The History of Initiation - The Masonic Trowel

172 HISTORY OF INITIATION
the regions of the blessed ; of which this was, indeed,
the avowed representation. And, as the succeeding
ceremonies were all pleasurable, it is not surprising that
they should adopt an hyperbolical phraseology, and
esteem this magnificent place as a palace of the gods in
the ever-blessed kingdom of Thrudwanger.
It would be useless to repeat minutely the forms of
initiation, after the many specimens you have already
heard suffice it to ; say, that the candidate, being duly
prepared 26
by fasting and mortification, and the usual
preliminary ceremonies and sacrifices, dances, and circu-
27
lar processions being accomplished, he was introduced,
with naked feet, 23 into the sacred cavern, and conducted
by a winding descent to the tomb of Volva the prophetess,
amidst the shades of darkness and the terrific howling
of dogs. Passing onward, however, with resolute intrepidity,
he soon beheld, in a thin flame of light, the canine
guardian of the holy sepulchre, whose fangs appeared to
be smeared with the blood of some hardy adventurer,
26
Pontoppidan. in his History of Norway (p. 248), thus describes
the robust exercises practised by the inhabitants of the northern
"
nations. King Olaf Tryggeson was stronger and more nimble than
any man in his dominions. He could climb up the rock Smalserhorn^
he could walk round the outside
and fix his shield upon the top of it ;
of a boat, upon the oars, while the men were rowing he could ; play
with three darts, alternately throwing them in the air. and always
he
kept two of them up, while he held the thircl in one of his hands ;
was ambidexter, and could cast two darts at once he excelled all ; the
men of his time in shooting with the bow and in ; swimming he had
no equal. Sigmund Brestesen used to practise these exercises with
the king, viz., swimming, shooting, climbing the rocks, and all other
manly exercises which heroes and warriors practised in those times,
and none could come so near the king in all these, as Sigmund."
27
I am not sure whether the disease called St. Vitus's dance (chorea
S. Viti) may not have had some connection with this ceremony. There
were three Vituses amongst our Saxon ancestors, who were worshipped
as deities. Rugi-Vitus, who was represented with seven faces; Pon-
Vitus. with five heads and ; Swanto-(sancto) Vitus, with four heads.
This latter worthy was worshipped by a circular dance ; and every
year, ninety and nine persons were offered to him in sacrifice. He
had a white horse, which was placed in charge of the priests, and
dedicated to the sun. This horse is supposed by Schedius to be the
and probably
-original of the silver horse in the shield of the Hengist ;
also of the Hanoverian horse which still occupies a quarter of the
escutcheon of pretence in the royal arms of Great Britian. Sarnmes,
in his Britannia, has given engravings of the above deities.
28
1. yii.
Strabo,