THE GODDESS ANAIT.

101

we have not in this paragraph of the statistical account of the parish of Harris, written by the clergyman in 1794, the name of one of the heathen objects of Gaelic worship; and if so, whether we can, with any probability, define the nature of that worship, or identify Annait of the Western Isles with Anaitis, a deity whose worship extended from Persia to the westward in various countries of Asia-in Assyria, Cappadocia, Armenia, and in the Phoenician colonies in Africa.

Strabo had himself witnessed the worship of Anaitis in Persia, and describes some of the ceremonies of the Magi in its performance, adding that there was a shrine within the temple. He also mentions another temple to the same divinity, but calls her the goddess Anæa. He describes a temple reared by the Persians to Anaitis on an artificial mound, which they heaped over a rock in the plain where they had defeated the Sacæ near the Euxine; and he adds that the Persian deities Anaitis, Omanus, and Anadatus' have a common altar.

Pliny says the first solid statue of gold was erected in the

the Trinity, it seems to have been built before the Romish calendar was made known in those parts; all churches built since that period being dedicated to saints."

It seems not improbable that here was, prior to Christianity, another temple of Annait. From the time of the first introduction of Christianity there was always a supply of saints' names ready for churches, viz., of those zealous missionaries who converted the people from heathenism.

The word for the Trinity is usually written Trionaid, not Trianade, and was of course introduced into the Gaelic by the Christians. But the above tradition and the name Teampul-na-Trianade are easily reconcilable with its being the site of a Teampull-na-h-Annait, like that on the neighbouring isle of Calligray.

In his fourth chapter Richard of Cirencester mentions Andate as one of the gods worshipped by the Britons and the Druids.

temple of the goddess Anaitis, and he mentions a district and a lake which probably derived their names from this divinity. The Temple of Nanea, in Persia, and the priests of her temple, are mentioned in the Maccabees.1

Nania, the moon goddess, is one of the most ancient objects of worship in the Indian peninsula."

2

3

Some of the Greek writers identified Anaitis with their Artemis, and Artemis with the moon, and with Hecate as a goddess of the moon.

These remarks have reference to that remnant of antiquity, the temple of Annait, in the islet of Calligray; the following regards another ancient monument in the neighbouring islet of Berneray. This monument consists of a circle somewhat less than ten feet in diameter, defined by long sharppointed stones. In the centre is a stone about five feet in height, of a conical form, but inverted, the narrow end being fixed in the ground, and the top being broad and flat. "It is to this day," says the reverend author of the statistical Account of the parish, "called Clach-na-Greine, the Stone of the Sun."4 In the same parish of Harris are other two circles of rather larger size, the centre stones being also of a different form-long, flat, and raised eight feet above the ground.5

1 2 Maccabees i. 13, 14, 15.

2 Mao, the moon god; Nania, the moon goddess.

Mani, a male, the moon; in the prose, Edda.-Mallet's Northern Antiquities, p. 407.

See also the articles "* Anaitis,"

"Artemis," and "Hecate" in Smith's Mythological Dictionary.

In Jura there is Bein-an-Ghrianan, or Mountain of the Sun.-Pennant's Voyage to Scotland, vol. i. p. 330.

Old Statistical Account of Scotland,

TANITH OR ANAIETIS.

103

From these circumstances it might be inferred that the temple of Annait was connected with planetary worship. The rites of Anaitis have generally been considered to be of an obscene nature, and her worship is acknowledged to be of Indian origin.1

The name of the goddess Tanat-Tanith or Tanas appears in nearly every inscription on Punic monuments. Tanith was looked on as the Greek Artemis--the Oriental Artemis, Anaietis of the Lydians."

3

A common form of commencement in the inscriptions found at Carthage on votive tablets is "To the Goddess-To Tanath, the countenance of Baal," etc. etc., and the circle and crescent are the commonly-sculptured emblems on such Carthaginian monuments.

vol. x. p. 374. Compare these with monuments still existing in Persia, and alluded to in the chapter on "Asiatic and Celtic Monuments."

2

'Smith's Mythological Dictionary.

Article by Mr. Franks in the

Archaelogia, vol. xxxviii. Artaxerxes II. set up the image of Aph- rodite Tanais in Babylon, Susa, and Ecbatana.

Davies' Researches in Carthage P. 267.

CHAPTER V.

SOLAR AND PLANETARY WORSHIP IN BRITAIN AND CALEDONIA. THE SUN, BAAL, BEL-General Worship of Light-Solar and Planetary Worship-Sacrifice of the Cock-Philological affinities-Baal and Bel in various Eastern Languages, as well as in the Celtic Dialects-Great heathen Festival of Yeul-Its Ceremonies-Passing Children through the Fire, or exposing them on the House-tops-People and Cattle passing through the Fire-Ordeal by Fire and Water-Pre-eminence of the East —Illustrated by the great rock-cut Temple of Karli-Buddhist Services, Practices, and Ceremonies-Position of Temples originally referred to the Worship of Light and the Sun-Bel-Tein, Fire of Bel-Bel-Tein day— Beltein Ceremonies-Offerings to Inferior Deities-Fastern Even a Celtic Festival, also a Phoenician-Game of Ball-Soule-Other CeremoniesCarn Fires-Hallowe'en a Celtic Festival-Ceremonies practised then, and Fires lighted-Tin-Egin-Midsummer Eve a Celtic FestivalPeculiar Ceremonies-Flannan Isles-Deasoil Processions.-ASTARTE, ASHTORETH, THE MOON-Worship of the Moon-Superstitious Rites not yet extinct-Homage to "the Queen of Heaven" in various forms.

ROM Dondera-head in Ceylon to the Himalaya Moun

FR

tains, and from the borders of China to the extremities of Western Europe and its islands, we find clear evidence of the former prevalence of the earliest form of false worship, viz., the adoration of light, the sun, and "the whole host of heaven." In the Rajpoot state of Marwar, in its capital. 1 Baal, Bel, Belus, Belenus. In in Rajasthan I remarked a beautiful Celtic, Beal, Beil, Beul (Gaelic Dic- representation of the sun-god in his tionary); Abellion (Smith's Mytho- car, drawn by seven horses. The logical Dictionary). sculpture was in alto-relievo.

2 In a ruined and deserted-marble temple near the base of Mount Aboo

2

Asa took from the cities of Judah the sun images (2d Chron. xiv. 5),

BALI, PLANETARY WORSHIP.

105

Udayapoor," the City of the Rising Sun," the precedence of Surya, the sun god, is still maintained. The sacred standard of the country bears his image, and the Raja, claiming to be his descendant, appears as his representative.1

2

In a complicated form the Parsees of British India still retain that worship of light, symbolised in the sun and fire, for which they became exiles when their fire-altars were overthrown and their faith was proscribed in the land of their ancestors. More than twenty centuries have passed since the religion of Gautama Buddha was generally and enthusiastically received and firmly established in Ceylon, where it has ever since, with short interruptions, remained the religion of the state and the people. It then superseded, although it has never been able to eradicate, the Bali, planetary worship, which co-existed with the Naga or snake worship in that country. There also, besides a veneration for ancestors, the aborigines believed in invisible powers and controlling spirits of limited influence and local celebrity. Fountains and streams-trees and forests-rocks and mountains-had their genii, and various forms of pestilence were attributed to the malignant influence of demons. From notices in

3

4

ancient authors, Roman inscriptions, and remaining super

but the idolatry remained. Chariots and horses given by the kings of Judah to the sun were removed and destroyed by Josiah (2 Kings xxiii. 1-11). For the continuance of this idolatry see Jeremiah viii. 1-2.

1Tod's Annals of Rajasthan. Remains of these temples, similar to Cyclopean remains in Britain, are

noticed under the head of "Monuments in Persia."

3 Referred to in the chapter on the "Early Religion of the Inhabitants of Britain."

4 Stewart's Caledonia Romana; Wright's Celt, Roman, and Saxon; Early Inhabitants of Britain, c. ix.