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A new edition of Toland's History of the druids: - Free History Ebooks

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NOTE». 285rejected.I have, in a former note, shewn that <strong>the</strong> Celtic Drui,was by <strong>the</strong> Greeks rendered Dry^ with <strong>the</strong> addition <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir terminatingsigma. What in <strong>the</strong> Celtic is sounded wz, <strong>the</strong> Greeksrender by <strong>the</strong>ir Ypsilon. Hence SiiLBel, would be GriEcizedSybela, which might easily degenerate into Sijbilla. Pliny men.tions a people in Aquitania (a part <strong>of</strong> Gaul) named <strong>the</strong> SyhiLlates, so that <strong>the</strong> Celts have more claims than one to <strong>the</strong> Sybills.Nat. Hist. lib. 4. cap. 19. The Gaelic etymon <strong>of</strong> %&/// makesher peculiarly <strong>the</strong> prophetess <strong>of</strong> Bel or Apollo. Virgil makesher exactly <strong>the</strong> same. Every one knows that gold does not growon <strong>the</strong> branches <strong>of</strong> trees, and this golden branch is only <strong>the</strong> yellow(croceum) misletoe, poetically hyberbolized. I do not,<strong>the</strong>refore, imagine, <strong>the</strong>re can remain <strong>the</strong> least doubt, that <strong>the</strong>golden branch <strong>of</strong> Virgil was <strong>the</strong> misletoe <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Druids, or that<strong>the</strong> Cumocan Sibyll was a Druidess. For <strong>the</strong> etymon <strong>of</strong> Apollosee next note.Note XLIL—Page 122.Carnea, —^The Sfc. Sun was <strong>the</strong> earliest, as well as <strong>the</strong> mostuniversal object <strong>of</strong> idolatrous worship. As such, his first nameon record is BcL Early after <strong>the</strong> deluge, we find mankinderecting to him a superb monument or temple at Babel. I have<strong>of</strong>ten wondered that none <strong>of</strong> our Celtic etymologists have renderedthis word BaUBheily i. e. '• <strong>the</strong> house or temple <strong>of</strong> Bel,'^They have given us a thousand etymologies far less probable.It was built on <strong>the</strong> vale <strong>of</strong> Shinar (Galilee seanar pronouncedShinar) i. e. " <strong>the</strong> vale <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Senior or Elder," in antient times atitle <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> highest distinction, and was probably a sepulchralmonument erected to <strong>the</strong> memory <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir ancestor Noahj orsome o<strong>the</strong>r distinguished individual. In <strong>the</strong> neighbourhood <strong>of</strong>Forfar we have a collateral instance, viz. BaUnar- Shinar^ i. e,'' <strong>the</strong> house <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Senior or Eldcr.^^ Ur <strong>of</strong> tlte Chaldees was<strong>the</strong> next edifice dedicated to I?t7, and on or Ilellopolis <strong>of</strong> /Egypt,was perhaps erected about <strong>the</strong> same time. Ur signifies light orJire, and is found in every dialect <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Celtic. It is also Ile-O

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