Fishes, Flowers, and Fire as Elements and Deities in the Phallic Faiths and Worship Part 5

In the Persian province of Fars, Sir William Ouseley observed a monolith ten or twelve feet high, surrounded by a fence of stones. This rude column had a cavity on the top. Similar instances--viz., of monoliths having a cavity in the top--existed among the primitive monuments of Scotland. In Kincardines.h.i.+re, at Auchincorthie, there were five circles of stones. On the top of one of the stones which stood on the east side of the largest circle, there was a hollow three inches deep, along the bottom of which, and down the side of the stone, a channel was cut. Another of the stones in this group had a similar cavity and channel. Other examples of such artificial cavities in ancient British monuments could be pointed out.--(Gibson's Camden, vol. ii., p. 291.) The same traveller remarked a few old trees which grew near this column, and these he supposed to be the remains of a consecrated grove. One of the trees was thickly hung with rags, the native offerings of the inhabitants of the country. Trees with such garniture may commonly be observed in the Dekhan and other parts of India, and not long since might be seen in many places in Britain. The Monolith thus described, and adjacent to the grove, was called by an expression equivalent to "Stone of the Fire Temple." We know from Herodotus that the ancient Persians, like their expatriated descendants the Pa.r.s.ees, were wors.h.i.+ppers of the sun and fire, and the mysterious rites of the heathen inhabitants of Britain must have closely resembled those of the Persians, when the similarity induced Pliny to remark that Britain cultivates magic with ceremonial so august that it might be supposed that the art was first communicated from them to the people of Persia.

Turning to Herodotus as here suggested, speaking of the order given by Cambyses to burn the corpse of Amasis, after his people had failed to tear it apart, owing to its having been embalmed, the historian says:--"This was truly an impious command to give, for the Persians hold fire to be a G.o.d, and never by any chance burn their dead. Indeed this practice is unlawful, both with them and with the Egyptians--with them for the reason above mentioned, since they deem it wrong to give the corpse of a man to a G.o.d; and with the Egyptians, because they believe fire to be a live animal, which eats whatever it can seize, and then glutted with the food, dies with the matter it feeds upon."[24]

Leslie says "it is important, as a prelude to the description of rites in a wors.h.i.+p common to the early inhabitants of the Indian Peninsula and to the Celtic population of Gaul and Britain, to refer to the cognate expressions which they employed for the object of their adoration. In Cingalese, Ja, Jwala, signifies light, l.u.s.tre, flame; Jwalana, light; also Agni, or personified and deified fire. Eliya is also Cingalese for light; in Welsh, Lleuer and Lleuad, the moon; in Gaelic, Eibhle, anything on fire. In Sanscrit, Jwala signifies light, flame; in Cornish, Gwawl; in Welsh, Goleu; in Armorican, Goleu. In Gaelic, Geal and Eallaidhe is white; Soillse, light, sunlight; Suil, the eye. In Cingalese, Haili and Hel, and in Sanscrit, Heli or Helis is the sun. In Welsh it is Haul, p.r.o.nounced Hail; in Armorican, Haul and Heol; in Cornish, Houl and Heul. The great festival of heathen Britain--viz, Yeul--was celebrated at that period of the year when the sun having obtained the greatest distance from the earth, commenced his return to restore warmth and to revivify nature.

Although Christmas superseded the heathen festival, not only the ancient name of Yeul, but many of the customs, evidently connected with the heathen rites, are not yet obsolete in South Britain; and in Scotland, at least in the more remote parts, and in agricultural districts, Yeul is still the word in general use for Christmas Day."

Hone, in his "Every-day Book" vol. I. p. 204, says: "The Yeul feast and Yeul log can be clearly traced to their original source. The blaze of lights, and the kindling of the great Yule log on Christmas Eve by a portion of the Yule brand of the former year, is as clearly a heathen ceremony, and for the same object of wors.h.i.+p, as the fires on Midsummer Eve. As to the feast, in times comparatively recent, the Greenlanders held a sun-feast at the winter solstice, to rejoice in the conmencement of returning light and warmth."

"From Teinidh and Tein, Irish and Gaelic for fire, is probably derived the obsolete English word 'to teend.' Herrich, speaking of the Christmas brand, says part must be kept wherewith to _teend_ the Christmas by next year."

Evidence of some sort of fire-wors.h.i.+p in England at various times is to be found in the _Confessional_ of Ecgbert, Archbishop of York (8th century) and the Penitential of Theodore, Archbishop of Canterbury (7th century), and that this included the adoration of the light of the sun and moon seems probable from the prohibition of the practice of pa.s.sing children through fire extending to that of exposing them on the house-tops for the benefit of their health.

Leslie remarks that it is curious to compare these restrictions and penalties to be enforced by English ecclesiastical authorites with the denunciation of the same heathen practices by the prophet Zephaniah, (Chap. I., 4, 5.) "I will cut off the remnant of Baal, and them that wors.h.i.+p the host of heaven upon the house-tops."

The allusion to the Midsummer Eve Fire in Hone, reminds us of the "Fire of Bel" or Beltane of Scotland, a festival generally celebrated on May-day old style. Leslie says, in other Celtic countries of Western Europe the same expression, with slight variations in sound, was also used for the great heathen festival which was held about the beginning of the month of May. He further says: "Beltane is also used to express the fires that were kindled in honour of Bel on that and on other days connected with his wors.h.i.+p, as on Midsummer Eve, afterwards called the vigil of St. John, on All-Hallowe'en, and on Yeule, which is now Christmas. Of the ceremonies practised at Beltane, and continued almost to our own times, the most remarkable and general were the fires lighted in honour of Bel."

"Kindling fires at Beltane, on the hills and conspicuous places in level districts, was so universal in Scotland--also in Ireland and Cornwall--that it is unnecessary to refer to records for proof of events which may still be witnessed in this year 1865.

"Conjoined with Apollo in the inscription on a Roman altar found at Inveresk is an epithet bearing a considerable resemblance to the name of the sun in Gaelic. Apollini-Granno is the commencement of the inscription.

Grian or Greine is the sun in Gaelic, and Grianach is 'the sunny.' This resemblance it is as well to notice, for epithets not similar in sound but identical in meaning are used for Apollo or the sun by cla.s.sic authors and the Scottish Celts, as Gruagach, the fair-haired. Enclosures called Grianan or Greinham, 'the house of the sun,' where the people wors.h.i.+pped the sun, are to be met with everywhere. On the Gruagach stones libations of milk were poured. A clergyman of the Western Isles says that about a century ago (this was in 1774), Gruagach got credit for being the father of a child at Shulista, near Duntulme, the seat of M'Donald. Gruagach, the sun, was represented by certain rude stones of large size. On the island of Bernera, in the parish of Harris, a circle, defined by long sharp pointed stones, has in the centre a stone in the form of an inverted pyramid, called Clach-na-Greine, 'the stone of the sun.'"

Toland, in his "History of Druids," gathers together a good deal of important information relative to Fire Customs in various parts of England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, and the adjacent islands. He speaks of the carns (cairns) or heaps of stones which are found on mountain tops and other eminencies in different localities, and after alluding to the uses they served in course of time as beacons, being conveniently situated for such a purpose, says--"They were originally designed for fires of another nature. The fact stood thus. On May-eve the Druids made prodigious fires on those carns, which being every one in sight, could not but afford a glorious show over a whole nation. These fires were in honour of Beal or Bealan, latinised by the Roman authors into Belenus, by which name the Gauls and their colonies understood the sun: and, therefore, to this hour the first day of May is by the aboriginal Irish called La Bealteine, or the day of Belen's fire."

"May-day is likewise called La Bealteine by the Highlanders of Scotland, who are no contemptible part of the Celtic offspring. So it is in the Isle of Man; and in Armoric a priest is still called Belec, or the Servant of Bel, and priesthood Belegieth. Two such fires as we have mentioned were kindled by one another on May-eve in every village of the nation (as well throughout all Gaul, as in Britain, Ireland, and the adjoining lesser islands), between which fires the men and the beasts to be sacrificed were to pa.s.s; from whence came the proverb, _Between Bel's two fires_, meaning one in a great strait, not knowing how to extricate himself. One of the fires was on the carn, another on the ground. On the eve of the first day of November there were also such fires kindled, accompanied (as they constantly were) with sacrifices and feasting. These November fires were in Ireland called Tine tlach'd gha, from tlach'd-gha, a place hence so called in Meath where the Archdruid of the realm had his fire on the said eve; and for which piece of ground, because originally belonging to Munster, but appointed by the supreme monarch for this use, there was an annual acknowledgement (called sgreaboll) paid to the king of that province.

"On the aforesaid eve all the people of the country, out of a religious persuasion instilled into them by the Druids, extinguished their fires as entirely as the Jews are wont to sweep their houses the night before the feast of unleavened bread. Then every master of a family was religiously obliged to take a portion of the consecrated fire home, and to kindle the fire anew in his house, which for the ensuing year was to be lucky and prosperous. He was to pay, however, for his future happiness whether the event proved answerable or not; and though his house should be afterwards burnt, yet he must deem it the punishment of some new sin, or ascribe it to anything rather than to want of virtue in the consecration of the fire, or of validity in the benediction of the Druid, who, from officiating at the carns, was likewise called Cairnech, a name that continued to signify priest even in Christian times. But if any man had not cleared with the Druids for the last year's dues, he was neither to have a spark of this holy fire from the carns, nor durst any of his neighbours let him take the benefit of theirs under pain of excommunication, which, as managed by the Druids, was worse than death. If he would brew, therefore, or bake, or roast, or boil, or warm himself and family; in a word, if he would live the winter out, the Druid's dues must be paid by the last of October, so that this trick alone was more effectual than are all the Acts of Parliament made for securing our present clergy's dues.

"As to the fire-wors.h.i.+p which (by the way) prevailed over all the world, the Celtic nations kindled other fires on Midsummer-eve, which are still continued by the Roman Catholics of Ireland; making them in all their grounds, and carrying flaming brands about their corn-fields. This they do likewise all over France and in some of the Scottish Isles. These midsummer fires and sacrifices were to obtain a blessing on the fruits of the earth, now becoming ready for gathering; as those of the first of May, that they might prosperously grow; and those of the last of October were a thanksgiving for finis.h.i.+ng their harvest. But in all of them regard was also had to the several degrees of increase and decrease in the heat of the sun's rays."

With regard to the proverb "Between Bel's two fires," Mr. Huddleston in his new edition of Toland (1814) adds a note in which he says:--"As Mr.

Toland in his note on this pa.s.sage, informs us the Irish phrase is Ittir dha theine Bheil; Dr. Smith has also given us the Scottish phrase, Gabha Bheil, _i.e._, the jeopardy of Bel. Both agree that these expressions denote one in the most imminent danger. Mr. Toland says the men and beasts to be sacrificed pa.s.sed between two fires, and that hence the proverb originated. Dr. Smith, on the contrary, imagines that this was one of the Druidical ordeals whereby criminals were tried; and instead of making them pa.s.s betwixt the fires, makes them march directly across them. Indeed, he supposed the Druids were kind enough to anoint the feet of the criminals, and render them invulnerable to the flames. If so there could have been neither danger nor trial. It may also be remarked, that had the doctor's hypothesis been well founded, there was no occasion for two fires, whereas by the phrase, _between Bel's two fires_, we know that two were used.

Doctor Smith has evidently confounded the Gabha Bheil with a feat practised by the Hirpins on Mount Soracte."

It seems that the expression used by the Scotch expressive of a man in difficulties, "He is between the two fires of Bel," was common enough to attract the attention of other writers than those we have cited, and of most travellers in the Highlands. Martin mentions it in his "Western Isles," as also Shaw and the Rev. D. M'Queen. The latter is cited by Leslie as a Gaelic scholar of the last century, who in regard to the expression, "He is betwixt two Beltein fires," gives as an explanation that the Celtic tribes in their sacred enclosures offered sacrifices, commonly horses, that were burnt between two large fires, and Leslie adds, "On this it may be remarked that horses were sacrificed to the sun by the Arian race from the earliest times; and this continued to be practised by Hindus, Persians, and other nations. In Britain it is probable that our heathen ancestors sacrificed horses, and it is certain that they ate them."

Jamieson's splendid "Etymological Dictionary of the Scottish Language,"

supplies us with valuable information on the point we are discussing, drawn from a variety of reliable authorities. Under "BELTANE, Beltein, the name of a sort of festival observed on the first day of May, O.S.;" we have:--"A town in Perths.h.i.+re, on the borders of the Highlands, is called _Tillie-_ (or _Tullie_) _beltane_, _i.e._ the eminence or rising ground of the fire of Baal. In the neighbourhood is a druidical temple of eight upright stones, where it is supposed the fire was kindled. At some distance from this is another temple of the same kind, but smaller, and near it a well still held in great veneration. On Beltane morning superst.i.tious people go to this well, and drink of it; then they make a procession round it, as I am informed, nine times. After this, they in like manner go round the temple. So deep rooted is this heathenish superst.i.tion in the minds of many who reckon themselves good Protestants, that they will not neglect these rites, even when Beltane falls on Sabbath."

Quoting from P. Loudon, Statist. Acc. iii., 105, the writer proceeds:--"The custom still remains [in the West of Scotland] among the herds and young people to kindle fires in the high grounds, in honour of Beltan. _Beltan_, which in Gaelic signifies _Baal_ or _Bel's fire_, was anciently the time of this solemnity. It is now kept on St. Peter's Day."

Just here we may turn to Mr. Pennant's "Tour in Scotland," for the following interesting particulars. "On the first of May, the herdsmen of every village hold their Beltein, a rural sacrifice. They cut a square trench on the ground, leaving the turf in the middle; on that they make a fire of wood, on which they dress a large caudle of eggs, b.u.t.ter, oatmeal, and milk; and bring, besides the ingredients of the caudle, plenty of beer and whisky; for each of the company must contribute something. The rites begin with spilling some of the caudle on the ground by way of libation: on that every one takes a cake of oatmeal, upon which are raised nine square k.n.o.bs, each dedicated to some particular being, the supposed preserver of their flocks and herds, or to some particular animal, the real destroyer of them: each person then turns his face to the fire, breaks off a k.n.o.b, and flinging it over his shoulder, says--_This I give to thee, preserve thou my horses; this to thee, preserve thou my sheep_; and so on. After that they use the same ceremony to the noxious animals; _This I give to thee, O Fox! spare thou my lambs; this to thee, O hooded Crow! this to thee, O Eagle!_"[25]

Further on the same traveller writes:--"The Beltein, or the rural sacrifice on the first of May, O.S., has been mentioned before. Hallow-eve is also kept sacred: as soon as it is dark, a person sets fire to a bush of broom fastened round a pole, and attended with a crowd, runs round the village. He then flings it down, keeps a great quant.i.ty of combustible matters in it, and makes a great bonfire. A whole tract is thus illuminated at the same time, and makes a fine appearance. The carrying of the fiery pole appears to be a relic of Drudism."[26]

The "Statistical Account of Scotland, Parish of Callander, Perths,"

supplies several important and interesting facts relating to this. "The people of this district have two customs which are fast wearing out, not only here, but all over the Highlands, and therefore ought to be taken notice of while they remain. Upon the first day of May, which is called _Beltau_ or _Baltein Day_, all the boys in a towns.h.i.+p or hamlet meet in the moors. They cut a table in the green sod, of a round figure, by casting a trench in the ground of such circ.u.mference as to hold the whole company. They kindle a fire, and dress a repast of eggs and milk in the consistence of a custard. They knead a cake of oatmeal, which is toasted at the embers against a stone. After the custard is eaten up, they divide the cake into so many portions, as similar as possible to one another in size and shape, as there are persons in the company. They daub one of these portions all over with charcoal, until it be perfectly black. They put all the bits of cake into a bonnet. Every one, blindfold, draws out a portion. He who holds the bonnet is ent.i.tled to the last bit. Whoever draws the black bit is the devoted person who is to be sacrificed to Baal, whose favour they mean to implore, in rendering the year productive of the sustenance of man and beast. There is little doubt of these inhuman sacrifices having been once offered in this country, as well as in the east, although they now pa.s.s from the act of sacrificing, and only compel the devoted person to leap three times through the flames; with which the ceremonies of this festival are closed."

Again referring to Jamieson, he says:--"The respect paid by the ancient Britons to Belus, or Belinus, is evident from the names of some of their kings. As the Babylonians had their _Beletis_ or _Belibus_, _Rige-Belus_, _Merodoch-Baladan_ and _Belshazzar_; the Tyrians their _Ich-baals_ and _Balator_, the Britons had their _Ca.s.si-belin_, and their _Cuno-belin_.

"The Gael and Ir. word _Beal-tine_ or _Beil-teine_ signifies _Belus'

Fire_; as composed of Baal or Belis, one of the names of the sun in Gaul, and _tein_ signifying fire. Even in Angus a spark of fire is called a _tein_ or _teind_."

Martin's Western Islands bears similar testimony, thus:--"Another G.o.d of the Britons was Belus or Belinus, which seems to have been the a.s.syrian G.o.d Bel, or Belus; and probably from this Pagan deity comes the Scots'

term of Beltin--having its first rise from the custom practised by the Druids in the isles, of extinguis.h.i.+ng all the fires in the parish until the tythes were paid; and upon payment of them, the fires were kindled in each family, and never till then. In those days malefactors were burnt between two fires; hence when they would express a man in a great strait, they say, He is between two fires of Bel, which in their language they express thus, Edir da hin Veaul or Bel."

It has been remarked that the Pagan rites of the festival of Midsummer Eve, the Summer Solstice may be considered as a counterpart of those used at the Winter Solstice of Yule-tide. "There is one thing," says Brand, "that seems to prove this beyond the possibility of a doubt. In the old Runic Fasti, a wheel was used to denote the festival of Christmas. Thus Durandus, when speaking of the Rites of the Feast of St. John Baptist, informs us of this curious circ.u.mstance, that in some places they roll a wheel about to signify that the Sun, then occupying the highest place in the Zodiac, is beginning to descend; and in the amplified account given by Naogeorgus, we read that this wheel was taken up to the top of a mountain and rolled down from thence; and that, as it had been previously covered with straw, twisted about it and set on fire, it appeared at a distance as if the sun had been falling from the sky. And he further observes, that the people imagine that all their ill-luck rolls away from them together with this wheel."

"Leaping over the fires is mentioned among the superst.i.tious rites used at the Palilia in Ovid's Fasti. The Palilia were feasts inst.i.tuted in honour of Pales, the G.o.ddess of shepherds (though Varro makes Pales masculine), on the calends of May. In order to drive away wolves from the folds, and distempers from the cattle, the shepherds on this day kindled several heaps of straw in their fields, which they leaped over."

"Bourne tells us that it was the custom in his time, in the North of England, chiefly in country villages, for old and young people to meet together and be merry over a large fire, which was made for that purpose in the open street. This, of whatever materials it consisted, was called a Bone-fire. Over and about this fire they frequently leap, and play at various games such as running, wrestling, dancing, &c.; this, however, is generally confined to the younger sort; for the old ones, for the most part, sit by as spectators only, and enjoy themselves over their bottle, which they do not quit till midnight, and sometimes till c.o.c.k-crow the next morning."

A correspondent of the _Gentleman's Magazine_ for February, 1795, writing from Skye, gives us:--"Curious fact relating to the wors.h.i.+p of Baal in Ireland. The Irish have ever been wors.h.i.+ppers of fire, and of Baal, and are so to this day. The chief festival in honour of the sun and fire, is upon the twenty-first of June, when the sun arrives at the Summer Solstice, or rather begins its retrograde movement. I was so fortunate, in the summer of 1782, as to have my curiosity gratified by a sight of this ceremony over a very great extent of country. At the house where I was entertained, it was told me that we should see at midnight the most singular sight in Ireland, which was the lighting of Fires in honour of the Sun. Accordingly, exactly at midnight, the Fires began to appear; and taking the advantage of going up to the leads of the house, which had a widely-extended view, I saw on a radius of thirty miles, all around, the Fires burning on every eminence which the country afforded. I had a farther satisfaction, in learning from undoubted authority, that the people danced round the Fires, and at the close went through these Fires, and made their sons and daughters, together with their cattle, pa.s.s through the Fire; and the whole was conducted with religious solemnity.

This account is exceedingly curious, and though I forbear the mention of names, I can venture to a.s.sure you that it is authentic."

The remarks of Borlase in his "Antiquities of Cornwall," come in here very suitably. He says--"Of the fires we kindle in many parts of England, at some stated time of the year, we know not certainly the rise, reason or occasion, but they may probably be reckoned among the relicks of the Druid superst.i.tious fires. In Cornwall, the festival fires called Bonfires, are kindled on the Eve of St. John the Baptist and St. Peter's Day; and Midsummer is thence, in the Cornish tongue, called 'Golnan,' which signifies both light and rejoicing. At these fires the Cornish attend with lighted torches, tarred and pitched at the end, and make their perambulations round their fires, and go from village to village carrying their torches before them, and this is certainly the remains of the Druid superst.i.tion, for 'faces praeferre,' to carry lighted torches, was reckoned a kind of Gentilism, and as such particularly prohibited by the Gallick Councils. They were in the eye of the law '_accensores facularum_,' and thought to sacrifice to the devil, and to deserve capital punishment."

Brand mentions a few additional particulars which we here transcribe.

"Torreblanca, in his 'Demonology,' has a pa.s.sage in which he tells us how the ancients were accustomed to pa.s.s their children of both s.e.xes through the fire for the sake of securing them a prosperous and fortunate lot, and he adds that the Germans imitated this profane usage in their Midsummer pyres in honour of the anniversary of St. John's Day.

"Moresin appears to have been of opinion that the custom of leaping over these fires is a vestige of the ordeal, where to be able to pa.s.s through fires with safety was held to be an indication of innocence. To strengthen the probability of this conjecture, we may observe that not only the young and vigorous, but even those of grave characters used to leap over them, and there was an interdiction of ecclesiastical authority to deter clergymen from this superst.i.tious instance of agility. A note at the foot of the page says that Mr. Brand saw in the possession of Douce, a French print, ent.i.tled 'L'este le Feu de la St. Jean,' from the hand of Mariette.

In the centre was the fire made of wood piled up very regularly, and having a tree stuck up in the midst of it. Young men and women were represented dancing round it hand in hand. Herbs were stuck in their hats and caps, and garlands of the same surrounded their waists or were slung across their shoulders.

"In the 'Traite des Superst.i.tions,' we read 'Whoever desires to know the colour of his future wife's hair, has only to walk three times round the fire of St. John, and when the fire is half extinguished he must take a brand, let it go out, and then put it under his pillow, and the next morning he will find encircling it threads of hair of the desired colour.'

But this must be done with the eyes shut. We are further told, where there is a widow or a marriageable girl in a house, it is necessary to be very careful not to remove the brands, as this drives away lovers.

"The third Council of Constantinople, A.D. 680, in its sixty-fifth canon, enacted the following interdiction:--'Those Bonefires that are kindled by certaine people on New Moones before their shops and houses, over which also they do foolishly leape, by a certaine ancient custome, we command them from henceforth to cease. Whoever, therefore, shall doe any such thing; if he be a clergyman, let him be deposed; if a layman, let him be excommunicated. For, in the Fourth Book of the Kings it is written: And Mana.s.seh built an altar to all the host of heaven, in the two courts of the Lord's house, and made his children to pa.s.se through the Fire, &c.'

Prynne observes upon this: 'Bonefires, therefore, had their originall from this idolatrous custome, as this Generall Councell hath defined; therefore all Christians should avoid them.' And the Synodus Francica under Pope Zachary, A.D. 742, inhibits 'those sacrilegious Fires which they call _Nedfri_ (or Bonefires), and all other observations of the Pagans whatsoever.'"

CHAPTER VII.

_Paradise Lost and Moloch--The G.o.d of the Ammonites--The slaughter of Children by Fire, notices in the Scriptures--Fire Ceremonies and Moloch--Sacred Fires of the Phnicians--The Carthaginians--Custom of the Oziese--Sardinian Customs and Moloch--The Cuthites--Persian Fire Wors.h.i.+p--The House-Fires of Greece and Rome--Sacred Books of the East--Laws of Manu--The Rig Veda and Hymns to Agni, the G.o.d of Fire-- Vesta, wors.h.i.+p of--The Magi--Zoroaster._

In Milton's "Paradise Lost" we read:--

"First, Moloch, horrid king, besmeared with blood Of human sacrifice, and parents' tears; Though for the noise of drums and timbrels loud, Their children's cries unheard, that pa.s.sed through fire, To his grim idol. Him the Ammonite Wors.h.i.+pped in Rabba and her watery plain, In Argob and in Basan, to the stream Of utmost Arnon: nor content with such Audacious neighbourhood, the wisest heart Of Solomon he led by fraud to build His temple right against the temple of G.o.d, On that opprobrious hill, and made his grove The pleasant valley of Hinnom, Tophet thence And black Gehenna called, the type of h.e.l.l."

"Moloch was the G.o.d of the Ammonites. In the wors.h.i.+p and sacrifices in his honour they burnt their sons and daughters, with the accustomed forms and ceremonies." In Leviticus xviii. 21 we find a prohibition of pa.s.sing the children through the fire and in chapter xx. the punishment of death by stoning is awarded to any who gave their seed to Moloch.

"However," says Selden, "many of the Hebrews write that the children were neither burnt nor slain, but that two funeral pyres were constructed by the priests of Moloch, and that they led the children only between the pyres, as if in this way to purify them. Moses Ben Maimon says that in those days the servitors of the fires made men believe that their sons and daughters would die unless they were thus led, and on this account and the love of their children they hastened to do that which was so easy, and there was no other way of saving the children from the fire. There are some who say that the father in due form delivered the child to the priests to be given back, and that he led it through, carrying it on his shoulders. It is nevertheless true that the children were not only led between the fires, but were also burnt in the sacrifices of the idols. See Psalm cvi. 37 and 38, and read, "Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils, and shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan, and the land was polluted with the blood."

Philastrius says "that they placed an altar in the valley of the children of Hinnom, and so called after the name of a certain Tophet, and in that place the Jews sacrificed their sons and daughters to demons." There are other places which sufficiently indicate immolation of children in those regions of Syria where Moloch was adored. Thus, see Wisdom of Solomon, xii. 5, "And also those merciless murders of children and devourers of men's flesh, the feasts of blood;" and xiv. 23, "For whilst they slew their children in sacrifices"; and Jeremiah vii. 31, says "And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire." See also nineteenth chapter, verse 5; Ezekiel xvi. 20, 21, and xxiii. 37 and 39.

From this affair perhaps arose the delusion of the Greeks and Hebrews that, by another ancient rite, they who took an oath were accustomed to pa.s.s through fire, as if by escaping from injury their words would be proved true. The learned Paul f.a.gius, in speaking of him, says, "The statue of Moloch was such that it had seven hollow chambers. One was open for meal offerings, another for turtle doves, the third for sheep, the fourth for the ram, the fifth for the calf, the sixth for the bull, and a seventh was open for him who wished to offer his child." The face of the idol was the same as that of the calf, and the hands were evidently disposed and arranged conveniently to receive from the bystanders all that was offered. While the child was burning in the blazing fire, they danced about and beat drums to drown the horrible cries and lamentations. There is a question whether the author of these seven hollow chambers did not learn it from the sacred rites of the Persian Mithra, for he also had seven sacred doors, which referred to the number of the planets, and men, women and children were likewise sacrificed to him.