A BOOK OF THE BEGINNINGS

NOTES TO SECTION 4

[1] [Muller, Intro. Science. Rel. p. 307—my copy 301]

[2] [Whitney, Studies, p. 213.]

[3] [Sayce, Intro. Lang. 1, 347.]

[4] [Intro. Lang. 2. 260.]

[5] [i.e. NG.]

[6] [Science of Lang.?]

[7] [Sayce, Intro. Sc. Lang, 1. 161.]

[8] [Chaldean Magic?, p. 301. Lenormant lists 'id' as an Akkadian name for the hand. Can find no listing of the word 'it' or its connection with the Semitic variant.]

[9] [Itinerary?]

[10] [Source.]

[11] [Hieroglyphica, bk. 1:11. 'To denote a mother, or vision, or boundary, or foreknowledge, or a year, or heaven, or one that is compassionate, or Athena [Neith], or Hera [Saté], or two drachmas, they delineate it a mother, because in this race of creatures there is no male. Gignuntur autem hunc in modum. Cum amore concipiendi vultur exarserit, vulvam ad Boream aperiens, ab eo velut comprimitur per dies quinque, during which time she partakes neither of food nor drink, being intent upon procreation. There are also other kinds of birds which conceive by the wind, but their eggs are of use only for food, and not for procreation; but the eggs of the vultures that are impregnated by the wind possess a vital principle. The vulture is used also as a symbol of vision, because it sees more keenly than all other creatures; and by looking towards the west when the sun is in the east, and towards the east when the god is in the west, it procures its necessary food from afar. And it signifies a boundary [landmark?] because, when a battle is to be fought, it points out the spot on which it will take place, by betaking itself thither seven days beforehand:—and foreknowledge, both from the circumstance last mentioned, and because it looks towards that army which is about to have the greater number killed, and be defeated, reckoning on its food from their slain: and on this account the ancient kings were accustomed to send forth observers to ascertain towards which part of the battle the vultures were looking, to be thereby apprized which army was to be overcome. And it symbolizes a year, because the 365 days of the year, in which the annual period is completed, are exactly apportioned by the habits of this creature; for it remains pregnant 120 days, and during an equal number it brings up its young, and during the remaining 120 it gives its attention to itself, neither conceiving nor bringing up its young, but preparing itself for another conception; and the remaining five days of the year, as I have said before, it devotes to another impregnation by the wind. It symbolises also a compassionate person, which appears to some to be the furthest from its nature, inasmuch as it is a creature that preys upon all things; but they were induced to use it as a symbol for this, because in the 120 days, during which it brings up its offspring, it flies to no great distance, but is solely engaged about its young and their sustenance; and if during this period it should be without food to give its young, it opens its own thigh, and suffers its offspring to partake of the blood, that they may not perish from want of nourishment:—and Athena [Neith], and Hera [Saté], because among the Egyptians Athena [Neith] is regarded as presiding over the upper hemisphere, and Hera [Saté] over the lower; whence also they think it absurd to designate the heaven in the masculine, τὸν οὑρανὸν, but represent it in the feminine, τὴν οὑρανὸν, inasmuch as the generation of the sun and moon and the rest of the stars, is perfected in it, which is the peculiar property of a female. And the race of vultures, as I said before, is a race of females alone, and on this account the Egyptians over any female hieroglyph place the vulture as a mark of royalty [maternity?]. And hence, not to prolong my discourse by mentioning each individually, when the Egyptians would designate any goddess who is a mother, they delineate a vulture, for it is the mother of a female progeny. And they denote by it (οὑρανίαν) heaven, (for it does not suit them to say τὸν οὑρανὸν, as I said before,) because its generation is from thence [by the wind]:—and two drachmas, because among the Egyptians the unit [of money] is the two drachmas, and the unit is the origin of every number, therefore when they would denote two drachmas, they with good reason depict a vulture, inasmuch as like unity it seems to be mother and generation.' See also BB 2:422, NG 1:193, 467, NG 2:248, AE 1:69, 130.]

[12] [Source.]

[13] [Ant. & Cleo, act 2.scen. 2.]

[14] [Farrar, Lang.]

[15] [Pierret, p. 452.]

[16] [Sc. Rel. p. 302.]

[17] [Birch, Rit. 79. 'I am Tum, maker of the Heaven, creator of beings, coming forth from the world, making all the generations of existences, giving birth to the Gods, creating himself, Lord of Life supplying the Gods.']

[18] [Of I and O.]

[19] [Hazlewood, Fiji Dict.]

[20] [Dict. Eng. Ety.]

[21] [Hotten, Slang Dict.; 'Chi-ike.']

[22] [Muller, Lectures, 1st ser. p. 225—my ed. 262]

[23] [Shakespeare, Ham. 4.5.]

[24] [Nat. Hist.]

[25] [Comp. Phil.]

[26] [Wright & Halliwell, Rel. Ant. 1. 153.]

[27] [Brewer, Phrase, 393.]

[28] [Drawings by Dr. Keller.]

[29] [Source.]

[30] [Of I and O]

[31] [In H. F. Hore?]

[32] [Lepsius, Denkmaler, 2. 134.a.]

[33] [Rosellini, Mon. Cult. 33, 14.]

[34] ['Tam O'Shanter.']

[35] [Source.]

[36] [Barddas, 2. 31.]

[37] [Furnivall, p. 22, note, 14. 'THE LITTLE CHILDREN'S LITTLE BOOK—MSS. Harl. 541, fol. 210, and Egerton 1995, about 1480. Sub-title Edyllyt be. Edyllys may be the O. E. athele, German edel, meaning noble; but the sentence is then incomplete. Ends "Quod Whytyng." Whether he was author or scribe I do not know, more probably the latter. I have kept the rhyme in this version, because it is at once shorter and more interesting than the other.' Notes, p. 181, Chatto & Windus, London, 1908 ed.]

[38] [Copious Dict.?]

[39] [Shakespeare, Henry IV. Part II.]

[40] [Taming of Shrew, I. 2.?]

[41] [Henry V, 1. 1.]

[42] [Source.]

[43] [Scottish Metrical Romance, ed., J. Stevenson.]

[44] [Beaumont & Fletcher, Loyal Subject.]

[45] [Vol. 1, p. 62. See also 64, and vol. 2, 627. Note; Chappell has 'dargason,' not 'dargison.']

[46] [Brand, Popular Antiquities, vol. 3, p.42. ' From a little black-letter book, entitled Beware the Cat, 1584, I find it was permitted to a witch "to take on her a catte's body nine times."']

[47] ['Shau,' not 'mau:' Barker Pap. 217.]

[48] [Adair, History of the Indians, p. 31. 'As North-America breeds no lions, the panther, of any animal it contains, is the nearest emblem of it. The Indian name of each cherub, both terrestrial and celestial, reflects great light on the present subject for they call the buffalo (bull) Yanafa; the panther, or supposed lion, Koe-Ishto, or Koe-O, "the cat of God;" the man, or human creature, Ya-we; and the eagle, Ooóle.']

[49] [Source.]

[50] [Brand, Popular Antiquities; 'St. Nicholas' Day.' 'A curious practice, still kept up in schools, refers to this patron saint. When a boy is hard pressed in any game depending upon activity, and perceives his antagonist gaining ground upon him, he cries out Nic'las, upon which he is entitled to a suspension of the play for a moment ; and on any occasion of not being ready, wanting, for instance, to fasten his shoe, or remedy any accidental inconvenience, the cry of NIC'las always entitles him to protection.' Vol. 1, p. 417, the 5th ed.]

[51] [Tylor, Prim. Cult. vol. 1, p. 171.]

[52] [Intro. § 25]

[53] [Goldziher, Mythology Among the Hebrews, Martineau's trans., p. 341. 'In the Midrash Ekha rabba, Introduction, 25, the Sun himself complains that he will not go out till he has been struck with sixty whips, and received the command Go out, and let thy light shine. Among the Arabs the poet Uuiayya b. Abi-s-Salt discourses at length on the compulsion which must be exerted on the Sun before he is willing to bestow the benefit of his light and warmth on mortals:
W-ash-shamsu tatla u kulla achiri leylatin hamra a matla u launiha muta-warridu.
Ta ba fala tabdu lana fi rasliha ilia mu addabatan wa-illa tujladu.
The Sun rises at the close of every night commencing red in colour, slowly advancing.
He refuses, and appears not to us during his delay until he is chastised, until he is whipped.']

[54] [Sayce, Prin. Phil. p. 26, note.]

[55] [Hist. Nat. et Mor. Antilles.]

[56] [From Tylor, Prim. Cult., I. 196.]

[57] [Ib.]

[58] [Bas. p. 234. Ib. & Lubbock, 39.]

[59] [Lubbock, 39.]

[60] [Prim. Cult., 1, 177—my ed. 195]

[61] [Grundzuge der Gr. Ety.?]

[62] [Hieroglyphica, bk. 1:23. 'To symbolize a man that has not travelled out of his own country, they delineate an CYNOCEPHALUS [creature with an ass's head], because he is neither acquainted with history, nor conversant with foreign affairs.']

[63] [Ned. Taal. Woordenbook.?]

[64] [Lects. Lang. 1st ser, 371—my ed. 423, 375]

[65] [Shakespeare, Merry Wives.]

[66] [Suffolk Words and Phrases]

[67] [Tylor, Prim. Cult., I. 186.]

[68] [Ib. 1. 171. Various other illus. are taken from the same chapter.]

[69] [History of the Indians, p. 97. 'While dancing they never fail to repeat those notes; and frequently the holy train strike up Halelu, Halelu; then Haleluiab, Halelu-Yab and ALELUIAH and ALELU-YAH, "Irradiation to the divine essence," with great earnestness and fervor, till they encircle the altar, while each strikes the ground with right ad left feet alternately, very quick, but well-timed.']

[70] [Schoolcraft, Res. 2. 199.]

[71] [Pentaur]

[72] [Source.]

[73] [Source.]

[74] [Source.]

[75] [Pierret, Voc. Hiero.: under the entry 'Met.']