Isaac Taylor (canon)
Encyclopedia
Isaac Taylor son of Isaac Taylor
, was a philologist
, toponymist, and Anglican
canon of York
(from 1885).
about the 6th century B.C. "It would seem that the Goths
, who then occupied the region between the southern coast of the Baltic
and the upper waters of the Dnieper," Taylor argued in a subsequent paper, "must have obtained a knowledge of the art of writing from the merchants of Olbia
and other Greek colonies on the Euxine, who, according to Herodotus
, voyaged forty days' journey to the North by the great trade route of the Dnieper."
Taylor's ideas concerning religion raised many eyebrows amongst his contemporaries. In 1887, he argued that Islam
had been more successful than Christianity
in "civilizing" Africa
and ridding the "Dark Continent" of cannibalism, devil worship, human sacrifice, witchcraft, infanticide, and bad hygiene. Cheers followed not Taylor's lecture—made to a British audience primarily of Anglican missionary supporters—but the remarks made by the speakers who followed him and denounced his theories. In the same address, delivered to the Wolverhampton
Church Congress
in 1887, Taylor argued that "Islam, above all, is the most powerful total abstinence society in the world; whereas the extension of European trade means the extension of drunkenness and vice, and the degradation of the people." Ultimately, Taylor's comments were made based upon the racist assumptions of Islamicist controversialists, including the famous traveller and writer Richard Burton, that the lower races were better adapted to respond to the message of Islam than that of Christianity.
In 1890, Taylor published Origin of the Aryans, in which he proposed the "round-head theory," in which he argued that European Russia was the homeland of all of the Indo-European peoples, in opposition to the assertion of Max Müller
, who had argued for Central Asia. Taylor believed that the Celts (tall stature, round heads), a branch of the ancient Finns, were the only true Aryans
who had "Aryanized" the Iberians
(short stature, long heads), the Scandinavians (tall stature, long heads), and the Ligurians
(short stature, round heads).
In regards to the origin of the Basques
, Taylor believed that they were direct descendants of the Etruscans. Taylor’s theories on the Etruscans, though now obsolete, caused great interest at the time that they were presented. He believed that the Etruscan language belonged to the Altaic language group, and that Etruscan mythology was fundamental to that presented in the Kalevala
, the great Finnish epic.
In his Names and Their Histories (1898), Taylor presented an impressive survey of local, foreign, and national names. Though many of his toponymic
theories have been discounted, he laid the groundwork for future research in this then-new discipline.
Isaac Taylor
Isaac Taylor was an English philosophical and historical writer, artist, and inventor.-Life:He was the eldest surviving son of Isaac Taylor of Ongar. He was born at Lavenham, Suffolk, on 17 August 1787, and moved with his family to Colchester and, at the end of 1810, to Ongar. In the family...
, was a philologist
Philology
Philology is the study of language in written historical sources; it is a combination of literary studies, history and linguistics.Classical philology is the philology of Greek and Classical Latin...
, toponymist, and Anglican
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
canon of York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
(from 1885).
Life
Though he wrote several inflammatory theological pamphlets, such as The Liturgy and the Dissenters (1860) and Leaves from an Egyptian Notebook (1888), he is chiefly remembered today for his archaeological and philological studies, which include Words and Places (1864), Etruscan Researches (1874), The Alphabet (1883), and Greeks and Goths (1879), in which he argued that the runes were derived from a variety of the Hellenic alphabet used in the Greek colonies on the Black SeaBlack Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
about the 6th century B.C. "It would seem that the Goths
Goths
The Goths were an East Germanic tribe of Scandinavian origin whose two branches, the Visigoths and the Ostrogoths, played an important role in the fall of the Roman Empire and the emergence of Medieval Europe....
, who then occupied the region between the southern coast of the Baltic
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
and the upper waters of the Dnieper," Taylor argued in a subsequent paper, "must have obtained a knowledge of the art of writing from the merchants of Olbia
Olbia, Ukraine
Pontic Olbia or Olvia is the site of a colony founded by the Milesians on the shores of the Southern Bug estuary , opposite Berezan Island...
and other Greek colonies on the Euxine, who, according to Herodotus
Herodotus
Herodotus was an ancient Greek historian who was born in Halicarnassus, Caria and lived in the 5th century BC . He has been called the "Father of History", and was the first historian known to collect his materials systematically, test their accuracy to a certain extent and arrange them in a...
, voyaged forty days' journey to the North by the great trade route of the Dnieper."
Taylor's ideas concerning religion raised many eyebrows amongst his contemporaries. In 1887, he argued that Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
had been more successful than Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
in "civilizing" Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
and ridding the "Dark Continent" of cannibalism, devil worship, human sacrifice, witchcraft, infanticide, and bad hygiene. Cheers followed not Taylor's lecture—made to a British audience primarily of Anglican missionary supporters—but the remarks made by the speakers who followed him and denounced his theories. In the same address, delivered to the Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
Church Congress
Church Congress
Church Congress is an annual meeting of members of the Church of England, lay and clerical, to discuss matters religious, moral or social, in which the church is interested...
in 1887, Taylor argued that "Islam, above all, is the most powerful total abstinence society in the world; whereas the extension of European trade means the extension of drunkenness and vice, and the degradation of the people." Ultimately, Taylor's comments were made based upon the racist assumptions of Islamicist controversialists, including the famous traveller and writer Richard Burton, that the lower races were better adapted to respond to the message of Islam than that of Christianity.
In 1890, Taylor published Origin of the Aryans, in which he proposed the "round-head theory," in which he argued that European Russia was the homeland of all of the Indo-European peoples, in opposition to the assertion of Max Müller
Max Müller
Friedrich Max Müller , more regularly known as Max Müller, was a German philologist and Orientalist, one of the founders of the western academic field of Indian studies and the discipline of comparative religion...
, who had argued for Central Asia. Taylor believed that the Celts (tall stature, round heads), a branch of the ancient Finns, were the only true Aryans
Aryan race
The Aryan race is a concept historically influential in Western culture in the period of the late 19th century and early 20th century. It derives from the idea that the original speakers of the Indo-European languages and their descendants up to the present day constitute a distinctive race or...
who had "Aryanized" the Iberians
Iberians
The Iberians were a set of peoples that Greek and Roman sources identified with that name in the eastern and southern coasts of the Iberian peninsula at least from the 6th century BC...
(short stature, long heads), the Scandinavians (tall stature, long heads), and the Ligurians
Ligures
The Ligures were an ancient people who gave their name to Liguria, a region of north-western Italy.-Classical sources:...
(short stature, round heads).
In regards to the origin of the Basques
Basque people
The Basques as an ethnic group, primarily inhabit an area traditionally known as the Basque Country , a region that is located around the western end of the Pyrenees on the coast of the Bay of Biscay and straddles parts of north-central Spain and south-western France.The Basques are known in the...
, Taylor believed that they were direct descendants of the Etruscans. Taylor’s theories on the Etruscans, though now obsolete, caused great interest at the time that they were presented. He believed that the Etruscan language belonged to the Altaic language group, and that Etruscan mythology was fundamental to that presented in the Kalevala
Kalevala
The Kalevala is a 19th century work of epic poetry compiled by Elias Lönnrot from Finnish and Karelian oral folklore and mythology.It is regarded as the national epic of Finland and is one of the most significant works of Finnish literature...
, the great Finnish epic.
In his Names and Their Histories (1898), Taylor presented an impressive survey of local, foreign, and national names. Though many of his toponymic
Toponymy
Toponymy is the scientific study of place names , their origins, meanings, use and typology. The word "toponymy" is derived from the Greek words tópos and ónoma . Toponymy is itself a branch of onomastics, the study of names of all kinds...
theories have been discounted, he laid the groundwork for future research in this then-new discipline.
Sources
- Jessica Powers, "Christianity vs. Islam in Africa: A 19th Century Debate," Islam for Today, August 28, 2000 http://www.islamfortoday.com/africadebate.htm
- Thomas Prasch, “Which God for Africa: The Islamic-Christian Missionary Debate in Late-Victorian England.” Victorian Studies 33 (Autumn 1989): 51–73.
- Isaac Taylor, "The Manx Runes," The Manx Note Book, July 1886. http://www.isle-of-man.com/manxnotebook/manxnb/v07p097.htm
- Etruscan Bologna (extensively covers Isaac Taylor's theories on the Etruscan language)
- Finnish Origin of the Aryans (Isaac Taylor's ideas discussed)
- Author and Bookinfo.com