Myths and Legends of the Celtic Race - Knowledge Rush

62 Myths and Legends of the Celtic RaceThe Ankh[79]Evidence from LanguageApproaching the subject from the linguistic side, Rhysand Brynmor Jones find that the African origin—at leastproximately—of the primitive population of Great Britain andIreland is strongly suggested. It is here shown that the Celticlanguages preserve in their syntax the Hamitic, and especiallythe Egyptian type. 57Egyptian and “Celtic” Ideas of ImmortalityThe facts at present known do not, I think, justify us inframing any theory as to the actual historical relation of thedolmen-builders of Western Europe with the people who createdthe wonderful religion and civilisation of ancient Egypt. Butwhen we consider all the lines of evidence that converge in thisdirection it seems clear that there was such a relation. Egypt wasthe classic land of religious symbolism. It gave to Europe themost beautiful and most popular of all its religious symbols, thatof the divine mother and child 58 . I believe that it also gave to theprimitive inhabitants of Western Europe the profound symbol ofthe voyaging spirits guided to the world of the dead by the Godof Light.The religion of Egypt, above that of any people whose ideas weknow to have been developed in times so ancient, centred on thedoctrine of a future life. The palatial and stupendous tombs, theelaborate ritual, the imposing mythology, the immense exaltationof the priestly caste, all these features of Egyptian culture wereintimately connected with their doctrine of the immortality of thesoul.57 “The Welsh People,” pp. 616-664, where the subject is fully discussed inan appendix by Professor J. Morris Jones. “The pre-Aryan idioms which stilllive in Welsh and Irish were derived from a language allied to Egyptian andthe Berber tongues.”58 Flinders Petrie, “Egypt and Israel,” pp. 137, 899.