As the question, "What became of the Ten Tribes?" still remains2 to the world an unanswered historical enigma3, so also is the question unanswered, "Whence originated the vast hosts of so-called barbarians4 who, descending5 from the frigid6 regions of Scandinavia, filled Europe with new races, new laws, new ideas, new languages and new institutions?" Some have traced a connection between the loss of the one people and the advent7 of the other, and one author of repute—Mr. Sharon Turner—extensively quoted in this connection, claims that the original home of the Anglo-Saxons was in the very country where Israel is historically lost, and further states that these people commenced their migration8 therefrom about the same time as the tribes of Jacob must have taken their journey northward9.
Mr. Turner, in his valuable history of the Anglo-Saxons, while discussing the Teutonic descent of many of the nations of modern Europe, says:
"It is peculiarly interesting to us, because, from its branches, not only our own immediate10 ancestors, but also those of the most celebrated11 nations of modern Europe have unquestionably descended12. The Anglo-Saxons, Lowland Scotch13, Normans, Danes, Norwegians, Swedes, Germans, Dutch, Belgians, Lombards and Franks have all sprung from that great fountain of the human race, which we have distinguished14 by the terms, Scythian, German or Gothic. The first appearance of the Scythian tribes in Europe, may be placed, according to Strabo and Homer, about the eighth, or according to Herodotus, in the seventh century before the Christian15 era. The first scenes of their civil existence, and of their progressive power were in Asia to the east of the Araxes. Here they multiplied and extended their territorial16 limits for some centuries, unknown to Europe." With regard to the Saxons, Mr. Turner writes, "They were a German or Teutonic, that is a Gothic or Scythian tribe; and of the various Scythian nations which have been recorded, the Sakai or Sacae are the people from whom the descent of the Saxons may be inferred, with the least violation17 of probability. They were so celebrated that the Persians called all the Scythians by the name of Sacae. * * * That some of the divisions of this people were really called Sakasuna (from which we have our word Saxon or Sacson) is obvious from Pliny; for he says that the Sakai who settled in Armenia were named Sacassani which is Saka-suna, spelt by a person who was unacquainted with the meaning of the combined words; and the name Sacasina, which they gave to that part of Armenia they occupied, is nearly the same sound as Saxonia. It is also important to remark, that Ptolemy mentions a Scythian people sprung from the Sakai, who resided near the Baltic Sea, by the name of Saxones."
Mr. Turner was not advocating the Israelitish ancestry18 of the Saxons, hence those who believe in that theory put the greater stress on his two most important statements: that the forefathers19 of this race dwelt in the region east of the Araxes, the exact spot to which Israel was carried captive, and that they began to spread out therefrom some six or seven hundred years before Christ, answering to the very period that the children of Jacob dwelt captives in that country. One author has assumed a very unique derivation for the word Saxon. He says: "We suppose it is derived20 from Isaac, by which, we find from Amos, this house of Israel had begun to denominate itself, just before the captivity21. It was usual to contract the commencement of the name, especially when they combined it with any other word, or when it came to be familiarly applied22. Saxon is, literally23 or fully24 expressed, the son of Isaac." Just as Dickson in modern English was abbreviated25 to Dixon.[A] Such abbreviations, we may remark in passing, in familiar talk are also common with our neighbors, the Shoshones, also a remnant of the seed of Jacob, One writer on this portion of the subject sees in this explanation of the word Saxon a fulfillment of the promise made to our father Abraham, "In Isaac shall thy seed be called," and goes as far as to advance the argument that Cossack is another expression of this same idea, or that a Don Cossack is literally and truly a son of Isaac, of the tribe of Dan.
[Footnote A: It is claimed by some that the word Brahmin is an abbreviation of Abraham in fact that the god Brahma is the patriarch himself deified.]
The ferocity of the northern races, who overthrew26 the Roman empire, is thought by some to argue against their Israelitish origin. But we must recollect27 that the pictures of the Goths and Vandals, which have been handed down to us, were painted by their enemies. Nor would the argument, however true, have any weight with us were the rest proven. If they were of Israel they had been wandering, fighting and colonizing28 for a thousand years since they left Palestine before they overwhelmed Rome. And as far as ferocity is concerned they cannot equal the seed of Joseph on this continent, who but three hundred years after the fullness of the gospel was proclaimed to their fathers by the crucified Redeemer, committed atrocities29 that no Goth or Vandal ever exceeded. A very pretty theory has been advocated in connection with this portion of their history, to the effect that as the Roman empire was used by the Lord to destroy the house of Judah and slay30 millions of that devoted31 race, so the Lord chose a portion of the house of Israel (unknown to both themselves and their enemies) to destroy the Gentile rulers of the world who had slain32 and scattered33 their brother's house.
The mythology of the northern races of Europe may also be noticed in connection with these inquiries34. Those learned in the mythologies35 of ancient Rome and Greece say that it bears no likeness36 to them: its peculiarities37 would rather tend to the idea that it was of Persian origin (British Encyclopaedia38). Some of the early Christian fathers fancied they discovered a great resemblance between one of their deities39, named Baldur or Balder, and our Savior.[B] This god is represented as the son of Odin and Frigga, youthful, beautiful and benignant, the dispenser of kindness, the bringer of joy and blessings40, who loves to dwell with men, and whom all men love. But he is killed by the wicked. (The manner of his death is surrounded with mythological41 nonsense.) All men mourn the loss of their friend, and search through the world for some remedy to bring him to life; but in vain; stern death has taken him away to the realms of the dead, and he cannot come back. His wife Nanna, that she may not be separated from him, has gone to dwell with him there. At last Frigga, his mother, sends a messenger to obtain his release. He leaps the gate of the gloomy world, sees Baldur, and speaks with him, but no, Baldur cannot be released, here he must remain, and his wife Nanna must dwell with him forever.
[Footnote B: "The early Saxons." American S. S. union, Philadelphia.]
From some of the details not here inserted, we incline somewhat to the opinion that the above narration42 is a confused tradition of the way death was brought into the world through the transgression43 of Adam and Eve, rather than that it bears relation to the life of the Savior.
We draw attention to the way Baldur's death was brought about. The tradition runs (American Cyclopaedia), Baldur having long been troubled by dreams and evil omens44, indicating danger to his life, his mother traveled through the whole universe, eliciting45 from every created thing a promise not to injure the god. But she neglected to ask it from the apparently46 harmless mistletoe. Loki, the most deceitful among the gods, an enemy of Baldur, noticed this omission47, and cut from the mistletoe a piece for the point of a dart48. The other gods, surrounding Baldur, made proof of his invulnerability in sport, by casting at him their weapons, with stones, etc.; but nothing injured him. Loki approached and induced the blind god Hodur to throw the dart he had made from the forgotten mistletoe. Baldur was pierced by it and killed. In this tradition Loki takes the place of Satan, Hodur typifies the serpent, and the mistletoe the tree of knowledge of good and evil. It is also noticeable that they represent, in this tradition, that man could do nothing, of himself, to overcome the power of death.
The very earliest literature of the Scandinavian people, preserved on the island of Iceland, adds many testimonies49 to the Scandinavians' Israelitish origin. On this point, the Encyclopaedia Britannica says: "On entering on these ancient books, we are immediately struck with the corroborative50 evidence which they furnish of the eastern origin of the Goths, the fathers of the Scandinavians. As all languages, so all mythologies run in lines, which converge51 in one common center, * * * Central Asia. And little as we might expect it, no sooner do we open the ancient religious books of Scandinavia than we are carried back thither52. Our northern people are a people of eastern origin. Odin[C] and his Asar, are Asiatics, declare themselves to be from the great Svithiod, a country which appears to have been the present Circassia, lying between the Black and Caspian Seas. The whole of their memoirs53 abounded54 with the proofs of it. They brought with them abundant eastern customs, those of burning the dead, and burying under mounds55. They practiced polygamy, looked back with imperishable affection to the great Svithiod, to the primitive56 district of Asgord and the city of Gudahem, or the home of the gods. They transferred a religion bearing the primal57 features of those of Persia, India and Greece, to the snowy mountains of Scandinavia." In reading the above we were strongly impressed with the geographical58 idea there expressed. Without any great stretch of the imagination we could easily consider the traditions regarding the great Svithiod, to refer to Media, the primitive district of Asgord, to be the dim remembrance of their first home in the land of promise, and Gudahem, the home of the gods, to be Jerusalem, the city of the great King. The parallel we consider to be very significant.
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
mythology
|
|
| n.神话，神话学，神话集 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
remains
|
|
| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
enigma
|
|
| n.谜，谜一样的人或事 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
barbarians
|
|
| n.野蛮人( barbarian的名词复数 )；外国人；粗野的人；无教养的人 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
descending
|
|
| n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
frigid
|
|
| adj.寒冷的，凛冽的；冷淡的；拘禁的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
advent
|
|
| n.(重要事件等的)到来，来临 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
migration
|
|
| n.迁移，移居，（鸟类等的）迁徙 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
northward
|
|
| adv.向北；n.北方的地区 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
immediate
|
|
| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
celebrated
|
|
| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
descended
|
|
| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
scotch
|
|
| n.伤口，刻痕；苏格兰威士忌酒；v.粉碎，消灭，阻止；adj.苏格兰(人)的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
distinguished
|
|
| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
Christian
|
|
| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
territorial
|
|
| adj.领土的，领地的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
violation
|
|
| n.违反(行为)，违背(行为)，侵犯 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
ancestry
|
|
| n.祖先，家世 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
forefathers
|
|
| n.祖先，先人；祖先，祖宗( forefather的名词复数 )；列祖列宗；前人 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
derived
|
|
| vi.起源；由来；衍生；导出v.得到( derive的过去式和过去分词 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
captivity
|
|
| n.囚禁；被俘；束缚 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
applied
|
|
| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
literally
|
|
| adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
fully
|
|
| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
abbreviated
|
|
| adj. 简短的，省略的 动词abbreviate的过去式和过去分词 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
overthrew
|
|
| overthrow的过去式 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
recollect
|
|
| v.回忆，想起，记起，忆起，记得 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
colonizing
|
|
| v.开拓殖民地，移民于殖民地( colonize的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
atrocities
|
|
| n.邪恶，暴行( atrocity的名词复数 )；滔天大罪 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
slay
|
|
| v.杀死，宰杀，杀戮 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
devoted
|
|
| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
slain
|
|
| 杀死，宰杀，杀戮( slay的过去分词 )； (slay的过去分词) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
scattered
|
|
| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
inquiries
|
|
| n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
mythologies
|
|
| 神话学( mythology的名词复数 )； 神话（总称）； 虚构的事实； 错误的观点 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
likeness
|
|
| n.相像，相似（之处） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
peculiarities
|
|
| n. 特质, 特性, 怪癖, 古怪 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
encyclopaedia
|
|
| n.百科全书 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
deities
|
|
| n.神，女神( deity的名词复数 )；神祗；神灵；神明 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
blessings
|
|
| n.（上帝的）祝福( blessing的名词复数 )；好事；福分；因祸得福 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
41
mythological
|
|
| adj.神话的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
42
narration
|
|
| n.讲述，叙述；故事；记叙体 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
43
transgression
|
|
| n.违背；犯规；罪过 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
44
omens
|
|
| n.前兆，预兆( omen的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
45
eliciting
|
|
| n. 诱发, 引出 动词elicit的现在分词形式 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
46
apparently
|
|
| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
47
omission
|
|
| n.省略，删节；遗漏或省略的事物，冗长 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
48
dart
|
|
| v.猛冲，投掷；n.飞镖，猛冲 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
49
testimonies
|
|
| （法庭上证人的）证词( testimony的名词复数 )； 证明，证据 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
50
corroborative
|
|
| adj.确证（性）的，确凿的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
51
converge
|
|
| vi.会合；聚集，集中；(思想、观点等)趋近 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
52
thither
|
|
| adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
53
memoirs
|
|
| n.回忆录；回忆录传( mem,自oir的名词复数) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
54
abounded
|
|
| v.大量存在，充满，富于( abound的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
55
mounds
|
|
| 土堆，土丘( mound的名词复数 )； 一大堆 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
56
primitive
|
|
| adj.原始的；简单的；n.原(始)人，原始事物 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
57
primal
|
|
| adj.原始的；最重要的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
58
geographical
|
|
| adj.地理的；地区(性)的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |