JAN 6 1890
MISCELLANEOUS

NOTES AND QUERIES,

WITH ANSWERS.

"Still does the old instinct call back the old names." SCHILLER.

VOL. VII.

JANUARY, 1890.

No. 1.

THE GYROSCOPE. What is a gyroscope and in what work can an account of its properties be found? WILLARD H. POND. A gyroscope is an apparatus, consisting of a rotary wheel mounted in a ring or rings, in different ways, for illustrating the dynamics of rotating bodies, the composition of rotation, etc. It was first devised by Walter R. Johnson, in 1832, by whom it was called the rotascope. Its scientific operations sre too complex for a clear understanding of it in these pages without cuts for illustration. The interested reader will find good descriptive illustrated articles on this singular rotascope in the following:

"Massachusetts Teacher," Vol. IX, 1856, p. 450, by W. P. A. "Barnard's American Journal of Education," No. 7, 1856, p. 701, by E. S. Snell. Also, No. 9, June, 1857, pp. 537-550; No. 11, December, 1857, pp. 529-536; No. 13, June, 1858, pp. 299-304, by Maj. J. G. Barnard.

"Smithsonian Report," 1855, p. 175, by E. S. Snell.

"Journal of Science and Art," 1832, p. 265, by W. R. Johnson. "Transactions of Literary and Historical Society of Quebec, 1864, P. 94, by E. D. Ashe.

SPELLING OF "To." How many ways to represent by letters, or otherwise, the sound of "tu ?”

JOHN.

We are not sure we understand JOHN, but will venture this reply. 1. Tew, a town in Scotland. 2. Too, an adverb. 3. Two, the figure 2. 4. 2, the figure spelled two. 5. To, the preposition. 6. Tu, Latin pronoun for "thou." 7. Teuton, a native of Teutonia. 8. |-, phonographic sound.

the

THE CABIRI.

Who were the "Cabiri" mentioned so often by clas

sical authors? (N. AND Q., Vol. VI, p. 396.)

J. E. B.

The Kabeiri were the divinities most worshipped by the Phoenicians and other people cognate or in communication with them. Authorities differ as to the etymology of the designation. Henry O' Brien, in his "Round Towers," derives it from Guebre or Gheber, the fireworshippers of Persia. Mr. E. Pococke ("India in Greece") forms it from Cuvera, the Hindu god of wealth, "in simple language, the Khyber." He declares that "the Cuvera of the Hindûs, the Pataikoi of the Phoenicians, the Cabeiri of the Greeks, are simply distorted records and distorted comments upon the plain facts of Bud'hist worship, Bud'hist industry, and Bud'hist wealth, abounding in the regions of the Khaiber." Hence, he changes their Roman appellative, Dii Potes, into Dii Bodhes or Budha-gods. Mr. Pococke also indentifies the name with Khebrewi or Hebrews, and Hyperboreans. This sounds conjectural; yet it is by no means so absurd as some may think. Aristotle traced the Hebrews to a Hindu tribe, and the Spartans professed to be their kindred. Josephus himself identifies them with the Hyk-sos, or shepherds of Egypt. Parkhurst's "Lexicon " derives the name of the Kabeiri from the Hebrew word Khabir, abounding; but suggests a further etymology from Khi, like, and abiri, the Mighty Ones. It may very plausibly be formed from chabir, an ally or associate, one having magic power. Doubtless Hebron in Palestine thus derived its name, as the city of the Kabeiri. Its other designation, Kiriath Arba, the city of the Four (Great Gods) would seem to confirm this conjecture. It was evidently built by the Hyksos (Numbers xiii, 22); it belonged to the sons of Heth" or Khitaians (Genesis xxiii), and was occupied by the Anokim, or anaktes, which was an appellation of the Kabeirian gods at Athens.

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Herodotus calls the Philistines of Ascalon Phoenicians. It is not improbable that they were not ethnically diverse from the Pelasgians of ancient Greece and Italy. The structures in those regions denominated Cyclopean, and sometimes considered Pelasgic were fabricated by Phoenicians. We are warranted therefore in regarding the Kabeirian gods as both Phoenician and Pelasgic that the Samothrakian Kabeiri, the Potes of Rome, and the Pataki of the Phoenicians and Egyptians were the same divinities. Herodotus tells of the

Kabeiri at Memphis, who were eight in number, and also states that the Pelasgians established their worship among the Samothrakians (Euterpe, 51). Movers declares that they were originally Assyrian divinities, and Lenormant states that the seven planetary gods were called Cabirim. As the seven divinities, Sin, Samas, Nebu, Istar, Nergal, Marduk, and Ninip, like the corresponding deities in other countries, had each a planet, this is sufficient explanation. Damaskios, however, names an eighth, Esmun or Asklepios, who, under various epithets, denotes the invisible spirit, or fire of life.

The goddess Astarte, Ashtoreth, or the heavenly Venus, was also named Kabeira. This was in her character of Mother as bringing forth the phenomenal universe. Akusilaos says that Hephaistos (the Creator and Kabeira had three sons and three daughters, the Kabeiri and the Kabeirids; and that each had a distinct worship. Herodotus quotes the tradition that Heppaistos or Ptah was father of the Kabeirian gods. They appear to have been represented by ithyphallic images. Different legends, however, seem to vary the number of thees “Great Gods." Three or four seem to have been worshipped at Lemnos, Imbros, Samothraké, and in Asia Minor. Strabo does not always distinguish closely between the gods and the Korybantic priests; which is not to be wondered at, as the priests everywhere represented the deities and uttered oracles in their name. Mnaseas names three by the arcane titles of Axi-Eros, Axio-Kersos, and Axio-Kersa - the good Eros, the good horned god, the good horned goddess. By these distinctions we may perceive the cosmogonic character of the cultus; Eros or love denoting the Supreme Principle, and the horned or Rayed Divinities, the Creators of the phenomenal world. Mnaseas consides them as Demeter, Proserpina, and her abductor Hades, the same as the divinities celebrated in the Eleusinia.

A fourth, however, was introduced,—Kadmos, Kadmilo (Kadmi-El) Kasmilos, by whom we are to understand the intellective thought which ministers to all, unites all, and leads to the higher life.

It may be deduced, therefore, that there was an arcane worship of a common nature existing over all the East. It was called Kabeirian, as being the cultus of Power, like the Sakti-worship of India. We may identify the various national religions by their partaking of these characteristics. Whether personified as the goddess Mylitta, Istar,

Astarte, Asa (Isis), Kybèlè, or Demeter, it was everywhere the worship of Motherhood, and the Power that brings the universe into existence. Of course a paternal deity was associated, but generally as a secondary character. The one was the Productive Power, the other the Energy which makes the process of the phenomenal universe active. The Kabeiri, therefore, were the superior divinities that personified the All-Potent Forces, and the Kabe iric Rites constituted the archaic religion which the old classics recognized, but for "religious reasons never ventured to expiain clearly. In them we have the examplar of the Secret Societies of modern centuries.

“I, TOO, AM OF ARCADIA." found, this quotation.

A. WILDER, M. D., Newark, N. J.

Who was the author of, and where (N. AND Q., Vol. II, p. 496; VI, p. 364.) L. H. AYMÉ.

A quotatian very similar to this leads, "I, too, was born in Arcadia." This is the motto which Goethe adopted for his "Travels in Italy." It is said to be a saying of Schidoni (or Schedone), 1560-1616. MRS. L. T. GEORGE, Chicago, Ill.

WITCH-HAZEL AND WITCH-GRASS. Why is the witch-hazel and witch-grass so called? (N. AND Q., Vol. VI, p. 316.) X.

Witch-hazel is so called because it was supposed to be effcacious in discovering witches. A forked twig of the hazel was made into a divining rod for the purpose. The botanical name is Hamamelis commonly known as Pond's Extract."

MRS. L. T. GEORGE, Chicago, Ill.

"GOT THE MITTEN." How did this saying originate? (N. AND. Q., Vol. VI, p. 348.) F. J. P.

Thih is an American phrase used when a young man is discarded by a lady to whom he has been paying his addresses. Sam Slick, in "Human Nature," p. 90, says, "there is a young lady I have set my heart on; though whether she is a-goin' to give hern, or give the miten, I ain't satisfied." This seems to be the only remaining use of the old English werd mittent (Latin mittins, to send) which Johnson defines "sending forth, emitting." Mittent itself is obsolete, but it survives in the word "intermittent." MRS. L. T. GEORGE.