bard deems the ape, the stoJJ of the cow, and the consecrated circle, of such importance, that he fancies the world would become desolate when thoy were destroyed ; and in vain should the cuckoo proclaim the ap- proach of the great festival in the beginning of May, with its solemn proces- sion, and sacred dance. This dance is mentioned No. II. IV. and XIV. No. XII. APPENDIX. 569 O echlur, caslur, caslun, O echen Addaf henyn, Dygedawr trydw i gychwyn, Bianes o gosgordd gwyreiii Merydd miled Seilhin. Ar for angor a'r Cristin. Uch o for, uch o fynydd, Uch o for ynial, erbyn Coed, maes, tyno a bryn. Yd vi pob arawd Heb erglywaw nebawd, Crynhawg o bob mebyn. Yd fi brithred, Alliaws gynnired, _ A gofud am weliyn. Yd fi dialeu, Trwy hoyw gredeu, Goddi Dduw Urddin. Men of little mind are partly misled by the worshipper of the white-bellied wanderer, the hunter of baptism.* The knife-bearerf shall not pierce the swordsmen of May.J They have not obtained thei^ wishes— neither the ardently ambitious proprietor, nor the violent, blood-sttiined men, whether Cymry^ Angles, Gwyddelians, or North Britons. The Cymry, flying in equal pace with ruin, are launch- ing their wooden steeds (ships) upon the water. The North has been poisoned by depredatory rovers, of pale and dis- gusting hue, and hateful form, of the race of Adam§ the Ancient, whom the flight of ravens has thrice compelled to * In this obscure passage, the Bard camplaios of the coriuptors and perse* cutors of his religion. + The Saxon ; alluding to the affair at Stonehenge. J The Britons; whq carried arms in their mystical processions. Spe No. XIV. § A scoff at Scripture history. 'The Bardsy forsooth, were not children «f the fallen Adam, but of the regenerate Noah. 570 APPENDIX. No. XII. change their abode, and leave the exalted society of Seithin* haunters of the watery plain. At sea, there is an anchor with the Qristin.f There is a cry from the sea, a cry from the mountain. From the tu- multuous sea, the cry strikes the wood, the plain, the dale> and the hill. There will he discordant speeches, to which none can at- tend> ^nd inquiries from every quarter. There wiU be a tumultuous flight, and abundant distress. There will be retaliation for wavering faith, purposed by the glorious god. 5. Pell amser, cyn dydd braw4> Y daw diwarnawd, A dwyrein darlleawd Terwyn tirion tir Iwerddon. I Brydain, yna; y daw dadwyrein, Brython o fonedd Rhufein. Am bi barnodydd, o anghynres, dieu. Dysgogan Sywedyddion, Yngwlad y coliedigion : Pysgogan Derwyddon, Tra nj6r, "tra Brython, Haf ni bydd hinon, Bythawd breu breyron : Ai deubydd ogwanfred, Tra merin Tad Ced. Mil ym byawd Brydain Urddin Ac yam gylfwn kyffin. Na chwyaf yngoglud gwern Gwerin gwaelodwedd Uffern ; • The patrUrch— the Satorn of the DIU^ds^, See Sect. III. t Professor of. Christianity. No. XII. APPENDIX. 571 Ergrynaf cyllestrig caen, Gan wledig gwlad anorphen. liOrig before the day of doom,* shall the time arrive, when the East shall surviey the fair botders of Erin's land.-J- Then shall Britain have a re-exaltation — Britons shall be delivered from the race of Rome ; and I shall have judges. Hot banding together,' but void of guile. The diviners vaticinate in the land of those who have been lost. J— Druids § fi'om beyond the sea^beyond the Northern Britons, predict a summer, in which the rain shall not cease. Then shall the great ones be broken — they shall have their feeble wanderings beyond the effusion of the father of Kid.\\ — The animal (KM) shall award tome the dignified Britain,^ with its united boundaries. And, lest I sink, adhesive to the quagmire** of that multitude, which people's the depths of hell, I will tremble before the covering stone, with the sovereign of boundless dominion. * The Druids had some idea of a day of doom: atl^ast, the phrase oftei) occurs in the most heathenish paragraphs of the apcient poems. ^Something ot the same kind has been remarked iii the tales of the £dda. + As this is a pretended prophecy of the O^doad, we may suppose that the Bard alludes to certain events, which had, occurred. previous to his own age; and which he affected to regard as the accomplishment of the prophecy. J Diviners of the primitive world, which had been overwhelmed by tlie deluge. He probably means the Ogdoad, who had. prophesied before the flood. § These fanatics had established a seminary iu the Notth^ out of the reach of Koman arms. See Sect. V _ . ; i II The DiJuvian patriarch, who produced Kfed, the. sacred ship. The Bard consigns his enemies to the bojtotii of the abvss,. ^ Or, re-establish the arch Diuid, as supreme ruler of Britaii;- See No. I. •• Such was the British hell. Tlie BardS' tell iis, it abouilded with frost Knd snow, and fiai infested bj a variety qi noxious and. tiJ^thsume auimals. 572 APPENDIX. No. XIII No. XIII. fhe Conclusion of TaUesin's Angae Cyvynbawd.* . Ath gyfarchaf, fargad fardd. Gwr yth gynnydd esgyrn niwl, Cwddynt deu raiadr gwynt ! Traethator fyngofeg, Yn Efraij ya Efroeg. Eilgweith ym rhithad. Bfim glas gleisiad : Bum ci : bum hydd : Bum Iwrch ym mynydd : Bum cyff : bum thaw: Bum bwyall yn Haw : Bum ebill yngefel, BIwyddyn a hamier : Bum ceiliawg brithwyn Ar ieir, yn Eidin : Bum Amws ar Re : Bum tarw toste : Bum bwch melynawr, Mai y maethawr : Bum gronyn erkennis, Ef tyfwys ym mryn ; A mettawr am dottawx Yn sawell, ym gyrrawr ' Ymrygiaw o law. With fy nghoddeidia'W. « ^MWMM _ I ■ I I - , _ ■ III • A translation of tlie former part, Telative to the parentage and character of the British Apolloi is inserted in the Celt. Bes./p. 553. The extract which follows relates to the priest of that god, and recites the Tarious characters he had sustained in his progress through the circle of ttans- migration, or the stages of initiation. See W, Archaiol. p. 36. 1^0, Xin. APPENDIX. 573 A'm harfoUes iar Grafrudd, grib escar. Gorffwysseis navv nos, ' Yn ei chroth, yn was. /. Bum Aedd, aeduedig : Bum Had, rhag gwjledig: Bummarw: bumbyw; Keing ydd ym eiddaw, • • Bum i arweddawd, Y rhagddaw bum tlawd. A'm eil cynghores gres Grafrudd ; am rhoddes, Odid traethator Mawr molhator. Mi wyf Taliesin ; Ryphrydaf iawn llin, Parahawd hy4 ffin, Ynghynelw Elphin. ' To thee, O Bard of the borders, I address myself; JVIayest thou be advanced by him, whose bones were formed of mist, in the place where two cataracts of wind mingle together. My lore has been declared in Hebrew, in Hebraic* — a se- cond time was I formed. I have been a blue salmon : I have been a dog ; I have bpen a stag : I have been a roebuck on the mountain : I have been a stock of a tree : I have been a gpad"e: I have been an axe in the hand : I have been a pin in a forceps, for a year and a half: I have been a cock, variegated with white, upon hens, in Eidin : I have been a staUion upon a mare : I have been a buck of a yellow hue, in the act of feeding : I have been a grain f of the Arkites^ * His lorei, therefore, was not regarded as peculiar to the Druids of Britain. + Sep (lie story c»lled. Hane* Tatiesin, ia the third , Section of the preceding Essay," 574 APPENDIX. No. XIV. which vegetated on a hill ; and then the reaper placed me in a smoky recess, that I might be compelled freely to yield my corn, when subjected to tribulation. I was received by a hen,* with red fangs and a divided crest. I remained nine nights an infant in her womb. I have been Aedd,f returning to my former state. I have been an offering before the sovereign. I have died; I have revived; and, conspicuous with my ivy branch,J I have been a leader, and by my bounty T became poor. ^ Again was I instructed by the cherisher with red fangs. Of wh^t she gave me, scarcely can I utter the great praise that is due. I am now Taliesin — I will compose a just stijing, which shall remain to the end of time, as a model to Elphin; No. XIV. A Poem, from the ancient MS. of ThpqpMlm Jones, Esq.\ It immediately follows Aneurin's Gododin, and is probably the Work of the same Author.^ The Title, which seems to have consisted of two short Words, is wholly obliterated. 1. Aryf angkynnuU, Angkyman dull, , Twryf en agwed. * This mystical Hen, as the reader has seeu, was the Arkite goddess. f This seems to have been a title of the Diluviaii patriarch, or Helio-arkite god, with whom his priest claimed a mystical union. f t The heathen Britons crowned themselves with ivy branches, when they celebrated the mysteries of Bacchus. ^ § See an imperfect copy, W. Archaiol. p. 21. II The manifest intention of this poem, is to recommend to the Britons the use of arms. The Bard first of all recites the solemn custom of carrying them in the celebration of Bacchic rites : and then touches upon the calamitous fate of those British nobles, who laid aside their arms in their conference with Hengist. No. XIV. APPENDIX. 575 Etsc Menwed ; Erac raawrwed ; Eraq mai;ied ; Pan ys ty em gwern, Earn gam gym, Earn gam gled, EvoliRi, Alluawr Peithi, Peithliw racwed; Yd y gweles, Arhualtres, Tardei galled, Dy gochwiawr, A ehloi, a phSr, A phexth, a pher. A rud uorua, Ac yaioraa, Ag ewyonydd, A gwynheidydd, Kein edryssed. Trybedawt rawt, Rac y devawt, Eil dal irosised : Taryaneu bann. Am dal hen bann, By edryssed: Blaid e vywyt, Oed bleidyat ryt, Eny dewred, Pu bell peleidyr, Pevyr, prytneldyr, O Inch nadred. Welydydwyt, Gwelyd in rwyt. 576 APPENDIX. No. XIT. Rieia gared, Carat vrgi^vyw, Carjvn dy vyw, Vut heywred. Gam hurawc dam, Cwynaf dy varw, Carut dylie4r Baran mor, yg kynhoryf gwyr, Y am gatpwU, Ymwan Bran yg kynwyt. Those who support ho weapon, will have a lacerated form, when the tumult arises. In the pr.esence of the hiessed ones ; * hefore the great assembly; before the occupiers of the holme ;•!• when the house + was recovered from the swamp, surrounded with crooked horns and crooked swords, in honour of the mighty king§ of the plains, the king with open countenance: — I saw dark gore arising on the stalks of plants, on the clasp of the chain, 11 on the bunches, on the sovereign, on the bush and the spear. Ruddy was the sea beach, whilst the circular revolution was performed by the attendants, and the white bands,^ in graceful extravagance. The assembled train were dancing, after the manner, and singing in cadence", with garlands ** on their brows : loud * Menwed, wliicli is of> the same import as J)fenwj/(2, a title of the Diluviaa patriarch. No. XII. + The insular stall of the sacred ox, or tauriform god. I The shrine, drawn forth by the sacred oxen. [ § Hu, the Helio arkite god, the British Bacchus. II The chain here mentioned, was that of the sacred oxen— the bunches or knobs belonged to their collar. See No. III. The sovereign was the god himself, or the priest who personated his character : and the spear was the thyrsus, which probably carried something of a P/mUic allusion. ^ The Druids, who led the circulat dance. •* Dionysius informs us, that the British bacchanals were crowned with gai* lands of ivy. No. XIV. APPENDIX- 677 was the clattering of shields, round the ancleiit catildron> in frantic mirth : and 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. 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 tranquillity^ 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 donn, Gyvryngon : Gowydawc byt, Ef gwrthodes, Ai llwyth peues, Ar lies pedyt, Pedwar lliwet, Petwar mi let, Miledawrbyt. Aessawr yh nellt ; A llavyn eg wallt, ' Un o bedror : p p * The same fable, respecting the acquisition of the Anguinunij which is re- lated by Plinj — Freetera est ovorum genus in magnk Galliarum fanii, omissum Oroecis. An- gues innumeri sstate convoluti, saiivis faucium, corporumqne spiimis, glome rantui ; Anguinam appellatur. Druids sibilis id dicunt in sublims jactari aagoque opportere intcrcipi, ne tellurem attingat. Profugere raptorem equo ! ferpeates enim insequi, donee arcentnr 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 priTilego to represent the tauriform god in the soleraci procession, 578 APPlE^NDlX. No. XIV. Gwr gwyllyas, Ogyrnglas, Med meitin, Gwr teirn vawr, O blith porphorj Pbrthloed bedin. Bieeia Tutvwlch ' * Betranret dost, Bengwaed gwin : Yr med a fawryf, ' Yd aethant aeiyf, Dros eu hawfin; Gwyalvan weith, Er cadw kyvreitb, Bu kyvyewia. Kynan kenon Teithyyw o Von, Ax vreint gorllin ; Tutvwlch kyvwlch, A oreu ywlob, Ar vann caeten, Gan Vynydawc, Bu atveilljawc* Eu gwirodeu. Bl wyddyre hi; aeth Er gwjT.Catraetb, , A'm maeth, ys men— Eu llavneu dur — Eu med, eu bur, . Eu hualeu— Aryf angkynnuU, Angkyraan dull, Twryf neus kigleuJ . No. XIV. APP£I^D1X. &f9 And now A wave * bursts forth from the cehtl'al region } the afflicter of the world refused, from the inhabitants of the land, and for the benefit of his train, four multiiudes,f and four that were resigned,, to the chace of thfe universal hunter. The shield is split into lath; $ but his blade descends ott 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 assem^bly,; in which blood was mixed with wine — in which they who freely regaled with mead, drank of the cup o;f 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 t hence the destruction they found, in their banquet with My- nyddawg. |[ For the men of Catraeth, my supporters, I have borne a year^f 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 by their Dilntian lore, that they' borrowed most of theit' imagery from it. t The inhabitants of those districts which Vottigern Had assigned to .Hengist. J When Hengist advised, that shields should be excluded from the place of conference, as useless and inconvenient 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. § Tudmvlch, whom Hengist sdected'fof his own victim, and for that purpose placed next to him at the fSast. The fate of this prince is deplored in the songs of the Gododin. II TJie mountain chief— Yortigetn the Venedotian, as in the Gododin. ^ Hence it appears, that this pbfem was composed a year after the massacro of the nobles at Stonehenge, or about A. D. 473. Aneurin had witnessed th» horrid scene, and the groans of the d^ing still sounded in his ears. 580 APPENDIX- No. XV. violence — their assortment in pairs ! — ^Those who carry no weapons, have their form lacerated — Do I not still hear the tumult ! No. XV. Amongst the most curious productions of the ancient British muse, we may class those little poems, which are called Gwarchanau, charms, or talisinans; or else Gorchanau, incantations. In additioa to the general lore of Druidism, these pieces bring forward certain mystical amulets, which were delivered to the patriotic warriors, as infallible pledges of the protection of the gods; and which were evidently remains of the renowned magic of the Britons. The lan- guage of these compositions is of difficult construction, and the slibject, as might be expected, mysterious and ob- scure. Nevertheless, as an "exhibition of them may be deemed essential in the exposure of our national supersti- tion, I shall present the reader with the originals, from the oldest known MS. togetlier witn a close translation, and a few explanatory notes.* GWARCHAN ADEBONv Ex vetusto codice membranaceo Theoph, Jones, Armii Ny phell gwyd aval o avail. Ny chynnyd dyual a dyvall. Ny byd ehpvyn noeth en ysgall, Pawb, pan ry dyngir, yt ball. * There are three of these pieces preserved; bat I shall reserve tUe taiinnan of Vuncbdine, till I offer some remarks upon the oM British coins. No. XV. APPENDIX. 581 A garwn y ef carei anreithgar ! Ny byd marw dwyweith, Nyt amsud y vud e areith ! Ny cheri gyfofni gyvyeith. Emis emwythwa,s amwyn ; Am swrn, am gorn kuhelyn, En adef tangdef, col] it. Adef led, buost lew en dyd mit, Kudvyt keissyessyt keissyadon. Main uchel, medel e alon> Dyvea ar waichan Adebon. THE TALISMAN OF ADEBON.* The apple will not fall far distant from the tree. The sedulous cannot prosper in company with the remiss. All those who are not intrepid, when exposed naked amongst thistles, will fail when adjured. Should I love him who could become the friend of the. spoiler! The man who cannot die twice, will govern his speech, as if he were dumb. It was not thy disposition to put thy countrymen in fear. The fierce youth treasured up the gem of protection ; yet for a trifle, for the horn of the stranger, in disclosing the word of peace,' he was lost. Indirect was thy answer, and thou hast been brave in the day of battle. Concealed was that information which the inquirer sought — the dweller amongst the high stones,t the reaper of his foes, smiled upon the talisman of Adebon. • In this little poem, the mystagogue discriminates between those proba^. tioners who duly preserved thp secrets with which they were entrusted, and those who were tempted by any Consideration whatever to divulge them. To the latter, it seems, the protecting talisman would be of no avail. + In the original — high stones, the reaper of ins foes. This is an elliptical phrase, implyiog the god who isbabited the temple, constructed of high stdnei, 582 APPENDIX. No. XVI- Np. XVI. GWAECHAN MAELDERW. Ex eodem. That the reader may fprm some idea pf the nature of this very obscure and mysterious poem, he must suppose that some great public calamity had recently befallen the Brw tons-^the same, apparently, which Aneurin deplores in his Gododin, Upon this occasion, the Jrchimdgus, in order to guard in future against such fatal accidents, devises a magical >g for the leader of the native forces. . He is now in the mystic cell, giving direction to his attendants for the completion of this gre?it work, and intennixing some hints for the conduct of a good general, with allusions to the blS' %oTy of his times, Doleu deu ebyr am gaer, Ymduhun am galch, am glaer-^ Gwibde a doer adwy aer. Clodryd keissidyd kysgut : • Brithwe arwe arwrut, Ruthyr anoothwe, a uebir j Adwy a dpdet ny debit, Qdef ynyas dof y wiyt ; Pygwgei en aryf, en esgut} }Iu tei, en wlyd elwit, 1. In the dales where the courses surround the Caer,* HiE + ^.rouses, who is partly covered ^.nd pajtly bright; — soon shall the breachj of slaughter be repaired. ' * I retain the original word, which implies a circle, or circular temple, as ^e]l as a militafy fortress. -); Bu, tie Helio-9rkite god, who is lepepXe^jy mentioned i^,tlle poeoK t Tl}e great massacre which \^^i been recently perpetrated, No. XVI. APPENDIX. 583 Let the renowned, the enterprising,* be lulled in sleep ; and with speed let the variegated web f of heroism, with unbroken threads, be woven — the breach which has been made shall not furnish a passage. Train up his valour to endure the toil of conflict: let him frown in arms, expert and active ; but let Uv mildly yfotm him with his divine presence ! J 2. Gwr a ret pan dychelwit, Kywely krymdy, krymdwyn. Kyueiliw, nac eiliw etvrwyn. Nac emmel dy dywal a therwyn ! Terw^ torret, tec teithyawl,- Nyt aruedauc e volawt. Dyffryderas y vrascawt, Molawt rin rymidhin, rymenon. Dyssyllei trech tra Manon, Disgleiryawr, ac Archawr, Talachon ; Ar rud Dhreic, Fud Pharaon, Kyueillyawr, en awel, adawavn. * These epithets may be referred to £i(iioI> or AnfbTqsiuf, /whose actions are recorded in the Gododin. His sl^ep> seedis to have succeeded to the toils of the fatal morning. t Notwithstanding the extr^eous matter that is interspersed throughout the poem, the great enterprise of' the Bard is the constmctidia of this web of he- Toism. We learn th^ following particulars respecting it. The £gure uf the leader of the army is interwotren in the work, together with those of Hu, or the sun, and of the red dragon. .. It is described as Brascawd, Magnum Sublatum, a huge, raised (standard), the glory of the great field of battle, wliich was to accompany the army, flying ill the breeze. There was a flowing streamer attached to it, inteiworen with the threads of wrat'i, and it was jegardedt as possessing a miraculous pow«r of protection from military disgrace. By these circumstances, I deem myself justified in styling it a. magival Jiag, or ttandard, though the ' Biird has not expressly introduced the phrase. J These directions, as well as some of the same tind which occur ia the nex paragraph, manifestly refer to the delineation of the comms^nder, upon the *»eb of heroismf: and the Bard expresses hiraselfc as if he imagined that th« dis|iositioii of the figure mtisti sfluence the conduct and fortune* of the nut. 584 APPENDIX. No. XVI. 2. The man who rushes forth, when the foe lie in ambaSh, is. the bedfellow of him who rests in the narrow house, un- der the tumulus,— Let him have the habit, but not the disposition of the over-cautious.* Mix not thou the cruel with the brave ! If the brave b,e broken, fair is his unblemished character— his fame is not carried away, I have devised a huge standard— the mysterious glory of the great field of battle, and its excessive toils. There the victor directs his view over Manon,f the luminary, the Arkite with the lofty front, and the red dragon, the Budd (victory) of the Pharaon (higher powers}-^it shsil accom- vmy the people, J flying in the breeze, 3. Trengsyd a gwydei neb ae eneu, Y ar orthur teith teth a thedyt, Menit e osgord, mavr mur onwyd. Ar vor ni dheli Na chyngwyd, gil, na chyngor, Gordibleu eneit talachor ; Nyt mwy ry tiudyt y esgor, Esgor eidin rac dor, Kenan, ^keiii mur e ragor, Gossodes ef gledyf ar gfecwd Meiwyr. • Th»t is^Let him lie circumspect, but not pusiUaniiSQus. There ' seems ta be moie sober, good sense in the maxims of this paragraph, than what usualljr falls to the lot of » conjuror. t Mr. Owen renders Manon, a paragon of bsautyr a goddess. The vroi'd is, in this passage, connected with the masculine ^epithets, Disgleiriaivr, the iumi- nary, and Archawr, the Arhiie. It is, therefore, a manifest title of the Helio- arkite divinity, whom the Bard also styles Talachon ; which 1 interpret, with the lofyfrajit: hot the term may be of foreign origin, and iniply Tal Chan, Sffliiipif, ' ' • J Adauravin, united hands ; it is, p«ihaps, an error of the copyist fot ildviii^ tti? people. Nb.XVI. APPENDIX. 585 3. He should have perished! Even he who brought down ruin with his mouth,* by causing the army to halt on the ntarch, when the ranks were drawn out, and his effective train was as a huge wall, mounted with ashen spears. In the fluctuating sea,t thou canst mark neither co- operation, design, nor counsel — the front of the circling mound protects their lives ; but no more can they extricate themselves, nor be delivered, before the barrier of Eidin. Kenan, the fair bulwark of excellence, set his sword upoa the rampart of the celebrators of May. 4. Budic e ren eny : ^ Annavd Wledic, Y gynnwithic, Kynlas kynweis, Dwuyndyvynweis. Kychuech ny chwyd kychwerw. ' Kychwenyches, Kychwenychwy Enlli weles, A lenwis, miran mir edles, Ar ystre, gan vore godemles, Hu tei, idware yngorvynt^ — " Gwyr goruynnaf, ry annet. En llwrw rwydheu ry goUet" — Collwyd, medwyt menwyt. * A gwyddei n(b ae ene^ — who rndde a fall with his mouth. This sarcasm is evidently aimed at Vbrtigern, who checked the ardour of his victorious forces, upon the second landing of Hengist, and ratified a friendly convention with th^. Saxons, as I have already observed in the notes upon the Gododin. From this circumstance, the British prince obtained the opprobrious epithet, Gwrtheneu, of the ilUomened rrwuth. f Alluding to the. votaries of Druidism, who ;were thrown into the utmast confusion by the sudden massacre which took place, whilst they were cele- brating the solemnities of May ; and witli difficulty protected tjjeir lives within tiie mound of thegreat temple, till Kenan, the prince, tbat is, Eidiol, or Am- brosius, rallied them from their constematioD, and planned the means of defence, ' See thi Gododin, 586 APPENDIX, No., XVI. 4. Benefieent was the exqrtjon of the supreme— the sove- reiga in.close4, for the unadvised,, grey-headed chief minis- ters, who devised deep counsels. The mixture of sweet* will not produei?^ the mutually hitter — I have joined in the common wish, the gener9,l wish of those who saw Bnlli,^, fiUed with the fair aspect of re- turning prosperity, in the sacked course, on a serene morn- ing, when Hu sent forth, his dancing beams, making this demand— "J require men to be bamagain,X in consideration of those liberal ones who will be lo&t !":— f hose blessed ones —they have beeij intoxicated. 5ind lost ! 5. Gogled Run, Ren, ry dynnit! Gorthew, a'm dychuel, dychuelit, Gorwyd mwy galwant no melwit. Am rwyd, am ry, ystof lit, Ystof lit llib Uain. Blin, blaen, blen blenwyd. Trybedavt y wledic, E rwng drem Dremrud : Dremryf, ny welet y odeu, ddogyn ryd : Ny welet y odeu dhogyn fyd, Mor eredic — Dar digeryd, Kentaf digonir Kanwelw, Kyimwythic lleithie Uwyrdelw, Kyfl y olo Goundelw, Taf , gwr mawr y wad MaeMeiw, * Tliat 18, the unanimous counsel of the hoary Druids. t The island of Bardsea. which was sacred to the mysteries of the Helio- arkite god, whom the Bard feigus to have foretold the recent calamity by an oracle, accompanied with a prophecy of returning prosperity. This DiuidicaL ftaud must have been very seasonable in the days of Aneurin. . t Tl^e original is ry aitnetk but I thiott imy translation is accurate: it'i» usual, in this awcient copy, 19 double; the n, where the preceding vowel isi long; thus tann for cin, gwi/nn for gw^n, &c. , , No. XVI. APPENDIX. 587 5. Is it the Northern Rhun,* thou supreme, that thou drawest forth! The gross chief,t who has returned to me, shall be forced to retrace his steps— For steeds they call, more than for the circling me§d. In the network t whiph surrounds the sovereign, dispose thou the threads of wrath. Dispose wrath in the flowing streamer- Irlssopfie in front he the glance of the radiant presence ! | Let the sovereign stand firm, amongst the rays of the ruddy g/awcer— the ruddy glancer, whose purpose cannot be viewed in perfect freedom— whose purpose can- lipt be viewed, in a statp of security, by those who plow the sea. By a shout II which cannot be disparaged, the chief of pale and livid aspect — even he whose throne is involved in utter confusion, will bie first convinced, before Gounddelw^ (the white image) is covered, that Maelderw (the proficient Qf the oaks) is a mighty operator. 6. Delyrat dieirydaf Y erry par, ar delw Rwysc rwyf bre, Rymun gwlat, Rymun rymdyre." * Probably the son of Einion. This Rhfln lived in the fifth century, and was styled one of the three haughty chiefs of Britain. He was the grandson oi Cuneddii, whose patrimony was in Cumberland and North Britain. -f Hengist, who liad letumed to Britain : his gross bulk is taken notice of by Cuhelyn and Aneurin. j The Bard returns to his web of heroism. The threads of wrath seem to denote some colour which was hoistedi when the army neither gave nor re- ceived quarter! ^ The phrases — radiimt presence, and ruddy glancer, must be referred to the Helio-arkite divinity, the patron of the ]>agan Brit«ns. II This seems to allude to the shout of determined vengeance, described in the Gododin, Song Id. 1]J I understand this as the name of the magical standard. 588 APPENDIX. No. XVI. Ysgavl dhisgynnyawd wlawd gymre; Nac ysgawt, y redec, ry gire. Godiweud godiwes gwlat vre ; Ny odiweud o vevyl veint gwre. 6. I will immortalize the form of hint who brandishes the spear, imitating, in his career, the ruler* of the mbunt, the pervadet of the land, by whose influence I am'eihi- nently moved. With active tumult did he descend to the ravine between the hills ; nor did his preseflte' form a run- ning shadow. Whatever fate may befal the lofty land, . disgra9e shall never be the portion of this assembled train ! Here Gwarchan Madderw concludes. What' follows in the Archaiologia, consists of various fragments of the Gododin, and other pieces of the sixth fcentury. In thef ancient MS. from which I copy, these detached scraps are properly separated from the preceding poem, and from eagh other, by large capital initials. • The solar divinity, who, as we ata here told, paid the Bard an extraordi* '■ nary visit in the mystic celj. END OF THE APPENDIX. KEMARKS REMAflKS mtitnt ^ritisj Coins* B] ►EFORE Idismiss the sntject of Druidism, it may not be improper to take some notice of those singular coins, ^hich have been ascribed to the ancient Britons, and ex- amine how far the design of the engraver harmonizes with that national superstition, which has been transmitted to ua by the Bards and mythological Triads. . It is known to most readers, that these coins have been published, as British, by Camden and his editors, by Dr. Borlase, and other learned antiquaries; that repeated at- tempts have been made to explain them, and that, notwith- standing this, the: peculiarity of their drawing has not been satisfactorily accounted for. The reason of this difficulty^ as it appears to me, is siruply this : the earliest coins of the Britons, like those of most other nations, are impressed yfith religious, rather than with civil or military devices; and the imagery of their national superstition has not been hitherto understood by our medallists. That these coins are genuine monuments of some nations ^ho occupied ancient Britain, cannot be matter of doubt to the candid crijic. They are often found in various dis- tricts of this island, and in no other country. It is ob- served, that they have,,, a remote similarity to some old Gaulish coins, and yet retain a style and character of their own, sufficient to mark them as the property of a distinct ', people. This is just what might be expected, supposing that they are British, as our ancestors originally sprung from the same stock as the Gauls, with whom they main- tained a religious intercourse to the very sera of the Koman qonquest, though they had been for many ages locally and 590 REMARKS UPOW politically distinct from them. And lastly, Camden atld his editors nave shewn, that many of these coins bear the names of British princes and cities, whichare well known in history. And tne style and character of the pieces thus ascertained to be British, as well as the figures with which they are charged, unite them indisputably with certain more rude and uninscribed specimens, and prove them to have been the property of the same people. As to the antiquity of these monuments, it may he re- marked, that those which are inscribed with legends, gene- rally present the names of princes who are known to have lived in the century immediately preceding the birth of Christ, or in the first century of our present sera :^— as Cassivellaunus; Qunobelinus, Caractaais, Arviragus, Boa- dicia, &c. And these have not only inscriptions in Roman characters, but also display a comparative degree of ele- gance in the design and execution. Here we may imagine the drawing of the Briton corrected by the Roman artist : and this series commences with Casswellaunus, who was contemporary with Julius Caesar. Upon the uninscribed coins, we generally perceive jSgnres of the same kind ; but they exhibit a drawing compara- tively rude and uncouth : hence i-t is reasonable to infer, that they are of somewhat higher antiquity than the more finished Specimens; and that they were struck sometime before the Roman invasion; and consequently, were the production of ages, during which the Britons were inde- pendent, and their rdigious and political establishments as yet continued to Subsist. To him who is advanced a single degree in the study of antiquity, the symbols of heathen superstition upon several of these coins, must present themselves at the first glance. We have here the figures of the sun and moon, well-known objects of British devotion; the figure of Janiis, the Saidi of the Britons; the figure of Jlpollo with his harp, or the Bell and Tydain of the same people; with many others equally decisive. Severaf specimens also present masks of different shapes, implying the mysterious nature of the subject. Hence it may be conjectured, that the Britons did not iiitend these pieces for the common medium of trade, but that they were struck in honour of their gods,^ iri commemoration of the solemnities of their great festivals^ and upon other sacred occasions. ANCIENT BRITISH COINS. 591- , Upon the sacred medals of the Greeks and Romans, we often find the elevation of magnificent temples, stately por- ticoes, or elegant altars. The Britons could display nothing in this style of magni- ficence: but, if 1 niistake not, they have taken care to exhibit something that more immediately connects their medals with their national superstition. We here find large studded circles, occupying a considerable part of the field ; and these are often concentric with other, plain circles, so that they give exact representations of those heathenish temples, which abound in this island, and which generally consist of a circle of massy stones, either surrounded by a bank of earth, or else inclosing such a bank. It may also be worthy of rema.rk, that the curious gold coins published by Dr. Borlase, were discovered in the hill of Karn-brS, a place remarkable for its assemblage of silmost every species of monument pertaining to British su-i perstition. The learned author describes these monuments at large, and then recapitulates their names, as follows : " In this hill of Karn-brS, then, we find rock-basons, " circles, stones erect, remains oi CromUhs, Carns, a, grove " of oaks, A cave, and an inclosure, not of military, but "• religious stractviie: and these are evidences sufficient of " its having been a place of Druid worship; of which it " may be some confirmation, that the town, about half-a- " mile cioss the brook, which runs at th« bottom of this " hill, was anciently called Red-drew, or, more rightly, " Ryd-drew, i. e. the Druid's Ford, or crossing of the " brook." (Antiq. of Cormeall, p. 120.) Would it be an unreasonable conjecture, that the gold which was carefully concealed id the centre of this conse- crated spot, and which bore evident marks of Druidical superstition, had belonged to the Druids of Karn-bre hill, and had been there deposited, when the order were com- pelled to consult their safety by a precipitate flight i These pieces, it is true, must have been some of their most portable property ; but if, like the glain and the egg, they were viewed as badges of the order, which, if found upon them, would expose them to the fury of their ene- mies; or. if the devices upon them were regarded as magical 592 REMARKS UPON and talismanic, we need not be at a loss to assign the reason why they should, have been left behind. These bints are not thrown out gratuitously. There ex- ists considerable evidence, that the Britons had certain pieces of gold and silver, which they viewed • in the several lights here suggested, and which answered the description of severf(l of these coins. I have shewn at large, that the Welsh people, in the time of their native princes, and even in more recent ages, religiously kept up an imitation of the customs and institu- tions of their remote progenitors: and here a custom pre- sents itself, which seems to intimate the real use of some of these ancient pieces. Mr. Owen, in his Dictionary V. Arian dlws, takes notice of Certain silver medals, which were given as the reward of merit to the victors in poetical competition, and also in public sports or games ; and observes, that the prize for poetry was marked with a figure of a chair ; and for music, "with that of a harp. Thus, the medal awarded to each candidate bore a symbol of the art, in which he had distinguished himself; and was therefore carefully preserved by him, as a memorial of the honour which he had acquired. Hence we may infer, that those pieces which bore an impression of the gods and temples of the Druids, were regarded as badges of Druidical honours. Taliesin, who, upon all occasions, is ambitions of proving himself a worthy successor of the primitive Druids, seems repeatedly to hint that this was actually the case. Thus he says — " With the circle of ruddy gems upon my goldea " shield, do I not preside over the area of blood, which is " guarded by a hundred chiefs ?" * Here we find the splendid shield was the appropriate badge of the chief Druid: and what can be implied by the studded circle upon the shield of the Helio-arkite gqd and of his priest, unless it was an image of Caer Sidi, the celestial zone, and the circular, temple — the same, in fact, which appears upon several of these coins ? Again — in the same poem, the Bard exhibits a piece of ■ >i ■ I III ' r- 1 I I I " - ' • Appendix, No. Vll. ^n.f.«, . AifClEWT BBltlSH COINS. SQS gold, as the credential of his order and distinguished rank. " With my golden preeious device upon my piece of" goldy " lo, I am that splendid one, who sportively come from the " invading host of the FerylL" The piece of gold seems to have heeri ostentatiously worn, as the public insigne of this heathen priest; for he is thus addressed in another poem — " Come with me into the " city, and thou shalt have mead which I have prepared, " O thou, with the pure gold upon thi/ clasp!"* More . passages to the same purpose might be adduced ; but, for the present, I leave it to the consideration of the reader, whether these hints do not furnish a just presump- tion, that some of the singular pieces which still remain, were a kind of honorary medals, which the Druids distri^ buted amongst their disciples, according to their respective Tanks and attainments: and if this be admitted, it will fol- low, that they were not designed as the medium of trade. I shall, in the- coufse, of this Essay, produce some evi- dence, that certain pieces of gold or silver, which answer the description of several of these old coins, were also regarded as charms or talismans, and as such delivered to those votaries of Bardism, who took up arms when the Druids sanctified war, for the defence of the country. But, first o£. all, let us attentively consider some of the extravagant images which appear upon these reliques of antiquity. Let us select the figure of the horse, upon one of the Karnbre coins, which Dr. Borlase thus describes. " No. XVI. (see the annexed plate) is the best preserved " coiii, as well as largest and most distinct, which I have " seen of the gold coins found in Cornwall. The profile is well pi'oportioned, and neither destitute of spirit nor " expression: and it is somewhat surprising, that an artist, " who could design the human face so well, should draw " the horse so very indifferently on the other side. The " head has two rows of curls above the laureated diadem, " and the folds of the garment rise up round the neck, close " to the ear. The reverse, a horse, a wheel, balls and cres- " cents, as in the rest; it weighs four pennyweights and " fourteen grains." _J _9_9 * Appeadix, No. 8. ei 594 REMARKS UPON Our author seems to impute the deviation from nature,- in the figure of this horse, to the waflt of skill in the artist. But I think it impossible to suppose^! that the person who drew and executed the human head, with its complex or- naiments, should have wanted ability to delineate the' more simple form of the animal with accuracy and neatness, had that been his real design. Instead of this, we here find a horse with the head and beak of a bird, a body bent downwards in the shape of a boat, and little groups of balls aad leaves substituted for legs. It is therefore evident, that sometViing more is here intended, than the mere delineation of a horse. , That the British artists were capable of marking out their design with a certain ' degree of precision, may also be inferred, from a comparison of this coin with other speci- mens in the same series. Thus in No. XX. (see the an- nexed plate), we have the same monstrous figure struck from anotiier die ; and wherever the figure, called the horse, can DC traced upon the Karn-bre coins, he constantly pre- sents the head of a bird, and the body of a boat. This grotesque singularity, in sUch a variety of specimens, cannot be wholly ascribed to the rudeness of the designer's art, or to the accidental wandering of an unpracticed hand. Such an imiform departure from the simplicity of nature, must have been the effect of choice, and therefore intended to convey some determinate meaning. In this favourite figure, then, we are to view some com- plex symbol, some representation of a group' of ideas, which the designer had in contemplation. We must seek for the subject of this symbol in the civil, the military/, or the reli- gious affairs of the British people; and, as I have already hinted, we shall find it only in tlie lafter department : for as the symbols upon the British coins allude to religion in general, so they have a particular reference to that Helio- arJcite superstition, which we have already discovered in the ancient Bards and mythological Triads.* And I cannot regard the most prominent figure on these coins, namely, ^he monstrous ho7'se, with the head of a bir^ and the bodg * tience the figures of the sun and moon, the frequent repetition of Apollo and his harp, the sptca or ear of corn, the galtey or iUp, and the !uiic»e, whicli i«ptec^ted both the new moon and a small boat. ANCIENT BRIflSH COINS* 5^^ tf a boat or ship, as any other than a symbol of Ked or Ceridzoen, the Arkite goddess, or Ceres of th^ Britons. This is precisely the image which Taliesin gives ns of that mystical personage. We have repeatedly heard him describing her as a hen: and in giving an account of his initiation into her tnysteries^ he says of this portentous heq " On the edge of a covering cloth (the mystic veil) she " caaght me in her fangs — In appearance she was as large " as a. proud mare, which she also resembled — then she was " swelling out, like a ship upon the waters — into a dark re- " ceptacle she cast me : she carried me back into the sea of " Jbylan." (W. Archaiol. p. 19. See also the preceding Essay, Sect. III.) Here the astonished aspirant beholds the goddess Cerid" wen in the coipplex form of a bird, a mare, and a ship. Such was her image in the sacred circle, or her portraiture upon the veil of the sanctuary. How could such a repre- sentation have been made in painting or sculpture, but by isketching a figure with the head, and perhaps the wiAgs of a bi7'd; by giving the body a certain bend, so as to resemble a boat, or the hulk of a ship ; by adding the tail of a horse, and some substitutes for. four legs; and by adjusting the pisirts, so as rudely to imitate the figure of a horse ? But by this contrivance, the identical figure on the British coins is produced. This figure, therefore, is no other than Ceridwen, the Ceres of our iancestors.- The Bai-d and the engraver could never have coincided in this mon-» strous departure from the course of njiture, without having the same.iniagiriary being in view. But that the ideas^ darkly conveyed by the mystical horse, were perfectly familiar to the peysons for whose use the Karn-bre coins 'were iiesigned, is evident, from the abridgements which were allowed, and the simple touches which often served to intimate the presence of the compli- cated figure. Upon this subject, I shall adduce the words of Dr. Borlase. " There is one thing more necessary to be observed, in " order to place these coins with propriety, which is, that " several of the Karn-br^ coins have not the horse on the « reverse, (as No. VIII. IX. X. XL) (Vide Ncr. XL 69 a 596 REMARKS UfOU " plaie annexed), but instead thereof, have several meMibers " and symbols adjusted together, iii^uch a manner as to " imitate the shape of a horse, and TDecome, when joined " together, the emblem, rather thati the figure of that " creature, which the first engraver knew no better how to " design. These several symbols. are not to be explained, " but Dy 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 an- " connected. " The latter must derive their light from the fonuer. " For example : in No. VIII. you find three of the figures " marked in the table of symbols (Borlase's Antiq. No. L)- " 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 bail or wheel between them, " as in the coins which ■ have the horse entire. Between " them, the half moon (of which by and by) dips Ms convex " pai't somewhat in the manner of the horse's barrel, above " wljich, another crescent-like bunch forms the back; a rpund " ball turns to shape the buttock, and on the fore part a " thick handle of a javelin slopes upwards from the breast, to «" form the neck and crest of the horsed (Borlase's Antiq. of Cornwall, p. 276.) Thus far Dr. Borlase, who only contemplates the civil and military affairs of the Britons, and imputes every de- ^^ation 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. Kfed, or Ceridwen, was an imaginary genius, supposed to preside over the sacred ship; and in these coins a de- tached hinette, or boat, is actually substituted for the body of the horse ; and in one specimen, that part presents the elevation of the' Cromlech^ Maenarch, or Maen Ketti, whicli ANCIENT BniTISH COINS. 597 covei-ecl tHe cell of that divinit}^; 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 Cornzmll, arid to which the Bards so frequently allude. n As a substitute for the neck and crest, eithet a staff", or the bratick 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 liudwydd, or magical wand, mentioned by Taliesin; and the branch whicli was carried by the Bard, as the badge of ^ his 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- wen, the hen ; and the legs are composed of little strait bars, of equal length and size, which may be referred tp 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 herp 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 tlie representative genius. The back was the moon, her celestial emblem. The hinder part of the body constituted the sacred circle, which inclosed the Maenarch, stone ark, or woriib of the. goddess, in which her aspirants ■ r ' ' ' ' * In Camden's cdins, which seem tohafe been struck in ages when our my- thologists paid more regard to the simplicity of nature, we generally find ihe^ie circles distinct from the figure of the horse. 598 REMAEKS UPOW were regenerated. The neck was the mystical staff, or branch, carried by ber priests, as the badge of their office iand authority. The legs were the lots or tallies, by which her will was interpreted, and these were guarded by the mystical glains, the appropriate insignia of her votaries ; whilst the head and beak represented that bird, whose form she had assumed, with some allusion, perhaps, to the birds of augury, mentioned by Taliesin and Merddin. Such is the whimsical fancy of heathenism. It is not my , "business to defend its various conceits, but only to point them out, and explain their meaning, as well as J 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 Jiad gods equally monstrous, and perhaps more inexplicable. The various symbols which make up the image of the Bri-t tish Ceres, 9,re agreeable to general mythology. Mr. Bryant has shewn, thtit Ceres was the genius of .the ark ; that a boat, or a crescent, was her symbol ; that she was the same character as Hippa, 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 refinement, 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 learn from Taliesjn, such figures were introduced into their 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 J had already con., templated in the Bards and the Triads. There I had traced the lore of Druidisui in written language, which, though- mystical, was seldom impenetrably obscure: here I read the same legend, impressed ppou tablet^ of gold, and silver, ftnd brass. The reader will have gathered from the preceding Essay, that ttjough the mythological horses of the Britoris are not ANCIENT BllITlSH C0I1*fS. 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 S7/« 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 bis master from the marriage feast of the ocean, and to make his path be perceived in the sea, and in the mouths of rivers J so that the whole tradition respecting mytholo- gical horses, refers to the history artd connexions of that mj'-slical character, who appeai'ed to every astonished and disnlayed aspirant in the shape and size of a proud mare, yet swelled out like a ship on the waters, 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 irierely 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 annesied), the drawing ap- pears to be purely British. The obverse presents the riide 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 bodyy which it completely covers. This vase, having a ridge of pearls round its border, corresponds with Taliesin's description of that famous emblem of Dru- idism, 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 thei deep! What " is its quaUty? With thetidge of pearls lound its border.?" fSee Appendix, No. III.) 600 REMARKS uposr As in the Karn-br6 coins, the boat, the circular temple, the magic branch, &c. constitute the several parts of -the mystical horse, so, in the presejit 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 diminu- tive figures, which embellish most of the British coins, must have had some definite import. The Ovum Anguinum, 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 British coins, are intended for some of those sacred trinkets; and that they' are introduced as emblems of those characters who had a' right to carry them. Hence the presence of the ovum, or glain, implies the presence of a liruid, 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 la^ge 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 jn regular order, as the outlines of permanent demarkation. ' I therefore regard them as figuresi ANCIENT BRITISH COINS, 601 of those circular temples, which are so frequent in several districts of Britain, and some of whiclj are ascertained to have been sacred to Ceres, and those characters which were honoured in society with that goddess. On the coin before us 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 bafls. 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, arid 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 Karn-br§ coins, has 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 gopawg, a black, high-crested hen. This crest is divided — so Ceridwen was Idr grafrudd, gri- besgar — a hen with red fangs, and a divided crest. And the divided crest is curved into the horns of a cow, or the shape 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 Ceridwen pre- sented herself to the eyes of the noviciate, in the combined form of a bird, and a proud mare; and, at the same time, began to swell out like a ship on th^ waters. That the cur- vature of the body is actually intended to imitate a ship, or boat, is evident from the Karn-brS 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' Taliesin contemplated" with drea^ and astonishment, upon his entrance into the mystic hall of Ceridwen. . Instead of feet, this horse, like those of the Karn-hre coins, has short, detached figures, resembling billets, dr tallies of wood, and these are headed with the sacred glains. Such feet, as 1 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 month a luniform figtirt, resembling a covered coracle, or British b6at. It may he recollected that Ceridwen, the mare-bird, covered her aspi- rant in a small coraclej and carried him into the sea. Three Ova are suspended from the tail of the horse, and appear as if thfey were dropping to the ground. These are, probably, the thr'ee orders, symbolized by the Ova proceed- ing from the mystical sanctuary, which is described as the \vomb of the goddess. On ^ach 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 temples. Under the belly of the horse, we remark a plain c'rcle, inclosing a wheel. In the same situation, we sometimes find a studded circle, or concentric circles, and sometimes>a female figure rising to view. ■*• Mr. Walker, in his notes upon Camden's coins, says, that " The wheel under the horse, amongst the Romans, " intimated the making of an highway for carts, so many " of which being, in the Roman times, made in this *' country, well deserved such a memorial." Upon which passage Dr. Borlase remarks — " What the wheel signified ANCIENT BRITISH COINS. 603 " among the Romans, 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 " Britaiii 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." (Antiff. of Cornwall, p. 277.) These circles, wheels, and female figures, are, probably, various representations of Arianrod, the goddess of the silver wheel, 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 iB.\s; 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, one studded, and the other plain, or an image of those r temples which consist of a circle of massy stones, and an orbicular bank bf earth. The reason of this may be collected, from the passage I haye 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 the 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 arkl The reverse of this coin exhibits nothing remarkable but the word Bo duo, probably of the same import as Budd, *«e of the n9.mps of the British Ceres; whence Bvdditg, * REMARKS UPON tUe goddess of victor^/, 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 liave been struck between thaaera of Caesar's iiivasion, 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. (see the plate annexed.) This is a gold coin, attributed to Cnnoheline, 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 C'&n. a chief, or sovereign personage, which may be translated Dominus, or Domiiia, 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, Ogi/rven Amhad, the goddess of v.ariom seeds: and we are told—" The dragon chief of the world (the Diluvian pa- " triarch) forrned the curvatures of Kpd (her sacred boat), " which passed the dales of grievous waters (the deluge), " having the fore part stored with corw, 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 himself, that he had been a grain of the Arkites, which had grown upon a hill. Hence the priests of this goddess are styled Hodigion, bearers of ears of cdrn; and it was the o'fhce of Aneurin, her distinguished votary, Amwyn 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 C'uno- beline as a British king, or have appertained to .him, unless he wais 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, ox mare, whose -form this divinity had assumed. The animal does not here exhibit the wild extravagance of a British mythologist; yet it carries certain emblems to mark its mystical character. Over the back is a small ring or ball, from which a flame 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, we may infer that the Ovum over the back of the horse, with its ascending flame, 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 Gododiii. As for the other two balls, or Glains, their peculiar situa- tion seems, especially when compared with the ruder 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 as de- vouring her noviciate, and afterwards reproducinghim as her own offspring. Under the belly of the horse we remark a studded circle, • It may be proper to apprise the mythologist) that Tywyieh, the Spicff, also implies a general, but obscene symbol of heathenism. The curious may see an example, Camb. Seg, V. II. p. 307. 6'06 REMARKS UPON iiiclosing a protuberant mass, or else a concentric circle. This I have already remarked, as a symbol of the goddess of the silver wheel, who guarded the limits of the British temple. This coin, therefore, relates solely to the honours of the British Ceres, and to those 'chatacters which superstiiiori 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 Cmh implies a lord or lady; and Belin is the name of the British ApoHo, or of the Helio-arkite god, the same as Hu: (see Append, No. XI.) so that Cunobelinus is nothing more than Dominm Belinus, 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 this 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 Caractacus. (See Baxter's Glossary. V. Caractacus.) Yet the Bards and Triads always mention the father of that prince by the name of Br An, Brennus, or the laven. 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. • That tlie Btitons understood this as a title of their Apollo, is evident, from No. 7 of this table, where Apollo appears playing upon his harp, with the in- scription Ctmote ; and from No. 23, which' presents the same figure of Apollo, with the name Cuhoiieli; Dvminus Beli. So Merddin mentions the seven sacred fires (q, plajiets?) of whiph Consbeline was llie first. (Append. No. IX.) And in the poem callfid the Talisman ^ Cunubelme, he is represented as a demon-god. ANCIENT BRITISH COINS. 6"07 Poth Lloer, the moon, and Cwrzeg, the boat, were symtols which pertuined to the British Ceres. (S^e the poem called the Chair of Taliesin.) The horse upon this coin is, there-r tbj-e, the mystical Rewys, pr Ceridwen. And it has occurred to me as a general remark, that those coins which have either the name or symhols of Belin, 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 a,rt, have a marked allusion to the worship of Ceres, and to that peculiar kind of super- stition, 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 ej^mples .^-Whoever will look over Cam- den's tables, will perceive th^at 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 anjmal appears without his discriminative sym- , hols ; on the reverse, however, we find the word Dias in- closed within a curious frame. This word, in the Irish language, implies an ear of corn : it is therefore intiJoduced^ instead of that sacred symbol. It is remarkable, that the word Tasc occurs more fre- quently than any other upon tlie British coins. Tasc, in the language and orthography of the ancient Bards, sig- nifies a pledge, or bond 'of corifirmation. In the present Welsh it is spelt Tasg, and in Irish Taisg; and both dialects have preserved its meaning. *• The legends or inscriptions are, undoubtef]Iyi in th^ diajects of the s^reral tribes by whom the coins were struck. These dialects may hi>ve varied in their orthography and inflexion in the course of eighteen centuries : yet it may be {uesumed, their radical words are to bs found in the two principal branches of the ancient Celtic, narnsly, the language of the ancient £ard;, apd tbjt of Jrish JVISS. 608 REMARKS UPON To Tasc, the letters ia, ie, or io, are often added. In order to account for them, I must observe, that De, Dia, and Dio, in several Celtic dialects, implied, God, of God, sacred, or divine. The Irish language supplies them atl^ either as distinct words, or in composition: and in this lan- guage the d is silenced by a point, or an h'; so that Tasc- dhe, Tasc-dhia, Tasc-dhio, would be pronounced Tascie, Tascia, Tascio, the divine or sacred pledge. It may fairly be presumed, that our engravers spelt their legends as they were pronounced. The reader will recollect that the -Arkite goddess presided over com; that she was represented as a gigantic woman, and that her favourite symbols were a mare, a bitch, and' a sow. 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. In the composition of Irish words, Bhan, pronounced Van, implies a woman or lady; and Ith, anciently It, is corn. In Welsh composition. Wen implies a lady, as in the sacred titles, Cerid-wen, 0\-wen, Sac. and Yd, anciently It, is corn : so that Tasc Van It imports, pledge — of the lady — of com. Mr. Whitaker has punished a coiii(see the plate aihiexed), in which this goddess appears under the combined image of a woman and a mare, with the legend Tasc 'I^bfo Van It. Naoi, in Irish, implies a ship; and I have shewn that the Bards use Nazo in the same sense, and that Aw, in a hun- dred instances, are contracted into o. Tasc ia no van it, implies, therefore, the sacred pledge of the shiv of the lady of corn. The same author has published a coin,* on which a child appears mounted upon a dog, with the abbreviated legend, Tasc 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 mystic"al process caught him, and inclosed him in the, sacred boat. —^^ • See Hist, of Manchester, V. I. p 342, and V. H.p. 67. 2d Edit.. ANClENt BRIflSH COINS. 609 The reader has seen a curious mythological tale, ia which this lady, or her ship, is represented under the iiaiiie and figure of a sow. And in Camden's table. No. 23, we see the image of the mystical sotiy, with the legend Tasc no VAN IT, pledge of the ship of the lady of corn. How shall we account- for these similar inscriptiotls upon such a variety of devices, without referring to the national mythology, which ascrilaed 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 Oeceti. This evideitly consisi^s of two British words : Qr is a Unlit, circle, ui oaAtJui^/^^^'Mi Ced^ anciently written Ctt, 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 Roinan engraver having, for the Slake 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 sanctuarif of Cetii Oi^ another of Camden's coins. No. 32, we perceive a fetnalehead,. with the legend Direte. History mentions fio queen o^^ti/ of this nanie; but in our bid orthography, Direit, anc^S the modern, Dyrreith, is a title of the mys« tical goddess, who is introduced by that name in the talis- man.of Cimobeline, where she assuu(ies the form of ahorse, ;jnd; parries the generous hero to battle ^nd victory. These inscriptions, combined with the various symbols which have been remarked, are to me demonstration suffi- cient, that these eoin^ 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 bf warriors, pieces of armour, and other military implements. All this seems perfectly to ac.cord with one of the uses ta which they were applied. R R 6lO REMARKS UPOJT I have promised to produce some evidence, that certain pieces of gold aud silver, which answer the description of several of these coins, were regarded by the old Britons as charms or talismans, and as sucli delivered to those votaries of Bardiem, who took up arms, when the Druids sanctioned zcar, for the defence of the 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 Taliesin's poem, in which he commemorates the mythological horses, has^ been presented to the reader. (See Append. No. V.) Tlie Bard introduces the subject with a hymn to,jt!|T.e ^un, in which he mentions the steed of that luminary, and concludes the poem with a recital of cei'tain symbols of Diluvian lore : whence it ma.y be inferred, that the matter which Occupies the intermediate space,, pertains to the same Helio-arkite superstition. This part of the poem is filled with an account of certai» celebrated horses ; and the Bard does not mean the living animals, but mere figures, which were the subject of magi- cal preparation ; for thus he brings forward his catsdogue. Nid mi g*r Uwfr Uwyd, Crwybr, wrtll clwyd. Hud fy nau garant. "" T, the grey-headed man, am no remiss character, con- ** Gf^aling under a hurdle the magic of my twolf^nds." , Atld as it may be presumed, that these magical figures are the same to which the Baid alludes in other passages, it is evident that they were impressed upon pieces of gold and silver; for Taliesin tells us (W. Archaiol. p. 28) — Atuyn cant ag ariant amaerwy — Atuyn march ar eurgalch gylchwy. " Beautiful is the circle with its siher border — Beautiful ■*' is the horse on the gold-cotired circle" As certain Druids, under the name of PheryUt, were famous for some magical preparations in meta.^, so th^r art comprised the formatiou of these talismans, whatever tliey were : ahd to this the same Bard evidently alludes, when he says~C?r, Archaiol. p. 34.) ANCIENT BRITISH COINS. Ql% G wnej'nt eif perjoti A ferwytit heb don ; Gwneynt eu delidau Yn oes oeseu : Djduth dyddyccawd Oddyfnwedydd gwavvd. " Then tliey caused their furnaces to boil, mtkoitt water, " and prepared their solid metals, to endure for the Tige of " ages : the trotter (horse) was brought forth, from the " deep promulgator of song;" And the Bard imiteediately proceeds to recite the mythology of the ilelio-arkite god and the Arkite goddess, to whoM these horses pertained. But to gQ on ^ith the song of the horses. The tp,lisman9 frhich presented these magical figures, jvere of small com- pass. They could be conveyed, as privaj;e tokens, put of one person's hand jnto that of another — O'm Haw ?th law — dyt dwp dini — " Out of my hand into thy hand — put on the " coveriog, whatever it he" ■ ilenice it may bp assuqaefj, th,at these were the Arwyddon, er toJtem, which the Heljp-aa-kjte god, or his priest, deli- vered to his votaries, and pf ivfnch he ^emandefj the exhi-^ bition, at thjS splemnities pf his great ^festival — " Who are the three chief ministers, who have defended " ^e country ? Whp are the three experienced men, who, " havihg^^served the token, are coming with alacrity to " meet ti^lr lord f" (See Append. No. IV.) And not only so, but that they were the same as the Eurem and Eurelt, or small pieces of gold, which th^ Ca- biric priests displayed, as credeutia,ls of |heif office and authority. (See Append. No. VII.) Thf proprietors of these magical horses a;re the gods, or ^Ji^tinguished votaries of the old superstition. We have jierg Ma.Kch Mayaxffg, the horse of Maia, the great mother, A M,Q,rch Genethawg, and the horse of the damsel Ko^u, or Prpserpine— ^ March Caradawgf Cymrhwg teithiawg, and tJie fiorse of Caractacus, characterised by' 'his ring. After these, come the horse of Arthur, of Taliesin, and of Cei- 4iaw, tjtie mystical fajcber of Gweflddpleu ; Ac eraill, yn rim, llactir allwyn. B R 2 612 REMARKS UPON " 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 they are precisely the same monsters which are exhibited in the tables of Camden and Borlase. The first pair are described as Dm dich.far dichwant, " the two hen-headed, unbiassed steeds." These are the horses of the old coins. Then comes Pi/bjf/r llai lltey^Bin,. " the i" strenuous horse of the g^oOT o/" vere procured for those per- sons who had a claim to receive them. And we are toid in the conclusion of the poem,' that the sons of the atiful omen, or those who had a right to approach the S9,Ci;ed,fire,, possessect them in common. ' The charm thus conveyed to the votaries of Dniidism,. Slid their patriotLi warriois, was empliatically styled Omar- 616" REMARKS UPON ehan Cr/nvelyn, the talismati of Cunobeline. It must then bave consisted of certain pieces, ascribed to Cunobeline, which contaiiifed a magical device. It is known to every antiquary, tliat this is the name which most frequently oc- curs upon the British coins: and as it imiplies Dominus Belinus, sc, Sol, thp?e specimens which exhibit; the "attri- butes or 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, ?,nd as the shield of the sacred festival, with which the man of fortitude repelled the affliction of his country. To this reputation it mnst have had an undoubtjed claim, could the Bards have made good all their assertions in its favour. For it was announced as an infallible pledge, that Cynvelyn himself (here the magician must mean the tfemoM l^od), and .a goddess, named Difrtraith, would assume the ' forms^of horses^ and carry the patriotic heroes through the perils of battle; whilst the Qnyltion, or G allicene, ,\ho^Q mysterious priestesses, or island nymphs, who had the power, £e in qua, velint animalia vertere (Pomp. Mela, X. III. c. 8.) to assume the form of whatever animals thof phased, would attend the expedition, and pronounce theu" blessing upon the sanctified cause, D^EHAiTH, who is here associated with the Helio-ajkite god, is described as of equal rank with Morton, Janus. Nattta, As hei- name implies she was the goddess oi fate, or necessity, the same who conducted the Ogdoad through tlie deluge (see Jppend. No. III.), and thea"efore the Arkite goddess, who was venerated in the fomi of a mare. Dyrraitli is,' undoubted]}', the same ndme ^yhich appears upon the old coins, under the softened orthography of D^-. EETE, Her bead is that of an unadorped leinale, and the reverse has the horse,, with some' complex figure upon his back. (See Gihon's Camden., Tixh: I. No. 32.) ,.When it was requisite for tbe.dEfeace.of hetvotaries^^-tbe British Ceres assumed the character of a fury, and in that department she appropri3.tes a variety of names, Mr. BQ,xter (Glossar. Antiq.^Britan.}, under the article Andrasta, has remarked the fpllowing'— JSfjpfw? hodih Atii ANCIENT BRITISH COINS. 6'17 dras, &c. — " Amongst our Britons, even of the prese'nt " day, Andras is a popular name of the goddess Ma/en, or " the lady, whom the vulgar call Y Vail, that is, Fauna *' Fatua, and Mam y Drwg, the Devil's dam, or Y Wrach, " the old hag. - - - - Some regarded her as a flying " spectre. - - - - That name corresponded not only " with Hecate, Bellona,. and Enyd, 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 Hj/ll, that is. Bona Furva Effera; " and, on the othei" hand, Y Vad Velen, that is, Helena, " or Bona Flava. - - - Agreeably to an ancient rite, " the old Britons cruelly offered' human sacrifices to this " Andrasta; whence, as Dion relates, our amazon, Von- " dicca (Boadicia) invoked Irer with imprecations, previous " to her engagement Avilh 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, " amochwif Some Andrasta possesses you." 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 " Marih Malen, upon which sorcerers were' wont to ride " through the air. Whence. the common proverb seems to " have take® its rise — A gasgler ar Varch Malen dan ei dor " ydd a — iVhat is gotten on the back of the horse of Malen, " will 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 coitas. They bad been already formed and deposited in a sacred stream,* from • I have remarked (Seel. II.) that it was a custom of the Celtse, mergere, to tinh or deposit 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, whea it was wanted. Thus the Bard $f eaI^s,of the:ie$oyety of tbs old taUsmwic pieces ot Trychdrwydi, tbeunaii-' t>18 REMARKS uj:;on whence he was, riiually, to pTocure them, ^nd deliver them, dmpicioiisly, to their respective claimants. But 'let us bear .his words. GORCHAN KYNVELYN. Pei mi brytwn, 'pei mi gaiiwn, ' Tardei warchan, gorchegin, Gwdlging, torch Tl-ychdrwyt. Trychethin trychinfwrch Kyrchesit, en avon, Kyrni noe geinriyon. Tyllei garn ^ffbn, Rac carneu riwrhon Ry veluodogy on . Esgyrn vyrr, Tyrrvach varchogyon, Tyllei Ylvach Gwryt govurthiach. CUNOBELINE'S TALISMAN. 1. Were it that I performed the mystic rite: were it I Aat sung, a taUsman would spring forth^-the higli shoots, the wand, the wreath of the unobsp^cted pervader.* The most Hideous farm, even that which is cut off from the haunches, should be iprocured in the riyer, rather than his beautiful steeds. The (hors^,:f- which is hoofed with the capped stick, aimrt^'jWfDBiJtsi!, •whowas'tbe aam^ Bsusi those wluch je^^mble the K^rn- bre coins; and exhibit the inoustrous jigaies. cut oj^'at ihehauncha. these -pi«ceii,-then, were -deemrd -magiGal, -aad -Mjiyfloiieealed hy 4he -Bruits, ia order to be-re-pcoduced upon some urgent occasion. . , * Hat ie, the solar diviaity, who is.often described % similar ej^t^ets. See Appmd. Sio. II. Jt aj>pears from this poem, .that.he was .tlie same as JTi^eetj^n. ■f As it is 'the property df this kind of poetry to be dark and mysterious, the ■ ■vta'd 'March, hitbe mystical 'hoi!se>nQ Taliesin and the Triads. * Hengiit, -who comes under sitnilar djesetjptiohs in the songs'of the GdSodin. + The Bard has now approached the sacred stream, which he propitiat^Si is liWfcr to prdcdre'ihis HiiVta, wMh'btfs'^icic*us rites. 1 The Baltic lots, so often mentioned. 6'20 REMARKS UPON nown^d yellow mead.* -Again shall he be covered witli^ gore, from the battles ©f Cunobeline. Kynvelyn gasnar, Ysgwn, bryfFwn bar, Goborthiat adar, A'r denin dwyar, Dyrreith, grad Voryon> ^ A dan vordwyt haelon : Kyvret, kerd Wyllyon, A'r welling diryon. - Teyrn tut anaw ! Ys meu e gwynaw,, Eny vwyf y dyd taw. Gomynyat gelyn, Ehangsett ervyn. Gochawn kyrd keinmyn Yw gwarchan Kynvelyn. a Cunobeline the indignant, the lofty leader of wrath, pam- perer of the birds of prey, and that divine allurer, Di/r- reitk, of equal rank with Morion, shall go under the thighs of the liberal warriors. In equaF pace shall the Gwylliou proceed, with the benign blessing. Suprenie ruler f of the land or harmony? It is mine to lament him, till I come to the day of silence. Hewer down of the^ foe, the weapon should have been stretched forth. Amongst the splendid acquisitions of the mystic lare> the most majestic is the talisman of Cunobeline. ; 4. Gorchan Kynvelyn, kylchwy wylat, Etvyn gwr gwned gwyned e wlat. * This IS a horrid picture of Hengist, issuing forth from the great banquet, coTere'd with tlie "blood of the British liohlSs. The Bard denounces, tBat he shoold) ere long, We stained with his own gore, from the assault of Cunobeline, or, the solar divinity:. so.Aneurin describes his defeat before the hall of battle, aiid the herds of tlie roaring Beli. t Probably tlic chief Bard, who was slain at the feast, and deplored by Cuhelyn and Aneurin, . ,..,.(.-- By thus intermixing lamentations for the dead, with the'eulogia of Ijis talis- man, the Bard seems to insinuate, that the woful catastrophp might hav« becu pievemed, by a timely exhibition of his vaunted chaim. ' ANCIENT BRITISH COINS. 6'21 Dychiannawr dewr; dyohianat Eidyn gaer, gleissyon glaer, Kyverthrynneit. Kein dy en rud, enys, gweith rud Volawt, ved, meirch. Eithinyn neut ynt blennyd ! Gwarchan Kynvelyn, ar Ododin, Neus goruc, O dyn, dogyn gymhwylleit ! E ^vayw drwn, .oreureit— a'm lodes, , Poet yr lies y w eneit. Etmygir e, vab Tecvann, Wr.th rif, ac with ranil. Pan vyrywyt arveu, Tros ben cat vleidyeu, Buan deu, en dytj reit. 4. The talisman of Crniobeline is tlje shield * of the festival, with which the man of fortitude repels the affliction of his country. The brave are lamented ; and. let the Caer of Eidyn f (the living one) bewail the blue-vested, J illustrious mep, who were martyred together. Yet fair is thy ruddv. 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 G ododin, || made a suf&cient commemoration, with a direct ijnpulse l As for him who consigned to me the shaft of the gold- * Hengist had excluded shields from the festival ; but, it seems, this charm would repair the injury which ensued upon that occasioQ, and enable the pa- triotic warriors to drive out the invader of their country. , Such itifallible trinkets thusi: have, often deceived' the wearer; but an ill- ^ ' 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 naSons, it consisted of cevtain mfenjorials of the preserva- tion, of mankiitd at the deluge, and'sojBe perverted reliques of the'patriarchal religion, blended with an idbktrous wor- ship of the host of heaven. INDEX. ..eX' Edition Vol.1. p.34i '^^ Zanymaii.fC^$JSa^ti*^ MrttL. INDEX TO THE 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, 609 Adder, symbolical, 544 Addvwyn Gaer, 507, &c. Adras, a mystical character, 449 Adytum of Stonehenge, 304 — of a bar- dic temple, 384 Aedd, the arkite god or his priest, 122, 269 .Aeddon, 117, 348— elegy of, 553 Aeron, the splendid one, 338 Aervre, battle of, 343 -Aethercal temple, 353 Agitators of fire, 531 Al aduTi a sacred title, 628 AKa^t TAvTM, 237 Allegory relating to mystic rites, 419 Amber, 339 — wreath of Hengist, 327 Ambrosial 'atones, 385 ■Ambrosius poisoned by £ppa,-344 Amreeta, the. water ot immertality, 227 Anachronism of the chair of Glamorgan, Analogy between the British and Greek lites, 220, 2^1 — and mysteries, 26^ Ancient bards, 2 W^ Audras, Andrasta, a British god(^Ms,v^7 Aneurin, an ancient bard, 2-Jnot de- graded for having seen riakeejifwords, 62 — mythology of, 113 — a ^rth Bri- ton,— his age, 317 — authjlnties and vouchers of, 322, 347jgBiunded, 341 —a prisoner, 356— jBnesponds with Taliesin, j6,— releaftd by a son of lilywarch, 357-^^1563 a retrospect of historical evenjg 377 — is a half pa- gan, 386 m Angar, 52 — son#r Ladon, 526 Anghen, the flSodess of necessity, 188 Angor, a saci^d title, 116, 367 Angues, dunds, 18 08,, 209, 419, 577 by the druids, 138. S24 deep, Che abyss, 198. 206 « winged, a mystical cha- 8 Anguinum, Animal ki Annwn, Anwas, racter. Ape, sacred, 122, 568 y Aphorisms of the bards, 75 Apology for the ancient triplets, lr6-^fot' Arkite mythology, 90 Appeal from the chair of Glamorgan 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 mysticisin, 418, 422 Arbor frugifera, 23 Areol, a mystical character,' 414, 415 Arderydd ag Er^'ddon, battle of, 463, 474, 480. Area of blood, 544 Aren, the ark, 19^ Arenees, temple of Apollo in the, 194 Argat, the ark, 200 Argoed, men of, niadg(MaKggua^ffl||b Hengist, 379 ^Mf^ ^"WE-*^ T^ Arianrod, 205, J^E-the rainbow, 268 — danghtearfCoh, 205— of Beli, 447 Ariant Gwiodr 275 ArkgMjusbifeed in conjunction with the jWroSHT^&SByinbolized by islands and rafts, 154, 160 — deifieS and repre- sented as the mother, the consort, or the daughter of its builder; 178 Ark of Aeddon, 118, 654 — 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, 492-7arose from the corruption of the patriarchal religion, 495— why in- corporated with Sabian idolatry, 493, &c. Arkites styled jnst ones', 118 Arthur, a mythological character, 187 188, 199, 202, 394, 404, 438, 5^2 636 INDEX. Arthur's Ilyn Uion, 143— stone, a crom- lech, 394— table, 396 Arts of the pheryllt, 215 Ascending stone of the bards, 250 Aspirant, a mystical infant, 230, S33-~ swallowed by the arkite goddess, 230 —east into the sea, ib. Associates, ihe iociety 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- rated, 263 Avallen beien, arbor iirugifera, 23, 483 Avanc, 95— the shrine of the patriarch, 142, 267— the beaver, an emblem of the patriarch, 129 Avaon, 135, 200 Avenue to Stonehenge, 371 Awen, o bair Kyrridwen, 2(^->origin of, .^MH— reiu^jmhthe aspirant complete, 256 — a mystic&Ugjiaracter, 468— >the bardic muse, 528 Awyi, the ahy, a, nanffkLthe open tem- ple, 353 ^^ Bacchanalian rites, 1697 4(f%» Bacchus worshipped in Britain, 89—^ helio-arkite Noah, 127— inventor of ' agriculture, 128— styled a bull, 127, 174 BaeiTtiXtK, Conical stones, which repre- sented the gods, 389 Bala, the going forth, 192 Balls and rings on British eoias, 600, 605 Banawg, what, 128 « Ban carw, battle of, 359 Bane of corruption, 142 Bangu, a sacred ox, 140, 141 Banners of the bards, SO Banquet of mead, 313~-mystica], 422 Bard, what the term anciently imparted, 467 Bard slain « the- feast at Stoneheivge, 31.3, 317. 326, 353, 362 Bardd Cadair, 25, 200— Caw, 165— Ogyrven, 17 Bardic senigmas, how to be expounded, 405— mount uf assembly, 489— peti- tion,j"16— questions, 52— vow, S83-?* worship, 17 Bardism of the chair of Glamorgan, 32 •—supported the spirit of indej^end- enee, 283 Bards, an order connected with the dru- ids, ll^^-constituted judges, 12, 19— dissiples of the druids, 9, 84 — ^priests of the ancient BritSns, 387-— professed magic, 42— promised to recant before their death, 283— -sometimes warriors, 63 — works of, genuine, 3 — consistent with history. 88 — town «f, in Angfe- sea, 399^of Beli, 457— of the house- hold, 271, 272 — of the middle ages, 9 Bajdsea, 164, 603 Bath, mystical, 218 Battle of Gwenystrad, 62— of mystery. Bear, representative of Arthur, 187 Beaver, 129 — emblem of Noah, 267— see Avanc. Bed of mystery, 422— bed dilan, 193— Tidain, i6.>— beddau, heathen sanctua- ries, ifr, Bedwen, a may-pole, phallus, &c. 539 Bedwy r, son of Pedraw c, a mystical cha- racter, 340 — ph&llns, 441 Bees, deposited by the mystical sow, 426 —symbols of arkite ministers, 433 Eelenus. a Celtic god, 116— temple oi^ in the Arenees, 194 Bell, name of Hu, the hello-arkite god, 116, 121, 143, 562 — son of ManUogaC, 436 — herds of, 352 Beliagog, 457 Benefits of initiation, 253 Berwr Taliesin, 275 leverage of the festival, 509 Wrd, transformation of Gwion, 230, 235 v|i^£ auguty. 509.— of Gweuddolen, 4e3-*of wrath, 266. 287, 560 Birth oft Taliesin, mystical, 239 Bitch, transformation of Ceridwen, 23S Black b^iae of the seas, a sacred ship, 475 ^*_ Black stone, fl|L 437 Blanche Flour, s%nystioal lady, 447, 455 Blessed ones, Men«i^d, 172 Blue robes of the b^Us, 14 Boar, arkite symbol,?125, 442— of the spray, 614 I. Boar's heads, arms knights, 450 Boat, attribute of Cerid of Ked, 176— vale ot of glass. 211, 277, Bgiliiig of the mystical cauld Books of astronomy, 213- 266— of the pheryllt, 21; pir Tristrem's 186, 237-^ 418— boat SIS e druids. INDEX. 627 JSotany of Getidwen, 213 Bradweii, Rowena, 354, 361 Brancli, saqted, 206— of the bards, 371 Bread and wine offered by the druids, 280 Breaking of sprigs, 339, 369 Brengwain, Brouwen, Proserpine, 453 Brewer of the mystical cauldron, 279 Brindled ox, 138, 553 British Ceres, 181 — council, overruled by Vortigern, 361— •documents, 1 — , corroborated hj 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 Hiid, land of mystery, 417 Brouwen, daughter of Llyr, 400 Bryant's heathen theology, 90 Brychan instructs the Welsh in the Christian faiih, 28$ Brynaeh, a northern mystagogue, 427, 462' ' Brython, inhabitants of ancient Britain, 506 Buanawr, a sacred title, 539 Buarth Beirdd, 136, 535 Bfldd, victory, a sacred title, 364, 584 Biidd. Buddngre, titles of Hu, 116 Bfld Ner, god of victory, 468 Bflddud, Buddug, goddess of victory, 314, 317 Buddvari, horn of victory, 344 Buddwas, a title of Hu, 118, 357 Bull, 127, 200— of battle, 116, 133, 351, 359, 363— Beer lied, 120, 137, 537— Beli, 1J14 — of brass, 131— demon, 135, 478 — lemblem of the patriarch, 13Mtei of flame, 137— of fire, 537-^f ,Bie host, 347, 373— mjjstical, 4fljP^7— sovereigns, 134 — of the sphcje, i33 Bull, title of the god, or his p"est, 172 slain, ib. Hu, consi- 26, Bull and dragon, sacred, dered as Bacchus, ^/F" Bulwark of battle, sa Jfed title, 362 ; Bun, the maid, th^ British Proserpine, 327, 445, 468, j!4, 488 Butu, sacred lakapf, 159 Cabiri, 216-^^l)iritie divinity, Noah, 216— -ritesjkrkite, »4. Cad Goddeig'a mystical' poem, 100, 538 Cadair CeMwen, 260— Teyrn On. 120, liesin much older, than the iury, 280 — Vaelgwn, 22 amicable knight, 199 ^aidi, 199, 292, 324 527— T| sixth ( Cadair, : CadeiriaiJl Cadvaon, Cifiiference of, 488 Cadwaladyr, supreme ruler of battle, a name of Hu, 121,488 Cacr, a name of the sacred ship, and druidical sanctuary, 154 Caer.or sanctuary of Ceridwen, 285, 286 Caer Conan, 352— Echinig, 335— Pedry - van, 517- Rheon, seat of ihe nor- thern druids, 478 — Sijon, l69, 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, &96a &c.— pourtrayed on the sacred shieldi 544 Caer Wydyr, name of the ark, 212, 52i Caers which represented the ark, 516— sacred, 531 CsEsar's accurate informatidn relative to , the firoids, 45, Cainc yr ychain Banawg, 129 Caledonia, forest of, the haunt of Merd- 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- CaradoG, character of, ~ Cardigan bay, 162^f|C'25 Caredig, caradwjP^lod, ^46 Cams, altac heM iotemples, SOi Carousal of Jflrbards, 136 '' Gasnodyn, a^ —^ describes the day of (jltTpaluc, 427 Cathedral bard, 272 , Cath Vraith, 438 Cattraeth, import of; 323, &c.-^plaoe df conference with Hengist, 331 Cauldron, mystic, 16, 21 — of Awen, 530— of Ceres, 222^of Ceridwen, 20, 185, 213, 265, 502-7wha,t it im- plied, 217 — divided, 21.4— an emble.m of the deluge, 225, &c. Cauldronof the ruler of the deep, 119,1Q5 , — warmed by the breath of nine dam- sels, 518 — cauldron of five plants, 279 Gave ,of the arch diviner, 73— saqred, 456 ' ,-Cedig, title of the arkite goddess, 464 Ceidiaw, niystical father of Aurelius, 377 Celestial circle, name of a druidical temple, 41, 138, 550 Cell Of ked, 372— of initiation, 236, 390 — m y stical, 537 — of the tauriforai gad, 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 ] Cenig y Gododin, 321 Cerddglud Clyd Lliant, 467 Cerdd Ogyrven, 14 Cereraony of arkite procession, 537— of the bardic feast, 370— Jof degradation, g4_of drawing the mane oat of the lalie,'129 — meaning of, 170 Ceres worshipped in Britain, 89— of the Britons, 184-~symbolized by the moon, 279— worshipped in the twelfth cen- tury, 286 -Ceridwen, 175, 205 — the Ceres of Bri- tain, 185, 289— described as a fury, 229, &c. 260 — as a botanist, 213 — as the first of womankind, 184— as a gi- antess, 256.^as the goddess of corn, 8 —as the modeller of youth; 28S-~as the moon, 270— >as a, mystic goddess, 18— as rufer 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 the twelfth cen- tury, conjointly with the moon, 285 Ceto, the ark, 114 Ceugarit Beilliawg, 247 CJMi of tijgfssaed oxen. 111, 129, 141 "■■-^ofthrdiluvTa^atriarch, 137, 515 Chair, bardic, 502— Wlaer Sidl, 292, 295 —of Caermatthcn^aaj^f CeridVen, a mystical poem, 265^imitated by Meilyr, 10 — of Glamo' 56, &c. — of the solar d?viui 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 broodiiig hen, Cerldwen, 259 Chest of the aspirants, 255 Chiefdruid, sovereign of Britain, 119,122 Chief singer of Noe, 114 Child of the sun, 488— K)if Teithan, that is, the helio-arkite god, 114 Chinese tradition of the delugCf 149 Christianity of the Welsh bards, blendad with druidistn, 17 Cibddar, mystic, 134, 200 luatea uy ,3^35, Circle of Anoetli, 314 — of gems, 544(— of the mystical tree, 489 — of Sidin, that is, the zodiac, 296— of stones, 121, 486— of twelve stones, 302 — a terra for a British temple, 313— of the world, ' name of a bardic teiiiple, 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, 364-^destroyed, 550 Cities of Cantre'r Gwaefod; 242 City of the bards, 23, 350 Clattering of shields in a British proces- sion, 172 — of ^rms in the festival of Bacchus, 175 Clergy and monks persecute the bards, 283 Clydnaw, ship-bearer, a mystical cba- i:acter, 364 ' Code of the chair of Glamorgan, 32— objections to the authority of, 33 Coelbreni, 43, 490 Coins, British, S89-r-display the image of Ceridwcn, 257— antiquity of, 590 —impressed with sacred symbols, 589, 590— exhibit druid temples, 591— found at Karn-br6, 591 — regarded as druidical badges, 591 — ^impressed with magical devices, 591— talismanic, 593, 610— -design' of, consistent with bardic imagery, 5W^-legendS of, 607. — ^See Horse. Coll, son of Collvrewi, 426, 428— a Cor- nish mystagogue, 429— foreigner, 446 [ollar of the sacred ox, 138, 524 lours of the glains, 311 Uinba persecutes iSerddin, 471— Comni»ioration of the deluge in China, 150 I Community of bards, 473 Complete^^stem of druidism exhibited by TaliSfch^S Completion, ^nrstical term, 288 Compound figure of the arkite goddess, 257 ^ ^ Concealing of the d^^ons, what it im- plied, 244 ■ '§ ■ Connexion of mystica^xharacters, 241, 244 ■ ^ Consecration, by the wat«i of the caul- dron, 219 '^•k Constellation lyra, the liafB of Arthur, 187 — constellation reprinting the chief druid, 544 fl^ CouTolutiona of the bards, Vm Colli ^mlo ^u INDEX, 629 Cor, circJei appellative of a. druidical temple, 2£f9— C6r KyvOeth, Stone- henge, 310 , Coracle of Ceridwen, 230, 237— symbol of tbeatk, 248 — of initiation, 101— on British coins, 602 Cordelia, the British Proserpine, 206, 401 Cormorant, a l^ird pf ill omen, .512 Corn in the ear, carried by the druids, 504— corn stacks, 345 Cornan, crescent, a mystical horse, iiTS Cornish mysteries, foreign, 432, 438— probably Phoenician, 429 — introdu<;ed into Wales, i6,— and several parts of Britain,' 460 . Cornwall, seat pf mystery, 426 Cosmograpby of Taliesin, 45 Covenant of Hengist, 340 Covering stone, sacred, 122 — cloth, 256 Cow, spotted, 121, 567— emblem of the arkite god,de,ss, 177 Cradle of the innocent preserved, 146 Craig pen pel chen,.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, &G. — the British Pro- serpine, 196 — the symbolical egg. 210, . 212 ' , , . ., , " .; . .- . ■.' Crescent, mystic horse, symbol - of the sacred ship, 477— on British cpins, 606 Cresses, purifying, 220, 273 Cromlech, various opinions respecting tbei 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, 391j 397, &c.-^whether it contauied cell of initiation, 391 , torabj 392— ■distinguished by of the arkite god and go " &c •—reputed a prison, 39; toProserpine.-400, &c. Ketti, ^lOi-^sacred t conjStituted the mJlK' cell goddess, 403, 408,_yi0— in Gower de^ scribed, 394— in- Nevem described. Cub of a wolf dSosited by the jnystical sow, 427, '{■;.•■ Cuckoo proc^feas the festival of Hu, 122, 171 Ji Cadd, the jark, 171, &c. , . Cuhelyn,K 8, 185- son of Caw, 310 Cul Van»ryd Pryain, a mystical cha- racteiA4'4 Cuno, iSKirt of, 604 Cnnohrin^) a British kin|, 604— title of ames 396. ■sacred Maen 393— of that 'the sun, 606— a god, 630. — talisman of, 613, 618 ; ., Cursus at Stpnehenge, 315, 370 Cwch, the boat, 198-i-vale of, 414 Cwn Annwn, hell-hounds, 420, 546 Cv»y, the diluvian patriarch, 138 Cycles, hiarked in British temples, 302 at Stonehenge. 304 . - Cylch balch Nevwy, 41, 299— byd, 266, . 299 — names of the driiidical temples 299 — Cyngrair, the same, 392 . Cymry, represented as Aborigines of Britain, 97 Cynddelw, 11 — a half pagan, 19 Cynhaval mabArgat, 134. 20,0 Cynvawr cad Gaddug, 133 CyBvelyp,42— asaored fire, 552— a god, -•"616 ' ■ ■ . . * Cyvetthwch, cliff of. 427 Cy vylchi, temple of Ceridwen in, 286 D Dadeni Haelbn, 21 Daemons of wanton animation,, and of the flowing sea, 135 Dales of Devwy, 138 Dal! ben, rnystagogue. 426 Dallwyr. Mural, 432 Dance of the druids, 16, 171, 172— in the orgies of Bacclms, 173, 175— sar nrp.d. fi-^R. 530. 568. 57fl - Dark receptacle, thfiJS^t^KC&iiidWeh, 256 mr ^' l)arkness of thjprt commenjpiated, 521 iJaronwy, m^est'er of Mona, 427 Darter of J^s, 488— pf light, a sacred itflik54w^ > ' ' jlJavid aB Gwilym, 64 Dawn Dovyd'd, Selago, 280 Death typified in the mysteries, 231— and revival of the aspirant, 259 Dedwydd, ^isatirtK, 252 Dee, a sacred river, ISS—worS.Wpped, . 153 Deep water, the mystical bath, 280 Defect of information in the chair of Glamorgan, 34 Defence of the mystical poems, 5— of 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 bardism, 285r— universally acknowledged, 500^raemorials of the« 534 — traditions of the, 542 Demolishing of circlps, 486, 513— of groves, circles, &c. 486 630 INDEX. Peon, Hu, the diluvian god, 119, 121^, '604,506 Deo Mou^o Cad, 134 . , D,erwyddon, 6, ll, 12, 14, 21, g? Description of tbe mysteries, 231 Design of a druidical temple, 298, &c. Destruction of drHidipal temples, igS Deucalion's deluge, 97" ' '•^ Dens Lunus, IVoah, Meen, Mcnes, Me- non, &c. 262 Dew Danwant^ree, Indian name ,of Noah, 228 Dewrarth WIedig, 241, 246 Dialogue Ibetween Rowena and a Briton, 360 ■ Dien propitiated, 273 Dignity of the bards, 24 ' Diluvian imagery, 41— god, 117— lake, 192— mythology, S06 Din, mighty lord of the, title of the sun, 534 , Din Brepn, 6—Diei, 355 Dinas Affaraon, 427, 435— Beirdd, 473- Cerddorion, 23— Diaohor, 508— Em- tys,21S, 243 — Pharaon, or Emrys,436 Dinbych, a sacred isle, 155 Diogenes Laettius, druidical triad re- corded by,- 75 Dionusus, Noah, 258 A|ip«)lj, 258/528 £i|^ver titj»%dy of Hengist, 342 ..PraKpiBe oftheTteaj^tioner. 286 Distributor, a sacre(Mje, 247 Divination of the druidsf^k— ,by lots,339, 359, 483, SSg^by'victifflL 544 Diviner, son of Serano, 34®^ Divining magician, 42— si'^ff|62a Diviaticus Aeduus. a dxniid, ' Diwyth a Gorwyth, 407' Doctrine of the mysteries, 252, 254 Dogmas of thechairofGIamorganiSS, 60 Dogs introduced iu mystical exhibitions, . 232, &c.— why emblematical of hea- then priests, 234— of battle, warriors, 331-,my8tical, 419, 452, 454- of the wood or grove, 489 Done, banks of the, 376, 383 jPoor of the ark, how regarded, 231— of the ark, and arkite teftiples, 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, a79 — dr'Sigon gyrchiad, 133— dragons of Snowdon, 243— of DinaS Pharaon, 436 —ftllBded to solar worship, 437 Drawing of the niystical *ear, 238 Drink pf tjie festival, 219— of might, 452 Druidical documents preserved in Bri- tain, 2— temples, ro\ind, 299 Druidism preserved in Wales. 6 — tole- rated in Wales, 16— professed by the bards, 25— composed of heterogeneous principles, 86 — fuiidamental prniciples of, 87— allied to tlie Greek and Roman 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 h^rds, 430 — originated in Britain, 457— how far it survived the Roman government in Britain, 462-— re-im- ported out of Caledonia into Wales, 475, 480— outlawed, 488 Druids, wearers of gold chains, 13^7- promoters of heroism, 14-:-of Briton, 22 — the magi of Gaul and Britain, 37 — .druid's town iu Anglesea, 399Tr- 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 Ho, 110 Dwelling of the wood, sacred grove, 24 Dwyvan and Dwyvach, 95, 105 Dwyvawr and Dwyvach, 152, 192 Dylan, son pf the sea, 99, 19i, 642— the patriarch Nosfli, 100, 102— -wave of, 285 Dyrraith,ia mystical character, 609, 616 — rank of, 620 ^red, Demetia, 198 Djekynawl Vrych, Hengist 376 Each tr^ a whole, 30 Eagle l^ds the procession, 119-i-of GwydJ^l. 353 — of mytllology, 4347-, of Bryi^tK462 — mystical, 488— ^in the sky, 508^agles' nests, 163 — al- lurer, 343 — e^fcs of Snowdon, 21 — eaglet depositedlfey the mystical sow. Ear of corn protectwRSSS — on British coins, 604 ^. Earth, bardic questions »Hsting to the, 52— moves in an orbitllBa^— propitiat • ed, 276— earthquake?, Midic question relating to, 51 ^k Ebriety, sacrefj iij the BrilisM festivals, 119— of Seithenin, 198 , J Echel with the pierced thigh, ' Efibct; of iqitiation. 240 i Egg, symbBlidal, 205, 207-7ff the ark. INDEX. 631 207, 208, Mg-s-solenin preparation of, 418 Eiddilig Corr, a mystical character, 429 Eiddin, Vortigem, 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 gyr, the mother of Arthar, 187— the Eisame as Ceridwen, 408 Eirin Gwion, 275 Eiry IVIynydd, 75, 80 ; Election .of the arqh-druld, 61 Elementary trees, 505 Elements, n}ne, 53 Eleusihian cave, antique sculpture of, 233 El|an, 138, 550 ElidyrSais, 21 Ellyll ?anawg-rGwidawl— Malen, 135 pimur, a name of the tauriforra god, 134 — a sovereign bull, 200 Elphiu, 20, 204, 259— ra mystical cha- racter, 238--soyereign 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-'arlate god, 384 ". Enchantmei)t ascribed to Hu, 120 Englynion Misoedd, 82 Enigat Irhe Great, 49 Enumeration of Vortigern's auxiliarifes, 338 Epilogue to the mysteries, 253 E'Sro'irTW, what, 254 Equality, whether a doctrine pf thebards, 57, &c. — disavowed by them, 83 Equiponderate massmrj. whethei earth or the Logan stone, 135 Erch (bee), a mystical horse, Errith a churrith, 549 Eseye, the artife goddess,Rli4 — wor^ shipped at Stoiiehenge. Essyllt, speetaple, a m yjtfeaT character, 439, 442,444,/"" Ethics, druidical, . Etruscan Janus, ^ffillj- 159 Etymologies of jfflE Bryant, &c. 90 Euxine, myth«|ipa} ti^le of its over- flowing, '98 ^"^ Eve of Mmm S76. ExorcisedWot, 27'?— exorcisms, 541 External^pity required, k^Q Eyep,f J -• - - - eathen theology, 90 lily, 156 '||toJifIienge, SS'^ Fangs of the mystical hen, 256 Festival of the a:rkite 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 Heiigist, 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 initia^n, 221— mystical, 250 — of introducSon, 287 Fortitude inculcated by the druids, 75 Fountains, mystical, 23, 50 Fragment in an unknown language, 564 Frecklecl intrufler, Hengist, 376, 383 Fruit-bearipg tree, 23 ^ . Gallicenae, Gwyllion, 168— priestesses ot K6d, or Ceridwen, 169 Galltraeth, battle of, 344, 348 Garden, sacred, 155 ' Garlands of the mys^^^76 ^^ Garwy hJr, 19.92^EpE^K' ..^<'' Gate of sorrov^BmysticaTdog, '234— of hell, 518 ,,-^ Gaels con|jcrated their gold in a lake* J44— tf{e initiate*! into Cornish mys- ^458— espoused the gods of , Corfew,^ll,.459 ' ■ ■' Geirionydd, 157— athereal . temple of, 566 Genius of the ark, names of, 184 — of, the rainb,ow» 264 ' > Gentilism preserved soine principles of the patriarchal religion, : 498 '. Genuiness of bardie mythology, 258 Geographical triads of the Gauls a,"^ Brito;is, 28.r!-,geography of the druji'Js, S3 / : Qeraint, 199-»^ab Erbin, 444-(-coni- mander of the British fleet, 379' German mythology, 179 Qiantess, Cetidvyen,. 256 Giants vanquished by Efu, IgO'-antedi- . luviaji, i4a— of Biythology, 465 (}la,in, how produce4 S2>. 164 — an em- bleiuof reoovatioB, 21Q-!^glains, arti- ficial, 111-^sacred in Samothrace, 211i 21%-r:hQw,distmgjjished, 455 plass, sacred amongsti \he druids, 211-v Wplosure of,. 62:? 632 INDEX. Glewlwyd Gavaelvawr, guardian of the sacred gate, gB7 Glyn Cwch, vale of the boat, 418 — Dall- wyr, 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 ^heel, 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 templ^ 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, 27S — gold shield of the chief fifltd, 544^^a^ets, 545, 547 , (ipronwy,sjyp 1 99-la,jij^tical character, 544 Gorthyn, Vortigern, 38; Gorwynion, imitated by- Gwjtehmai, 10 Governor of the feast moiH • horse, 373 Grain of wheat, transformation 6f't3wion,l 230, 235, 3S6— «f'the arkites, 257, 390, 573— grains deposited by the > mystical sow, 426, 431, 433 Grannawr, a title of Hu, 116 — of I. the British Apollo, 372 Grauwyn, a title of Hu, 116, 119— of Apollo, 508 Gi^at cathedral, Stonehenge, 303-^sanc- tiiary of the dominion, 313 Grei^iawl, a mystical character, 440 Grej^io'und bitch, a transformation or symbol of Ceridwen, 229, 396 Grey stones of the temple, 138 Grove of Diarwya, 418-^druidicBl, 483, &c. Guardian spell, 42-«-of the gate, 287— t of the door, 620 Gwaednerth, the British Mars, 368 G%vair, a mystical prisoner, 404, 406 — JliPQ of the gTe^t tempest, 406, 441-< title of'the ar^itegod, 479— the pa- triarch, 515 Gwaith Emrys, a name of StoneheDge, 384, 402 GwM y Vilast, 396, 397 Gwalchmai, 10 — a mystical character, 199 Gwarchan Haelderw, 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, ii.- sacred fire of, 476 Gwenddydd Wen, fair lady of day, 468 Gwenhwyvar, the ark, 187 Gwgan Lawgadarn, a juystical perso- nage, 393 GwJn a Bragawd, 219 Gwion the Little, 213, 229, 275 Gwlad yr Hiid, 198 Gwlith, gwlith Eryr, 274 Gwlydd, Saraolus, 274 Gwrawl, Aurelius, 376 Gwreang, the herald, 213 Gwrgi Garwlwyd, a mystical cannibal, 454i 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-'^oiEce and character of, 250 — • poems of, 249— "wear of, 238 — mysti- cal father of Ambrosius, 346 wvdion, son of Don, Hermes, 118, 204, f/m, 353, 429, 504, 541— contends witSsJi^birds of wrath, 266 Gwylanl^nE sea-mew, HO Gwyllion jBedict the deluge, 157— what they were, 1 66, 606 — Gallicenae, 168, 223— soiig^f, 566 GwvUionwv.^mislic river. 41 Gwyn ab Niidd, tt^Kluto of the Britons, 206 — lord of th^lower regions, re- presented in the iSis^teries, 288, 466 —contends with f Gwynedd, tille of Vort^ru, 340 Gwynvardd BrccheiHlog ai40 — Dyved, 414 ' Gwythaint, bil-ds of wrath,^?B7 Gyvylchi, temple of Ceres iJ^99, 387, 436 H Haearndor, iron door, name o^fe a^fe and arkite temple, 120, 5^1) INDEX. 635 Haidi swarm, a tti^stical horse, 478 Hall of Ceridwen, 255, 390— of the mys. terions god, 286i-of Inystery, 458 Hanes Taliesin, 186 — Chap. ii. 213— Chap. iii. 229— ^Chap. iv. 238 Harboiirbf life, 162, 250 Hare, a transformation of Gwion, 229. Havgan summershine, o, mystical cha- racter, 420' Hawk of may, 199 — transformation 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 . _ . . Helanos, the lunar divinity, 145 Helio-arkite god, a comprehensive cha- racter, 123, 126 — identified with a bull, 135 — superstition, 90 Heliodorus, flat stone of, 475 Hfin Velen, 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 CJnhelyn, 313 — by Aneurin, 327 — freckled, 359— death ef, 352 — sarcastic elegy upon the death of, 381 Hen Wen, old lady, a niystical sow, 426- the great mother, 430 Herald of peace, 60 — ormysteries, 214— privilege of the mystical, 440 Hercules, history of, helio-arkite, 416 Herds of the roaring beli, 352 of the fair, 549 Hewr I)irian, splendid mover. the sun, 119, 509 Hierophant attended by three High stones, sacred, a8l HillofAren, 193 Hippa, mare, the adjip^ goddess, 258, 44!3> 44d.^Hippo|P|^orse, an arkite symbol, 442 .- • -^, njjjiioiogipal tale History" of Taliesj 186 Hodain, a mys] Hoiapau, a then dial Holme, sac: icdKl, 469, 178 I dog, 452 ofMerddin, in a nor- 470, 490 oly sat Honours Horn of. heral sion, {iQtse, iiary, 507, &c. f the ancient bards, 14 fee lustrator, 171, 630— of the 19 — horns carried in proces- tlem of a ship, 252, .443, 475, 478, 599 — of Elphln, the bardic chair, 239 — of Gwydduo, 214, 251 — mysti- cal, 544^-mythological, 476 — of the sun, 628, 534 — symbolical, 594 — on the British coins, 593.— image of Kfed^ or Ceridwen, 695, 601— figure of, abridged, 596^-parts of, described, 596— parts of, symboiical, 597 Horses, magical, 610, 614 Hojise, shrine of the patriarch, 1 71 — of glass, a sacred ship, 212, 522 Howel, Dda, triads of, 29^of Llandin- gad, 64 Ha. patriarch and god of the bards, 24 — Gadarn. 9.5— the deified patriarch, 106— how described in tlie triads, 106 —how described by lolo Goch.lOS — . Emperor of land and seas, 180 —the life or patent of all, 108 — a ftnsband- man, after the deluge, l69— deifi- ed and worshipped, 109^-the greatest god lid— worshipped in conjunction with the sun, i6.— presided in the ark, and circle of the world, 113, 169 —was called Woe, 114— the lord of the Britisli Isle, 115— the god of Mona, 113, 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 heju&ctoi^^i^l^ a patriarch and^BtJ^^Hj^siOTe^^e of, 479— tit: Huan, name ofi Hudlath, the sanL^ fotj^of the temple, 171— sacred :o cejes, 389 i Human sacrifices, 463, 466 Hunt, mystical, 229, 418 Husbandry taught by Hu, or Noah, 109 Hwch, sow, the British Ceres, 414 Hydraniis, the mystical baptist, 814, 220 —symbolized by an otter, 235 Hygre, 143 Hymn to Bacchus, 127— to the sun, 367 — chautiting of, 509 Hyperborean Apollo, temple of, atStone- Ijenge, 303, 528 Hywel Voel, 23— son of Owen, 283, 301 I, J. Janus, 199, 201 Iculmkil, 164 Idaei Dactyli, 216 Identity of heathen gods, 125 — god- desses,178 — mythological persons,203 Images of British gods, 388 Im)j(»^ion of Taliesm, 15 Impeller of the sky, 167 Iraprisonmeat qf the aspirant, 259 — of the sun, 115 wand, 41 — hudwydd. C)34 INDEX, ■f Anenrin, 356— of Gwair, 4C«— of tlie diluvia.n patriach, 5%S, 516 • , IniiuguratioD oi Arthur, 527 Incajutatioiii aikite;, 118, 5q Ivy branch, 122, 574 Kara bre, a station of the druid3,(Wi-^ coins found thet«, 591 — description of, 593 Kid, a title of C*ridwen, 8, 119—the ceto of antiquity, 11.4, ia2r-the danghter of the patriarch, 122, 176, 571 — the ship of the patiiarohj t76»" preserves corn at the deluge, 176— invests Taliesin with the sovereignty of Britain, 122 — ^rnles the British tribes, 17fi— the British Ceres, 368, 372, 4q2 —the arkite goddess, 176, 432— ^chief priests of, 506-«vesBel of, 511 Kedawl, the arkite goddess, 249 Kedig, the arkite goddess, 532 Kedwidedd, 266 Kedwy and the boat, 549 ^ Kemog, a small chest, carried hy the as- pirants, 2^1 Ketti, stone of, 40S Kibuo Ked, 368 King Lear, 206 Kine of the British Cerei, 530 Kiity^eti, 394 Kitten deposited by the mystical sow,427 Knight of the iaclosuce, SlS'^knights of -Eiddin, 338 Kfld, cell of, under a flat «tone, 408— t prison of, 404 Kwcf, dogs, symbols of heathen gods, and their priests, S34 . Kyd, the vessel of the patriarch, 122, 563 Kykeon, the liquor of the festival, 221 Laciis Cespitis, 157 — ^Tegciusj 191 Ladon, Latona; 526 Lady of the silver wheel, g05— mysti- cal, 423 Lake of Llion, 95, 226— sacred, 119, 171, 508— symbol of the deluge, 142— of adoration, 143— of consecration, 143 —of the grove of I6r, 143— of Thou- louse, 144— sacred to the moon, Wo- of Lomond, 158, 163— «f Vadimon, 158— of Buto, 159— of German mytho- logy, 179 — containing the arkite gods, 191 — of the Arenees, 195 Lakes, Brilish mythology of, 142 — sa- cred amongst the continetal Cettffi, 144 — swallowed up cities, 145 — of Snowdon, 157 — inhabited by theGwyl- lion. 157 Lampoon, by Trahaearn, 66 Land of mystery, 198 > Landing place of the bards, 251 — stone, 162 Language of tlie 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 L$ig|ler of the din, 365, 534 Lea|||p s_of plants discriminated, 51 Leg(^clii^ the British coins, 607 Levelling^rinciples, 56, &c. Libation « honey, 276— of wine, 279 Liberalio^^elphin, 247 Liberty an^hnality, 56 Lights, or toralM>f Ceridwen, 96:1 Lion, title of thJHb, 116, 127, 364 Little song of the wodd, 54 Living ox, emblem^jbkHu, 139 — ^herd, Llad, the arkite godd^ 175—274 Llan, the sacred ship, B5y«^ingad. 67 Llech. lltleu, 344 — Leuc 359 — ^yr ast, a cromlech, res, 398— Vaelwy, 518 Llea g61, veil of mystery, Carthen, 266 — Uiw ehocg, i Lleveni, a sacred river, 151 Llevoed, a moral bard of th^l tury, 83 battle of, 7 — y g°w 417— th cen- INDEX. 635 tilion, the ancient, a mystical chaiacter, 415, 4,iT • I Llogell Byd, name of the circular tem- ple, 393 Llonftio Llonwen, 427 tludcl lliiw Eraint, 206 Llwch Llawinawg, 288 Llyn Llion, diluvian lakej 142, 143— lilyn Creini, Urddyn, Gwyddior, 143 — Savaddan, 146, ISl— Tegid, 152 — y Dywaichen, 157 — ab Erbin, 508 Llyr, a mystical name, 206 — Llediaith, 404, 405— sons of, 501 Llys Geridwen, 255 J^lywarch, ab Llywelyn, 19 — H^n, 31, ' 60, 357 . ^ I'lywy, the British Proserpine, 175, 196, 205, 342, 371— daughter of Geridwen, 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, 196— of the water, 199 Lore of the 4l'U)ds, preserved in Wales, 9 — ^professed by -Taliesin, 117, 279 — delivered in Hebrew, 573— of the de- luge, 545 Lots, magical, 43 — Bardic, 490, 532 lL.u:stratian, diluvian, 142, 2^6 . M Mab Eilydd, 334 Mabgyvre, elements of instruction,. 49, 100 Mabinogian, 147, 1S5 — how far useful, 459, 514 Mahon, a.mystical character, 287. iiyiaceratioil and sprinkling, 279 Midawc, 348 — Dwygraig,' 244-mab Brwyh, 247, f^'^ r Madien, Bbtius Janus, Seimeiiih, 116, 367 f Maelgwn, destroys the temple of the druids, 137 — confinesiEphin, 246:^ reprobated, 504-g|f^rsecutor of the druids, 549 Maelwy, flat stog^ of, 51.3 Msenarch, stqj^f, 393 MaenKetti, Maan Llog, ^rae of the cromlech, 3 Maes Beljiiptle of, 353 Magic of ^te druids and bards, 37 — how to beun^rstopd, 39«i?wand, 41, 268, 55.5-^>eils, 42 — flag or standard, 582,^. — figure of a horse, impressed up qigg old and silver, 610-— horse ^pon thjBM coins, '614i &c,-^hoiS6 of Ala- len^l7 Malen, Minerva, 133 Manawyd and Pryderi, 295— Manaw- ydan, son of Llyr, 188 Mangling dwarf, a mystical character, 367 Manon, « sacred title, 584 March, horse, a mystical character, 439 —prince of Cornwall, 442— -master of ships, 444 Mare, Wppa, a transformation of Ceres, 268> 445— symbol of the art, 425 Marwnad, Dylan, 102— Aeddon, 553 JMassacre at Stonehenge, 306, 321, ,363, 579 — how occasioned, 348 Master' of song, an office claimed by thedruidical line, 13 — of the ox-herd, 138 Math, son of Mathonwy, a mystical cha- racter, 429, 541-i-and Eunydd, sorce- rers, 268, 654 Matholwch, form of worship, a mystical king of Ireland, iSt Maurice, remarks of Mr., upon Stone- henge, 303 Maurigasima, 149 Maxims, druidicai, in the form of triads, 28 • . May dpy, 163— festival of, 369— eve, 121— a sacred anniversary, 238, 241, 333 — celebrators of, 585 — swords- men of, 569 ii, ^l^sliPPitle, '€■ Circular temple, 398 — Meicbiad, swin^ 414 Meini, Hiriojf! a^ Kyvriv^fiJ. Meirig, g^ystical persdAage, 414 s muses, arkite priestesses. agn later, IfiS, 17^ Melyn Gwan wyn, a sacred ox, 132 Melyngan, a sacred horse, 544 Memorials of the bards, 14 — of the de- luge, in ancient Britainj 9^ Menu, Noah, 228 — a mystical character, 428, 441 Menw, or Menyw, 13 — Menwed, blesj- . ed ones, 576 Menwaed, a mystagogue, 427 Menwyd, Noah,.176, 568 lilerddin, 2, 21 — a.druid, 7 — teacher of druidisra, 26 — » pretended prophet, 21, 39— a warrior, 62— Var^d,164 — the Caledonian, 453, 465, 466 — su- preme judge of the north, 467 — wore the gold collar, 487 — a mystical swine- herd— ^is persecuted, 469r-:rretire3 into the Caledonian forest, 470 — having opposed the introduction of Christia- nity, 472 — interpolated, and why, 468, 470 — apple tree* of, 480 — mad- pess of| coupterif^iteiili 481 636 INDEX. Merin, a, sacred title, 116 — son of Mo- rien, 367 Merit of the aspirant, how ascertained, 251 JWerlin, no prophet nor conjuror, 38 Mervyn Gwawdrydd, 80 Metre of the triplets obsolete, 80 Meiigant, 6 — character of, 38 Mio Dinbych, a mystical poem, S07 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 Minjaji Noachidae, 148— arkites, 262 — Minyas, 147 Misselto'e, 280 — several names of, 281 Moch, swine, mystical, 414 Modes of mysticism, 428 MohytiCad, 134 Molesters of Mona, 427 Mona;303, 554~the island ofHu, 117 — named from a cow, 177 Motiks reproached by Taliesin, 525 Moon, worshipped in conjunction with the ark, 125, 280 — emblem of KSd or Cetidwen, 176, 284— priests of, 277 Moral philosophy of the druids, 74 — in- structions of the bards, 75 — stanzas, 80 , Mord^ ruler of the sea, 213 MgyAf^anuuiVE^us, 115, 349, 350, JwSir 36"l-'^reseri?e^yie sacred fire, 114-foundedthe tem^lefcf Stonehenge, 115,384 ^\^ Morvran ap Tegid, ,189, glfc-charac-. ter of, 202 W& _ ,-^ Most ancient, powerfuf,' sacred titles," 354 Mother of itiankind, the ark, 184 Mount Baris, 207— of debarkation, 161, 193— of the assemblies, 402 Mountain of Fuawn, the visible world, 49 — of Mynnau, 47 — mountain chief, Vortigem, 332, 366, 368 Mundane circle, 121 — rampart, the temple of Hu, 122, 668— egg, 207— represented at Stonehenge, 304 Mfir ISr, Stonehenge, 310 Murgrcid, 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 Cabiri, 90— oftheGqn- tiles, diluvian, memorials, 183, 256 — greater and less, 237, represented the adventures of the patriarch, 248 — consisted of scehical or symbolical representations, 257^-of Ceres, cele- bra(ed in Wales, in the 12th century Mystical poems, Mr. Turner's opinion of, 4 — the best documents of British druidisra, 26T-goddess, 18— rcaul- dron, 40 — ingredients of, 282 — cora- cie,. 162 — river, 235 — 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 an4 ancient, 112 , N. Nadredd, druids, 210 Names, common to the god altd his vo- taries, 134 — of the Dee, 152 — borrpw- ed from mythology, 194 — of the art, 510 Natural philosopliy of the, druids, 44. 4S Nlv, the diluvian patriarch, 105i444 Naw, a ship, 243, 535— Naw Morwyn, 517 Neivion, Neptune, 105 N^r, god of the ocean, 19 — Nereus, 163 —the deluge, 539 Nevydd Nav Neivion, 95, 104 Night, bardic questions relating to, 51 — nightly solemnity, 273 Nine damsels of British mythology, 166, 219, 223, 518— of Egypt, 225^nine (naids, monument so called, 166 Noah, worshipped with the sun, 90 — the great god of the druids, 181 — how re- presented in mythology, 107 — truth 4 of his religion virtually acknowledged, lysteries, 72, 183 /Hu, 114— of the arkite god, id at Stonehenge, 350 Northern ^dluids visited, by the South Britons, ^6 Number, sa^«fe(J, 79, 482— potent. 528— of the BritislikJiobles wlio were slain, 341 'JR Oak, symbol of Taroiwl^ 299 — sacred, 539 ^ Oar, implement of Ceiidi^tn, 229, 232 Oath of the initiated, 119-J»tedmission, 287, &c. '<'•; Obscene language disallowed'''^ British mysteries, '283 ^ Obscurity of the chair of Glim'^an, 34 Octa^ lampoon addressed to, 3Mt Oeth ag Anoeth, 404, 406, 515 "v Offering of wheat, 273— of ' ne# jailkj dew and acoras, 503 ■ ' Office o( Taliesin, '47X INDEX. 637 Ogdoad of Tftliesin, 94— arkites, ISl— of the druids, 475, 564 — inclosed in the ark, 517 , Og^rven, 502— Amhad, 8, 186, 432 Oian a phorchelUn, 469, 484 Old lady, title of the^ritish Ceres, 426 Olwen produced trefoils, 443, 465 Omen sticks, 43, 453,490— Ore. 376, 383 Oracle of a Gaulish deity, 168 Otchard, mystical, 453 — of Merddin, al- legorical, 481, Orgies of the British Bacchus, 172 Otter bitch, a tranafqrmation of Cei id- wen, 320 . ' Outlawry of druidism, 488 OvuTi Anguinum, 18, 208— carried in procession, 172 jj Owen Cy veiliawg, 14 — an ancient bard slain at Sto'nehenge, 327, 371 Ox Stationed before the lake, il9, 508— emblem of the ark, revered as a deity, 130— * British emblem of Noali, 133— of German mythology, 179 — of tlie ship, 194— brinxiled, 523— stall of the, 120 — oxen of Hu, 95, 128 — seen in a thuuder-storm. 111 — roared in thun- der, and blazed in lightning, 137-— dfew the sacred car of the patriarch, 141 — ox-pcn of the barda 136, 535 Paganism similar, in some points, to the Jewish religion, and why, 4^8, &c. Pair, Prydain, 17 — Aweii, 21, 213— a cauldron, figuratively expressing the druldical system, 217, 218 — ^Pura- wydd, 218— Pen Annwfn, 517— Ogyr- ven, 529 — meaning of, 219 Paluc, sons of, 427 — cat of Mona, 437 i Paradise of the druidi in the so^|t^^' hemisphere, 53' \Mk n«s-o;, the cell of initiationiS?'!*.'' Path of Granwyn, 608 1 Patriarch, received divine hwiours, 105 ^was forewarned of th^d^uge, 149 Patrick's causeway, 162^j^ Peace of the ploBgl Pearls round the nJStic cauldron, 219 Pedigree, inystiM^^OS, 414, 464 Pelagius, a'tia^B^g^n, 387 , , Pemble toeer,jp2, 189, 191 .Penalise of tlK^spirants, 255, Penar^ena^jtpystical female, 444 , Pendafari^fyved, 198, 414, 417 Pendevigj^^ijWi:,. a sacred title, 5^5 PenliyuJresidence of Tegid Voel, 189 pondilion of under the druids,38 Jviola,ting the mystic lavys, 288 Bal^flre, 215,.362 , ,' V , , .;, " Uon of the druids, 485, 549— of oian divinities, 495 21^,, 243, 584— Pejstilential wind, 226 Phallus, 339 Fhnraon, British gods, liigheir powersi 435 Pheryllt, priests of the .Cabiri, 215, 216. 435, 546 — had a seminary at Oxford, 215— books of, 213 . Fhleayae, 147 — Phlegyan Isle destroyed, 148 : , Phoenician rite recor/3ed 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; Piefy inculcated by the druids, 75 Pig deposited by. the mystical sow, 427 Pillars of the twelve signs, 298-rfattached to the circular .temples^ 387 , . Planetary hours observed by the bards, 40, 213, 238 Pledge of faith towards the clergy, 70 — pledges miitually communicated, 279 Plemochoe, a m^'stical vase, 222 Plot of Hengist, 328, 358 Plurality of guds maintaiiic^d by the dru- ids, 88 Pluto of Britain, 206 Poetry of Taliesih, mythologipal, 513 Poets multiplied the g^mif tbej^ajtUeS) ■ 124 '^Mm'^^^'- fii^^l'^** Points of spriflB|roken, 339-r-of trees, 472 — of t^^of purposes,' 278 Poison of Jfre mystic cauldron, 214— of the aia^S5 lill^f W^-wear, a phallic symbol, 238, fr''47l'. ' Politics of the chair of Glamorgan, 55— of the bards, ib. &c. Polytheism, origin of, 124 Pontifical character of Taliesiu, 27;^ PorclielUn, Utile pig, a mystical title, 414 Porthawr Godd, 199 Precinct of I6r, 313 Predictions qf the druids, 6. 7 Pre-eminence of authority supported by the druids, 57 Preiddeu Annwn, 218, 406, 513, 514 Fren pur aur, misseltoe, 280 > Preservation of the p&triarch commemo- rated, 151 Preserver, -Ceridwen, 266— preservers* the Cabiri qt Britain, 509 Presidency ofCeridvyen, 265— presiding bard, 200 ■ Priest of Aedd, lives' and dies alter- nately, 122— of the ship, 161, 245 Priests of Ceridiven, ancient, ISS— ofihe juuouj277^assumed the names of theit 658 INDEX. gods, 216^were called dogs, 419 — i priestesses of Bacchus, ITS Primary oxen of mythology , 132 Primitive bards, 20— religion of the Cymry, 412— primitives of raytholo- ^ gical language, 9S 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, 7 2 Privilege of the bardic branch, 371 Procession, sacred, 119 — of the arkitfe god, 172— of the druids, 508 Proclamation, bardic, 136, 637 Profligacy of mankind punished by the deluge, 102, 104, 149 Progeny of Hu, 137 Promontories sacred to dilnvian rites, 161 Prophecy commariicatfed by the mystic water, 214 — prophetic maids, 167 Proprietor of Britain, 118— of Heaven and 6arth, 507 — proprietor, 524 — titles of Hu, 461 Proscription of British nobles by Vorli- gferh, 342 Proserpine vforshipped in Britain, 89 — of the druids, 205— Froserpinss Limen, Pilgf^^s o^^lfBldical theology, 86 btotype^soil6ftM■i, 134,200 " Proud mare, s jihbol otTHjridwen, 256 Prydain, nanie of Hu, l^fJagn of Aedd, 243,436 Pryderi, a mystical swinehdB» 41 names of, 415 Prydwen, 515, 617 ' Publicity of bardic meetings, 72 Punishment of a disorderly votary, 518, ■519 Pur of the east, JupiUr, 416 Pure man, formed in the mystic ball, 255 Purifying cauldron, 219-r-fire, 369 Pwyll, the arkite, J98 — chief of Annwn, , 414,415 — tale of his adventures, 418 — transformed, assumes the government of the deep, 421 — and Pryderi, 516 . I^r of the east, a mVstical personage, 415 Q Quadrangular caer, 16S^area, 313, 315 -^iaclosure, 518, 520 Quagmire of hell, l22, S71 Qugstiones druidics, 49 R Haft, symbol of the ark, 150— sacred, .155, 160 Eainbow, 203, 205, 266— the girdle of Hu, ISO, 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-animation, placfe of, the mystic cell, .537 Reaper, the dilaviah patriarch, or his priest, 122, 259 Recapitulation, 85, 180, 289, 492 Red book,33— bpny giant, 429— dragon, 584 Regeneration, mystical, 236 , Rehearsal of ancient lore, 609 Reign of serenity, 279 Religion of Hu opposed to that of Christ, 109 Remarks on British mythology, 182 Remunerator, a title of Hu, 117 Renovation by the mystic cauldron, 218 Repository of mystery, 537 Republican principles, 60 RheCil rym av»yr, 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 RhusaWn Bevyr, 204, 247, 248— a sa- cred title, 349. See Elphin Rhwyv Trydar, 534 Rh^rddctch, the liberal, champion of the faith, 470— Country and family of, 472 — persecnies the druids, 487 Ihyvoniawg, the place of Vortigem's "^eat, 380 Ringjffivjtical, 450, 456 — rings and balls on HriU& coins, 600, 605 Rites of tMBritons,85, &c. 561— of the druids, ^ilar to those of Samothrace, 89'— 'of Bt«|g£hos, celebrated in Britain, 131— of th^ritish Bacchus, described by an eye witMfc, 172, 576 — of the Bacchus of GrUSL 173 — of drUidlsm, restrained by Rol^tt laws, 283 River of spectres, or IfflJGwyllion, 41— divine, 152— of the m rivers worshipped by ^ — sacred to the diluvian Roaring Beli, herds of, iSffW Robes of the druids, 14— -g^fim, of the ovate, 510 tS Rock, sacred, 161— to arkite Ipes, 163 — of the supreme proprietor, J7, 539 Rod of the bard, 363— of MosciJ^oem, 427— tods broken, 619 f steries, 235 — ■uids, 143 iarch, 151 INDEX. 6-39 Aoitiitbcl; ef Sir Tristtcm, lAj^thological, 459 Hoyrena contrives the death of Voni- mer, 3S7, 344— Rowena and Vorti- gerni 358 Bude stone piUais, 300 Rueful steed, S51 Ruler of the deep, title of Hn, 119— cauldron of,219— ruler of the sea, 122 *— ofthe mount, 266 S Sabiati idolatry blended with arkite su- perstition, 90 — adventitious in Britain, 181— of the druids, 492 Sacred fire, 476, 632 — preserved in dru- idical temples, 114— at Stonehenge, 304, 345, 349, 362— grove of the Ger- mans, 179 — islands, emblems of the ark, 161, 168— lake, 158— ox, .sta- tioned beforfe the lake, 171 — oxen employed in British rites, 129— rivers, 152 — ^rock, 162— rocks or pett* in Loch Lomond, 163-^tetnis of the bards, 93 Sacrifice on the banks of lakes, 145— to the deep, 26l, 252— carried round the- omen fire, 376, 383— sacrificer, name of the diluvian patriarch, 121 Saidi, 199— name of thd patriarch, 197 Samblus, a sacred plant, 274 Samothraciau riles ia Britain, 89— tradi- tion of the deluge, 98 Sanctuary of the bards, 17, W"— of ini- tiation, 255 — of Ceridvjen andLlywy, 301 Sarcastic elegy upon Hehgist, 38i Saturn, Nsah, 197, 201— Saturnalia, iB. Senino, fatlier of the Jiviner, 340 Sena, sacred island, IBS benate of twelve gbds, 298 Swieschal of the mead ftiast, 358 Seen, a, sacred island, 118 — with the strong doot or baWier, 167, 553— jiriestesses so callsd, 16?— inhabiting Sena, 168-^devoted to Bacchus, 169 — Caer Seon, 546, 547 Setpent, the same as Hu, 116— emblem of the sun,131,367— svmbolidal, g08, 210, 536 — serpent's egg, 208 — ser- pents drew the car of Ceridwen, 186 'Sessions of the druids, 72 Seven score and seven, a mystic number, 524 Severn boar, 143 Severus, a planet, 53 Shield struck by ancieht warriors, 327 shields excluded froUi th6 conference with Hengist, 328, 375— split into lath, 579 Ship of Nevydd, 95— of Dylan, 100, 542— of the eartd, 231— of Janus, 201— of itiitlation, tailed 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 Ku, drawn by oxen, 139--of the_£atriarchj^2- dtawn forth, 1 71- "" dess, drawn IsR'Ws, Shout, mystic^^39 SiSu, the ^Ete "goddess, 202,292,557 Signs of tef'zodiac, the grand assembly '*'>elK gods, 298 ■^ Saxon auxiliaries of Yortigern,338-|l§„^^„^^d'by the aspirant, 422 Saxons reptoachfuUy descHbed^S*' g;, :l.ri^trara,439_stbry off 446 — involved in flamfes, 360 ipT' "> » . •' ■ y Schism of the chair of Glafflmpmii^S Sculpture of Ceres and FroJRpin6,'g99 — mystical, 458 w Sea, how divided, 53 — ovefthelhis the land, 198 — represente^"Tnt deluge, ■ of l>ylan^,5e'-^' Sea-drifted wolves, Saxons, jPi-seS-iSeW, tays- tical, 510, 544 Season of. serenity 489 Seat of presid^py, 422 Seaxes, Saxonjaaggers, 330, 339, 374 Segyrfug, a^jlicred plant, §77 Seissyll, i^Kscendant of the druids, 12 Seithenin Saidi, 417 — son of Seithin Sair di, lMS»-the drunkatd, g42-iSeithih Saidife97, 324— king of Dyved, 242, Seithjpdd Saidi, 197 Selagck sacred plant, 280 Seraina% of druids in the north, 462 Sky, name of the opeu temple, SOS- skies, seven, 53 Slaughter, the mother of spolialion, 365 Sleep, bardic question upon, 60 Smoke, bardic question upon,50— ^moky recess of probation, 25? Snow of the mountain, 80 Snowdon, a landing-place of the dilu- vians, 243 , , Solar superstition at Stonehenge, SOS- worship, 457 Son of the Creator represented in the mysteries, 287— of partition, Vorti- gem, 329— sons of harmony, bards, 334 Song of Cuhelyn,_3i6 Soors procure tha'wat^r of immortality, S27 ■ Sorcerers, 268— produce a sudden show* er, 266 640 INDEX. Sortilege, 43, 453— rile of, 532 Soul, biirdic question upon, 51 Source of energy, a sacred title, IIS, 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 —related to the history of a ship, 430 Sparrow-hawk, a transformation of Cc- 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 Sprinkling, 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, 26't— of the ruler of the sea, 284 — steeds, ships, 569 Stone, cell, of the sacred fire, 345 — pil- Stonehe%Bii^'great*t"'<''cal temple, 303, 385— describetfil: Diodor us, 303 — celebrated by British writers, 306 — described by Cuhelyn'; 31^-by Aiieu- rin, 349, 364, 384 — the ^eat jUine fence of the common sanctutryj^50-i-» net older thaii tl}e 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 Streanf 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 Gbdodin, 321 Submersion of cities, 145 — of islands, 148, 149— of Cantre'r Gwaelod, 242 Sues, swine, a title of heilthen priests, 413 Suffocation of the aspirant, 256 Summershine, a mystic character, 420 — slain, 422 Sun worshipped in conjunciion with Noah, 125— titles of, 33S Supreme Being acknowledged by die bards, 496, 502, 506, 507, 515, 526— cause, declared in the mysteries, 254 — amount 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, i 259 — symbolical imagery ,131 — <3eath, 163 Sjw, 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 druidism, 26 — ^professed natural phitosopfay, 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 Cunobeline, 613, 618 Tallies, 43, 482 Taronwy, a tree divinity, 41 Tarvos Trigaranus, 132 ■ Tanriform god, 127 — rites of, 170 Tay, druids baptized in the, 473 Teganwy, place of a bardic meeting, . 504 [Temd Voel, 189— tbe Saturn of the Bri- •ffljs, 195 — known by. various names, 198, .lag — the patriarch, 200 — ^Seitb- wedd^|di, 197 — Gwyddno, 241 Teithan, Ifrdain, Titan, the sun, 114, Tempest of fire, 226 Temples of thatdruids, 291 Ternary arrang^Pj^ts of the Celtae, 28 Test of the Britishl^rds, 37 Testimonies in favour o^he mystic bards, Teyin On, Apollo, 120,^6 Thaner, residence of Hen|ast, 379 Theology of the Britons, 85l^c. — of the druids, recorded by C:esar^88 Thigh pierced or cut, 199, 504,537, 544 Third rank assigned to the solit^ivinity, 526 ■ Three fountains, 47, 48 — raints^s, 287 — hymns round the fire, 29Systones erect, 300, 302— cianes, 245 r INDEX. 641 Thrice born, UO, 253, 2S8 Titaresius, a sucred stream, 153 Titles of the British gods, 350— of Ce- ridwea, 403! Token of the egg, 189— of life, 190 Topography of a temple of Ceres, 299 Tops of the birch and oak, 539 Torches of Ceridwen, 261— of the druids, 277 Trylitions of the Britons, where pre- served, 31 — of the deluge, 95— of the oxen of Hu, 129 — of the changes of druidism, 411 — tradition not always consistent, 98 Ttaliearn Brydydd Mawr, 32 — age' and character of, 65 — disgraced, 69 — out- lawed, 70 — curious poem of, 67 Transformations, mystical, 2S9 — 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 Taliesin, 29 — derived from ancient bardic lore, 30 — systematical, 200 Triplets, moral, 75 — derived from the school of the driiids, 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, ApoHo, 193, 526 Tylwyth Tfeg, the British fairies, 156 Un Duw Uchaf, 103 Uncovered temples, 305 Unity of God, 87, 103 Unspotted weapon of the bard,^6 Universal peace, 60 ' Uri.en of Reged, 59, 502 Utliyr Bendragon, 120, 187, 429, 557 Utter darkness, 190, 203 ^ ■ V Vale of the beaver, scfihe of a mystical conflict, 266 Vadimon, or Vandimon, Janus, Noah, 158,159 Veil of the temple, 171, 362— of the mystical lots, 483, 489 Vencdotian, Vortigern, 361 Vervain, use .pf, 43 — a sacted plant, 820— exhibited in the festival, 273— used in casting lots,, foretelling events. See. 275 — several names of,- ifr. — an in- gredient in the purifying cauldron, 276 Vessel with the iron door, 120 Viaticum of Llevoed, a moral poem, 83 y T Vices of tbe gods, 254 Victims, when slain, 171 Vindication of tlie bards, S Vipers, 19 — symbolical, 544 Vortigern, 329-=-treachery of, 335, &c. 34l — deposed and re-elected, 341 — parricide , and usurpation of, 342 — over-rules the British toutlcil, 361' — character and death of, 373 — elegy \ upon the death of, 380 Vortimer, elegy upon the death of, 336 —battles of, 351; «£c. W Wand of the bards, 206 "Wandering island, 155 War deemed lawful by the druids, 61 — of the splendid tnover, a saCfed song, 610 — war song of the Britons, 374 — warriors praised by Taliesin, 62 ^ Warburton's account of the' mysteries, 254 ■Water of inspiration, 40, 185,^13,214 —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 Welsh, not whoJtofoonverted to Chris- tianity in thg "sixth ceritury, 282— » princes patronized the bards, 25 — to- lerated druidism, 282 Wheel on thfi British coins, 602— a sym- - bo'l of Arianrod, 603, 606 .. White robes of the druids, 23— dogs, 546 Wild boaiirlmnted by Hengist, 382 Wind of purposes ? 53 Wolf of mythology, 434— of Merddin, 485 Woman composed of flowers, 264 Wonderful supreme ruler, a sacred title, 287 World, an animal, 46, 47— ascendmg from the deep, 47— the arkite family, 207 Wort contributed for the festival, 273 Wren, a transformation of the aspirant, 233 Writings, druidical, 511 Y Y Ddinas, in Snowdon, described, 435 Y Meineu Jlirion, teinple of Ceres, 300 Ych Brych, 133, 523 Ychen, Banawg, 128 — originally three, 139— Dewi, 140 Yellow ox of the spring, 132 642 INDEX. Yays Pybyrddor, 519 Yoke of the sacred oxen, 129— of Hu, 137_of gold, 463— of the arkite god, 560 Y» Golan contends with Merddin, 471 — .burns British bobks, 472 Ysgrifen Brjdaiu, 510 Yssadawr, the consumer, 121 — Yatre, the course, at Stonehenge, 385 Ystwyth, ihe Styx of the druids, 251 Zodiac represented by the druidical tem- ples, 293, &c. Zones of the earth, 53 ERRATA. diving to the Author's distance from the Press, mid ihe defect of his vision, some errors have escaped, notmthstanding the care of the Printer. The following affect the sense. page line for read ' 7 6 hazbiduvydd . hwy bieavydd 7 8 Dernetia Demetia 33 13 Area /Era 68 13 Twedor Tewdor i 76 14 is its 05 8 expiate expatiate 103 10 gwastradth gwastraeth 103 21 beddirwedd bedeirwedd 116 22 little title 131 26 Tentonea Teutones 134- 17 Taw Tarw 135 23 Bollona Bellona 139 12 profession 7 Britains ; >roressieh 140 . Britons 156 SI flout flower 198 21 populace' ' populous 221 16 Exsw^tfu;* £XfpV0^0f>lS« 265 3 fartnet farner 275 13 Gramy Grau'tt y S75 14 Sorues Berries 390 13 opic topic 460 2 from the 1)ottoin« Briton Britain 472 14 illusion allusion 644 26 harnspex haruspcx ^ Weapons' * 549 17 we^poues 573 8 eiddaw eidduw 582 19 anoothwe anorthwe 586 597 20 ddogyu 31 complete dhogyn complex DIRECTIONS TO THE BINDER. The Plate to be placed at the end of the Work.'