We learn repeatedly from Sanchoniathon, Porphyry, and other ancient authors quoted by Eusebius in the præparatio evangelica, that the first sages of the world had just and true notions of the nature of the deity, conformable to those of the Christians: That, in their hieroglyphic way of writing, they design’d the deity and the mysterious nature thereof, by the sacred figure of the circle, snake, and wings. Of these, the circle meant the fountain of all being, the invisible supreme, who had no name. The serpent symboliz’d the son, or first divine emanation from the supreme. This they called by the name of Ptha, which is deriv’d from the hebrew, meaning the WORD. The wings symboliz’d that divine person or emanation from the former, commonly called anima mundi, but the Egyptians called him KNEPH, which in hebrew signifies winged.
Thus the old authors that speak of these things are to be understood, though they are confus’d, not rightly apprehending the bottom of the matter. And this hieroglyphic figure, in the whole, was call’d Knephtha.
But this knowledge of the nature of the deity, the most valuable depositum which could be communicated to mortals, was first perverted into idolatry; therefore God almighty forbore revealing himself further on that head, in an explicit manner, ’till the fulness of time arriv’d, the Christian dispensation. But those people who preserv’d themselves from idolatry, among which I reckon our Druids, retain’d that knowledge thereof which had already been imparted, of which this sacred figure of the alate and serpentiferous circle was, as it were, a seal; which they stamp’d upon these most lasting monuments, their temples. And I doubt not but they somewhat improv’d the notions they had thereof, by reasoning, in the manner I shall speak of [Chap. XV.]
Abury is not the only temple in Britain form’d on this design of the circle and serpent. I saw another at Shap in Westmorland, when I travell’d thro’ the place, anno 1725, with Mr. Roger Gale. But I had no opportunity of examining into it.
There is another, as I take it, at Classerness, a village in the island of Lewis, between Scotland and Ireland. I took a drawing of it from Mr. Lwydd’s travels; but he was a very bad designer, and having no knowledge of the purport, makes the representation still worse. The circle to which it belongs is 20 cubits in diameter. There is a central obelisc. A part of the snake remains going from it, which he calls an avenue. He did not discern the curve of it, no more than that of Kennet avenue, which he likewise has drawn in the same collection, as a straight line. It seems to me that the circle was double, or two concentric. I shall print it in the succeeding volume.
TAB. XXXII.
P. 62.
Stukely delin.
Harris sculp
View of the Kist-Vaen in Clatford bottom.