296 FOOTPRINTS OF A^ANISIIED RACES IN CORNWALL. 



and the " Great Medicine Men " of the North American Indians.^^ 

 In order to increase the awe in which they were held, the Druids, 

 doubtless, celebrated their mystic rites among the cairns and 

 dolmens raised by a still older race.^^^ 



Cannibalism, as an occasional custom, existed among the 

 Ivernians. According- to Strabo^^- it prevailed amongst the Irish, 

 and St. Jerome,^^^ wriling in the 4th Century, A.D., tells us that 

 it was practised by the Attecotti of Northern Britain. These 

 Attecotti were apparently not Celts, and have been identified by 

 Professor Ehys^^ with the Ivernians, which identification has 

 been accepted by Mr. Borlase. Proofs of cannibalism have 

 been found by Messrs. Thurnam, Grreen, and Eolleston, in the 

 long-barrows, which are supposed to be Neolithic and Ivernian 

 monuments. Mr. Borlase thinks it probable^^ that human 

 sacrifices and cannibalism prevailed in Britain in the Neolithic 

 Age. 



The Ivernians spread through Britain, and even pushed 

 their way as far west as the Scilly Islands, for Professor Phys 

 thiuks^^ that the island of Silura, mentioned by Solinus, shows 

 that the Scilly Islands bore a name cognate with that of the 

 Silures. 



A cruel war of extermination was waged by the Ivernians 

 against the Piskey-Dwarfs, who were driven to the darkest 

 fastnesses, just as in the present day the Kafiirs hunt down the 

 wretched Bushmen in South Africa, and the Dyaks, of Borneo, 

 destroy the Semang dwarfs. Mr. Borlase says — " It is curious to 

 notice that in one dialect of the Basque (Guipuscoan) piska 

 means " little." In others, namely, Biscayan, Libourdin, and 



i8o. The Rev. S Baring-Gould makes a similar comparison. Journal of the 

 Royal Institution of Cornzvall, vol xiv., igoo, p. 31. He also thinks that Druidism 

 originated among the ancient Ivernians. Ibid, vol. xiv., igoo, p. 30. And he shows 

 how the Christian teacher in Britain succeeded to the place of the Druid. 



181. So thought Mr. Borlase. Transactions of the Penzance A'atural History 

 Society, 1880-18S1, p ■27. 



182. Geography, book, iv., chap, v., pp. 298-299. 



183. Hier., Ope^a, vol. ii., p. 335. 



184. Celtic Britain, pp. 230, 272. 



185. The Dolmens of Ireland, vol. ii., p. 476. Mr. Borlase has also expressed the 

 opinion that Druidism, with its wild necromancy, had a Finno-Ugric origin.— ^.^f 

 of the Saints, p. 104. 



186. Celtic Britain, p. ofii. 



