THE EASTERN ORIGIN OF THE CELTS. 283 



mania ; Tamorus in Gedrosia; Zimyra in Aria ; Amares and Chomora 

 in Bactriana. The eldest son of Hammoleketh was Ishod, a name 

 derived from the root Shochad. In his name we discover the reason 

 why Segistan, Segeste, and similar terms, so constantly accompanied 

 the Celtic stock, as I set forth in my last paper. The Soxotse and 

 Systa of Persis ; the Astaceni and Socanda of Hyrcania ; Issatis, As- 

 tasana and Tastache of Parthia ; the Isatichse of Carmania ; Asthma, 

 south of Gedrosia ^ Asta, Astauda, Astaveni, and Sacastene of Aria ; 

 Astacana of Bactria ; and Basistis of Sogdiana, are his Persian record. 

 The family of Ezer or Abfezer is exceedingly hard to trace ; and it 

 is with diffidence that I present Azara of Media with Tigrana and 

 Tachasara; Agra of Susianaj Gadar of Parthia; Gedrosia itself; 

 Casirotse of Aria ; and Icarus of Bactria. The names of Mahalah and 

 his mother Hammoleketh or Moleketh, seem to have been frequently 

 associated, and ft is hard to say when one and when the other is to 

 be found commemorated in a geographical name containing as its 

 chief elements the letters M. L. Such are Amul and Maltai of 

 Media, Melitena of Susiana, and Malana of Gedrosia. The paucity 

 of Mahalah's geographical records may be accounted for by the 

 superior fame of his children. These may be found in Amana, Acola 

 and Dariausa with the Derusi^i of Media ; in Deera of Susiana ; the 

 Daritfe of Hyrcania ; Dordomana of Parthia •^* 'Omcenus and Dara 

 of Carmania ; Cocala of Gedrosia ; Dammana of Aria ; and Dargidus 

 of Bactria. The Daritae must furnish us with the originals of the 

 Celtic Druids, being the descendants of Darda or Dara, which, in the 

 latter form, with the full pov^^er of the Hebrew ayirt, is the Erse 

 Darag, the oak. The Persian Dur, a pearl, agrees so far with the 

 Hebrew. The Chaldeans and the Daritse were the early Culdees and 

 Druids ; and with the latter the oak has ever been connected, both 

 in the matter of worship and of name. Aristotle, Diogenes Laer- 

 tius, and other writers associate the Druids with the Persian Magi ; 

 and Pliny expressly says that the Druids of Britain so cultivated the 

 magic art that they would appear to have taught it to the Persians. ^ 

 In regard to mythology, we find two early Persian names re- 

 sembling that of Zimran. One of these is Kaiomers or Gayomers, 

 who has often been identified with Gomer; and the other is his 



^2* The Partliians are also made the descendants of Keturah by Moses pf Chorene. Eussb. 

 Chron. Ed. Migne, p. 618. 

 •^ Plioii H. N. XXX. 4. 



