Fresh Batch #120: The Basque People and Their Ancient Italian Connection

Priomh Athair, the First Father

This article will conclude my examination and commentary of Col. Charles Vallancey’s essay on the History of the Irish Language, but there will likely be much more to come regarding his work. This man was instrumental in seeding the idea that ancient Britons were connected to the ancient Italians, a detail that he didn’t suggest but one that becomes apparent when acknowledging that Punic is Italian-Phoenician, specifically the branch of Pelasgian from Sicily, which is home to three ancient Italian languages, two of which are not Indo-European, the eastern one being infused with Greek on account of Syracuse. For reference, revisit Fresh Batch #87: Is Etruscan the Oldest Alphabet?

The map shows the most important archaeological sites of Sicily related to pre-hellenic cultures, as well as the possible extent of the cultures of Sicani, Siceli and Elymians. Note that the borders shown are merely approximate, and resemble the situation of 6th century BC, when there already were foreign colonies present on the island. Historical names where known, modern Italian names in brackets.

According to Wikik, Pliny the Elder and Gaius Julius Solinus also mention the Sicani, among the peoples of the Mount Albanus league in the Old Latium. The Sicans are mentioned in Virgil's Aeneid as allies of the Rutuli, Aurunci and Sacrani of Old Latium. Aulus Gellius and Macrobius remember them with the Aurunci and the Pelasgians.

While most Britons don’t appear interested in the ancient history of their islands being inextricably linked to the Italian maritime empire of old, those who are will find they cannot produce an ancient alphabet from Britain that doesn’t descend from Italy. The Phoenician peopling of their islands is likely a stock from Italy, not Asia Minor. The letters and architecture that were attributed to Saxons are actually of Roman origin. The so-called Scythians are an admitted branch of the Pelasgians, even in the construct of that story. The Pelasgians were not only claimed to be older than the Phoenicians by over two centuries, while their alphabet is of Phoenician original, but they were also called Tyrrhenians. The Tyrrhenian Sea is on the west coast of Italy, exactly where you find all of these non-Indo-European languages, from Ancient Liguria (northwestern Italy) down to Carthage and Malta. All of this indicates a diaspora from Italy, not from the region north of the Black Sea, or any other part of India. The receipts I provide in this article are obtained from O’Reilly’s Irish Dictionary (19th century) in order to be impartial and demonstrate that I confirmed this on my own, as I have done with Spirit Whirled and earned the trust of my supporters. I believe Vallancey’s essay was written before O’Reilly’s Irish Dictionary was published, but both gentlemen were contemporaries of each other.

Vallancey wrote (Irish. Lang. p. 59), “Ceres or Keres was worshipped as the Moon. Ceo in Irish signifies clouds, vapours; and Re is the Moon, which compounded forms Ceore.

“She was also named Ceolestis and Keolectis, and was invoked in droughts in order to obtain rain (Tertullian, Apol. c. 23.).

“Ceo-leis-teisi, in Irish, signifies dropping, mists, or rain. Mr. Rollin thinks this Deity was the same Queen of Heaven, to whom the Jewish women burnt incense, poured out drink-offerings, and made cakes for her with their own hands,—ut faciant placentas reginæ Cœli. The children gathered the wood, the fathers kindled the fire, and the women kneaded the dough, to make cakes for the Queen of Heaven; Jeremiah vii. 18. This pagan custom is still preserved in Ireland on St. Bridget’s eve, from the festival of a famed poetess of the same name, in the time of paganism. In an ancient glossary now before me, she is thus described: Brighid ban fhileadh inghean an Dagha; bean dhe Eirinn; i.e. Brigit a poetess, the daughter of Dagha; a goddess of Ireland. (I’m not sure if this is a typo by Vallancey or if it’s an archaic spelling, but it appears that the modern spelling is Dagda.) On St. Bridget’s eve every farmer’s wife in Ireland makes a caked called bairinbreac, the neighbours are invited, the madder of ale and the pipe go round, and the evening concludes with mirth and festivity.”

Dagda is similar to Father Fish, or Head Bishop, which would be the Pope, much like Dagon or Buddha (Dag-Po). Culturally, we’ve called our fathers Da/Dad and Pa/Papa.

We’re about to explore archetypes that exists in Ireland, Carthage, and Rome, both symbolically and etymologically, as well as Ireland, Rome, and Egypt.

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