Identifier: historyofireland01moon (find matches)
Title: A history of Ireland, from its first settlement to the present time, including a particular account of its literature, music, architecture, and natural resources ... illustrated by many anecdotes of celebrated Irishmen, and a series of architectural descriptions
Year: 1853 (1850s)
Authors: Mooney, Thomas
Subjects:
Publisher: Boston, P. Donahoe
Contributing Library: Boston College Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Boston College Libraries

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were used as well for astronomical purposes as re-ligious. The four windows generally found at the top, as pointing tothe four cardinal points of the compass, — north, south, east, west,—the stone steps, leading upwards, through the inside, to these apertures,plainly prove these towers to have been erected for utility as well asshow. There is, in my opinion, nothing in the supposition inconsistentwith the wisdom and pride of our progenitors. We can readily conceivethe motives of a distinguished man, who, in raising a monument to per-petuate his memory, chose a mode which would forever connect hisname with science, and preserve a recollection of his existence in theminds of enlightened men.* Before I enter farther into this question, I deem it proper to presentoutlines of three of these ancient erections, which are evidently akin toeach other. No. 1 is Egyptian ; No. 2, Indian ; No. 3, Irish. * See note, in reference to Mr. Peitres new theory on this subject, at the end ofthe book.
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OBELISKS OF EGYPT. OF INDIA. 135 No. 1. The obelisk of Heliopolis is the sole remaining one of apair that stood together, which were erected by Osortasen, king ofEgypt, about 2070 B. C. Gliddon tells us that, about six hundredand forty-seven years ago, Abd-el-Cateef, the Arab historian, wrotethere were then two upon the spot. The height of the remaining pillaris about sixty-one feet, and its base six and a half. The Pharaohs ofEgypt erected these comparatively small towers before their great mon-uments and pyramids, to receive the written memorials of their existenceand quality. That presented in the annexed diagram contains a seriesof hieroglyphic characters; the translation of some of which is as follows:— Pharaoh, sun offered to the world, lord of Upper and LowerEgypt, the living of men, son of the sun, Osortasen, &c. Sic.—This obelisk was dedicated to the sun, to which was dedicated the city,on the ruins of which it still stands. There are several of these Egyp-tian obelis

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