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

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NOTES. 287were borrowed deities; and hence it "will not appear wonderfulthat <strong>the</strong> Greeks borrowed <strong>the</strong> religious rites peculiar to thisdeity at <strong>the</strong> same time.The Dorians, instead <strong>of</strong> Apollon, used AjjeUojt, which approachesmuch nearer to <strong>the</strong> Gaelic Abellio,it may bo here necessaryio remark, that Ullapool^ in Ross. shire (Gallice UlhtnPoll) signifies <strong>the</strong> circle <strong>of</strong> devotion. Vila is perhaps merely acorruption <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Gaelic Alla^Hallow and Haly^ now written Ilob^.whence <strong>the</strong> Saxons formed <strong>the</strong>irIf so, <strong>the</strong> Egyptian Helupoly <strong>the</strong> Greek HeliopoUs, and <strong>the</strong> Gaelic Ullapoll, are strictlysynonimous. The Egyptians also named this city On. NowVnn in <strong>the</strong> Gaelic still signifies a stone.The origin <strong>of</strong> this citywas,<strong>the</strong>refore, most probably, a stone set up inhonour <strong>of</strong> thaDeity, such as Jacob set up at Be<strong>the</strong>l, and, when a city wasadded, it received <strong>the</strong> name <strong>of</strong> Helipol, u e. <strong>the</strong> city or circle <strong>of</strong><strong>the</strong> Deity; for all ancient cities were circular, or as nearly soas <strong>the</strong> nature <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> eminences on which <strong>the</strong>y were built wouldadmit. This we know was <strong>the</strong> form <strong>of</strong> Troy, Carthage, <strong>the</strong>Acropolis <strong>of</strong> A<strong>the</strong>ns, Rome, and a thousand o<strong>the</strong>rs. Nay, Romeitself derives its name from this very circumstance, and not fromRomulus^ as generally imagined ; for it is <strong>the</strong> Greek Rovie^ signifyhig a strength or fort, synonimous with <strong>the</strong> Gaelic X>ww, andderived from <strong>the</strong> Greek verb Roo^ or Roni/mi, to surround orencircle. Hirt'ms^ in his book de Beilo IJisparJensi, cap. 3,mentions a city near Cordova <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> name <strong>of</strong> 67/a, perhaps <strong>the</strong>Promontoriuni Sacram (hill<strong>of</strong> worship) mentioned by Pliny,lib. 4. cap. 22. This city stood on <strong>the</strong> river Bcetis; and <strong>the</strong>same author, speaking <strong>of</strong> this district, informs us, lib. 3. cap. 1." that it was inhabited by Celts, and that it was manifest fromtiieir sacred rites, language, and names <strong>of</strong> towns, that <strong>the</strong>y weredescended from <strong>the</strong> Celtihcri <strong>of</strong> Lusitania.'* We nerd not,<strong>the</strong>refore, hesitate io assign a Celtic origin to Vlla^ and identifyit with Ullapool before-mentioned. The circular mode <strong>of</strong> buildingbefore stated was borrowed from <strong>the</strong> circularity <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Su7i^<strong>the</strong> supreme object <strong>of</strong> Ethnic adoration,I hope Ihave already sufficiently cYinced, that Apollo is notoo2

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