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On The Antiquity Of The Observances Of St. John's Eve.
the approach of dawn . Initiations took place into the mysteries—sacred h ymns were chanted and sacrifices offered — the whole population crowded around the sacred fires , ancl the period was welcomed with tumultuous rejoicings . This eve was generally considered to possess some potent energy or mysterious power , as though nature was at this period annually renovatedancl the time was regarded as peculiarlfavourable to the
-, y opera tions of the soothsayer and the diviner , ancl for the development of the secret influence of talismans ancl mystic charms . Now , it has been proved to demonstration by a variety of circumstances frequentl y discussed , that the Druids were Magians , and that the solar fire was worshipped in this country in the same manner as in India ancl Persia . If . therefore , no traces of such usaa-es as have been
described existed at tbe present time , we should yet , reasoning from analogy , conclude that rites similar in character were practised at the same period in Britain and Ireland . But when we consider that traces of such usages do actually exist , the probability is converted into a certainty . Indeed , there are various names of places in Ireland which sufficiently indicate the purposes to which they were originally applied , ancl clearly shew the reference which they bore to the ancient worship of the solar fire . Thus we have Agh-a-doe , which signifies " the field of fire "—Tegh-a-doe , "the fire-house "—Ard-doe , "the height of fire " —Kenncgh , "the chief fire "—Lu sic , " a fire ''—Fertagh no Guar a ,
' the sepulchral fire-tower of the Cabiri , Ghebirs , or Gaurs , " i . e . " fire worshippers , " and many other names of a similar description , which might be readily enumerated . _ Independently , however , of the evidence afforded by names , I have visited these places , and find that all possess vestiges of religious structures of great antiquity , clearly proving that the fire alluded to coulcl be no other than the sacred flame of the ancient fire-worshippers . Thus , at Aghadoe are the remains of an ancient round towerand also of an
, abbey . The spot is still considered sacred , and , though the abbey is completel y dismantled and has long been disused as a place of worship , it is the only burial-place for miles around , ancl is , in " fact , invested with a degree of superstitious sanctity which its situation ancl present appearance can in nowise account for . Teghadoe is the name of a round tower in the county Kildare . Arddoe is a name given to the hei ghts in the immediate vicinity of the round tower of Ardmore . Kinneagh or Kennegh , is a
round tower in Cork . At Lush there is an ancient abbey and church standing in close proximity to the old round tower ; and at Fertagh there is a round tower , with other interesting remains . Amongst the ancient Irish , the fire-worshippers were divided into two sects—one , which lighted the sacred fire in the open temple , as at Gallti-mor , ( the flame of the great circle ) , ancl Gall-baille , ( the flame of the community ); and the other , which enclosed it in the Sun tower , { Turaghan ) , or in low over-arched buildings , such as the Boens and cells at Gall-emus * There are , in fact , numerous analogies both in language , religion ,
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
On The Antiquity Of The Observances Of St. John's Eve.
the approach of dawn . Initiations took place into the mysteries—sacred h ymns were chanted and sacrifices offered — the whole population crowded around the sacred fires , ancl the period was welcomed with tumultuous rejoicings . This eve was generally considered to possess some potent energy or mysterious power , as though nature was at this period annually renovatedancl the time was regarded as peculiarlfavourable to the
-, y opera tions of the soothsayer and the diviner , ancl for the development of the secret influence of talismans ancl mystic charms . Now , it has been proved to demonstration by a variety of circumstances frequentl y discussed , that the Druids were Magians , and that the solar fire was worshipped in this country in the same manner as in India ancl Persia . If . therefore , no traces of such usaa-es as have been
described existed at tbe present time , we should yet , reasoning from analogy , conclude that rites similar in character were practised at the same period in Britain and Ireland . But when we consider that traces of such usages do actually exist , the probability is converted into a certainty . Indeed , there are various names of places in Ireland which sufficiently indicate the purposes to which they were originally applied , ancl clearly shew the reference which they bore to the ancient worship of the solar fire . Thus we have Agh-a-doe , which signifies " the field of fire "—Tegh-a-doe , "the fire-house "—Ard-doe , "the height of fire " —Kenncgh , "the chief fire "—Lu sic , " a fire ''—Fertagh no Guar a ,
' the sepulchral fire-tower of the Cabiri , Ghebirs , or Gaurs , " i . e . " fire worshippers , " and many other names of a similar description , which might be readily enumerated . _ Independently , however , of the evidence afforded by names , I have visited these places , and find that all possess vestiges of religious structures of great antiquity , clearly proving that the fire alluded to coulcl be no other than the sacred flame of the ancient fire-worshippers . Thus , at Aghadoe are the remains of an ancient round towerand also of an
, abbey . The spot is still considered sacred , and , though the abbey is completel y dismantled and has long been disused as a place of worship , it is the only burial-place for miles around , ancl is , in " fact , invested with a degree of superstitious sanctity which its situation ancl present appearance can in nowise account for . Teghadoe is the name of a round tower in the county Kildare . Arddoe is a name given to the hei ghts in the immediate vicinity of the round tower of Ardmore . Kinneagh or Kennegh , is a
round tower in Cork . At Lush there is an ancient abbey and church standing in close proximity to the old round tower ; and at Fertagh there is a round tower , with other interesting remains . Amongst the ancient Irish , the fire-worshippers were divided into two sects—one , which lighted the sacred fire in the open temple , as at Gallti-mor , ( the flame of the great circle ) , ancl Gall-baille , ( the flame of the community ); and the other , which enclosed it in the Sun tower , { Turaghan ) , or in low over-arched buildings , such as the Boens and cells at Gall-emus * There are , in fact , numerous analogies both in language , religion ,