Irish Druids and Old Irish Religions

S2in - Worsh ip.
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twelve disciples, representing the twelve constellations,
formed the earthly zodiac. They too were robed in white."
Morien is the ablest living advocate of Welsh Druidism,
but his views on that subject are somewhat governed by
his extensive reading, his love of symbolism, and his poetic
temperament.
St. Patrick gives, according to an Erse poem, no such
credit to the Irish ;
crying out, "O blasphemous Cumhal, that
honour you pay to the sun, through ignorance of the omnipotent
King, is no more perfect than if you worshipped
your shield." The Milligans, in their learned story of the
Irish under the Druids, say, " They worshipped the
their principal Deity, and the moon as
sun as
their second Deity,
like the Phoenicians."
Donald Ross, Scotch Inspector of Schools, writes in a
similar way of his ancient northern kindred— " The noblest
strains in all Gaelic literature are in praise of the sun, and
which is also represented as the ultimately inexplicable
factor in the universe.
In the sun the Gaels found the two
highest attributes of divinity, power, and purity."
There is a remarkable passage from St. Patrick's Confession,
which refers to his being tempted by Satan in a dream
—
" It was suggested to me in the spirit that I should invoke
Helia [Elias or Eli) ; and meanwhile I sav/ the sun rising
in the heaven. And while I was calling out Helia with afl
my might, behold the splendour of that sun fell upon me,
and immediately struck from me the oppressive weight."
Probus had this version of the event, "When he had
thrice invoked the true Sun, immediately the sun rose
upon him."
The language of the country has much association with
sun adoration. The mythical Simon Brek of Irish history
may be Sanien, the sun. Waterford was Cuan-na-Grioth,
the harbour of the sun. One Irish name for the sun is
o