The Sibyl and the Legend of the Dagger of Delphi

The word sibyl comes from the Latin/Greek sibylla, meaning prophetess.

Sibyline Oracles typically predicted disasters.

The sibyl is sometimes confused with the Pythia who was the priestess at the Temple of Apollo at Delphi, who did make prophecies, but many times was wrong and they didn't trust her after a while—according to some sources.

The difference between the sibyl and the Pyhthia were that the Pythia usually speaks in a frenzied state and in another voice, while the sibyl spoke intelligently and in her own voice.

From Collier's Encyclopedia: “SIBYL the name given by the Greeks and Romans to a prophetess inspired by Apollo or by some other deity. There were several sibyls in antiquity, of whom one, Herophile, prophesied the Trojan War. The most famous sibyl was the Cumaean, whose cavern at Cumae near Naples was excavated in 1932; in Vergil's Aeneid, she prophsied Aenea's future and guided him to the underworld. According to one tradition, Apollo offered this sibyl as many years of life as she had grains of sand in her hand. Having failed to ask also for continuing youth, however, she shriveled up until she was a tiny creature in a jar, whereupon, like Tithonus, she repented of her wish. Collections of the prophecies of the sibyls were know as the Sibylline Books. The Cumaean Sibyl offered to sell King Tarquin nine of these books. When he refused she burned three and offered six at the same price. Again he refused, and she burned three more, offering the remaining three at the same price. These the king purchased. Other books were later added to the collection, which the Romans consulted in time of emergency.”

The Pythia was directly possessed of the god while seated on the sacred tripod. The sibyl was inspired by the god.

Legend of the Dagger of Delphi

When the Sibyl of Delphi died, she was buried with her dagger, it is believed that some how her soul was drawn into the dagger. At some point between her death and the first century, The Dagger of Delphi was thought to have been lost forever, until a farmer found the ruins of her grave after discovering a cave in the Pyrenees. He returned with an oil lamp to the cave. After walking about a hundred feet in he discovered prehistoric paintings of animals. But further in, and down another corridor, he found a smaller cave. Here he discovered a small grave, inside it a wooden box, and a manuscript written on papyrus.

Not understanding the writing, or what he had found he decided to take both the manuscript and the box to monks who lived nearby in the mountains.

Of course the monks did not realize what they had until later on, one monk deciphered the writings and realized they had discovered one of the Sibylline Books.

This was the book of the Sibyl of Delphi whose other task in life, aside from a written account of her predictions and prophecies, depicted her tasks of ridding the earth of Nephilim (the off-spring of the Fallen Angels, or Watchers), as well as vampires and demons—who are related down through the ages through the line of Lilith.

It was not more than two months that the monastery was burnt, and all the monks were murdered. No one knew precisely what happened to the dagger or the manuscript, until thirty years later, it showed up in the hands of another monk by the name of Eusebius. If it were not for Eusebius, who came into possession of the Dagger of Delphi, the way of the sibyl would be lost forever, and the Nephilim would take over the world.

However, that is only the beginning of the story. It was not until the current millennium that another sibyl was born to rid the world of the terrifying creatures known as Nephilim. And the new struggle was begun.

Return for more hints, tidbits, scenes and background information for the Sabrina Strong Series in the second book "Vampire's Trill" ~ to come out later this year!!!