With a view to tracing the migrations of this race throughout Europe, observe the ancient geographical terms, with their strong physical traits.
Caucasus is derived from the two Welsh words cau, to shut up, to fence in, and cas, separated, insulated. This mountain-chain has borne this name from the earliest human records; and how expressive of their position and character, to inclose Europe from Asia!
The Caspian Sea means, when derived, cas, separated, and pen, head; literally, a sea with a head or source, but insulated and without an outlet. Any one familiar with this body of water can understand the force of the words.
Crimea comes from the Welsh word crymu (pronounced kri´me, the c being sounded as k, and the u as e), which means to bend or curve; literally, a circular peninsula. The Crimea was the Gwlad yr Haf (summer land) of the Cymry.
Alps is derived from al, grand, sublime, and pen, head,—a sublime head.
Armorica comes from ar-y-môr, upon the sea.
Danube finds its derivation from dan, under, below, and uf (pronounced uv or ub), spreading or diffused. Some of the Cymric bands or colonies, in their migrations westward, halted along the banks of the Danube; others settled on the Elbe, and were called the Wendi, and their descendants speak at the present time a slightly-corrupted Welsh language. Bautzen, in Bavaria, and Glogau, in Prussia, are old Cymric towns; and an eminent German scholar has shown what ancient Cymric relics are to be found in the museums of Dresden and Berlin. Recently many learned philologists were excited into a sharp discussion to account for the name of the German capital, Berlin. Its origin is plainly Cymric, and is derived from ber, a curve, and lin, a river.
There is such a striking resemblance between the ancient Cymric laws, as compiled by Dyfnval Moelmud, and the Institutes of Menu, that many of the most able Oriental and Welsh scholars have concluded that another branch of the Cymric race must have gone eastward from the Caucasus and penetrated into India. Sir William Jones, a son of a Welshman, translated these Institutes of Menu, or Brahminic Laws, and says, "The name 'Menu' is clearly derived from menses, mens, or mind, as all the Pandits agree that it means intelligent." Menw in Welsh means the seat of intelligence.
Moreover, it is generally admitted that the Welsh contains a sufficient number of root-words by which the original connection of the Semitic (Hebrew, Chaldee, Syriac, Egyptian, etc.) and the Indo-European languages is distinctly shown. And, as will be subsequently proved, a large number of words have been found in use by the aborigines of the American Continent, whose roots or simplest forms were related to roots of words in the old languages, many of which were directly connected with the Cymric tongue.
The object of this cursory sketch has been to show that, from the very earliest period, the branches of the Cymric race have been extensively spread over the earth, as indicated by the sure testimony of their language; that they moved from east to west, preceding all other races—the Teutonic, Sarmatian, etc.—by long intervals of time. From the certain data of history these things are placed beyond doubt,—by Herodotus, Cæsar, and others. Would it be surprising, then, if, in accordance with the same nomadic principle and these westward migrations, together with the fierce persecutions of the northern hordes, some portions of the Cymry were driven still farther westward and were wafted to the American Continent?