A New System; or, an Analysis of Antient Mythology. Volume 1 (of 6)Bryant, Jacob
Religion
A New System; or, an Analysis of Antient Mythology. Volume 1 (of 6)
Bryant, Jacob
History, Ancient; Mythology
There was a temple in Attica called
Cuamites; and a personage denominated from it. The history of the place,
and the rites, in time grew obsolete; and Pausanias supposes that the name
was given from Κυαμος, Cuamos, a bean. [402]Σαφες δε ουδεν εχω λεγειν, ειτε
πρωτος Κυαμους εσπειρεν ὁυτος. _I have not authority for the supposition,
but it seems probable that this temple was erected to the memory of some
person who first sowed beans_. And here it is proper to take notice of a
circumstance of which I must continually put the reader in mind, as it is
of great consequence towards decyphering the mythology of antient times.
The Grecians often mistook the place of worship for the Deity worshipped:
so that the names of many Gods are, in reality, the names of temples where
they were adored. Artemis was Ar-Temis, the city of Themis, or Thamis; the
Thamuz of Sidon and Egypt. This the Greeks expressed Αρτεμις; and made it
the name of a Goddess. Kir-On was the city and temple of the Sun, in Cyprus
and other places. They changed this to Kironus, which they contracted
Cronus; and out of it made a particular God. From Cha-Opis they formed a
king Cheops; from Cayster, the same as Ca Aster, they fancied a hero,
Caystrius; from Cu-Bela, Cybele; from Cu-Baba, Cybebe. Cerberus, the dog of
hell, was denominated from Kir-Abor; as I shall hereafter [403]shew.
I have mentioned Caucon, or Caucone, in Egypt: there was a place of the
same name in Greece. It was, originally, sacred to the Sun; and the priests
and inhabitants were called Cancones. Instead of Con, which signifies the
great Lord, the Greeks substituted a hero [404]Caucon, who was supposed to
have first introduced those Orgies practised by the Messenians. It was,
properly, a temple of the Sun; and there was another of the same name in
Bithynia, and from thence the country was called Cauconia. I shall
hereafter treat at large of Cuthite colonies, which went abroad and settled
in different parts. One of the first operations when they came on shore was
to build temples, and to found cities, in memory of their principal
ancestors, who, in process of time, were worshipped as Deities. A colony of
this people settled at Colchis, which they called Cutaia[405], from the
head of their family, styled both Chus and Cuth. We may infer, that they
built a temple which was called Ca-Cuta; and from which the region was also
denominated: for it is certain that it has that name at this [406]day.
Cocutus, which we render Cocytus, was undoubtedly a temple in Egypt. It
gave name to a stream, on which it stood; and which was also called the
Charonian branch of the Nile, and the river Acheron. It was a foul canal,
near the place of Sepulture, opposite to Memphis, and not far from Cochone.
Cocutus was the temple of Cutus, or Cuth; for he was so called by many of
his posterity. A temple of the same was to be found in Epirus, upon a river
Cocutus. Here was also a river Acheron, and a lake Acherusia: for a colony
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