The History of Initiation - The Masonic Trowel

U2 HISTORY OF INITIATION.
it from all the trees of the grove as his own peculiar residence.
In the ancient British dialect, an oak was termed
Derwf in the Armorican, Deru; and hence the priests of
the oak are said to have been denominated Derwydden.
Some authors have, however, referred to other tongues
for the etymology of this title. One says it was derived
from the German Trowis, which signified a revealer of
truth; 6 another thinks it sprang from Trutis, an old
British name for the deity, and that his first priests were
hence called Truti? Mr. Smith, in his Gaelic antiquities,
concurs with Major Vallancey in deriving Druid from
Druidh, which in their own language signifies wise men,
and is still the Gaelic term for philosophers or magicians.
It seems, he says, to have the same import with the
name of the eastern magi, who, like the Druids and
many other religious sects, united the characters of the
philosopher, the magistrate, and the divine, making each
of these services one and the same profession. 8
The system of Druidism embraced every religious and
philosophical pursuit which was then known in the
island ; and had a further tendency to spread liberty,
peace, and happiness amongst mankind. 9 The rites bore
an undoubted reference to the salvation of Noah and his
10
seven companions in the Ark ; and were celebrated first
used in gathering this mysterious plant were of a nature calculated to
infuse a sacred reverence deeply into the mind ; and when plucked
and ritually consecrated, it was reputed to possess every sanative
virtue and was hence ;
dignified with the appellation of All Heal.
6 6
Owen's Diet. v. Derw. Gerop. Becan.
7 Sammes. Brit., vol. i., p. 104.
8
Hutchinson, Cumb., vol. i., p. 248.
9 Meyrick, Hist. Cardigan, Introduction.
10 It is a most remarkable fact, that we find in every system of anti-
quity a frequent reference to the number seven, which, from its
nature, can scarcely be ascribed to any event save that named in the
text, except it be to the institution of the Sabbath. Thus the seven
score Ogyrvens, or mystical personages, which, according to
Taliesin,
pertain to the British muse the seven score knobs in ;
the collar of the
ox, (Dav. Dru., p. 523, 524.) the seven persons who returned from
Caer Sidi, in the spoils of the deep; (Ibid., p. 515.) the seven Pleiades;
(Ovid. Fast. 5.) the seven Hyades; (Aratus. Astron.) the seven
Titans andTitanides the ; seven Heliades of the Greeks; (Diod. Bibl.,
1. v.) the seven Cabiri of the Phenicians ; the seven Amschaspands of
the Parsees; and the seven pieces into which the body of Bacchus
was torn by the Titans, (Plut. de Isid. andOsir., p. 368,) were equally
the seven hero-gods who accompanied Noah in the Ark ; and these