VI 

 THE TRIDENT. 



Count d'AIviella, in discussing the origin of the 

 ' thunderbolt,' or double trident, held in the hand of 

 Jupiter, and many other ancient figures, says : " Nearly 

 all people have represented the thunderbolt by a weapon. 

 Among the Chaldeans it was figured by a trident, with- 

 out counting the fork and the hatchet. The trident, 

 with zigzag prongs, like lightning, is frequently seen in 

 the hands of Assyro-Chaldean gods" "On a cylinder 

 of the oldest period of Chaldean art, the handle of a 

 trident held by the god of the tempest allows a stream 

 of water to escape, which falls into the mouth of a deer" 

 (fig. 38, p. 124). 



With all due deference to Count d'Alviella's authority, 



I would ask — is this story about the tempest-god true ? 



This thunderbolt theory is so pretty and poetical that I 



feel a sort of apology is due for venturing to upset it. 



The great God of the heavens firing off thunderbolts is 



captivating. When artists put a double thunderbolt in 



the grasp of an eagle's talons, what was more natural 



than to picture this bird soaring among the clouds, and 



bringing down thunderbolts from the god of the tempest. 



Nevertheless that very ' fourche,' which Count d'AIviella 



passes over lightly, seems to me to indicate the real 



11 



