Forlong - Rivers of Life

290
Rivers of Life, or Faiths of Man in all Lands.
I have already, at page 167, drawn attention to the fact of all caves, crypts, and
arks having sacred stones, and give in Fig. 60, the usual appearance of a sacred cave.
The writer resumes:
“A flint instrument was also found, beautifully and minutely serrated at the edge. On opening
the cairn, Mr. Phené was at once convinced, from the position of the stones, that the place had already
been ransacked (probably by treasure-seekers, as there is no tradition of any excavation for scientific
purposes having ever been made here). On the removal of the peat-moss and heather from the ridge of
the serpent’s back, it was found that the whole length of the spine was carefully constructed with
regularly and symmetrically-placed stones, at such an angle as to throw off rain, an adjustment to which
we doubtless owe the preservation, or, at least, the perfection of this remarkable relic. To those
who know how slow is the growth of peat-moss, even in damp and undrained places, the depth to which
it has here attained (though in a dry and thoroughly exposed situation, and raised from seventeen to
twenty feet above the level of the surrounding moss), tells of many a long century of silent undisturbed
growth since the days when the serpent’s spine was the well-worn path daily trodden by reverent feet. The
spine is, in fact, a long narrow causeway, made of large stones, set like the vertebræ of some huge
animal. They form a ridge sloping off in an angle at each side, which is continued downwards with an
arrangement of smaller stones suggestive of ribs.
“The mound has been formed in such a position that the worshipper standing at the altar would
naturally look eastward, directly along the whole length of the great reptile, and across the dark lake, to
the triple peaks of Ben Cruachan. This position must have been carefully selected, as from no other
point are the three peaks visible.”
The italics are mine, as the writer was no doubt unconscious of the signification
of stones, and I wish to show our clerical brethren, who are so particular as to the
eastward direction of themselves and their altars, that so also were the Ophite clergy.
Mr. Phené thought this Loch Nell Serpent-Mound much like that of the Egyptian
Uræus. It remains for philologists, led on by students of faiths, to add to our stores by
names and roots of names; Kelts and Scots called snakes Snaigs, from Snaig to
creep, for which the Sanskrit is Srip or Sri and the Greek equivalent Herpo. In
English, Nathair is said to have become Adder; but in Eskulapius’ day, or supposed
day, the serpent became the Sar, Lord, and Piantadh, “the painful,” the “Lord of pain,”
the Goad and Pricker, as well as “conqueror of pain” or “healer” of our woes. Most
readers on archeological subjects will remember the great Earth-formed Serpent in
Ohio, America, known principally by the name of “Squier and Lapham’s” who first
brought it to notiee. It is given in this PlateVII., Fig. 1, and in the previous plate
was shown the Iowa Serpent-mound, also a remarkable one. The Ohio serpent is
about 1000 feet long and 4 high, having, like the Loch Nell one, an altar on its head;
it points to three rivers, and must, on this account alone, have been an object and
place of the very highest sanctity; the junction or spot overlooking three streams being
even more sacred than that which looks on to a hill of three cones, as does the serpent
of Loch Nell. Three rivers form a Tri-Moorti of “awful and sublime import;” upon
whieh Moore, author of the Hindoo Pantheon, justly dwells at some length. The
long hill-crest on which the Ohio Serpent rests is about 150 feet wide, and 150 foot
above the river, which here makes a re-entering angle, a situation much loved by
Serpent and Phallic-worsbipping races, as I will have to allude to in discussing the