The History of Initiation - The Masonic Trowel

166 HISTORY OF INITIATION
deities, the oblations of the Drottes were of increased
value, in proportion with the expected danger of the
trembling suppliant. Hence, as this order of men, like
the Israelitish priesthood, was restricted to one family,
they became possessed of unbounded wealth, and erected
splendid palaces
for their residence. These immunities
and distinctions increasing their power in every age, they
ultimately became so proud, overbearing, and tyrannical,
as to be objects of terror to all other classes of the community,
which, in the end, accelerated their destruction.
It was, indeed, credulity on the one hand, as well as
artifice and imposture on the other, which originally
placed the people thus at the entire disposal of the
priest; but they at length grew weary of the increased
oppressions under which they groaned ; and, with minds
thus prepared for any change which might promise to
deliver them from the tyranny of priestly domination,
the inhabitants of Scandinavia embraced the offer of
with a
Christianity with enthusiasm ; and, inspired
fanatical spirit of vengeance for accumulated and longcontinued
suffering, they retaliated with dreadful severity
on their persecutors, and destroyed every vestige of the
ancient religion. The palaces and temples, the statues
of their gods, and all the paraphernalia of heathen super-
stition, perished in one common ruin 7 and ; nothing
remains to show the character of this religion, but a few
Cromlechs ; some stupendous monuments of rough stone
which human fury was unable to destroy ; certain ranges
of caverns hewn out of the solid rock for the purpose of
initiation, and some natural grottos which were, undoubt-
edly, applied to the same purpose.
The great festivals, annually commemorated by this
to their princes consist, in general, of nine of each article. At all
their feasts this number and its combinations are always attended to
in their dishes of meat, and in their skins of wine, and other liquors.
At one entertainment, mentioned by the Tartar king Abulgazi Khan,
there were nine thousand sheep, nine hundred horses, ninety -nine
vessels of brandy, &c. Even the roving Tartars rob the caravans by
this rule ; and will rather take nine of anything than a greater number.
Abulgazi Khan, in the preface to his history, says, " I have divided
it into nine parts, to conform myself to the custom of other writers,
who all have this number in particular esteem." (Rich. Dissert.,
p. 270.)
7 Mai. North. Ant., vol. i., p. 129.