horse-shoe over a door as a protection against evil spirits.
It is curious that at Erdeven, where the temple begins, an annual dance,
descriptive of the Ophite hierogram of the circle and serpent, is still celebrated
by the peasants at the Carnival. But the only tradition which survives respecting
the stones is one which lingers in various parts of England where similar
memorials are found, that they were originally endowed with life, and were
petrified as they stand. Some of the Bretons believe they were the Roman army
who pursued the centurion Cornelius on account of his conversion to
Christianity, and were stricken into stone through his prayers. Others imagine
that certain supernatural dwarfs erected them in a single night, and that each still
inhabits the stone he reared.
Mr. Deane tells us that near the Karnak side of the dracontium rises a singular
mound of great elevation, which has once been conical, and the upper portion of
which is evidently artificial.[47] He regards it as analogous to the remarkable hill
of Silbury, which occupies much the same position towards the Albury
dracontium. Probably these mounds served as altars, on which, in conformity
with the practices of the Solar worship, was kept burning the perpetual fire
kindled by the sun. They are of common occurrence in Persia, and seem to be
identical with “the high places” of Scripture where the priests of Baal celebrated
their sacrifices. The conical mound near Karnak—which may be seen for miles
around—has been consecrated by the Christians to the Archangel Michael, who
is the patron saint of every height, hill, or cone, natural or artificial, in Brittany.
The reason of this dedication has been conjectured to be that S. Michael is the
assailant and conqueror of the spiritual Dragon of the Apocalypse. The mutilated
image of that great serpent lies prostrate below the mound; and when its
worshippers were converted to the religion of CHRIST, they naturally erected on
the Solar mount a chapel consecrated to its archangelic slayer. This consecration
indicates, therefore, the triumph of Christianity over Ophiolatry; and it is but
consistent, says Deane, that the people who allegorised the conversion of the
Ophites by the metaphor of a victory over serpents, should, in token of the
victory, erect upon the high places of idolatry chapels to the great Archangel.
It is possible that the mound gave name to the adjacent village: that is, Karn-ak,
or Carnac, from “cairn” a hill, and “hac,” a snake. The “serpent’s hill” would be
no unsuitable title for Mont S. Michel. In the same manner the group of pillars
called Lemaenac, may have been named from maen, stones, and hac.
It is curious to find proofs of the existence of Serpent-worship in the New World