MYSTERIES OF SAMOTHRACE AND DRUIDISM. 363 



and iron, and worshipped in Rhea and on Mounts Ida in 

 Phrygia and Crete, but chiefly in Samothracia, M. Ros- 

 signol draws the following conclusions: 'In the collection 

 of facts which spring from the same source, are woven 

 together by regular deductions, and all tend to the same 

 end, it is impossible to mistake the existence of a religious 

 doctrine founded on the discovery and the first employ- 

 ment of metals, as that of Eleusis was on the introduction 

 of the culture of wheat. Therefore we do not hesitate to 

 believe, that by this comparison we have thrown light on 

 the mysteries of metallurgy, hidden under the name of 

 the Mysteries of Samothracia.'' 



And Martin writes : ' The ancients have not mistaken 

 the close relationship of these mysteries (of Druidism) 

 with those of Samothracia, where the same symbol is 

 found nearly entire. Gwyon is the Gijon of the Phoeni- 

 cians, the Pelasgic Casmil ; Koridwen is the grand god- 

 dess of the Cabiric rites of Thrace and Phrygia (Rhea). 

 A very positive indication is to be found in the names of 

 the Cabires — those cosmical genii from Western Asia, 

 which exist scarcely changed in Irish poetry. The Gaels 

 no doubt carried these symbols with them from the 

 West.'^ Strabo lends his authority to this assertion in an 

 unequivocal manner : ' In one of the sacred islands near 

 the coast of Britain, are celebrated mysteries similar to 

 those of Samothrace and Eleusis ; these are the mysteries 

 of Koridwen, to the observance of which the Druidesses 

 appear to be more particularly devoted.' ^ 



In the mysteries of Samothrace, the sacred order of the 



' Des Origines Religieuses de la Metallurgie. 

 =■ Hist, de France. ^ Strabo. Lib. iv. p. 190. 



