Blair Collection > History of the Celtic language

CELTIC LANGUAGE. 97
When a Highland chieftain received any slight
from another, or when he had reason to apprehend
an invasion, he straightway formed a cross of wood,
seared its extremities in the fire, and extinguished
it in the blood of some animal, commonly a goat :
he next gave it to some messenger, who imme-
diately ran with it to the nearest hamlet, and
delivered it to the first faithful vassal he met, men-
tioning merely the place of gathering. This person
proceeded to the next village or camp ; and thus,
from place to place, ran this Barker, or Tautic
monitor with incredible celerity. Not to obey the
summons was death. In the year 1745, this Crann,
or Crois-Taitre traversed the district of Bra'd
Albin, upwards of 30 miles, in three hours !
We learn from the learned Kircher, that the
Caduceus was originally expressed by the simple
figure of a cross, by which its inventor, Thoth,
is said to have symbolized the four elements which
proceeded from a common centre. " This symbol,"
says he, " after undergoing some alterations, was
used as a letter of the Egyptian alphabet, and
called from its inventor Tau, or Taut.'' Yes,
Caduceus itself is but a Celtic compound destroyed
by the euphonizing Greeks — namely, Cu-dd-ec,
from the two niches, or two transverse pieces of
wood already alluded to, as " the Key of the Nile."
The next form assumed by this remarkable symbol,
E