The History of Initiation - The Masonic Trowel

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* HISTORY OF INITIATION.
symbol of the deity, who was no other than the diluvian
patriarch ,Noah, consecrated by the Druids under the
name of Hu; and the common emblem of a serpent
entwining himself over an egg, was intended to represent
Hu preserved in the Ark ; or winged, 44 to figure the motion
of the divine spirit ; or cruciform, 45 because a cross was the
the centre of one of these was a tall phallus, twenty-one feet in height,
and eight feet nine inches in diameter; and within the other was a cell
or adytum. A grand avenue, planted with large masses of stone, one
hundred in number on each side, at regular distances, proceeded from
the south-east part of this circle, which continued in a curvilineal form,
for more than a mile, and terminated in a chapel or cell ; and from the
south-west of the temple proceeded another avenue in a contrary
direction, for about the same distance, tapering towards the end, and
terminating in the valley. About the centre of this latter avenue was
placed a cove or pastos, facing the south-east the stones ; composing
which are still called by the country people, the Devil's Quoits. Each
avenue being on an inclined plane, a person advancing towards the
temple would have on all sides a most advantageous view of it. Thus
it formed the compound figure of a snake transmitted through a circle,
an unquestionable emblem of the deity, according to the creed of all
ancient nations. The circle represented the Demiurgus or Creator ;
and the serpent referred to the divine emanation, to whose wisdom
the government of the universe was entrusted. (Maur. Ind. Ant., vol.
iv., p. 693.) Faber, however, is of opinion that the ring represented
the Ark, or Ceridwen and the snake the ; great serpent-god Hu. (Pag.
Idol., vol. i., p. 193.) The avenue terminated with the head of the
snake, which was curiously situated on the apex of Hackpen hill, which
anciently derived its name from this circumstance; for,
in the old
language, hac signifies a snake. (Hoare's Wiltshire,) and pen, the extremity,
or head, (Owen's Diet., v. Pen.) whence hac-pen, the head of
the snake. The country people still hold this hill in high veneration ;
and the little sanctuary which formed the serpent's head is still fresh
in their memory, having only very lately been destroyed. The whole
length of this magnificent structure was nearly three miles. Vid.
Stukeley's Abury, and letter to Mr. Gale ; and Hoare's Anc. Wilts ; to
which works I have been principally indebted for the above account
of this temple. Silbury hill, an artificial mound of earth, measuring
two thousand and twenty-seven feet in circumference at the base, one
hundred and twenty feet in diameter at the top; one hundred and
seventy feet in perpendicular height ; three hundred and sixteen feet
in sloping height, and covering five acres of land, was erected in the
middle, between the head and tale of the snake, as an appendage to
the temple. Sir R. C. Hoare thinks it was a hill-altar.
44
Stukeley mentions a winged temple which he found at Navestock,
in Essex ; (Knave, from Canaph, or Kneph, the winged serpent deity
of Egypt;) and says he doubts not but there are many such temples
in the Britannic isles. Toland mentions a winged Druid-temple in one
of the Shetland islands.
45 At Classcrmss in the island of Lewis, Scotland, is a specimen of
this cruciform temple. It has a circle consisting of twelve stones and
;