The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1872-1881, 1876-07-21


there were In ancient Greece, in differ
ent localities, 50 called sibyls, kind
Of fortune tellers, clalrvoyauts, or spir-
itual mediums. but Of n social stand-
ing much higher than that Of their
successors at the present day, as they
were not only recognized but main.
tained by a wealthy aud influential
priesthood, to whom the presents re-
ceivcd from the faithful believers were
a source Of enormous revenue. In our
present state Of society, we can scarce
ly form an idea Of the power and infu-
ence Of the priests as a separate class
Of society, monopolizing as they did
all the profits derived from the super.
stitious, who wish to atone for their
sins, to obtain knowledge not only Of
secret events, but also Of the future,
and to get advice as to their action in
cases Of difficulty, even to be cured Of
various diseases; and thus the priests
monopolizcd, for many centuries, the
functions OF many professions, even
that Of the physicians, which Hippoc-
rates at least succeeded in rescuing
from the power Of the priesthood.
These sibyls, of which the two prom
inent ones we're the Cum@an and the
Delphian, resided in gorgeous temples
erected over caves, from which vapors
arose which had an exhilarating and
and anGsthetic influence, similar to
to that Of nitrous oxide or laughing
gas, ON those inhaling them. The
author of a well known book, entitled
cart Magic" who for some time lived
at the locality where the Duncan 81.
, byl once resided, states that it is one
of the widest, grandest, and most
aweiuspiring gorges of the mountains
, around Lake Avernus, which itself is
the inundated crater Of an extinct but
once mighty volcano; while the whole
region around, now fertilized by the
waters Of the lake, bears the marks of
the ravages of fire, presenting a most
gloomy appearance. The clefts in the
savage rocks abound with caverns, ex-
haling mephitic vapors and bituminous
odors. The scattered inhabitants Of
the surrounding district once believed
that the largest grotto was the en-
trance to the lower world, and that
the hammers Of Titans, working in
the mighty laboratories of the Pluton-
&c realms, might be heard reverbera.
ting through the sul!en air. The
. dark waters Of Lake Avernus were
supposed to communicate directly
with the silent flow of the river of
death, the Lethean stream, made
dreadful by the apparitions of con-
demned spirits, who Aoated from the
shores of the lake to the realms of
eternal night. In this grotto resided
the famous Duncan sibyl; and from
the exhalations, which were more or
less poisonous to birds and other
small animals which came near, the
weird woman appears to have derived
that fierce ecstacy in which she wrote
and raved about the destiny of nations,
the fate Of armies, the downfall Of
kingdoms, and the decay of dynastics.
: Even monarchs and statesmen often
acted according to her pretended reve-
lations, as it was supposed that the
purposes of the pagan gods were made
known 10 her as TO counselor and a
mouthpiece.
She sometimes wrote her soothsay-
iDgs upon palm leaves, which she laid
at the entrance of the cave, suffering
the winds to scatter them and bear
them whittier the gods directed. To
the Duncan sibyls is attributed the
authorship Of the famous sibylline
books, Of which many strange stories
are told, but of which very little is
left that can be regarded as genuine.
1t is said that she foretold the erup-
ton Of Vesuvius, in which Pliny per-
ished and the cities of Herculaneum
and Pompeii were destroyed. She de-
clared of herself "Why must l pub
lish my song to every one? And
when spirit rests after the divine hymn,
the gods command me to propecy
again, so that am entirely on the
stretch, and my body is so distressed
that ] do not know what to say; but
the gods command me to speak" If
we substitute in the latter expression
the word spirit for gods, we have a
declaration identical with those Of the
spirit mediums of the present day.
The abode Of the Delphian slbyl or
Pythia was in strong contrast with
that Of the Cumean oracle. 1t was
situated in the delightful region Of
Parnassus, sparkling in sunlight and
fragrant with bloom. The superb
temple of Appello was built over a
similar chasm as that where the Gu
mean sibyl held her sea',ces, SO that ii
was secured from the approach of the
vulgar. On its former site certain
clefts in the rock are still visible, one