«Ki
*—
HHH
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT LOS ANGELES
Northern Antiquities.
VOLUME I.
pefcription of the Manners, &c. of the Ancient DANES.
Northern Antiquities:
OR,
A DESCRIPTION
OF THE
Manners, Cuftoms, Religion and Laws o F T H E
ANCIENT DANES,
And other Northern Nations;
Including thofe of
Our own SAXON ANCESTORS.
WITH
A Translation of the ED DA, or Syftem of RUNIC MYTHOLOGY,
AND
OTHER PIECES,
From the Ancient I SL AN DIG Tongue. In T W O V Q L U M E S.
TRANS I. ATED
From Monf. M AL L E T'S IntroduRion a /' Hijloire fie Dannemarc, &c.
With Additional NOTES
By the Englifh Tranflator,
AND
Goranibu's Latin Verfion of the EDO A. VOLUME I.
LONDON:
Printed for T. CARNAN and Co. at No. 65. in St. Paul's Church-yard. M DCC LXX.
•••
TO HIS GRACE
THE
DUKE
O F
NORTHUMBERLAND.
My LORD,
TH E following work is infcribed to your Grace with the moft genuine refpect, and, I flatter myfelf, not without propriety, fmce it may poffibly afford amufement to one of the moft polifhed No- blemen of the prefent age, to obfcrve from what rude and fimple beginnings our higheft improvements have been derived; and to trace, to their fource, thofe pecu- liarities of character, manners and govern- ment, which fo remarkably diftinguim the Teutonic nations.
Among the hiftorical digrefiions which our Author has fcattered through his work,- is a full relation of the firft Settlement of the NORMANS in France. This cannot
VOL. I. A 2 (2) but
DEDICATION.
but be intereiling to your Grace, as the great Family, which you fo nobly repre- fent, derived their origin from one of the N< V<' ^rn Chiefs, who aflifted in that con- quell, i icm the place of their refidence in Lower Normandy *, they took the name ot : ; a name, which was afterwards
eminent!}' o-lcbrated in our Englifh annals, and which you have revived with additional luftre.
Among the many mining and amiable qualities which diftinguifh your Grace and theDutchefs of Northumberland, none have ppeared to me more truly admirable than ; • :at high refpecl; and reverence, which you both of you mow for the heroic Race whofe pofleffions you inherit.
Superior to the mean and felfifh jealoufy of thofe, who, confcious of their own want of dignity or worth, confign to oblivion the illuftrious dead, and wim to blot out all remembrance of them from the earth; you, my Lord, have, with a more than filial piety, been employed for many years in reftoring and reviving every memorial of the PERCY name.
Defcended, yourfelf, from a moft ancient and refpectable Family; and not afraid to be compared with your noble predecef- fors the Earls of NORTHUMBERLAND, you
* Near VILLEDIET, in the diftrift of ST. Lo.
have
DEDICATION.
have repaired their monuments, rebuilt their caftles, and replaced their trophies : and whatever appears to be any way connected with them, is fure to attracT: your attention and regard.
With this generofity of mind, added to your tafte, munificence, and love of the arts, can we wonder that your name is the delight and ornament of the EngFifh nation ? or that it is equally dear to a fifter country, where your upright and difmterefted plan of government, your politenefs and magni- ficence eftablimed your dominion over every heart ; and where the engaging and exalted virtues of the Putchefs have left an impref- fion never to be effaced,
That you may both of you long enjoy thofe diftinguimed honours and that princely fortune, which you fo highly adorn : That they may be tranfmitted down, in your own pofterity, to the lateft ages, is the fincere and fervent wifh of My Lord,
Your Grace's
Moft humble, and
MDCCLXX. Moft devoted fervant,
THE EDITOR,
i
VOL. I. A a (3)
•
CONTENTS
O F
VOLUME I.
TRANSLATOR'S PREFACE.
Proofs that the Teutonic and Celtic Nations •were ab origine tivo diftinfl People.
THE AUTHOR'S PREFACE.
General Account oj the Work-, its Connexion 'with his propofed Hijlory of Denmark^ &c.
CHAPTER I.
^Denmark defcribed and the federal Countries fubjeft to its crorwn-t viz. Norway, Ice~ land) Greenland. Page I
CHAP. II.
Of the firft Inhabitants of Denmark^ and particularly of the Cimbri. p. 20
AS C HA P.
CONTENTS.
G H A P. HI.
Of the Grounds of the Ancient Hijlory of Denmark and of the different opinions con- cerning it. p. 4.1
CHAP. IV.
Of Odin, his Arrival in the north ^ his Con- cjuejls and the Changes •which he made.
P. 58
CHAP. v.
A general idea of the Ancient Religion cf the Northern Nations. p. 74
CHAP. VI.
Of the Religion 'which prevailed in fLe North, and particularly in Scandinavia after the death of Odin. p. 84
CHAP. VII.
Of the Exterior Worfhip and Religious Cere- monies cf the Northern Nations, p. IV24
CHAP. VIII.
Of the form of Government which formerly prevailed in the North, p. 156
C H
CONTENTS.
CHAP. IX.
The pajfion of the antient Scandinavians for Arms : their Valour : the manner in 'which they made War. A DigreJJion concerning the Jlate of Population among them.
P- '93
CHAP. X.
Of the Maritime Expeditions of the ancient Danes. p. 245
CHAP. XL
Sequel of the Maritime Expeditions of the ancient Danes and Norwegians. The dif- covery of Iceland and Greenland, and of an unknown country called Vinland {thought to be part of North America.]
p. 268
CHAP. XII.
Of the Cuftoms and Manners of the ancient Northern Nations. p. 306
CHAP. XIII.
Sequel of the Cuftoms, Arts, and Sciences of the ancient Scandinavians. p. 347
Conclujion. p. 405
A 4 An
An Account of the AUTHOR, extracted from
La France Liter aire, 2 Tom. 1769, izmo,
[Tom. I. pag. 326.]
PAUL HENRY MALIET
is a native of Geneva: He was fometims Royal Profeffor of Belles Lettres at Copen- hagen, and one of the Preceptors of the Prince of Denmark, now King Chriftian VII. He is a member of the Academies at Upfal and Lyons; and a correfpondent of the Academy of Infcriptions and Belles- Lettres in France. His works arc,
iTiftoire de Dannemarck, &c. (i. e. The Hiftory of Denmark) 1755. 3 -vol. 4/0. or 1763. 6 vol. izmo.
Forme du Gouvernement de Swede, (i. e» The Form of Government of Sweden.) 1756-
Abrege de IHljloire dc Dannemarck. (i: e. An Abridgment of the Hiftory of Den- mark.): 1760.
Hljloire de He/e. (i. e. The Hiftorv of Hefle.) 1766. Qvo.
THE
(i)
THE
TRANSLATOR'S PREFACE.
THE Author of the following Work had a fbar~ in the education of that amiable Pnn e CHRIS- TIAN VII. King of Denmark, who late!\ honoured this nation with a vifit. During his refidence in irni North, our Author Monf. MALI.ET , 'who has all the talents of a fine writer) was engaged by the hte King FREDERICK V. to wrice a Hiftory of Denraa--;. ;u tue French Language. By way of introduction 10 that Hiftory, he drew upthefe two prefatory Volumes, the merit of which has long been acknowledged in moft parts of Europe.
Though intended only as a Preliminary Piece, it has all the merit of a complete independent woik ; and, except to the natives of Denmark, i.s much more interefting and entertaining than the Hiftory it. elf, which it was intended to precede. It very earh en- gaged the attention of the prefent Tranfiator : whofs reading having run fomewhat in the fame track with that of the Author, made him fond of the lubjici, ml
VOL. I. A 5 tempted
tempted him to give in an Englifii drefs a work in which it was difplayed with ib much advantage. As he happened alfo to have many of the original books from which the French Author had taken his mate- rials, he flattered himfelf they would fupply fome J3- luflrations, which might give an additional value to the Verfion.
For this reafon, as alfo to afford himfelf an agree- able amufement, the Tranflator fome time ago under- took this work ; but a feries of unexpected avocations intervened, and it was thrown afide for feveral years. At length he was prevailed upon to refume it; and as many of his friends were fo obliging as to {hare among them different parts of the Tranflation, he had little more to do but to compare their performances with the original, and to fuperadd fuch REMARKS as oc- curred to him. Thefe are generally diftinguilhed from thofe of the Author by the letter T^*.
fie was the rather invited to undertake this tsfk, as he perceived the Author had been drawn in to adopt an opinion that has been a great fource of miftake and ccnkihon to many learned wri-ers of the ancient hif- tory of Europe j viz. that of ftippoftng the ancient Gauls and Germans, the Britons and Saxons, to have been all originally one and the fame people ; thus con- founding the antiquities of the Gothic and Celtic na- tions. This crude opinion, which perhaps was firft taken up by CLUVERIUS f, and maintained by hi:n n <.;uJitior>, has been fince incau-
* When the prffer.t Trarflation was undertaken, only the full e-iiiion had appeared ; ana from that icveraJ of ihe firlt cl
ion »hr Frfr. volume was rot, as here, divided
III. CHAPTERS, but into V. HOOKS. Afterwards the Author . iii; v,', >•:•<, and p'lbliffced a nrw frfitirn, i:i whk-! h- .-.or . '/ ma;:e
rj-ionj
>. tlic Tex' ape Norcs. Ir wns r.ecefiiiry to accommodate the Ver-
.1!, but the Trjr.Ji.itor co»!J not Kt!' retailing in
the mirpin rrany of the ivj ..; .: too valuable
I • :t-r-n-!"ia: Antiqu* Libri Tres, &c. Lugduni A pud Lite*. ifciO. Klij.
( iii )
tioufly adopted by KEYSLER J and PELLOUTIER §, the latter of whom has, with great diligence and fkill, endeavou-ed to confirm it. In fhort, fo much lc .,-n-* ing and ingenuity have fcarcely ever been more per- verfely and erroneoufly applied, or brought to adorri and fupport a more groundlefs hypothecs. This mif- take the 'I ranflator thought might be eafily corrected in the prelent work; and by weeding out this one error, he hoped he fhould obtain the Author's pardon, and acquire fome merit with the Englifh Reader ]|.
And that it i> M* c-rr-ir he thinks will appear from the attentive confideration of a few particulars, which can here be oniy mentioned in brief: For to give the fubjc.fr. a thorough difcuffion, and to handle it in its full extent, would far exceed the limit.* of this fhort Preface.
The ancient and original inhabitants of Europe, according to Cluverius and Pclloutier, confifted only of two diftinct race of men, viz the CELTS and SAR- MATIANSS and that from one or other of thefe, but chiefly from the former, all the ancient nations of Eu- rope are defcended. The Sarmatians or Sauromatas, were the anceftors of all the Sclavonian Tribes, viz. the Poles, Ruffians, Bohemians, Walachians, &c. who continue to this day a diftinct and feparate people, extremely different in their character, manners, laws and language from the other race, which was that of the Celts; from whom (they will have it) were uni- formly defcended the old inhabitants of Gaul, Ger-
J Antiquitates Seleftae Septentrionales et Celtics, &c. Autore Job. Gsorgio KEYSLER, &c. Hannoveias 1720. 8vo.
§ Hiftoire des Celtes, et particulierement des Gaulois et des Gerrnains, ire. par Mr. Simon PELLOUTIEH. Haye '750. 2 Tom. nmo. This learned Writer, who is a protelrant minilter, counfellor of the Confiftory, and librarian to the academy at Berlin, is defcended from a family originally of Lang'iedoc, and was born at Leiplic, 2j October, 1694. O. S. (<v. France literaire, Tom. 1. )
|| Though the words GOTHIC or TEUTONIC are often fubftituted in the Tranflation, inftead of tiie Author's t'avuurite word CELTIOJJEJ yet care has been taken to reprefent the Author's own exprefiion in the piargin. Sometimes where it was not needful to be very precife, the word GOTHIC has only been added to the Author's word CELTIC j but the infertion is carefully diilinguiflied by inverted comma:,
YOJ, . I. A 6 many,
(iv)
many, Scandinavia, Britain and Spain, who were all included by the ancients under the general name of Hyperboreans, Scythians, and Celts, being all origi- nally of one race and nation, and having all the fame common language, religion, laws, cuftoms and man- ners.
This is the pofition which thefe Writers have adopted and maintained, with an uncommon difplay of deep erudition, and a great variety of fpecious argu- ments. But that their pofition, fo far as relates to the Celts, is erroneous, and the arguments that fupport it inconclufivc, will appear, if it can be fhown, That an- cient Germany, Scandinavia, Gaul and Britain were not inhabited by the defendants of one (ingle race ; but on the contrary, divided between two very dif- ferent people j the one of whom we fhall call, with moft of the Roman authors, CELTIC, who were the anceftors of the Gauls, Britons and Irifh ; the other GOTHIC or TEUTONIC, from whom the Germans, Belgians, Saxons and Scandinavians derived their ori- gin ; and that thefe were ab origine two diftinft people, very unlike in their manners, cuftoms, religion and laws.
As to the Arguments by which Cluverius and Pel- Joutier fupport their hypothecs that the Gothic and Celtic nations were the fame, they may all be reduced to Two Heads ; viz. either to QUOTATIONS from the ancient Greek and Roman writers; or to JiTYMOLq- CIES of the names of perfons or places, &c.
With regard to the latter, (viz. ETYMOLOGIES) thefe two writers lay it down that the prefent German or High Dutch is a genuine daughter of the ancient Celtic or Gaulifti language * ; becaufe, frorrTit they can explain the Etymology of innumerable names that were well known to be Gaulifh or Celtic f ; and this being admitted, it muft follow that the Germans
• La Impu jUemotidt eft un nftt dt Tantlennt langvt dtiCel:n. Pellou- »j«r, TO). 1. p. 165, Itc, f Vid. CluT. lib. 1. wp. ri, tii, viii, fee. Fallout, liv. I, chap. xv.
are
( v)
are a branch of the Celts, and confeqaently, that the Celtic and Teutonic nations were the fame. In pro- fecuting this argument it muft be acknowledged, that they have produced many inftances that appear at firft fi^ht very plaufiblr. But whoever confiders how little \ve can depend upon the Etymology of obiolete words, derived from barbarous dead languages, in which there are no books extant, will not build very fecurely on proofs of this fort. No one will aflert that the prefent German bears any refemblance now to the modern Welfli and Jrifh languages ; and yet there are writers in abundance who will undertake to account for the aame of almoft every place, perfon or office in ancient Europe, from one or other of thefe two living tongues, and will produce inftances, full as plaufible and conclu- five, as any adduced by Cluverius or his followers *. After all, there is probably a good deal of truth on both fides ; I can readily believe that all the names of places and perfons in ancient Germany, or fuch other countries as any of the Gothic or Teutonic nations at any time penetrated into, will be reducible to the lan- guage now fpoken by their defendants : And that in like manner, from the Irifh and Welfti language?, .which may be allowed to be genuine daughters of the ancient Gallic or Celtic tongue f» it will be eaf'y to ex- plain fuch names as were impofed by any of the ancient Celtic or Gallic tribes. Indeed in the very remote ages, prior to hiftory, one cannot pretend to fay what were the diftinct bounds or limits of each people. They were like all other barbarous nations, roving and unfettled j and often varied their fituation j being
* See that excellent antiqua'y Lluyd, in Archaeologia Britannica, i-e. not to mention many late writers of a different Stamp, viz. JONES, PARSONS, &c. &c.
•J- That the prefent Welfli language is the genuine daughter of the ancient Briufh fpoken in the time of the Romans, cannot be difputed j becaufe we have now extant MSS. writ in every age from the Roman times down to the prefent, which plainly prove the defcfnt, and are not unintelligible to the prefent inhabitants of Wales. (See Evans's fpeci- fnens of Weirti poetry, 410.) Now that the ancient Bririfli differed i; tie from the G^ulifh, we are allured by Tacitus, Strmo laud multum di-vtr. jut. TackC A grit, c, ii.
fometimes
( vi )
Sometimes fpread over a country ; at other times driven out by fome ftronger tribe of barbarians, or forfaking it themfelves in fearch of new fettlements. Csefar in- forms us, that fome of the Gallic tribes forced their way into Germany, and there efrablifhed themfelves*. It is equally probable, that before his time, bands of Germans might at different periods penetrate into Gaul -|- ; where, although their numbers might be too fmall to preferve them a diitincl nation, yet thefe emi- grants might import many names of perfons and places that would outlive the remembrance of their founders. This will fufficiently account for the difperfion ot" words derived from both languages, and inform us why Celtic derivations may be found in Germany and German names difcovered in Gaul. So much for arguments derived from Etymology ; which are fa very uncertain 2nd precarious, that they can only amount to preemptions at beft, and can never be op- pofed to foliclpofitive proofs.
"With regard to the other fource of Arguments, by which thefe learned writers fupport their opinion of the identity of the Gaub and Germans, viz. QUOTA- TIONS from the ancient Greek and Roman authors ; thefe they have produced in great abundance. But even if it {hould be granted that the Greeks and Ro- mans applied fon.ctimes the names of Celtic, Scythian or Hyperborean indifcriminately to the ancient inhabi- tants of Germany and Gau!, of Britain and Scandi- navia, the inference will {till be doubted by thofe that confider how little known all thefe nations were to the early writers of Greece and Rome ; who, giving them all the general name of Barbarians, inquired little far- ther about them, and took very little pains to be
* Full anna ttmpus cum Cermanos Gall'i inrtute fuperartnt et ultra belle, isfdient, ac . . . . dans Ki'crum culonlai mitterent, Z?c. Vid. plura apud Ca-f. de Bell. Gall. III,, vi.
•f This Cat-far exprelly tells us of the Belgae, who were fettled to the riotth or the S*ine and the Marne. Pltrofque Kelgai effi ortos a Germania ; Rh, r.itmqut antiquitui tranfJufios, profiler loci ftrtilitattm ibi (onfedijje ; gut ca loca in;ollercrt, txfultjje. De Bell. Gall. lib. ii.
accurately
( vii )
accurately informed about their peculiar differences and diftin&ions. Even a long time after thefe rude nations had begun to prefs upon the empire, and had made the Romans dread their valour, ftill their writers con- tinued to have fo conrufed and indiftinct a knowledge of their different dcfcent and character, as to confound both the Celts and Goths with the Sarmatians, whom all writers allow to have been a diflindl nation from them both* : XhusZofimus, an hiftorian of the third century, includes them all under the common name of Scythians -f ; and this, at a time when, after their long and frequent intercourfe with the Romans, their hiftorians ought to have been taught to diftinguifh them better.
However, the Greek and Roman authors were not all equally indiftin<5l and confufed on this fub- jecl:. It will be (hewn below, that fome of their beft r.nd moft difcerning writers, when they had an oppor- tunity of being well informed, knew how to diftin- guifli them accurately enough : So that both Cluverius and Pejloutier have found themfelves much puzzled how to reconcile fuch ftubborn paflages with .their own favourite hypothefes, and have been entangled in great difficulties in endeavouring to get over the objections thefe occafion. Even with regard to the more early hiftorians, they appear to have been fometimes more precife and accurate in their defcriptions. There is a remarkable paflage of this kind in Strabo J ; in which lie informs us that, although the old Greek authors gave all the northern nations the common name of Scy- thians or Celtofcythians, yet that writers STILL MORE ANCIENT §, divided all " the nations who lived be- " yond the Euxine, the Danube and the Adriatic Sea, '* into the HYPERBOREANS, the SAURCMATJE, and
* See Pelloutier, vol. I. liv. i. c!i. ii. paflim.
•$ See Pelloutkr, vol. I. p. 17.
j Stiabo, lib. xi. Awav'a; pn Jn tcve n-crS^-o^ M'<»«; :« Tr^atit rxv EXXnv&v eruyy{o^E»f, Jxtfln xa( KiXr^KySai ixxXot/v. &c. Vid. Cluv. Jib. i. p. 42. Pellout. vol.1, p. 2.
't C, ^. ET1 nPDTJPON JttXovlf?, £c.
' i " ARI-
** ARIMASPIANS ; as they did thofc beyond the Caj*- " pian Sea into the SACX. and MESSAGETJE." Thefe SACJE and MESS AGE TJE. might pofiibly be the ancef- tors of the Saxons and Goths, (as thefe laft are fully proved to have been the Getae of the ancients *) who, in the time of thofe very remote Greek writers, pofli- bly had not penetrated fo far weftward as they did afterwards : As it is well known that the GERMANII are mentioned by Herodotus f as a Perfian people. Now the moft authentic hiftorians and poets of the Gothic or Teutonic nations all agree that their ancef- tors came at different emigrations from the more eaftern countries J. But with regard to the three other na- tions, the HYPERBOREANS, theSAUROMAT^and the ARIMASPIANS ; if we agree with Pelloutier §, that under the two former the Celts and Sarmatians arc plainly defigned ; when he contends || that the Arimaf- pians are a meer fabulous people, which never exifted, who does not fee that he is blinded by hypothecs ? Why may not the ancient Finns or Laplanders have been intended by this term, which he himfelf inter- prets from Herodotus to fignify ONE-EYED, and fup- pofes it defer iptive of fome nation that excelled in archery, as alluding to their practice of winking with
* See Pelloutier, liv. i. ch. viii. vol I. p. 46, 47. &c. notes.
f Heiod. in Clio. A>A»i ti irf»j-ai r-n ««£.-, n«-<6>)Xcti«:, Arjjiwriaiej, FrPMAM I. Edit. R. Steph. 1570. pag. 34.
1 All the old northern Scalds and hiftorians agree that their anceftors came thither from the Ea!t, but then fome of them, to do the greater honour lo their country, and to its antiquities, pretend that they firft made an emigration into the Eaft from Scandinavia. See Sheringham De dngli>- rum Ct-.r/ii origine. Canabr\gs<t 1670. %-vo, parTim. It is the great fault of SHERINGHAM not to know how to diftinguifh what is true and credible from what is improbable and fabulous in the old Northern Chre- n.clt-s : Becaufe fome parts are true, he receives all for authentic ; as • late ingenious writer, becaoie fome parts are fabulous, is for rejecting all asfalfe. (See CLARKE, in his learned Treatife on the Connexion between the Roman, Saxon and Englifh Coins, &c. Lond. 17*7. 410.) By the fame rule we might reject the whole Grecian hiftory : For that of the North has, like it, its FABULOUS, its DOUBTFUL, and more ci«- TAJN PIRJODSJ which acute and judiciouj criticks will eafily diftin- grnft.
§ Liv. i. chap. i. J Vol. I. p. 9, 10.
one
(ix)
one eye in order to take aim *. Tacitus exprefly af- furcs us that the FENNI were great archers f ; and, as is oblerved in the following book J, it is highly probable that at fome early period of time, both the Finns and Laplanders were poflefTed of much larger and better traces of country than the northern deferts to which they are now confined.
But whether this interpretation be admitted or not, and whatever the more early Greek and Roman wri- ters knew concerning the Celtic and Gothic nations, it is very certain that in latter times, fuch of them as had moft difcernment, and the beft opportunities of being informed, have plainly and clearly delivered that the Germans and Gauls were two diftindr, people, of different origin, manners, laws, religion and lan- guage, and have accurately pointed out the difference between them.
Before we defcend to particulars, it may be pre- mifed, that thefe two races of men were in many things alike, as would necefTarily happen to two fa- vage nations who lived nearly in the fame climate, who were expofed to the fame wants, and were obliged to relieve them by the fame means. The more men approach to a ftate of wild and uncivilized life, the greater refemblance they will have in manners, becaufe favage nature, reduced almoft to meer brutal inftinft, is fimple and uniform ; whereas art and refinement are infinitely various : Thus one of Ihe rude natives of Nova Zembla will bear a ftrong refemblance in his manner of life to a favage of New Holland : They will both live upon fifh and fea fowls, becaufe their defart fhores afford no other food ; they will both be clad in the fkins of feals and other fea animals, becnu'b their country affords no other cloathing ; and they
« Pelloutier, ibid. Avf**rvw; i*ovo$9<t> pnt . : * APTMA Xiscri i»i/0ai, 2HOT Js TOV 0<f>8aXju»i'. Herod, p. 129. 145. f Sola infagittit $j>c:. Tac. de Mor. Germ, cap. ult. I Pag- 38, 59.
VOL, I. a
will both live by fifhing in little boats, and be armed; with lances pointed, tor want of metal, either with {harp flints or the bones of fifties : But will it therefore be inferred that the inhabitants of thefe two oppofite poles of the globe were originally one and the fame peo- ple ? The ancient Britons in the time of Csefar painted their bodies, as do the prefent Chcrckees of North America, becaufe it would naturally enough occur to the wild people of every country, that by this practice they might render themfelves terrible to their enemies : Nor will this prove that the Cherokces are defcended from the ancient Britons. When therefore Cluverius and Pelloutier foiemnly inform us That the Germans and Gauls lived both of them in fmall huts or caverns ; That they fubfifted either on venifon flain in hunting, or on the milk and cheefe procured from their flocks : That both people led a wandering roving life, and equally difliked to live in cities, or follow agriculture, and of courfe ate little or no bread : That they both of them drank out of the horns of animals *, and either went naked, or threw a rude {kin over their fhoulders : XVhen they collect a long feries of fuch refemblances as thefe, and bring innumerable quota- tions from ancient authors to prove that all thefe de- fcriptions are equally given of both people, who does not fee that all thefe traits are found in every favage nation upon earth, and that by the fame rule they might prove all the people that ever exifted, to be of one race and nation ?
But notwithstanding thefe .general refemblances, we have fufficient teftimony from fome of the moft difberning ancient authors, that the Germans and Gauls, or in other words, the Celtic and Teutonic nations were fufficiemly difUnguifaed from each other, and differed confiderably in PERSON, MANNERS, .LAWS, RELIGION and LANGUAGE.
* Some of the ancient German tribes drank BEER and AIT, as did the old inhabiting of Gaul. (See Pelloutier, vol. I. lib. 2. ch. ii. p. 216, 117, &c.) This, however, proves thrm not to be the fame pe.-ple, any tr.irs thin our dtinking rea and.coSee, proves us to be de- Mended from the Chicefe and Arabians.
C^SAR,
( xi )
CJESAR, whofe judgment and penetration will be dif- puted by none but a perfon blinded by hypothefis *$ and whofe long refidence in Gaul, guvc liim better means of being informed than almoft any of his country- men ; Csefar exprefly affures us that the Celts or com- mon inhabitants of Gaul " differed in Language, <c Cuftoms and Laws" from the Belgae, on the one hand, who were chiefly a Teutonic people f, and front the inhabitants of Aquitain on the other; who, from, their vicinity to Spain, were probably of Iberian race. Caefar pofitively affirms that the nations of Gaul differed from thofe of Germany in their Manners* and in many other particulars, which he has enume- rated at length | : And this alTertion is not thrown out at random, like the paflagcs brought by Cluverius againft it ; but is coolly and cautioufly made, when he
* Catrar is fo much more precife and pofitive againft the hypothefis efpoufed by Cluverius, Keyflcr, Pelloutier, &c: than the- comrfion Roman authors, who were generally inattentive to the differences of the barbarous nations ; that all the writers above- mentioned fet out with siccufing Caefar of being for ever miftaken ; whereas he and Tacitus were probably the only Romans that were generally exadl.
•f Gailia tjl emnis di-vifa In panes tres i quorum unam !>icolunt Betgtf, aliam Aqultanit terliam qu] i^forum lingua Celt*, n?[ira Galli apellantur. Hi cmnn LINGUA, INST!TUTIS, LEGIBUS inter je differunt. Cafa* de BelloGalJ. lib. i.
Plerefyue Belgai rffi ortot a Gtrmanis, &c. Ib. lib. a, (fee abovc^ page vi.'Kote -\.)
tcftimony is precife and formal ; but Cluverius ar~.il Pelloutier have found a fimilar pafljge in Strabo, in which he fays of the dquitanl, that their language only differed A LITTLE from that of the other Gauls, £:i;u,- MIKPON •jrc^aXXa-rWra? T«I? ylxrai;. (Strabi initio lib. 4.) This I apprehend does not afFcft the difference between the Gauls and the Bel^se : 5. e. the Celts and Goths, which is rniy tl)e or- jecl of my preftnt inquiry. (Vid. Cluv. p. 50. 52. Pellont, vol. I. p. 180.) After all, I much doubt whether the original inhabitants nf Spain were of Celtic race : There is found no refemblance between the old Cantabrian language (till fpoken in Bifcay, and any of th; CH<:c: diajecls, viz. the VVelfh, Armoric, Irifri, &c. (See the Specimens fubjoin- cd to this Preface.) 1 am therefoie inclined to follow the ancient autho- rities collected by Pelloutier, (in vol. I p. 27. note.) which affirm that ' the Iberians weie a different people from the Celts, arid that from an intermixture of the two.nations were prodnced the Celt- beriais. Pellou- tier feems to me to have produced no convincing ptoofs to the contrary, though he has laboured the point much. A: for the *ic:-ji:ar<i their in- tercourfe with the other Gauls may hare brought their lanjuige to a much nearer referr.blance when StraL-o wrcte^ ihan it bad v.'hen Cafar refided in Gaul.
J De Beilo GalHco, lib, 6. Vide locum.
a 2 It
is going to draw the characters of both nations at length in an exacl and well finifhed portrait, which fhowi him to have fludied the genius and manners of both people with great attention, and to have been eompleatly matter of his iubje£t *.
It is true, the Gauls and Germans refembled each other in Complexion, and perhaps in fomc other re- fpects, as might be expected from their living under the fame climate, and nearly in the fame manner ; yet that they differed fufficiently in their PERSONS, ap- pears from Tacitus, who fays that the inhabitants of Calidonia refembled the Germans in Features, whereas the Silures were rather like the Spaniards, as the inha- bitants of South-Britain bore a great refemblance to the Gauls f : This plainly proves that the Spaniards, Germans and Gauls were univerfally known to differ in their Perfons.
They differed alfo in MANNERS and CUSTOMS. To inftance only in one point, among the Germans, the wife did not give a dowry to her huiband, but the hufband to the wife, as Tacitus exprefly aflures us J : Whereas we learn from Caefar, that among the Gauls, the hufband received a portion in money with his wife, for which he made her a fuitable fettlement of his goods, &c. §.
They differed no lefs in their INSTITUTIONS and LAWS. The Celtic nations do not appear to have had that equal plan of liberty, which was the peculiar
* S?c the pafiage in Caefajy lib. 6* at large, it was too long to b» inrerted he^e.
f IL-Mui ecrforum i-arij : . . . Rutll<e CaJiJor.iam babitantlum ccm*t mjgti aiKt Germanic'" or:?inem aj/everant. Silurvm cikrati -vultus, et t'.rti plcrujr.tj-Ji crirtt & pojitu contra Hifpanlam, Hxros iieter*t trajeci/t tefaue ftdet cccupajj',: fidem fifiunt. Proximt (rallii et fimllet funt, &c. Tacit, in Vit. Agricol*, c. n.
J Dctim tun Vxor Marito, fed Ux«ri ATaritut offert. De Mor. Germ, c. 18.
§ riri <j'jar.:at prtum'-as at Uxtrlbut DoT.i s nomine accffemnt , ta*t«< f* Jun bir.lt, trftir-a.-K.re faff.!, cum iktibus cvr.mumtant. De Bello GalJ. lib. 6.
honour
•honour of ail the Gothic tribes, and which they car- ried with them, and planted wherever they formed lei- tlements : On the contrary, in Gaul, all the freedom and power chiefly centered among the Druids and the chief men, whom Caefar calls Equates, or Knights: But the inferior people were little better than in a ftate of Jlavery *; Whereas every the meaneft German was in- dependent and free f.
But if none of thefe proofs of difference of Perfon, Manners, Inftitutions or Laws could have been produc- ed, or fliould be explained away, ftill the difference was fo great and effential between the Celtic and Teu- tonic nations, in regard to RELIGION and LANGUAGE, as can never be got over, and plainly evince them to have been two diftinct and different people. Thefe two points are fo ftrong andconclufive, that the whole proof might be left to reft upon them.
In comparing the Religious Eftablifhment and In- ftitutions of the Celtic tribes, with thofe of the Go- thic or Teutonic nations, the moft obfervable difference, and what ftrikes us at firft fight, is that peculiar Hie- rarchy or facred College among the Celts, which had the entire conduct of all their religious and even civil affairs, and ferved them both for magiftrates and priefts, viz. that of the DRUIDS ; which has nothing to refemble it among any of the Gothic or Teutonic nations %. This difference appeared to Caefar foftrik-
* In emu! Gallia eorum bominum, qin allquo funt numero atquc bonore ge- Tura funt duo : ram Plebt fetne Servorum babttur kco. , . . De bit drobus grr.iribut alttrum ift Druidum, alterum Equitumf &c, De Bel. Gal. lib. 6.
f Tacirus de Mor. Germ, pafTim.
j Our Author, Monf. MALLET, thinks that the twelve Pontiffs, called Drcttar, who were afiiftants to Odin in adminiftring juftice, (p.6i.) •were a kind of Druids ; and that their name Drgttes, has fome affinity to the Celtic word DRUID {p. 140.) this however is meer fancy; there appears no more c nneftion between the tun£Hons or offices of thefe two orders of men, than there is between their names : That of DRUID being generally derived from the Greek A;it, or rather from the Celtic Dertvor DM, an OAK, their facred Tree : (Vid. Borlacr, p. 67.) where- at the worJs Dmttar and Drcittt come from the IcclinJic DrOttCIt, Da~ minus. SweJ. Drxitt, Htrtu.
a 3 ing,
ing, that he fets out with this, at his entrance on hfa defcription of the Germans, as a fundamental and primary diftincHon §. I do not here enter into a minute defcription of the nature of the Diuids' eftablifhment, or an enumeration of their privileges, becaufe thefe may be found in Csefar and Pliny among the ancients, and in fo many authors among the moderns || : It will be fufficient to fay that, although the Teutonic nations had Priefts, they bore no more refemblaiue to the
Druids
^ OlS MAKI mnltiim ah k'ic cenfuctudlrte [fe, G Atl.ORt'M] frffirtirt : • sue DRUIDES habttit, yui rebut Diitints prafmt usque (acr'jicih Jiu~ tier', &c. Dr Bell. Gal. lib. 6.
|! Vid.CjESAR. De Bello Gall. Comment, lib. 6. PMKII Nat. Hift. lib. 16. c. 44.
Of the moderns, fee TOLAND'S Specimen of a Kiit. of the Drurds, :.f]. Work?, vol. Ift, 1747. 8vo. STUKF. L Y'S Stonehenge, and Abury. 2 vo'E. 1740, !fc. folio. But efpecially Dr. BORL ACE'S Anti- quities of Cornwall, xd edit. 1769. folio. This learned and ingenious v.-r.:er has left nothing to be clcfntd on the fubjedi of the DRUIDS, and Thrir iriftitufions : He has however been ihawn in by KEYSLER and the other German antiquaries, to adopt their hypothefis, that the Religion of the ancient GerTans was, in fundamentals, the lame with that of the Gauls and Britains, (vid. p. 71.) As nothing that falls from fo excellent 9 writer ought to be difrcgard-d, I fhall confider his arguments with attention. He proves the identity of the German and G«ulilh Reli- p on from the conformity of the Germans and Gauls in the following points: viz. " (i.) The principal Deity of both nations was Mercury ; f« (».) They facrificed human viflims : (3.) They had open temples, *' and (4.) no idols of human ihape. (5.) They had confecrated groves : «' (6 ) WonTiipped oaks : (7.) Were fond of aufpicial rites : and (8.) *' Ccmpvted by nights and not by days."
I ftall confidfr each of thefe proo's in their order: And as for the FIRST, that " both nations worshipped MERCURY :'' This amounts to no mere than this, that the Gauls and Britons worshipped for their fhief Deity, fome Celtic God, which Cxfar finding to refemble in fame, of \.',s attributes the Roman MERCURY, fcruple-d not to call by thac Ro.-T:an name : So again the Germans woifliipped for their fupreme God, a Divinity of their own, whom Tacitus likewife called MERCU- RY, from a fancied refembiance to that Roman Deity, perhaps in other of h's auricles. We know very wtll tb»t the Supreme Deity of all the Teutonic natioris was ODIN or WOPEN, calKd by the ancient Ger- nuns VOTAM and GOTAM, or GODAM, (vid. not. in Tac. Varior. p. foi.) who feems chiefly to have refembled the Roman Mercury, in Laving a particular power over ihe glicfes of the departed : (Vide Bartho- (in. lib. I. c. 7. Odiaut Maniutnfuit Dim-nut : Mercuric cr.mparandus.) r refpecls, how much they differed will appear at firft fight in the f.nriA. Now if the Celtic Mercury refembled the Roman no more than e fee how uiJ(k: chey might be to each other. We are not
(xv)
Druids, than the Pontiffs of the Greeks and Romsns, or of any other Pagan people.
Not
even Cure that thefe two MERCURIES of the Cauls and Germans agreed with the MERCURY of the Romans in the fame points of referrblancc.
But (2.) «• Both nations facritked human victims: (3.) Had open " temples; (5.) Confecrated Groves ; and (7.) were fond of aufpicial " rites." Thefe defcriptions I believe maybe applied to all the Pagan nations in the world, during their early barbsrous ftate. For (2.) all Pagan nations have offered human victims: Have haJ (3.) open tem- ples, before they got covered ones: And, previous to their ereft.ng mag- nificent domes for their religious rites, have ei-her fet up circles cf rude Hones, or retired under the natural Shelter of (5.) folemn groves, which, upon that account, they confecra ted : And (7.) ail Pagan people have dealt in omens, aufpices, and all the other idle fuperftitions of that fort. There is not one of the above circumftances but what is men- tioned in Scripture, as praflifed by the idolatrous nations which furrounded the Jewi/h people, and was equally obferved by iome or other of the inha- bitants of Italy and Greece: Si that the Germans refembled the Gauls with regard to thefe particulars no more than they did the old idolatrous inhabitants of Canaan, Aflyria, Greece and Italy. As for the Teutonic nations, they very foon got covered temples, (lee below; p. 127.) and alfo idols of human Shape, (p. 129.) as had indeed the Celtic nations alfo in the time ofCa?farj for fo Dr. Borlace himfelf (p. 107.) inter- prets that pafTage of his concerning the Gauls, (lib. 6.) Dcummaxlmi Mercur ium alunt : Hyusfuatri.vit.iMA SIMULACRA. If thefe SIMU- LACRA had not been images, but only rude unformed ftones, Caefar would doubtlefs have exprefled himfelf with more referve. When, therefore, Dr. Borlace fays that the Gauls and Germans refembled each other in having, (4.) " No idols of human Shape," he muft cn!y mean in their more early ftate of idolatry ; which I fuppofe may alfo be predi- cated of every fa v age nation, before they have attained any Skill in fculpture.
But he fays, (6.) that both nations " worshipped Oaks." His prcof, however, that the Germans had this fuperflition only, is, that " the " SCLAVONIANS (a people of Germany) worshipped Oaks, inclofed " them with a courr, and fenced them in, to keep off all unhallowed ac- •' eels;" and for this he refers to the note in Tacit. Variorum ad c. 9. where Helmoldus has faid, that the RUSSIANS held their groves and fountains facred, and, that the SCLAVI worshipped OAKS. This proves nothing with regard to the Teutonic nations; but plainly {hows <hat rnar.y of the Diuidic fuperftitions had been caught up and adopted by nations no ways allied to the Celts; and therefore fuggefls an eafy an- fwer to the laft proof that is urged of the refemblance of the Germans and Gauls in their religious rites and opinions ; viz. that,
(8.) Both people " computed by nights, and not by days." This is in reality the only folid argument that has been produced. But to this, the anfwer is very obvious. The Teutonic nations, it is allowed, had this very peculiar arbitrary cuftom, which they probably borrowed from their Celtic neighbours, although of a very different race, and profefiing, in the main, a very different religion : For if the Kclavonian trjbe« whofe fi'.uation lay fo much more remote from the Celts, had adnpted their fuperftitious veneration for the Oak, which feems in no dCgrce to j,ave a * ' infeclcd
Not only in the peculiar nature of their prlefthood, but in their internal doctrines as well as outward rites, they differed.
The Druids taught, and the Celtic nations believed the Metempfichofis, or a Tranfmigration of the foul out of one body into another : This is fo pofitively aflerted of them by Caefar *, who had been long con- verfant among them, and knew them well, that it is not in the power of any of the modern fyftem-makers to argue and explain his words away, as they have at- tempted to do in every other point relating to the Cel- tic antiquities : However, they attempt to qualify it, by aflerting that the Celtic nations believed only that the foul pafled out of one human body into another, and never into that of brutes f: Which diftincYion I fhall not now ftay to examine, but proceed to obferve, that all the Gothic and Teutonic nations held, on the contrary, a fixed Elizium, and a Hell, where the va- liant and the juft were rewarded ; and where the cow- ardly and the wicked fufFered punifhment. The de- fcripiion of thefe forms a great part of the EDDA $.
Jn innumerable other inftances, the inflitutions of the Druids among the Celts, were extremely different
infe&ed the Germans; it \vould have been wonderful indeed, if the lat- ter, who lay contiguous to the Celts, had picked up none of their opi- nions or practices.
* In firirr is bet volant ferfuaJere, Nun interire arlaias, fed ab aliii f>oft mortem traxfrt ad alias. Lib. vi. — Vid. Dioior. Sicul. lib. v. c. 2. & Val. Max. )ih. ii. c. 6. Arr.mian. Marcel. Jib. xv.
f Vid. KETSLER Antiq. Sept. p. 117 BOR LACE, p. 98, 99, tec.
j It muft not be concealed, that Bartholine has produced a pafiage from an ancient Ode in the EDDA of S^EMUND FRODE, which plainly fnews ihr.t tl-.s doctrine of the Tranfmigration was not wholly unknn<- a to the Scandinnvh-.s ; tut Bartholine hirr.felf fpeaks cf it as a fingje inf ancf, and it appears from the pafTnge itfelf, that this opinion was ton- fidcred by tl:e Scardinavians, as an idle old wives fable. Vid. Barthclin. Cant Ccnterr p. a Dar.is Mortis, pag. 208. >v"/f»fld (Hclgonis Uxor) tftiere ei tr.jfl'u-a cx::r.{la tfl. Crtdtlatur ant'iquitut homines iterutn rafct, iHn/i tit re N u N c PRO ANILI tRjiORE tal-tiur, fie.'go tt Sigrurta itf^m rail fuij^t d'.cunturj lt,rsa ille Helgc HatL':nga- SlaJi dlcebatur ; Mia vf» Kara, il~!i~ii:.::: J'^-.j. Jt is probable that in thi* one inllance they only copied the Hofliine ot" the Druids- As the Celtic nations preceded the Teutonic tribes in rr.any of their fettlements, it was probably by the former that thi« <u::.'it error tntiyuirvs credcLatur, which was foon ex- ploded among their Teutonic fuccdTbrs, whole cftabiilhed belief was very ilifferent,
( xvii )
from thofe of the Gothic nations. To mention a few : The former frequently burnt a great quantity of human vi&ims alive, in large wicker images, as an offering to their Gods §. The Gothic nations, though like all other Pagans, they occafionally defiled their altars with human blood, appear never to have had any cuftom like this.
The Druids venerated the Oak and the Mifleltoe, which latter was regarded by them as the moft divine and falutary of plants ||, and gathered with very par- ticular ceremonies. In the Gothic mythology, if any tree feems to have been regarded with more particular attention than others, it is the ASH 1T : And as for the Mifleltoe, it is reprefented in the Edda rather as a contemptible and mifchievous fhrub *.
But what particularly diftinguiflies the Celtic infli- tutions from thofe of the Gothic or Teutonic nations, is that remarkable air of Secrecy and Myftery with which the Druids concealed their doctrines from the laity j forbidding that they (hould ever be committed to writing, and upon that account, not having fo much as an alphabet of their own f. In this, the inftitu- tions of Odin and the Gothic Scalds was the very •reverfe.' No barbarous people were fo addicted to writing, as appears from the innumerable quantity of Runic inscriptions fcattered all over the north ; no barbarous people ever held Letters in higher reverence, afcribing the invention of them to their chief deity J, and attributing to the letters themfelves fupernatural virtues 4- Nor is there the leaft room to believe that "any of their doctrines were locked up or concealed from any part of the community. On the contrary, their Mythology is for ever difplayed in all the Songs of
$ Vid. Csfar de Bell. Gall. lib. vi. Borlace, p. 117.
j| See vol. II. p. 144. &c. «f See the Ed<ia fcjfm.
• See vol. II. p. 159, 140, 143, 145, &c.
•f Nequefat effe txijlimant ta litter'n mandart ; cum in reliju'n fere rebut, publicii frivatlffue ranonikui, GRVECIS LJTIRI.» vta'.f.ir. . . . Ntjut in -vulgui Difciflinam efferri -vt!int. Caefar. Jib. vi. .
J Vid. infra, p. 70. 371, 371. &c.
4. Vid. infra, p. 374, 375. &c.
their
( xviii )
their SCALDS, juft as that of the Greeks and Romans is in the Odes of Pindar and Horace. There never exifted any inftitution in which there appears lefs of referve and myftery than in that of the Gothic and Scandinavian people.
After all, it may poffibly be true that the Gothic nations borrowed fome opinions and practices from the Celts, without being at all defcended from them, or having any pretenfions to be confidered as the fame people. The Celtic tribes were probably the firft that travelled weftward, and it is not impofTible but that feveral of the Druidic obfervances might be caught up and imitated by the other nations that came after them j| . Some reliques of the Druidic fuperflitions, we have feen (p.xv. Note. 6.) prevailed among theScla.- vonians : And ftill more might be expected to be found among thofe of Gothic or Teutonic race, both from their nearer vicinage and greater intercourfe with the Celtic nations ; from whom the Sarmatians lay more remote. Nothing is more contagious than fuperfli- tion ; and therefore we muft not wonder, if in ages of ignorance, one wild people catch up from another, though of very different race, the moft arbitrary and groundlefs opinions, or endeavour to imitate them in iuch rites and practices as they are told will recommend them to the Gods, or avert their anger.
Before I quit this fubje<St of the Religion of the Cel- tic and Gothic nations, I muft beg leave to obferve, that the Mythology of the latter was probably, in the time of Caefar and Tacitus, a very crude and naked thing, compared . to what it was afterwards, when the northern Scalds had had time to flourifli and adora it. From a very few rude and fimple tenets, thefe wild fablers had, in the courfe of eight or nine centu- ries, invented and raifed an amazing fuperftructure of
D See what has been (aid abovp, p. xv. Not. (8.) I know not whether we tre to attribute to imitation the practice that prevailed among both peo- ple of burying th::r <^ad under BARROWS or TUMULI, (fee p. 211.) This mode of Sepulture, however, makes a great figure in all the old Northern SACAS or Hiftories, as weH as in the Songs of the SCALDS.
fi&ion.
fi&ion. We muft not therefore fuppofe that all the fables of the EDDA were equally known to the Go- thic nations of every age and tribe. As truth is uni- form and limple, fo error is mod irregular and various ; and it is very poffible, that different fables and different obfervances might prevail among the fame people in different times and countries. PYom their imperfect knowledge of the divine attributes, all Pagan nations are extremely apt to intermix fomething LOCAL with their ideaof theDivinity, to fuppofepeculiar Deities pre- fiding over certain diftri&s, and to worfhip this or that God with particular rites, which were only to be obferved in one certain fpot. Hence, to inattentive foreigners, there might appear a difference of religion among na- tions who all maintained, at the bottom, one. common creed ; and this will account for whatever difagree- ment is remarked between Csefar and Tacitus in their defcriptions of the Gods of the ancient Germans : It will alfo account for whatever difference may appear between the imperfect relations of the Roman writers, and the full difplay of the Gothic mythology held forth in the EDDA. It is indeed very probable that only the mere firft rudiments of the Gothic religion had begun to be formed, when the Germans were firft known to the Romans : And even when the Saxons made their irruptions into Britain, though they had the fame general belief concerning Odin or Wo-* ilen, Thor and Frigga, &c. yet probably the com- plete fyftem had not arrived to the full maturity it afterwards attained under the inventive hands of the Scalds.
THE cffcntial difference remarked above, between the Religion of the Celtic and Gothic nations, in their Tenets, Initituticns and Worfhip, affords a ftrong proof that they were two races of men ab origine diftin& : The fame truth is proved ftill more ftrongly, if pofii- ble, by their difference in LANGUAGE; this is an argument of fa6i, that amounts in qucftions of this na- ture almoft to demonftration.
Tacitus
Tacitus aflures us ff, that the ancient Britifli lan-
Siage was very little different from that fpoken in aul ; Sermohaud multian diverfus : There was probably no more than a fmall difference in dialect. But that the Gaulifh language widely differed from that of the Germans, appears from the whole current of hiftory. Thus Cxfar not only afierts in the paffage above quoted, (pag. xi. Note.) that the Gauls differed in lan- guage from the Belgas, but plainly {hows that the German and Gaulifh languages were very different, when he tells us that Arioviftus, a German prince, only learnt to fpeak the latter by his long refidence in Gaul *. Again, Suetonius tells us, that Caligula, returning from his fruitlefs expedition againft the Germans, in order to grace his triumph with an ap- pearance of prifoners of that nation, for want of real Germans, chofe from among the Gauls fuch as were of very tall ftature, whom he caufed to let their hair grow long, and to colour it red, to learn the German language, and to adopt Germ:.:i names ; and thus he paffed them off for prifoners from Germany f« Thefe, and other proofs from Tacitus, are produced by Pel- loutier himfelf, though he afterwards endeavours to obviate their force, by pretending that the languages of Gaul and Germany differed only in dialect, &c J. But that they were radically and effentially different, will appear beyond contradiction, to any one that will but uie his eyes and compare any of the living lan- guages which are defcended from thefe two ancient tongues. This queftion receives fo clear, fo full, and fo eafy a folution, by barely infpedling fuch of the languages of Celtic and Gothic origin as are now extant, that to conclude the inquiry, I fhall only lay before the reader Specimens of them both.
That the languages now fpoken in Germany, Swe- den, Denmark, Holland and England arc all derived
^[ See above, pag. v. Note \,
* Sjua multa jam Anoviftui longlngua tcnfuetudlnc utcbatur, De Bell. Gall. lib. i. c. 47.
•j- Sucton, Caligula, c. 47. J Pelkut. vol. I. liv. i. ch. XT.
from 5
(xxi)
from or allied to the ancient German no one can deny; becaafe the words are vifibly the fame in them all, only differing in dialect. On the other hand, that the ancient Britifh was a language very little different from that of the Gauls, we have the exprefs tefti- mony of Tacitus above-mentioned. Let us now com- pare the feveral dialects of the ancient Britifh, viz. the Welfh §, the Armoric and the Cornifh, and fee whether they contain the moft diftant refemblance to any of the Teutonic dialects above mentioned.
Whoever looks into the following Specimens, will obferve, that the modern Englifh and German are two languages evidently derived from one common fource; almoft all the words in both being radically the fame ; and yet it is near 1200 years fmce the Eng- lifh language was tranfplanted out of Germany, and cut off from all intercourfe with the mother tongue. In the mean time, the people who have fpoke it have undergone amazing revolutions and changes in their government, religion, laws and manners, and their language in particular has been fubject to more than common innovations. On the other hand, let him compare the fame Englifh fpecimen with that of the Welfh language, and fee if he can difcover the moft diftant refemblance between them: And yet both ihefe are fpoken upon the fame ifland, and that by fellow citi- zens, who for many hundred years have been fubjedts to the fame prince, governed by the fame laws, have profefled the lame religion, and adopted nearly the fame fyftem of manners : And now at laft, after all this intercourfe, what two languages can be more unlike ? Can this radical diflimilitude be called only a difference in dialect ? During the rude ages prior to hiftory,
§ That the prefent Welfh language is the genuine daughter of the ancient Britiih, fee proved (if it needs any proof) in ROWLAND'S Atina Ar.tiqua re/iaurata. ad. edit. 1766. 410. feft. iv. p. 35. &c. See alfo above, p. v. note f.
See liltewife in CAMDFN'S Britannia, his Effay, De prlmis J»w.7.', &c. "Where that great Ant quary (hows the immediate defcent of the prefent Wj LSH nation from the ancient BR ITONS, and their near affinity to the ohi inhabitants of GA u j ; but efpecially proves, by innumerable inftan- ccs, the ftrong connexion between their feveral LANGUAGES.
before
( xxii )
before the Brif.ons or Germans were invaded by of-her nations_, or had adopted any foreign refinements, \vhilc both people were under the uninterrupted influence of their original institutions, cuftoms and manners, no reafon can be affigned why their language fhould un- dergo any material alterations. A favage people, wholly occupied by their prefent animal wants, aim at no men- tal or moral improvements, and are fubject to no confider- able changes. In this ftate, their language being affected by none of the caufes that commonly introduce very great innovations, will continue for many aacs nearly the fame. The great caufes that introduce the molt confiderable changes in language, are invafions of fo* reigners, violent alterations in religion and laws* great improvements in literature, or refinements in manners. None of thefe, fo far as we know, had happened either to the Germans or Britons before the time of Caefar, and yet even then there appeared no refemblance between the languages of thefe two peo- ple. On the other hand, all thefe caufes have been operating with combined force ever fince, and yet no confiderable refemblance has obtained between the languages of England and Wales ; nor has the radical affinity between thofe of England and Germany been effaced or deftroyed. Upon what grounds then can it be pretended, that the ancient languages of Gaul and Germany flowed from one common fource ? Or who will believe fo improbable a fa£r,?
M. Pelloutier tells us jj, that " it having been pre- " tended that the ancient Celtic is preferred to this day " in the languages of Wales and Brittany in France, " he had looked into a few Gloflaries of the Welfh *' and Armoric tongues ^1, and had indeed difcovered
" that
I! Hid. dcs Celtes, vol. I. p. 155.
^[ The ARMORIC language, now fpoken in Brittany in France, Is a dialeft of the WELSH ; that province being peopled with a colony from Britain in the 4th century ; and though the two people have been Separated fo ma:iy ages, and have been fob] eft to two nations fo different in their laws, religion and manner1;, ftill the two languages contain fo flrong a refemblance, that in our late contjueft of Bdliflr, fuch of our
:' l-'I?:s
( xxiii )
" that SEVERAL words of the ancient Celtic were, In " effecl:, preferred in thofe tongues :" But he plainly hints, that he could not confider the bulk of the lan- guage as there perpetuated ; and indeed, confidering how thick a film the prejudice of fyftem had drawn over his eyes, it is a wonder he could difcover any Cel- tic words at all : For he, taking it for granted that the High-Dutch language was the genuine Celtic, only looked for fuch words as bore any refcmblance to that tongue ; and there being, as indeed there are, very few that have any fimilitude, no wonder that he found fo few Celtic words in a genuine Celtic lan- guage *.
foldicrs as came out of Wales were eafily understood by the country peo- ple, and with their Welfh language, fervcd for interpreters to the other foldiers who only fpoke Enplifh. This is a fad related to the Editor by a perfon who was there. — Perhaps, upon comparing the Specimens fub- joined, the two dialers may appear to the eye more remote from each other, than the above relation fuppofes ; but, it may be obferved, that their orthography not having been fettled in concert, the fame found may have been exprefTed by very different combinations of letters, and the other differences may be oniy thofe of idiom 5 fo that the two languages, when fpoken, may have a much greater refemblance, than appears upon paper to a perfon ignorant of them both. To give one inftance j the Welfti vrorADrwg, and the Armoric Drouc, (Eng. EVIL.) though fo differently written, are in found no further diftant than Droog and Drookt the vowels in both being pronounced exa£Uy alike.
* It is much to be lamented that a Writer of fo much learning, faga- city and diligence as Monf. pELtouTim, fhould have fpoiled, by one unfortunate hypothefif, fo excellent a work as his HISTORY OF THE CELTS, -after all, certainly is. Had he not been drawn into this funda- mental error, which infe£ls his whole book ; but on the contrary had been apprized of the radical diftir.ftion between the GOTHIC and CEL- TIC antiquities; had he affigned to each people die feveral defcrip'.ion* which occur of them in ancient hiftory ; had he •pointed out the diftinft features of their refpeclive characters, and ftiown in what particulars they both agreed, and wherein they differed ; had he endeavoured to afcertain the limits of each. people in ancient Europe, and fhown by which of them.the feveral countries were formerly inhabited, and from which of them the modern nations are chiefly defccnded ; he would then have per- formed1 a noble taflc, and have deferved equally well of the part and fu- ture ages : His Book, inftead of being a perpetual fource of miftake and confulion, would then have ferved as a clue to guide us through the laby- rinth of ancient hiftory, and he would have raifed a noble monument to the memory alike of the CELTS and GOTHS, from one or other of which ancient people fo many great nations are dcfcended.
Ifhall
( xxiv )
I /hall now proceed to lay before the Reader SPEC*- MENS of the GOTHIC and CELTIC Languages, properly clafled and confronted with each other: Which, it is apprehended, will decide this queftion better than any conjectural or moral reafoning.
That the SPECIMENS maybe the better underftood, it will be ufeful to give a fhort GEN'EALOGICAL TA- BLE, fhowing what particular Languages aredefcended
from
GOTHIC.
|
i. Ol< |
i SAX- |
2. FRANCIC, 3. CIMBRIC, |
|
ON, or AN- |
or FRANCO- or Old ICE- |
|
|
GLO-S |
AXON. |
THEOTISC. LANDIC. |
|
J~ w w |
i r^-»> W *=1 |
m 1,1, o c % x i o 5 |
|
5£ ^ |
W ?3 |
w m ^ w 0 > |
|
o o |
^* « |
» * £ t* * y * |
|
n M |
2 s |
S K ? > ^ S H |
|
>P w |
> > M |
|
|
5j |
o |
5 55 0 0 T 3 |
|
• 2 |
O "* |
= 2, ? > |
|
o |
o S* |
w ^ |
|
SL |
? 8 |
o > S |
|
I |
f s |
b? I |
|
2 |
£ ^ |
G H £* |
|
H |
o |
|
|
0 |
^ Cf<9 |
s |
|
X |
T3 C |
|
|
0 I* |
•o |
«
from thofe two great Mother Tongues, by what im- mediate Branches they derive their defcent, and what degree of affinity they feverally bear to each other. This fcheme of the GOTHIC Languages is copied from the Preface to Dr. HICKES'S Inftitutiones Grammatics Anglo-Saxonicts, &c. Oxon. 1689. 4*** *^is of the CELTIC Tongues, from the beft writers I have met with on the fubjeci.
CELTIC,
1. The Ancient GAULISH.
2. The Ancient BRITISH.
3. The Ancient IRISH.
I? > r
5 S S
* g ?
at
? £ fe
-
8-
Tfil
VOL. I.
( xxvi )
SPECIMENS of the GOTHIC LANGUAGES.
The ancient GOTHIC of ULPHILAS *. Atta unfarthu in Himinam. i. VeihnaiNamo thein. 2- Quimaithiudinaflustheins. 3. Vairthai Vilja theins, fuein Himina, jah ana Airthai. 4, Hlaif unfarana thana fmtei- nan gif uns himmadaga. 5. Jah afiet uns thatei Sculans frjaima fua fue jah veis afietam thaim Skulam unfaraim. 6. Jah ni bringais uns in Fraiftubnjai. 7. Ak laufei uns af thamma Ubilin. Amen.
[From Chamberlayn's Orath Dcn:\r,\ca ir r.iverfat cmr.iutr. fere Gertium Lin- guasi-erfa, &V. Amft. IT 15. 410. p. 53. "and from Sacrorum E-vang t~ Ururn Vtrfit Gttb'ua Ed. Edit). Lye. Gxon. I7-.O. 410. p. 9.]
The ANCIENT LANGUAGES derivci I. II.
from the GOTHIC. III.
ANGLO-SAXON.
FRANCO-THEO- CIMBRIC, or old TISC. ICELANDIC.
|
Uren Fader, |
Fater unfer thu |
Fader uor, fom |
|
thic arth in Heof- |
tharbift inHimile. |
eft i Himlum. i. |
|
nas. i. Sie ge- halgud thin No- |
i. Si geheilagot thin Namo. 2. |
Hal^ad wardethitt Kama. 2. Til- |
|
ma. 2. To cy- |
QuemethinRihhi. |
komme thitt Ri- |
|
meth thin Rye. |
3. Si thin VVillo, |
kie. 3. Skie thin |
|
3. Sie thin Willa |
Ib her in Hi mile |
Vilie, fo fom i |
|
fue is in Heofnas, |
ift o fi her in Er- |
Himmalam,fooch |
|
and in Eortho. |
du. 4. Unfar |
po lordanne. 4. |
|
4. Uren H'af ofer- |
Brot tagalihhr.z |
Wort dachlicha |
|
wiftlic fei us to |
gib uns huitu. 5. |
Brodh gif os i |
|
daeg. 5. And |
In-ti furlaz uns |
dagh. 5. Ogh |
|
forgcfe us ScylJa |
nufara Sculdi fo |
forlat os uor a |
|
urna, fue we f'or- |
uuir furlazames |
Skuldar, fo fom |
|
gefan Sqldgum |
unfaron Sculdi- |
ogh vi forlatc |
|
urum. 6. And no |
gon. 6. Inti ni |
them os Skildighe |
|
in lead uiig in |
gileitefl unfih in |
are. 6. Ogh in- |
|
Cuftnung. 7. Ah |
Coftunga. 7. U- |
led os ikkiei Fre- |
|
gefrig ufich from |
zouh srlofi unfi |
italfan. 7. Utan |
|
Me. Amen. |
fonUbile. Amen. |
frels os ifraOndo. |
|
(from Chair.beilavn, |
[From Chan |
Amen. |
|
P-46] |
p. 6i.J |
[From Chi.iiberlayn, |
|
P- S4-] |
is is alfo called MoEso-GoT'nc, bring the D:aVa o^ the Goths io where Uirhil*; • 3*6.
( xxvii ) SPECIMENS of the CELTIC LANGUAGES.
3" I am not able to produce any Specimen of the CELTIC, at leaft any Verfion of the Lord's Prayer, which can be oppofed in point of antiquity to the GOTHIC Spe- cimen from ULPHILAC, who flourifhed A. D. 365. — As the CELTS were fettled in thefe countries long before the GOTHS, and were expo fed to various re- volutions before their arrival, their Language has, as might be expected, undergone greater and earlier changes than the GOTHIC; fo that no Specimen of the old original CELTIC is, I believe, now to be found.
The ANCIENT LANGUAGES derived from the CELTIC.
I.
III.
ANCIENTGAUL- ISH.
Of this Lan- guage I cannot rind any Specimen to be depended on.
II.
CAMBRIAN, or ANCIENT BRI- TISH.
Eyen Taadrbuvn wyt yn y Neofoe- dodd. i. Santeid- dier yr Hewu tail. 2. Devedy dyrnas dau. 3. Guneler fly Wollys ar ryd- dayar megis ag yn y Nrfi. 4. Eyn Bara beunyddvul dyro in- r.i beddivu. 5 . Am - maddeuynny eyn de- It don, me? is ag i itiaddevu in dele- divir ninaiv. 6. Ag'ia tbowvs nr in brcffdigae'b. j. Namyn gwared ni i hag Drug. Amen,
[From C'liambolayn,
P-47-J
* The above Specimen of ths ancient Irifh i-- jn.^ed to h? a thoufand yeais old. See O Conner's L1;!!'- utitn on the Hiibry ct l;ela:.a. Dublin, jj&fc. Svo. *
b 2
ANCIENT IRISH, or GAEDHLIG.
Our Narme ata ar Neamb. I. Bca- nich a Tainin. 2. Go diga de Riogda. 3. Go dent a duHoill air Talm in matte ar Nearnb. 4. Ta- balr dam aniugh ar Naran limbaii. 5. Angus mai duin ar Fiacb amball ina- amhid arfiacba. 6. Na leigfin amaribb* 7. Acbfaarfafin o Ok. Amen.
[F'.om Dr. Anthony Raymond's Introduc- tion to the Hiftory of Ireland, p, », 3, &c.J -
( xxviii ) SPECIMENS of the GOTHIC LANGUAGES.
I. MODERN LANGUAGES derived from the
OLD SAXON. I. II.
ENGLISH.
Our Father, which art in Heaven, i. Hallowed be thy Name, 2. Thy Kingdom come. 3. Thy Will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven. 4. Give us this day, our daily Bread. 5. And forgive us our Debts as we forgive our Debtors. 6. And lead us not into Temptation. 7. But deliver us from Evil. Amen,.
[Fiom the Eng. Teftament.]
III.
Low-DuTCH, or BEL-
GIC.
Onfe Vader, die daer zljt in de Hemelen. i. Uwen Naemworde ghe- heylight. 2. U Rijcke kome. 3. Uwen Wille ghefchiede op der Aerden, gelijck in den Hemel. 4. Onfe dagelijcktBroodt gheeft ons heden. 5. Ende vergheeft ons onfe Schulden, ghelijck wy oock onfe Schuldenaren vergeven. 6. Ende en ley t ons niet in Verfoeckinge. 7. Maer verloft ons van- den Boofen. Amen.
{From theNewTeft. in Dutch, Ainft. 1630. lamo.J
Broad SCOTCH.
Ure Fadir, whilk art in Hevin. I. Hallouit be thy Nairn. 2. Thy Kingdum cum. 3. Thy Wull be dun in Airth, as it is in Hevin. 4. Gie ufs this day ure daily Breid. 5. And forgie ufs ure Debts, afs we forgien ureDebtouris. 6. Andleid ufs na' into Temptation. 7. Bot deliver ufs frae Evil. Amen.
[From a Scotch Gentleman.]
IV. FRISIC, or Friezeland
Tongue.
Ws Haita duu derftu bifteyneHymil. i. Dyn Name wird heiligt. 2. Dyn Rick tokomme. 3. Dyn Wille moet fchoen, opt Yrtryck as yne Hy- mile. 4. Ws deilix Brx jov ws jwed. 5. In ver- jou ws, ws Schylden, as wy vejac ws Schyldnirs. 6. In lied ws nadt in Ver- fieking. 7. Din fry ws vin it Quaed. Amen.
[From Chatnberlayn, p. 6$.}
( xxix }
SPECIMENS of the CELTIC LANGUAGES.
II. MODERN LANGUAGES derived from the ANCIENT BRITJSH, or CYMRAEG.
I.
WELSH, or CYMRAEG.
Ein Tady yr hwn ivyt yn y Nefcedd. I. Sanfieid- dier dy Enw. 2. Dtved dy Deyrnas. 3. Bydded dy Eivyllys ar y Ddaiar me»is y mat yn y Nefcedd. 4. Dyro i ni Heddyw fin Bar a beunyddial. 5. A rnaddc ini ein Dyhdlon fel y tnaddeuwn ni i'n Dyled- u-yr. 6. Ag nag arwain ni i Brofedigaeth. 7. Ei- tbr givared ni rbag Drwg. Amen.
[Communicated by a Gent, of Jefus College Oxon.]
II.
ARMORIC, or Language of Britanny in France.
HonTady pehudij fou en Efatu. i . Da Hancu bezet janttifiet. 2. Devet aor- ti'.mp da rouantelaez. 3. Da eolbexetgraet en Douar^ eual maz ten en Euf. 4. Ro dimp hyziou hon Bar a femdeziec. 5. Pardon dimp hon fechedoti) eual ma par- don omp da nep pegant ezomp offanczet. 6. ha na dilaes quet a hanomp en Tempta- tion. 7. Hoguen ban diliur diouz Drouc. Amen.
[From Chamberlayn, p. 51. J
III.
CORNISH.
Ny Taz, £Z yn Neau.
1 . Bonegas yiv tha Hanaw.
2. Tha Gwlakctb doaz,.
3. 7 ha bonagath bogweez en nore poctragen Neau.
4. Roe tkenycn dythma gon dyth Bar a givians. 5. A^ gan rabn ueery car a ny gi- vians mens. 6. O cabin ledia ny nara idn Tent at: on. 7. Buz dilijcr ny thart Doeg. Amen.
[From Chambcrlayn, p. 50.^
b 3
( XXX )
SPECIMENS of the GOTHIC LANGUAGE si
II. MODERN LANGUAGES derived from the AN- CIENT GERMAN, or P'RANCIC, &c.
J. II.
HIGH-DUTCH, (pro- HIGH-DUTCH of the
per.) SUEVIAN Dialect.
Unfer Vater in dem Fatter aufar dear du
Himmel. i. Dein Name bifcht em Hemmal. i.
\verde geheiliget. 2. Dein Gehoyliget wearde dain
Reich komme. 3. Dein Nam. 2. Zuakommedain
WillegefcheheaufErden, Reych. 3. Dain Will
wie im Himmel. 4. Un- gfchea ufF Earda as em
fer taeglich Brodt gib uns Hemmal. 4. Aufar de-
heute. 5. Und vergib glich Braud gib as huyt.
uns unfere Schulden, wie 5. Und fergiab as aufre
wir unfern Schuldigern Schulda, wia wiar fergea-
vergeben. 6. Und fuehre ba aufarn Schuldigearn.
uns nicht in Verfuchung. 6. Und fuar as net ind
7. Sondernerloefeunsvon Ferfuaching. 7. Sondern
dem Vbel. Amen. erlais as fom Ibal. Amen.
[From the common German
New Teftamrnt, printed at [From Chamberlayn's Oratit)
Lc.-.icn. J2T.O-] Do.T,inic«, p. 64.]
III.
The Swiss Language.
Vatter unfer, der du bift in Himlen. i. Ge- heyligt werd dyn Nam. 2. Zukumm uns dijn Rijch. 3. Dyn Will gefchahe, wie im HimmeJ, alfo auch ufF Erden. 4. Gib uns hut unfer taglich Brot. 5. Und vergib uns unfere Schulden, wie anch wir vergaben unfern Schuldneren. 6. Und fuhr uns nicht in Ver- fuchnyfs. 7. Sunder crlos uns von dem Bofen. Amen.
[From Chaaiberlajn, p. 65.}
( XXXI )
SPECIMENS of the CELTIC LANGUAGES'.
III. MODERN LANGUAGES derived from the ANCIENT IRISH.
I.
IRISH, or GAIDHLIG.
Ar nathair ata ar Neamb. I. Naomhthar Hainrn. 2. Tigeadb do Riogbacbd. 3. Deuntar do Tboil ar an Ttalamh, mar do nithcar ar Neamh. 4. Ar raran lae- aibambail tabhair dhuinn a nlu. 5. Agus maith dhuinn ar Bhfiacha, n.ar mhaithmidne dar bbfiitbe- amhnuibb fein. 6. Agus na leig Jinn a ccatl.ugbadh. 7. Acbd fayr ftnn o O/c.
-.op Bedel'i Ir'nTi Bi- ble. Lond. 1690. 8vo.]
II.
ERSE, or GAIDHLIG ALBANNAICH.
Ar n Atha'ir ati air Neamb. I. Gu naombal- chcar t Tinm. 2. 'Tigcadb do Ricgkacbd. 3. Dean- thar do Thzil air an Ta ant!) mar a nithtar air Neanh. 4. Tabbair dhuinn an dnt ar n Aran laitkeil. 5. Agns tnaitb dbuinn ar Fia- cba ambuil mar mbaitbmid d'ar luebd-facbaibh *. 6. Agus na lelg am bua'ireadb ftnn. 7. Acb faor Jinn 9 Olc. An:en.
* Tcichneiniuh. [From the New Teflament In the Erfe Language, printed at Edinburgh, 1767. Svo, Mat. vi. g.J
in.
MANKS, or Language of the ISLE of MAN. Ayr ain, t'ayns Ntau ; I . Cajherick dy row dt'En- nym. 2. Dy jig dty Reeri- cgbt. 3. DfcngJiey dy rcw jfant er y Tbalav^ myr te fiyns Niau. 4. Cur d oln nyn Arran jiu as gagblaa, 5. As lelb dcoin nyn I gb- tynt myr ta Jhln lew daue- jyn ta jannoo logbtyn nyrf oc. 6. As ny lee id Jhin ayns ml'.lagb. 7. Agb t'rj- r.yfiin vdb Oik. Amen.
[From the Liturgy in Mankt, printed a't London, 1765. Svo.J
b
( xxxii ) SPECIMENS of the GOTHIC LANGUAGES.
III. MODERN LANGUAGES derived from the AN' CIENT SCANDINAVIAN, or ICELANDIC, called (byfome Writers} CIMBRIC, or CiMBRo-Go- THIC.
I.
ICELANDIC.
Fader vor thu fom ert a Himnum. i. Helgeft thittNafn. 2. Tilkome thitt Riike. 3. Verde thinn Vilie, fo a Jordu, fem a Himne. 4. Gieff thu ofs i dag vort daglegt Braud. 5. Og fiergieff ofs vorar Skulder, fo fem vier fierergiefum vorum Skuldinautum. 6. Og inleid ofs ecke i Freiftne. 7. Heldr frelfa thu ofs fra lllu. Amen.
[From Chamberlayn, p. 70.] III.
DANISH.
Vor Fader i Himmelen. i. ' Helligt vorde dit Navn. 2. Tilkomme dit Rige. 3. Vorde din Vil- lie, paa lorden fom i Himmelen. 4. GifF ofs i Dag vort daglige Bred. 5. Oc forlad ofs vor Skyld, fom wi forlade vore Skyldener. 6. Oc leede ofs icke i Friftelfe. 7. Men frcls os fra Ont. Amen.
(From Charabcrlayn, p. 70.]
II.
NORWEGIAN, orNoRsE. Wor Fader du fom eft y Himmelen. j. Gehai- liget worde ditNafn. 2. Tilkomma os Riga dit. 3. Din Wilia gefkia paa lorJen, fom hamlt er udi Himmelen. 4. GifF os y Tag wort dagliga Brouta. 5. Och forlaet os wort Skioldt, fom wy forlata wora Skioldon. 6, Och lad os icke homma voi Friftelfe. 7. Man frals os fra Onet. Amen.
[Frcm Ckamberlayn, p 71.]
IV.
SWEDISH.
Fader war fom aft i Himmelen. i. Hclgat warde titt Nampn. 2. Till komme titt Ricke. 3. Skei tin Wilie faa paa lordejine, fom i Himme- len. 4. Wart dagliga Brod gifFofs i Dagh. 5, Och forlat ofs wara Skul- der fa fom ock wi forlaten, them (,fs Skildege ar«, 6. Och inlecd ofs icke j Freftelle. 7. Ut an frals ofs i fra Ondo. Amen. [Frcm Chaniberbyn, p. 7$,]
xxxiii )
SPECIMENS of the FINN and LAPLAND TONGUES.
I. II.
The FINN Language. The LAPLAND Tongue.
/fa met Jan joca olet tat- Atki mijam juco lee al-
waj/a. I. Pybitetty olcm menfifne. I. Aitii ziaddai
ftnum Nimes. 2. Lakes tu Nam. 2. Zweigubatta
tulcon ftnum Jf^aldacundas. tu Ryki. 3. Ziaddus tu
3. Olcon finun tables n'rin Willio naukuchte almefne
maafa cuin taiwafa. 4. nau el cdna manna!. 4.
Anna meile tanapaiwana IVadde mijai udni inijan
meidan jcca paiwainen lei- Jecrt pafwen laibtbm. 5.
pam. 5. Sa anna me'ille Jah andagafloite ml jemijan
meidan fynd.m andexi nun- Juddoid, naukuchte mije an-
cuin mekin andex annam dagajloitebt kudi mije wj-
meidan u:elwAtiflcn\. 6. gogas lien. 6. Jah JlJJa-
Ja ala johdata meita kiu- laidi mijabn''. y. &!e
jauxen. 7. Mutta paajla tocfa kackztsllebrna pakaft.
meita pabajla. Amen. Atntn.
[From Chambcrlayn, p. 8z.] [From Chamberlayn, p. 83.]
A SPECIMEN of the CANTABRIAN or BISCAYAN
LANGUAGE, ftill preferved in SPAIN,
The BASQUE.
Cure Aita keruetan ca~ rena. I. Erabilbedi fain- dutjui fure Jcena. 2. E- thorbedi fure ErreJJiima. 3. Eguinbedi fare Boron~ datea feruan becalaturre an ere. 4. En.nndie^agucu. tgun gure egunorczco oguia. 5. Eta barkhadietcaigutfu gure forrac gucere gure car- dunei bat kkatcendiotfagutert becala. 6. Eta ezgait^at- (u utc tentacionetan erortfe- rat. 7. Aitcitic beguira- gaitcal^u gaitc gucittaric.
[From Chamberlayp, p. 44.]
( xxxiv }
-.•I.
REMARKS
ON THE
FOREGOING VE'RSIONS;
AND PIRST
Of the GOTHIC SPECIMENS.
TH E great and uniform fimilitude, difcoverable at firft fight between all the Specimens of the Gothic or Teutonic Languages, muft be very ftriking, even to foreigners unacquainted with thefe Tongues : But to thofe that know them intimately the affinity muft appear much nearer and ftronger, becaufe many words that were originally the fame, are difguifed by the variations of Pronunciation and Orthography, as well as by the difference of Idiom : Thus, the Ger- man GeheiKget) and the Englifh Hallowed, are both equally derived from the Teutonic HELIG, Holy.
It may further be obferved, that Time has intro- duced a change, not only in the Form, but in the Meaning of many Words, fo that though they are equally preferved in the different Dialects, they no longer retain the fame uniform appearance, nor can be ufed with propriety to exprefs the fame exacT: mean- ing. Thus, the Latin Word Panis is tranflated in the Gothic and Anglo-Saxon Hlaf, or Hlaif, which word is ftill current among us in its derivative Leaf, but with a variation of fenfe that made it lefs proper to be ufed in the Pater-nofter than the other Teutonic word BREAD, which is preferved in all the other Dialedts, but in a great variety of Forms. Thus from the old Francic Brot, or Cimbric Brodh, come the Swifs, Bret; The Swedifh, Broch, The High
and
( XXXV )
and Low Dutch, Broodt j The Norfe, Brauta j The Icelandic, Brand-, The Englifh, Bread; The Scot- tifh, Breid\ The Danifh, Bred; and the Frific, Bra.
Again, it is poflible that in many of thefe Lan- guages there was more than one word to exprefs the fame idea; and if there was a variety, then the dif- ferent Tranflators, by ufmg fome of them one word, and the reft another, have introduced a greater dif- ference into their Verfions than really fubfifted in their feveral Languages. Of this kind I efteem the word Atta> (Pater) ufed by Ulphilas, whofe countrymen had probably another word of the fame origin a? FADER or FATHER, as well as all the other Gothic nations : So again, the Anglo-Saxons (befides their word HLAF) had probably another term, whence we derived our prefent word BREAD. As for the Gothic word ATTA, (whence the Frific Haita, and perhaps the Lapland Atki,) however Ulphilas came by it, it feems evidently of the fame origin as the old Canta- brian Aha,
Laftly, a great difference will appear to Foreigners from the different arrangement of the fame words, but more efpecially from the difference of Tranflation ; for the Pater-nofter has rot been rendered in the fe- veral Verfions in the fame uniform manner. Thus, in the High Dutch and Danifh, the nrft fentence is exprefled contra&edly, NoJIer Pater in Ccelis. In the Gothic of Ulphilas, Pater Nojlcr tu in Ccelis. In the others more at large, Pater Nofter tu es in Coeli^ or NoJIer Pater qui es in Cat/is, &c. &c. And what is ftill more remarkable in the Anglo-Saxon, the fourth Pe- tition is rendered, not pancm noflrnm quotidianum, but panem nojlrum fupcrnaturalcm ; as it was interpreted alfo by fome of the ancient Fathers.
But to confirm the foregoing Remarks by one ge- neral Illuftration, I fhall confront the HIGH DUTCH Specimen, with a literal ENGLISH Verfion, which will fupport the afiertion made above, (p. xxi.) that thefe two Languages ftill prove their affinity, notwith- ftanding the different mediums through which they have defcended, and the many ages that have elapfed {ince their feparation.
GERMAN.
( xxxvi )
GERMAN. ENGLISH.
Unfar Our [Ure, Northern Dla-
Vater
in dem Himmel.
1. Dein Name werde geheiliget.
2. Dein Reich komme.
3. Dein Willc gefchehe
auf Erden, wie in Himmel.
4. Unfar taeglich Brodt. gib uns
heutej.
5. Und vergib
uns unfere Schulden, wie wir unfern
Schuldigcrn vergib en.
6. Und fuehre uns nicht in Verfuchung.
7. Sondern erloefe uns von dem Ubel.
Father [Vather, Vader, Somerfetjhire DiaUft.}
in the Heaven, [in them Heavens, vulgar Dia- led.]
1. Thine Name
were [may it be] hallow- ed.
2. Thine [Kingdom f ] come.
3. Thine Will fobe
of [in] Earth, as in Heaven.
4. Our daily Bread give us
[this Day.]
5. And forgive [vorgive, Somerfetjhire Dialed.}
us our
[Debts, Debita^ Lat.] as we our [ou'rn, Ruflic Dialed.}
forgive, [vorgiven, Somer- fetjhire Dialed .}
6. And [lead] us not in [into] [Temptation, Lat.]
7. But
loofe [deliver, French} us from the Evil.
J Perhaps from the La*, btdie.
• This is evidently a contraction of Unfar, antiqu. Unfcr, fc. U'er," Ure. In our midland counties, Our is pronounced War or H'er, like the Swedifli or Norfe.
The S*-ifs, and fome of the other German Dialers give the firft fen- tence more fully, thus; Du bift in Himlen : This is literally the fame with our vulgar phrafc, Thou betft, or bift in Heaven.
•\ The old Teutonic word Rick, is (till pieferved in the termination of our Englifli Bijbcf-rick ; and even King-rikt for Kingdoms was in ufe
among
( xxxvii )
Before I quit this fubjecT: of the GOTHIC or TEU- TONIC Languages, I muft obferve, that the old Scan- dinavian Tongue is commonly called CIMBRIC, or CiMBRo-GoxHic, as it was the dialect that chiefly prevailed among the Gothic Tribes, who inhabited the Cirnbrica Cherfonefus^ &c. But whether the an- cient CIMBRI, and their confederates the TEU- TONES, who made the irruption into the Roman Em- pire in the time of Marius f, were a CELTIC or a GO- THIC people, may perhaps admit of fome difquifition.
They who contend that they were CELTS, may urge the refemblance of the name of Cimbri to that of Cymri^ by which the Britons have always called themfelves in their own language : They may alfo pro- duce the authority of Appian, who exprefsly calls the Cimbri CELTS ; as well as of feveral of the Roman Authors, who fcruple not to name them GAULS £. It may further be obferved in favour of this opinion, that the emigration of fo large a body of the old Celtic inhabitants, would facilitate the invafion of the Gothic tribes who fucceeded them in thefe northern fettlements, and will account for the rapid conquefts of Odin and his Afiatic followers : It might alfo be conjectured, that the fmall fcattered remains of thefe old Celtic Cimbri, were the Savage Men who lurked up and down in the forefts and mountains, as defcrib- ed by the ancient Icelandic Hiftorians ||, and who, in their fize and ferocity, fo well correspond with the
among our countrymen fo late as the reign of Queen Elizabeth : Thus, in the famous libel of STUBS, intitled, " The Difcoverie of a gaping " Gulf, whereinto England is like to be fwallowed by another French " Marriage," &c. printed Anno 1579. fmall 8vo. (Sign. C. 7. b.) The Author talks of the Queen's " having the Kingrikc in her own per- " fon j" meaning the regal dominion, authority, &c. See alfo Verfti- gan's Antiquities, Lond. 1634. p. 215.
t Defcribed below, in Chap. II.
J " APPIANUS in lllyric'u Cimbros Celtas, addito qu?t Cimbros vacant, «' appellavit. Et evolve FLORUM, Lib. III. Cap, 3. SALUSTIUM Bell. " Jug"rth'injine. RUFUM Brei>. Cap. VI. qui omnes Cimbros diferte *' Ga/Ioi, et ab extremit Calliif profu jos, nominarunt." Speneri Notitia Cermaniae Antiquae. Hal. Magd. 1717. 4'o. p. 113.
H See below, p. 35, &c.
defcrip-
( xxxviii )
defcriptions given us of their countrymen that invaded the Roman Empire. Thus far fuch an opinion is equally confiftent, both with the Roman and Nor- thern Hiftorians.
On the other hand, that the Cimbrl of Marius were not a Celtic, but a German or a Gothic people, is an opinion that may be fupported with no flight argu- ments. On this head it may be obferved, with our Author Monf. Mallet, " that the Ancients generally " confidered this people as a branch of the Ger- " mans *," and that their tall ftature and general character rather correfponds with the description of the Germans than of the Celts : That as for the name of Cimbri or Cimber, it is refolvable into a word in the German Language, which fignifies WARRIOR or WARLIKE -j- : And that the authorities of the Ro- man Hiftorians cannot much be depended on, becaufe (as has been before obferved %} they were feldom ex- a£t in the names they gave to the Barbarous Nations. It may further be urged, that the facility with which the Cimbri made their way through Germany into
» See below, p. ar.
•f" Cermanis quidem Camp rxercltum aut locum uli exercitus caflra ntetaturt fg"ifi""j tr.de ifjis -vir cajirer/is et tnHita'is Kemft'cr et Kempher tt Kcmper et Kimber et Kamper, fro var-etate JialeStrutn -vccatvr ; -voca- bulum hoc roftro [fc. dr.gl\co~\ Sermtne ncr.dum penitui exolti'it ; Norfol. fiences enim pltbeio et proietario fermone dicunt •' He is a Kemper Old " Man," ;. e. Senex ftgetui eft, Sheringham, p. 57. See alfo, K.EMPERYE MAN, in the Reliqucs of Ancient Englifli Foetry, Vol. I. p. 7«-
Sheringham afterwards adds, lHud autcm bcc loco cmittendum nan eft, CIMBROS qutque a proceritale corporit bcc r.imcn babere potuifle - - - - Kimber cr.'im alia Jignif'catione totiiinem gigantea corporit mole frced\t urn de- fignat. " Danico btdic idiomate^ (inquit Pontanus, in additam. ad " Hift. Dan. lib. I.) Kimber Jive Kempe et Kerrper ncn bellatcrem tan- *' turn, fed proprie Gigar.tcm ttotat," Sheringh. p. 58. From hence it fl-.ould feem, that a gigantic perfon was called Kitr.bcr, from his refem- tlance to the ancient Cimbri\ rather than that this people were called Cimlri, from their gigantic fizc ; fo that this favours the opinion that the Cimbri were a different Race from the ancient Danes, &c. becaufe no na- tirn would think of calling thcmfelves Giants; for if they were all uni- formly gigantic, there would appear to themfelves nothing remarkable in their f.ze : whereas this would firikc another people, as a primary and leading Diftinflion.
T See p. vi.
Gaul,
( xxxix )
Gaul, renders it probable that they were rather a branch of the German people, than of a race in con- ftant enmity with them, like the Celts, and who, upon that account, would have been oppofed in their paflage ; efpecially as the Germans appear in thefe countries rather to have prevailed over the Celts, and to have forced them weftward, driving them out of many of their fettlements. But laftly, if the Cimbri had been a Celtic people, then fuch of them as were left behind in their own country, and were afterwards fwallowed up among the fucceeding Gothic Tribes who invaded Scandinavia, would have given a tincture of their Celtic Language to that branch of the Teu- tonic, which was (poke in thefe countries: Or, at leaft, we (hould have found more Celtic names of Mountains, Rivers, &c. in the Cimbric Cherfonefe than in other Gothic Settlements : But I do not find that eithsr of theie is the cafe ; the old Icelandic feems to be as free from any Celtic mixture, as any other Gothic Dialect ; nor is there any remarkable preva- lence of CJtic names in the peninfula of Jutland, more than in any part of Germany; where I believe its former Celtic inhabitants have up and down left behind them a few names of places, chiefly of natural iituations, as of Rivers, Mountains, &c. This at leaft is the cafe in England, where, although the Britons were fo intirely extirpated, that fcarce a Jingle word of the Welfa Language was admitted by the Saxons ; and although the names of Towns and Villages are al- moft univerfally of Anglo-Saxon derivation, yet the Hills, Forefts, Rivers, &c. have generally retained their old Celtic names *.
But whether the old Cimlri were Celts or Goths, yet forafmuch as from the time of Odin, both the Cimbrica Cherfonefus, and all the neighbouring re- gions were become entirely Gothic fettlements, the Gothic Dialect which prevailed in thefe countries is called by Antiquaries CIMBRIC, and CiMCRo-Go-
* See PF.NIGENT, ARDEN, AVON, &c, in Camden's Britannia, and that Aether fajfa,
THIC:
(XI)
THIC : It is alfo fometimes termed Old ICELANDIC, becaufe many of the beft writers in it came from Ice- land, and becaufe the Cimbric has been more perfectly preferved in that ifland than in any other fettlement. To the old original mother tongue of all the Gothic Dialers, it has been ufual (after Verftegan *) to give the name of TEUTONIC, not fo much from the Teu- tones or Teuton'^ who inhabited the Danifh iflands, and were brethren to the Cimbri, as from its being the ancient TUYTSH, the language of TUISTO f» and his votaries; the great Father and Deity of the Ger- man Tribes.
To conclude this fubje£ ; whoever would trace the feveral TEUTONIC Languages up to their fource, and proceed upon fure and folid principles in inquiries of this kind, need only have recourfe to that great and admirable work, LINGUARUM Vctt. Septentriona- lium THESAURUS Grammatico-Critlcus et Arcbaologi- cus Autore GEORGIO HICKES. S. T. P. Oxon. 1705. a Vols. folio.
* Reftitution of decayed Intelligence. 410. pajjim. See alfo Spenerl Notit. Antiq. Germ. L. 4. p. 104.
•j- Celtbrant Carminibui antlq-uh (quod unum afud illos. fc. Germanos, memeria et antialium genus eft) TUISTO N EM Deum, Terr&tditum, et fliun: MANNUM originem gentis, condltorejque. Tacit, de Mor. German. This MANNUS is evidently MAN, the offspring of TUISTO, the fu- preme Deity.
Of the G E L T i c SPECIMENS.
AS the ftrong refemblance of the feveral GOTHIC Specimens to each other, fo their radical difli- militude to thofe of CELTIC origin, muft appear deci- five of the great queftion difcufled in the foregoing PREFACE. Had thefe two Languages ever had any pretenfions to be confidered as congenial, the further ther we traced them back, the ftronger would be the refemblance between them ; but the mod ancient Specimens appear as utterly diflimilar, as themoft mo- dern ;
clern ; not but here and there a word rmy have been accidentally caught up on either fide: viz. borrowed by the Goths from the Celtic Language, and via verfa'i or perhaps adopted by each of them f;om fomc third Language radically different from them bo;h. Thus, from the Welfti T&d^ our vulgar have got the common Englifti word Dad and Daddy : And from the French Delivre, are derived both the En^lifh De- liver^ and the Armoric Diluir, whence the Cornflh Dilver.
In conformity to the opinion of the moft knowing Antiquaries, I have given the IRISH and ERSE Tongues as drfcended from one common original with the Cambrian, or ancient Britijh Languages, viz. the WELSH, ARMORIC, and CORNISH. But, tocon- fefs my own opinion, I cannot think they are equally derived from one common CELTIC Stock; at leaft not in the fame uniform manner as any two branches of the GOTHIC ; fuch, for inftance, as the ANGLO- SAXON and FRANCIC, from the Old Teutonic. Upon comparing the two ancient Specimens given above in pag. xxvii. fcarce any refemblance appears between them ; fo that if the learned will have them to be ftreams from one common fountain, it muft be allowed, trnt one or both of them have been greatly" polluted in their courfe, and received large inlets from fome other channel.
But, notwithftandinsr this apparent diffimilitud^ the celebrated Lluyd, and others who have invefti- gated this fubjedl:, firmly maintain, that there is a real affinity between the Irifh and Cambrian Tongues, and that a great part of both Languages is radically the fame. He has further fhown, that many names of places in South-Britain, and even in Wales itfelf, the meaning of which is loft in the Wei fh Language, can only be explained from words n^w extant in the Irifh. and Erfe Tongues: An inconteftible proof either that the Irifh or Erfe Language originally prevailed all over the fouthern parts of this ifiand, or that it is of congenial origin with the Cambi'ian or Welfh, ar.-d !o
VOL. I. c has
has preferved many words, which arc now loft in the other *.
Indeed a good reafon may be afligned why the fe- veral branches of the Old CELTIC differ to the eye fo much more than the derivatives of any other Lan- guage : viz. In the Celtic Tongue words are declined by changing, NOT the Terminations, but the Initial Letters in the oblique cafes, or by prefixing an article with an apoftrophe (either exprt fled or implied); fo that thofe who are ignorant of this language are apt to confound the radical Letters, with fuch as are merely fuperadded and accidental ; or to think two words utterly diflimilar, that are only made fo by an occafional Prefix or a variety of Declenlion : To give one inltance (out of innumerable) of the latter kind, the Britim word Pent in conftru&ion regularly aflumes the form of Ben, Pben and Mben. e. g.
Peny a Head.
Pen gufy a Man's Head.
/ Ben, his Head.
i Pben, her Head.
y'm Mben^ my Head.
* LLUYD thinks both thefe caufes have concurred, viz. I. That the tn- ceftors of the Irifh and Highland Scots, fc. the ancient GVYDHEII ANS, were the old original Celts, who firlr. inhabited this ifland : And that the Cymri, or Welfh, were another and different race of Celts, (a branch of the Celtic Cimbri) who fucceeded the o'her, and drove them north- wards. II. That the Language of both thefe people, though yiiginally the fame, had defcended down through different channels, and was rendered ftill more widely diftant )• I. By the additional mixture of Cantabrian words irnpoited into Ireland by the Scots, who came from Spain and fet- tled among the old Guydelian Celts from Britain: And, 2. By the changes the Cymraeg or Welfli Language fuffered during the fubjeclion of 500 Years to the Romans, fee. (See Lluyd's WELSH and IRISW Prefaces, translated in the Appendix to Nicholfon's JR n>n HISTORI- CAL LIBRARY, £-c. 1736. folio.)
See alfo MAITLANB'S " Hiftory of Scotland, 2 Vols. folio." who- has fome things curious on this fu!>jec~t, particularly on the paf- fape of the Cimkri into Biitain; but the generality of his book fhews a judgment fo warped by national prejudice; is fo evidently de- figmd to fnpport a favourite hypothefis, and is writ with fuch a fpirit of coarfe invedivc, that the Reader will be conftantly kd to fufpecl that his quotations arc unfair, and his arguments fallacious. To mention only one inMance of this Writer's ftrange perverfion of Hiftory, he fcts or.t with denying, in the teeth of Cscfar and all the ancients, that the OLD B;;ITONI wjiuc t :VE* PAINTZB !
5 Before •
f xliii )
Before I conclude thefe flight Remarks, I muft beg leave to obferve, that as the great fubjecl of this pre- fent book is GOTHIC ANTIQUITIES, which I appre- hend to be totally diftinft from the CKLTIC, I only pretend to be exa£r and precife as to the GOTHIC or TEUTONIC Languages; but do not take upon me to decide on any of the points which relate either to the CELTIC Antiquities or CELTIC Tongues. For this reafon I avoid entering into the difpute, which has of late fo much interefted our countrymen in North- Britain : viz. Whether the ERSE Language was firft fpokcn in Scotland or Ireland. Before the inquifitive Reader adopts either opinion, he would do well to con- fider many curious hints, which arc fcattered up and down in LLUYD'S moft excellent Arcbceologia Britan- tiica^ 1707. fol. and efpecially in his WELSH and IRISH Prefaces, referred to in the foregoing Note.
The Specimen of the ERSE or HIGHLAND SCOT- TISH, in p. xxxi. is extracted from the New Tefta- ment lately publifhed at Edinburgh, wherein this Language is called Gaidblig dibannaicb ; and upon the authority of that book I have fo named it here. This I mention by way of caveat againft the cenfure of thofe who contend that the true name is GAELIC or GALIC, and that this word is the fame with GALLIC, the name of the ancient Language of GAUL. With- out deciding the queftion as to the origin of the ERSE Language itfelf, I muft obferve upon the ancient name of GALLIC, that this does not fcem to have been ufed by the natives of GAUL themfelves, but to have been given them by foreigners : They called themfelves CELTIC, and their Language CELTIC *;
* Sjiii ipfirum lingua CtLTf., nc/lra OALLI apftKatitur. Csefar de
Bell. Gal. L. i " CELT*, tie Gauls, Gadi!, Cadil, or Keill,
" and in the plural, according to our dialcft, Ktiliet, or Keilt, (now " Guidhelod) Irishmen. The word Ke:!t could not be othrrwife vnrit- " ten by the Romans, than Ciilte or C« /:<*." Sse Lloyd's Iiiih Preface, f. 107. in Nicbolfun's Iriih Hilfcrijn.
c » Jn
( xliv )
in like manner as the inhabitants of Wales, though called WELSH by us, term themfelves CYMRU, and their own Language CYMRAEG ; who at the fame time call us SAISSONS, and our Tongue SAISSONAEG, thus reminding us of our Saxon origin.
In the fame place the Reader will find many of the ancient names of offices, perfons, &c. mentioned by Casfar as prevailing in Gaul, ex- plained from 'he modern Iiifh Language, as, JU/obrox, Divitiacus, Vtr- clngetoriXf Vergafillaunus, Vcrgobretus, &c.
Of the FINN and LAPLAND Specimens: And of the CANTABRIAN or BASQJJE.
TH E two former of thefe are fubjoined, in order to illuftrate what our Author has faid below, in
P- 38, 39-
Of the FINN Language it may be obferved, that it appears quite original, and underived from any other Tongue with which we are acquainted. But as to that of the LAPLANDERS, it is apparently a derivative from feveral others : Many of the words are evidently borrowed from the FINN LANGUAGE, and others from the NORSE, mixed, it may be, with derivatives from the GREENLAND Tongue, or perhaps the SCLA- VONIC. From the FINN Language are apparently borrowed thefe words in the Pater- nofter, viz. Mi- jam, juco, laibcbm, pabaji, &c. and thefe from the NORSE, or fome filler dialed!, viz. Namt Ryki, Wil-
HOy &C.
As to the CANTABRIAN or BASQUE, if has no ap- parent affinity with any dialect either of the TEUTO- NIC or CELTIC Languages. Yet LLUYD has given a lift of derivatives from this Language which are ftill extant in the IRISH Tongue, and which confirm the opinion that an ancient colony from Spain actually
intermixed
( *lv )
intermixed among the original inhabitants of IRE- LAND.
To this excellent writer, fo often quoted, I refer all fuch as would proceed on fure and folid grounds in thdr inquiries concerning the CELTIC LANGUAGE and ANTIQUITIES: A fubjeft which has proved the great ftumbling-block of modern Antiquaries and Ety- mologifts, and which has occafioned fo many wild, abfurd, and childifh publications, to the difgrace of all etymology and fcandal of literature. Inftead of imitating the caution, diffidence, and modeity of LLUYD, who fpent feveral years in travelling and re- fiding among the different branches of the CELTS, thefe writers make up a jargon of their own, which they call Celtic, and, without knowing any one of the ancient Languages truly, fet out confidently to explain them all.
That I may not appear invidious, I will not pro- duce inftances of the dotage and folly of fome of cur countrymen in what they call Celtic Etymologies, and Illuftrattons of Celtic Antiquities; but will refer the Reader to a work of a fuperior clafs, the celebrated Memoir is de la Langue Celtique par M. BULLET. Be~ fan$on 1754. 3 Vols. folio. This learned, and in other refpedts, ingenious writer, is a glaring inftance how much a good judgment may be drawn away by a dar- ling hypothefis, and is a warning to others not to write upon fubjech they do not underftand : For, having little or no acquaintance with the Englifh Language, he undertakes to explain, from his own imaginary Celtic Vocabulary, the names of innumerable places in England, in what he calls a Defcription Etymokgiqite * : Where, if he had confined himfelf to (ome of our Ri- vers, Mountains and Forefts, he had ftood fome chance of being right^ fince many of thefe retain their old
' Une Defcnplitn Etyrr.ohgique da i/.'.'/t-i, rlvierts, montafna, fortts. nriofitfi nature,'/:! d'S GauUi ; de la meuliure far: if del* Efpagr.e it de <" Italic ; dt la Grande Brltagnt, dent la Gaulm<. »nt <te let primien babi- tans. This writer has, however, fome things very ingenious and folid.
c 3 British
( xlvi )
Britifti names: But when he boldly proceeds to our names of Villages and Towns, which are moft of them purely Saxon and Englifh, he falls into fuch diverting blunders as thefe, viz.
ACTON (which is from the Saxon Ac, an Oak, and Ten, a Town) he derives from Ac, a River, and Ton9 Habitation.
ASTON (which is merely Eajl-tcwn, as in fome parts of England Eafier is ftill called After) he will have from As, River, and Tcn9 Habitation.
AUKLAND (which is probably old Englifh for OAK-LAND) he fetches from Oc, a little Hill, Lan, River, and D from Dy, Two.
COLBROKE, he fays, comes from the Saxon Broke * a Bridge ; i. e. a Bridge over the Colnc.
DICH-MARSH, he derives from Dich, which he fays is from Dichlud, Borne, and Mar, Water. Dich- mar, Land borne up by Water.
HANWELL, he fays, is from Han, a Bending, and Val, in competition rel, a River.
HICHAM (a borough in Northamptonfhire, which ftands on a hill, at fome diftance from any river, and which was doubtlefs named from its elevated fituation, High-ham ; i. e. the Home or Habitation on High Ground: See Verftigan :) this writer derives from J, a River, and Cam, in compofition Gam, a Bending.
NORTHAMPTON, (either fo named in contradif- tindlion to SOUTH HAMPTON, or, according to Cam- den, originally Nortb-avonton ;) this egregious Ety- mologift derives from Nor, (Embouchure) the Mouth of a river, Tan, a River, and Ton, Habitation.
NORTHILL, (which f fuppofe is merely North- Hill) he derives from Nor, River, and Tyle, Habita- tion.
OUNDALE fcontra&ed for Avon-dale! he derives from /fi/on, a River, and Dal, Inclofed, furroundcd.
RING WOOD (i. e. J fuppofe, a *' Wood ring-fenc- " ed," a common foreft term) he derives from Ren (Portage) a Divifion, Cw, River, and Hed, a Fo- rcft.
STANFORD
( xlvii )
STANFORD (i. e. Stone, or Stony Ford) he de- rives from Stan (Embouchure} a Mouth of a River, Vor^ pronounced For, Near.
STRATTON (r. e. Street-Town, the name of a Town on the Watling-ftreet) from Stratt Land near a River, and Tow, Habitation : Or, from Ster, Rii- vers, jit, Junction or Joining, and To«, Habitation.
UXBRIDGE, (fuppofed by fome to be corrupted from Oufe- bridge) he derives from Uc9 River, and Bri^ (Portage) Divifion.
Such are the derivations of a writer who fets out to explain the meaning of Englifh names of places, with- out underftanding the fignification of our common Englifti words LAND, BROOK, MARSH, WELL, HIGH, NORTH, HILL, DALE, WOOD, FORD, STREET or BRIDGE !
So much for Celtic Etymologies !
POSTSCRIPT.
*Tp O the modern Tongues derived from the QZd •*• CiMBRo-GoTHic above mentioned in p. xxxii. may be added a Specimen of the Language fpoken by the common people in the Ifles of Orkney. This is preferred by Dr. Wallace, in his ACCOUNT of thofe Jflands, 4< Lond. 1700. 8vo." Who reUs us it is called by the natives Narns* It feems to be a corruption of the NORSE, Icelandic, &c. and is as follows :
" Favor i ir i Chimrie. i. Helleur ir i Nam thite. " 2. Gilla cofdum thite cumma. 3. Veya thine mota *' var gort o Yurn finna gort i Chimrie. 4. Gav *« vus da on da dalight Brow vora. 5. Firgive vus c< Sinna vora fin vee firgive Sindara mutha vus. 6. " Lyv vus ye i Tumtation. 7. Min delivera vus fro " Olt ilt. Amen.
y^- I fufpeft the abo^ve Copy to be incorrectly print- ed by Wallace : that u Helleur" fliould be " Hel- '* leut," &c. &c.
c 4
of literature and promoter of knowledge: it is therefore but juftue to thn Monarch to mention a few of th- literary undertakings which owe their nfe and eflabliflunent to bis bounty and love of Science.
I. He imlinited a Society, confifling of four or five gentlemen, who have a fahry of 400!. per annum affigned thrm, purpofely for the cul- ?!>r.f;on of the Dar.ifh Language, and illustration of the Icelandic and Northern Antiquities. They have in their poflefiion a great quantity of .Tunufciipts relative to the lait?r 5 and, among the reft, the intire Vo- VUSPA. This Society has already publifoed two volumes upon Mifcel- lan^ous Subj?£h; in which are two Diflfertations relative to the ICELAN- DIC ANTJOjJiTir:.
IF. He directed and enabled his ProfefTor of Botany, Dr. OEDER, to publjih that magnificent work, the Fhra Danica; of which he com- manded prefents to be made to all the principal clergy, engaging them tc contribute their afliftance towards perfecting an undertaking fo ufeful and extenfive : And, in order to promote the fame defign all over Eu- rope, he commanded this work to be printed in the Latin and French, as well as German and Danifh Languages ; and to be carried on till it fhall be found to contain the figures and defcriptions of all the plants '* hich grow within the limits of the polar circle, and the j3d degree of latitude.
TIL He fent the celebrated Mifiion of Literati to explore the interior f arts of Arabia, at d to give us a more perfect account of that now almoft unknown country, which was once the feat of learning and fcience: as alfo to collect whatever reliques could be found of the old Arabian books, biftory, ibc. Thefe Miflionaries were FIVE in number, viz. Mr. Pro- feilbr Dt HAVEN, for Philology and Language: Mr. ProfefTor Fos- SXAL (a Difciple of Lianaeus) for Natural Hiftcry : a lieutenant of engineers, Mr. NIEBVHK, f.-.r Geography and Aftronomy: Dr. CRA- MER, for Medicine, and Mr. PAU»ENFEIND for Drawing and taking View«, &c. The whole defign and plan of their voyage may be feen in Monf. MICHAELIS'S " Recueil da quefliw prepoffes a une Sttiete de *• Sai-ar.s, jui far ardrc tie fa Maj, Dan. fsnt It voyage de /' Arahit, &c." Frjncf. 1763. izmo. Of hete r I VE Literati, only one is returned alive out of the f.aft. Their join-, obfervations, however, are in the hands of Mr NIKBUHR the furviv..r, which he is preparing for the prefs in the permah Lang'i.->ge. As fome of the travellers died early in their tour, we mud not rxpcft to find the original plan entirely compleated. The work will be found moft perfect in svhat relates to Geography and Natu- ral Hiftory : but though it muft, from the circumftances abive menrioned , prove fomewhat deftflive, the world nmy neverthelefs form confidEriliC expeclafions of it; and it will, as we- are affured, be given to the Publ in the uurk ot this prefem year, M,DCC,LXX.
( xlix )
THE
FRENCH AUTHOR'S PREFACE.
IF it be allowed that the Hiftory of a confiderablc people is in itfelf ufeful and interefting, indepen- dent of all accidental circumftancesi it muft alfo be acknowledged that there are certain points of time, •when fuch a Hiftory runs a better chance of being re- ceived, than at any other. This is more particularly the cafe when a general curiofity is excited concern- ing the nation which is the fubjeft of that hiftory. An illuftrious reign *, diftinguifhed by whatever can render it dear to a people, and glorious in the eyes of fenfible obfervers, cannot attract the attention of man- kind, without infpiring at the fame time, a defire of knowing the principal events which have preceded that reign.
This reflection fufficiently juftifies my defign of pub- lifhing a new Hiftory of Denmark in the French Language. If I am fortunate enough to fucceed in my undertaking, I (hall be the more happy, as I {hall, in many refpects, anfwer the ends of my prefent em- ployment, and (hall give, at the fame time, a proof of my gratitude to the Danifh nation, who have fo generoufly adopted me for their fellow-citizen.
• Our Author here (and below, p. lv.) pays a compliment to the late King of Denmark , FREDERICK V ; with what reafon fee the preceding page
lam
(1)
I am not ignorant that many perfons have executed long ago, either in the whole or in part, a work of the fame kind with mine ; and I (hall, in its proper p!ace, do juftice to their diligence *. But as the vo- lume which I now offer to the public relates to a fub- je£l which thefe Authors have treated either very iuperfkially, or not at all ; I fhall here, in a few words, give my reafons why, at fetting out, I have followed a plan fomewhat different from theirs.
To run curforily over a number Q( events, uncon- nected and void of circumftances, .without being able to penetrate into their true caufes; to fee people, princes, conquerors and legiflators fucceed one an- other rapidly upon the ftage, without knowing any thing of their real character, manner of thinking, or of the fpirit which animated them, this is to have only the fkeleton of Hiftory; this is meerly to be- hold a parcel of dark and obfcure fhadows, inftead of living and cenverfing with real men. For this reafon I have all along refolved not to meddle with the body of the Danifh Hiftory, till I have prefcnted my Rea- ders with a (ketch of the manners and genius of the firft inhabitants of Denmark. But I imagined, like thofe who have preceded me in this attempt, that a few pages would have fufficed for illuftrating the mod effential of thefe points ; nor was it, till 1 had exa- mined this matter with new attention, that I difco- vered my mrftake. I then found, that too much brevity would defeat the end I propofed, which was to place my fubjeft in different points of view, all of them equally new and interesting.
• Our Author probably alludes to a former hiftory of Denmark in the French Language, (dedicated to the prefent King's grandfather, K. FREDERICK IV.) iniitled, " ISHifloirt de Dannemarc avar.t et defnh u rEtabL/ementdc la Monarchic : Par Mr. J. B. D r s R o c H E s , Effvyer, «« Cbtjet/ter et JT.*cat Central du Roi 7r. Cbr. au Bureau lies Finances et " Cbambrc. dti Domaiie dt la Gtneralite de la Roebelle." AMST. 1730. 6 Vol. iimo. To this work is prefixed a PRFFACF HISTOR IQ^UK four ftruir d' Introduction a rHiJloirt de Dfxtitmarc j which contaias a tolerable difplay of the Northern Antiquities, &c.
In
(li)
In fair, Hiftory has not recorded the annals of a people who have occafioned greater, more fudden, or more numerous revolutions in Europe than the Scan- dinavians ; or whofe antiquities, at the kme time, arc fo little known. Had, indeed, their emigrations been, only like thofe fuddci. toi rents of which all traces and remembrance are foon effaced, the indifference ;hat has been (hown to them would have been fufficiently ju- ftified by the barbarifm they have been reproached with. But, during thofe general inundations, the face of Europe underwent fo total a change; and during the confufion they occafioned, fuch different eftablifh- ments took place; rew focieties were formed, ani- mated fo intirely with a new fpirit, that the Hiftory of our own manners and inftitutions ought neceflarily to afcend back, and even dwell a confiderable time upon a period, which difcoversto us their chief origin and fource.
But I ought nofbarely to affert this. Permit me to fupport the affertion by proofs. For this purpofe, let us briefly run over all the different Revolutions which this part of the world underwent, during the long courfe of ages which its Hiftory comprehends, in or- der to fee what mare the nations of the north have had in producing them. If we recur back to the remoteft times, we obferve a nation iffuing ftep by ftep from the forefts of Scythia, inceffantly increafing and dividing to take pofleffion of the uncultivated countries which it met with in its progrefs. Very foon after, we fee the fame people, like a tree full of vigour, extending long branches over all Europe ; we fee them alfo carrying with them, wherever they came, from the borders of the Black Sea, to the ex- tremities of Spain, of Sicily, and Greece, a religion fimple and martial as themfelves, a form of govern- ment dictated by good fenfe and liberty, a reftlefs unconquered fpirit, apt to take fire at the very men- tion of fubje&ion and conftraint, and a ferocious courage, nourimed by a favage and vagabond life. While the gentlenefs of the climate foftened impercep- tibly
tibly the ferocity of thofe who fettled in the fouth, Colonies of Egyptians and Phenicians mixing with them upon the coafts of Greece, and thence pafT- ing over to thofe of Italy, taught them at lalt to live in cities, to cultivate letters, arts and commerce. Thus their opinions, their cuftoms and genius, were blended together, and new ftates were formed upon new plans. Rome, in the mean time, arofe, and ac length carried all before her. In proportion as fhe in- creafed in grandeur, fhe forgot her ancient manners, and deftroyed, among the nations whom {he over- powered, the original fpirit with which they were animated. But this fpirit continued unaltered in the colder countries of Europe, and maintained itfelf there like the independency of the inhabitants. Scarce could fifteen or fixteen centuries produce there any change in that fpirit. There it renewed itfelf incef- fantly ; for, during the whole of that long interval, new adventurers ifluing continually from the original inexhauftible country, trod upon the heels of their fathers towards the north, and, being in their turn fucceeded by new troops of followers, they puflied one another forward, like the waves of the fea. The northern countries, thus overftocked, and unable any longer to contain fuch reftlefs inhabitants, equally greedy of glory and plunder, difcharged at length, upon the Roman Empire, the weight that opprefled them. The barriers of the Empire, ill defended by a people whom profperity had enervated, were borne down on all fides by torrents of victorious armies. We then fee the conquerors introducing, among the nations they vanquiihed, viz. into the very bofom of ilavery and iloth, that fpirit of independance and equa- lity, that elevation of foul, that tafte for rural and military life, which both the one and the other had originally derived from the fame common fource, but which were then among the Romans breathing their laft. Difpofitions and principles fo oppofite, ftruggled long with forces fufficiently equal, but they united in the end, they coalefced together, and from their coa- lition
lition fprung thofe principles and that fpirit which governed, afterwards, almoft all the ftates of Europe, and which, notwithflanding the differences of climate, of religion and particular accidents, do ftill vifibly reign in them, and retain, to this day, more or leis the traces of their firft common original.
It is eafy to fee, from this fbort (ketch, how greatly the nations of the north have influenced the different fates of Europe: And, if it be worth while to trace its revolutions to their caufes, if the illuftration of its inftitutions, of its police, of its cuftoms, of its man- ners, of its laws, be a fubjecl of ufeful and intereft- ing inquiry ; it muft be allowed, that the Anti- quities of the north, that is to fay, every thing which tends to make us acquainted with its ancient inhibi- t.mts, merits a {hare in the attention of thinking men. But to render this obvious by a particular example ; Is it not well known that the moft flourifhing and ce- lebrated ftates of Europe owe originally to the nor- thern nations, whatever liberty they now enjoy, either in their conftitution, or in the fpirit of their government? P'or although the Gothic form of govern- ment has been almoft every where altered or abolifhed, have we not retained, in moft things, the opinions, the cuftoms, the manners which that government had a tendency to produce ? Is not this, in fa£r, the principal fource of that courage, of that averfion to flavery, of that empire of honour which charadterife in general the European nations ; and of that mode- ration, of that eafmefs of accefs, and peculiar atten- tion to the rights of humanity, which fo happily dif- tinguifh our fovereigns from the inacceffible and fu- perb tyrants of Afia ? The immenfe extent of the Roman Empire had rendered its conftitution fo de- fpotic and miiitary, many of its Emperors were fuch ferocious monfters, its fenate was become fo mean- fpirited and vile, that all elevation of fentiment, every thing that was noble and manly, feems to have been for ever banifhed from their hearts and minds : Info- muchj that if all Europe had received the yoke of
Komr
(Uv)
Rome in this her (late of debafement, this fine part of the world, reduced to the inglorious condition of the reft, could not have avoided falling into that kind of barbarity, which is of all others the moft incurable; as, by making as many flaves as there are men, it degrades them fo low as not to leave them even a thought or defire of bettering their condition. But Nature had long prepared a remedy for fuch great evils, in that unfubmiting, unconquerable fpirit, with •which (he had infpired the people of the north ; and thus {he made amends to the human race, for all the calamities which, in other refpefts, the inroads of thefe nations, and the overthrow of the Roman Em- pire produced.
" The great prerogative of Scandinavia, (fays the " admirable Author of the Spirit of Laws) and what ** ought to recommend its inhabitants beyond every people upon earth, is, that they afforded the great refource to the liberty of Europe, that is, to almoft all the liberty that is among men. The Goth JORNANDES, (adds he) calls the north of Europe THE FORGE OF MANKIND. I fhould rather call it, the forge of thofe inftruments which broke the fetters manufactured in the fouth. It was there thofe valiant nations were bred, who left their native climes to deftroy tyrants and flaves, " and to teach men that nature having made them " equal, no reafon could be afligned for their becom- " ing dependent, but their mutual happinefs."
If thefe confiderations be of any weight, I (hall cafily be excufed for having treated at fo much length, the Antiquities of the nation whofe Hiftory I write. The judicious public will fee and decide, whether I have conceived a juft idea of my fubjefr, or whether, from an illufion too common with Authors, I have not afcribed to it more importance than it deferves. I fhould not be without fome apprehenfions of this kind, if that were always true which is commonly faid, that we grow fond of our labours in proportion as they are difficult. Many tedious and unentertain-
ing
(hr)
ing volumes I have been obliged to perufe : I have had more than one language to learn : My materials were widely fcattered, ill digefted, and often little known: It was not eafy to collect them, or to accommodate them to my purpofe. Thefe are all c ire urn (ranees, ill calculated, it muft be owned, to give me much aflur- ance. But I have likewife met with very confiderable affiftances ; feveral learned men have treated particular points of the Antiquities of the north, with that deep erudition which chara&erifes the frudies of the laft age. I cannot mention, without acknowledgment and praife, BARTHOLINUS, WORMIUS, STEPHANIUS, ARNGRIM JONAS, TORF^EUS, &c. I have alfo con- fulted, with advantage, two learned ftrangers, MefH PELLOUTIER and DALIN. The firft, in his fiiftory of the Geltes, has thrown a great deal of light upon the religion of the firft inhabitants of Europe. The fecond has given a new Hiftory of Sweden, which difcovers extenfive reading and genius. In three or four chapters, where the Author treats of the reli- gion, the laws and manners of the ancient Swedes, we find thefe fubjecls di (cuffed with unufual perfpi- cuity and elegance.
There are people of that happy genius, that they need only wifh in order to fucceed, and have every re- fource within themfelves. As for me, I dare hardly reckon among my advantages, the ftrong motives and inducements I have had to my undertaking. I dare not tell ftrangcrs, that I have had the happinefs of be- ing encouraged by more than one Maecenas, and by a Prince, alike knowing, and zealous in the advance- ment of knowledge. They would judge of me, un- queftionably, according to what fuch numerous and great encouragements ought to have produced, when, perhaps, I hardly find myielf capable of Jifcharging the duties which lie upon me in common wilh all Hiftorians.
Is it neceflary that I fhould take notice, before I conclude, that 1 am about to delineate a nation in its infancy, and that the grcateft part or the other Euro- peans
(Ivi)
peans were neither lefs favage, nor lefs uncivilized, during the fame period ? I (hall give fufficient proofs of this in other places, being perfuaded that there is among nations an emulation of glory, which often degenerates into jealoufy, and puts them upon afTum- ing a pre-eminence upon the moft chimerical advanta- ges: That there glows in their bofoms a patriotic zeal, which is often fo blind and ill informed, as to take alarm at the moft (lender and indifferent declara- tions made in favour of others.
In the fecond Volume will be found a Tranflation of the EDDA, and of fome other fragments of Mytho- logy and ancient pieces of Poetry. They are fingu- lar, and, in many refpects, precious monuments, which throw much light upon the Antiquities of the north, and upon thoie of the other l Gothic *' na- tions. They will ferve for Proofs, and be a Supplement to this Defcription of the Manners of the Ancient Danes ; and for this reafon, as well as out of deference to the advice of fome perfons of tafte, 1 was induced to tranflate them, and to annex them to it.
* d!:t:. Orig.
A DES-
A
DESCRIPTION
OF THE
MANNERS, CUSTOMS, Vc.
OF THE
ANCIENT DANES
And other NORTHERN NATIONS.
CHAPTER I.
Denmark defcribed, and the federal countries fubjetf to its crown, 'viz. Norway, Iceland, Greenland.
THE feveral countries, which com- pofe the Danim monarchy, have feldom juftice done them by thf- other nations of Europe. The notions en tertained of them are not commonly the moft favourable or true. This is owing to various caufes. The lituation cf Tome of the provinces is fo remote, that fkilful travellers have feldom had occafion to vifit them; Thofe who have pretended to de- VOL. I. Chap. I, B fcribe
• ( 2 )
fcribe them have been generally wanting in fidelity or exadnefs ; Some of their defcrip- tions are grown obfolete, fo that what was once true, is no longer fo at prefent ; Laftly, fuch confufion and prejudices have been occafioned by that vague term THENoRTH, that we are not to wonder if Denmark has been thought ilightly of by the fouthern nations. To correct thefe miftakes I mall lay before the Reader a faithful account of the prefent ftate of thefe countries : In which I fhall be more or lefs diffufe in pro- portion as they are more or lefs known to foreigners, for whom this work is princi- pally defigned. And if the piclure I draw, prefents .nothing very agreeable or ftriking, I dare at leaft promife that it mall be very exact and faithful.
DENMARK is naturally divided into con- tinent, and iilands. Among the iflands, the firfr. that merits attention, as well on account of its lize as fertility, is ZEALAND. In this iile is feated COPENHAGEN, the capital of the whole kingdom ; which de- rives its name from its harbour*, one of the fmeft in the world. This city is built
* It's name in the Da- ./kViffr/,andHAFFN, For-
rifli language is KIOBEN- tus. This city has been
MAFFN; which literally is reckoned by travellers to
a " Haven for merchandize be about the fize of Brif-
or traffic;" frcm KIOBE, tol; T«
4 upon
(3)
upon the very edge of that channel, fo well known by the name of the SOUND, and re- ceives into its bofom a fmall arm of the fea, which divides Zealand from another ifle of lefs extent, but of very agreeable fituation, named AM AC. Copenhagen, which is at prefent very ftrong, wealthy, and populous, hath continually improved in its dimenfions and beauty ever fince king Chriftopher of Bavaria fixed his refidence there in the year 1443 : but it owes its greater! fplendor to the laft reign, and that of the prefent king Frederic V. in which it hath been adorned with a palace worthy of the monarch who inhabits it, and with many ftately build- ings, as well public as private.
At fome leagues diftance towards the north, this channel, which wafhes the walls of Copenhagen, grows gradually nar- rower, being confined between the two oppofite coafts of Zealand and Schonen, till it forms at length what is properly called the PafTage of the Sound ; one of the moft celebrated and moft frequented ftraits in the world ; and which opens the prin- cipal communication between the ocean and the Baltic. ELSE N ORE, which is fituated -on the brink of the Sound, and defended by the fortrefs of CRONENBERG, enjoys the ever-moving picture of a multitude of (hips, which pafs and repafs, and come to
Chap. I. B 2 pay
( 4 )
pay their tribute to the king *. About a league diftant the oppofite fhore terminates the proipect in a very agreeable manner ; and not far off, between the two banks, rifes the little ifle of WE ME, famous for the obfervations of Tycho Brahe. Although the other parts of Zealand afford nothing fo ftriking as this ; the eye will find enough to entertain it every where elfe. Here are vail plains covered with a mod delightful verdure, which fprings earlier and continues longer than the fouthern nations would ima- gine. Thefe plains are interfperfed with little hills, lakes, and groves ; and adorned with feveral palaces, many gentlemens feats -J-, and a good number of cities and towns. The foil, though light and fome- what fandy, produces a great quantity of grain, particularly of oats and barley : nor is it deficient in woods and paflures. Be- fides, the fea and lakes furnifh this illand with fifh in fuch abundance, as might well fupply the want of the other fruits of the earth in a country lefs fertile or lefs addicted to commerce.
But fertility is in a flill more eminent de- gree the character of FUNEN, which is the fecond of the Danifh ifles in point of fize,
* A certain toll paid by the merchant- (hips for paf- fing the Sound. T.
f In French, Chateaux.
5
( 5)
but the firft in goodnefs of foil. This ifland rifes higher than that of Zealand, and is fe- parated from it by an arm of the fea, which, on account of its breadth, is called the GREAT BELT, to diftinguifli it from an- other fmaller channel, that divides it from Jutland, and is called the LESSER BELT. Corn, pafture, and fruits grow plentifully in this ifland, which prefents the mofl de- lightful appearance. In the middle of a vaft plain ftands ODENSEE, the capital of the province ; and feven towns lefs con- fiderable adorn the fea-coafts at almoft equal distances.
The ifles of LALAND and FALSTRIA yield not much in point of fertility to Funen, being both of them famous for their fine wheat : but the latter of thefe produces alfo fruits in fuch abundance, that one may juftly call it the Orchard of Denmark. Amidft the multitude of lefier iflands, that are fcattered round the principal ones, there are few which do not fupply their inhabi- tants with neceffaries, and even afford them an overplus for traffic. LAN GLAND hath plenty of fine corn-fields. Bo KN HOLM, MoNA,and SAMSOE have excellent paftures. AM AC is found very proper for pulfe, -and is become a fruitful garden under the hands of thofe induftrious Flemings, who were brought hither by queen Elizabeth,
Chap. I. 63 wife
(*)
wife of Chriftian II. and fifter of Charles .V.
If we pafs over to the provinces on the continent, we (hall find new reafons to convince us, that Denmark plentifully fup- ports its inhabitants, and is able to enrich even a numerous people. JUTLAND, the largeft of thefe provinces, forms the head of that long peninfula, which is bounded by the ocean to the weft, by the gulph of Categade and the Baltic to the eaft, and which opens a communication into Ger- many towards the fouth. From this pro- vince they carry into Norway a great part of the corn ufed in that kingdom; and hence are exported thofe thoufands of head of cattle, which are every year brought into Holland and other' countries. Here are alfo bred thofe Danifh horfes, whofe beauty makes them fo much fought after in all parts of Europe. If the inland parts are barren in fome places, the coafts extremely abound with fifh. This affords a refource fo much the greater, as they increafe and breed in the long bays, which fun up into the country, in fuch a manner that almoft all the inhabitants enjoy the benefit of the fimery. The gulph of LIMFIORDE in particular reaches almoft from one fea to the other ; and the fifh ing therein is fo rich, that, after
it
(7)
it has fupplied the wants of the province, it constantly produces large quantities for exportation *.
Nature hath been no lefs indulgent to the fouthern part of this peninfula, which forms the dutchy of SLESWIC. Although the inland parts of this country have large tracts of heath and barren fields, yet the fertility of its coafts, its advantageous fitu- ation between the ocean and the Baltic, the number and convenience of its harbours, and the large traffic which it carries on, have enriched many of its cities, and rendered it an agreeable and flourishing province -f- .
What I have faid of the dutchy of Slef- wic is pretty nearly applicable to the dut- chy of HOLSTEIN. This province is in general rich, fertile, and populous J. Fat B 4 and
* " The principal ci- " REN,andTcNNiNGEV,
«* ties of Jutland are AL- " are cities of tolerable
*c BURG, NYCOPPING, " fize." Flrjl Edit.
" WYBURG, AARHU- % Lord Molefworth ob-
ec SEN, RANDERS, HOR- ferves, that this country
"SENS, WARDE, RIDE, very much refemblesENC-
FREDERICIA, COLD- LAND. Another traveller
ING, &c.'' Flrjl Edit. has remarked, that the in-
-j- '* SLESWIC, an an- habitants are in their per-
cient and confiderable Tons very like the ENG-
city, is the capital of LISH. See"Howeli's Let-
the dutchy. FLENS- ters," vol. i. fe£l. 6. lett. 4.
BURG hath an extenfive It feems this writer was at
commerce. FREDE- Rendfburg (or as he calls
RICKSTADT, TONDE- it Rainfburg) when the
CJiap. I. king
(8 )
and plentiful paftures; large and trading cities fituate near together ; coafts abound- ing in fifh, and a large river* which termi- nated the province towards the fouth, form its principal advantages -f*.
On the other fide of the Elb, after crof- fing the country of Bremen, we find two fmall provinces, which have been long united to the crown of Denmark. Thefe are the counties of OLDENBURG and DEL- MEN HORST, which are comprized within
king of Denmark held an afTembly of the ihtes there in 1632. " Among other " things, he fays, I put *' myfelf to mark the car- " riage of the Holftein " gentlemen, as they were <c going in and out at the <* parliament-houfe : and tl obferving well their phy- " fiognomies, their com- " plections, and gait ; I ** thought verily I was in " P.ngland ; for they re- " femblethe Englifh more " than either Welfli or " Scot (though cohabiting f( u-on the fame iflandj "or any other people that " ever I faw yet ; which *' makes me verily believe, " that the Englifli nation *<• came firft from this *' lower circle of Saxony; " and there is one thing " that flrengthencth me
in this belief; that there is an ancient town hard by, called Lunden, and an ifland called Angles; * whence it may well be that our country came from Britannia to be Anglia." This remark is confirmed by the moft diligent inquirers into this fubjeft,whopla<;e the coun- try of our Saxon anceftors in the Cimbric Cherfonefe, in the tracts of land fmce known by the names of Jutland, Angelen, and Holftein. T.
* The Elb.
t " The kingofDen- " mark pofleiTes here " RF.NDSBURG, a very " ftrong place, 'ALTON A, " a town of grqat trade, " and GLUCKERSTADT, " a good fortification."
F'irjl Edit,
the
(9)
the circle of Weftphalia, and have re- ceived their names from their two principal cities.
The temperature of the air is nearly the fame in the greateft part of thefe provinces, and, except in the north of Jutland, is much milder than their fituation would incline one to believe, being rarely fubject to very long or rigorous cold. To comprehend this, it will be fufficient to remind the rea- der, of this general obfervation, that coun- tries furrounded with the fea, have their atmofphere loaded with vapours continually exhaling from it, which break and blunt the nitrous particles of the air, and foften its rigours. When the flraits and gulphs, which furround the Danifh iflands, become frozen in very (harp winters, it is lefs ow- fng to the prevalence of the froft there, than to the large flakes of ice, which are driven by the winds out of the northern feas, and are there aflembled and united. The fummer feafon commonly begins with the month of May, and continues till Oc- tober : and during its continuance, the beauty of the country, the fremnefs and Ihortnefs of the nights, and the convenience of navigation in a country furrounded and crofted by the fea, eaiily repair and make the inhabitants forget the languors and in- terruptions, which winter caufes in their bufmefs and amufements.
Chap. I. If
If travellers for the mod part have not been very favourable in their accounts of Denmark, they have been ftill lefs tender of NORWAY. They have often confounded it with Lapland, and have given defcrip- tions of its inhabitants, and their man- ners, which are hardly applicable to the favages of that country. The notion that is generally entertained of the extreme coldnefs of the climate here is no lefs unjuft. It is true, that in a kingdom which extends thirteen degrees from north to Ibuth, the temperature of the air cannot every where be the fame : accordingly the mofl northern parts of Norway, thofe which face the eaft, and which are not flickered by the mountains from the fury of the north winds, are undoubtedly ex- pofed to rigorous winters. But almoft all that length of coaft, which is wafhed by the fea towards the weft, and which forms fo confiderable a part of Norway, com- monly enjoys an air tolerably temperate, even in the middle of winter. Here are none of thole " defolate regions, where " Winter hath eftablimed his eternal em- " pire, and where he reigns among horrid " heaps of ice and fnow," as ignorance hath often led travellers, and a fondnefs for the marvellous induced poets to fpeak of Norway. It is feldom that a very marp froft lafts there a fortnight or three weeks
together ;
together -, it rains frequently at BERGEN in the midft of winter*, and the ports of Hamburg, Lubeck, and Amfterdam, are locked up with froft ten times for once that this city is fo expofed. In fhort, this is an accident that doth not happen more than two or three times in an age. The vapours, which rife from the ocean, con- tinually foften the fharpnefs of the cold ; and it is only in the coafts of Iceland, Fin- mark, and Greenland, that are found thofe immenfe and eternal banks of ice, of which voyagers make fuch a noife, and which, when they are fevered, may fometimes float along the coafts of Norway.
The greateft inconvenience to which this vaft country is expofed, arifes without dif- pute, from the inequality of the ground, from it's being almoft entirely covered with rocks and ftones, and croft every wny by high and large mountains, which render a great part of it wild and defert. There grow, not- withftanding, feveral forts of grain in many of the provinces, as in the UPLANDS, the RYFOLKE, JEDEREN -f ; the reft which have not this advantage may eafily be fupplied from Jutland or the Danirfi iflands, by means of the navigation. Various
* Sec PONTOPPIDAN'S og. Norg. Beflcrivelfe.
natural hiftory of Nor- [i. e. Defcription of Den-
>vay, vol. i. mark and Norway.] p. 36.
•f HOLBERG'S Danm, & feqq.
Chap. I. products,
( 12)
products, with which this country abounds, fufficiently compenfate for that difadvan- tage.
The other nations of Europe cannot be ignorant that great part of the pitch and tar, of the mafts, planks, and different forts of timber, which are every where ufed, come from Norway. Thefe articles alone would be fufficient to procure an eafy competence for the inhabitants of the inland and eafterri parts of this country. The weftern coafl hath a refource not lefs rich or lefs certain, in the prodigious abundance of its fifh. Cod, falmon and herrings are no where found in greater quantities. The Norwe- gians fupply part of Europe with thefe; and this fruitful branch of commerce be- comes every day more extenfive by the care of a wife adminiftration. The very moun- tains of this country, which at firil: fight, appear fo barren, often conceal great riches in their bofoms. Some of them are intirc quarries of fine marble, which the luxury of all the cities of Europe could never ex- hauft. In others are found jafper, cryftal and fome precious flones ; feveral mines of gold, though hitherto not very rich ; two mines of filver by no means fcanty ; much copper ; but above all fo great a quantity of iron, that this fingle article brings almoft as much money into the kingdom, as what arifes from the fale of its timber.
At
( '3)
At the northern extremity of this ki'ng- tlom and of Europe, dwells a people, which, from the earlieft ages, have differed from the other inhabitants of Scandinavia, in fi- gure, manners, and language. This na- tion, known by the name of FINNS, or LAPLANDERS, not only poffefs the northern parts of Norway, but alfo vaft countries in Mufcovy and Sweden. They are a coarfe and favage race of men, yet by no means barbarous, if we underftand by this word mifchievous and cruel. Such of them as live upon the fea-coafts fupport themfelves by fiming, and by a traffic they carry on with a fort of little barks, which they make and fell to the Norwegians. The reft wan- der up and down in the mountains without any fixed habitation, and gain a fcanty fub- fiftence by hunting, by their pelteries, and their rain-deer. Such of them as are neigh- bours to the Norwegians have embraced chriftianity, and are ibmewhat civilized by their commerce with that people. The reft live ftill in ignorance, not knowing fo much as the names of the other nations of the world; preferved by their poverty and their climate from the evils which difturb the en- joyments of more opulent countries. Their whole religion confifts in fome confufed no- tions of an invifible and tremendous being : and a few fuperftitious ceremonies compoie their worihip. They have no laws, and
Chap. I. fcarce
fcarce any magistrates : yet have they great .humanity, a natural foftnefs of difpofition, and a very hofpitable temper.
They were nearly the fame in the time of Tacitus. " The FINNS*," he fays, •*' live in extreme favagenefs, in fquallid " poverty : have neither arms, nor fteeds, " nor houfes. Herbs are their food, fkins " their cloathing, the earth their bed. All " their refource is their arrows, which " they point with fifh-bones, for want of " iron. Their women live by hunting, <: as well as the men -f. For they every " where accompany them, and gain their " mare of the prey. A rude hovel fhelters " their infants from the inclemencies of " the weather, and the beafts of prey. " Such is the home to which their young " men return ; the afylum to which the " old retire. This kind of life they think " more happy, than the painful toils of " agriculture, than the various labours of " domeftic management, than that circle " of hopes and fears, in which men are " involved by their attention to the fortune " of themfelves and others. Equally fe- tf cure both as to gods and men, the Finns
* FENNI. TACIT. De . that herbs are their food :
raorib. Germ, ad fin. I fuppofe herbs were their
t This feems to con- ordinary food j flefh gain-
tradict the paflage above, ed by hunting their regale.
" have
( '5)
" have attained that rare privilege, not to " form a (ingle wifh."
I ought not to feparate ICELAND from Norway. This ifland, the largeft in Eu- rope next to Great Britain, is furrounded by that part of the northern fea, which geographers have been pjeafed to call the Deucalidonian ocean. Its length from eaft to weft is about 112 Danifh miles (12 to a degree) and its mean breadth may be 50 of thofe miles J. Nature itfelf hath marked out the divifion of this country *. Two long chains of mountains run from the middle of the eaftern and weftern coafts, riling by de- grees till they meet in the center of the ifland : from whence two other chains of fmaller hills gradually defcend till they reach the coafts that lie north and fouth ; thus mak- ing a primary divifion of the country into four quarters (fierdingers) which are di- ftinguifhed by the four points of the co'm- pafs towards which they lie.
The whole ifland can only be confidered as one vaft mountain, interfperfed with long and deep vallies, concealing in its bofom heaps of minerals, of vitrified and bitu- minous fubftances, and rifing on all fides out of the ocean in the form of a fhort blunted cone -j~.
t About 560 Englifh p. 18. § 6. miles long, and 250 broad. f Vid. HORREBOW'*
T. Natural Hiftory of Ice-
* EGERH. OLAI E- land, paffim. narrat. Hiftor. de Ifland.
Chap. I. Earth-
( 16 )
Earthquakes and volcanoes have thro' all ages laid wade this unhappy ifland. Hecla, the only one of thefe volcanoes, which is known by name to the reft of Europe, feems at prefent extinct; but the principles of fire, which lie concealed all over the ifland, often break out in other places. There have been already within this century many erup- tions, as dreadful, as they were unexpected. From the bofom of thefe enormous heaps of ice we have lately feen afcend torrents of fmoke, of flame, and melted or calcined fubftances, which fpread fire and inunda- tion wide over the neighbouring fields, whilft they filled the air with thick clouds, and hideous roarings caufed by the melting of fuch immenfe quantities of fnow and ice. One meets almoft every where in travelling through this country with marks of the fame confufion and difbrder. One fees enormous piles of fharp and broken rocks, which are fometimes porous and half calcined, and often frightful on account of their blacknefs, and the traces of fire, which they ftill retain. The clefts and hollows of the rocks are only filled with thofe hideous and barren ruins ; but in the valleys, which are formed between the mountains, and which are fcattered here and there all over the ifland very often at a confiderable diftance from each other, are found very extenfive and delightful plains,
where
( -7)
xvhere nature, who always mingles Corns allay with the rigour of her feverities, af- fords a tolerable afylum for men who know no better, and a moft plentiful and delicate nourilhment for cattle.
I ought to beftow a word or two upon another northern country dependent on the kingdom of Norway, as well as Iceland, but much more extenfive, more unknown, and more favage : I mean GREENLAND, a vaft country, which one knows not whe- ther to call an illand or continent. It ex- tends from the 6oth to the Scth degree of* latitude ; farther than that men have not penetrated. All that we can know for certain of it is, that this country, little known to geographers, ftretches away from its fouthern point, named Cape Farewel, continually widening both towards the eaft and weft. The eaftern coaft in fome places is not diftant more than 40 rniles from Ice- land, but the ice, which furrounds it, or other unknown caufes, make it now paf3 for inacceflable. Yet it was chiefly on this coaft, that the Norwegians formerly efta- bliihed a colony, as we fhall mow here- after : a colony which at this time is either* deftroyed, or perhaps only neglected, and cut oft from all communication with the reft of the world. With regard to the weftern coaft, which alone is frequented by
VOL. I. Chap. I. C / the
th-e Danes at prefent ; it is known no far- ther than the yoth degree. It is very pro- bable that on this fide, Greenland joins to the continent of America. Yet no one hath hitherto reached the bottom of the Bay, or Straits of Davies. The Savages whom the Danes have found on this coaft, are not unlike the Laplanders in figure, yet fpeak a language quite different from theirs. They are fhort of feature, and thick-fet, their vifage is broad and tawny, their lips are thick, and their hair black and coarfe. They are robuft, phlegmatic, incurious, and even fhipid when their own intereft is not immediately concerned. Yet their children have been found capable of the fame inflrudions, as thofe of Europeans. They live without laws, and without fu- periors, yet with great union and tranqui- lity. They are neither quarrel fome, nor mifchievous, nor warlike ; being greatly afraid of thofe that are : and they keep fair with the Europeans from this motive. Theft, blows and murder are almoft un- known to them. They are chafle before marriage, and love their children tenderly. Their nailinefs is fo great, that it renders their hofpitality almoft ufelefs to Europe- ans ; and their fimplicity hath not been able to preferve them from having priefts, who pals among them for enchanters, and
are
( '9)
arc in truth very great and dexterous cheats. As to their religion it confifts in the belief of certain good and evil Genii, and of a Land of Souls, to which, however, they pay little or no regard in their actions.
Chap. I. C2 CHAP.
CHAPTER IL
Of the firft Inhabitants of Denmark^ and particularly of the Cimbri.
IT is ufelefs to enquire at what period of time Denmark began to be inhabit- ed. Such a refearch would doubtlefs lead us up to an age when all Europe was plung- ed in ignorance and barbarity. Thefe two words include in them almofl all we know of the hiftory of the firft ages. It is very- probable, that the firft Danes were like all the other Teutonic nations, a colony of Scythians, who fpread themfelves at dif- ferent times over the countries which lay towards the weft. The refemblance of name might induce us to believe that it was from among the Cimmerian Scythians (whom the ancients placed to the north of the Euxine fea) that the firft colonies were fent into Denmark ; and • that from this people they inherited the name of Cimbri, which they bare fo long before
they
( 2' )
they a/Turned that of Danes*. But this refemblance of name, which many hifto- rians produce as a folid proof, is liable to ib many different explanations, that it is better to acknowledge once for all, that this fubject is as incapable of certainty, as it is unworthy of refearch.
Whatever was the origin of the Cimbri, they for a long time before the birth of Chrift inhabited the country, which receiv- ed from them the name of the Cimbrica Cherfonefus *)-, and probably comprehend- ed Jutland, Slefwic, and Holftein, and perhaps fome of the neighbouring pro- vinces. The ancients coniidered this peo- ple as a branch of the Germans, and never diftinguimed the one from the other in the defcriptions they have left us of the man- ners and cuftoms of that nation. The hiftorical monuments of the north give us ilill lefs information about them, and go no farther back than the arrival of Odin; the epoque of which, I am
* Thehiftcrians of the appears to have made ufe
.north do not inform us of it. We fhall fee below,
when this name began to what we are to think of
be in ufe. Among fo- the etymologies which
reign writers, PROCOPIUS have been given of this
%n author of the Vlth name,
century, is the firft who f Or Cimbric Peninfula.
Chjp, II. C 3 in-
(22)
inclined to place, with the celebrated Tor- faeus, about 70 years before the birth of Chrift. All that pafledin Denmark before that period would be intirely unknown to us, if the famous expedition of the Cimbri into Italy had not drawn upon them the attention of a people who enjoyed the ad- vantage of having hiftorians. It is a fingle gleam, which for a moment throws light upon the ages of obfcurity : fliort and tran- iient as it is, let us neverthelefs catch it, in order to difcover, if poffible, a feature or two of the character of this people.
The hiflory of Rome § informs us, that in the confulmip of Caecilius Metellus and Papirius Carbo, about one hundred and eleven years before the Chriftian aera J, the republic was agitated by inteftine divifions which already began to threaten it's liberty, when the intrigues of the feveral factions were all at once fufpended by the fudden news of an irruption of Barbarians. More than three hundred thoufand men, known by the name of Cimbri and Teutones, who chiefly iflued from the Cimbric Cherfonefe and the neighbouring iflands, had forfaken their country to go in fearch of a more fa-
§ See PLUTARCH in T. Liv.epit 1.68.— Flor. Mario. — OROS. 1.5. — 1. 3. c. 30. Vel. PATERCUL. 1. 2.— J AnnoUrb, cond. 640.
vourable
vourable climate, of plunder and glory. They attacked and fubdued at once what- ever people they found in their pafTage, and as they met with no refiftance, refolved to pufh their conquefts farther. The Gauls were overwhelmed with this torrent, whole courfe was for a long time marked by the moft horrible defolation. Terror every where went before them, and when it was reported at Rome, that they were difpofed to pafs into Italy, the confternation there became general. The fenate dilpatched Pa- pirius Carbo with an army to guard the paf- fage of the Alps, deeming it a fufficient degree of good fortune, if they could but preferve Italy from thefe formidable guefts. But, as they took a different rout, and flopped fome time on the banks of the Da- nube, the Romans refumed courage, and condemning their former fears, fent in a menacing tone to the Cimbri, to bid them take care not to difturb the Norici their al- lies. At the fame time, the Cimbri being informed that a Roman army approached them, and refpecling the character of the Republic, fent ambaffadors to the Conful Papirius, " to excufe themfelves, foraf- " much as having come from the remote «' parts of the north, they could not pof- " iibly know that the Norici were the " allies of the Romans :" adding ; " that Chap. II. C 4 " they
ct they only knew it to be a received law <f among all nations, that the conqueror " hath a right to whatever he can acquire : " and that the Romans themfelves had no st other pretenfions to moft of the countries tf they had fubdued, than what was found- " ed on the fvvord. That they had how- " ever, a great veneration for the Roman ff people, on account of their virtue and " bravery ; in confideration of which, al- (f though they knew not what it was to " fear, they con fen ted to leave the Norici " in peace, and to employ their valour in f ' fome other quarter, where they could do " it without incurring the difpleafure of ft the common- wealth." Satisfied with fo moderate an anfwer, the conful fuffered them quietly to remove ; but when the Cimbri were retired into Dalmatia, and ex- pected nothing lefs than hofl ilities from the Romans : a party of thefe commanded by Carbo, furprized them by night, afleep and unarmed. Thefe brave warriors full of in- dignation, flew to their arms, and defend- ed themfelves with fo much intrepidity, that they wrefted the victory out of their enemies hands, and forced them to feek their fafety by flight. But although the Romans almoft all efcaped the vengeance of their enemies, this defeat was not the lefs fatal to the republic -, for the fplendour
and
and reputation which it added to the arms of the Cimbri, drew on all fides under their banners fuch nations as were either impatient of the Roman yoke, or jealous of their incroachments : particularly the Tigurini and Ambrones, two people ori- ginally of Helvetia. With thefe new auxi- liaries, they overwhelmed Gaul a fecond time, and advancing to the foot of the Pyrenees, endeavoured to eftablifh them- felves in Spain : bat meeting with a vigo- rous repulfe from the Celtiberians, and tired of fo many unprofitable invafions, they fenta new embafly to the Romans, to offer them their fervices, upon condition they would give them lands to cultivate. The Senate too prudent to enter into any kind of ac- commodation with fuch dangerous enemies, and already divided among themfelves about the diftribution of lands, returned a diredl refufal to their demand. Upon which the Cimbri refolved to feize by force what they could not gain- by intreaty, and immediately fell with 16 much fury upon the new con- ful Silanus, who had received orders to march againft them, that they forced his intrenchments, pillaged his camp, and cut all his army in pieces. This victory was foon after followed by another, which their allies the Ambrones gained over Caffius konginus at the mouth of the Rhone $ and Chap. II. to
( 26 )
to compleat the misfortune, a third army of Romans more confiderable than the two former, was foon after entirely defeated. Scaurus, who commanded it, was made prifoner, and afterwards put to death ; his two fons were flain, and more than four- fcore thoufand of the Romans and their allies were left dead in the field. Laft of all, two other generals, the conful Man- lius, and the proconful Caepio, to whom had been intrufted a fourth army already half vanquifhed with fear, and who were difunited and jealous of each other, were attacked near the Rhone, each of them in his camp, and entirely defeated.
Such repeated lofles filled Rome with grief and terror; and many began to def- pair even of the fafety of the ftate. In this melancholy conjuncture, minds lefs firm than thofe of thefe fpirited Repub- licans, would doubtlefs, have fuggefted the imprudent meafure of granting to the con- querors conditions capable of foftening them : they would have given them at once the lands they had required, or perhaps have purchafed their friendship with a fum of money. This dangerous policy would probably have ruined Rome in this exi- gence, as it did fome ages after. The Gauls, the Germans, and the Scythians, poor and greedy nations, who gafped after
nothing
(27)
nothing but flaughter and booty, roving and warlike as well by inclination as ne- ceffity, would have harafled by continual inroads, a people which had let them fee that they were at once richer and weaker than themfelves. The prudent firmnefs of the Senate, and the valour of Marius faved Rome for this time from the danger under \vhichitafterwardsfunk. All thecitizensnow turned their eyes towards the conqueror of Jugurtha, as their laft and only fupport. They decreed him confular honours for the fourth time, and aflbciated with him Ca- tulus Ludtatius, a perfon fcarcely inferior to him in military {kill, and who far ex- celled him in all the other qualities, which make a great ftatefman.
Marius having quickly difcovered that the ill fuccefs of his predeceflbrs was the effect of their imprudence, formed to him- felf a very different plan of conduct. In particular, he refolved not to join battle with the enemy, till their furious ardour was abated, and till his foldiers familiarized to the fight of them, fhould no longer con- fider themfelves as conquered before they came to blows. Their former victo- ries, their tallnefs of flature, rendered ftill more terrible by their drefs, their ferocious air, their barbarous fhouts, and unufual manner of fighting, had all contributed to
Chap. II. {hike
{ 28)
ftrike the Romans with the greateft terror; •and this terror was the firfl enemy he had to encounter; an enemy which time alone could fubdue. With this view, Ma- rius judged it necefTary to encamp on the banks of the Rhone, in a iituation natu- rally advantageous, where he laid in all forts of proviSons in great abundance, that he might not be compelled to engage before he favv a convenient opportunity. This coolnefs of the general was regarded by thofe Barbarians, as a mark of cowardice. They refolved, therefore, to divide them- felves into different bodies, and fo penetrate into Italy. The Cimbri and Tigurini went to meet Catulus 3 the Ambrones and Teu- tones hoping to provoke the Romans to fight,, came. and encamped in a plain full in their front. But nothing could induce Marius to change his refolution.
Neverthelefs, thefe Barbarians infulted the Romans inceflantly by every means they could devife : they advanced as far as the very intrenchments of their camp, to re- proach and deride them ; they challenged the officers and the general himfelf to fingle combat. The Roman foldiers were by degrees accuftomed to look their ene- mies in the face, while the provocations they received every day, more and more •whetted their refentment. Many of them
even
( 29 )
even broke out into reproaches againft Ma- rius for appearing fo much to diitruft their courage ; and this dexterous general to ap- peaie them, had recourfe to a Syrian pro- phetefs in his camp, who allured them that the Gods did not yet approve of their fighting.
At length, the patience of the Teutones was exhaufted, and they endeavoured to force the Roman intrenchments ; but here they were repulfed with lofs : upon which,, they refolved to abandon their camp, and attempt an irruption into Italy. They filed off for fix days together in the prefence of Marius's army, infulting his foldiers with the moft provoking language, and afking them, if they had any mefTage to fend to their wives, whom they hoped foon to fee. Marius heard all thefe bravados witl> his accuftomed coolnefs ; but when their whole army was pafied by, he followed them as far as Aix in Provence, haraffing their rear-guard without intermiffion. When he was arrived at this place, he halted, in or- der to let his foldiers enjoy what they had ardently defired fo long, a pitched battle. They began with fkirmifhing on both fides, till the fight infenfibly growing more fc- rious, at length both armies made the moft furious attacks. Thirty thoufand Am- brones advanced firft, marching in a kind Chap. IL of
(3°)
of meafure to the found of their inftru- ments. A body of Ligurians, fupported by the Romans, repulfed them with great lofs : but as they betook themfelves to flight, their wives came forth to meet them with fwords and hatchets in their hands, and bitterly reproaching them, and finking indifcriminately friend and foe, endeavour- ed to fnatch with their naked hands the enemies weapons, maintaining an invin- cible firmnefs even till death. This firft action raifed the courage of the Romans, and was the prelude to a victory ftill more decifive.
After the greateft part of the Ambrones had perimed in that day's action, Marius caufed his army to retire back to his camp, ordering them to keep ftrict watch, and to lye clofe without making any movement; as if they were affrighted at their own victory. On the other hand, in the camp of the Teutones were heard continual bowlings, like to thofe of favage beafts -, fo hideous, that the Romans, and even their general himfelf could not help teftify- ing their horror. They notwithstanding lay quiet that, night, and the day following, being bufily employed in preparing all things for a fecond engagement. Marius, on his part, took all neceflary precautions ; he placed in an ambufcade three thoufand 4 men
(3' )
men commanded by Marcellus, with or- ders to attack the enemy in the rear, as foon as they mould perceive the battle was begun. When both armies were come within fight of each other, Marius com- manded his cavalry to difmount ; but the Teutones hurried on by that blind impetuo- fity which diftinguimes all barbarous na- tions, inftead of waiting till the Romans were come down into the plain, attacked them on an eminence where they were ad- vantageouily ported. At the fame inftant, Marcellus appeared fuddenly behind with his troops, and hemming them in, threw their ranks into diforder, fo that they were quickly forced to fly. Then the victory declared itfelf entirely in favour of the Romans, and a moft horrible carnage en- fued. If we may take literally what fome of the Roman hiftorians have * re- lated, there periihed more than a hundred thoufand Teutones including the prifoners. Others content themfelves with faying, that the number of the {lain was incredible ; that the inhabitants of Marfeilles for a long time after, made inclofures for their gar- dens and vineyards with the bones ; and that the earth thereabouts was fo much fattened, that its increafe of produce was
* See Plutarch's Life of Marius.
Chap. II. pro-
(SO
prodigious. Marius loaded with glory, after a victory fo illuflrious in itfelf, and fo im- portant in its confequences, was a fifth time honoured with the confular fafces -, but he would not triumph till he had fecured the repofe of Italy, by the entire defeat of all the Barbarians. The Cimbri, who had fe- parated themfelves from the Teutones, ftill threatened its fafety. They had penetrated as far as the banks of the Adige ; which Catulus Ludtatius was not flrong enough to prevent them from croffing. The pro- grefs they made ftill caufed violent alarms in Rome; Marius was charged to raife a new army with the utmoft fpeed, and to go and engage them. The Cimbri had halted near the Po, in hopes that the Teutones, of whofe fate they were ignorant, would quickly join them. Wondering at the delay of thefe their aflbciates, they fentto Marius a fecond time, to demand an allotment of land, fufficient to maintain themfelves, and the Teutones their brethren. Marius an- fwered them, that " iheir brethren already <c poiTefled more than they defired, and that " they would not eaiily quit, what he had " affigned them." The Cimbri irritated by this raillery, inflantly refolved to take ample vengeance.
They prepared immediately for battle,
and their king or general, named Bojorix,
i ap-
( 33 )
approached the Roman camp with a fmail party of horfe, to challenge Marius, and to agree with him on a day and place of action. Marius anfwered, that although it was not the cuftom of the Romans to confult their enemies on this fubje<5t, he would notwithstanding for once oblige them, and therefore appointed the next day but one, and the plain of Verceil for their meeting. At the time appointed, the two armies marched thither ; the Ro- mans ranged themfelves in two wings : Ca- tulus commanded a body of twenty thou- fand men, and Sylla was in the number of his officers. The Cimbri formed with their infantry an immenfe fquare batallion : their cavalry, confiding of fifteen thousand men, was magnificently mounted ; each ibldier bore upon his helmet the head of fome favage beaft, with its mouth gaping wide ; an iron cuirafs covered his body, and he carried a long halberd in his hand. The extreme heat of the weather was very fa- vourable to the Romans. They had been careful to get the fun on their backs ; while the Cimbri little accuftomed to its violence, had it in their faces. Befides this, the duil hid from the eyes of the Romans the aftonifhing multitude of their enemies, fo that they fought with the more confidence, and of courfe more courage. The Cim- VoL.I. Chap. I r. D bri,
( 34)
. bri, exhaufted and difpirited, were quickly routed. A precaution, which they had taken to prevent their being difperfed, only ferved to forward their ruin : they had linked the foldiers of the foremoft ranks to one another with chains -, in thefe they were entangled, and thereby expofed the more to the blows of the Romans. Such as could fly, met with new dangers in their camp ; for their women who fat upon their chariots, clothed in black, received them as enemies, and malTacred without diftinction their fa- thers, brothers and hufbands : they even car- ried their rage to fuch a height, as to dam out the brains of their children ; and compleated the tragedy, by throwing themfelves under their chariot wheels. After their example, their hufbands in defpair turned their arms againft one another, and feemed to join with the Romans in promoting their own defeat. In the dreadful Daughter of that day, a hundred and twenty thoufand are faid to have perimed ; and if we except a few families of the Cimbri, which remain- ed in their own country, and a fmall num- ber who efcaped, one may fay, that this fierce and valiant nation was all mowed down at one fingle ftroke. This laft vic- tory procured Marius the honours of a triumph, and the fervices he thereby ren- derdd the commonwealth appeared fo great, 2 that
( 35)
that he received the glorious title of third founder of Rome.
Thus have we given in a few words, what hiftorians relate of the expedition of the Cimbri ; it drew upon them for a mo- ment, the attention of all Europe. But as literature, and the fine arts, can alone give Lifting fame to a nation, and as we eafily lofe the remembrance of thofe evils we no longer fear, this torrent was no foqner withdrawn within its ancient bounds, but the Romans themfelves loft fight of it, fo that we fcarcely find any farther mention of the Cimbri in any of their writers. Strabo only informs us, that they after- wards fought the friendship of Auguflus, and fent for a prefent a vafe, which they made ufe of in their facrifices ; and Taci- tus tells us, in one word *, that the Cim- bri had nothing left but a celebrated name, and a reputation as ancient as it was ex- tenfive.
Thus whatever figure this expedition made, we know but little the more of the nation which fent it forth. Neverthelefs, what is related of their tall ftature and fe- rocity deferves to be remarked, becaufe if we may believe all the antient hiftorians of the
* Parva nunc civitas, fama late "jejllgia ma-i-^ft fed gloria ingcns^ veterifque Tacit. Germ. c. 37.
Chap. II. D 2 north,
( 36 )
north, and even many among the moderns, Scandinavia was peopled only with giants in thdie remote ages, which precede the epoque of hiftory. The Icelandic mytho- logy, which I mall have more than once occafion to quote, relates very exactly all the engagements, which the giants had with thofe Scythians, whom Odin brought with him out of Afia.
They pretend that this monftrous race fubfifted for a long time in the mountains and ferefts of Norway, where they con- tinued even down to the ninth century ; that they fled from the open day, and re- nounced all commerce with men, living only with thofe of their own fpecies in the folitudes and cliffs of the rocks ; that they fed on human rlefh, and clothed themfelves in the raw jfkins of wild beads ; that they were fo /killed in magic, as to be able to faf- cinate the eyes of men, and prevent them from feeing the objects before them ; yet v. crc at the lame time fuch religious obfervers of their word, that their fidelity hath pafled into a proverb * ; that in procefs of time, they intermixed with the women of our fpecies, and produced demi-giants, who approaching nearer and nearer to the hu- man race, at length became mere men, like
* Trolhram TV
our-
( 37)
oarfelves -f. If all thefe circumftances are compared and examined, we mall find no great difficulty in clearing up the truth. When Odin and his companions came to eftablifh themfelves in the north, there is no doubt but the Cimbri, or ori- ginal inhabitants of the country, would lloutly difpute the poffeflion of it with them. Afterwards when they were con- quered and driven out, the remains of this barbarous nation would be apt to take re- fuge among the rocks and defarts, where their rough and favage way of living J could not but increafe their native ferocity. The fear of being difcovered by the con- querors, reduced them to the necefiity of feeking by night the only provillons that were left them ; and as their tallnefs of ila- ture, their cloathing of fkins, and their favage air could not fail ibmetimes to make
f TORF. Hift. Norveg. fon, fays, " that he was
Tom. i. Lib.' 3'. cap. 4 " fo well clothed, that
ARNG. JON. Crymogria. 4C you would take him for
Lib. i. p. 44. " one of the [AsEs] A-
J The Afiatics brought ** fiatics." P. 3. cap. 10.
with them into the north, p. 102. apud Sperling, in
a degree of luxury and nov. liter. M. 13. an. 1699.
magnificence^ which were M. Jim. Hence proceeded
before unknown there. their contempt for the an-
The author of an old It- cient inhabitants of the
landic chronicle, intitl- country, who were worfe
ed, LAN'ONA-MA-SAGA, clad and lefs civilized than
fpeakingof a certain per-r themfelv^s.
. II. D 3 their
47M8
( 33)
their conquerors tremble; that hatred which is always mixed with fear, may have given birth to the charge of their being canibals and magicians. Excefs of fear fafcinates and dazzles the fight more certainly than the forceries of which they were accufed : and their enemies may have encouraged this opinion partly through fuperftition, and partly to fet off their own courage. The probity for which this people was fo famous, proves pretty plainly that the pic- ture was over-charged. In prccefs of time, the fubjecl of thefe ancient wars was for- gotten ; love performed the office of me- diator between both people, their mutual fhynefs infenfibly wore off, and as foon as they began to fee one another more near- ly, all thefe prodigies vanished away.
After all, I do not pretend to decide whether the firft inhabitants of thefe coun- tries were all of them, without any mixture, of Germanic origin, Cimbri and Teuto- nes. For although to me this appears very probable with regard to Denmark, it can- not be denied that the Finns and Lap- landers anciently poflefTed a much more con- fiderable part of Scandinavia than they do at prefent. This was the opinion of Gro- tius and Leibnitz. According to them, thefe people were formerly fpread over the fouthern parts of Norway and Sweden,
whence
( 39)
whence in procefs of time, they have been driven out by new colonies of Scythians and Germans, and banimed among the northern rocks ; in like manner as the an- cient inhabitants of Britain have been dif- pofTefled by the Saxons of the greateft and moft pleafant part of their ifland, and con- ftrained to conceal themielves among the mountains in Wales, where to this day, they retain their language, and preferve fome traces of their ancient manners. But whether the Finlanders were formerly the in tire pofTeffors of Scandinavia, or were only fomewhat more numerous than they are at prefent, it is very certain that this nation hath been eftablimed there from the earlieft ages, and hath always differed from the other inhabitants of the north, by fea- tures fo ftrong and remarkable, that we muft acknowledge their original to be as different from that of the others, as it is utterly unknown to us. The language of the Finns hath nothing in common with that of any neighbouring people, neither doth it referable any dialect of the ancient ' Gothic,' Celtic or Sarmatian tongues, which were formerly the only ones that prevailed among the barbarous people of Europe. The learned, who have taken the pains to compare the great Finland bible printed at Abo, with a multitude of others, Chap, II. D 4 could
( 40)
could never find the leaft refemblance be- tween this and any other known language *j fo that after all their refearches on this head, they have been obliged to propofe mere conjectures, among which mankind are divided according to the particular light in which every one views the fubjecl:.
, * Stiernhelm, a learn^ ed Swede, thought hedif- covcred in the Finland tongue, many Hungarian words, and ftill more Greek ones. (Vid. Prx- fat. in Evangel. Gothica
167 r. 410,) But what the author lays above, may be notwithftancfing true of the general ftructureofthe language ; and Stiernhelm was probably fanciful.
C II A P-
CHAPTER III.
The grounds of the ancient hi/lory of Den- mark) and of the different opinions con- cerning it.
ON whatever fide we direct our in- quiries concerning the firft inhabi- tants of Denmark, I believe nothing certain can be added to the account given of them above. It is true, if we will take for our guides certain modern authors, our know- ledge will not be confined within fuch fcanty limits. They will lead us ftep by flep through an uninterrupted fucceffion of kings and judges, up to the firft ages of the world, or at leaft to the deluge : and there, receiving the defcendants of Noah, as foon as they let foot out of the ark, will conduct them acrofs the vaft extent of deferts into Scandinavia, in order to found thofe ftates and kingdoms, which fublift at prefent. Such is the fcheme of Petreius, Lyfchander, and other authors, who have followed what is called, among Danilh hiftorians, the Chap. III. Gothlandic
( 42 )
Gothlandic hypothecs *, becatife it is built upon fome pretended monuments found in the ifle of Gothland on the coaft of Swe- den : monuments which bear fo many marks of impofition, that at prefent they are by common confent thrown afidc among the moft ill-concerted impoftures.
The celebrated Rudbeck, a learned Swede, zealous for the glory of his coun- trymen, hath endeavoured no lefs to pro- cure THEM the honour of a very remote original; as if, after all, it were of any confequence, whether a people, who lived before us fo many ages, and of whom we retain only a vain refentblance of name, were po^elled fooner or later of thofe countries, which we quietly enjoy at pre- fent. As this author joined to the mod extenfive learning an imagination emi- nently fruitful, he wanted none of the ma-
* PETREIUS is a Da- " times." The argu-
nifh author of the i6th ments on which thefe au-
century : LYSCHANDER thors found their accounts
was hiftoriographer to did not merit the pains,
king Chriftian IV. His which Torfaeus and others
work, printed in Den- have taken to refute them,
mark at Copenhagen in The reader may confult,
1662, bears this title : on this fubjeft, the laft-
" An abridgment of the cited writer in his " Series
" Danifh hiilories from " of kings of Denmark."
•' the beginning of the Lib. i. c. 8. 4* world to our own
terials
(43 )
terials for ere&ing plaufible and frivolous fyftems. He hath found the art to apply to his own country a multitude of pafTages in ancient authors, who probably had never fo much as heard of its name. According to him Sweden is the Atlantis of which Plato fpeaks, and for this reafon he af- fumed that word for the title of his book., He makes no doubt but Japhet himfelf came thither with his family, and he un- dertakes to prove the antiquity of the Scandinavians by the expeditions, which according to him they have undertaken in the remoteft ages *. The firft of thefe he places in the time of Serug, in the year of the world 1900 : the fecond under the di- rection of Hercules in the interval between the years 2200, and 2500. He lays great ftrefs upon the conformity which is found between the names, manners and cuftoms of certain nations of the South and thofe of the North, to prove that the former had been fubdued by the latter; which he af- firms could never have been done, if Scan- dinavia had not been for a long time back overcharged, as it were, with the number of its inhabitants. It doubtlefs cannot be expected that I mould go out of my way to encounter fuch an hypothefis, as this : it is
* See Ol. Rudbedk, Atlantica, cap. xxxv. Chap. III. very
( 44 )
very evident that Rudbeck and his followers have falfely attributed to the Goths of Scan- dinavia, whatever the Greek or Latin hifto- rians have faid of the Getae, or Goths, who dwelt near the Euxine fea, and were doubtlefs the anceftors of thofe people, who afterwards founded colonies in the North. And as to the arguments brought from a refemblance of names, we know how little thefe can be depended on. Proofs of this kind are eafily found where- ever they are fought for, and never fail to offer themfelves in fupport of any fyflem our heads are full of.
Having thus fet aiide thefe two pretended guides, there only remains to chufe between Saxo Grammaticus* and ThermodTorfaeus.
The
* SAXO, fill-named on who engaged him to write
account of his learning, the hiftory of Denmark;
Grammaticus, or The for which he furniihed
Grammarian, wrote about him with various helps.
the middle of the I2th Saxo's \vork is divided in-
century, under the reigns to XVI books, and hath
of Valdemar theFirftand been many times printed.
Canute his fon. He was Stephanius published a
provoft of the cathedral very good edition of it at
church of Rofchild, then Sora, in the year 1664,
the capital of the kine- with notes which difplay
dom. It was. the cele- a great profufion of learn-
brated Abfalon, archbi- ing. SWENO, the fon of
{hop of Lund, one of the Agg°> contemporary with
greateft men of his time, Saxo, wrote alfo, at the
r fame
(45 )
The firft of thefe fuppofes that a certain perfon, named Dan, of whom we know nothing but that his father was named Humble, and his brother Angul, was the founder of the Danifh monarchy, in the year of the world 2910 : that from him Cimbria aflumed the name of Denmark ; and that it hath been ever fince governed by his pofterity. Saxo himfelf takes care to give us, in his preface, the grounds on which his account is founded. Thefe are, firft, the ancient hymns or fongs, by which the Danes formerly preferved the memory of the great exploits of their heroes, the wars and moft remarkable events of each reign, and even fometimes the genealogies of princes and famous men. Secondly, the infcriptions which are found up and down in the North, engraven on rocks and other durable materials. He alfo lays great ftrefs on the Icelandic chronicles ; and on the re- lations which he received from archbiiliop Abfalon. It cannot be denied but Saxo's
fame time, and by the particular concerning the command of the fame founder of the monarchy, prelate, a hiilory of Den- who, according to him, mark which is {till extant. was Skiold the fon of But this author feems ra- Odin, the fame who, ae- ther to lean to the Ice- cording to the Icelandic landic hypothecs ; for he chronicles, was the firft differs from Saxo in many king of Denmark, cjfiential points, and in
Chap. II J. 7 work
(46)
work is written with great elegance for the time in which it was compofed, but the rhetorician and the patriot are every where fo apparent, as to make us fometimes diftruft the fidelity of the hiftorian. In fhort, to be convinced that this high antiquity, which he attributes to the Danifh monarchy, is extremely uncertain, we need only examine the authorities on which he builds his hy- potheiis. Torfaeus *, a native of Iceland, and hifloriographer of Norway, hath (hewn this at large in his learned " Series of kings w of Denmark." He there proves that thofe fongs, from which Saxo pretends to have extracted part of what he advanced, are in very fmall number -, that he can quote none of them for many entire books of his hiftory ; and that they cannot exhibit a chronological feries of kings, nor afcertain
* THERMCDiusToR- tie too credulous, efpeci- FJEUS, who was born in ally where he takes for Iceland, in the laft cen- his guides the ancient tury, and died about the Icelandic hiftorians, upon beginning of the prefent, whofe authority he hath had received his educa- filled the firft volumes of tion at Copenhagen, and his hiftqry of Norway pafied the greateft part of with many incredible e- his life in Norway. He vents. His trcatife of the was a man of great inte- Series of the Princes and grity and diligence, and Kings of Denmark con- extremely converfant in tains many curious re- the antiquities of the fearches, and feems to me North, but perhaps a lit- to be his beft work.
the
(47)
the date of any one event. Nor could the infcriptions, adds he, afford greater affift- ance to that hiftorian ; they contain very few matters of importance, they are for the moil part eaten away with time, and are very difficult to underftand*. With re- gard to the Icelandic chronicles, Torfasus thinks that they might have been of great life to Saxo, had he often confulted them ; but this, notwithitanding his aifertions, does not fufficiently appear, fince they rarely agree with his relations. Finally, the recitals of archbifhopAbfalon are doubt- lefs of great weight for the times near to thofe, in which that learned prelate lived ; but we do not fee from whence he could have drawn any information of what pafled a long time before him. Upon the whole, therefore, Torfseus concludes, with
* WORMIUS had read alm«ft all thofe which are found in Denmark and Norway, as Verelius had alfo done the greateft part of thofe which fubfifted, in his time, in Sweden. Both of them agree, that they fcarce throw any light upon ancient hiftory. To be convinced of this, one need only to examine the copies and explana- tions they have given of
Chap. III.
them. See " OLAI
" WORMII Monuments. " Pvunica." Lib. iv. and " OLAI VERELII Ru- " nagraphia Scandica an-
" tiqua," &c. Since
Verclius'swork, there hath been publilfhed a com pleat collection of all the in- fcriptions found in Swe- den, by JOHN GORANS- SON ; at Stockholm- 1750. Folio.
reafon,
(48)
reafon, that Saxo's firft books, 'that is to fay, nearly half his hiftory, fcarce deferve any credit fo far as regards the fucceffion of the kings, and the dates of the principal events, although they abound with various paffages, which contribute to throw light on the antiquities of the North. Having thus overturned the hypothefis of that an- cient hiftorian, let us now fee whether Tor- faeus is equally fuccefsful in creeling a new one in its ftead.
The knowledge which this learned man had of the old Icelandic language, enabled him to read a confiderable number of an- cient manufcripts, which have been found in Iceland at different times, and of which the greater! part relate to the hiftory of that ifland and the neighbouring countries. Af- ter having carefully diftinguifhed thofe which appeared to him moil worthy of credit, from a multitude of others which ftrongly favoured of fiction and romance, he thought he had found in the former, materials for drawing up a compleat Series of Danim kings, beginning with Skiold the fon of Odin, who, according to him, began his reign a fhort time before the birth of Chrift. Thus he not only cuts off from hiftory all the reigns which, according to Saxo, preceded that aera j but he changes alfo the order of the kings, which fucceeded
it;
( 49 )
it ; affirming that Saxo had one while in- ferted foreign princes, another while lords or powerful varTals ; that he had reprefented as living long before Chrift fome who did not reign till many years after ; and that, in fhort, he hath vifibly inlarged his lift of monarchs, whether with defign to flatter his own nation by making the Danifh mo-" narchy one of the mod ancient in the world, or whether he only too creduloufly followed the guides who feduced him.
It will appear pretty extraordinary to hear a hiftorian of Denmark, cite for his authori- ties, the writers of Iceland, a country cutoff, as it were, from the reft of the world, and lying almoft under the northern pole.- But this wonder, adds Torfseus, will ceafe, when the Reader mall be informed, that from the earlieft times the inhabitants of that ifland have had a particular fondnefs for hiftory, and that from among them have fprung thofe poets,, who* tinder the name of SCALDS, rendered themfelves fo famous throughout the North for their fongs, and for the credit they enjoyed with kings and people. In effec~l, the Icelanders have always taken great care to pfeferve the remem- brance of every remarkable event that hap- pened not only at home, but among their neighbours the Norwegians, the Danes, the Swedes, the Scots, the Englilh, the
VOL, L Chap. III. E Green-
Greenlanders, &c. The firft inhabitants of Iceland were a colony of Norwegians, who, to withdraw themfelves from the ty- ranny of Harold Harfagre *, retired thither in the year 874 ; and thefe might carry with them the verfes and other historical monuments of former times. Befides, they kept up fuch a conftant intercourfe with the other people of the North, that they could readily learn from them whatever pafled abroad. We muft add, that the odes of thefe Icelandic Scalds were conti- nually in every body's mouth, containing, if we may believe Torfxus, the genealogies and exploits of kings, princes, and heroes: And as the poets did not forget to arrange them according to the order of time, it was not difficult for the Icelandic hiftorians to compofe afterwards, from fuch memoirs, the chronicles they have left us.
Thefe are the grounds of Torfseus's fyf- tem : and one cannot help highly applaud- ing the diligence and fagacity of an author, who has thrown more light on the firft ages of Danifh hiftory than any of his pre- deceffors. At the fame time we muft con- fefs, that there ftill remains much darknefs and uncertainty upon this fubjeft. For7
* HAP.PAGRF. is fynonimous to our Englifh FAIR- FAX, and fignifies FAIR LOCK*. T.
although
(51 )
although the annals of the Icelanders are without contradiction a much purer fource than thofe which Saxo had recourfe to ; and although the reafons alledged byTorfaeus in their favour are of fome weight ; many perfons, after all, will hardly be perfuaded that we can thence draw fuch exacl: and full information, as to form acompleat and firm thread of hiftory. For, in the firft place, the Icelandic writers have left us a great number of pieces which evidently mew that their tafle inclined them to deal in the marvelous, in allegory, and even in that kind of narrations, in which truth is de- fignedly blended with fable. Torfaeus him- felf confefTes * that there are many of their books, in which it is difficult to diftinguifh truth from falQiood, and that there are fcarce any of them, but what contain fome degree of fiction. In following fuch guides there is great danger of being fometimes mifled. In the fecond place, thefe annals are of no great antiquity : we have none that were written before chrifKanity was eftablifhed in the North : now between the time of Odin, whofe arrival in the North, according to Torfseus, is the firfl epoque of hiftory, and that of the earlieft Icelandic
* See his Series Dynafl. et Reg. lib. i. cap. 6.
Chap. III. E 2 hiftorian,
(50
hiftorian, elapfed' about eleven centuries *< And therefore if the compilers of the Icelan- dic annals found no written memoirs earlier than their own, as we have great reafon to believe, then their narratives are only founded on traditions, infcriptions, or re- liques of poetry.
But can one give much credit to tradi- tions, which muft have taken in fo many ages, and have been preferved by a people fo ignorant ? Do not we fee that among
* This firfr. Icelandic hiftorian was ISLEIF, bi- fhop of Scalholt, or the fouthern part of Iceland. He died in the year 1080. His collections are loft, but there is room to be- lieve that ARE, theprieft, who is furnamed the SAG E, made ufe'of them to com- pofe his Chronicles, part of which are ftill extant. This writer lived towards the end of the fame cen- tury : as did alfo R^E- MUND, furnamed the WISE or LEARNED, an- other Icelandic hiftorian, fome of whofe works ftill remain. He had com- piled a very voluminous mythology, the lofs of which is much to be re- gretted, fince what we
have of it, which is only a very fhort abridgment, throws fo much light upon the ancient reli- gion of the firft inhabi- tants of Europe. SNORRO STURLESON 13 he of all their hiftorians, whofe works are moft ufeful to us at prefent. He com- pofed a Chronicle of the kings of Nonvay, which is exa£l as to the times near to his own. He was the chief magi ftrate or fu- preme judge of the king- dom of Iceland, and was (lain in a popular infur- re&ion, in 1241. With regard to the other Ice- landic hiftorians, the rea- der may confultTorfzus's Series Dynaft. ac Regum Dan. lib. \.
the
(53)
the common clafs of men, a fon remembers his father, knows fomething of his grand- father, but never beftows a thought on his more remote progenitors ? With regard to infcriptions, we have already feen what af- fiftance they were likely to afford : we may add that there are very few of them, which were written before the introduction of chriftianity into the North 5 and, indeed, as we (hall prove in the fequel, before that time very little ufe was made of letters. Laftly, as for the verfes or fongs which were learnt by rote, it cannot be denied, but the Icelandic hiftorians might receive great information from them, concerning times not very remote from their own. But was a rough and illiterate people likely to beftow much care in prefer ving a great number of poems, through a fucceffion of eight or nine centuries ? Or can one expect to find in fuch compofitions much clearnefs and preciiion ? Did the poets of thofe rude ages obferve that exactnefs and me- thodical order, which hiftory demands ? In the third place, if the Icelandic annalifts could not know with certainty, whatpafTed a long time before them in Iceland and Norway, muft not their authority be ftill weaker in what relates to a diftant itate like that of Denmark ; which doubtlefs in thofe times had not fuch intimate connec- Chap. III. E 3 tions
( 54 )
tlons with the other countries of the North, as it hath had fmce ? We muft be fen- fible, that almoft all that .could be then known in Iceland of what pafled in other nations, confifted in popular rumours, and in a few longs, which were handed about by means of fome Icelandic Scald, who re- turned from thence into his own country.
What courfe then ought an hiftorian to perfue, amid fuch a wide field of contrary opinions, where the momentary gleams of light do not enable him to difcover or trace out any certain truth. Jn the firft place, I think he ought not to engage himfelf and his readers in a labyrinth of entangled and ufelefs refearches; the refult of which, he is pretty fure, can be only doubt. In the next place, he is to pafs rapidly over all thofe ages which are but little known, and all fuch fads as cannot be fet clear from fiction. The interefl we take in paft events is weakened in proportion as they are remote and diflant. But when, befides being remote, they are alfo doubtful, un- connected, uncircumflantial and confufed, they vanim into fuch obfcurity, that they neither can, nor ought to engage our at- tention. In thofe diflant periods, if any events occur, which ought not wholly to be part over in filence, great care mould be taken to mark the degree of probability
which
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which appears to be due to them, left we debafe hiftory by reducing it to one undiftinguiflied mafs of truth and fable. It is true, by conforming to this rule, an hiftorian will leave great chafms in his work, and the annals of eight or nine centuries which, in fome hands, fill up feveral volumes, will by this means be reduced within very few pages. But this chafm, if it be one, may be ufe- fully filled up. Inftead of difcuiimg the doubtful facts which are fuppofed to have happened .among the Northern nations, during the dark ages of paganifm, let us ftudy the religion, the character, the man- ners and cuftoms of the ancient inhabitants during thofe ages. Such a fubject, I (hould think, may intereft the learned, and even the philofopher. It will have to moil rea- ders the charm of novelty, having been but imperfectly treated of in any modern lan- guage : and fo far from being foreign to the Hiftory of Denmark, it makes a very eflential part of it. For why mould hiitory be only a recital of battles, fieges, intrigues and negotiations ? And why fhould it contain meerly a heap of petty facts and dates, rather than a juft picture of the opinions, cufloms and even incli- nations of a people ? By confining our inquiries to this fubject, we may with Chap. III. E 4 confidence
confidence confult thofe ancient annals, whofe authority is too weak to afcertain, events. It is needlefs to obferve, that great light may be thrown on the cha- racter and fentiments of a nation, by thofe very books, whence we can learn nothing exact or connected of their hiftory. The moft credulous writer, he that has the greateft pamon for the marvelous, while he falfifies the hifcory of his contempo- raries, paints their manners of life and modes of thinking, without perceiving it. His fimplicity, his ignorance, are at once pledges of the artlels truth of his draw- ing, and a warning to diftruft that of his relations *. This is doubtlefs the beft, if not .the only ufe, we can make of thofe old reiiques of poetry, which have efcaped the mipwreck of time. The authors of thofe fragments', erected into hiftorians by Succeeding ages, have caufed ancient hif- tory to degenerate into a meer tiffue of fables. TO avoid this miftake, let us
* This is the opinion tiquos eruendos, eos quoque
pf the learned BARTHO- evohi pofle codices exijli-
LJN, who hath written maverim^ quos fabulojis In-
with fo much erudition terfperjos narration! bus ^ in
and judgment, upon cer- bljloria concinnanda baud
tain points of the anti- tutofequqris. Vid. Thorn,
quities of Denmark. Jd Barthol. de Cauf. &c.
ritxs, fays he, morefque an- prsefat.
confider
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conflder them only on the footing of poets, for they were in effect nothing elfe ; let us principally attend to and copy thofe ftrokes, which, without their intending it, point out to us the notions, and mark the cha- racter of the ages in which they lived. Thefe are the moffc certain truths we can find in their works, for they could not help delivering them whether they would of not.
Chap. III. CHAP-
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CHAPTER IV.
Of Odin> his arrival in the North, his con- quefts, and the changes which he made.
BEFORE I defcribe the ftate of an- cient Scandinavia, I muft flop one moment. A celebrated tradition, confirm- ed by the poems of all the northern na- tions, by their chronicles, by inftitutions and cuftoms, fome of which fubfift to this day, informs us, that an extraordinary per- fon named ODIN, formerly reigned in the north : that he made great changes in the government, manners and religion of thole countries ; that he enjoyed there great au- thority, and had even divine honours paid him. All thefe are facts, which cannot be contefted. As to what regards the ori- ginal of this man, the country whence he came, the time in which he lived, and the other circumftances of his life and death, they are fo uncertain, that the moft pro- found refearches, the moft ingenious con- jectures about them, difcover nothing to
us
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us but our own ignorance. Thus pre- vioufly difpofed to doubt, let thofe ancient authors, I have mentioned, relate the ftory : all their teftimonies are comprized in that of SNORRO, the ancient hiftorian of Nor- way, and in the commentaries and expli- cations which TORF^US hath added to his narrative *.
The Roman Common-wealth was arriv- ed to the highefl pitch of power, and favv, all the then known world fubject to its laws, when an unforefeen event raifed up enemies againfl it, from the very bofom of the forefls of Scythia, and on the banks of the Tanais. Mithridates by flying, had drawn Pompey after him into thofe defarts. The king of Pontus fought there for re- fuge, and new means of vengeance. He hoped to arm againfl: the ambition of Rome, all the barbarous nations his neighbours, whofe liberty me threatened. He fucceed- ed in this at firfl; but all thofe people, ill- united as allies, ill-armed as foldiers, and ilill worfe difciplined, were forced to yield to the genius of Pompey. ODIN is faid to have been of this number. He. was ob- liged to withdraw himfelf by flight from
* Vid. Snorro. Sturl. ac Reg. Dan. c. u. p. Chron. Norveg. in initio. 104. & feq. » — Xoif-yeus Ser. Dynaft.
Chap. IV. the
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the vengeance of the Romans ; and to go feek in countries unknown to his enemies, that fafety which he could no longer find in his own. His true name was Stgge, fon of Fridulph -, but he afTumed that of ODIN, who was the Supreme God among the Scythians : Whether he did this in order to pafs among his followers for a man infpired by the Gods, or becaufe he was chief-prieft, and prefided over the worfhip paid to that Deity. We know that it was ufual with many nations to give their pon- tiffs the name of the God they worfhipped. Sigge, full of his ambitious projects, we may be allured, took care to avail himfelf of a title fo proper to procure him refpect among the people he meant to fubjecl.
Odin, for lo we mail hereafter call him, commanded the Afes, a Scythian peo- ple, whofe country muft have been fituated between the Pontus Euxinus, and the Caf- pian fea. Their principal city was As- GARD *. The worfhip there paid to their
fu-
* The teftimony of the country. L. 2. Pliny Icelandic annalifts is con- fpeaks of the Afeens, a firmed by that of feveral people feated at the foot ancient authors, of whom of mount Taurus. L. 6. it is not likely that they c. 17. Ptolemy calls them had any knowledge. Stra- Afiotes. Stephen of By- bo places a city named fantium intitlcs them Af- Afburg in the very fame purgians [ Afyurgitanl. }
Mo-
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Supreme God was famous throughout tn6 circumjacent countries '; and it was Odin that performed the functions of it in chief, aflifted by twelve other Pontiffs (Diar or Drotfar, a kind of Druids) whoalfodiftribut-
ed
Modern relations make mention alfo of a nation of Afes or Ofles feated in the fame country ; and there is reafon to believe, that the city of Af-hof de- rived its name from the fame fource ; this word fignifies in the Gothic language, the fame as Af- gard, or Afburg. [Vid. Bayer, in A&. Academ. Petropol. Tom. 9. p. 387. & Dalin. S. R. Hift. T. i. p. 101, & feqq-] But notwithftanding all this, it is (till doutbtful whether Odin and his companions came fo far. Snorro is probably the author of this conjecture founded on the fimilitude of names. The moft eminent chronicles, the poets, and tradition it is likely, faid only, that Odin came from the coun- try of the Afes : Now As in the Scythian language fignifies a Lord, a God, and this name was in ufe among many Celtic na-> Chap. IV,
tions. See Sueton. Aug." c. 97. Af-gard then fig- nifies the court or abode of God, and the refem- blance of this name may have deceived Snorro. The learned Eccard in his Treatife of the Origin of the Germans, thinks that Odin came from fome neighbouring country of Germany, where we find many names of places which are compounded of the word As, and it is pofllble that he may have ibjourned there a long time, and formed efta- blimments ; though he or his nation came originally from fome country of Scy- thia.
[Thus far our author in his fecond Edition: in his firft edit, he had ob- ferved that there was a ftriking refemblance be- tween feveral cuftoms of the Georgians, as defcrib- ed by Cbardin, and thofe of certain Cantons of Nor-
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cd juftice *. Odin having united under his banners the youth of the neighbouring nations, marched towards the north and weft of Europe, fubduing, we are told, all the people he found in his paiTage ; and giving them to one or other of his fons for' fubjedts. Thus Suarlami was made king over a part of Ruffia : Baldeg over the weftern parts of Saxony or Weftphalia : Segdeg had eaftern Saxony, and Sigge had
Norway and Sweden, which have beft preferved the ancient manners. The learned Bifliop Pontoppi- dan mentions feveral of thefe in his Nat. Hift. of Norway. Tom. 2. c. 10. §. i, 2, 3. The Geor- gians (adds our author) poflefs at prefent one part of the country, which was inhabited by the Afes, whom Odin conducted into the north.]
* Among the feveral nations to whom thefe men diftributed juftice, the TURKS are often men- tioned in the Icelandic chronicles. There was in effe£t, at the foot of mount Taurus, a Scy- thian people from the ear- )ieft times known by that name. Pomponius Mela
mentions them exprefly ; [Lib. i. cap. 19. towards the end.] Herodotus him- felf feems to have had them in his eye. [Lib. iv. p. 22.] One part of the Turks followed Odin in- to the north, where their name had long been for- gotten by their own def- cendants, when other off- fhoots from the fame root, over-fpreading the oppo- fite part of Europe, re- vived the name with new fplendor, and gave it to one of the moft powerful empires in the world. Such ftrange revolutions have mankind in general undergone, and efpecially fuch of them, as long led a wandering unfettled life, Firfl Edit
Fran-
Franconia. Many fovereign families of the north, are faid to be defcended from thefe princes *. Thus Horfa and Hengifl, the chiefs of thofe Saxons, who conquered Britain in the fifth century, counted Odin or Woden -f- in the number of their ansef- tors : it was the fame with the other An- glo-Saxon princes ; as well as the greateft part of thofe of Lower Germany and the north. But there is reafon to fufpecl: that all thefe genealogies, which have <