Irish Druids and Old Irish Religions

1^2 Old Irish Relio-ions. s
That Buddhism should have found a foothold there is
not surprising, since Buddhist missionaries at one era had
spread over much of the Northern hemisphere. Though
the reader may find in this work, under the heading of
" Round Towers," references to this Oriental faith, some
other information may be here required.
Whenever it came, and however introduced. Buddhism,
as it was taught in its early purity, was a distinct advance
upon previously existing dogmas of belief. It was a vast
improvement upon Baal worship. Hero worship, or Nature
worship, as it carried with it a lofty ethical tone, and the
principle of universal brotherhood. Though there is linguistic
as well as other evidence of its presence in Ireland,
it may be doubted if the labours of the foreign missionaries
had much acceptance with the rude Islanders.
Owx BuidJibJi, Budh's hill, is in Tyrone. A goddess of
the Tuatha was called BadJiha. BiidJibh, the Red, was a
chief of the Danaans. Buddhist symbols are found upon
stones in Ireland. There are Hills of Budh in Mayo and
Roscommon. Fergus Budh or Bod was a prince of Brejea.
He was Fergus of the fire of Budh. Budh or Fiodh was
the sacred tree.
Vallencey, the fanciful Irish
philologist, was a believer in
the story of Buddhist visitations. He found that Budh in
Irish and Sanscrit was wise ;
that Dia Tait was Thursday,
and the day between the fasts (Wednesday and Friday),
Wednesday being a sacred day in honour of Budh in India,
showing that " they observed Budhday after Christianity
was introduced." La NoUad Aoz's, or La Nollad MitJii^
December 24th, was sacred to Mithras the Sun ;
to which
he quotes Ezek. iv. 14. Eire aros a Niorgul alluded to the
crowing of Nargal, the cock of Aurora, which was sacrificed
on December 25th, in honour of the birth of Mithras, the
Sun.