The Goddesse of Surrye (11-15)

Whan I asked how many yeres the seyntuarye hadde dured, and who thei wenden that here supposed Goddesse were, manye stories weren tolde, both

prestes lore and lewede folkes, and verraye fables; and some weren outlandissche, but othere somme acordeden to hem of Grece. Alle thise seyinges schalle reherce, but I beleve hem not in no kynde.

The more partie seyn, Deucalioun, the Scythe,[*] founded the seyntuarye—that Deucalioun in the tyme thereof the grete Flode befel. Of Deucalioun Ihave herd a tale amonges Grekes, that thei tellen in mynde of him; and the storie is of this maner kynde.

This generacioun, the men of now a dayes, nas not the firste, but that firste generacioun al perissched, and thise ben of the seconde generacioun that cam of Deucalioun and multiplyed eftsones. Of tho firste men, thei seyn that thei were right felonouse and didde wikkede dedis, for thei ne kepten not non othes, ne herberweden no straungers, ne receyveden harno fugityves; and for that skylle the grete tribu- cause lacioun cam upon hem. Anon the erthe sent forthe moche water and grete reynes were made and the ryveres flowede gretli and the see wex wondur high, in to tyme that alle thinges weren chaunged to water and alle men weren dede, outtaken Deucalioun that was laft unto the seconde generacioun for his gode conseil and his gode werkes. And his deliveraunce cam in this wyse. In to a gret arke that he hadde he putte his children and his wyves, and thanne entrede, and at entrynge ther camen to him swyn and hors and lyouns kynd and serpentes and alle bestes that

lyven on erthe, two and two. And he resceyvede as hem alle, and thei diden him non harm, but betwene hem was great charitee fro the goddes, and in oon; arke thei alle seyleden whyl the water prevayled. So seyn Grekes of Deucalioun.[*]

But of that that sewede, men of the Holy Cytee sotiowed tellen a tale that is worthy of gret merveylle, how that in here londe opnede a huge hole and resceyvede alle the water; and whan this happed, Deucalioun leet maken awteres and leet bylden over the hole a atars temple halowed to Iuno.[*] I saughe the hole, that is benethe the temple, a right lityl oon. If whilom it was gret and now is become suche as it is, I wot neer, but that I saughe is smal.

In tokene of that storie thei don thus. Twyes eech yeer water cometh fro the See in to the temple. And not prestes only bryngen it, but al Surrye and Arabye; and fro beyonden Eufrate gon manye men to the See and bryngen alle watre, that anon thei scheden out in the temple, and thanne it goth adoun in to that hole; and al be it that the hole is smal, natheles it taketh inne gret plentee of water. And in doynge thus thei seyn that Deucalioun made suche ordeynaunce for the seyntuarye in memorie of that tribulacioun and that benefice.[*] a

Now that is the olde aunciene storie amonges hem touching to the temple.

But othere men , trowen that Semiramys of Babyloyne, of the which sothely ben manye werkes in Asye, sche made this foundacioun, and not for Iuno but for hir owne Moder, that hadde to name Derketoun.[*]. And I beheld the schap of Derketoun in Phenicye, a straunge merveylle, halfundel womman, but the tothere half, wel fro thighes to feet, streccheth out in a fissches tayl.[*]. But the ymage in the Holy Cytee is hoolyche woman, and the tokenes of here seyinge ben not right certeyn. Thei leven fissches holy thynge, and thei ne touchen fissche never; and

though of othere foules thei eten alle, the dowve thei ne eten not, but sche is holy, as thei wenen.[*] And thise thinges ben don, thei trowen, be cause of Derketoun and Semiramys, the oon for that Derketoun hath schap of a fissche, and the tother because that atte laste Semiramys tornede to a dowve.[*] But to me, that the temple was bylded of Semiramys peraventure may I graunte; but that it longeth to Derketoun I ne leve not in no kynde.[*] For amonges somme peples of Egypte thei ne eten not fissche, and that is not-don for no favour to Derketoun.[*]

Ther is also an other holy storie that I herde from a wys man, how that the goddesse is Cibella and the servys founded of Attis. Attis was a Lydien of kynde, that first leet teche the ceremonyes that longen to Cibella. And alle rytes that Phrygiens and Lydiens and Samothracyens perfourmen, tho rytes lerneden thei of Attis. For whan Cibella gelt him, he cessed to lede the lyf of a man, but chaunged to femele schappe, and did on wommenes clothynge, and goynge to every londe perfourmed ceremonyes and reherced what betyd him and preysed Cibella in songes. Ther with alle cam he to Surrye, and for als moche as the peple beyonden Eufrate resceyvede

him not, ne his cerimonyes nouther, he founded the seyntuarye in this place. And for a signe thereof, the goddesse for the most partie ressembleth Cibella, for lyouns drawen hir and sche holt a timbre and bereth tours on hir hede, right as Lydiens formen Cibella. Also he spak of Galles that ben in the temple, seyinge that Galles gelden hem and counterfeten Attis not at alle for no worschipe of luno but for worschipe of Cibella.[*]

But after myn avis, al be it that this is wel semynge, it is not trewe, for I have herde an other cause whi thei gelden hem that is a gret dele mo to beleven.