Abury, A Temple of the British Druids, With Some Others, DescribedStukeley, William
History
Abury, A Temple of the British Druids, With Some Others, Described
Stukeley, William
Avebury (England) -- Antiquities; Druids and Druidism
I suspect _Geneva_ and _Geneffa_ have their names from such temples.
As _Gnaphalus_ a bird mention’d by _Aristotle_. _Simias_ the _Rhodian_
celebrates our _Cneph_, in his poem compos’d in the form of wings: as
the author of motion and creation: hence the word _Nebula_, νεφέλη and
perhaps _Nebulo_.
In the year 1725, the next year after I found out this _Humber_ temple,
and the last year of my travels, I found another of these alate
temples, on _Navestock-common_ in _Essex_, which seems to be of a later
date than the other, and when perhaps the original doctrine concerning
these theological speculations was somewhat forgotten; Because this
temple is situate on a dry common, not near water; but the figure is
the very same.
What is exceedingly remarkable as to this noble antiquity on
_Navestock-common_, is, that the name should remain to this time, and
which confirms all that we said before concerning them, as to their
name and meaning: for _Navestock_ must have been so call’d from some
old and remarkable tree, probably an oak, upon or by the CNEPH, or
winged temple; _Navestock_. Our _English_ word _Knave_, which had no
ill meaning at first, signifies the same thing, _alatus_, _impiger_;
the latin word _Gnavus_ the very same: and _Knap_ a _Teutonick_ word
the like: all from the hebrew original.
I doubt not, but there are more such temples in the _Britannick_ isles,
called _Knaves-castles_ or the like. One I remember to have seen, on a
great heathy common, by the _Roman Watling-street_ in _Staffordshire_.
And Mr. _Toland_ takes notice of a winged temple of our Druids in the
_Hebrid_ or _Hyperborean_ islands, _Shetland_. _Abaris_ a Druid of this
country, fir’d with a desire of knowledge, travell’d into _Greece_
where philosophy flourish’d; after that to _Pythagoras_ in _Italy_,
and became his favourite disciple. _Pythagoras_ imparted to him his
best notions in philosophy, which perhaps, in the enigmatick way of
those times, they call the shewing to him his golden thigh. _Abaris_
on the other hand, presented to _Pythagoras_ _Apollo_’s arrow, which he
brought out of his own country, where it had been deposited in a winged
temple. They tell you further, that _Abaris_ rode on this arrow in the
air to _Greece_. This undoubtedly would proceed from the notion they
entertain’d of the Druids practising magick.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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