Cross-Slabs Recently Discovered in the Isle Op Man
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CROSS-SLABS RECENTLY DISCOVERED IN THE ISLE OP MAN. 53 III. CROSS-SLABS RECENTLY DISCOVERED IN THE ISLE OP MAN. KERMODEC . M B. P Y , P.S.A. SCOT. Since the publication of my work on the Manx Crosses, in December 1906, seventeen pieces have been brought to light, including one long expose t previousl no o vie t dt wbu y recognise s belonginda o thigt s series, bringin e totagth l numbe f suco r h monuments e founth n i d Isle of Man to 134. One of these, having a Bi-lingual Inscription, I have already describe d figuredan d (Proc. Soc. Ant. f Scot.,o vol. xlv. p. 437), and I now submit a short account of the others, accompanie y illustrationsb d . For these discoverie indebtee ar wore committeea e th sw f ko o dt , forme e sprinth f n 1908di go mako t , archaeologican ea l survee th f yo island,—not a mere list or inventory, as that had already been done in 1894,1 but a careful and systematic examination with pick and spade, and inquiry into the history of our monumental remains. s ExcellencHi e Lieut.-Governoryth e Lorth , d Raglan, acceptee th d chairmanship a subscriptio d an , s startewa n o providt d e fundr fo s the work, which is proceeding so very slowly only because we are handicappe r limiteou y db d meansfullo yTw .illustrate d reports have been published, and, at the time of writing, another is ready for the press. It was agreed to treat our antiquities in classes, exhaust- ing each class throughou e islandth t , paris y parishb h , befor- be e decides wa t ginnini tako e nextdt d th e an n firs;o ge keeill th t r so ancient churches and the rhullicks or Christian burial-grounds as being the most recent antiquities, connecting our historic with our prehistoric period. In this way we have now gone through the 1 Lis f . AntiquitieKermodeo tC . M e Isl . f Manth P eo n ,y si b ,Proceedings f o the Isle of Man Natural History and Antiquarian Society, vol. ii. pp. 149-193. 4 5 PROCEEDING SSOCIETYE OTH F , DECEMBE , 191111 R . northern half of the island, and, as we expected, have in so doing discovered several cross-slabs connected wit r earlhou y Celtic church. One exceptional piece of later date, probably the end of the eleventh e souther r worth ou n listki y f I m n . f o d en e th t centurya d ad I , half of our district be attended with equally good results, this alone will have justifie e appointmenth d r committeeou f o t d provan , e its claims to substantial support. But I trust that funds will permit r ful carro ou lt t programmes u you proceeo t d an ,d fro r earliesmou t historic to our prehistoric remains, doing for our pagan burial-mounds and cairns, our primitive earthworks and other antiquities, what we shall have done for our oldest Christian monuments. With respect to these sepulchral remains we had already known of twenty-six early pieces showing 'crosses merely incised on the undressed face slabf o s r boulderthesf so o n e te wer s; e linear, sixteen drawn in outline. To these we have now to add, besides the cross not hitherto recognised and the later one which is carved in relief, seven linear crosse seved an s outlinn ni takind an e forme e; g th s a r the earlier type I now briefly describe them in the order of their development, which, speaking generally, represents probably that of their execution. The material, when not otherwise stated, is clay- slate, which is the main rock formation of the Isle of Man. INCISED. LINEAR. e summeth n I '191f o . r 1 0I foun a smald l slab lying face down at the west end of the ruined keeill known as Cabbal Pheric, which stand plantatioa n si Spooye th t na t Vane waterfall Ballacarnanen o , - mooar, in the parish of Kirk Michael. The stone (fig. 1) measures 25 inches by 5 inches, and an inch thick, and shows no surface-dress- e facing e On a e plaiuppe. bear th d nt en a rs Lati n cross rudely cut, as though with a knife, measuring from 7 to 8 inches long by 3| inches ; the lines, J-inch wide and deep, being irregularly scored. Mr Keig e ownee farm th s giveth , f ha ,o r r Mann ou thi xo st Museum CROSS-SLABS RECENTLY DISCOVERE E ISLTH E N ODI F MAN. 55 d Ancienan t Monuments Trustees whoy b s propose,i t mi o havt d e it set up under the Lychgate at Michael parish church. excavatinn 2I . keeila e sit gf th eBallacurry o n o l Jurbyn i , flata , , water-worn stone, brought probably from the sea-shore, was found . Incise1 . Kg d Ston t Cabbaea l Pheric, Michael. e fac o on a havveret n yo e finely-cut crosse limbe endth th f , so s decorate cross-bary db t measureI s (fig. 2) . s 14| inche 6y |sb inches, inche2 d bees an s thickha n d brokean , n alon s length git crose Th s. itself is 7J inches by 5| inches. The bars, at points about | to f of an inch from the ends of the limbs, are from 2 to 2J inches long. 56 PROCEEDINGS OP THE SOCIETY, DECEMBER 11, 1911. The lines are only TL--inch wide and deep. This is now in the Museum till arrangements can be made for having the Jurby cross-slabs set up together at the parish church. 3. One of the most interesting of these old ruined keeills is that at fooe f Cronth o t Irrey kn ee south-wes Laath n o , t coast, describen di our first report. Her broughe w e o light t t three early pieces,d an another had recently been found loose by the side of the keeill. One of these had been used as a sill-stone to the east window, and was Fig. 2. Incised Stone at Ballacurry, Jurby. e carvefounb o n bott do d h faces. This measures 39J inchey b s inches 2 inche2 1 d o t an s, 1 facthick1 e eOn bear. equal-limben sa d cross, measuring 11 inches each way ; just above this is a very small cross, also equal-limbed, about an inch each way, cut in outline e otheTh r (fig . fac3) . e show approximateln a s y equal-limbed cross, abou inchesinche0 8 t e lef 1 f which o th ty b o st , , abov e armeth s i , a small crosslet, 5|- inches long, set on a triangular pedestal. Below the same arm is another very similar, 4| inches long, but with a diamond-shaped figure connecting the limbs at half the width of the arms. Eac f thesho e crosslet centraa shortea s wel a s s a r lha s ba lr upper bar—a type new to our district; the ends of the limbs terminate CROSS-SLABS RECENTLY DISCOVERE E ISL MANF 7 TH O 5 E N .DI n drillei d . IrvinehollowsM . e ownerD , Th r findin. M , e stonth g e in danger of ill-treatment from idle persons visiting the site, handed it over to the trustees, and it is now in the Museum temporarily housed in Castle Eushen. 4. In the cemetery attached to the same keeill, Mrs Taggart, Fig. 3. Incised Cross-Slab at Lag ny Keeillee, Patrick. searching among the loose stones in 1907, found a broken slab, measurin incheinches7 5 g2 1 y sb , taperin inches3 o 1d gt | an inc, h thick, which also is now placed in the Museum. It is broken along a line of joint, and the slab originally would have been rectangular (fig. 4). One face shows a Latin cross, 14 inches by 10| inches ; the limbs are about 1 inch wide by | an inch deep, slightly expanding toward e endssth , which appea havo t r e been rounde r bulbousdo s a , 58 PROCEEDING SOCIETYE TH F O S , DECEMBE , 191111 R . in the crosses carved on St Patrick's Chair, in the parish of Marown : Manx Crosses, . 6 Evidentl d Nosan 5 . y they were formey b d scratchin outline th cuttinspacd e n gi eth an t e gbetweenou , apparently wit hknifechisela a t no , . Fig. 4. Incised Cross-Slab from Lag ny Keeillee, Patrick. 5. We met with another slab when examining this keeill early in 1909 ; it was very similar to the last, but rather larger, 38 inches by 16J inches, and 2 inches thick, carved on both faces (fig. 5). One, which is badly weathered and worn, appears to have been equal- limbed, measuring about 12 inches. The other face shows a well- CROSS-SLABS RECENTLY DISCOVERED IN THE ISLE OF MAN. 59 formed Latin cross, 14J inches by 7| inches, the lines about f-inch Fig . Cross-Sla5 . b frong ym La Keeillee , Patrick. 1 -, *~^sy 1 • ->— "-" "•*-«! i t i 1 1 ..<• .- i w 'l — • — • — « — 1 — * —_ 1-. —— • • • • ! 1 1 I 1 1 Fig . Cross-Sla6 . b from Kceill Vreeshey, Marown. n mannei t ou wide rt similae lastcu , th e . o t th r This lefn i twa s keeill. 60 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , DECEMBE , 19J111 R .