Aesar; with the Hindus he is Aeswar or Iswara-the first mover, the creative power. It may here be noted that aesh is the Hebrew word for fire. The second person in this triad, Anu Mathar, is also called Eirinn (night), and Ith (desire). This is a female potency, which, along with the male Aesar, may most truly be regarded as the dual aspect of the One; while the first emanation, or, in anthropomorphic language, the son of these two, was called Ain, meaning the "First Breath." The idea here suggested of the creative power brooding over the night or chaos of Eirinn, recalls not only the creation of Narayana, "the spirit moving on the waters," but the description in the first chapter of Genesis, "And the spirit of God moved on the face of the waters"; and again, "By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, and all the host of them by the breath [in Hebrew 'spirit'] of his mouth." Aristophanes, in "The Birds," expresses a similar idea: " 'Sable-winged night produced an egg, from which sprang like a blossom, Eros the lovely." Another Celtic trinity of subsequent growth, was that which recognised the third person of the foregoing triad as its synthesis. Ain, the "First Breath," is here the triple godhead, known by the names of Taulac, Fean, and Molc. Taulac is now the creative power; Fean or Baal-Samhan the Preserver; and Molc the Destroyer. This Baal-Samhan, Bal-Samin, or Baal-Samhein, as he is variously called, seems to be identical with Baal-Samin of the Phoenicians, at whose festivals only fruits of the earth were offered. The same was the case with celebrations in honour of the Celtic god, whose title Samhein, when translated, means "peace-fire." He was also called Ionn-the Almighty God-the just and merciful. Like the second person of other trinities which have been instanced, he is likewise the Mediator, Saviour, and Judge of souls, and, like Osiris, Lord of the Death world. Now, it must be noted that both Bel or Baal, and Ion or Ionn, were titles of the Sun, and there is little doubt that Baal-Saman was the evening sun, and identical with the Baal or Bel of so many other nations. Baldur is evidently the Scandinavian equivalent, while even in India Baal is to be found, for at Malvali Puram there is a temple to the god Bali, who is described as having been slain on earth.1 Equally curious is the exact resemblance of the Celtic Molc or Mollach-the third person 1 Crawford's "Researches," vol. ii. p. 91. of this trinity-to the Moloch of Nineveh. The word Molc in old Celtic meant "fire." In modern Irish the word miollach means "to burn," while its equivalent in Hebrew is Mlk. Scandinavia, too, had its trinity, in which Odin the All-Father has the first place, and is a personification of the heavens. Thor and Freya or Frigga completed the triad. Thor, as we have seen, corresponds with the Latin Jupiter, and gives us our Thursday (French Jeudi); while Freya was a personification of the earth, the symbol of fertility. The union of Odin and Freya was supposed to have produced the sun - god Baldur - the good and beautiful-who, as we have seen, was slain, but rose again from the dead, and who, along with Odin and Freya, thus formed a second trinity. In "Antiquities of Mexico" a trinity is mentioned consisting of Tezcatlipoca, who "had all the attributes and powers assigned to Jehovah by the Hebrews," and two other gods, who occupied places on his right hand and his left. In Yucatan, too, the ancient inhabitants recognised a trinity which apparently bore a very close resemblance to the Trinity acknowledged by Christendom.2 1 Vol. vi. p. 164. 2 Ibid., vol. vi. pp. 164–5. Even more intimately associated with the solar symbolism than among other nations, was the trinity worshipped in Peru, for Apomti, Churunti, and Intiquoqui were represented as three images of the sun, the terms signifying respectively Father or Lord-Sun, Son-Sun, and Brother - Sun. Maurice, after quoting from Acosta, goes on to remark that according to this writer, the Peruvians " go a step farther than the acknowledgment of a mere triad of deity, and worship a direct trinity in unity; for in Cuquisaco there is a certain oratory where they worship a great idol, which they call Tangatanga, which signifies One in Three, and Three in One.1 Garcilasso de la Vega describes a Peruvian trinity composed of Icona, answering to the Father; Racab, corresponding with the Son; and Estrua, the Holy Spirit.2 The name of the second person in this trinity, it may be observed, suggests a close connection with Bacab, the Saviour god of Yucatan. In ancient China the emperors used to sacrifice every third year to "Him who is one and three." There was a Chinese saying, "Fo is 1 Acosta's "History of the Indies,” Lib. V. chap. xxviii.; also Maurice's "Indian Antiquities,” chap. vi. of Dissertation at beginning of vol. v. * Lang's "Myth Ritual and Religion,” vol. ii. p. 341. 1 one person, but has three forms," while Navrette, in his account of China, writes: "This sect" [that of Fo] "has another idol they call San Pao. It consists of three, equal in all respects. This, which has been mistaken for an image of the blessed Trinity, is exactly the same with that which is on the high altar of the Trinitarians at Madrid. If If any Chinese whatsoever saw it, he would say the San Pao of his country was worshipped in these parts." In the lofty philosophical system known in China as Taoism, a trinity also figures: "Eternal reason produced One, One produced Two, Two produced Three, and Three produced all things," which, as Le Compte goes on to say, seems to show as if they had some knowledge of the Trinity." 3 An ancient Siberian medal is referred to by Maurice as representing three figures joined in one. "The image which appears upon one side, and which represents a Deity, is one human figure as to the body, and lower extremities, but is distinguished above by three heads and six arms. The figure sits crosslegged upon a low sofa or stool in the manner 1 Davies' "China," vol. ii. p. 184. 2 Book II. chap. x., and Book VI. chap. xi. 3 Le Compte's "Memoirs of China,” p. 321 ; also Child's “Progress of Religious Ideas," vol. i. p. 210. |