The Phœnician origin of Britons, Scots & Anglo-Saxons : discovered by Phœnician & Sumerian inscriptions in Britain, by preroman Briton coins & a mass of new history : with over one hundred illustrations and maps

MICHAEL AS HARVEST SPIRIT 351

him.? He was also known to the Egyptians as “* The Harvest god Makh-unna,”? or ‘‘ Makh of the Food-Stuff of Life,” and also with an alternative spelling as “ MWakh of the Red Cross’ ;* for significantly this Cross is painted red in the Egyptian tombs, and is described as “ The Devouring Fire,”* i.e., The Fiery Cross of the Sun.

This now explains the Egyptian references to this Red Cross as giving also the meaning “ eat ”’ (of food), an association which has hitherto puzzled Egyptologists,® but is now seen to be the association of St. Michael or Tash-ub (or RasepMikal) with the Harvest, as Corn Spirit in the cult of the Cross.

In Ancient Mesopotamia the fuller and apparently original form of his ‘‘ Michael’ name is found as “ Me-ki-gal”’ about 2400 B.c. It is applied to the great Harvest Festival and Harvest month called ‘‘The Barley Harvest Cutting ”’ —Se-kin-kud, in which Se, the Akkadian Zery, or ‘‘ Seed grain’ is disclosed as the source of our word “ Seed”’ and “ Ceres,’ and Kud or “ cut’ as the Sumerian source of our English word “ cut.”

So important was the Corn or Barley in the economy of the Sumerians that they latterly made that month of Mekigal or the Barley Harvest the first month of their Agricultural year and the month of their chief festivities, although still retaining the solar year in the background.* Now the meaning of this name of the Archangel Me-ki-gal, as defined in the Sumerian, is of immense importance for the history of religion. It is defined as ‘‘ The Door of the Place of Calling in Prayer’? or ““ The Door of Heaven.’’* Thus the Aryan Archangel Michael is called as intercessor between Earth and Heaven, ‘“‘ The Door of Heaven,’ which thus accounts for the great popularity of his worship, and his title of “Saviour,’* and explains why the Phcenician votive

: Thureau-Dangin, Rev. Assyriologique, 1911, 8, 3, 2 a, 9 and b 13.

* Cp. hieroglyphs B.E.D., 319b. 2° 1b., 319.

‘G.H., pp. 37 and 67 and P.L. 6, Fig. 78. 5 7b., 37 and 67.

°H.E.R., 3, 73, ete., and Langdon, Archives of Drehem, 1911, 15, etc.

7 For ihe Sumerian written signs of the name, see Langdon (above) tablets Nos. 24, 37, 43, etc., etc.

8 On “ Door”’ word-sign, see B.B.W. No. 87, and on Me as “ Heaven,’’

see ih. 2, Pp. 239: 3 See above.