Irish Druids and Old Irish Religions

128 Old Irish Religions.
Coiibelin, was adored in both isles. Decete is named in
Devon, Anglesey, and South-west Ireland.
Dormer supposed the deities were first of place, then of
peoples. Rhys saw minor gods as g^nii loconun ; and
asked what race it was that gave the Celtic lands its
population of spirits. He regarded the mass of divinities
as " very possibly creations of the people here long before
the Celts." The non-Aryan mythology had doubtless
great influence on the religion of the Goiedels.
When St. Patrick tried conversion upon the King's
daughters, Eithne and Finola, they inquired if his god lived
in the hills, valleys, fountains, or rivers. Seeing his party
in white, the princesses concluded they were men of Sidhe,
or earth divinities.
Some imagine the popular Mithraic faith of the East
reached Ireland. It did gain the shores of Gaul ;
for, in
1598, a stone cist was dug up near Dijon, enclosing a glass
vessel. Upon the stone was this Greek inscription— " In
tumulus covers the body
the sacred wood of Mithras, this
of Chyndonax, high priest.
for the protecting gods preserve my ashes."
Return, thou ungodly person,
Chaldaean influence may have been carried to Erin by
Very many terms of divination used there
Tyrian traders.
are like those employed in Chaldaic. A Chaldcean record
on physic or divination w^as found in India in 1765. The
Tuaths, so associated with Irish deities, have been thought
to be wandering Chaldees. It is singular that the Irish
Venus w^as recognized under the names of Bidhgoe, N'anu,
and MatJiar, which in Persian would be Biducht, Nanea,
and Metra.
The circle may represent the universe. The Irish god
Ti-nior means the great circle. He was Alpha and Omega,
A II, the perfect Decad or 10, of Pythagoras. Much was
another name for the Great God.