CABIRI, in mythology, the name given to certain deities, worshipped with great solemnity in Lemnos, Thebes, arid other parts of Greece ; but particularly in Samothracia, which was specially consecrated to their service. The word, according to Varro and Macrobius, signifies great and poweVul deities, and is probably de rived from the Hebrew word geber, " to be strong." The names of the Cabirian deities, according to Mnaseas, as cited by the scoiiast of .Apollonius Rhodius, were Ax icros, or Ceres ; Axiocerea, or Proserpine ; .4xiocersus, or Pluto ; and Casmillus, the same with the infernal Mercury.
The Cabirian worship is involved in the greatest mys tery and obscurity. Captain Wilford has thrown some light on the subject, which, though it does not remove the difficulties, is useful, in so far as it shows the con nection between the mythology of the eastern and that of the western world.
In the Adhuta-core we find the following legends, which have an obvious relation to the deities worshipped in the mysteries of Samothracia. In Patala (or the in fernal regions) resides the sovereign queen of the N gas (or large snakes ;) she is beautiful, and her name is Asyorra. The servant of Dharma-Raja, or king of jus tice, is Chchmala, who drags the w icked with ropes about their necks, and throws them into hell.
Axieros, the name. of one of the Cabirian gods, is ob viously derived front Asyoruca, or rather from Asyoru, or Asyorus, whist signifies literally, she quhose face is most be-anti/id.
Axiocersa is derived from Asyotcersa, a word of the same import with the former, and was the sacred name of Proserpine. The word Proserpine is obviously de rived from the Sanscrit Prasarla•ni, or she who is star. rounded by large snakes. Nonnas represents her as surrounded by two enormous snakes, who constantly watched over her. Iler consort is Vishnu, who, accord ing to the Puranas, rules in the west, and (hiring the greatest part of the night. In this sense, Vishnu is the 1)is of the western mythologist, the black Jujiiter of Sta. this ; for Vishnu is represented as of a black or dark azure complexion. The titles of 1)is and Ades appear to be derived from A'di or A'din, one of the names of Vishnu. When Cicero says, Terrena autem via omnis tape natura, Daipatri dedicala cst, that is, nature and the powers or energy of the earth arc under the direc tion of Dis, this has no reference to the judge of depart ed souls, but belongs solely to Vishnu.
Cashmala', or Cashmala's, is obviously the Casmillus of the western mythologists. The appellation of Cabiri, as a title of these gods, is unknown to the Ilindoos. But the Cuveras, or Cubcrus, as it is generally pronounced, arc a tribe of inferior deities, whose history is given in the Puranas, possessed of immense riches, and who are acquainted with all places under or above ground, abounding vvtli precious metals and gems. In this re spect, their functions seem to correspond with the m.; of Pluto, if W3 suppose him to have had his name from Isatpros, di, iric2.
There can now be no doubt, that we arc to look to the East for the origin of some of the most mysterious rites of the western heathen. At the conclusion of the mys teries of Elcusis, the congregation was dismissed with these words, Kesi lice; ; Conx, Om, Pax. These mysterious words were till lately considered as inexpli cable : they are now, however, found to be pure San scrit, and to be used to this day by the Bramins, at the conclusion of religious ceremonies. They are thus writ ten in the language of the gods, as the Hindoos call the language of their sacred books, Canscha, Om, Pacsha. The first signifies the object of our most ardent desires ; the second is the mysterious monosyllable, used both at the beginning and conclusion of a prayer ; and the third seems to indicate the termination of the religious rites. It answers to the obsolete Latin word, vix, a change, alternation, &c. intimating, that the course of religious observances is accomplished. See Asiatic Rescarches, vol. V.
But though we may perhaps thus trace the Cabirian worship to It.d a, we are still as much in the dark as ever, tt ith regard to its real origin and signification. By some the Cabiri are reckoaed eight in number ; and Shu•k ford supposes them to be the eight immediate descendants of Misraim, comprehending his seven sons, and Philistin. 'Were we to admit this interpretation, we should then be enabled to trace the current of mythology from Egypt eastward to India. But we have, at present, no suffi cient authority for such a conclusion. See Shuckford's Connect. vol. ii.
Others understand by them the eight persons saved in the ark, and commonly denominated the sacred ogdoad of Egypt. See Faber's Mysteries of the Cabiri. (g)