V. E CONTENT NOTEO TH VIKIN N TW O SF GO S GRAVE N ISLAYI S , DISCOVERED BY WILLIAM CAMPBELL, ESQ., OF BALLINABY; WITH NOTICES OF THE BURIAL CUSTOMS OF THE NORSE SEA- KINGS S RECORDEA ,E SAGA TH D ILLUSTRATE AN N SI D Y B D THEIR GRAVE-MOUNDS IN NORWAY AND IN . Bv JOSEPH ANDERSON, ASSISTANT SEOKETAIIY, AND KEEPER OF THE MUSEUM.

The contents of the two graves now to be described were discovered by William Campbell, Esq. Ballinabyf o , sande th n y,i link t Ballinabysa n ,i islane th Islayf do Augusn ,i t 1878 I heardiscovere . th f do Septembeyn i r through Dr Hunter; and recognising it from his description as a deposit of the heathen Viking time, I wrote to Mr Campbell requesting him to entrusr description— fo e articles th e t m o t ' a request with whice h courteously complie y bringinb d g the o Edinburgmt d ultimatelan h y presenting them to the Museum. Mr Campbell states that the discovery was made in consequence of the drifting of the sand showing a deposit of rust on the surface; and on digging to the depth of about 15 inches he found two skeletons a little apart with their heads towards the east. A line of stones on edge formed a sort of enclosure round each of the skeletons othee Th r. content f thso e graves wer follows ea s :— QRAVE No. I. 1. An iron sword in its sheath. 2. Iron bosshielda f so , wit handls hit e attached. ,3. Small scabbard end, or mounting of the point of a quiver. 4. Iron spear-head find tlio fcrnfle of its shaft. 2 5 PROCEEDING SOCIETYE TH F SO , DECEMBE , 1870R8 . 5. Two axe-heads of iron. . Pai6 f iroo r n pincer r forge-tongsso . 7. Iron head of a small adze. 8. Iron head of a smith's hammer. bow-handle Th . 9 larga f portiond eo e an iro t nf po sheet-iro so n which may have been parts of the pot, 10. Portions of bands formed of iron wires laid side by side which may have been parts of a helmet of the Viking form.

. GRAVII . ENo 1. Pair of tortoise or bowl-shaped , ornamented with bands of plaited silver wire, and studs (most probably of coloured glass) now gone. • 2. The brass spring-pins of the two brooches. . Portion3 thref so e double disc thif so n bronz r coppero e , plated with silver, connected in pairs by a band about an inch wide, and ornamented with circle f bosseso borderd san f repousseso work. 4. Silver hair-pin with globular head ornamented with work, and furnished with a ring of wire fastened by a peculiar twisting of one end roun othere dth . 5. Silver chain of fine wire, knitted as a hollow tube, in a manner some- what similar to what is called Trichinopoly work. 6. Ladle of thin beaten bronze, 17|- inches in length. 7. Hemibpherical lump of black glass, in shape resembling the end of a bottle havind an , convee gth x side rubbe striated dan usey db . 8. Small bead colouref so d glass. 9. Large beads of coloured glass, enamelled on the surface with patterns in different colours. evidens i t I t fro nature mth grouptho f eo e tw f objecto s s thus associ- ated witli the two skeletons, that No. I. was the grave of a man, and No . thawomana II . f o t . t becomeI s also apparen furthen o t r examination thae timd th t an e character of these burials arc capable of being defined with a precision VIKING GRAVES IN ISLAY AND VIKING BURIAL CUSTOMS. 53

and certainty very rarely attainable with undated burials in Scotland. For instance, on a general comparison of these two groups of objects with other group f objecto s s obtained from early grave thin si s countrys i t i , seen that no similar groups were ever obtained from graves of Celtic similaa origin t Bu r . comparison shows that such group f objecto s e ar s the constant accompaniments of burials of the heathen Viking time in Norway, thad 1an t ther nothins ei eithen gi thesf rgroupso o etw , although foun n Scotlandi d , which migh t havno t e been foun Norwayn di . Still further examinatio recorde th f no f sepulchra so l deposits shows that when these group relicf so occuo sd Scotlann i r d they always have been found in districts that were occupied or frequented by the .2 A closer examination still will revea e facth l t e objectsthae th formth tf o s , such as the sword, the shield-boss, the scabbard-point, &c., belong exclusivel e lasth t o t perioy f paganiso d n mNorwai e heatheth r yo n Viking time—a period which ranges from about the beginning of the eighth to the close of the tenth century. e convenienb y e detaileth ma r t fo I td descriptio e objectth f o o nt s consider them under the three divisions of implements, weapons, and orna- ments. implemente Th s for e mosmth t remarkable e threegrouth f .o p Those found in the man's grave are the two axe-heads (figs. 1 and 2), which are both weapons and tools; a pair of forge-tongs of iron (fig. 3) 12 inche n lengthi s e iroth ;n n adzheaa f einche5 o d (fig ) 4 . s longn a ; iron hammer head (fig ) 45 J. inches lond 1Jan g inc h wide e bowth ; - handle of a large iron pot (fig. 6), 12 inches in length, broken, but showinbrokee th end e d e looon n an gth ;t t itself fragment pa po e . th f o s We are familiar in this country with implements of stone or bronze in early graves, and their occurrence in connection with heathen burial does t whe t surpris gravBu a fine no nn w d i . e eus suc hgroua implementf po s

1 See Nicolaysen's "Norske Fornlevninger," passim, and also the "Foreningen for Norske Mindesmaerker's Bevaring," Aarboger, 1866-77. 2 See "Notes on the Relics of the Viking Period of the Northmen in Scotland," illustrate specimeny db Museum.—e th n si Proceedings . 536-94, pp vol . x . . 54 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, DECEMBER 8, 1879.

as this—a group of actual tools of iron—scarcely differing in shape and not differing in material from those now in use in our workshops, we instantly

Figs. 1 and 2. Axe-heads of Iron realis presence eth a phenomeno f eo t oncna e unusual suggestived an l — enabling us vividly to realise how closely the characteristic customs of primeval man may be linked with the arts and culture of modern times.

Fig . Forge-Tong3 . s

Althoug t hseemi strangsa shoulen thinthas ma u supposee da tb o g t d havo t esmiths neehi f do y othee toolth n rsi world, this feelin quits gwa e 1 It is unusual in this country, because the graves of our forefathers at that period vere the graves of Christians who buried their dead in consecrated ground, with the e Churchriteth f sconsequentlo d an , y without these accompaniment pagaf so n burial. VIKING GRAVE ISLA N SVIKINI D YAN G BURIAL CUSTOMS0 0 .

in accordance with the faith that foretold the need of weapons.1 As the sand-hille laith s Vikinn di wa f o Islao s gwh y too s sworkhi witdm hi h shieldd necessarile anan h do e s , spearax s yhi , require smiths dhi y tools to keep them in repair. This is not a singular case. Mcolaysen gives 23

4 5 Figs. 4 and 5. Adze and Hammer (J). instances of smithy hammers, and 17 of forge-tongs from the grave-mounds Vikine oth f g time, Norwayn describei m hi y . db Severa f theso l e con- tained a more or less complete set of smith's tools, including anvils, chisels,

files, and wire-drawing implements, as well as hammers and tongs. A Th1 e Asa faith promised a place in Odin's great hall (Valhalla) to all men wounde armdby slaisor battlenin . Spears supporte ceiling roofedits was dit , with shields coatd an f ,mai so l adorne e perpetuath s benchess it d wa t lI pastim. s it f o e inmate o fight sd sla an yt each other ever yrevivee dayb o t , d again before evening, and to ride home in joyful company to Valhalla, there to be refreshed with the boar's e meath feastd Valkyriare servean ,e th Vikin e th y th t onlb d s f No o gywa . heathen time supposed to take with him to Valhalla all that was buried with him, but whatever he had hid in the earth during his lifetime. It is probably to this belief rather than to the mere notion of temporary concealment for safety that we owe such hoards as those of Skaill. For a full description of the Asa faith see Kcyser's " Eeligion of the Northmen," 1854, p. 93 etscq. . PROCEEDING 6 5 SOCIETYE TH F SO , DECEMBE , 1879R8 .

grave-mound at Thiele in Jutlandl contained, two anvils of different forms, four different kind f hammers,so , four varietie f pincero s r forge-tongso s , two chisels, and two implements for drawing wire, four files, two melting pans paia , f scaleo r weightsd san , and -quantita f otheyo r implements. The smith's craft of coxirse held a high place in the estimation of a people wholl f arms o mand ye an ,devoteus f thei yo e th r moso dt t famous men wore considere famous da r theifo s r skil n forgingi l , temperingd an , ornamenting weapon their fo rs sa prowes s in using them.s signifii t I 2-

Fig. 6. Bow Handle of Iron Pot, one end broken (3). e higth can hf o testimatio whicn i n e crafhelds th h wa t, thawore th t d "smith" was used not only as the common term for expressing dexterity handicraftn i e ter th whicy t alsm b s bu a o, h expressio s mostnwa fitly e highegiveth o t nr form creativf o s e art. Thus whil armouree eth s wa r literall e weapon-smithth y e rune-carveth , s figurativelwa r e runeth y - smith e saga-math , e word-smithth n e poee lay-smithth ,e th t th d an , Creator l thingal f world-smithe o sth . Passing now to the consideration of the group of weapons, it is to be noticed that the sword (fig. 7) is of a very peculiar form, long, broad-

1 Aarbbge Nordisr fo r k Oldkyndighe Historicg do . - That this fame was not undeserved may be readily inferred from an examination of the splendid sword-hilt exhibited by Professor Macpherson ("Proceedings," vol. xii. pi. xxx.), which though foiind in the island of Eigg was undoubtedly the work of one of the most cunning of Scandinavian" sword-smiths. Four centuries before this time the smith was highly esteemed in Celtic lands for his superior skill, if not also s supernaturafearehi r dfo l powers t Patrick'S . s famous hymn contain n exorcissa m against "the craf f idolatryo t e spellth , womef o s l d smithsknowledgal an n d an , e that hath denie e sou dth f man. o l • " VIKING GRAVES IN ISLAY AND VIKING BUKIAL CUSTOMS. 57 bladed, double-edged havind an , gtriangulaa r pomme straighd an l t guard, slightly conve botn o x h sides t I measure. s 36J. inche lengthn i s e th ; blade is 2f inches wide at the hilt, tapering to 2|- inches in the middle and 1-| inch at the point. The pommel, which is triangular and convex

Viking Swords. Fig. 7. Found in Islay. Fig. 8 Found in . Fig. 9. Found in Norway. in outline s 2-i , | inches high inche4 , s wide d 1Jan , inch thicke Th . grip, which is covered with leather, is 3f inches in length. The guard is 4J inches wide. This particular form of sword belongs to Scandi- navia Scandinavin alonei d an limite, s lase wa th t t o ai dthret e centuries 58 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, DECEMBER 8, 1879.

of the heathen period. It occurs in almost every grave-mound of this period iii Norway (fig. 8), and in such places as the Orkneys (fig. 9), the , and those parts of , Iceland, and Eussia1 known to have been colonise e Northmeth y b d t thaa n t periods prei t I -. cisel e forbronzo th ytw m e eshow th plaque n o n d 11s an )(figs 0 1 . e islan founa th cair f Olandn n o di o nd , which beae onln th rco y temporary representation e sworsI knoVikine th spead th f wdf an o o rg

,10 11 Figs. 10 and 11. Bronze Plaques from Oland (actual size).

time.2 Although thee evidentlar y y grotesques, they represene th t helmet, sword, and spear in a realistic manner, which may be accepted as giving the general form of the objects at least. That they do so pretty fairly is evident from comparison with the actual weapons. I show on another diagram four swords—(1) Norwegiann Norwayi p u g ;du , (2) Norwegian, fro a mYikin g grav n Irelandi e ) Danish(3 ; , froma

1 See " Notes on the Relics of the Viking Period," in the "Proceedings," vol. x. . 536p ; Worsaae's "Dane d Northmean s n England,i n , 32645 ;. "Cranipp " a Britannica," vol. ii. pi. Ivi. ; Wakeman's " Handbook of Irish Antiquities," p. 167 ; and Kruse's " Nccro Livouica," plates 5, 7, 40, for instances of this. 2 Kongl. Vitterhets Manadsblad, Stockholm, 1874 Monteliud an , s " Om Lifvei t Sverige under Hednatiden,. 86 . "p VIKING GRAVES IN ISLAY AND VIKING BUEIAL CUSTOMS. 59

grave-moun Denmarn di Swedish) k (4 ; , fro mgrave-mouna Swedenn di . Their absolute identit f characteyo e tablrth witen e swordo th hw no s ) fro8 md (figs Vikinan 7 . g grave Orkneye th Islan si d yan s e coulb t dno more strikingly illustrated. As we possess no Scottish sword of this period, I have placed on another diagram the enlarged figures of three swords which seem to give the form and character of the native weapon. The first of these is of the second centur Christiae th f yo nenlarges i era t I . d fro mrubbina e th f go weapon lying by the side of the fallen Caledonians, over whose prostrate bodies the Roman rides in triumph on the left-hand panel of the Legionary TableMuseume th e seconn i t Th .s fro i dsarcophague mth s of much later date fro churchyare mth swore e th Govanf th do f s i do t I . horseman in the central compartment of the sarcophagus, and is thus in scabbare th strikins it t d bu ;g resemblanc e Eoma swore th th n o o ndt e stone, and the resemblance of its hilt to that on the stone at Inchbrayock, see establismo t t leash a fac e th te t Celti tha th e hil f th to c t swors wa d unlik e Scandinaviae th tha f o t n sword throughou e wholth t e period between the second century of the Christian era and the close of the tenth century e thirTh d. exampl e diagra e th onl th n y o es m i repre - sentatio Scottisa f no h swor definitele db than ca t y referree samth eo t d perio thess da e Nors eenlargen swordsa s i t I d .sworfigure th f deo placed t Matthehane S Celti e th f dth o n i y cwb scrib dreo e illuminaewwh th - Booe tion nintth e f Deekth o o st hn i r century.1 Lik Norse eth e sword, it is a long-bladed and round-pointed weapon, but its grip is much longer guare pointe tha d widthande th e cross-piecth nth th an f d so f han o , e are prolonge recurven di d knobs. -Vikine Th g swor oftes dwa n ove 6 inche3 r e n lengthfaci sth t d an , that a whetstone usually accompanies it in the grave-mound indicates that care was taken to keep its edge keen. Looking at the size of the blade hilte e forth admirablo th s ,f m o d an y adapte securo t d e firmnes f grio s p and balance in the poise of the weapon, we can well believe that there e Boo f 1Th Deero k , edite y Johb d n Stuart, LL.D., Spalding Club, 1869, plate vi. 0 6 • PROCEEDING SOCIETYE TH F SO , DECEMBE , 1879R8 . may be truth in some of the many remarkable feats of swordsmanship of which we read in the sagas.1 e speaTh r from this Islay grava for f mo e s i commo(fig ) .12 n i n Norwegian grave-mounds, long, wide-bladed e d stronsocketth an , n i g .

Eig. 12. Spear-hea f Irodo n (£). The socket is 4|- inches in length, the blade 2 inches wide at the widest part. The whole length of the spear-head is now only 11J inches, but abou inche 3 lengtts it f so s wantingh i I hav. e figured along wit t whahi t

Fig. 13. .Ferrule of Shaft (J). appears-to have been the ferrule of its shaft (fig. 13). The spear was a favourite ..weapon of the Vikings, but the form was neither so constant no peculiao s r e sword th thas a rf o t. Spears e grave-moundoccuth n i r s almost as , frequently as swords. Nicolaysen records over 200 instances

1 We can thus the more readily sympathise with the pathetic complaint of the Irish annalist, that "though there wer n hundrea e n a de neck d headon an ,n o s hundred tongue eacn si hn hundrea head d an , d voice n eaci s h tongue, they would fail to tell what the Gael had suffered of injury and oppression from these heathen foreigners ; and though numerous were the oft-victorious clans of the many familied Eirinn, though numerous their kings and their champions, yet none was abl o givet e deliverance fro e crueltmth e wratbrutald th yan f ho , ferocious, furious, untamed, implacable hordes, becaus e excellencth f o e f theio e r polished, heavy, glittering corslets, and their hard, strong, valiant swords, and their well-rivetted long spears, and because of the greatness of their achievements and their deeds, their bravery and valour, their strength and ferocity, and the excess of their thirst and their hunger for the brave, fruitful, nobly-inhabited, full of cataracts, rivers, and bays, pure, smooth-plained, sweet, grassy land of Eirinn.—"War of the Gaedhil with the Gael," Master of the Rolls' Edition, p. 53. VIKING GRAVE ISLAN SI VIKIND YAN G BURIAL CUSTOMS. Gl

e grave-mounde speath th n f i re o swor oe th d fove0 th an d18 f r o s Viking time describedwhics ha e hh . comf o e - ar axe e ) 2 Th s d (figsan 1 . mon Viking forms. Bot brokene har , largese th inche 6 t s i t bu lengthn si , and 4| inches across the face of the axe. __Axes wer eVikinge useth y db s both as tools and weapons. Per- haps the most common Viking form s thai t exemplifie specimee th n di n now on the table from Lamaness, Sanday, Orkney exactle On .y like it, with the handle still in it, was found in a grave-mound at Lyngdal, an s figurei d d e Norwegiaith n n Society's "Annual r 1871"fo . shiele Th d boss (fig. mos14a s )i t interesting relic, becaus t i showe s wha s neveha t r before been seen i this country, the mode of attachment of the boshandld san e througe hth wood of the shield. The boss is of iron, conical, and ilat on the top. It measures 3^ inches in diameter base e 3d a|th t inchean , s high, the flattened top being about half an inch in diameter. The handle is of bronze 7s i , | inches long, terminat- n i ornamentat a eithe d g en in r l circular expansions. It is orna- mented with engraved lines, form- ing a reticulated pattern (see fig. 15). f s beeFigo . ha Bos m 14 nf .Shieldt ri I so fastene e th , Handlo t d e attached. 62 PROCEEDING SOCIETYTHE SOF , DECEMBE 1879R8, .

tho pin ef bronztw o sbos y s n furtheeitheb o se wa t ri r sided an , secured to the wood of the shield by loops at either end. The form of the shield described in the sagas was round. Although Nicolay-

Fig. 15. Handle of Shield (front view). sen records upward shield0 8 f so sVikine founth n i dg graves whice h describes Norwayn i , , notice handle th f extremele o se ar y rare neithed ,an r the form of the shield nor of the handle seems to have been accurately made out from the actual specimens. It would appear, however, that in all cases at that time the handle was central, and consequently that the shield was not worn on the arm, but held at arm's length in the hand. The scabbard end, or mounting of the end of a quiver, I know not

Scabbar) (? . Fig16 .d Fig. 17. Sheath Mounting Fig. 18. Fragment of End (i). Helmet. which (fig. 16), is not an unusual accompaniment of Viking burials. It is broken, but measures 3-| inches in length and 1^ inch in diameter at the wider end. Another mounting of the end of a sheath (fig. 17) is of VIKING GRAVE ISLAN SVIKINI D YAN G BURIAL CUSTOMS3 6 .

bronze silvered and neatly ornamented. It measures If inches in length and inc n ^ a diametern hi . Ther s oni e e alreade Museuth n i y m from e e linkgraveth th f on Pierowallf o sn o eo s Westrayn i , , Orkneyd an , several occurre e Northmegravee th th Vikine f n i o dsth f o ng timt a e Islandbridge, near . The fragments of the helmet (fig. 18), if I am right in calling them so, are more unusual, and this is the only instance of their occurrence on this side Nortth e h SeaVikine Th . g f helmepeculiao s wa t r ford conman - struction, being often merely a cap of interlaced bands of iron or of wires, interwoven and covered with leather. Frequently they were adorned with fantastic crests e representations th seea , n i n e Swedisth n o sh plaques of bronze (tigs. 10 and 11). I now proceed to describe the objects found in the woman's grave. mose Th t curiou f lume thesso th f blacs o epi k glass n shapi , e some- what resemblin bottoe gordinarth n a f mo y black bottle t flattes it bu , n i r concavity (fig. 19)rounded e convean , th n o rx side (fig. 20), which bears traces of rubbing all over it, as if by continuous use. It is 3 inches in diameter 1d J an ,inc h thick otheo N .r specime f thio n s implemens ha t ever occurred on this side of the North Sea, but it is far from uncommon n Norwayi . Nicolaysen, describin foune a gravemound, on gn i d 1 says luma s f i gree po t i n glass formed likbottoe s eth bottlea wa f md o an , probably used for smoothing linen, as is still the custom in some districts of Norway. Another is described in the Norwegian Society's

1 Foreningeu til Norske Mindesmaerker's Bevaring, Aarsbe-retning for 1868, p. 94, . Another85 . No , foun grave-mouna n di d 44-J fee fee3 t 1 lon t d broadgan t rounse , d the base with large stones, was associated with the following objects : A bronze vesse inche8 l greatesin s 17 hig t hand diameter , over whic inverteof was h pot a d steatite, and within them both a quantity of implements of iron rusted into a mass of burnt human bones. These implements were—a knife-blade, 5J inches long ; a large ring inche4 , s diameter, apparentl a sickle-blade d bridle-bita f an y o e ax n ,a ; e lumth f glaspo s before mentioned a whetstone, , portion f melteo s d bronze orna- ments, and an ox-horn. Alongside the bronze vessel were a spear-head and a frying-pan of iron, 8-| inches diameter, with 7 inches of the handle remaining, and all around were a quantity of clinker-nails.—"Foreningen til Norske Mindesmaerkev's Bevaring," Aarsbcmtniiig for 1871, p. 141. 64 PROCEEDING SOCIETYE TH F SO , DECEMBER 8; 1879.

" Annual 1873r " fo l founs grave-mouna ,a n i d Mandaln di s Amt, where' womee th n stil similae lus r implements for givin gglosa theio st r white caps. M. Lorange notices hal catalogue dozea f th Bergene n ni th f eo collection,- and states that this form of implement is still used in some districts on the west coast of Norway for smoothing linen.2 I fin notic-o e occurrencdn th f eo f thieo s implemen n Denmarki t d an , n accidentaa r fo t bu l circumstance which occurred since this papes wa r written I shoul, t havdno e know f itno s occurrence in any. other locality. When showin relice gth s fro Ballinabe mth y graves Jr . M II .o : t Chalniers

Linen Smoothe f Blaco r k Glass. . FigBac19 . k view. Fig. 20. Front view. Fig. 21. Section. of Aberdeen, a Fellow of the Society, Miss Henderson of Stems tor, in Caithness, who was also present, remarked that an implement similar to this had been used long ago in their house for a similar purpose, viz., the smoothin glazinr o g f linengo thad e believean ,sh t e implemendth s wa t stil afterwards existencen i l wa e Sh s. good enoug causo ht e searco b o ht

made for: it, and it is now engraved (figs. 22, 23, 24), along with the ancient Norse specimen inche3 s i diameter n t si I . Id f an ,inc h thick. bronze Th e ladl f eNorwegiaunusuals o i (fig o ) b .25 seemd o t an t , nsno manufacture—at least, I cannot find any record of a similar object in a Viking grave. Bronze raret vessel t thino bu ,s e particulasar r variety with

1 Foren. til Norske Mindes. Bev., Aarsberetning for 1873, p. 55, No. 28. s Samlinge f JSorska n e Oldsage i rBergen s Museum . LorangeA f A . 138 . p , No , 2203. VIKING GRAVES IN ISLAY AND VIKING IIUIUAL CUSTOMS. 65

the long handle seemuncommone b o st s wholIt . e lengt s 17hi | inches. The handle is 12 inches long, and the bowl is 5£ inches wide and 3|- i riches s formei deep t I f beateo .d n bronze t mucno , h thicker than writing paper givo T e. strengt tho t he handl e edge th ehammeree sar d into a T-shaped fillet, and the circular expansion at the end, which

Linen Smoothe Blacf ro k Glass. . BacFig22 . k view. . FrouFig23 . t view. Fig . Section24 . . is always perforated in Roman vessels, is filled with a disc hammered up from the under side. It is the only specimen of the kind found on Scottish soil, so far as I know. We have in the Museum one almost exactly similar t shorte handlee bu , th n i r , from Ireland therd an , e

Fig. 25. Ladle of thin Bronze. thn i areo collectioe tw on r eo thf no e Irish Academ Dublint ya thet Bu y. have not been found in sufficient numbers to enable us to say definitely that the Irishe yar curiou A . s hoar f bowldo colanderd san similaa f so r style of manufacture found in Sutherlandshire is shown on the photo- grap exhibitedw hno . VOL. XIV. B 66 PROCEEDING SOCIETYE TH F SO , DECKMBKE 8, 1879.

Fig. 26. Double Discs of thin Silver Plate (7i in. long). Fig. 27. Silver Hair-Pin. VIKING GRAVES IN ISLAY AND VIKING BUEIAL CUSTOMS. 67

The only other implemen thin i t s grav smala s ei l cylinde f bronzeo r , plated with silver, which I have provisionally described as a needle-case. It is 2 inches in length, and under J inch in diameter. A fragment of the point end of what seems to have been a bronze needle still adheres oxidatioy b interioe th o nt r surface cylinderth f o e . Awl needled an s s of t unusuabronzno e Norsear n i l e grave f thiso s period I hav t t eno bu , t wit recory me hneedle-casea an f do . Among the ornaments in this grave, the most remarkable are the three double discs of thin silver-plated bronze with circular rows of raised bosses. One of these is shown in fig. 26. They are so thin and wasted that it is difficult to ascertain how they had been used. It seems probable they were attache dresse th s disco da ,t t unlik no s e them were wor pairn ni s

Fig. Chai28 . Knittef no d Silver Wire portiod e Chaie actuaan ,th th f f nno o l size.

on the breast in the early Iron Age. I have searched in vain, however, amon recorde Vikine gth th f so g grave anythinr sfo g exactly like them. Not less remarkabl silvee th s eri hair-pin, with globular hea oped dan n loop attached, whic s showi h t I measure n. ful27 inche5 slg sizfi n ei s e healengthn i th s ornamentedi d an , d with filigree work. Such filigree work is found in Merovingian graves in France, in Anglo-Saxon graves in England, and in the ecclesiastical art of this country and of Ireland. e chai Th f knitteno d silver wire (fig ) als28 o. foun thin di s t gravno s ei peculia Scandinaviao t r Croe th yhave n i find W t i e. , along with beads of the same kind as those found in this grave (fig. 29), and with a coin of Coenwulf, King of Mercia, in the end of the eighth century. It 68 PROCEEDING SOCIETYE TH F SO , DECEMBER 8, 1879.

occurred also in the magnificent hoar f silvedo r ornament f thso e Viking time found at Skaill in Orkney, in a similar hoard found at Cuerdalo in England, and also in a smaller hoard found in the isle of Inchkenneth.

. Bend29 g s Fi fount Ballinaba grav2 n d i . eNo y (actual size). The tortoise brooches, however, of which there is a splendid pair among e objectth thin i s se characteristigraveth e ar , c ornament f tho s e time.

Fig. /SO. Oval Bowl-shaped Brooc t Ballinabyha e 2 gravfoun . th n edNo i , Islay. One of thorn is hero engraved (fig. 30). They are 4| inches in length, inche3 widthn si , and 1J inches spring-pine highTh . sf thes o (fig ) e.31

Fig. Bras31 . s Spring-Pi Broochf no .

two brooches still remain. They are the only ones I have seen, and their preservation is duo to the fact that they arc of brass. All the pins VIKING GRAVE ISLAN SI VIKIND YAN G BURIAL CUSTOMS. 69 l thoal ef specimen thn si o Museum have bee f irod havo n an n e disap- peared by oxidation. These Islay Brooches have a peculiar interest, as showing the method in which they were ornamented with bauds of twisted silver wires, and studs most probably of coloured pastes, which last are unfortunately all gone, although the pins that fastened them still remain. In a previous paper, in which I have described all the specimens of tortoise brooches know Scotlann ni thao t p t du date, 1I hav e referreo t d the important fact that the later Iron Age is characterised by the use of an alloy which may be termed a zinc-bronze, in contradistinction to the bronze of the Bronze Ago, which is a tin-bronze. Professor Eygh has give e detaile analyseth nth f o sf fouo s r tortoise broochese th d an , composition of the metal is as follows2 :—

Analyse Tortoisf so e Brooches. Copper. Zinc. Lead. 1. From Stromsund, Norway, . . 74-78 10-44 14-36 2. From Braak, Norway, . . .72-85 11-90 1571 3. From Gardness, Norway . ,.88-0 0 11'90 4. From Denmark, .... 84-44 11-00 3-77

The geographical distribution of these brooches3 marks the range of the Scandinavian conquests of the ninth and tenth centuries. In Iceland, Eussian i n Livonia n Normandyi , n Englandi , Irelandn i , r ,ou arin o d own shore n Shetlandsi , Orkney, Caithness d Sutherlande an ,th n i d an ,

1 Notes on the Relics of the Viking Period.—Proceedings, vol. x. pp. 549-62. 2 Norske Broncelegeringer fra Jernalderen af 0. Eygh, p. 6. acknowledgine lettea m n I 3o rt g receipt o" y fa copRelic e Notem th f y o f f so so e Vikinth g Perioe Northmeth f do n Scotland,i " Professor Rygh, _ Curatoe th f o r Museum at Christiania, says : "Among the oval brooches which you have figured, thae on t might ther t no hav s no i et e been foun Norwayn i d e broocTh . h from Pierowal fora f mo s exceedinglli y commo nwhicf o wit , I hknohus feweo wn r than specimens8 10 e commonesTh . Norwan i tl foral broochee f thas th myi o f o t s from Islay and Tiree, of which we have 118 examples. The brooches from the Longhills at Wick belong to a variety of the last form well known with us, and that from Castletown in Caithness has many analogous examples here in Norway, although they are not so common as the two previously mentioned types." Figures of these brooches are given in the Proceedings, vol. x. pp. 560. 70 PKOCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, DECEMBER 8, 1879. .:.-- Hebrides, including eve remote nth t KildaS e , their; presence atteste sth historica Vikine l th fac f o tg settlements from aree Norwayth n i at Bu . which they are specially abundant of course is in Scandinavia itself. I find on comparing the' different records that there are now upwards of 500 of them known in Norway. "When wo add the number known in Sweden, which exceeds 400 thosd ,an Denmarkf eo , which only amount have w grosa , e 38 s o t tota nearlf o l a ythousand f whico , largee hth r portion are from Norway. No archisological period iri any country is marke sucy db hdistinctla y peculia characteristid an r c class'of .objects. It is beyond my power as well as beyond the scope of the present inquiry to deal "with the questions of the -origin, development, and decadenc e singularlth f o e y effectiv t intenselbu e y peculiat r stylar f o e which they exhibit s evidentli t I . ycontinuatioa e zoomorphith f no c styl decoratiof eo n which prevaile widel o de earls th yn yi Iron d Agoan , of which there was a peculiar phase of development in Scandinavia. t whencBu t i camee , wha s relationit t scontemporare werth o et f o t yar Southern Europe whad an , t wor successive eth e stages developmentit f so , are questions which no one has yet endeavoured to answer. The very vastnes richnesd fiele san f researcth do f so thin hi s directio doubtless ni s one of the reasons why so few of its peculiar problems have yet been worked out. But it is also unfortunately too true that the Scandinavian archaeologists have systematically cultivated the study of the earlier periods to the comparative _neglect of the richest period of their Iron Age. This, however, beinw no g s i -rectified interese th s a , t formerls thawa t y attached exclusivel e merelth o yt y mysteriou s beini s g more generally transferre purele th o dt y scientific. - Before leaving this branch of the subject, I may remark that the island of Islay1 has yielded a larger number of burials of the Norse Viking time than any other district of Scotland, the island of Westray

5 Islay is the II of the Sagas, and a large proportion of .its place-names, are of Norwegian origin. Among these may be instanced sneh names as Stromness, Lyra- bols, Scarabols, Nerabols, Cullaboll, Nerby, Conisby, Blister, Skeba, Olista, Laxay, Arcs, Cracobus, Comibiis, &c.. VIKING GRAVES IN ISLAY AND VIKING BURIAL CUSTOMS. 71 in Orkney alone excepted. We have already in the Museum a pair of tortoise brooches from Ballinaby. They were found not far from the site of these two graves, under a large standing stone—the bauta-stein of the Norse grave-mound—and presented in May 1788 by Colin Campbell,

Fig. 32. found at Ballinaby, I slay, in 1788.

Esq. f Ballinabyo , wortha , y predecesso e Ballinabth f o r o whot y e mw owe the presentation of these interesting relics to-night. One of them is shown 184I 5 a simila. fig n i 32 . r deposie strat founth s n wa hi td near Newton distillery gravea n gravi e s e lsidTh f th banewa .o e n o k t worstrathe ovali o th n etw I , .bowl-shaped r tortoiso , e broochen a d san

Fig. Brooc33 . h foun grava n di e near Newton, Islay. bead. The brooches are of the single shell type, like the one in Museue th m from Pierovvall e interioth d an r, bor e mareth f clothko s a , all these brooches do. The pins as usual were of iron, and the external ornamentatio woodcue wils th seeo n(a b ln i n t ) figclosel33 . y resembled e Orkneth tha f o e tybrooc th e shelones f Th s o i piercehl . r fo d 72 PROCEEDINGS OF. THE SOCIETY, .DECEMBER 8, 1879.

eight e intersectiostudth t sa o pane th f lno borders. Therornao n s -i e mentation of silver wires as in the Ballinaby specimens, but tho borders are filled by a simple fret inlaid in silver or other white metal. The centrbrooco th f eoccupieo s hi d b yroundea de centre e th stud th d f so ,an two lozenge-shaped panels on the top are also occupied by lozonge-shaped studs, execute castinge chaseth e n dTh i .d ornamentatio vers ni y rudely executed, and tho precise form of the designs difficult to be made out, thoug e usuath hf l o thecharactere ar y e lengtTh e .f th eaco h f o h brooches is 4| inches, width 2| inches, height 1 inch. I heard of them incidentally from Lady Jane Dundas, who visited the Museum to see e Ballinab e th detailcourtese th th e o t sf Johy ow yo relicsI . n F d an ; Campbell, Esqkindls ha Islayf .o o y ,wh sen broocheo th t exhibitionr sfo . Ho also add furthee sth r information that " similar brooches morer o e ,on , were foun n Mulli d d weran , e e possessiolatelth n yi f Loro n d North- ampton at Torloisk, where I saw the things in August 1877." Tho addition of these three pairs of brooches to the Scottish list briugs up the total of tortoise brooches found in Scotland to 32.

I pass now to the general question of the burial customs of the Norse sea-kings testimone Th earliee . th f yo r saga unanimous si s tha como th t - mon mod f sepulturo e o heatheth n i e n Vikin y raisingb tims ga wa e mound over tho remains of tho dead,1 who were placed in their gravo- . mounds honourably with great store of goods, weapons, and ornaments, and costly garments, horses, and sometimes even thralls, or slaves.2 Thus we are told that great store of goods was placed in the how with Hravnkel Freysgocle,war-suits goos hi l hi dal d spead san an 3 r ; othee whileth rn o ,

raisine e haug,th Th 1 f go how r grave-mound,o regardes wa , s aa dn important duty. Gisl Vesteiy i la fol s wen o sandhilt witt e hi k n l th ou t h al "n i l which looks tare dowth n n nbeloo w Sacbol, Thorgrid s "folan hi k d joineman d the thn mo e way. —"Sag Gislf ao Outlaw,e th i " Dasent's translation. 41 . p , s recordei e "Landnamabokt I 2th n i d " witthaw hthralho a t buries e th lwa n di Asniuud Atleson.—"Landnamabok," Copenhagen, 1843, cap. 81. 3 Siigan af Hrafnkeli Freysgodo, Copenhagen, 1847 ; Aarbb'ger for Nordisk Old- kyiulighed og Historic, 1870, p. 309. .' VIKING GRAVES IN ISLAY AND VIKING BURIAL CUSTOMS. 73 hand, it is recorded of Hoskuld, that they made a great how over him but thers littlwa e e propert e fulTh l y significanc place. it n i d f thio e s practical reflectio Hoskuld'n no s memor exhortatioe foune b th y n di yma n of Ketil Eauins to his son Thorstein. When urging him to take to the Viking, he reminded him that from of old it had been the custom of great themselver fo t n warfareo ge o meg d s o nan t good, d gear d thaan s an , t goode geath e gottegathereo th o s s r d nan d wer t subjeceno heirshipo t , because they werwit w e warrioth ehho o destinee laiwh th re b n d i o t d won tole them. ar d also e S thaow 1 t Skalagri lai s wit hiw n mdi wa s hho s horsehi s weapons hi smithy-tools,s , hi d an , Egil d buries an 2 wa l d with his weapons and his clothing. Thorgrim, priest of Frey at Saebol, was buried s shipinhi , over which the afteyw e ancien ho th raiser e th dt fashion, Gisld an 3 i too ka grea t stone froe river-bemth d dashedan t di down on the ship, so that the timbers creaked again, saying as ho did so: " knoI w nothin f makingo shia g weathey p an fas f i tr stirs this one." Sometime places wa de n dea th showsittins ma dhi n .i g " They casa t mound over Gunna t uprigh si addemads d i m t r an i ite dn hi ti d ;tha "an t his mother would not hear of his favourite weapon being buried with him, because she reserved it for the avenger of his death; but afterwards his son Hogni said ho would take it to his father that he might have it Valhallan i witm hhi d hea s favouritan , hi r e weapo e mootinth n i n f go warriors there.4 Perhaps the most striking of all the saga notices of heathen buria buriae th thas i l f Kinf o lo t g Harald Hildotands wa o wh , slai Braavalln no a nephes Heathi y hb w Sigurd middle Kine th th n gf i e o eighth century. Afte e battleth re victoth , r caused searcmade b o eht for the body of his uncle, which he placed in his own chariot in the midst of the grave-mound ; then his horse was slain and laid beside the dead; and Sigurd caused his own saddle to be placed beside the horse, so that Harald might hav s choiceehi d rid r drivan ,eo Valhallo t e d s ha eha

Vatnsdaela Saga, Leipsig, 1860, cap. .2 Egils Saga, Eeikavik, 1856, caps. 89-61. Gisli Saga, Dnscnt's translation, p. 55. Njal Saga, Dasent's translation ,. 249-252volpp . .i . 74 PEOCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, DECEMBER 8, 1879.

a mind. Then Sigurd made a great funeral feast, and the nobles threw massive ring d splendian s d arms inte tumuluoth honoun i s f Kino r g Haraldtole ar dalso e S thaow . t when Hakoi e Gooth i d defeatee th d sons of Gunnhild, he caused their ships to be drawn up on the strand, the slain to be laid in them, and great mounds of earth raised over them. Thu e gathesw r fro earle mth y literatur e Scandinavianth f eo vera s y vivid impressio charactee th f no d accompaniment an r f theiso r heathen burial. Yet this literary evidence is characteristically defective on those special point f detaiso f suclo thae h ar tparamoun t interese th o t archaeologist. Hence whe s attemptei t ni e useb do t d scientificallye th , result is what might be expected of a scientific operation, conducted with unscientific materials. For instance, Dr Dasent gathering the literary evidence into one generalisation, says that the burial took place in a how witw hho oe goode bod rth s laith cairn n ydwa i d s andan , . arms, some- timea sittin n i s g posture, sometimes evea ship n i n, but ahcaysa n i chamber, forme f baulkdo f timbeso r blocko r f stoneso , over which earth d gravee maian th s ni l r t sciencobjeci wer ou s a f e o o t e w piled No . attain to great and wide generalisations from completed evidence, it is manifest -that such a generalisation as this, which gives us what always was the special character of the sepulchral structure for a given period, would be one of the most precious and costly fruits of scientific research. Founded on purely archaeological evidence, it could only be the result of the completed investigation of all the grave-mounds of the period. As here given, it is of course arrived at by a much shorter process, viz., the comparison and critical interpretation of a few texts, for it is not expressly stated in any text, but is an inference from incidental expressions in severa interese th f them. o d l tAn wit1 h whicarchaeologists a e hw s must

Sometime descriptioe sth buriaa f no l mention e digginsth grava f go e instead ol 1 the raising of a mound. When Thorolf died, Egil took his body and prepared it according to the custom of the time, then they dug a grave and placed Thorolf in it with all his weapons and raiment, and Egil placed a gold bracelet on each of his arms, then they placed stones ove reartd himan h, over all. VIKING GRAVES IN ISLAY AND VIKING BURIAL CUSTOMS. 75

regard the inference, lies in the fact that this special form of sepulchral mound, whic s deducei h d froe literarmth y evidenc s havina e g been alivays throughoue fore us th mn i Vikine th t g period fora s i m, whics hi archceologically unknown in that period. No chamhered mound of the Viking t knowtimye s ei Norwayn recordne i th d f abouo san , t 1000 Viking grave-mounds which have been examine than i d t country give onlo thatw yt were furnished with cists l thal ,o others being both nncisted and unchambered. But it is to be observed that the express statements of the sagas are all borne out by the archaeological evidence. It is only when a general inference is drawn as to the universal prevalence constructivoa f e custom that conflicy theran s ei t betwee e literarth n y and the archaeological results. It is also to be observed that the saga evidence is defective as to tho customs connected with cremation,1 and the only literary evidence we posses n regars i e founb theo o t dthat n d i ms i t strange narrativn a y eb eye-witness whic hI translate e nintth hn i d volum Proceedingse th f o e . dat e e bankVolgae th th towards th e i scend n e f o so an ,Th closs e i e sth e of the Viking time. The narrator tells us that there was a temporary intermen preparatione tth till lal s were made; tha femala t d e ha slavo ewh electe wit e s r mastea di he hs o giveo dt d hag wa rwh ol charg n , ni n a o et mistress of the ceremonies was significantly styled "the death angel;" that the dead man's ship was hauled up on the strand and prepared to bo s funerahi l pile j tha reads ts it whecorpse wa f ytakes th l o nt al wa en ou temporary grave, arraye fur-mounten di d golan dd embroidered garments, and laid in state on tho deck where a banquet was spread for him; that his weapons were placed ready to his hand, and two horses, two men, his

1 Snorri says Jha custoe th t f burninmo bod e oves gth ywa r befor e timeth e when the historical sagas begin their chronicle of events. The fact that it is represented in the mythological sagas as the burial rite of the Msir, in the Twilight of the Gods, shows that it was out of memory as a human custom in Iceland at least. There are proofs, however, thae custoth t f mburnin o t wholl no e deas th gy wa d extinc n i t Europe ,twelfte eveth thirteentd n ni h an h centuries. (See"Narrative th Kyen a y -eb Witnes e Ceremonieth f so s attendin e Crematiogth Norsa f no e Chie thn o ef Banks of the Volga."—Proceedings, vol. ix. p. 518, ami also vol. xi. p. 370.) 76 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, DECEMBER 8, 1879.

dog, and two fowls wore hewn in pieces with swords and cast into the ship ; that the woman who was to die, after taking leave of her friends, was first drugged with strong drink and then brutally slaughtered with a deate knifg th bi y heb angel n pulle , corme ende a whil th do f d so tw e wound crowroune th r nec d he kan bea t upon their shield drowo st n r shriekshe ; that thes shewa n laid beside her dea pile dth e lor d firedan d nearess hi y b t relative a d greaburn t ha d afte tou t an ti , r moun s wa d raised over the ashes.1 Turning now to the evidence derived from the grave-mounds themselves, wo find tha t i tcorroborate d supplementan s o literarth s y evidenca n ei remarkable manner. r instanceFo , close abov strane eth t Moklebusda Norwan i t y thera s ei semiglobular mound, 12 feet high and 92 feet in diameter, round its base there is a ditch 12 feet wide and 3 feet deep. On the'south and east the diteh is interrupted by accesses on the natural level of the ground—a feature simila thao t r t presente stonr many db ou ef y o circles whole Th e. mouno basth f eo d when explore founs dwa d covere layea y f ashesdb o r . In an oval about 28 feet long and 14 feet wide lay a quantity of iron rivet d nail s an the sa d settles yha d down amon e asheth g s whee nth planks they had fastened were consumed. Around the circumference of this oval, and among these rivets, were found no fewer than 42 shield bosses, mingled with pike-heads, axes, swords, knives, and other implements of iron. Nea centrs larga it r y ela bronze caldron one-third ful burnf o l t human bones, over which were heape bossee th d thirteef o s n shieldw sno

1 It may be interesting to add here two notices of Tartar burials in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. Johanne Piane sd o Carpini a missionar, visiteo wh y d Tartar yeare th sn yi 124 1247d 6afterwardan d ,an s wrot e"Historia a Mongolorum," states that the better sort among them were buried in their tents, sitting at a table furnished with flesh and milk, and that there was buried with the dead man, an ox, anhorsa fowl da d ean , bridle saddledd dan thad an t, another hors killes d wa e dan eaten for the funeral feast, and its bones burned. He also states that they buried much gold and' silver with their dead. Jordan Severaeus, who travelled in Tartary in 1330, states that when thei thee rburiee di greayar n dme t wit hhorsea thad e an ,ton or two of their favourite servants are buried alive with them.—Holmboe, "Stonnaends Bogravelso blandt Skandinavcr i Hedenold," p. 8. VIKING GHAVE ISLAN SVIKINI D YAN G I3UKIAL CUSTOMS7 7 . firmly rustod to each otlier and to the sides of the pot. The pot itself was splendidly enamelled—in fac exquisitn a t e wor f artko . Amon bonee gth s within it was a pike head which M. Lorange, who explored the mound, concluded to have been the weapon by which the Viking met his death. Recountin e wholth g e circumstance e buriath s f observea o sl e th n i d process of exploration, he says,—it seoms that the sea-king's men had drawn s hi f o y da e th strande n th o n s o shis , s fittinghi witp wa it p u t l i hal s a s death, laid the dead man in it clad in his best and with his arms and his horse; then they hung their shields round the gunwales as they used to do when goin cruisea n go , hoiste saile dth , piled wood unde aroundd ran d ,an fire stoode vessee dth sh s a l; lastly, they gathere burne dth t bones into this splendid pot, covered them with the bosses of burnt shields, and placed e e centrheatheth th f ashe mpf n o i e o s over whic e greahth t mouns dwa finally reared.1 More frequently the vessel and its contents have not passed through the fire. One such ship I have seen. It was found under a mound at Tune, and is now preserved in an outbuilding attached to the museum at Christiauia moune abouTh s . dwa t 12 fee yard0 t 8 hig circumd n si han - ference e vesseTh . l e originastooth n o d l surface even o , ns i kee t I l clinker built, the planks of oak, the ribs of fir. The keel is 43| feet in length and the ship was low and narrow for her length, which is that of first-clasa s herring boa f tho t e present day. Eac f eleveho s sidnwa e planks n inca , h thick, fastened with clinker-nails, having round heads outside and square heads on the inside. The seams were caulked with tarred oaku f neatsmo ' hair. The ribs, thirtee n numberni e ar , built of three different layers of wood fastened with oaken trenails and iron nails. The mode in which they are fastened to the skin of the boa s i peculiart e uppeTh . r boards alon e fastenear e d with oaken

1 Samlingen af Norske Oldsager i Bcrgen's Museum. Af A. Lorange, pp. 153-57. A similar case of a burnt ship occurred at Lackalanga in Sweden.—" Annaler for Nor- disk Oldkyndighed," 1858 . 177 p ,sea-kine Th . g Hak Hordalandf eo , whe o th fel n i l fight at Tyrisvold, was placed in his ship, which was filled with fallen warriors and their weapons ; The sails were then set, the rudder lashed, and the wind being off the land e vesse th fires , wa ld and went ilauiin seao t t . gou 8 7 PROCEEDING SOCIETYE TH F SO , .DECEMBER 8, 1878.

e trenailsloweth d r an one , e merelar s y attache tho t de plankiny gb ropes of bast passed through holes in the ribs and then through corresponding hole wooden si n clampe plankth n eacn so so h e sideSh . a mas f d fio te ha securee botto s th stea n n wa pi o dm e liningsh d an , steered by a side rudder like the galleys in the Bayeux tapestry. The Viking's body, which was uiiburnt, was placed on a wooden platform abaft maste th .hone e horsa th Besid f y so e la witt ei h remain saddlee th f so . Some beads of coloured glass, some fragments of clothing, a sword of the common Viking type spear-heada , shiela , d boss rollea , coap du mailf o t , numbea d an f iroo r n shipe implemente th sid th ,f eo t A neay . sla it r and thus apart fro saddlee mth d hors man'e th e y whicsb side y hla , were the bones of other two horses, one of which was a young animal. This singular fact of the burial of a saddled horse beside the man, and a mare r foa anothehe n i l d an e rship repeate s th par shie f wa , o tth p n di grave - moun t Borreda . This moun ovas shapn dwa i l 12d e2an fee lengthn i t . man'e starboare Th th s n boneo y dthos sm la a side hi d closf eo an y , b e saddled horse, while the bones of a mare and her foal were found in a standing positio larboare th t na d side. But it is needless to multiply instances, yet it may be interesting to remark that similar ship-burial f Horseso Vikings have occurre thren di e shoresn instancethaow d relice r an ,th t ou sn froso m them have beer nfo many years in our own Museum, although their distinctive character has been hitherto unrecognised. I had referred to them as Viking burials previouy t them no n n i d perceivsdi paperI significance t th ebu , e of certain facts which leav doubo n e d l tthre ha al tha n n i et casema e sth been buried in his ship, and in two out of the three his horse was buried with him. In one case -we have the bones of the horse, and in the other cheee th on f keo bridlee ringth f so . This, thoug e usuah th large f o l s i , Vikine th siz f eo g bridle ring, which sometime muc s a inche4 s s ha swa s diameter l threAl e. burials weje accompanie y quantitieb d f iroo s n rivets, whic square-headee h ar sid e round-headed eon an e th e n th do n do othere specia th d thi s an i ;s l characteristi e clinker-nailth f o ce th f o s Viking ships buriegrave-mounde th n di Norwayf so . VIKING GRAVE ISLAN SI VIKIND YAN G BURIAL CUSTOMS. 79 e firs f theso Th t e ship-burial r Georg M s foun y wa sb ed Petria n i e sand hil t Gilla l Westrayn i , 1841 n relici ,e Th s. fro t wermi e deposited in the Kirk wall Museum. They were purchased by Col. Balfour when that museu send s brokean mtwa , herenup . The e describeyar e th n di Donation List for January 1863 l as the bronze cheek ring of a bridle, with part of the iron bit, and fragments of a shield, found with the skeletons of a man and horse in a grave on the sand of Gill. The so- called fragment shiela f e o spiece dar f wooo s d with iron rivets through them. It never occurred to me to doubt their being fragments of a shield until recently, when going over the remains of all the Viking shields in e Museumth thae w I rivet, cam th sa e squaret o thesar t d se an e- headed on one side and round-headed on the other. This, as I have said, is the characteristic of the clinker-nails of the Viking ships buried in Norwegian grave-mounds, and of course when it is remembered that there is no instance of a shield with iron rivets, when we also notice that rivete th s pass obliquely throug woode hth tha d thicknese an ,th t e th f so wood between the rivet heads is fully twice that of any shield whose thick- nes s knowni s furtheo n e , b rther n hesitatioca e n ascribini n g these rivets to the remains of a clinker built boat or ship, which had been hauled up on the strand at Westray, and the man placed in it with his horse ready saddled and bridle thao s de migh h t t taks choichi ed an e ride or sail to Valhalla. The other instances are also from Westray. mounA d whic s als a owa sanh d f Pierowallhillo y , ba situate e th , n di e oppositoth n e island th sid s explore f er Farreo wa , M y 1855.n dri b 2 e articleTh s fount i wer n i ed presente Museume th o t d witr an ,ou h present knowledg e hav ew o difficulten recognisinn i y fragmente th n gi s of woo d iroan dn suppose e portionb o shiela t d f o sr buckler do e th , clinker-nails of another Viking ship, with square heads on one end and round heads on the other. The third instance is also from the bay of , Westray. The mound was explored by Mr Farrer and Mi- George Petri Juln ei y articlee 1863th d s,an found were presentee th o dt

1 Proceedings, vol. v. p. 16. 2 Proceedings, vol. ii. p. 158. . 80 PROCEEDING SOCIETYE TH F SO , DECEMBE , 1879RS .

Museum in April 1864.l They consisted of several portions of a human skeletoe skeletonth f horsea o f irod no o an ntw , ; buckles inches3 e on , , broad and probably the buckle of the saddle girth, the other smaller; and a number of pieces .of oak with iron clinker-nails or rivets, having square heads on one end and round heads on the other. Eeturnin momena literare r th fo g o t ty evidence alss i t oi , interesting to remark that as heathenism was dying out, and its practices gradually giving way before the enlightening influences of Christianity, the cairn of stones which from the earliest times had been accounted the honour- able mode of sepulture came to bo associated exclusively with the idea of dishonourable burial. Thu fine t sw di referre s tha e o dt natura l sequel of the stoning of witches and warlocks,2 and as the method adopted for the effectual entombment of those who would not otherwise lie quiet in their graves. So also the burning of the body, which had of old been the honourable and customary mode, was reserved for wretches like Thorolf Baegifot, who, becaus s gravee woulhi t h e t libu n i ,no ed wandered in the night time killing some and frightening others out of their ashes senseshi d burnt s takesan d strewewa an p ,, u n d abroan do tho deep sea. Women were especially suspected of this walking after probabls wa t i deaththi o yt d san ,feelin g that the, strange circumstances of the burial in the Haraldskjaor Moss were due. I refer to it on accoune incidentath f o t l bearin s relicf somgit o f seo e probabloth n e characteagd ean vera f o yr remarkable relic'no Museume th wn i ' . n 183I 5 some labourers digging e Mospeatth f Haraldskjaen o sso n i r Jutland foun e bodwomaa th df yo n embeddeds wa e peat t th I .n ;i stretche s bacpegged it an kn d o de mos dowth hookey sb n i n d branches fasteo t s a drive n o s dow n legne i nth s and kneee arm th elbows,d t sa an and further secured against a change of position by other branches placed acros brease sth abdomed an t staked nan d endse dowth t .na Some frag- 1 Proceedings ,. 300 p vol . v . "e Laxdaeltole th n ar d i e w o a S Sag a' tha wizare th twitcli d an d , Kotked an l 4 Grima, were stone deatho dt oved an ,r them was erecte da cair f stoneso n whicf o , h the remains are to be seen at this day. Their son Stigand, who fled at the time, was afterwards taken and also stoned and cairned. VIKING GRAVE ISLA N SVIKINI D YAN G BURIAL CUSTOMS1 8 .

ments of the dress were preserved, and among them is one of a peculiar style of woollen fabric (fig. 34), having a fringe of knotted cords of the same material closIts .e resem- blance in texture and in the style e remarkabls fringth oit f o t e e hood found in Orkney (fig. 37) suggests tha hoode tth belongs pro- bably to the period of the Scandi- navian occupation of these islands. This hood, which was found in a moss in St Andrews parish, in the Mainland of Orkney, was long in possessioe th lat George r th e M f no e . WoolleFig34 . n Fabric fro e Mosmth s Petrie- ac f Kirkwalls o , wa d an , of Haraldskjaer, Jutland. quire r thifo ds Museum aftes hi r death, along wit generas hhi l collection t measureI . inche2 3 s lengtn si h and 17 inches in greatest width. The border round the base of the hood,

35 36 . Bordee Parth 36 f Fring d d o base t Figsran th e f an eo t th e5 ea 3 f .Hood o d an , Upper part of the Hood, showing the twilled Bands (actual size). whico t e fringehth e attachedar s inche3 s i ,widthn i s . e th Par f o t border, with the fringes, is shown in fig. 35. The fringes are two-ply cords, VOL. XIV. F 2 8 PROCEEDING SOCIETYE TH F SO , DECEMBE , 1879R8 .

Fig. 37. Hood found in a Moss in St Andrew's Parish, Orkney. VIKING GRAVE ISLA N SVIKINI D YAN G BURIAL CUSTOMS3 8 .

knotte endse thed th e fastene e t base th an d,yhana e ar th f th eo t da o t d hooa kno f y peculiado b t r construction uppee Th .hoode r th par s f i o t of a peculiar twilled fabric, worked in alternating bands, somewhat as represente , althoug n fig36 i d . e woodcuth h t scarcely show e truth s e difference betwee e bands nth similao N . r piec f dreseo s knowi s o t n have been recovered from any of the mosses of Scotland. This occupatio northere th f no westerd nan n part f Scotlano se th y b d Northmen form episodn histora e scountryr th ou n ei f yo , only seconn i d importanc e earlieth o t er occupatio s southerit f o n n districte th y b s Eomans, and far surpassing it in the interest of its historical annals. Of its interest and importance in an archaeological point of view you can judge for yourselves from the number and variety of the relics which I have placed on the table for the purpose of exhibiting in one view the whole Museue serie th Vikine f objectn th i so f mw o g no speriod . Eich collectioe ath s I trus , nis t s mereli tha t i t y a forecase b f whay o t ma t yet recovered, as the true significance and archaeological value of these bits of rusty old iron becomes more generally known and more intelli- gently appreciated. The transition from pagan to Christian burial customs in Iceland was sudden, and is curiously illustrated by one or two incidental notices in the sagas. Thus, when Auda the wealthy, a daughter of Ketil Flatnef, whd beeoha n baptise Irelandn di , die Icelandn ordered i ha e dsh , that she should be buried in the strand butween the ebbing and flowing of e tideth , because bein Christiaa gn unconsecrate i e li e coul t sh n no d d ground, and there was yet no consecrated ground in Iceland. The " Laxdaela Saga," however, says that she was buried in a ship and a how raised over her, and that great store of goods was. buried with her. Bjorn r brotherhe , dieo dwh , aftee introductioth r f Christianityno s wa , laid in a how at Borgarlek, because he was the only one of KetiPs childre dieo dn wh shora onls unbaptisedr r wa yfo fo t t timi d t an e Bu . obstinate heathens that the old custom was retained. When Thorkel Torgilsson was baptised with all the Vatnsdalers he built a church and gave grave-ground to all his Tliingmen. Sometimes the bones of heathen 4 8 PROCEEDING SOCIETYE TH F SO , DECEMBE , 1879R8 .

relatives were taken up from their hows and brought to the churchyard, as when Tordis causebroughd an d p th o u t tEgil' eg du s e boneb o t s church whic r husbanhe h d e Gri th d buil mt ha o Mossfell.'t a t s i t I transition period that the eccentricities of burial sometimes recorded are mostly due. When Hrapp was about to die he ordered that they should bury gravhimdoorwae a th n s housei . n ei hi f thayo o l s ,e migh al h t e se t that wen . it tTungeod on i n d ordered tha s deat whewa d e theh n y should bear him up to the top of Skaneyar fell, from which ho would see over the whole country. Thorkel, grandson of Lyulf, the first Landnams- man, deats whehi hn ni throes, caused himselborne'ouo b o t f t inte th o sunshine, and commended himself to the God that made the sun. t woulI d have been eas lengtheo yt n this paper t enougbu , bees hha n said to show that the characteristics of the heathen Viking's burial were peculiar to his race and to his time. We cannot compare them with con- temporary burials of Celtic origin in Scotland, because there were none such. At the time when these Vikings wore thus depositing their dead, after their heathen manner, around our coasts, Christianity had been as lon n Scotlangi s tha do distanc f timo e e whic separatew hno fros su m tho period of the Reformation. We have therefore no series of Scottish sepulchral remains corresponding to those of the later Iron Age of Scan- dinavia, for the reason that the people of this country, being then Chris- tians, had long ceased to deposit such objects in their graves. And we have no series corresponding to that of their early Iron Age, for the reason that Scotland in that period was directly in contact with the influenc f Eomao e n civilisatio d Romanan n art, while Scandinaviy ala beyond the reach of such contact. Even in their earlier ages of "Bronze and Stone, their typical forms and styles of decorative art have no affinities which would enable us to predicate those of Scandinavia from the study of those in Britain, or contrariwise. The great lesson taught by comparative study of the antiquities of these two areas of Western Europe , seemthabe t o st jus proportion i t knowledgr ou s na f eo them becomes more precise and comprehensive, we shall the more clearly perceive the nature and extent of their differences as generic groups; and VIKING GRAVE ISLAN SVIKINI D YAN G BURIAL CUSTOMS5 8 .

the more clearly we perceive this the nearer we shall be to the discovery of the laws that regulate the geographical distribution of typical forms amon implemente gth f pre-historiso c man.

APPENDIX. consideration I archaeologicae th f no l interest attache evero dt y authentic occurrencrecore th f do f theso e e Viking burial Scottisn so h soil I ,hav e judged it advisable to print the following notes, taken at the time of the exploratio a remarkabl f o n e grou f intermento p f thio s s r perioM y db William Eendall, at Pierowall, in the island of Westray, Orkney. The notes are contained in a letter addressed to Captain F. W. L. Thomas, E.N., from whom I have received them; and they are now printed exactly as they stand in Mr Eendall's manuscript.

" PIEROWALL, WESTKAY, 18th Oct. 1849. " DEAK SIR, " I have made out a hurried copy of the notes I took when digging at the burying-groun norte th Pierowallf beet d ha o ha n I abl f I havo et . e showe nth various articles found, the notes might have been of service; but unfortunately specimennearle th l yal s have been given away thao s , t onl notee yth s remain.

"Notes taken at Graves found near the Sea-shore on a line running north and south. grave bee 1d . Th . eha "n No previously disturbed. Foun muco ds skeletof ho o t s na show tha bode lyins th t ywa g nort southd an h , rather inclinin e righth to g t side, with the face toward the sea. Only half of the skull was found, and, from its appear- ancehavy ema , been cleft before being buried. Foun da smal l iron hatchet lying before the bod y; als o several small piece irof so n were found roun gravee dth , plainly showing that ther beed eha n armour * attache persoe th o dt n buried. Halhelmea f o f t was also found.

1 The appearances observed produced this impression on Mr Rendall's mind ; but it is impossible whay sa to t these small piece f havy iroo s nma e been. Armou t com no f plat r o ed fo int edi e ous some centuries afte e heatheth r n Viking timee helmetTh . f thao s t period whic e knowar h e ar n made of straps like hoop iron, but 'the " half of the helmet" mentioned may have been part of a globular toss of a shield. 86 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, DECEMBER 8, 1879.

" No. 2. Found a grave containing part of a human skeleton, with that of a horse. s bellyhorse it lai s n Th do ewa , wit s heait h d toward e seadirected th s an , d north- east, with its hinder part towards the south-west. The horse's head was resting on nosee quitd th an , e entire f ratheo , smala r l size. After removin pieca t gf i iro eo n was found betwee s jawsnit , plainly showin gbeed thae ha nbita th t ti f , o w-it e hon e bridleth ring r fo s. Found immediately befor e horse'th e s head parhumaa f o t n skeleton lying with the feet toward the north No head could be found. The thigh bones were crossed. Found much remain f iroso n rust, wit hsmala l piec f ironeo , either a spear-head or small sword. A buckle was found on the right side ; also a piece of bone, which hud been attached to metal. Part of the skeleton of a dog was also found in the grave. " No. 3. Found a grave containing part of a human skeleton, with a small dagger lyin e positiog besidTh . neit e ascertained b coul t no d . e skeletoParth f a o t f no horse was also in the grave, with remains of bits of iron. "No . Foun4 . dskeletoa nconsiderabla towardy ewa northe sth , lyins righit n gto side, with the knees drawn up toward the abdomen. N.o remains of armour were found.1 ' " Graves found round a Wound of Sand mid Small Stones, at a considerable distance from Sea,the a, in line running north-west from formerthe Sites Graves.of "No . Founsouthmos1 e . th n do moune tth sit f o edlarga e male skeleton, nearly entire, lying nort d southan h , having large stone t squarrouna se sn i t di e form.2 After carefully removing the sand the skeleton was lying rather on its left siJe, with the knees drawn up and the arms crossing over the breast. About two inches from heae founs th df wa o cup-likd a p to e eth piec ironf eo , evidentl pare helmet.a y th f to 3 Olefe nth t side was foun a sword d measuring about four fee n lengthi t largA . e sharpening ston e graves founth wa en i d, wit ha com b and several glass beads. 4 Bits of iron and wood, attached probably to the remains of a shield, were also found. " No. 2. Found on the north side of the mound a small skeleton lying north and south, having two hollow copper ornaments on the breast, with a circular piece and 5 littla n epi lower down, right ove e regioe stomachth rth f no . a Suppose f o e b o dt female. No remains of iron or rust was found near it. "No . Foune nort3 . th n mounde hdo th sid f eo , f smalbetweeo w l ro stones na a ,

small skeleton, with two hollow ornaments and a small pin, as the former. No t seemI 1 sthi m fo i s express'on tha Rendalr M t l uses tlie term "armour"as including both arms and a mour. 2 Thernecessito n s i e r supposinyfo g thi a scist . Cist almose sar t unknow Norwegian ni n graves of the Viking time, but the setting of stones in thy form of an enclosure round the grave is common. 3 More probably the boss of the shield, which may have been placed on the shoulder as it was carni-d by the Vikings on the march. 4 Glass beads are often found in the graves of men in Norway. 5 These were undoubtedl characteristie yth c tortoise brooche Vikine th f so g time. VIKING GRAVES IN ISLAY AND VIKING BURIAL CUSTOMS. 87 remain f iroo s n were foundlono gTw .combs , with ornamental carvin n eacgo h side, were found, [one] above each shoulder. The teeth of the combs were fastened betwee plateo tw n f bono s e riveted together with copper nails. Supposea e b o t d female. " No. 4. Found part of a skeleton on the north side of the mound, but had been previously disturbed. " No . Foun5 . d parsmala f o t l skeleto north-ease th n no mounde t sidth f eo , with ornaments, pin, and combs as formerly described, and evidently a female. "The head of No. 1 was lying toward the north, and the heads of Nos. 2, 3, 4, and towar5 southe dth . , DEA" be Believ Ko t Sine em , " Yours very truly, " Capt. THOMAS." " WILLIAM KENDALI,"

In my paper on the " Kelies of the Viking Period " I gave an abstract of the contents of four of these graves, from the published accounts of them, which I find, on com- 1 paring it with Mr Rendall's original notes, is in several particulars inaccurate. Two years after the date of these notes Mr Kendail presented to the Museum the relics found in " one of a remarkable group of graves at Pierowall,'' which is nut described in the notes given above, and of which no record is now known to exist. The articles are described in the minutes of the Society's meeting in June 1851 as :

. FigOva38 . l Bowl-shaped Brooch foun Vikina n di g grav Westrayn ei .

"A bronze oval brooch, ring-brooch, and various iron relics, including a hatchet, spear-head, and portion of the umbo of a shield—all found in one of a remarkable group of graves on the links of Pierowall, Westray, Orkney ; also a male human skull from the same grave." I figured the shield-boss and the tortoise brooch (fig. 38) in my previous paper,

1 Catalogue of the liatermtn Museum, p. 1G9 ; Archaeological Association's Journal, vol. ii. p. 329; Wilson's I'rchisto c Annalii s f Scotlandi , . vol305p . ..ii 88 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, DECEMBER 8, 1879. e identit th e ring-brooc th t f bu o y d bee s onlha h nwa y lostd discoverean , y b d the accidental finding of a small piece of tracing-paper among some miscellaneous memorand e Society'th n ai s library tracing-papee Th . r bor rougea h drawine th f go ring-brooch and skull, and a pencil jotting, sufficient for the identification of the thosMuseuof broocthe ein one mhas (fig. 39) whicto , localithno attached.ywas is It interesting, as being a brooch of Celtic type, and the only of distinctively Celtic character found in those graves. Such Celtic ornaments are occasionally found in Viking grave-mounds on the west coast of Norway, as might be expected froe frequenmth t intercourse betwee coloniee nth Scotlann si Irelandd e th dan d an mother country durin Vikine gth g time.

Fig. Celti39 . c Brooc f Pcnannulaho r form, fro mVikina g grave iu Westraj'.

I am also indebted to Mr J6n A. Hjaltalin, Advocates' Library, for the following summary of remarks made by him at this meeting on the subject of the results of recent researches in Iceland, supplying evidence of the burial customs of the closing period of paganism among the Norwegian colonists of that island:— " Since 1850 numbea f ancieno r t burial mounds have been examine Icelann di d containing remains which appea belono t r a perio o gt de introductioprioth o t r f o n Christianity int islane oth A.Dn di . 1000. " 1. Baldwsheimwr.—A grave-mound at Baldursheirntir, in the north of Iceland, was excavated in 1860. The mound lies east and west. The skeleton lay at full length ,west e wit th arme feeeas e d heas o th h,th it t t an t s o d t extende sidese th y .db On the right side were an iron spear, twenty-four table-men of bone, and one of a set of oblong dice. On the left side an iron sword, a small bone with a hole in one end, VIKING GRAVES IN ISLAY AND VIKING BUKIAL CUSTOMS. 89

a broke d an n bea f glasse sworo d d evidentlTh .ha d y been encase woodea n di n scabbard. Nea feee f thith ro t s interment wer e remainth e a youn f so g horsed an , the bit of a bridle. " 2. Gautlond.—At Gautlb'nd, in the north of the island, some workmen digging the foundations of a barn came upon the skeleton of a man about 3 feet under the surface of a small hillock. The skeleton appeared to have been interred in a sitting werg posturebonee do e th a founf d so an ,d unde s knees it ro othe N . r relics were found except a small iron knife. ". Hafurlyarnarstadir.—3 Seven graves were discovere sand-drifa n i d t hern i e firslargese d an 1Th s t1868 4 wa feet. t fee4 lon d t gbroadan . easwesty d Itla an t , contained an skeletonso dtw e graveth f , o ,e place wesd witth en tn h i d their heads laid to the west. One of the skeletons was that of a full-grown man, the other that of a youth. At their feet were the bones of a dog, and in the east end of the grave n iroa ns sworwa n d ma skeletoe mounte e righth e th th horse a f n f o tn o O d . with silver, the ferule being of bronze and gilt. Above the sword lay an iron axe-head, a bridle-bit e buckl th a saddle-girth f d o ean e grav, th en I wer. e also foune th d fragment iron a iron f a o s helmen f o pot d whetstona ,an t e wit holha ee end ion n , a comb of bone, and a number of rusty nails, and fragments of decayed wood. secone th "n I d grave, whic froy hla m south-wes north-easto t , there were found the bones of a man and a dog (those of the dog being at the feet of the man), and a spear-head of iron. thire "Th d feegrav8 s tfee 4 lon ewa d t t gbroadweran i n I e foun. bonee th d f so mana , alon gs before)n irowita (a ng d hspear-head do an ,thos a f eo n thiI .s case the skull lay between the thighs of the skeleton. " In the fourth grave were found portions of a human skeleton and the bones of a horse. othere th "n sI fragment f humaso n bones wer eweaponso foundn t bu , . Eacf ho these grave surroundes walswa w stonesf lo o l a covered y dan b , d with flat slabs. " 5. Kalfborgara.—Five graves were discovered at this place in 1869. They lay either south-west and north-east or from east to west. In one there were found, along wit e skeletonth h o broochetw , f bronzeo s , four yellowf o glas n spi beadsa d an , bronze. In another grave an iron spear-head lay on the left side of the skeleton. The third grav circulars ewa d surroundean , a stron y b d g ston et i werwall n I e . found the bones of two horses and the buckle of a saddle-girth. In the other two graves nothin founs gwa d excep humae th t n skeletons. " All these graves were surrounded by walls of loose stones, and covered with gravel and stones. " All the weapons and articles found in the different localities above mentioned are preserve Antiquariae th n di n Museu Reykjavikf mo describee ar repore d th an , f n di o t museue th ms latit edrawy keeperb . Gudmundsson.p S nu r M , "