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THE    DOLMENS    OF    IRELAND. 


II 


THE 

DOLMENS    OF    IRELAND 

THEIR    DISTRIBUTION,    STRUCTURAL    CHARACTERISTICS, 

AND  AFFINITIES  IN  OTHER  COUNTRIES  ; 

TOGETHER  WITH   THE   FOLK-LORE   ATTACHING 

TO  THEM;  SUPPLEMENTED  BY  CONSIDERATIONS  ON  THE 

ANTHROPOLOGY,  ETHNOLOGY,  AND  TRADITIONS 

OF   THE    IRISH    PEOPLE. 


WITH    FOUR    MAPS,   AND    EIGHT    HUNDRED    ILLUSTRATIONS, 
INCLUDING   TWO    COLOURED    PLATES. 


BY 

WILLIAM    COPELAND   BORLASE,   M.A., 

LATE    PRESIDENT   OF   THE    ROYAL   INSTITUTION    OF   CORNWALL, 
AND   ONE   OF   THE    VICE-PRESIDENTS    OF   THE    SOCIETY   OF   ANTIQUARIES    OF   LONDON 

F,ARRISTER-AT-LA\V  ; 

Author  of  ' '  Nceiiia  Cormibia: ;  "    "  Historical  Sketch  of  the  Tin-  Trade  in  Cornwall ; '' 

■  Sim-uays,    a    /Record  of  RavMes   in    Many   Lands,;"    '' Mphou    and  its    Anfinnities , 

■•  The  Age  of  the  Saints,'  etc. 


IN   THREE    VOLUMES. 
VOL.  IL 


LONDON:    CHAPMAN    cS:    HALL,    ld. 

1897. 


^^ 


THE   DOLMENS   OF   IRELAND. 


PART    I. 


LOCALITIES,  DESCRIPTIVE  DETAILS  AND  AUTHORITIES. 

{Continued.) 

COUNTY   OF    xMEATH. 

In  the  Barony  of  Kells  Lower. 

I.  In  the  Townland  of  Cornavllle  North,  and  Parish  of 
Moynalty,  was  a  dolmen  marked  Gianfs  Grave  in  Ord.  Surv. 
Map  No.  I. 

In  the  Barony  of  Fore. 

fi — 13.  In  the  Townland  of  Carnbane,  and  Parish  of  Lough- 
crew.  Thirteen  cairns  are  marked  in  Ord.  Surv.  Map  (new 
edition)  No.  15  in  this  Townland,  at  Carnbane  West. 

J 14,  15.  In  the  Townland  of  Newtown,  and  Parish  of  Lough- 
crew,  adjoining  Carnbane  on  the  S.E.  Two  cairns  are  marked  in 
Ord.  Surv.  Map  (new  edition)  No.  15  in  this  Townland. 

J16 — 26.  In  the  Townland  of  Corstown,  and  Parish  of  Diamor, 
adjoining  Carnbane  on  the  E.  Eleven  cairns  are  marked  in  Ord. 
Surv.  Map  (new  edition)  No.  15  in  this  Townland,  at  a  site  named 
Carnbane  East,  to  distinguish  it  from  the  more  western  group  at 
Carnbane  West. 

f27 — 29.  In  the  Townland  of  Patrlckstown,  and  Parish  of 
Diamor,  adjoining  Corstown  to  the  N.W.,  three  cairns  are  marked 
in  Ord.  Surv.  Map  (new  edition)  No.  9.  There  is  also  an  earthen 
tumulus  in  this  Townland  shown  in  Map  No.  15. 

These  thirty  monuments  (including  the  tumulus)  are  all  that 

t  These  numbers  simply  indicate  the  number  of  cairns  given  by  the  surveyors,  and  have  no 
reference  to  the  actual  number  in  Mr.  Conwell's  list  given  below. 

VOL.  n.  B 


ii063.-^ci 


314  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 

the  Ordnance  Survey  shows  of  the  groups  of  cairns  and  tumuli 
which  extend  along  the  hills  of  Slieve-na-Callighe  for  some  three 
miles  from  E.  to  \V.  They  lie  to  the  N.  and  N.W.  of  the  road 
from  Kilshandra  to  Oldcastle,  and  N.  of  Loughcrew,  by  which 
latter  name  they  are  generally  collectiv^ely  known. 

On  the  23rd  of  May,  1864,  Mr.  Eugene  A.  Conwell  read  a  paper  before  the 
Royal  Irish  Academy,  on  "Ancient  Remains,  hitherto  undescribed,  in  the  County 
of  Meath,"  first  amongst  which  he  noticed  the  cairns  upon  this  ridge  of  hills.  On 
the  14th  of  November  following,  he  read  a  second  paper,  "On  the  Remains  at 
Sliabh-na-Callighe "  before  the  same  society,  in  continuation  of  the  first.  The 
Meath  Herald  of  the  21st  of  October,  1865,  contained  a  communication  on  the 
same  subject  from  the  pen  of  Mr.  George  Du  Noyer,  which  was  reprinted  in 
the  "  Proceedings  of  the  Kilkenny  Archreological  Society,"  vol.  v.,  New  Sen,  July, 


"Ji^ 


vi-X^Si- 


m        J  ^m  mm 


^<m"' 


Fig.  2S8. —  Plan  of  group  of  cairns,  A-L,  Louglicrcw.     By  Mr.  G.  Coffey. 

1865,  No.  49,  pp.  365-369.  The  same  volume  contains  a  lithographic  sketch  by 
Mr.  Du  Noyer  of  the  north  cist  of  tlie  sepulchral  chamber  in  the  large  cairn  on  the 
western  summit  of  Slieve-na-Callighe,  attached  to  his  paper  on  a  "  Carved  Rock 
at  Ryefield,  in  the  County  of  Cavan  "  {op.  cit.,  p.  385).  On  the  nth  of  December, 
18C5,  Mr.  Conwell  communicated  to  the  Royal  Irish  Academy  a  paper  entitled, 


County  of  Meath. 


6^:i 


'•Examination  of  the  Ancient  Sepulchral  Cairns  on  the  Loughcrew  Hills,  Part  I.," 
which  was  published  in  the  Proceedings  of  the  Academy  (vol.  ix.,  part  iv., 
pp.  355-379),  in  1867.  At  the  same  time,  Mr.  Du  Noyer  exhibited  a  large 
collection  of  drawings  made  by  him  of  the  "  Antiquarian  Remains  discovered 
and  explored  on  the  Loughcrew  Hills."  When  I  was  in  Dublin,  in  1890,  Dr. 
Frazer  showed  me  a  series  of  coloured  drawings  of  the  sculpturings  on  the  stones 
at  Loughcrew,  which  he  informed  me  were  those  of  Mr.  Du  Noyer,  and  which  he 
(Dr.  Frazer)  has  since  published  in  the  Proceedings  of  the  Soc.  of  Antiquaries  of 
Scotland,  3rd  Sen,  vol.  iii.  (1892-93)  p.  294,  ct  seqq.  Lastly,  on  the  12th  of 
February,  1872,  Mr.  Conwell  read  before  the  Royal  Irish  Academy,  a  paper 
entitled,  "  On  the  Identification  of  the  Ancient  Cemetery  at  Loughcrew,  and 
the  Discovery  of  the  Tomb  of  Ollamh  Fodhla,"  which  was  published  in  the 
Proceedings  of  the  Academy,  vol.  i.,  2nd  Ser.,  "Pol.  Lit.  and  Antiquities"  (1879), 
pp.  72-107,  and  contains  numerous  illustrations  of  the  sculpturings  and  objects 
discovered,  and  ground-plans  of  a  few  of  the  cairns. 

From  these  several  communications  the  following  description  is  compiled,  a 
notice  of  the  sculpturings  being  reserved  for  a  subsequent  portion  of  my  work.  In 
the  mean  time  I  have  to  thank  Dr.  Frazer  and  the  Society  of  Antiquaries  of  Scotland 
for  kindly  allowing  me  to  copy  Mr.  Du  Noyer's  drawings. 

It  was  on  the  9th  of  June,  1863,  that  Mr.  Conwell's  attention  was  first  of  all 
called  to  these  monuments  by  an  accidental  visit  to  the  Loughcrew  Hills.  He  then 
found  that  the  various  summits  of  the  range  for  two  miles  in  extent  were  studded 
with  the  remains  of  ancient  earns.  Through  the  interest  taken  in  the  subject  by 
the  proprietor  of  the  land,  Mr.  J.  L.  W.  Naper,  Mr.  Conwell  was  enabled  to  make 
a  "  systematic  examination  "  of  what  he  terms  "  this  great  primeval  cemetery." 

SHeve-na-Callighe  is  the  only  eminence  in  the  county  which  assumes  the  name 
or  possesses  the  character  of  a  mountain.  It  rises  to  the  height  of  904  feet ;  its 
longest  axis  is  from  E.  to  W.,  and  its  extent  about  two  miles.  Geographically 
speaking,  "  it  is  forced  out  of  the  Lower  Silurian  rocks,  which  occupy  a  large 
extent  of  the  country  to  the  northwards,  from  Drumlish,  in  the  county  of  Longford, 
to  Donaghadee,  in  the  county  of  Down,  including  the  range  of  the  MoHrne 
Mountains." 

The  hill  is  a  prominent  object  in  the  landscape,  and  in  form  consists  of  three 
main  peaks,  two  of  which  are  still  crowned  with  large  tumuli  and  small  cairns, 
while  on  the  third  was  a  large  tumulus,  which,  when  Mr.  Conwell  saw  it,  in  1864, 
was  being  carted  away.  The  western  of  the  three  peaks  is  called  Carnbane. 
Besides  these  principal  peaks,  are  two  minor  hills,  extending  from  the  middle  in 
the  direction  of  the  western  peak,  each  also  crowned  with  the  remains  of  ancient 
cairns. 

In  the  older  Ordnance  Map  the  only  notice  taken  of  these  cairns  was  a  mere 
dot  or  two,  with  the  word  "  Stones  "  appended.  Sir  William  Wilde  also  failed  to 
discover  them.  The  Ordnance  Survey  subsequently  supplied  the  defect,  and  the 
result  is  a  plan  which  Mr.  Conwell  appends  to  his  paper  in  the  Proceedings  of 
the  Royal  Irish  Academy,  vol.  i.,  2nd.  Ser.  (1879),  p.  84. 

Mr.  Conwell  (Proc.  R.LA.,  vol.  ix.  p.  359)  proceeds  to  describe  the  cairns, 
which  he  letters  on  the  map  as  follows,  commencing  with  those  on  the  western 
extremity  of  the  range,  which  is  called  Carnbane  (pron.  Carnbawn),  and  which 
attains  a  height  of  842  feet. 

I.  A.  Nearly  all  the  stones  which  formed  this  cairn  have  been  removed.  Its 
present  (1867)  remains  cover  a  space  measuring  7  yards  in  diameter.     Four  large 


3i6  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 

stones  still  remain,  marking  out  the  circumference  of  its  base.     It  is  66  yards  S.E. 
of  D,  the  largest  cairn  in  the  range. 

2.  Al  In  a  plantation,  130  yards  S.  of  I),  the  remains  of  a  cairn  are  still  visible, 
but  nearly  level  with  the  ground.  It  measures  9  yards  in  diameter.  One  large 
stone  stands  upright  on  the  circumference,  and  bears  some  traces  of  sculpturing. 

3.  A^  On  the  S.  scalp  of  the  hill,  in  a  most  conspicuous  position,  60  yards  S.W. 
from  D,  and  nearly  close  to  the  S.  side  of  the  present  deer-park  wall,  once  stood  a 
cairn,  22  yards  in  diameter.  The  present  remains  are  not  more  than  i  or  2  feet 
high. 

4.  B.  Forty-six  yards  to  the  W.  of  D  are  the  remains  of  a  cairn,  7  yards  in 
diameter.  The  loose  stones  which  formed  it  are  nearly  all  gone,  leaving  in  the 
centre  three  large  flags  laid  on  edge,  forming  a  chamber  12  feet  long,  pointing 
E.  20°  S. 

In  clearing  out  this  chamber  several  fragments  of  charred  bones  were  found 
mixed  with  the  earth  at  the  bottom,  seemingly  remarkably  heavy. 

5.  C.  Sixty  yards  S.W.  of  D  are  the  remains  of  a  cairn  5  yards  in  diameter.  Four 
large  stones  mark  the  site.     At  a  distance  of  25  feet  to  the  N.  of  the  cairn  lies 

_--0 


4 


Fk;.  289. — Plan  of  cairn  F,  Louglicrew.     By  Mr.  G.  Coffey. 

prostrate  a  pillar-stone,  which  formerly  stood  upon   its  smaller  end  (see  p.  317)- 
It  measures  7  feet  long,  3  feet  6  ins.  broad,  and  i  foot  thick. 

6.  D.  The  largest  of  all  the  cairns  in  the  range,  the  diameter  of  its  base  being  60 
yards.  The  N.  and  E,  sides  have  been  left  untouched,  but  the  S.  and  W.  sides, 
extending  towards  the  centre,  have  been  removed. 


County  of  Meath. 


17 


2'ic.  -Stone  in  cairn  F. 


The  height  of  the  cairn  before  the  operations  upon  it  commenced  was  28  paces 
in  sloping  ascent  from  base  to  summit.  The  original  circle  of  54  large  flag-stones, 
laid  on  edge  round  its  base,  is  still  perfect ;  and  on  the  E.  side,  towards  a  point 
indicated  by  E.  20°  S.,  these  marginal 
stones  curve  inwards  for  12  paces  in 
length,  denoting  the  entrance,  or  pas- 
sage, to  the  interior  chambers. 

After  working  for  a  fortnight,  the 
labourers  employed  were  unable  to 
discover  a  central  chamber,  although 
they  first  drove  in  at  the  point  indi- 
cated by  the  curving-stones,  and  then 
sunk  in  the  centre  till  they  nearly 
reached  the  bottom. 

As  the  cutting  proceeded,  about 
midway  down  among  the  loose  stones, 
were  found  portions  of  a  large  skull, 
and  12  teeth  of  a  graminivorous 
animal,  probably  of  an  ox,  "sacrificed," 
so  Mr.  Conwell  thought,  "on  the  pile." 

At  a  distance  of  105  feet  N.W. 
of  this  cairn,  and  on  the  very  point 
of  the  escarpment  of  the  hill,  stood  a 
pillar  of  quartz,  8  feet  high,  3  feet  broad,  and  2  feet  thick.  It  is  described  as 
broken  across  a  little  above  the  ground,  and  lying  where  it  fell.  It  must  have 
been  brought  from  a  distance  to  its  present  situation.  Mr.  Conwell  suggests  that 
it  may  be  a  glacial  deposit  from  Donegal. 
The  nearest  quartz  rocks  are  at  Howth, 
about  50  miles  S.E. 

7.  E.  Traces  of  this  cairn  (E.S.E. 
of  D)  alone  remain.  These  show  it  to 
have  been  about  5  yards  in  diameter. 

8.  F.  About  5  feet  of  the  height  of 
the  original  cairn  remain.  It  lies  W. 
of  D.  In  diameter  it  measures  16^ 
yards.  The  chambers  (see  plan,  p.  316) 
were  in  the  form  of  a  cross,  the  shaft 
of  which,  represented  by  the  entrance 
passage,  had  a  bearing  of  E.  10°  N. 
The  length  of  the  passage  is  8  feet, 
and  the  breadth  2  feet  2  ins.  The 
entire  length  from  the  commencement 
of  the  passage  to  the  extremity  of 
the  opposite  chamber  is  15  feet,  and 
the  breadth  from  the  extremity  of  the 
southern  to  the  extremity  of  the  northern 
chamber  is  9  feet  4  ins.  The  com- 
mencement of  the  passage  was  not 
closed  up  by  a  block  of  stone,  but 
merely  by  small  loose  stones  laid  against  it. 


Fig.  291. — Stune  in  cairn  h  . 
Only  one  of  the  roofing-flags,  covering 


iS 


The  Dolmens  ov  Ireland. 


the  commencement  of  the  passage,  remains  in  its  original  position.  Across  the 
entrances  of  the  southern  and  western  chambers  are  laid  stones  measuring 
from  4  to  5  inches  in  thickness.  On  the  floor  of  the  northern  crypt  rests  a 
rude  stone  basin,  3  feet  5  ins.  long,  2  feet  4  ins.  broad,  and  5  inches  thick. 
Under  this  basin  were  found  a  portion  of  a  bone  pin  and  a  fl.ike  of  flint.  In 
the  S.W.  corner  of  the  southern  chamber,  and  about  a  foot  from  the  bottom, 
was  found,  imbedded  among  the  clay  and  stones  which  filled  it  up,  a  brown 
iron-stone  ball,  3  inches  in  diameter,  and  well  rounded.  Several  fragments  of 
bones  lay  scattered  indiscriminately  here  and  there  upon  the  floor.  ...  At 
about  2  feet  outside  the  circumference  stand  three  pillar-stones  .  .  .  Seven  of  the 
stones  in  these  chambers  are  sculptured. 

9.  G.  This  cairn,  which  is  distant  only  i  yard  from  F,  and  34^-  yards  E.N.E.  of 
D,  measures  21  yards  in  diameter.    Eight  large  stones  stand  in  the  margin.    Traces 


Fic.  292.  -  Plan  of  cairn  H,  Loughcrew.     By  Mr.  G.  Coffey. 

only  sufticicnt  to  indicate  the  site  of  tlie  cairn  remain.     All  the  interior  chambers 
have  disappeared. 

io.  H.  The  remains  of  this  cairn  arc  described  as  being  between  5  and  6  feet  in 


County  of  Meath.  319 


height,  and  18  yards  in  diameter.  It  Ues  E.N.E.  of  F,  and  is  i6i  yards  S.W.  of 
L,  the  second  largest  of  the  cairns  on  the  western  hill.  The  plan  of  the  chambers 
was  found  to  be  cruciform,  and  some  curious  attempts  at  dry  masonry  were  found 
at  the  northern  and  southern  extremities  of  the  chambers.  The  covering  of  the 
interior  chambers  had  entirely  disappeared,  with  the  exception  of  about  half  a 
dozen  large,  overlapping  flags,  giving  a  good  example  of  the  mode  of  roofing, 
and  which  still  remained  in  their  places  over  the  western  and  northern  crypts. 
The  chambers  were,  in  plan,  nearly  similar  to  those  in  F,  except  that  the  central 
chamber  might  be  considered  a  rude  octagon.  The  passage,  which  has  a  bearing 
of  E.  10°  S.,  is  13  feet  long,  2  feet  wide  at  the  commencement,  and  4  feet  wide 
at  the  extremity.  The  entire  length,  from  the  beginning  of  the  passage  to  the 
extremity  of  the  opposite,  or  western  chamber,  is  24  feet,  and  the  distance  across 
the  other  two  chambers  is  i6  feet.  The  breadth  of  the  southern  chamber  is  2  feet 
7  ins. ;  that  of  the  western  chamber  4  feet  at  rear,  diminishing  towards  the  entrance 
to  3  feet  2  ins. ;  and  tliat  of  the  northern  chamber  4  feet  2  ins.  On  the  floor  of 
this  latter  rests  a  rude  stone  basin,  4  feet  3  ins.  long,  4  feet  broad,  and  about 
6  inches  thick.  Loose  stones  and  earth  filled  the  chambers  and  passage  for  about 
i-|  feet  in  depth.  The  passage  itself,  for  a  depth  of  about  3  feet,  was  completely 
packed  with  bones  in  a  fragmentary  state,  nearly  all  showing  evidences  of  having 
been  burnt,  and  were  found  mixed  with  several  small  fragments  of  quartz. 

Of  the  human  remains  found  in  the  passage  and  crypts  of  this  cairn  Mr. 
Conwell  enumerates  "  50  portions  of  limb  bones ;  30  other  bones — shoulder-blades, 
etc. ;  48  portions  of  skulls  ;  8  portions  of  jaws,  with  teeth  remaining  ;  14  separate 
teeth;" — making  150  in  all. 

From  the  soft  earth  which,  together  with  stones  and  bones,  the  chambers 
contained,  Mr.  Conwell  obtained  one  end  of  a  bone  bodkin ;  one  half  of  a 
bone  ferrule;  six  pieces  of  bone  pins — one  ornamental  pin,  if  inches  in  length, 
still  retaining  the  metallic  rivet  which  fastened  on  a  head ;  one  tine  of  an  antler, 
3  inches  long  ;  14  fragments  of  very  rude,  brown  earthenware  or  pottery,  portions 
of  vessels  much  blackened  by  fire,  particularly  on  the  inside  surface  ;  10  pieces  of 
flint ;  155  sea-shells,  in  a  tolerably  perfect  state  of  preservation,  and  no  other  shells 
in  a  broken  state  ;  8  varieties  of  small,  lustrous,  or  shining  stones;  100  white  sea- 
pebbles,  and  60  others  of  different  shades  of  colour.  A  small,  brown,  stone  ball 
was  also  found,  and  a  flake  of  bone  measuring  6  ins.  by  4  ins.,  which  appears  to  have 
been  polished  on  one  side,  and  may  probably  have  been  used  as  a  dish.  Under- 
neath the  stone  basin  in  the  northern  chamber  were  found  imbedded  in  damp 
earth,  and  mixed  with  small  splinters  of  burnt  bones,  six  stone  balls,  the  largest 
about  an  inch  in  diameter,  but  in  so  soft  a  state,  that  they  could  scarcely  be 
touched  without  injuring  them.  Five  of  these  appear  to  be  white  carbonate  of 
lime,  and  the  other  porphyry. 

Chiefly  in  the  southern  chamber,  and  about  the  entrance  to  it,  for  the  most  part 
imbedded  in  wet  stiff"  earth,  Mr.  Conwell  states  that  he  got  the  most  remarkable 
collection  of  bone  implements,  glass,  amber,  bronze,  and  iron,  which  probably  has 
ever  been  found  together  under  similar  circumstances. 

In  some  few  instances,  where  the  bone  implements  chanced  to  be  protected  by 
an  overlying  stone,  their  original  polish  was  still  perfect.  In  all  cases,  however,  they 
were  found  in  a  state  as  soft  as  cheese,  and  could  with  difficulty  be  extracted  from 
the  stiff  earth  without  breaking  them.  Such,  indeed,  was  the  softness  of  their  con- 
dition that  Mr.  Conwell  thought  they  could  not  have  been  preserved  for  many  years 
longer,  and  probably  would  have  become  entirely  decomposed.     He  saved  4071 


TnK  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


fragments  of  them  in  a  plain  state,  once  polished,  but  without  further  ornamentation  ; 
loS  nearly  perfect  in  shape  ;  60,  where  the  bone  material  is  a  little  decomposed, 
and  still  retains  the  original  polish;  27  fragments  which  appear  to  have  been 
stained  ;  1 1  plain  fragments  perforated  for  suspension  by  a  single  hole  near  the 

end:  501  fragments  ornamented 
with  rows  of  fine  transverse  lines, 
and  two  others  similarly  orna- 
mented, and  perforated  near  the 
end  ;  13  combs,  7  of  which  were 
engraved  on  both  sides,  the  heads 
only  and  the  roots  of  the  teeth  of 
the  combs  still  remaining;  91  im- 
plements engraved  by  compass, 
and  in  a  very  high  order  of  art, 
with  circles,  curves,  ornamental 
puncturings,  etc.,  and  twelve  of 
these  decorated  on  both  sides. 
On  one,  in  cross-patch  lines,  was 
the  representation  of  an  antlered 
stag,  being  the  only  attempt  in  the 
collection  to  depict  any  living 
thing.  In  some  instances  the 
perforations  near  the  end  appear 
to  have  been  counter-sunk.  Jn  all 
there  are  4884  pieces. 

Of  amber,    Mr.    Conwell    col- 
lected 7  small  beads,   the   largest 
scarcely  a  quarter   of  an  inch  in 
i         ,_  diameter,   and  another  small,   ob- 

long bead  of  uncertain  material. 
Oi glass,  he  obtained  three  small  beads  of  different  shapes,  and  different  shades 
of  colour ;  two  fragments  of  glass  ;  a  curious   molten  drop,  i   inch   long,  trumpet- 
shaped  at  one  end.  and  tapering  towards  the  other  extremity. 


Eic.  294. — Stone  in  cairn  H. 
Of  hroiizc  there  were  six  rings,  slightly  open,  or  rather  not  closed  or  cemented 


County  of  Meath.  ^21 


into  one  solid  piece,  varying  from  a  quarter  of  an  inch  to  three  quarters  of  an  inch 
in  diameter ;  a  portion  of  another  which  is  hollow,  and  formed  by  overlapping  a 
thin  plate  of  bronze  ;  also  portions  of  eight  other  small  rings  in  a  less  perfect  state. 
Of  iron  there  were  found— not  lying  together,  but  mixed  up  with  the  earth 
and  debris  which  filled  the  southern  chamber — seven  specimens,  all  thickly  coated 
with  rust.  One  is  an  open  ring,  about  half  an  inch  in  diameter ;  one  half  of 
another  somewhat  larger  ;  two  pieces,  each  about  an  inch  long,  and  a  quarter  of 
an  inch  thick,  of  uncertain  use ;  one  thin  piece,  probably  a  portion  of  a  knife,  or 
of  a  saw,  three  quarters  of  an  inch  long,  and  half  an  inch  broad ;  one  piece, 
\h  inches  long,  resembling  the  leg  of  a  compass,  and  with  which,  so  Mr.  Conwell 


Fig.  295. — Plan  of  cairn  I,  Lougbcrevv.     By  Mr.  G.  Coffey. 

thought,  the  incised-sculpturings  might  have  been  made  ;  and,  lastly,  an  iron  punch, 
or  pick,  5  inches  long,  with  chisel-shaped  point,  and  head  that  bore  evidence  of 
the  use  of  the  mallet.  With  this  tool,  also,  Mr.  Conwell  thinks,  the  circular 
sculpturings  and  the  other  figures,  "  which  have  all  been  punched,  or  picked  out," 
may  have  been  formed. 

In  this  cairn  there  were  five  sculptured  stones. 

II.  I.  This  cairn  is  64^-  yards  E.  of  F.,  53  yards  S.W.  of  L.,  and  measures  21 
yards  in  diameter.  The  apex  had  disappeared,  and  the  structure  measured  only 
4  or  5  feet  high.  The  chambers,  or  crypts,  as  Mr.  Conwell  calls  them,  had  lost 
their  roofs,  and  were  filled  up  with  small  stones.  In  some  cases,  where  the  stones 
showed  sculpturing,  the  surfaces  crumbled  away,  being  forced  off  by  nettle-roots 
before  Mr.  Conwell  could  make  any  record  of  their  devices. 

The  direction  of  the  entrance  is  due  E.  The  passage  alone  is  8  feet  6  ins. 
long,  and  4  feet  6  ins.  wide,  and  the  distance  from  the  commencement  of  the 
passage  to  the  back  of  the  opposite  chamber  is  22  feet.  The  diameter  across  the 
chambers  N.  and  S.  measures  13  feet.  The  interior  arrangement  consists  of  seven 
compartments  formed  by  flagstones  standing  out  towards  the  centre  of  the  structure. 


^22 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


The  respective  breadths  of  these  chambers  is  2  feet  8  ins. ;  3  feet  6  ins.  ;  3  feet 
7  ins. ;  3  feet  8  ins.  :  3  feet  7  ins.  at  the  rear,  narrowing  considerably  towards  the 


r^^ 


:^- 


n 


'.^ 


Flc.  296. — Stone  in  cairn  I. 


Fig.  297. — Stone  in  cairn  L 


— '  '   "-*"yv 


:^ 


"^ 


.^^kv^-.yr^    >v  ■  5 , 


:|ij!l£ 


T)/ 


Fii;.  298.  — Stone  in  cairn  L 


I  11:.  299. — Stunc  in  cairn  L 


County  of  Meath. 


323 


entrance;  3  feet  10  ins.;  and  2  feet  8  ins.  These  (marked  from  a  to  ^)  were 
indicated  on  a  plan  exhibited  by  Mr.  Conwell.  On  the  floors  of  four  of  them 
rested  a  flag   about  2  square   feet  in  area,   and   2  inches  thick.     A  quantity  of 


Fic.  300. — .Stone  in  cairn  I. 

charred  bones  was  found  on  each  of  tliese  flags,  but  in  such  a  crushed  state, 
from  the  falling  in  of  the  stones  upon  them,  that  it  would  be  difficult  to  determinate 
to  what  portion  of  the  frame  they  belonged.     On  the  flag  on  which  the  bones  had 


Fir,.  301. — Stone  in  cairn  I. 


been  placed  being  raised  in  each  of  these  four  compartments^  there  was  found  imme- 
diately underneath,  a  layer,  about  4  inches  in  depth,  of  dry,  small  stones,  the  surface 


324 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


portion  of  the  layer  broken  very  fine,  from  a  quarter  of  an  inch  to  an  inch  in  size, 
and  having  some  fragments  of  charred  bones  scattered  on  top,  the  lower  portion  of 
the  layer  consisting  of  larger  stones. 

In  the  compartment  which  exactly  faces  the  E.,  and  on  the  surface  of  these 
finely  broken  stones,  Mr.  Conwell  found  two  stone  ornaments — a  bead  and  a 
pendant.  The  bead  lay  about  the  centre  of  the  space  covered  by  the  flag,  and 
the  pendant  under  but  close  to  the  extremity  of  the  flag,  on  the  right-hand  side, 
and  near  the  back  of  the  compartment.     The  bead  had  been  highly  polished,  and 


Fig.  302. — Stone  in  cairn  I. 


Tig.  ^o;. — Stone  m  cairn  I. 


was  narrower  on  one  side  than  en  the  other.  Probably  it  formed  part  of  a  neck- 
lace. Its  greatest  diameter  was  three  quarters  of  an  inch,  and  the  pendant,  per- 
forated by  a  single  hole  for  suspension,  was  li  inch  long.  Botli  appeared  to  have 
suffered  from  the  action  of  fire,  and  had  become  so  decomposed  that  it  was  found 
difficult  to  identify  the  material.  The  bead  resembled  pale,  grey,  earthy  grit,  which 
had  become  soft  from  the  decomposition  of  the  felspathic  part  of  the  stone,  but 
more  probably  it  was  blue  carboniferous  limestone,  and  the  pendant  yellow  shale, 
mixed  with  whitish  particles. 

The  floor  of  another  of  the  compartments,  which  Mr.  Conwell  marked/  in  his 
plan,  was  covered  with  a  closely  fitting  flag,  3  feet  10  ins.  long,  3  feet  3  ins.  broad, 
and  9  inches  thick.  On  its  surface  no  bones  were  found,  as  in  the  other  instances, 
but  on  its  being  raised  it  was  found  to  cover  a  layer  of  finely  broken  stones,  mixed 
with  splinters  of  charred  bones,  and  having  a  depression  of  nearly  a  couple  of 
inches  in  the  centre.  This  stone,  as  it  rested  on  the  floor,  concealed  the  sculptur- 
ing on  the  lower  portion  of  one  of  the  side-stones. 


County  of  Meath. 


325 


Nine  of  the  stones  in  this  cairn  bore  sculpturings. 

12.  J.  This  cairn  is  23  yards  N.E.  of  H,  and  only  3  yards  distant  from  L. 
It  measures  15^  yards  in  diameter.  The  remains  of  it  measured  from  4  to  5  feet 
in  height,  and  there  were  twelve  large  stones  in  the  circumference.  The  interior 
had  been  much  disturbed,  and  was  filled  up  with  loose  stones  and  rubbish.  The 
passage,  having  a  bearing  E.  10°  S.,  was  7  feet  6  ins.  long,  without  any  upright  stone 
closing  its  entrance.  A  roughly  finished  brown  stone  ball,  about  an  inch  in  diameter, 
was  found  near  the  opening  of  the  passage  into  the  interior  chambers. 

Three  of  the  stones  in  this  cairn  bore  sculpturings. 

13.  K.  This  cairn  is  12.V  yards  N.E.  of  L,  and  is  i6|  yards  in  diameter.  The 
large  flagstones  forming  the  central  chambers  were  found  to  be  in  a  rather  disorderly 
condition.  The  bearing  of  the  entrance  is  E.  15"  N.  Thirteen  stones  remained 
round  the  margin.  No  object  of  antiquarian  interest  was  found  here.  At  a 
distance  of  20  feet  to  the  S.E.  lay  a  pillar-stone,  6  feet  long,  2  feet  broad,  and 
I  foot  thick. 

Two  of  the  chamber-stones  bore  sculpturings. 

14.  L.  This  cairn  is  45  yards  in  diameter,  and  lies  E.X.E.  of  the  great  cairn  D, 


Fig.  304. — Plan  of  caim  L,  Loughcrew,  and  of  the  chamber  enlarged.     By  Mr.  G.  Coffey. 

between  which  and  it  is  the  cairn  F.  It  is  surrounded  by  forty-two  large  stones 
laid  lengthwise  on  their  edges,  and  varying  from  6  to  12  feet  in  length,  and  from 
4  to  5  feet  high.  Great  quantities  of  the  loose  stones  which  formed  the  apex  of 
this  cairn  had  been  removed.  A  curve  inwards  in  the  circumference,  of  10  yards 
in  length,  on  each  side  of  a  point  having  a  bearing  of  E.  20°  S.,  indicated  the 
direction  of  the  entrance,  or  passage,  which  commenced  at  a  distance  of  18  feet 
inward  from  the  circumference. 

Finding  a  large  flag  on  the  top  of  the  mutilated  cairn,  Mr.  Conwell  caused  it 
and  two  others  to  be  removed,  when  he  discovered  that  he  was  actually  taking  to 


326 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


pieces  what  remained  of  the  original  construction  of  the  roof  The  principal  portion 
of  the  overlapping  flags,  which  formed  the  roof  over  the  chambers,  had  disappeared, 
leaving  them  filled  up  with  loose  stones,  which  had  fallen  in.  "  When  the  chambers 
were  carefully  cleared  of  these  small  stones,  they  exhibited  in  situ  about  forty  of  the 
large  plinths  which  formed  the  matchless,  dry,  cyclopean  masonry  of  the  roof 
This  dome  was  constructed  of  large  slabs,  overlapping  one  another  and  bevelled 
slightly  upwards,  having  thinner  slabs  most  ingeniously  inserted  between  them, 
which,  on  receiving  the  superincumbent  weight,  became  crushed,  and  formed  a 
bond  for  the  whole.  Wherever  this  precaution  of  placing  thinner  slabs  or  smaller 
stones  between  the  large  ones  was  omitted,  the  larger  slabs  themselves  were  found 
to  be  cracked  across.  What  remained  of  this  unique  roofing  rose  12  feet  above 
the  level  of  the  floor,  which  is  even  with  the  ordinary  surface  of  the  ground.  'i"he 
breadth  of  the  passage  at  the  commencement  was  i  foot  10  ins.,  which  increased  to 


'-ir-=*©i3(^- 


Fig. 


-Recess  or  cell,  with  stone  basin  and  sculptured  stones,  cairn  L,  Loughcrew. 
From  a  drawimr  bv  C  Du  A'ovcr. 


upwards  of  3  feet  about  the  middle,  and  contracted  again  to  i  foot  9  ins.  where  it 
terminated.  The  passage  itself  was  12  feet  long,  and  the  entire  length,  from  the 
commencement  of  the  passage  to  the  extremity  of  the  western  chamber,  was  29  feet. 
The  greatest  breadth  across  the  chambers  was  13  feet  2  ins.,  measured  from  points 
nearly  N.  and  S.,  diminishing  to  10  feet  4  ins.  where  the  passage  terminated." 

"  The  seven  chambers  composing  the  interior  of  this  great  tomb  were  quadran- 
gular, and  nearly  square.  The  first,  on  the  left-hand  side,  at  the  termination  of  the 
passage,  was  4  feet  8  ins.  in  breadth  ;  the  second,  3  feet  6  ins, ;  the  third,  2  feet  2  ins,  ; 
the  fourth,  4  feet  3  ins.;  the  fiftli,  5  feet  10  ins,;  the  sixth,  3  feet  5  ins,;  and 
the  seventh,  2  feet  6  ins.  Mr.  Conwell,  in  his  plan,  lettered  these  chambers 
from  a  iof." 


County  of  Meatii. 


;27 


From  among  the  loose  stones  which  filled  up  the  chamber,  Mr.  Conwell 
collected  loio  portions  of  bones  ;  two  pieces  of  bone  apparently  silicified;  a 
weapon,  or  other  instrument,  which  he  terms  a  spear-point  in  bone,  and  a  portion 
of  what  he  calls  a  polished  bone  javelin;  154  fragments  of  very  rude  pottery, 
imperfectly  fired,  and  varying  in  size  from  i  to  30  square  inches.  Some  fragments 
retained  their  original  brown  colour,  but  the  generality  of  them  had  been  much 
blackened  by  fire  on  the  inside  surface,  and  for  a  distance  round  the  exterior  of 
the  lip,  or  upper  rim  ^of  the  urns,  of  which  they  were  parts.  One  piece,  a  portion 
of  the  upper  edge  of  an  urn,  about  3  inches  long,  and  3  inches  broad,  was  very 
rudely  ornamented  with  three  slight  ridges  ;  and,  about  an  inch  from  the  top,  was 
perforated  by  a  single  hole.  Another  larger  piece,  ornamented  with  four  slightly 
raised  ridges,  was  perforated  by  two  holes,  one  an  inch  and  a  half  below  the  other. 


...-ii^ ' 


-•si*. 


Fil;.  306. — Stone  in  cairn  L. 

"  Extending  along  the  floor  of  the  passage,  completely  covering  it,  and  in- 
clining a  little  way  into  the  space  surrounded  by  the  interior  chambers,  seven  in 
number,  lay  a  flag  8  feet  9  ins.  long,  3  feet  6  ins.  broad,  and  about  6  inches  thick. 
Close  around  the  western  end  of  this  stone,  the  earth  on  the  floor,  to  a  depth 
of  about  2  inches,  was  perfectly  black,  arising,  it  appeared  to  Mr.  Conwell,  from  the 
presence  of  blackened  ashes ; "  from  which  he  thought  that  the  process  of  cremation 
was  performed  on  this  stone. 

*'  On  the  floor  of  the  second  chamber,  and  shut  in  by  an  upright  stone  of  a  foot 
high  and  4  inches  thick,  rested  a  quadrangular  stone  basin,  hollowed  out  from  the 
sides  towards  the  centre,  to  a  depth  of  3^-  inches,  and  having  had  a  piece  taken  out 
from  one  of  its  sides.  It  measured  2  feet  11  ins.  long,  by  2  feet  broad,  and  was 
about  6  inches  thick.  Mixed  with  the  earth  under  this  sepulchral  basin  were  found 
many  fragments  of  charred  bones,  and  several  human  teeth." 

"  Completely  filling  up  the  length  of  the  opposite  chamber,  whicli  was  entered 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


through  a  space  only  2  feet  wide  becween  two  upright  pillar-stones,  rested  an  oval- 
shaped  stone  dish,  or  basin.     The  !)roader  end  was  turned  to  the  E.,  the  narrower 

to   the   W.     Its   greatest   length    was 


-»?*: 


■»j*ii!!f'"l 


5  feet  9  ins.  At  a  distance  of  18 
inches  from  the  narrower  extremity  it 
measured  3  feet  i  in.  broad,  and  at 
1 8  inches  from  the  other  extremity  it 
was  7  inches  broader,  where,  on  the 
side  facing  the  chambers,  a  curved 
piece  about  4  inches  broad  had  been 
scooped  out  of  the  side  of  the  stone. 
A  raised  rim  which  ran  all  round  it, 
varied  from  2  to  4  inches  in  breadth, 
and  rose  about  an  inch  above  the  other- 
wise perfectly  level  surface  of  the 
stone."  The  tooled  or  picked  work- 
manship of  this  stone  Mr.  Conwell 
describes  as  "  exquisite."  "  On  raising 
it,  several  splinters  of  blackened, 
charred  bones  were  observable;  and 
on  the  stiff  wet  earth  underneath  it 
being  carefully  picked,  upwards  of  900 
pieces  of  charred  bone  were  discovered 
imbedded  in  it,  with  about  a  dozen 
pieces  of  charcoal  lying  in  various 
directions.  There  were  also  48  human 
teeth  in  a  very  perfect  state  of  preserva- 
tion ;  the  pointed  end  of  a  bone  pin, 
^\  inches  long,  and  \  of  an  inch 
thick  ;  a  piece,  about  an  inch  in  length, 
of  a  similar  bone  pin ;  a  most  per- 
fectly rounded  syenite  ball,  still  pre- 
serving its  original  polish,  nearly  2^ 
inches  in  diameter ;  another  perfectly  round  stone  ball,  streaked  with  white  and 
purple  layers — probably  a  pebble — and  about  an  inch  in  diameter  ;  another  stone 
ball,  upwards  of  f  of  an  inch  in  diameter,  of  a  brown  colour,  dashed  with  dark 
spots;  a  finely  polished  oval  jet  ornament,  1-^  inch  in  length,  and  ^  of  an  inch 
broad;  eight  other  white  stone  balls  of  carbonate  of  lime,  which  had  become 
quite  soft,  but  which  gradually  dried,  on  exposure,  to  a  sufficient  degree  of  hardness 
to  allow  of  their  being  removed  in  a  tolerable  state  of  preservation." 

These  latter,  together  with  five  similar  ones  found  in  cairn  H,  Mr.  Conwell 
regarded  as  "brain  balls,  won  and  worn  as  trophies  during  life  by  the  champion 
here  laid  at  his  rest."  He  presents  engravings  of  two  of  them,  and  also  of  that 
found  in  cairn  H,  in  his  appendix  to  "  The  Discovery  of  the  Tomb  of  Ollamh 
Fodhla"  (Dublin,  1873),  p.  62. 

The  large  flag  stones,  both  in  this  and  the  other  cairns,  alluded  to  by 
Mr.  Conwell,  are,  he  tells  us,  "as  to  material,  of  a  uniform  character,  consisting  of 
conipact  sandy  grit,  the  natural  rock  of  the  locality."  One  of  the  stones  in  this 
cairn  is,  however,  an  exception,  being  a  good  specimen  of  a  water-washed  column 
of  blue  hmestone,  probably  from  one  of  the  adjoining  lakes.  In  cairn  W.  a  similar 
stone  occurred. 


urn  J. 


County  of  Meath. 


329 


There  was  also  a  stone  in  this  cairn  for  which  there  did  not  appear  to  be  any- 
particular  necessity  in  the  construction  of  the  chamber.  It  was  a  diamond-shaped 
slab,  placed  on  one  of  its  angles,  and  the  stone  abutting  on  it  was  elaborately  carved 
on  both  sides  with  diamond-shaped  figures. 

On  the  lower  surface  of  the  second  large  roofing  flag,  looking  directly  down 
upon  the  large  sepulchral  basin,  a  reticulated  pattern,  finely  cut,  9  inches  long,  and 
varying  from  3  to  4  inches  broad,  formed  by  twelve  short  lines  crossing  in  a  slanting 
direction  eight  other  nearly  parallel  lines,  had  been  sculptured.  The  meshes  (about 
fifty)  varied  from  ^  an  inch  to  i  inch  broad,  and  from  i  inch  to  ij  inch  long. 

15.  M.  About  650  yards  to  the  S.E.  of  L,  and  crowning  the  next  knoll,  called 


^1 


Carrickbrack,  were  the  remains  of  a  cairn,  22  yards  in  diameter,  but  only  about 
4  feet  high,  and  wanting  the  usual  boundary-ring  of  large  stones,  as  well  as  the 
internal  chambers. 

16.  N.  On  the  top  of  a  second  knoll,  572  yards  due  E.  of  M,  were  the  remains 
of  a  cairn,  22  yards  in  diameter.  Of  the  small  stones  which  composed  it  there 
remained  a  pile  about  two  feet  in  height.  Four  large  stones  outside  this  cairn 
marked  an  avenue  pointing  due  E.,  16  yards  long,  7  yards  wide  at  the  entrance, 
and  diminishing  to  4  yards  wide  as  it  approached  the  cairn.  One  of  the  stones 
composing  it,  standing  upwards  of  6  feet  above  the  surface  of  the  ground,  had 
48  cup-hollows  sculptured  upon  it. 

17.  O.  In  the  valley  below  the  two  knolls,  352  yards  N.E.  from  M,  and  279 
yards  N.  W.  from  N,  were  the  remains  of  a  cairn,  1 1  yards  in  diameter.  Three  large 
prostrate  stones,  each  measuring  about  4  feet  by  5  feet,  marked  the  site.  One 
upright  stone,  3  feet  9  ins.  high,  3  feet  9  ins.  broad,  and  about  a  foot  thick,  was 
still  standing,  apparently  in  the  circumference  of  the  original  cairn.  On  its  W.  face, 
arranged  principally  in  four  groups,  were  39  cups,  varying  from  ^  to  f  of  an  inch 
in  diameter,  and  about  ^  of  an  inch  deep. 

VOL.  II.  C 


'3 


oo 


O 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


1 8.  P^  The  remains  of  a  cairn,  143  yards  N.E.  from  N,  8  yards  in  diameter. 
Sufficient  stones  only  remained  to  denote  the  original  basis  of  the  cairn. 

19.  P-.  About  22  yards  X.  of  the 
last  were  six  large  stones,  which  Mr. 
Conwell  judged  to  be  the  remains  of 
another  cairn.  One  of  these  stones, 
6  feet  6  ins.  long,  5  feet  6  ins.  broad, 
and  about  2  feet  thick,  rested  in  an 
inclined  position,  and  had  its  eastern 
face  thickly  covered  with  small,  cup-like 
hollows ;  but  these  might  possibly  have 
been  created  by  the  action  of  water. 

20.  Q.  There  were  the  remains  of 
another  cairn,  38  yards  N.  of  P'-,  which 
measured  4^  yards  in  diameter.  Nearly 
all  the  stones  w-hich  composed  it  had 
been  carried  away. 

21.  R\  Passing  up  the  hill  in  an 
easterly  direction,  at  a  distance  of  242 
yards  from  Q,  were  the  remains  of  a 
cairn,  11  yards  in  diameter.  What  re- 
mained of  the  pile  varied  in  height  from 
2  to  3  feet. 

22.  R-'.  The  remains  of  another  cairn, 
9  yards  in  diameter,  and  about  2  feet  in 
height,  lay  16  yards  to  the  S.  of  R\  and 
55  yards  S.W.  from  T. 

23.  S.  This  cairn  is  only  5  yards  W. 
of  T,  and  51  yards  from  R\     Thirty- three  large  stones   standing  on  their  ends 


309. — Stone  in  cairn  S. 


• 


^% 


"W 


B% 


^- 


Fk..  310.  — Plan  of  cairn  T  and  group  surrounding  it.     Bj-  Mr.  G.  Coffey. 


County  of  Meath. 


131 


form  a  circle,  18^  yards  in  diameter,  round  the  remains  of  it.  The  apex  of  this 
cairn  is  complettly  gone,  leaving  exposed  the  tops  of  the  upright  stones  forming 
the  chambers,  the  arrangement  of  which  here  differs  from  the  others  in  having  the 
passage,  or  entrance,  from  the  W.,  bearing  exactly  W.  10°  N.  The  entire  length 
of  the  passage  and  chambers  taken  together  is  15  feet.  The  passage  itself,  which 
varies  in  breadth  from  2  feet  3  ins.  to  2  feet  7  ins.,  is  divided  by  transverse  upright 
stones  into  two  compartments,  each  about  2  feet  square.  Immediately  outside 
the  entrance  of  the  passage  was  found  a  perfect  specimen  of  a  leaf-shaped  arrow- 
head, in  white  flint,  i-|  inch  long,  and  f  of  an  inch  broad.  Dr.  Thurnam,  who 
saw  it,  pronounced  it  to  be  somewhat  larger  than  those  of  the  same  unbarbed 
type  found  by  him  in  the  Wiltshire  barrows.  The  two  small  compartments  into 
which  the  passage  itself  is  divided  were  filled  up  to  the  height  of  18  inches  with 
charred  bones,  broken  into  small  fragments.  On  the  top  of  these,  in  the  first 
chamber,  a  piece  of  bent  bone,  tooled  and  rounded  at  one  end,  and  9  inches  long, 
was  found.  It  was  silicified.  In  the  second  chamber,  and  also  on  the  top  of  the 
charred  bones  which  filled  the  compartment,  a  roughly  finished  bone  dagger  was 
found,  7  inches  long,  and  nearly  an  inch  broad  at  the  extremity  of  the  handle, 
its  widest  part.  Neatly  covering  the  entire  floor  in  each  compartment,  rested  a 
thin  flag,  underneath  which  were  found  splinters  of  burned  bones,  intermixed  with 
small  stones  and  pieces  of  charcoal. 

Six  of  the  stones  which  formed  this  chamber  bore  sculpturings. 

24.  T.  From  a  distance  this  is  the  most  conspicuous  of  the  cairns,  crowning  the 
summit  of  the  highest  of  all  the  peaks  in  the  range,  that,  namely,  which  is  specially 


TC''!lil!0- 


S 


Fig.  311. — Plan  of  cairn  T,  and  of  the  chamber  enlarged. 


*  Hag's  Chair. 


known  as  Slieve-na-Callighe.  The  original  shape  of  this  cairn  still  remains  com- 
paratively perfect,  having  an  elevation  of  2  r  paces  in  slant  height  from  base  to 
summit.  It  measures  38-!  yards  in  diameter,  and  is  enclosed  by  a  circle  of  thirty- 
seven  stones  laid  on  edge,  and  varying  in  length  from  6  to  12  feet.  This  may  be 
regarded  as  a  retaining  wall.  The  fragments  of  rock  which  form  the  conical  tumulus 
within  are  nearly  all  native  rock — Lower  Silurian  grit. 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


One  of  the  thirty-seven  stones  in  the  periphery  of  the  base  of  the  cairn  is 
popularly  called  "  The  Hag's  Chair."  This  great  stone,  exactly  facing  the  N.,  is 
set  about  4  feet  inwards  from  the  circumference  of  the  cairn.  It  measures  10  feet 
broad,  6  feet  high,  and  2  feet  thick,  judging  from  which  dimensions,  allowing 
12  cubic  feet  of  rock  to  every  ton,  it  must  be  upwards  of  10  tons  in  weight.  A 
rude  seat-like  cavity  is  hollowed  out  of  the  centre.  The  ends  of  the  block  are 
elevated  9  inches  above  the  level  of  the  seat,  and  the  back  has  fallen  away  by  a 
natural  fracture  of  the  stone.  There  is  a  cross  carved  upon  the  seat  of  the  chair, 
which,  together  with  others  to  be  found  on  the  upright  marginal  stones  here  and  in 
cairn  S,  Mr.  Conwell  states  to  have  been  cut  for  trigonometrical  purposes  by  the 
men  formerly  engaged  in  the  triangulation  survey  of  the  county  in   1836.     The 

cliair  is  a  rock  of  Lower  Silurian 
Grit.  Underneath  the  seat  the  stone 
seems  to  have  been  rounded  off,  or 
beaded,  for  ornament  for  nearly  its 
entire  breadth,  and  below  this  are  a 
considerable  number  of  small  cup- 
hollows,  much  defaced.  Further 
down  on  the  face  of  the  stone  will 
be  found  a  double  zigzag,  9  inches 
long ;  a  figure  consisting  of  six  con- 
centric arches,  7  inches  high  and 
7  inches  broad ;  three  concentric 
circles,  7  inches  across ;  and  a  cup 
surrounded  by  three  concentric 
circles,  6  inches  across.  On  that 
portion  of  the  original  back  of  the 
chair  which  has  not  fallen  away  will 
be  found  a  cup  with  two  concentric 
circles,  4  inches  across ;  and,  in 
another  place,  two  separate  cups. 
In  front  of,  and  round  the  base  of 
the  chair,  considerable  quantities  of 
quartz,  broken  into  small  lumps, 
were  strewn  about. 

On  the  E.  side  of  the  cairn,  the 
stones  forming  the  periphery  curve 
inwards  for  8  or  9  yards  on  each  side  of  the  point  where  the  passage  to  the  interior 
chambers  commences,  on  the  very  margin  of  the  cairn,  the  bearing  of  the  passage 
being  E.  10°  S.  The  entrance  was  closed  by  two  irregular  blocks  of  stone,  filling 
up  the  passage  for  5  or  6  feet  in  length.  On  the  outside  of  the  entrance  was 
placed  a  loose  layer  of  lumps  of  quartz.  All  the  roofing  flags  covering  the 
passage,  and  more  than  two-thirds  of  those  which  originally  covered  the  central 
octagonal  chamber,  had  disappeared,  leaving  the  passage  and  central  chambers 
completely  filled  up  with  stones.  Among  the  loose  stones  over  the  central 
octagonal  chamber  were  found  three  large  bones,  probably  those  of  a  deer.  The 
imperfect  portion  of  the  roof  that  remains,  formed  by  about  thirty  large  flags 
overlapping  one  another,  rises  to  10  feet  above  the  level  of  the  floor. 

The  floor  of  the  central  octagonal  chamber  was  covered  by  two  large  flags  and 
three  small  ones.    The  largest  Mr.  Conwell  was  unable  to  raise,  but  underneath  the 


Fig.  312. — Cairn  T,  with  hack  antl  front  view  of 
the  Hag's  Chair. 


County  of  Meath. 


333 


others  were  found  fragments  of  charred  bones,  small,  broken  stones,  and  pieces  of 
charcoal.  The  three  cists  are  each  about  4  feet  square.  Above  the  upright  stones 
forming  the  walls  of  each  chamber,  about  a  dozen  large  flags,  overlapping  one 
another,  are  covered  in  by  a  horizontal  slab,  forming  a  chamber  about  5  feet  high, 
across  the  entrance  into  each  of  which  stands  a  stone  about  2  feet  high,  leaving  an 
opening  over  it  of  3  feet. 

These  three  cists  were  nearly,  but  not  entirely,  filled  up  with  dry,  loose  stones, 


Fig.  313. — .Stone  in  cairn  T, 


from  the  uncovering  of  the  central  chamber  around  which  they  were  placed.  The 
earth  on  the  floor  of  each  was  mixed  with  splinters  of  burned  bones  ;  while  in  the 
centre  of  one  a  circle  of  earth,  a  foot  in  diameter,  inclosed  about  a  hatful  of 
charred  bones,  which  were  covered  with  a  flag,  above  which  were  raised,  for  about 
2  feet,  alternate  layers  of  finely  broken  and  larger  stones,  among  which  were  found 
some  human  teeth  and  twenty-four  bones,  with  the  ends  apparently  ornamented 
with  crossed  lines.  Among  the  loose  stones  at  the  bottom  of  the  central  chamber, 
and  close  to  the  entrance  of  a  cist,  was  found  a  bronze  pin,  2^  inches  long,  with 
head  ornamented,  and  stem  slightly  so,  and  preserving  a  beautiful  green  polish. 


1  -^  /I 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


The  entire  length  of  the  passage  is  17  feet;  and  from  the  commencement  of 
the  passage  to  the  W.  extremity  of  the  opposite  chamber,  28  feet.  The  trans- 
verse distance  measured  from  the  backs  of  the  cists  is  16  feet  4  ins.,  while  the 
distance  between  their  entrances  is  7  feet ;  and  from  the  termination  of  the  passage 
to  the  entrance  of  the  end  cist  is  6  feet  3  ins.  The  breadth  of  the  passage  at  its 
termination  is  3  feet  i  in. ;  and  the  respective  breadths  of  the  cists  2  feet  8  ins., 
3  feet  5  ins.,  and  3  feet  6  ins. 

There  were  twenty-eight  sculptured  stones  in  this  cairn. 

The  end  chamber  or  cist  has  a  beehive  loof  of  seven  flags,  capped  by  a  large 


•  '-f 


'■^■iM-i 


'W^^ 


1"k;,  314.  —  Slonu  ill  caini  T. 


horizontal  one,  on  which  is  a  figure  formed  of  fourteen  concentric  circles — as  far  as 
they  can  be  counted — extending  out  of  sight  under  the  structure,  where  no  tool 
could  reach  ;  one  single  circle,  2  inches  in  diameter;  4  cups,  each  surrounded  by 
a  single  circle ;  2  cups,  each  surrounded  by  2  circles  ;  a  figure  of  2  concentric 
circles  ;  another  of  3  concentric  circles  round  a  cup ;  a  quadrilateral  figure  with 
4  lines  across ;  a  group  of  5  wavy  lines,  adjoining  which  are  6  concentric  circles  ; 


County  of  Meatii. 


335 


a  straight  line  running  under  the  roof,  with  8  short  lines  in  the  form  of  a  star, 
3  inches  in  diameter;  5  concentric  ovals  running  under  the  roof;  a  straight  line 
surmounted  by  3  elliptical  arcs;  a  circle  surrounded  by  10  rays,  making  a  figure 
6  inches  across  ;  a  st-ir  of  6  rays  ;  a  cup  with  8  rays,  surrounded  by  a  circle  6  inches 


Fig. 


-Stone  in  cairn  T. 


in  diameter;  a  cup  and  circle,  out  of  which  rise  11  looped  or  arched  rays,  making 
a  figure  6  inches  in  diameter;  a  spiral  of  4  curves,  12  inches  in  length,  having 
7  lines  on  each  side  at  right  angles  to  the  2  outer  coils. 

The  beehive  roof  above  mentioned  is  formed  by  five  flags  covered  in  by  a 
horizontal  one,  on  which  are  cut  ///  fine  lining,  less  than  \  of  an  inch  asunder, 
4  chevron  zigzag  lines,  about  i  foot  in  length,  and  terminated  at  one  extremity 
by  a  single  zigzag  line  at  right  angles  to  them  ;  also  a  circle  i\  inch  in  diameter. 

On  the  lintel-stone  over  the  entrance  to  the  S.  chamber  are  twelve  short  lines  along 
the  edge  of  the  stone,  and  six  others  further  down.  Mr.  Convrell  thought  these 
were  probably  ogam  characters. 

This  was  the  cairn  which  he  designated  "The  Tomb  of  Ollamh  Fodhla." 

25.  U.  This  cairn  is  situated  14  yards  N.E.  from  T,  and  46  yards  E.  of  S.  There 
were  sixteen  large  stones  in  the  base;  and,  nearly  2  feet  inside  the  circumference,  a 


336 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


stone  measuring  8  feet  2  ins.  long,  2  feet  4  ins.  broad,  and  i  foot  8  ins.  thick,  lay 
opposite  the  commencement  of  the  passage.  The  remains  of  the  cairn  were  only 
from  4  to  5  feet  high,  and  14^  yards  in  diameter.  The  tops  of  the  upright  stones 
were  left  visible,  and  the  chambers  themselves  were  more  than  half  filled  up  with 
loose  stones  and  earth.  On  removing  these,  the  interior  arrangement  of  the 
chambers  was  found,  as  in  most  other  cases,  to  be  cruciform.  The  length  of  the 
passage  alone,  which  has  a  bearing  of  E.  20°  S.,  is  9  feet ;  and  from  the  commence- 


^ 


A 


^0 


W->/^^^'' 


'<f% 


■')  I   ■^';  M 


'^Mf^^s^ 


I..   :;iu.  —  >ione  in  cairn  T. 


ment  of  the  passage  to  the  extremity  of  the  opposite  chamber  is  20  feet ;  while  the 
breadth  across  the  chamber  is  10  feet.  One  of  the  stones  of  the  chamber  is  wanting, 
and  another  is  displaced.  When  the  stones  which  filled  up  these  chambers  were 
removed,  the  earth  at  the  bottom,  in  some  places  from  12  to  18  inches  in  depth, 
was  found  to  be  thickly  mixed  with  splinters  of  burned  bones. 

Mr.  Conwell  was  informed  by  an  old  herd  on  the  mountain  that  he  recollected 
the  chambers  in  this  cairn,  in  their  half-cleared-out  state,  having  been  used  for 
culinary  purposes  by  the  men  engaged  in  the  Ordnance  Survey.  There  were  thirteen 
sculptured  stones  in  this  cairn. 

26.  There  were  some  appearances  of  a  cairn  having  stood  about  midway  between 
U  and  V. 

27.  V.  This  cairn  was  39  yards  S.E.  from  T,  and  51  yards  S.  of  V.  It  measured 
1 1  yards  in  diameter.  All  the  smaller  stones  which  originally  formed  the  cairn  had 
been  carried  away,  leaving  quite  bare  the  upright  stones  which  formed  the  interior 
chambers.  From  the  appearance  of  these  stones,  Mr.  Conwell  did  not  think  they 
seemed  to  have  been  arranged  on  any  particular  plan.     The  greatest  length  of  the 


County  of  Meatii. 


chambers,  having  a  bearing  E.  20°  S.,  was  21  feet,  and  breadth  10  feet.  About  a 
yard  outside  the  circumference,  on  the  N.W.  side,  stood  a  pillar-stone,  5  feet  above 
ground,  5  feet  6  ins.  broad,  and  i  foot  6  ins.  thick.  Digging  round  the  base  of 
this  stone,  Mr.  Conwell  found  a  rounded  white  sea-pebble,  which  he  thought  from 
appearances  might  have  been  used  as  a  sling-stone  or  a  hammer. 

Four  of  the  upright  stones  in  this  cairn  bore  sculpturings. 

28.  W.  This  cairn  is  128  yards  E.  of  T.     What  remained  of  it  appeared  to  be 


Fig.  317. — Stone  in  cairn  T 


nearly  level  with  the  ground,  and  covered  a  space  of  7  yards  in  diameter.  The 
single  interior  chamber  which  this  cairn  contained  was  round,  or  well-shaped ;  and, 
unlike  all  the  others,  which  appeared  to  have  been  erected  on  the  bare  surface  of 
the  ground,  the  earth  seemed  to  have  been  dug  away  for  the  construction  of  this 
chamber,  which  proved  to  be  6  feet  9  ins.  in  diameter,  formed  by  8  flagstones 
placed  on  ends,  fitting  closely  together,  except  in  two  instances,  and  all  having  an 
inclination  inwards  at  the  bottom.  A  layer  of  charred  bones,  6  inches  in  thickness, 
was  found  to  cover  the  bottom  of  this  chamber,  in  the  clearing  out  of  which  was 
brought  to  light,  resting  on  the  floor,  a  splendid  stone  urn,  2^  feet  square,  i  foot 
thick,  and  hollowed  out  from  the  sides  towards  the  centre  to  a  depth  varying  from 
3  to  4  inches.     On  raising  this  urn,  which  evidently  occupied  its  original  position. 


338 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


Fig.  "^iS. — Stone  in  cairn  T. 


i«s  *  ff  *. 


^ 


Flo.  319. — Stone  in  cairn  T. 


County  of  Meath. 


139 


some  splinters  of  charred  bones  were  found  beneath  it.     The  point  which  appears 
to  have  been  the  entrance  to  this  chamber  has  a  bearing  due  S. 
Five  of  the  chamber-stones  in  this  cairn  bore  sculpturings. 


Fig.  320. — Stone  in  cairn  U. 


Fig.  t2I. — Stone  in  cairn  U. 


Fl(;.  322.  —  Stiiue  in  cairn  U. 


29»  3°;  31.  X.  Under  this   letter,  Mr.  Conwell  mentions  three  circles,  which 
were  marked  in  the  Ordnance  Map  as  "  cairns,"  but  as  to  which  he  is  doubtful 


140 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


whether  they  were  the  base-rings  of  cairns,  or  independent  circles.  They  are  passed 
in  going  from  the  hill  specially  known  as  Slieve-na-Callighe  towards  the  Hill  of 
Patrickstown,  and  are  situated  midway  up  the  latter,  or  eastern  peak. 

Of  these  the  northern  one  was  the  most  perfect.    The  diameter  is  40  feet.    The 


Fig.  323. — .Stone  in  cairn  U. 


Fig.  324. — .Stone  n       n 

distances  between  the  stones  were  as  follows  :  From  No.  i  to  No.  2  was  4  yards  ; 
from   2  to  3,  4  yards  ;  from  3  to  4,    i    yard  ;  4  and   5  nearly  touch  one  another ; 


County  of  Meath, 


141 


5  to  6,  2  yards ;  6  and  7  nearly  touch  one  another ;  7  to  8,  3  yards ;  8  to  9,  8 
yards ;  9  to  10,  7  yards. 

At  a  distance  of  13  feet  inwards  from  the  circumference  of  this  circle  stood  an 
upright  stone,  upon  the  face  of  which,  pointing  N.W.,  were  sculptured  a  circle, 

3  inches  in  diameter,  a  cup  with  13  rays,  surrounded  by  a  circle  6  inches  in  diameter, 
on  which  circle  was  another  cup  2  inches  in  diameter,  and  ^  an  inch  deep,  from 
which  were  deflected  9  rays,  varying  from  4  to  1 2  inches  in  length,  and  from  ^  an 
inch  to  I  inch  in  breadth,  5  of  which  terminated  each  in  a  cup ;  a  cup  with  9  rays, 

6  inches  across,  over  which  were  13  equidistant  arcs  of  circles,  varying  in  length 
from  2  to  12  inches.     Along  the 
lower  part  of  the  face  of  the  stone 
were  3  circles,  one  3  inches,  one 

4  inches,    and   one    5    inches   in 
diameter. 

The  designs  on  this  stone  could 
only  be  seen  to  advantage  in  a 
suitable  shade  of  sunlight.  In  ob- 
taining this  Mr.  Conwell  says  he 
was  most  fortunate. 

The  second,  and  middle  circle, 
lay  9  yards  S.  of  the  northern  one, 
and  measured  1 2  yards  in  diameter. 
The  distances  between  the  stones 
were  as  follows  :  From  No.  i  to 
No.  2,  4  yards ;  from  2  to  3, 
I  yard;  from  3  to  4,  2  yards;  from 
4  to  5,  2  yards ;  from  5  to  6,  3 
yards. 

In  the  centre  of  this  circle  two 
flat  stones  were  lying.  On  one  of 
the  stones  a  cup  was  sculptured, 
having  ten  others  in  a  circle  round 
it,  this  circle  measuring  10  inches 
across,  and  having  four  other  cups  in  an  incomplete  circle  round  this  again, 
nearly  18  inches  across,  the  cups  being  about  i^  inch  in  diameter,  and  i  of  an 
inch  deep.     There  were  also  twenty-eight  similar  cups  in  one  group  on  this  stone. 

Another  stone  in  the  circle  contained  a  circular  hole,  6|  inches  in  diameter,  cut 
vertically,  with  much  preciseness  and  smoothness,  to  a  depth  of  3  inches. 

The  third  and  southern  circle  lay  12  yards  S.  of  the  middle  one,  and  measured 
23  yards  in  diameter.  It  contained  only  seven  stones,  with  an  eighth  lying  5  yards 
W.  of  its  boundary.  The  distances  between  the  stones  were  as  follows  :  From 
No.  I  to  No.  2  is  7  yards;  from  2  to  3,  15  yards;  from  3  to  4,  4  yards;  from 
4  to  5,  9  yards  ;  and  5,  6,  and  7  adjoin  one  another. 

On  the  whole,  I  am  myself  inclined  to  regard  these  circles  as  cairn-bases,  and 
not  independent  or  free-standing  circles. 

32.  Y.  Crowning  the  top  of  the  Hill  of  Patrickstown,  which  attains  the  height  of 
885  feet,  there  stood,  until  within  a  few  years  of  Mr.  Conwell's  visit,  one  of  the  most 
conspicuous  cairns  in  the  range.  It  measured  33  yards  in  diameter;  but  only  a 
few  cart-loads  remained,  the  bulk  of  the  pile  having  been  used  in  the  construction 
of  fences. 


Fig.  325. — Stone  in  cairn  W. 


;42 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


33.  Z.  At  the  base  of  the  eastern  peak,  on  the  south  side,  stands  the  "  Moat  of 
Patrickstown."  It  measures  115  paces  round  the  base,  45  feet  in  slant  height,  and 
40  paces  round  the  circumference  at  the  top,  which  is  flattened.  This  tumulus  is 
situated  on  the  top  of  a  small  sloping  eminence  in  a  green  field,  and  is  crowned  by 
a  mutilated  whitethorn  tree,  growing  on  its  eastern  border.  It  is  covered  with 
earth  and  grass,  and,  in  common  with  most  moats,  is  popularly  believed  to  contain 
stone  chambers  in  the  interior. 


Fig.  326. — Stone  near  the  northernmost  of  three  circles  on  ih^  j^ i  i;.i;.^;.  ..,,..;. 

In  concluding  his  paper  (Proc.  R.I. A.,  vol.  ix.  pt.  iv.  p.  377),  Mr.  Conwell 
states  his  opinion  that,  "although  the  carved  stones  in  all  these  cairns,  taken 
together,  exceed  one  hundred  in  number,  there  are  not  two  the  decorations  on 
which  are  similar." 

The  sculpturings  on  the  stones  in  thirteen  cairns  on  the  entire  range  he 
classifies  thus  : 

Single  cup-like  hollows,  some  arranged  in  parallel  lines,  some  in  circles,  and  many 

of  them  scattered  in  groups      ...         ...         ...         ...         ...  ...  ...  ...  406 

Cups,  each  surrounded  by  a  single  circle  ...         ...         ...         ...  ...  ...  ...  86 

Cups,  each  surrounded  by  two  circles        ...         ...         ...         ...  ...  ...  ...  30 

Cups,  each  surrounded  by  three  circles      ...         ...         ...         ...  ...  ...  ...  17 

Cups,  each  surrounded  by  four  circles       ...         ...         ...           ..  ...  ...  ...  4 

Cups,  each  surrounded  by  five  circles        ...         ...          ...         ...  ...  ...  ...  3 

Cup-hollows,  each  surrounded  by  a  spiral...         ...         ...         ...  ...  ...  ...  4 

Star-shaped  figures,  varying  from  4  to  13  rays  in  each  ...         ...  ...  ...  ...  35 

Circles  with  rays  emanating  from  each      ...         ...         ...         ...  ...  ...  ...  22 

Cups,  each  surrounded  by  a  circle  with  rays  emanating  from  it  ...  ...  ...  14 

Sinqle  ovals    ...         ...         ...         ...         ...         ...       "...         ...  ...  ...  ...  j6 

Figure  of  two  concentric  ovals        i 

Figure  of  six  concentric  ovals          ...         ...         ...         ...         ...  ...  ...  ...  i 

Single  circles  ...         ...         ...         ...         ...         ...         ...         ...  ...  ...  ...  114 

Figures  of  two  concentric  circles     ...         ...         ...         ...         ...  ...  ...  ...  32 

Figures  of  three  concentric  circles ...         ...         ...         ...         ...  ...  ...  ...  10 

Figures  of  four  concentric  circles    ...         ...         ...                     ...  ...  ...  6 

Figures  of  five  concentric  circles     ...         ...         ...         ...         ...  ...  ...  ...  4 


County  of  Meath. 


343 


Figure  of  six  concentric  circles        ...         ...         ...         ...         ...         ...         ...         ...  I 

Semi-elliptical  or  arched  figures      68 

Spirals             ...         ...         12 

Quadrilateral  figures ...         ...         ...         ...         ...         ...         ...         ...         ...         ...  14 

Triangular  figures  formed  by  cross-hatched  lines             6 

Reticulated  figures  consisting  in  all  of  13S  diamonds      ...         ...         54 

Single  straight  lines  (some  of  which  Mr.  Conwell  thought  ogamic)  about      300 

Zigzag  or  chevron  lines,  upwards  of          ...         ...         ...         ...         ...         ...         ...  80 

Single  curves 10 

Figures  of  two  concentric  curves     ...         ...         ...         ...         ...         ...         ...         ...  Ii 

Figures  of  three  concentric  curves  ...         ...         ...         ...         ...         ...         ...         ...  10 

Figures  of  four  concentric  curves    ...         ...         ...         ...         ...         ...         ...         ...  8 

Figures  of  five  concentric  curves     ...         ...         ...         ...         ...         ...         ...         ...  4 

Figures  of  six  concentric  curves      ...         ...         ...         ...         ...         ...         ...         ...  4 

Figures  of  seven  concentric  curve- ...         ...         ...         ...         ...         ...         ...         ...  2 

Figure  of  eight  concentric  curves    ...         ...         ...         ...         ...         ...         ...         ...  i 

Figure  of  nine  concentric  curves     ...         ...         ...         ...         ...         ...         ...         ...  i 

Figures  of  thirteen  concentric  curves         ...         ...         ...         ...         ...         ...         ...  2 

"  In  all,"  Mr.  Conwell  sums  up,  "I  have  laid  bare  1393  separate  devices." 

In  the  Barony  of  Slane  Upper. 

I.   In  the  Townland  of  Rathkenny,  and  Parish  of  Rathkenny, 


Fig.  327. — Rathkenny.     Froin  dra-wing  by  Sir  Saimtcl  Ferpisson. 

is  a  dolmen  marked  Dnnd^s  Altar  in  Ord.  Surv.  Map  No.  12. 
The  covering-stone  of  this  dolmen  rests  in  an  inclined  position,  the  lower  edge 


upon  the  ground,  and  the  upper  portion 
propped  by  an  angular  block  of  grit 
measuring  4  feet  in  height  above 
ground,  and  2  feet  by  i  foot  6  ins.  in 
breadth  and  thickness.  In  this  con- 
dition it  resembles  the  dolmens  of 
Howth  and  Mount  Venus,  and  comes 


^   1^   ^^  i   J     AVA 


Iff 

In 


iAV.;>Yiii  aiita    iviwuuL     vtiiua,   aiiLi    v,lhiic5        i    i        \_Z.     I        I        \  /       V/        I  I  /\  I 

under  the  category,  according  to  Mr.     '  '  '/     I "  I      X     /\     i      O     >F      I 
Du   Noyer,  of   semi-dolmens,  or  earth-    p^^,    3,8.-Markings  on  the  dolmen  at  Rathkenny. 
fast    dolmens   known   to  French   an- 
tiquaries.    The  measurements  of  the  covering-stone  are  10  feet  10  ins.  long,  8  feet 
6  ins.  broad,  and  3  feet  thick.     Its  weight  has  been  estimated  at  20  tons. 


;44 


T]iE  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


The  upper  surface  of  this  tabular  stone  is  "  profusely  covered  with  small  cup- 
shaped  hollows,  some  of  which  are  probably  natural,  but  others  certainly  artificial, 


Fig.  329. — Upper  surface  of  the  covering-stone  at  Rathkennj-, 


and  between  them  a  number  of  marks  and  scorings."  t 
Besides  these  marks  on  the  surface  of  the  covering- 
stone  there  are  seven  incised  circles  on  its  inner  face, 
and  seven  more  on  a  pillar-stone  of  the  same  monu- 
ment. 


O.S.L.,  Co.   Meath,    -^^,  p 
E.  23 
(1864-66),  p.    541,    and   pi.    xii. ; 
Soc.  (1S68-69),  plate  facing  p.  42. 


105  ;  Proc.  R.I. A.,  vol.  ix. 
Journ,    of  Kilk.    Archreol. 


2,  3.  In  the  Townland  of  Newgrange, 
and  Parish  of  Monknevvtown,  is  a  cham- 
bered cairn  marked  Moat  in  Ord.  Surv. 
Map  No.  19.  A  second  near  it  not 
marked.     (See  next  page.) 

4,  5.   In  the  Townland  of  Dowth,  and 
„  ^  ,  Parish   of   Dowth,    is   a   chambered    cairn 

riG.  330. —  I  wo  groups  of  seven 

circles;  the  upper  on  inner    marked  Moat  in  Ord.  Surv.  Map  No.  20. 

face   of    covering-stone;     the  ,  .  i-itt-t  i-ht 

under  on  pillar-stone,  Rath-    Also  another  to  the  W.,  mdicated  m  Map 
^""^'  No.  19.      (See  page  365,  iii/ra.) 


t  Compare  fig.  17,  p.  20.  See  also  a  rock  near  Oldcastle,  "Kilk.  Archseol.  Journ.,"  1865, 
p.  383 ;  also  a  rock  near  the  dolmen  at  Paddock,  Co.  Louth,  id.,  1864-66,  p.  499 ;  also  Phoenician 
characters  in  Dcla  Marmora's  atlas  to  his  "  Voyage  en  Sardaigne,"  pi.  xxxii.  ;  also  those  at  Cerro 
del  Sol  in  Spain,  in  Gongora  y  Marlinez,  "  Antiq.  de  Andalucia,"  p.  131. 


County  of  Meatii. 


345 


6,  7.   In  the  Townland   of   Knowth,  adjoining  that  of    New- 
grange  on  the  N.,  and  Parish  of  Monknewtown,  is  a  cairn  probably 


Fig.  331. — Stone  urn  found  at  Knowth.     From  Boate,  edit.  Molyneux,  "Nat.  Hist.,"  p.  200. 
Length  16  ins.,  breadth  12  ins.,  height  11  ins.;  in  cist  in  tumulus,  with  burnt  bones. 

containing  a  chamber,  and  a  second  near  it ;   the  former  marked 
Moat  in  Ord,  Surv.  Map  No.  19.     {See  p.  345,  infra.) 

New    Grange.! 
On  the  northern  bank  of  the  river  Boyne  are  a  number  of  monuments,  seventeen 
in  all,  dispersed  over  an  area  extending  about  3  miles  from  E.  to  W.  and  about 


^"^ 


rTf 


Fig    332  — Plan  and  section  of  chamber  at  Nlw  C^ringc      /lom  Mi    6    Cofft)  s paper  tn  the 
"  Transactions  of  tne  Royal  Jrisii  Acaae?ny.' 

t  With  regard  to  the  etymology  of  the  name  Newgrange,  it  has  been  suggested  by  O'Brian, 
with  more  ingenuity  than  probability  perhaps,  that  it  is  the  English  corruption  of  An  UamJi 
Greini,  which  would  have  been  pronounced  ^noovgrainy,  meaning  the  cave  of  Grainne. 

The  word  Grange,  however,  is  in  far  too  common  use  in  Ireland  in  its  ordinary  English  sense 
to  render  this  etymology  plausible. 


VOL.   IL 


D 


;46  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


I  mile  to  tA  mile  from  N.  to  S.,  all  of  them  being,  roughly  speaking,  included  in  a 
bend  of  the  river. 


O'Donovan  states  that  "  there  is  a  iradiiion  in  this  county  that  all  these  moats  (or  tumuli)  have 
caves  w  ithin  them,  in  which  bars  of  gold  are  laid  up,  but  that  it  would  be  dangerous  to  open  them, 
as  evil  spirits  are  watching  the  treasure."  Such  seems  to  be  the  sum  total  of  the  current  oral  legend 
relating  of  these  mounds. 

A  verj'  important  question,  however,  lies  beyond  this ;  namely,  whether  Newgrange  and  the 
group  of  tumuli  lying  in  the  peninsula  formed  by  the  bend  of  the  river  Boyne  constitute  a  royal 
cemetery  called  Brugh,  or  Brugh-na-Boinne,  to  which  reference  is  frequently  made  by  the  mediaeval 
writers,  both  in  poetry  and  prose,  in  the  ancient  Irish  books. 

The  materials  for  the  discussion  of  this  question  have  been  fully  set  forth  by  Mr.  George  Coffey, 
in  his  paper  on  "The  Tumuli  of  Newgrange,  Dowth,  and  Knowlh,"  in  the  Transactions  of  the 
Royal  Irish  Academy."  He  is  himself  an  advocate  of  the  view  that  the  tumuli  and  other  monuments 
lio  indicate  the  spot  which  the  early  writers  had  in  mind,  and  to  which  the  legends  and  traditions 
recorded  by  them,  and  which  had  survived  to  their  time,  partly  in  writings  older  perhaps  by  some 
centuries  than  the  copies  preserved,  relate. 

O'Donovan  and  Sir  Samuel  Fergusson  were  of  a  contrary  opinion,  but  Mr.  Coffey  states  their 
views  with  accuracy  and  perfect  fairness. 

Taking  leave  to  transpose  somewhat  the  order  of  his  arguments  in  favour  of  the  site  being  that 
known  as  "  The  Brugh,"  I  may  summarize  them  as  follows  : — 

Firstly,  as  to  the  name.  In  the  Ordnance  Survey  Maps  of  this  district,  subsequent  to  that  of 
1837,  we  lind  the  name  Broe  House  applied  to  a  site  close  to  the  river  at  the  S.W.  point  of  its  bow- 
shaped  bend,  and  immediately  adjacent  to  a  ford  less  than  half  a  mile  W.S.W.  of  Rosnaree  liouse 
on  the  S.  side  of  the  river.  It  may  be  said,  indeed,  that  Rosnaree  and  Broe  occupy  the  two  banks 
of  the  river,  fronting  each  other  at  a  distance  of  less  than  half  a  mile,  the  greater  portion  of  which 
intervening  space  is  taken  up  by  the  main  channel,  side  channels,  islands,  and  shallows  which  the 
river  forms  at  this  point.  From  Broe  House  to  the  centre  of  the  New  Grange  mound  is  five-eighths 
of  a  mile  in  a  N.E.  direction,  and  at  a  similar  distance  to  the  N.W.  are  the  remains  of  a  fort 
apparently  connected  with  the  river  on  the  N.  side. 

This,  however,  is  by  no  means  the  only  instance  of  the  application  of  the  name  Bro  or  Broe,  to 
places  in  this  peninsula.  Mr.  O'Laverty,  in  a  "  Note  on  New  Grange,"  in  the  "Journal  of  the  Royal 
Soc.  of  Antiquaries  of  Ireland,"  tells  us  that  thirty  years  before  he  wrote  his  paper,  Mr.  Maguire  of 
New  Grange  and  his  son  informed  him  that  "  the  field  in  which  New  Grange  tumulus  stands  is 
called  Bro  Park,"  and  that  in  the  immediate  vicinity  are  the  "  Bro  Farm,  the  Bro  Mill,  and  the 
]ko  Cottage,"  which  latter  is  perhaps  the  Broe  House  by  the  river,  above  mentioned.  "The  word 
Brugh"  as  he  notes,  "would  assume  the  modern  form  Bro,  as  in  Brughshane,  pronounced 
Broshane,  and  many  other  townland  names." 

Brugh,  however,  signifies  a  "burg,"  or  town,  a  fortified  town,  and  in  a  more  restricted  sense, 
a  mansion,  palace,  or  dwelling-place.  How,  then,  can  it  be  applied  to  a  district?  The  answer  is 
simple,  and  maybe  made  by  asking  the  question  how  it  comes  that  "  Cashel,"  for  example,  or 
"  Cairn,"  with  the  simple  meanings  of  "stone-walled  enclosure"  and  "pile  of  stones,"  came  to 
be  given  to  townlands  and  districts.  There  must  have  been  a  noteworthy  "cashel,"  and  a 
noteworthy  "cairn,"  from  which  the  name  gained  its  extended  sense.  There  must,  then,  have 
been  a  memorable  brugh,  or  mansion,  somewhere  hereabouts,  and  the  circumstance  that  the  field 
in  which  the  central  and  largest  mound,  that  is  to  sa)',  the  Newgrange  one  itself,  is  situated,  is 
called  Bro  Park,  that  is  Brugh  Field,  W(juld  seem  to  point  to  that  tumulus,  with  its  cnclosetl 
buildings,  as  the  "  mansion"  required. 

It  was  not  necessary  that  the  "  mansion  "  should  be  the  abode  of  mortal  man.  The  spirits  of 
the  dead,  the  fairies,  the  sidhe,  might  have  had  their  brugh,  or  palace,  as  well.  And  in  this  sense 
it  was  actually  used,  as  we  gather  from  Mr.  Standish  H.  6'Grady's  valuable  translation  of  the  piece 
called  the  "  Colloquy  with  the  Ancients,"  in  his  "  Silva  Gadelica,"  p.  210  :  "  The  sons  of  Lugaid 
Menn  rose  and  took  their  way  to  the  green  of  the  brttgli  upon  the  Boyne,  where,  none  other  being 
in  their  company,  they  sat  them  down."  A  young  man  appears  to  them,  and  in  answer  to  their 
question  whence  he  has  come,  he  replies,  "Out  of  yonder  brugh,  chequered  with  the  many  lights, 
hard  by  you  here."  In  answer  to  their  question  who  he  was,  he  replied,  "  I  am  the  Dagda's  son, 
Bodbh  Derg  ;  and  to  the  Tuatha  de  Danann  it  was  revealed  that  ye  would  come  to  fast  here  to- 
night, for  lands  and  for  great  fortune."  The  sons  of  Lugaid  Menn  therefore  went  "  into  the  brugh.'' 
Bodbh  informed  them  that  "  three  times  fifty  sons  of  kings  we  are  in  this  sidh,'"  and  "  for  three  days 
with  their  three  nights  they  abode  in  the  sidh." 

I  must  pause  to  notice  the  very  great  importance  of  this  passage,  which  proves  to  us  that  in  the 
Middle  Ages  a  tradition,  then  committed  to  writing,  either  from  older  manuscripts  or  from  oral  sources, 
existed  with  regard  to  the  nature  of  the  rites  performeil  in  pagan  times  at  those  places,  which  were 
held  sacred  to  the  heathen  mysteries. 

It  would  appear  that  the  cultus  was  that  of  the  spirits  of  royal  or  famous  ancestors,  who  were  to 
be  approached  by  pilgrimages  made  to  their  abodes,  accompanied  by  a  residence  of  a  certain 
duration — in  this  case  three  nights  and  days,  throughout  which  period  fasting  was  prescribed  — 
within  the  spirit-mansion  itself.  The  spirits  of  the  dead,  who  were  doubtless  conciliated  by 
sacrifices,  being  thus  approached  and  "fasted  upon,"  as  the  term  was,  were  supposed  to  respond  to 
the  prayer  of  the  sujipliants  to  grant  them  what  they  desired,  and  to  enter  into  converse  with  them. 

In  a  piece  called  Kchtra  Nerai,  an  episode  in  the  saga  called  Tain  Bo  Aingen  (a  pre-talc  to  the 


County  of  Meath.  347 


Besides  the  tumuli,  at  least  four  raths,  or  forts,  two  single  pillar-stones,  and  a 
group  of  standing  stones,  are  included  in  the  same  area. 


Tain  Bo  Cuailgne),  we  have  another  description  of  the  entrance  of  a  mortal,  named  Nera,  into  one 
of  these  mansions  or  palaces  of  the  sidhe,  namely,  that  at  Cruachan,  where  we  are  told  that  he 
went  into  the  cave  {uainh),  and  into  the  sul  of  the  cave. 

Here,  then,  we  have  the  three  terms,  brugh^  stdh,  and  7ia»i/i,  applied  to  the  subterranean 
buildings,  or  (as  in  the  case  of  Cruachan)  the  partly  natural  cavities,  which  were  appropriated  to 
this  worship.  By  the  term  ttainh,  or  "cave,"  the  whole  of  the  internal  vaults  are  meant,  with 
regard,  not  to  their  fairy  occupants  or  mystic  character,  but  simply  to  their  appearance ;  by  the 
term  bnigJi  their  likeness  to  a  dwelling  or  souterrain  beneath  a  fort  or  rath-mansion  is  intended, 
with  regard  also  to  their  legendary  and  mystic  sense  as  the  abode  of  the  spirits  of  the  dead,  and 
as  the  fairy  mansion  or  palace  ;  by  the  term  sidk  or  sid  (as  we  gather  from  the  story  of  Nera)  the 
principal  inner  chamber  of  the  tiainli  is  intended — the  sanctum  sanctorum,  or  penetralia  of  the 
spirit-temple,  upon  entering  into  which  the  mortal  came  face  to  face  with  the  royal  occupants,  and 
there  doubtless  he  lay  fasting,  or  offering  his  sacrifices,  at  the  periods  prescribed. 

I  feel  but  little  doubt  that  in  the  inner  chamber  at  New  Grange,  with  its  three  recesses  and  its 
basins,  we  have  this  " sui  oi  the  cave,"  and  the  place  where  the  pilgrims  fasted — a  situation  and  a 
practice  precisely  similar  to  that  which,  under  Christian  auspices,  was  continued  at  such  places  as 
the  Leaba  Mologa  in  Cork,  the  original  Patrick's  Purgatory  in  Lough  Derg,  and  elsewhere.  The 
practice  of  lying  in  stone  troughs  was  a  feature  of  the  Christian  pilgrimages  in  Ireland.  Sometimes 
such  troughs  had  served  the  previous  purpose  of  stone  coffins.  It  is  just  possible  that  the  shallow 
basins  in  the  cells  at  Loughcrew,  New  Grange,  and  Dowth  may,  like  the  stone  beds  or  troughs  of 
the  saints,  have  been  occupied  by  the  pilgrims  engaged  in  their  devotions.  If  so,  however,  they 
must  have  sat  in  them  in  eastern  fashion. 

According  to  a  local  oral  tradition,  as  stated  by  O'Donovan  (A.  4  jM.,  p.  22) — though  it  is  not 
still  extant — "  Aenghus-an-Bhrogha  was  considered  the  presiding  fairy  of  the  Boyne,  and  his  name," 
he  adds,  "  is  still  familiar  to  the  old  inhabitants  of  Meath,  who  are  fast  forgetting  their  traditions, 
with  the  Irish  language." 

This  makes  it  very  interesting  to  find  that  in  the  popular  tale  called  "The  Pursuit  of  Diarmad, 
and  Grainne,"  in  which,  perhaps,  more  than  in  any  other  to  be  named,  oral  popular  tradition  is 
preserved,  Aengus,  the  son  of  the  Dagda,  is  called  Aengus-an-Bhrogha,  and  associated  with  the 
Brugh-na-Boinne. 

Thus  Finn  is  made  to  say,  ''Let  us  leave  this  tulach,  for  fear  that  Aengus-an-Bhrogha  and  the 
Tuatha-De-Danann  might  catch  us  ;  and  though  we  have  no  part  in  the  slaying  of  Diarmuid, 
he  would  none  the  more  readily  believe  us."  Subsequently  Aengus-an-Bhrogha  transported 
Diarmuid's  body  to  the  Brugh-na-Boinne,  saying,  "Since  I  cannot  restore  him  to  life,  I  will  send  a 
soul  into  him,  so  that  he  may  talk  to  me  each  day." 

Here  again  it  is  to  be  observed  that  a  tradition  had  been  handed  dovm  with  regard  to  the  sid  or 
bru^/i,  that  it  was  a  place  within  the  mystic  precincts  of  which  it  was  in  the  power  of  the  presiding 
divinity — in  this  case  Aengus-an-Bhrogha,  otherwise  called  Bodbh  Derg,  or  Aengus  Og,  or  Aengus 
Mac  Oc,  or  Aengus  Mac  Ind  Oc — to  reanimate  the  bodies  of  the  dead,  and  cause  them  to  speak  to 
devotees,  we  may  suppose  oracularly.  In  the  piece  called  "  Bruighion  Chaorthainn,"  or  Fort  of 
the  Rowan  Tree,  the  House  of  "Aengus  Og  of  the  Brugh,"  is  described  as  a  kingly  house  which 
cannot  be  burned  or  harried,  and  out  of  which  "no  hostages  are  given  to  the  king," — another  way 
of  saying,  perhaps,  that  the  dead  pay  no  taxes,  or  that,  being  a  holy  place,  it  was  exempt. 

We  will  now  turn  back  to  the  traditions  respecting  Brugh-na-Boinne  which  were  collected  in 
the  tenth  and  eleventh  centuries  by  Flann  of  Monasterboice,  Eochaidh  O'Flannagan,  and  Cinaeth 
O'Hartagain,  and  which  were  committed  to  writing  in  the  twelfth  century,  and  glossed,  where 
necessary,  by  Moelmuiri  of  Clonmacnoise  in  the  Leab/iar-na-h-Uidkri. 

We  there  find  the  cemetery  of  Brugh  standing  second  in  order  in  a  list  of  the  chief  cemeteries 
before  "  The  Faith."  They'are  as  follows:  Cruachu,  Brugh,  Tailltiu,  Luachair  Ailbe,  Oenach 
Ailbe,  Oenach  Culi,  Oenach  Colmain,  and  Temhair  Erann. 

We  are  further  informed  that  "  the  nobles  of  the  Tuatha  De  Danann  used  to  bury  at  Brugh, 
namely,"  adds  Moelmuiri,  "  the  Dagda  with  his  three  sons,  and  also  Lugaidh,  and  Oe,  and  Ollam, 
and  Ogma,  and  Etan  the  poetess,  and  Corpre  the  son  of  Etan." 

Now,  the  kings  of  Temair  (Tara)  had  used  as  their  burying-place  Oenach  Cruachan  (believed 
to  be  Rathcroghan  in  Roscommon)  down  to  the  time  of  Crimthann,  or  Cremthann  Niadh  Nar. 

It  is  thought  necessary  to  state  the  reason  why  it  was  not  at  Brugh  that  the  line  of  kings  of  the 
race  of  Heremon  from  Cobhthach  Coelbregh  to  Cremthann  were  buried,  but  at  Oenach  Cruachan, 
that  reason  simply  being  that  the  latter  place  was  in  Connaught,  and  that  that  province  was 
Cobhthach's  ruidtes,  that  is,  native  principality. 

This  looks  as  if  Brugh  had  been  regarded  as  the  more  ancient  royal  cemetery  of  the  two,  or,  at 
all  events,  as  in  use  as  a  burying-place  for  kings  at  an  earlier  date  than  Cruachan. 

The  reason  is  also  given  why  Cremthann  followed  the  practice  of  the  Tuatha  De  Danann  in 
having  himself  buried  at  Brugh.  It  was  because  "his  wife  Nar  was  of  the  Tuatha  Dea,  and  it 
was  she  who  solicited  him  that  he  should  adopt  Brugh  as  a  burial-place  for  himself  and  his  descen- 
dants, and  this  was  the  cause  that  they  did  not  bury  at  Cruachan." 

Accordingly,  the  kings  of  Temair  were  interred  at  Brugh  "from  the  time  of  Cremthann  to  the 
time  of  Loeghaire,  son  of  Niall,  except  three  persons,  namely.  Art,  the  son  of  Conn,  and  Cormac, 
the  son  of  Art,  and  Niall  of  the  Nine  Hostages." 

Of  these  three.  Art  was  interred  at  Dumha  Dergluachra,  now  Trevet,  the  reason  being  that, 


148 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


The  most  remarkable,  although  not  the  largest  of  the  tumuli,  is  that  which  lies 
N.  of  the  road,  near  Newgrange  House.     Its  position,  with  regard  to  the  other  two 


having  "believed  "  the  clay  before  the  battle  of  Muccramma,  he  would  not  be  buried  in  a  pagan 
cemetery.  For  a  similar  reason  Cormac  told  liis  people  not  to  bury  him  at  Brugh,  but  at  Ros-na- 
Righ,  to  which  place  his  body  was  thrice  carried  by  the  waters  of  the  Boyne  when  his  followers 
tried  to  disobey  his  orders  and  bear  him  to  Brugh.  It  is  to  be  observed  that  Rosnaree  is  the 
name  of  a  place  immediately  opposite  Broe  House,  and  that  in  O'Donovan's  time  a  spot  called 
"  Cormac's  Grave"  was  pointed  out  there,  although  that  authority  doubts  the  genuineness  of  the 
tradition.  The  third  absentee  from  the  royal  cemetery,  namely,  Niall,  was  buried  at  Ochonn,  or 
Ochan.     (See  Whitley  Stokes,  *'  Rev.  Celtiquc,"  vol.  xv.  p.  296.) 

In  the  days  of  Cinaeth  O'llartagain,  who  died  in  973,  the  following  were  the  dingna,  or 
"  remarkable  remains"  pointed  out  by  tradition  at  Brugh-na-Boinnc  (O'D.,  Ord.  Surv.  Letters,  Co. 
Meath,  p.  202  ;  Whitley  Stokes,  "Rev.  Celt.,"  vol.  xv.  p.  293) : — 

1.  The  long  (?  house,  ship,  or  bed)  of  the  daughter  of  Forann. 

2.  The  leclit  (monument)  of  the  Dagda. 

3.  The  miir  (?  mound,  or  wall;  "walled  mound,"  "rampart")  of  the  Great  Queen  of  the 
Dagda  ("Great  Queen"  is  here  O'Donovan's  rendering  of  Morrigan  ;  Whitley  Stokes  mentions 
that  it  is  glossed  lamia;  and  it  is  perhaps  connected  with  vi&r,  an  evil  spirit  of  night). 

4.  The  lecht  (monument)  of  the  Mata. 

5.  Tlie  bare  (palace)  of  Crimthann  Nia  Nair,  "for  he  was  buried  therein." 

6.  The  yi';V  (grave)  of  Fedlimid  (Felimy),  the  law-giver.  [With  this  name  compare  that  of  the 
Herulian  prince  Philimuth  (Procop.  B.G. ,  2,  22).] 

7.  The  cam-ail  (stone-heap)  of  Cuchullin,  the  hero. 

The  Rennes  Dindshenchas  has  here  instead  "The  carngal  o{  Conn  of  the  Hundred  Battles." 

8.  The  ciimat  (?  keeping-place)  or  covifliot  (grave)  of  Carbry  Lifechar. 

9.  The fiillact  (cooking-place)  of  Fiacha  Sraiftine. 

Cinaeth  says  that  Cormac  was  not  interred  here  on  account  of  his  having  embraced  the  TrtitJi. 
His  body  rested  on  the  strand  at  Ros-na-riogh,  where  it  was  interred.  Niall  the  Great,  was  not 
interred  at  Brugh-na-Boinne,  because  he  undertook  an  expedition  to  the  Alpian  mountains,  where 
he  was  assassinated  and  interred.  After  Niall  pure  religion  came  to  the  Plain  of  Fal,  and,  Brugh 
ceasing  to  be  a  place  of  burial,  the  kings  were  interred  in  consecrated  churchyards. 

Mr.  Coffey  points  out  a  line  in  this  poem  of  O'Hartagan  (the  first  of  the  eighth  stanza),  sccJii  l>c> 
boadain  biiain,  "which  seems  to  refer  to  the  existence  of  a  monument  at  Brugh  to  JBoadan,"  a  name 
wliich,  as  it  appears  also  in  the  A.  4.  M.  (anno  S61)  as  that  of  the  occupant  of  a  "grave  over 
Dubhath,"  i.e.  Dowth,  aflords  proof,  he  fairly  reasons,  not  only  that  the  Brugh  of  O'Hartagan 
referred  to  this  particular  collection  of  tumuli,  but  that  it  extended  over  the  district  which  includes 
them  all.     O'Donovan,  he  adds,  seems  to  have  overlooked  it. 

The  Leabhar-na-hUidhri  contains,  in  a  poem  on  the  death  and  burial  of  Dathi  (38,  B.  14, 
facsimile),  two  stanzas  which  refer  to  Brugh.     The  first  runs — 

"  The  three  cemeteries  of  Idolaters  are 
The  cemetery  ol  Tailten,  the  select, 
The  cemetery  of  the  ever-fair  Cruachan, 
And  the  cemetery  of  Brugh." 


The  second  begins- 


'  The  host  of  great  Meath  are  buried 
In  the  middle  of  the  lordly  Brugh." 


Moelmuiri,  commenting  on  this  poem  (38,  B.  34),  says — 

"  The  nobles  of  the  Tuatha  De  Danann  (with  the  exception  of  seven  of  them  wlio  were  interred 
at  Talten)  were  buried  at  Brugh,  namely,  Lugh,  and  Oe  son  of  Ollamh,  and  Ogma,  and  Carpre 
son  of  Etan,  and  ICtan  herself,  and  the  Dagda  and  his  three  sons  (namely,  Aed,  and  Oengus,  and 
Cermait),  and  a  great  many  others,  besides  of  the  Tuatha  De  Danann,  and  Firbolgs  and  others." 

In  the  Book  of  Ballymote  (written  in  1391),  the  above  list  from  the  Dindshenchas,  certified  by 
Cinaeth  O'Hartagan's  poem,  is  followed  by  a  prose  passage  setting  out  the  monuments  at  the  Brugh 
in  greater  detail : — 

"  Aliter.  The  Bed  (imdaei)  of  the  Dagda,  first;  the  Two  Paps  (da  cich)  of  the  Morrigain, 
the  place  where  f  Cermud  Milbhel  (or  Cermaid  or  Cermait),  son  of  the  Dagda,  was  born;  the 
grave  of  Boinn,  the  wife  of  Nechtan — it  was  she  who  brought  with  her  the  small  hound  called 
Dabilla,  from  which  Cnoc  DabiUa  is  called  ;  the  Mound  (dm/ia)  of  Tresc  ;  the  grave  of  Esclam, 
the  Dagda's  Brehon,  which  is  called  Fcrt-Patric  (or  Ferta  Patraic)  at  this  day  ;  the  Comb  (r/r)  and 
Casket  {cuirreill)  of  the  Dagda's  wife  (so  Whitley  Stokes  translates  it,  while  O'Donovan  makes  Cir 
and  Cuirreill  proper  names,  'wives  of  the  Dagda') — these  are  two  hillocks;  the  grave  of  Aed 
Luirgnech,  son  of  the  Dagda  ;  the  Cave  {dcrc)  of  Bualc  Bee  ;  the  Monument  of  Cellach,  son  of 
Maelcobha  ;  the  Monument  of  the  steed  of  Cinaed,  son  of  Irgaiach  ;  the  Prison  {carcar)  of  Liath 
Macha  ;  the  Cilen  of  the  Mata,  i.e.  the  monster,  J  as  some  assert ;  the  Pillar-stone  of  Buidi,  the  sou 


t  This  seems  to  be  in  apposition. 

X  Whitley  Stokes  translates  this  "that  was  a  tortoise." 


County  of  Meath.  349 


large  tumuli  at  Knowth  and  Dowth  respectively,  is  a  little  over  £  of  a  mile  S.E.  of 
the  former,  and  i^  mile  W.S.W.  of  the  latter. 


of  Muiredh,  where  his  head  is  interred  ;  the  stone  of  Benn,  i.e.  the  Monument  on  which  the  Mata 
was  killed — it  had  one  hundred  and  forty  legs  and  four  heads  ;  t  the  Mound  of  the  bones  ;  the  Caisel 
(stone  enclosure)  of  Aengus,  son  of  Crunnmael ;  Rout  siila  MUiir,  the  shot  of  Midir's  Eye,"  etc. 

After  this  there  follows  a  poem  by  Mac  Nia,  son  of  Oenn— "  De  quibusMacNia  Mac  Oen  cecinit  " 
— which  is  really  explained  by  the  prose  just  quoted,  which  is  prefixed  to  it.  O'Donovan  speaks  of 
it  as  "extremely  ancient  and  obscure,"  but  adds  that  the  prose  preface  "enables  one  to  arrive  at 
the  meaning  without  much  difficulty."  Mr.  Coffey  printed  a  copy  of  it  with  a  translation  by  Prof. 
O'Looney  in  the  "Trans.  R.I. Academy,"  but  subsequently  cancelled  it.  This  poem  is  to  be 
found  also  in  the  "Book  of  Leinster "  (fac.  p.  164,  B.  28,  continued  at  p.  211),  with  the  single 
omission  of  the  stanza  on  the  grave  of  Esclam  ("  Book  of  Ballymote,"  354,  B.  26). 

In  the  revised  edition  of  his  paper,  Mr.  Coffey  quotes  a  translation  by  O'Curry  of  the  second 
stanza  of  this  difhcult  poem — 

"  Behold  the  sidh  before  your  eyes, 
It  is  manifest  to  you  that  it  is  a  king's  mansion, 
Which  was  built  by  the  firm  Dagda; 
It  was  a  wonder,  a  court,  a  wonderful  hill." 

In  the  Book  of  Lecan  (fol.  279,  vers.  6,  26),  a  manuscript  written  in  1416,  is  the  following 
passage : — 

"  There  was,  moreover,  Eochaid  Ollathair,  i.e.  the  Dagda  Mor,  son  of  Eladan,  son  of 
Delbaith,  eighty  years  in  the  kingdom  of  Erin.  It  was  he  who  had  the  three  sons,  namely, 
Aengus  and  Aed  and  Cermaid.    It  was  upon  those  four  the  men  of  Erin  made  the  Sid  of  the  Brugh." 

A  difficulty  has  presented  itself  to  several  Irish  writers  as  to  how  it  could  have  been  that,  if 
Brugh-na-Boinne  was  the  cemetery  of  the  Tuatha  De  Danann  celebrities,  it  should  be  that  also  of 
the  so-called  Milesian  princes  of  Temair.  This  is  based  upon  the  supposition  that  the  two  were  of 
separate  nationalities.  Granting,  merely  for  the  sake  of  argument,  that  this  were  so,  an  explanation 
has  been  already  afforded  by  the  circumstance  that  Cremthann  followed  the  practice  of  the 
Tuatha  De  Danann  in  burying  there  at  the  solicitation  of  his  wife  Nar. 

The  whole  Milesian  story  is,  however,  so  patently  apocryphal,  and  their  contest  with  the 
Tuatha  De  Danann  so  obviously  unreal,  that  it  is  open  to  question  whether,  under  the  number  of 
Golam's  (i.e.  Milesius's  sons)  the  Tuatha  De  Danann  people  are  not  included. 

To  me  it  would  seem  that  in  the  sons  of  Milesius  we  have  an  example  of  the  manner  in  which 
ethnological  problems  were  treated  in  the  early  Middle  Ages,  J  namely,  by  referring  the  several  diverse 
peoples  or  tribes  inhabiting  a  country  or  province  to  distinct  eponymi  who  were  treated  as  brothers, 
e.g.  Vandalus,  Gotlius,  Brutus,  Albanus,  etc.  If  this  be  so,  in  Heber,  Heremon,  Ir,  and  the  rest, 
we  shall  have  to  seek  for  the  elements  which  were  believed  to  constitute  the  Irish  nation,  and  for 
the  several  peoples  who  were  held  to  have  possessed  the  soil  of  that  island  either  coincidently  or 
successively,  according  to  traditions  current  at  the  date  when  the  fabulous  tree  was  constructed. 
Among  the  sons  of  Milesius  we  may  therefore  look  for  representatives  of  Partholan  and  Nemid,  of 
the  Firbolg  and  Tuatha  De  Danann,  as  well  as  for  those  of  the  Cruithne  or  Picts.  Accidental 
coincidences  in  the  Irish  mythological  genealogies  render  this  view  not  an  improbable  one. 

It  would  appear  that  the  Brugh  was  a  place  of  periodical  pilgrimage  for  the  princes  of  Temair 
to  the  shrines  of  their  ancestors,  just  such  as  the  Japanese  Emperors  made  to  the  magnificent  spirit- 
temples  of  the  Sinto  at  Nikko.  In  the  Leahhar-na-hUidhri,  in  the  Tale  of  the  "  Phantom-chariot 
of  Cuchullin,"  it  is  stated  that  King  Loeghaire  was  passing  over  the  "  Slope  of  the  Chariots,"  on 
the  north  side  of  Temair,  on  his  way — apparently  on  such  a  pilgrimage — to  the  cnicc  side  in  broga, 
"to  the  hill,"  that  is,  "of  the  sid  of  the  Brugh,  in  the  plain  of  the  assembly  of  the  Brugh  of  Mac 
Ind  Oc,"  when  he  saw  Cuchullin,  the  divine  hero,  traversing  the  plain  before  him  like  a  heavy  fog." 

In  the  A.  4  M.,  under  date  861,  the  following  passage  occurs  :  — 

"  Amhlaeibh,  Imhar,  and  Uailsi,  three  chieftains  of  the  foreigners,  and  Lorcan,  son  of  Cathal, 
Lord  of  Meath,  plundered  the  land  of  Flann,  son  of  Conang.  The  cave  of  Achadh-Aldai  (field  of 
Aldai)  in  Mughdhorna-Maighen ;  the  cave  of  Cnoghbhai  ;  the  cave  of  the  grave  of  Bodan,  i.e. 
the  shepherd  of  Elcmar,  over  Dubhath  ;  and  the  cave  of  the  wife  of  Gobhann  at  Drochat-atha 
[Drogheda],  were  plundered  by  the  foreigners." 

The  same  event  is  stated  as  follows  in  the  Annals  of  Ulster,  under  date  862 : — "  The  cave  of 
Achadh-Aldai,  and  (the  cave)  of  Cnodhba,  and  of  Fert-Boadan  over  Dubadh,  and  the  cave  of 
the  Smith's  Wife,  were  searched  by  the  foreigners,  quod  antea  non  perfcctum  est,  viz.  on  the  occasion 
when  three  kings  of  the  foreigners  plundered  the  land  of  Flann,  son  of  Conaing,  to  wit,  Amhlaim, 
and  Imhar,  and  Auisle  ;  and  Lorcan,  son  of  Cathal,  king  of  Meath,  was  with  them  thereat." 

t  "Seven  score  legs  and  seven  heads"  in  the  Rennes  MS.  This  was  evidently  an  idol, 
Suantevit  the  idol  at  Arcona  in  Riigen  had  four  heads.  See  "  Saxo  Gramm."  (edit.  Holder,  1886), 
p.  564,  where  the  description  of  the  temple  of  this  god  is  strikingly  like  that  of  Cormac's  House 
at  Temair. 

X  This  process  of  constructing  allegorical  genealogies  may  have  been  borrowed  from  the  Bible 
(Gen.  cap.  x.),  or  from  the  Classics  (Tac.  Germ.  cap.  ii.)  or  from  both.  It  is  found  in  Nennins, 
and  in  many  old  German  and  Norse  historians. 


350  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


The  first  published  notices  of  New  Grange  of  which  I  am  aware  are  two 
contained  in  letters  written  respectively  in  December,  1699,  and  March,  1700,  by 
Edward  Lh\\yd,  keeper  of  the  Ashmolean  Museum. 

The  first   is  as  follows:    "The  most  remarkable  Curiosity  we  saw   [between 


^'iG.  333. — Plan  and  section  of  tumulus  at  New  Grange.     I>j'  JI/>'.  G.  Coffey,  M.R.F.A. 

Dublin  and  the  Giant's  Causeway]  was  a  stately  Mount  at  a  place  called  New 
(Grange  near  Drogheda,  having  a  number  of  huge  Stones  pitch'd  on  end  round 
about  it,  and  a  single  one  on  the  Top.  The  Gentleman  of  the  village,  one  Mr. 
Charles  Campbel,  observing  that  under  the  green  Turf  this  Mount  was  wholly 


It  is  true  that  the  name  Brugh  does  not  occur  here,  but  there  can  be  little  question  that  Petrie 
was  right  in  identifying  Cnodhba  with  Knowth,  and  Dubhath  with  Dowth,  which  would  lead  to 
the  supposition  that  by  the  cave  of  Achadh-Aldai,  the  New  Grange  structure  is  intended.  It  is  true 
that  Mughdhorna-Maighen  is  in  Oriel,  but  that  may  easily  be  a  mistake  for  Muglidhorna-Breagh. 

It  is  certainly  singular  that,  with  one  exception,  none  of  the  names  applied  by  the  annalists 
of  these  events  in  the  ninth  century  to  these  ]-)laces  are  the  same  as  those  in  those  poems  and  prose 
accounts  which  we  have  quoted  from  the  ancient  scrap-books — the  Lcabhar-na-hUidhri,  and  the 
liooks  of  Leinster,  Ballymote,  and  Lecan. 

The  names  are,  nevertheless,  those  of  Tuatha  De  Danann  celebrities;  as,  for  example,  Aldai  is 
mentioned  as  one  of  the  famous  ancestors  of  that  race  by  Mac  Firbis,  as  is  also  Elcmhair-an- 
Bhrogha,  whose  name  O'Flaherty  latinizes  into  Elcinair  dc  Butjo.  In  the  Dindshenchas  of  Carn 
Conaill  (trans.  Whitley  Stokes,  "Rev.  Celt.,"  vol.  xv.  p.  47S),  the  Brugh  Mna  Elcmair,  i.e.  Brugh 
of  Elcmar's  wife,  is  mentioned  between  the  names  Cnogba  and  Taltiu,  as  that  of  one  of  those  "best 
lands  in  Meath,"  upon  which  Cairlire  Nia-fer,  lord  of  Temair,  permitted  the  sons  of  Umor  to  settle 
when  "they  had  made  a  flitting  over  sea  out  of  the  Province  of  the  Picts."  For  a  reference  to 
Elcmar's  daughter  in  connection  with  Cnogba,  see  under  Knowth  (infra). 

The  one  exception,  too,  as  ISIr.  Coffey  has  pointed  out,  would  be  sufficient  in  itself  to  establish 
the  identity  of  the  places  mentioned  in  the  "  Annals  of  the  Four  Masters  "  with  those  in  the  Brugh 
of  the  poems.  It  is  the  name  Boadan  or  Boadain  mentioned  in  O'Hartagan's  poem,  in  the  line 
.Scchi  bo  boadain  bttai/i,  in  reference  to  a  monument  at  the  Brugh,  and  also  by  the  Annalists  as  the 
cave  of  Fcrt  Boadan  at  Dowth. 


County  of  Meath.  351 


composed  of  Stones,  and  having  occasion  for  some,  employ'd  his  Servants  to  carry 
off  a  considerable  Parcel  of  them  ;  till  they  came  at  last  to  a  broad  flat  Stone,  rudely 
carved,  and  placed  edgewise  at  the  Bottom  of  the  Mount.  This  they  discover'd  to 
be  the  Door  of  a  Cave,  which  had  a  long  Entry  leading  into  it. 

"At  the  first  entering  we  were  forced  to  creep;  but  still,  as  we  went  on,  the 
Pillars  on  each  side  of  us  were  higher  and  higher ;  and  coming  into  the  Cave  we 
found  it  about  20  Foot  high.  In  this  Cave,  on  each  hand  of  us,  was  a  Cell  or 
Apartment,  and  another  went  on  straight  forward  opposite  to  the  Entry,  In  those 
on  each  hand  was  a  very  broad  shallow  Bason  of  stone,  sinuated  at  the  Edge.  The 
Bason  in  the  Right-Hand  Apartment  stood  in  another;  that  on  the  Left  hand  was 
single ;  and  in  the  Apartment  straight  forward  there  was  none  at  all.  We  observed 
that  Water  dropped  into  the  right-hand  Bason,  tho'  it  had  rained  but  little  in  many 
Days ;  and  suspected  that  the  lower  Bason  was  intended  to  preserve  the  superfluous 
Liquor  of  the  upper  (whether  this  Water  were  Sacred,  or  whether  it  was  for  Blood 
in  Sacrifice),  that  none  might  come  to  the  Ground. 

"  The  great  Pillars  round  this  Cave,  supporting  the  Mount,  were  not  at  all  hewn 
or  wrought ;  but  were  such  rude  Stones  as  those  of  Abury  in  Wiltshire,  and  rather 
more  rude  than  those  of  Stonehenge.  But  those  about  the  Basons,  and  some 
elsewhere,  had  such  Barbarous  Sculpture  (viz.  Spiral  like  a  Snake,  but  without 
distinction  of  Head  and  Tail),  as  the  fore-mentioned  Stone  at  the  entry  of  the  Cave. 
There  was  no  Flagging  nor  Floor  to  this  Entry  nor  Cave ;  but  any  sort  of  loose 
Stones  everywhere  under  Feet. 

"  They  found  several  Bones  in  the  Cave,  and  part  of  a  Stag's  (or  else  Elk's) 
Head,  and  some  other  things  which  I  omit,  because  the  Labourers  difler'd  in  their 
Account  of  them.  A  Gold  Coin  of  the  Emperor  Valentinian  [a.d.  364-375], 
being  found  near  the  Top  of  this  Mount,  might  bespeak  it  Roman  ;  but  that  the  rude 
Carving  at  the  Entry  and  in  the  Cave  seems  to  denote  it  a  Barbarous  Monument. 
So,  the  Coin  proving  it  ancienter  than  any  invasion  of  the  Ostmans  or  Danes,  and 
the  Carving  and  rude  Sculpture  Barbarous,  it  should  follow  that  it  was  some  Place 
of  Sacrifice  or  Burial  of  the  ancient  Irish." 

The  second  account,  written  by  Edward  Lhwyd,  from  Sligo,  to  Henry  Rowlands, 
the  author  of  "Mona  Antiqua  Restaurata,"  in  March,  1700,  and  which  I  shall  also 
give  in  full,  is  as  follows  :  "  I  met  with  one  Monument  in  this  Kingdom  [Ireland] 
very  singular.  It  stands  at  a  place  called  New  Grange  near  Drogheda,  and  is  a 
Mount  or  Barrow  of  very  considerable  height,  encompass'd  with  vast  stones  pitched 
on  End  round  the  bottom  of  it ;  and  having  another  lesser  standing  on  the  top.t 
This  Mount  is  all  the  work  of  Hands,  and  consists  almost  wholly  of  Stones,  but  is 
cover'd  with  Gravel  and  green  Swerd,  and  has  within  it  a  remarkable  Cave. 

**  The  Entry  into  this  Cave  is  at  bottom,  and  before  it  we  found  a  great  flat  Stone, 
like  a  Tomb- Stone,  placed  edgewise,  having  on  the  outside  certain  barbarous  Carvings, 
like  Snakes  encircled,  but  without  Heads.  The  Entry  was  guarded  all  along  on  each 
side  with  such  rude  Stones,  pitch'd  on  End,  some  of  them  having  the  same  carving, 
and  other  vast  ones  laid  a-cross  these  at  top.  The  Out-Pillars  were  so  pressed  by 
the  weight  of  the  Mount  that  they  admitted  but  just  creeping  in;  but  by  degrees 
the  Passage  grew  wider  and  higher,  till  we  came  to  the  Cave,  which  was  about  five 
or  six  Yards  in  height.  The  cave  consists  of  three  Cells  or  Appartments,  one  on  each 
hand,  and  the  third  straight  forward,  and  may  be  about  seven  yards  over  each  way. 
In  the  right-hand  Cell  stands  a  great  Bason  of  an  irregular  oval  Figure  of  one  entire 

t  Compare  this  with  the  Scythian  tombs,  each  with  a  haba  or  stone  female  figure  on  the  summit. 
(  Vide  infra.  Part  II.) 


352  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


Stone,  having  its  Brim  odly  sinuat'd  or  elbow'd  in  and  out;  and  that  Bason  in 
another  of  much  the  same  form.  ...  In  the  left  Appartment  there  was  such  another 
Bason,  but  single.  In  the  Appartment  straight  forward  there  was  no  Bason  at  all. 
Many  of  the  Pillars  about  the  right-hand  Basons  were  carved  as  the  Stones  above 
mention'd ;  but  under  Feet  were  nothing  but  loose  stones  of  any  size  in  Confusion  ; 
and  amongst  them  a  great  many  Bones  of  Beasts  and  some  Pieces  of  Deers'  Horns. 
Near  the  top  of  this  Mount  they  found  a  gold  coin  of  the  Emperor  Valentinian." 

The  account  which,  in  order  of  date,  comes  next  to  those  of  Lhwyd  is  that  given 
by  Sir  Thomas  Molyneux  in  his  "  Discourse  concerning  the  Danish  Mounts,  Forts, 
and  Towers  in  Ireland." 

With  respect  to  the  stones  placed  around  the  base  of  the  tumulus  he  states  that, 
while  some  were  1 1  feet  high,  others  were  not  more  than  4  feet.  He  says,  also,  that 
"  the  bottom  of  the  cave  and  entry  is  a  rude  sort  of  pavement,  made  of  the  same 
stones  of  which  the  mount  is  composed,  not  beaten  or  joined  together,  but  loosely 
cast  on  the  ground,  only  to  cover  it."  The  measurements  he  gives  were  evidently 
made  with  care  and  pains,  and  the  plan,  which  is  unusually  accurate  for  plans  of 
ancient  monuments  in  those  days,  was  the  work  of  Mr.  Samuel  Molyneux,  a  young 
gentleman  of  the  "  College  of  Dublin."  The  construction  of  the  central  chamber 
is  well  described,  as  follows:  "The  walls  round  the  circumference  of  the  cave 
and  side  apartments  are  composed,  like  those  of  the  long  gallery,  of  huge  mighty 
flagstones  set  end-ways  in  the  ground,  of  7  or  8  foot  high.  These  upright  stones 
support  other  broad  stones  that  lie  along  or  horizontally,  jetting  their  ends 
beyond  the  upright  stones  ;  and  over  these  again  are  placed  another  order  of  flat 
stones  in  the  same  level  posture,  advancing  still  their  edges  towards  the  center  of 
the  cave  further  than  those  they  rest  upon,  and  so,  one  course  above  another, 
approaching  nearer  towards  the  middle,  form  all  together  a  rude  kind  of  arch  by 
way  of  roof  over  the  vault  below.  This  arch  is  closed  at  the  top  by  one  large 
stone  that  covers  the  center,  and  keeps  all  fixt  and  compact  together ;  for  through 
the  whole  work  appears  no  sign  of  mortar,  clay,  or  other  cement  to  make  its  parts 
lie  firm  and  close ;  but  where  a  crevice  happens,  or  an  interstice,  they  are  filled  up 
with  thin  flat  stones,  split  and  wedged  in  on  purpose  with  that  design." 

Molyneux  mentions  that  "  along  the  middle  of  the  cave,  a  slender  quarry- 
stone,  5  or  6  foot  long,  lies  on  the  floor,  shaped  like  a  pyramid."  This,  he 
imagined,  "  once  stood  upright,  perhaps  a  central  stone  to  those  placed  round  the 
outside  of  the  mount." 

"  When  first  the  cave  was  opened,"  he  continues,  "  the  bones  of  two  dead 
bodies  entire,  not  burnt,  were  found  upon  the  floor."  "  In  each  of  the  three 
cells" — not  in  two,  only,  as  when  Edward  Lhwyd  visited  it — was  "  a  broad  and 
shallow  cistern,  somewhat  round,  but  rudely  formed  out  of  a  kind  of  free  stone. 
They  all  were  rounded  a  litUe  at  the  bottom,  so  as  to  be  convex,  and  at  the  top 
were  slightly  hollowed,  but  their  cavities  contained  but  little.  Some  of  their  brims, 
or  edges,  were  sinuated,  or  scolopt ;  their  diameter  was  2  feet  wide,  and  in  their 
height  they  measured  about  18  inches  from  the  floor."  "The  cell  that  lay  to  the 
right  hand  was  larger,  and  seemed  more  regular  and  finished  than  the  rest ;  for, 
rude  as  it  was,  it  showed  the  workman  had  spent  more  of  his  wild  art  and  pains 
upon  it  than  the  other  two.  The  cistern  it  contained  was  better  shaped,  and  in 
the  middle  of  it  was  placed  another  smaller  cistern,  better  wrought,  and  of  more 
curious  make ;  and  still,  for  greater  ornament,  the  stone  that  lay  along  as  lintel, 
o'er  the  entrance  of  this  cell,  was  cut  with  many  spiral,  circular,  and  waved  lines." 

Molyneux  adds  that  during  the  removal  of  "some  of  the  heaps  of  stones  on 


County  of  Meath.  353 


the  outside  of  the  mount,"  "  some  ten  or  twelve  years "  before  he  published  his 
account — that  is  to  say,  in  about  17 13-15 — "two  Roman  gold  coins,"  of  which 
he  gives  illustrations,  "  were  found  by  accident,  near  the  surface,  buried  among 
the  stones.  One  was  of  Valentinian  L,  struck  at  Triers  about  the  year  368,  in 
honour  of  a  victory  obtained  by  him  and  his  son  Gratian  over  the  Germans  at 
Solicinium ;  the  other  of  Theodosius,  also  coined  at  Triers,  on  account,"  so  he 
thinks,  "  of  the  victory  over  Eugenius,  about  the  year  395." 

"  About  a  hundred  yards  distant  from  this  mount  are  placed  two  other  pyramids, 
but  of  much  smaller  size,  not  above  a  fourth  part  as  big,  and,  like  it,  both  are 
encompassed  with  a  circle  of  stones,  set  at  some  distance  from  one  another,  round 
their  bottoms." 

In  1770  a  paper  on  "New  Grange,"  by  Thomas  Pownall,  was  read  before  the 
Society  of  Antiquaries  of  London.  From  a  sketch  of  the  mound  appended  to 
this  communication  it  appears  that  at  that  date  it  was  entirely  destitute  of  trees, 
and  more  symmetrical  in  form  than  is  at  present  the  case.  The  measurements 
for  his  ground-plan  and  section  were  made  by  Mr.  Samuel  Bouie,  a  surveyor,  and 
are  approximately  correct.  The  base,  according  to  these,  covered  two  acres  of 
ground.  Ten  stones  of  the  environing  circle  were  at  that  time  standing,  and 
measured  from  7  feet  to  9  feet  high.  The  mound  itself  is  described  as  but  a  ruin 
of  its  former  self,  all  the  roads  in  the  vicinity  having  been  made  with  its  stones. 
"  The  mouth  of  the  gallery  lay  concealed  and  shut  up,  near  40  feet  within  the  body 
of  the  pile.  .  .  .  This  gallery  is  formed  by  large,  flat  stones.  Those  which  compose 
its  sides  are  set  on  edge,  and  are  of  different  altitudes,  from  2  feet  to  7  feet  high, 
and  of  various  breadths,  from  2  feet  to  3  feet  6  ins.  The  thickness  of  each  could 
not  be  taken  with  certainty,  but  some  of  the  large  ones  are  from  i  foot  6  ins.  to 
2  feet  thick.  .  .  .  The  mouth  of  the  gallery  is  3  feet  wide,  and  2  feet  high.  ...  At 
13  feet  from  the  mouth,  it  is  only  2  feet  2  ins.  wide  at  the  bottom.  .  .  .  We  made 
our  way  by  creeping  on  our  hands  and  knees  till  we  came  to  this  part.  Here  we 
were  forced  to  turn  upon  our  sides,  and  edge  ourselves  on  with  one  elbow  and 
one  foot.  After  we  had  passed  this  strait  we  were  enabled  to  stand,  and  by  degrees 
the  height  above  us  increased  from  6  feet  to  9  feet." 

On  the  third  side-stone  of  the  passage  from  the  central  chamber,  or  dome,  were 
the  traces  of  a  spiral  line.  "Were  I  to  indulge  my  own  conjecture,"  proceeds 
Governor  Pownall,  "I  should  rather  suppose  that  this  stone,  as  well  as  some  others 
in  the  compilation  of  this  structure,  had  formerly  belonged  to  some  other  monu- 
ment of  a  much  more  ancient  date,  and  that  they  were  brought  from  the  sea-coast 
indiscriminately  with  the  rest  of  the  materials,  and  without  knowledge  of  their 
contents,  as  well  as  without  reference  to  the  place  they  were  here  fixed  in,  being 
placed  just  as  the  shape  of  the  stone  suited  the  place  assigned  it."  In  parenthesis 
1  may  remark  that  had  this  writer  observed  that  some  of  the  stones  have  carving 
on  the  back  as  well  as  on  the  face,  he  would  have  felt  his  view  on  this  point 
further  confirmed. 

"The  central  chamber,"  he  says,  "is  upon  the  whole  an  octagon,  with  a  dome  of 
about  20  feet  in  height,  and  of  an  area  which  may  be  circumscribed  within  a  circle 
of  17  feet,  or  17  feet  6  inches."  In  his  details  of  the  construction,  Pownall  does 
not  differ  from  Molyneux,  but  he  holds  that  the  latter  was  mistaken  in  placing 
a  basin  in  the  third  cell,  and  that  Lhwyd  was  right  in  stating  that  there  was  not  one 
there.  He  describes  the  northern  cell,  or  "  tabernacle,"  as  he  quaintly  terms  it, 
as  having  a  large,  flat  stone  for  its  flooring.  The  two  others  had  only  the  natural 
ground  for  their  floor.     Each  had  a  rock-hasin  placed  in  it.     The  basin  in  the  left- 


354  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland, 

hand,  or  western  one,  stood  on  the  floor ;  that  in  the  right-hand,  or  eastern  one, 
upon  "  a  kind  of  base,"  wiiich  must  have  been  tlie  second  basin  described  by  Lhwyd. 

The  plan  and  section  in  Pownall's  paper  seem  to  have  been  those  adopted  by 
antiquaries  ever  since,  until  the  appearance  of  Mr.  George  Coffey's  excellent  paper 
on  "New  Grange,  Dowth,  and  Knowth,"  printed  in  the  "Transactions  of  the 
Royal  Irish  Academy  (vol.  xxx.  part  i.),"  to  which  I  shall  presently  refer. 

A  notice  of  this  monument,  together  with  an  illustration  of  one  of  the  cells,  will 
be  found  in  Sir  Richard  Colt  Hoare's  "  Tour  in  Ireland."  He  observed  that  the 
basin  in  the  E.  cell  had  two  depressions  of  the  cup-type  sunk  into  its  surface. 

Another  account  of  the  tumulus,  by  Petrie,  occurs  in  the  DiiHiii  Penny  Magazine 
for  1832-33,  where  a  rough  engraving  of  the  eastern  cell  is  given. 

In  the  "  Archseologia,"  vol.  xxx.,  the  discovery  is  recorded  in  the  year  1842  of  a 
gold  chain,  two  finger-rings,  and  two  gold  tores,  of  rope  pattern,  by  a  labouring 
man,  within  a  few  yards  of  the  entrance  to  the  "  caves  at  New  Grange,"  at  a  depth 
of  two  feet  below  the  surface  of  the  ground.  The  place  where  they  were  found 
was  further  searched,  and  a  denarius  of  Geta  (a.d,  211-212)  was  found. 

In  jSIr.  Wakeman's  excellent  little  work,  "  Arch^ologia  Hibernica,"  are  some 
illustrations  which  admirably  illustrate  the  external  appearance  of  the  tumulus, 
as  well  as  the  mouth,  or  entrance,  to  the  passage,  the  basins  within  the  cells,  the 
various  sculptured  patterns  and  devices,  and  a  so-called  inscription. 

These  illustrations  are  reproduced  in  Sir  William  Wilde's  "  Beauties  of  the  Boyne 
and  the  Blackwater,"  with  the  addition  of  a  graphic  representation  of  the  right-hand, 
or  E.  cell,  with  its  basin  and  sculpturings. 

I  regret  to  have  to  notice  the  existence  of  another  account  of  this  monument, 
which,  as  far  as  its  illustrations  are  concerned,  gives  a  most  inaccurate  and 
altogether  misleading  conception  of  the  structure  and  its  sculptured  work.  It 
is  contained  in  the  "  Proceedings  of  the  Oxford  Architectural  and  Historical  Society," 
before  the  members  of  which  it  was  read  (March  ist,  1865)  by  the  Rev.  H. 
Estridge.  Its  inaccurate  representations  have  been  twice  reproduced,  namely, 
in  the  Gentleman' s  Magazine  for  1865,  and,  what  is  the  more  to  be  wondered  at,  by 
Mr.  Brash  in  his  "  Ecclesiastical  Architecture  of  Ireland."  The  "  specimens  of 
carved  decoration  "  which  this  paper  contains  must  surely  have  been  drawn  from 
memory,  and  filled  in  from  some  vague  notion  that  they  should  be  made  to  conform 
to  medieval,  or  modern  heraldic  forms. 

On  the  whole,  the  best  view  of  the  external  appearance  of  the  tumulus  in  recent 
times,  with  some  of  the  remaining  pillar-stones  forming  the  outer  and  free-standing 
circle,  is  that  given  by  Colonel  Forbes  Leslie,  in  his  "  Early  Races  of  Scotland," 
p.  334,  and  reproduced  by  Fergusson,  in  his  "  Rude  Stone  Monuments,"  p.  201. 

In  the  "Archaeological  Journal "  for  1865  will  be  found  certain  observations  on 
New  Grange,  made  by  General  Lefroy,  R.A.,  who  made  facsimiles  of  the  incised 
markings,  which,  however,  are  not  reproduced  in  the  published  paper.  The  author 
combats  the  theory  that  these  designs  are  referable  to  the  same  epoch  as  the  rock 
markings  from  the  Cheviots,  described  by  Dr.  CoUingwood  Bruce. 

In  the  "Journal  of  the  Hist,  and  Archreol.  Society  of  Ireland"  (1S79-82)  a 
drawing  of  the  sculptured  stone  placed  lintel-wisc  above  the  outer  entrance  to  the 
passage  is  given. 

Fergusson,  in  his  "  Rude  Stone  Monuments,"  has  produced  three  examples, 
stated  to  be  from  rubbings,  of  the  ornamental  work  which  occurs  both  on  the 
faces  and  at  the  backs  of  several  of  the  stones.  He  considered,  and  that  justly, 
the  sculptured  mark,  or  so-called  inscription,  of  which  Pownall  had  given  a  full- 


County  of  Meath.  355 


sized  representation,  might  be  aptly  compared  with  one  at  Mane  Lud,  in  Brittany, 
which  he  also  figures. 

Before  I  proceed  to  epitomize  the  latest  and  most  exhaustive  and  accurate  of 
the  accounts  yet  published  of  New  Grange — namely,  that  printed  in  the  "  Transac- 
tions of  the  Royal  Irish  Academy,"  from  the  pen  of  Mr.  George  Coffey,  there  are 
a  few  points,  arising  out  of  a  comparative  review  of  the  above  accounts,  to  which 
it  will  be  as  well  to  refer. 

1.  In  the  first  place — although  it  was  probably  removed  during  the  half 
century  succeeding  his  visit — I  see  no  reason  to  doubt  the  accuracy  of  Lhwyd's 
statement  that  a  pillar-stone  once  stood  on  the  top  of  the  mound. 

2.  I  am  inclined  to  think,  in  opposition  to  the  opinion  of  Mr.  Coffey,  "  that  no 
such  stone  ever  existed"  {loc.  cit.,  p.  14),  that  we  may  accept  as  true  the  statement  of 
Molyneux,  that  a  "  slender  quarry-stone,  5  or  6  feet  long,  shaped  like  a  pyramid  " 
lay  along  the  middle  of  the  cave  in  the  spot  in  which  it  is  placed  in  his  plan,  and 
that  his  surmise  is  probably  correct  that  it  once  stood  upright.  My  view  on  this 
point  is  strengthened  by  the  fact  that  a  pyramidal  pillar,  shaped  and  rounded,  was 
found  standing  upright  within  the  chamber  of  the  dolmen  of  Yr  Ogof,  in  Wales 
(see  Archaeol.  Cambr.,  1869,  p.  140),  which  in  form  closely  resembled  the  pillar- 
stone  called  the  Bod  Fergusa,  at  Temain  Such  a  stone  could  readily  have  been 
removed  through  the  passage,  and  its  shape,  so  suitable  for  a  gate-post  or  for 
building  purposes,  would  supply  the  special  motive  for  its  abstraction. 

3.  I  perfectly  agree  with  the  view  entertained  by  Mr.  Coffey  that  the  hearsay 
account  of  the  discovery  of  two  human  skeletons  upon  the  floor  of  the  cave,  when 
it  was  first  opened,  is  wholly  untenable.  If  such  a  rumour  reached  the  ears  of 
Lhwyd  he  thought  it  so  little  worthy  of  credit  that  he  placed  it  in  the  category  of 
those  stories  of  discoveries  which  he  omitted  because  the  "  labourers  differ'd  in 
their  account  of  them." 

4.  As  to  the  number  and  positions  of  the  stone  basins,  there  can  be  no 
question  but  that  the  account  given  by  Lhwyd  that  there  were  only  three  in  all,  one 
standing  in  the  W.  cell,  and  two  (one  within  the  other)  in  the  E.  cell,  and  none  in  the 
N.  cell,  or  "  the  appartment  straight  forward,"  as  he  calls  it,  is,  as  far  as  the  latter 
part  of  his  statement  is  concerned,  incorrect.  The  mistake  may  have  arisen  from 
the  fact  that  the  basin  in  that  compartment  was  already,  as  it  is  now,  broken,  and 
did  not  present  the  appearance  of  a  basin  at  all. 

Molyneux  is  correct  in  stating  that  there  was  a  stone  basin  in  each  of  the  three 
cells,  as  well  as  a  second  in  the  E.  one.  In  recent  times  the  second,  or  upper  basin 
in  the  E.  cell  has  been  placed  arbitrarily  in  the  centre  of  the  chamber,  a  position 
for  which  there  is  no  warrant  in  any  account. 

5.  With  respect  to  the  discovery  of  Roman  coins  upon  and  close  to  the 
tumulus — some  dating  from  the  beginning  of  the  third,  the  others  from  the  close 
of  the  fourth  century — it  would  appear  that,  besides  third-brass  ones  accompanying 
that  of  Geta,  two  of  Valentinian  and  one  of  Theodosius  were  found,  since  the 
Valentinian  mentioned  by  Lhwyd  must  have  been  found  prior  to  1699,  while  the 
Valentinian  of  which  Molyneux  speaks  was  found  thirteen  or  fifteen  years  after 
that  date.  With  respect  to  the  ones  found  in  the  mound,  it  is  quite  clear  that  they 
must  have  got  there  either  at  the  time  of  its  erection  or  subsequently ;  and,  con- 
sidering the  probability — nay,  almost  the  certainty — of  intercourse  having  been 
maintained  between  the  Irish  on  the  one  hand  and  the  Provincials  of  Britain  and 
Germany  on  the  other,  during  the  period  to  which  these  coins  belong,  I  do  not 
attach  so  slight  an  importance  as  Mr.  Coffey  appears  to  do,  to  their  presence  on 


35^  The   Dolmens  of  Ireland. 

and  near  this  tumulus  in  relation  to  the  question  of  its  date  and  purpose.  That  it 
was  of  far  greater  antiquity  in  its  origin  than  the  date  of  the  earliest  coin  found 
there  I  do  not  for  one  moment  doubt.  That  it  was  a  sacred  spot  in  connection 
with  the  worship  of  the  dead  I  feel  equally  certain,  while  the  fact  that  at  such 
sacred  spots  offerings  consisting  of  a  portion  of  the  spoils  of  the  enemy  were  made, 
is  beyond  question.  The  barbarians  of  the  North — to  one  or  other  division  of 
whom  this  district  of  Ireland  then  belonged — were  continually  at  war  with  the 
Romans  and  the  Roman  Provincials,  who  used  Roman  money,  and  wore  Roman 
ornaments.  The  discovery  of  such  objects,  therefore,  either  in  the  body  of,  or 
around  the  circuit  of  such  a  place  as  this,  is  a  fact  readily  accounted  for.  The 
great  importance  of  the  discovery  of  coins  as  late  as  the  third  and  fourth  century 
consists,  however,  in  this,  that — granted  the  superior  antiquity  of  the  monument, 
which  may  I  think  be  assigned  to  the  Bronze  Age  and  perhaps  to  an  early  period 
of  it,  as  we  shall  see  in  the  sequel — the  presence  of  the  coins  and  gold  objects  in 
connection  with  it  may  be  held  to  show  that  as  late  as  the  period  to  which  they 
belong  at  least,  tribute  and  offerings  were  brought  to  it  by  devotees  who  observed 
the  same  customs  and  held  in  honour  the  same  divinities  as  those  who  had  planned 
and  raised  the  structure,  perhaps  fifteen  hundred  years  before.  The  inference  from 
this  is  either  that  one  and  the  same  race  occupied  this  district  during  the  whole  of 
this  period,  or,  at  all  events,  at  the  date  when  the  tumulus  was  erected,  and  at  that 
when  the  later  offerings  were  made.  Can  the  appearance  of  the  Cruithne  or  Picts 
in  Meath  (see  Reeves,  "  Adamnan's  Columba,"  p.  117)  have  been  a  return  of  those 
people  to  their  ancient  settlements,  or  had  they  always  been  settled  there  ?  The 
continental  influence  exhibited  at  New  Grange  is  attributable  to  two  widely  distinct 
epochs  :  the  decoration  on  the  stones  to  early  contact  with  art  in  the  Mediterranean  ; 
the  coins  to  Roman  Provincial  times.  The  absence  of  any  trace  of  treasure  in 
the  central  chamber  itself  is  natural.  The  superstition,  which  held  the  despoiler 
accursed,  once  broken  through,  the  place  became  at  once  the  prey  of  the  first 
marauding  chief,  either  native  or  foreign,  whose  followers,  greedy  of  booty,  hap- 
pened to  scour  the  district.  For  what  length  of  time  the  belief  in  their  inherent 
sacredness  guarded  such  shrines  it  is  impossible  to  say.  There  appears  to  be 
evidence,  however,  that  when  the  Danes  arrived,  in  the  ninth  century,  they  looked 
on  such  "  caves  "  as  these  as  fair  prey,  and  plundered  them  whenever  and  wherever 
opportunity  offered.  This  fact,  coupled  with  the  popular  belief  that  treasure  lay 
concealed  in  the  tumuli,  goes  far  to  prove  that  it  was  the  custom  of  their  builders 
to  deposit  in  them  offerings  of  value  which  none  of  their  own  race  dared  to  touch. 

Site  and  Structure  of  the  Tumulus. 

Mr.  R.  Clark,  of  the  Geological  Survey  of  Ireland,  supplied  Mr.  Coffey  with 
the  following  report  on  these  points  : — 

"  Both  these  remarkable  structures,  the  tumuli  at  Dowth  and  New  Grange,  are 
erected  on  the  drift  which  in  this  neighbourhood  thickly  covers  the  coal  measures 
formation.  The  passages  and  chambers  of  the  two  mounds  have  been  formed  of 
large  slabs  of  the  Lower  Silurian  rocks,  which  crop  up  within  a  few  miles'  distance. 
They  were  apparently  either  rudely  quarried  for  the  purpose,  or  split  from  surface 
rocks.  With  the  exception  of  some  of  the  stones  in  the  passage  and  others  of  the 
upright  course,  the  slabs  in  the  interior  of  New  Grange  show  little  traces  of  the 
original  weathered  surface  of  the  rocks  from  which  they  were  taken,  but,  on 
the  contrary,  even  faces,  which  indicate  that  they  have  been  split  along  the  cleavage, 


County  of  Meath. 


357 


and  care  taken  in  their  selection.  The  spiral  carvings  have  been  cut  exclusively  on 
this  description  of  stone ;  and,  considering  the  exposed  positions  of  the  external 
slabs,  they  show  but  little  effect  of  weathering.  Each  mound  {i.e.  Dowth  and 
New  Grange)  is  surrounded  by  a  circle  of  elongated  blocks  and  slabs  placed  on 
edge.  Such,  also,  are  mostly  derived  from  the  Silurian  rocks,  interspersed  with  a 
few  varieties  of  traps.  The  parent  rocks  of  the  latter  are  probably  to  be  found 
amongst  the  igneous  rocks  which  are  associated  with  the  Silurian  beds  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  neighbouring  town  of  Slane.  In  the  outer  circle  at  New  Grange 
are  a  number  of  standing  stones,  mainly  of  Silurians  (grits  and  slates) ;  a  few  traps 
also  occur,  which  may  also  be  referred  to  the  Slane  district.  A  large  standing 
stone  near  the  River  Boyne,  at  New  Grange,  is  composed  of  a  fine,  compact  grit. 
In  the  centre  of  the  chamber  of  the  New  Grange  structure  is  a  granite  basin, 
which  Wilkinson,  in  his  '  Ancient  Architecture  of  Ireland,'  states  to  be  of  Mourne 
origin.  It  is  difficult,  owing  to  the  defective  light  to  be  obtained,  to  definitely  fix 
the  locality  from  which  the  material  for  this  basin  was  procured.  To  the  writer  it 
appeared  to  bear  more  resemblance  to  some  of  the  granites  of  the  Wicklow  series 
than  to  those  of  the  Mourne  district. 

"  There  is  no  doubt  that,  with  the  exception  of  the  granite  basin  above  referred 
to,  all  the  materials  used  were  procurable  within  a  radius  of  a  few  miles.  Wilkinson 
points  out  in  his  work  that  flags  of  very  considerable  size  can  be  obtained  in  a 
quarry  at  the  old  gateway  of  Mellifont  Abbey,  and  it  is  not  improbable  that  this  was 
the  source  from  which  the  huge  slabs  at  Dowth  and  New  Grange  were  obtained." 

The   following   is    Mr.    Coffey's   account  of  the   structure  of  the  monument, 


Fig    "X^a  — Boundary  stone  discovered  by  Sir  Thomas  Deane.     From  a  sketch  by  Mr.  G.  Coffey, 
■  ^  M.R.J.  A. 

artificially  considered  :  It  "  appears  to  have  been  originally  surrounded,  a  kw 
yards  outside  the  base,  by  a  circle  of  standing  stones,  twelve  of  which  may  still  be 
traced.  Four  of  these  stones,  forming  a  portion  of  the  circle  near  the  entrance, 
are  of  great  size,  measuring,  respectively,  in  height,  7  feet,  6  feet  8  ins.,  8  feet, 
and  6  feet  above  the  ground,  and  in  girth  18,  20,  19,  and  15  feet.  .  .  .  The 
rest  are  smaller,  in  some  cases  but  a  foot  or  two  above  ground,  with  the 
exception  of  one  on  the  E.  side,  which  appears  to  have  fallen  down,  and  is  now 
level  with  the  surface.  It  measures  11  feet  in  length.  The  interval  between  the 
three  stones  at  the  entrance,  where  the  circle  appears  unbroken,  measures  30  feet 
from  centre  to  centre,  and  will  be  found  to  go,  with  approximate  accuracy,  evenly  into 
the  distances  between  the  other  stones,  giving  about  thirty-five  stones  to  the  circle. 
It  is  possible  that  the  circle  was  never  completed ;  but  the  regular  manner  in  which 
the  existing  stones  are  placed  would  indicate  that  they  have  not  been  set  up  at 
random,  but  form  portions  of  a  circle  which  originally  consisted  of,  or  was  laid  down 
for  thirty-five  stones.  Inside  this  circle  a  ditch  and  rampart,  mainly  of  loose  stones, 
runs  round  the  base  of  the  mound.     It  is  difticult  to  say  whether  or  not  it  is  part  of 


OD 


^8 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


the  original  structure.     For  the  greater  part  of  the  circumference  it  is  well  defined, 
but  less  so  at  the  E.  side,  for  a  portion  of  which  it  may  be  said  to  cease.  .  .  . 

"The  mound,  or  tumulus,  itself  consists  of  an  enormous  cairn  of  loose  stones, 


Frc.  335. — Boundary-stone  discovered  by  Sir  Thomas  Deane.     Frotn  a  sketch  by  Mr.  G.  Coffey, 

M.R.I.  A. 

heaped  within  a  curb  of  great  stones,  8  to  10  feet  long,  laid  on  edge,  and  touching 
end   to  end,   over  which  a  thin   covering  of  grass   has  grown.  ...  In  plan  the 


Fig.  336.— Stone  in  tlie  chamber  at  New  Grange.     From  a  sketch  by  JSIr.  G.  Coffey,  M.R.I. A. 

tumulus  is  circular,  and  covers  an  area  of  about  one  acre,  or,  taking  the  circle 
of   the    standing    stones,    nearly    two    acres.      The    greatest    diameter    of    the 


Fig.  337.— Stone  in  the  chamber  at  New  Grange.     From  a  sketch  by  Mr.  G.  Coffey,  Ill.R.I.A. 

mound  measures  2S0  feet.  Its  present  height  is  44  feet.  The  somewhat  flattened 
top,  also  found  at  Knowth,  is  not  an  unusual  feature  in  such  structures.  A 
retaining  wall,  or  revetment  of  dry  rubble,  some  5  to  6  feet  high,  is  built 
immediately  on  the  base  stones.  .  .  .  This  wall  partakes  of  the  character  of  masonry," 
but  "  is  microlithic,  as  distinguished  from  the  general  megalithic,  or  rude  stone 
construction  of  the  tumulus.  .  .   . 

"  The  entrance  is  clearly  marked  by  the  curving  inwards  of  the  curb-stones. 
,  .  .  The  large  stone  in  front  of  it  is  one  of  the  boundary  stones,  and  marks  the  limit 
of  the  mound  at  that  side.     This  stone,  riclily  carved  in  spirals  and  lozenges,  has 


County  of  Meath. 


359 


Fig.  338.— Stone  in  the 
chamber  at  New  Grange. 
from  a  sketch  by  Mr.  G. 
Coffey,  M.R.I. A. 


been  frequently  described.  Until  recently  its  lower  half  was  covered  by  the 
ground.  But"  in  1889,  "the  monument  having  been 
scheduled  under  the  Protection  of  Ancient  Monuments 
Act  of  1882,  the  earth  was  excavated  in  front,  so  as  to 
expose  the  entire  of  its  carved  surface.  Sir  Thomas  Deane's 
investigation  brought  to  light  two  additional  richly  carved 
stones  in  the  boundary  circuit  (Figs.  334,  335),  and  it  is  pro- 
bable that  further  examination  will  add  to  the  number.  .  .  . 
Immediately  in  front  of  the  entrance,  and  between  it  and 
the  carved  boundary-stone  already  mentioned,  lies  a  large 
flat  stone,  forming  a  sort  of  sill  to  the  opening  of  the 
passage.  This  stone,  probably,  sealed  the  entrance,  with 
the  dimensions  of  which  it  roughly  agrees.  In  a  section 
of  the  chamber,  drawn  by  Du  Noyer,  and  published  in 
Wilkinson's  '  Practical  Geology  and  Ancient  Architecture 
of  Ireland'  (1845),  this  stone  is  shown  in  an  inclined 
position,  as  if  it  had  been  forced  back  from  the  entrance ; 
and  in  the  text,  Wilkinson  says,  '  a  large  flat  stone  appears, 
from  the  peculiarity  of  its  position,  to  have  closed  the 
entrance.'  A  io.^  feet  above  the  opening,  a  horizontal 
slab,  carved  on  its  projecting  face,  should  be  noticed.  It  gives  somewhat  of  an 
architectural  character  to  the  entrance,  and  is  re- 
markable on  that  account,  as  well  as  for  its  carving. I 
"  In  general  plan  the  passage  and  chamber 
is  irregularly  cruciform.  The  former  measures 
62  feet  in  length,  and  is  formed  of  large  stones, 
set  on  end,  some  5  to  8  feet  in  height,  roofed  with 
flagstones  of  great  size.  That  at  the  entrance  is 
1 1  feet  long,  and  the  stone  next  but  one  somewhat 
longer.  The  average  width  of  the  passage  is  about 
3  feet,  but,  some  14  feet  in,  the  side-stones  have 
been  forced  inwards,  and  meet  at  the  top,  render- 
ing it  necessary  to  creep  on  hands  and  knees  for 
a  distance  of  about  6  feet.  After  this  point  the 
passage  presents  no  further  difficulty.  At  the 
entrance  it  is  4  feet  9  ins.  high ;  it  then  rises 
gradually  to  about  6  feet  through  a  distance  of 
26  feet.  The  headway  is  then  reduced  by  the 
roofing-stone  at  that  point,  after  which  it  rises 
rapidly  by  overlapping  stones  to  7  feet  10  ins.  at 
43  feet  from  the  entrance,  when  it  suddenly  falls 
again  to  4  feet  10  ins.  ,  .  .  After  passing  this  point, 
the  passage  rises  rapidly  by  corbelled  or  overlap- 
ping stones,  till  merged  in  the  roof  of  the  chamber. 
The  latter  consists  of  a  conical  or  funnel-shaped 
dome,  formed  of  large  flat  stones  laid  horizontally, 
and  corbelled,  or  projecting  inwards,  one  over  the 
other,  till  closed  by  a  single  stone.  In  plan  it  is 
^n  irregular  hexagon,  and    shows  considerable   enterprise   in  the  fitting   of  the 


Fig.  339. — Stone  in  the  chamber  at 
New  Grange.  From  a  sketch  by 
Mr.  G.  Coffey,  M.K.I. A. 


t  See  upper  stone  in  Fig.  340,  next  page. 


;6o 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


passage-roofing  and  recesses.  The  principal  dimensions  of  the  chamber  are : — 
Height,  19  feet  6  ins. ;  end  of  passage  to  back  of  north  recess,  18  feet;  back  of  east 
to  back  of  west  recess,  2 1  feet. 


Fig.  340. — Entrance  to  New  Grange.    Frojii  a  photograph  in  Mr.  Coffey's  paper  in  the  Trans.  R.T.A. 

"  Something  of  an  architectural  character  is  given  to  the  construction  of  this 
chamber  by  the  carrying  round  its  walls  of  the  upright  course  of  stone  which  lines 


Fig.  341. — Sculpturing  at  New  Gi;uil'c.  I"ii;.  342. — Sculpturing  at  New  Grange. 

FroDi  photographs  as  above. 


the  passage,  and  in  places  supports  its  roof.     In  the  chamber  these  stones  do  not 


County  of  Meath. 


;6i 


actually  support  the  roof,  as  at  Dowth ;  the  construction  of  the  dome  is  practically 
independent  of  such  support,  and  is  incorrectly  described  by  Sir  W.  Wilde  as 
springing  from  this  course  of  upright  stones.  The  carvings  for  which  the  tumulus 
is  noted  are  cut  chiefly  on  these  stones.  The  three  recesses,  which  give  the  plan 
its  cruciform  appearance,  are  of  unequal  dimensions.  That  on  the  E.  side  is 
8  feet  8  ins.  in  depth  ;  the  north  recess,  7  feet  6  ins. ;  and  the  west  recess  but 
3  feet  4  ins.  On  the  floor  of  each  recess  is  placed  a  large  stone  basin.  .  .  ."  [The 
statement  of  Molyneux  was  correct  on  this  point,  whereas  Lhwyd  had  stated  that 
no  basin  stood  in  the  northern  cell.]  "The  hoUowed-out  form  of  the  basin  is 
that  in  the  E.  recess.  That  in  the  N.  recess  is  .  .  .  broken.  It  shows  but  slight 
traces  of  having  been  hollowed,  and  might  be  described  as  a  flat  stone.      It, 


Fig.  343. — Sculpturing  at  New  Grange.  Fig.  344. — Sculpturing  at  New  Grange. 

From  photographs  in  Ah;  Coffey's  paper  in  Trans.  R.I.  A. 

however,  no  doubt,  served  a  similar  purpose  to  those  in  the  other  recesses.  A 
much  more  carefully  wrought  basin  at  present  stands  in  the  centre  of  the  chamber. 
It  was  found  in  the  E.  recess,  and  stood  within  the  basin  still  in  that  recess.  It 
has  been  recently  moved  into  the  centre,  on  the  supposition  that,  as  at  Dowth,  it 
originally  occupied  that  position.  .  .  .  This  basin  is  remarkable  for  two  cup- 
depressions  within  the  hollowed  portion  of  the  stone."  "A  slightly  marked 
ridge,  or  step,  is  noticeable,  as  dividing  the  two  cups  from  the  central  hollow."  "The 
two  clearly-marked  cups  measure  respectively  7  and  8  inches  in  diameter."  "  The 
stone  in  which  the  basin  and  cups  are"  is  of  granite,  and,  unless  a  naturally 
transported  boulder,  must  have  been  brought  fully  fifty  miles  to  its  present 
destination,  whether  from  the  Mourne  Mountains  or  from  Wicklow.  It  "measures 
4  feet  by  3  feet  6  ins.,  and  is  i  foot  thick." 

Mr.  Cofifey  notices  the  absence  of  the  "  sill-stones,"  which  it  is  usual  to  find 
placed  across  the  entrances  to  side-chambers,  or  recesses,  in  other  chambered 
tumuli  of  similar  class  to  New  Grange,  and  suggests  the  view  that  "  the  basins 
would  seem  to  indicate  a  development,  and  that  they  replace  the  sill-stone  as  a 
means  of  confining  the  interments." 

VOL.  II.  E 


;62 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


Before  quitting  the  subject  of  the  construction  of  the  passage  and  chamber,  I 
wish  to  express  a  view  which  occurred  to  myself  when  examining  them  in  the  year 
1 888.  It  appeared  to  me  that  the  great  dome  was  a  later  addition  to  a  structure, 
the  inner  chamber  of  which  had  been  the  portion  of  the  present  passage,  which  rises 
to  a  height  of  7  feet  10  ins.  by  overlapping  stones,  at  a  distance  of  43  feet  from  the 
entrance.  On  this  supposition,  the  tumulus  which  would  have  covered  the  original 
structure,  which  may  have  been  shallow,  would  have  been  purposely  broken  down 
on  the  northern  side,  and  the  northern  end  of  the  original  chamber  being  removed 
and  the  dome  constructed,  the  whole  of  the  former  structure  would  have  been 
made  to  serve  as  a  passage  and  ante-chamber  to  the  newer  and  more  pretentious 
erection.  It  is  noticeable  that  the  passage  is  wider  at  the  elevated  portion  than 
elsewhere,  and  I  saw  no  way  to  account  for  this  increased  width  and  height,  except 
on  the  supposition  that  this  had  once  formed  the  terminal  chamber  of  a  smaller 
tumulus— one  which,  in  its  dimensions  and  in  the  simplicity  of  its  construction, 

would  have  been  exactly  comparable  to 
examples  of  such  structures,  both  in 
Ireland  itself,  in  Scotland,  England,  and 
elsewhere.  In  further  support  of  this 
view,  it  appeared  to  me,  also,  that  the 
material  of  the  body  of  the  tumulus  was 
difterent  immediately  over  what  I  re- 
garded as  the  original  structure  to  what 
It  was  on  the  upper  and  northern  portions 
— that  is  to  say,  in  the  former  case  it 
consisted  of  tightly  packed  earth  and 
stones,  while  in  the  latter  it  was,  below 
the  surface,  a  cairn  pure  and  simple. 

The  construction  of  the  dome ;  the 
quasi-architectural  character  of  it,  and  of 
the  designs  on  some  of  the  stones,  such 
as  that  over  the  entrance,  for  example, 
which  has  all  the  appearance  of  having 
been  added  at  a  later  date ;  the  presence, 
too,  of  the  basins;— all  point,  so  it  ap- 
pears to  me,  to  the  conclusion  that  the 
great  dome  and  the  whole  of  the  inner 
portion  of  this  monument  to  which  the  passage  leads,  was  the  work  of  more 
skilled  hands  than  those  of  the  men  who  constructed  the  ruder  examples  of 
chambered  tumuli,  to  which  the  passage  and  ante-chamber  might,  however,  well 
belong.  However  this  may  be,  the  dome  and  the  more  elaborate  sculptures 
should  be  assigned  to  the  period  when  the  barbarians  of  the  north,  though 
retaining  their  pristine  customs,  funereal  and  sacrificial,  and  their  habit  of  building 
mortarless  chambers  enveloped  in  mounds  for  the  purposes  of  their  weird 
rites,  had,  nevertheless,  been  brought  into  more  or  less  direct  contact  with  the 
civilization  of  the  south  and  east, — with  the  Pontus  and  the  yEgean  on  the  one 
hand,  and  the  Adriatic  and  Tyrrhene  Sea  on  the  other.  In  short,  the  domed 
tomb  at  New  Grange  appears  to  me  to  stand  to  the  domed  tomb  of  Atreus  f  in  a 
relation  somewhat  analogous — to  pass  to  a  later  date — to  that  borne  by  the  coinage 
of  Britain  to  the  slaters  of  Macedon ;  or,  to  take  a  third  period,  to  that  borne  by 


Fig.  345. — Sculpturing  at  New  Grange. 
From  a  fJidograpk  in  Mr,  Coffees  paper. 


t  For  section  of  this  see  Fergusson's  R.S.  M.    See  also  the  section  of  a  Tict's  House,  infra,  p.  37 1 . 


County  of  Meatii. 


363 


the  columns  of  early  Irish  churches  to  those  of  the  basilicas  erected  under  Con- 
stantine.  The  type  and  plan  of  the  structure  may  be  native  and  barbaric,  growing 
out  of  the  ruder  passage-dolmen,  but  the  secret  of  construction  is  borrowed  from 
the  cultured  alien,  in  an  age  when  the  inhabitants  of  the  amber  coasts  of  the  Baltic 
were  pressing  westwards  through  the  Straits  of  the  Cattegat,  or  across  the  narrow 
isthmus  which  separated  the  Suevic  from  the  Britannic  Gulfs — the  forerunners  of 
the  Picts,  planting  settlements  in  Britain,  Scotland,  Ireland,  and  the  northern  and 
western  coasts  of  France,  carrying  with  them  an  imitative  reflex,  so  to  speak,  of 


Fig.  346. — Sculpturing  at  New  Grange.     From  a  photograph  in  iMr.  Coffey's  paper. 

such  art  as  had  reached  them  during  the  process  of  the  amber  commerce,  and  dis- 
placing, perhaps,  by  the  force  of  their  invasion,  some  of  those  tribes  in  Gaul  who 
now  began  to  traverse  Europe  in  a  south-eastern  direction,  down  the  Danube,  into 
Greece,  very  possibly,  I  think,  into  the  Caucasian  districts,  and  even  east  of  them, 
and  at  all  events  into  Asia  Minor,  to  return  perhaps  one  day  as  the  new  Bituriges 
(Bitugures),  the  new  Caturiges  (Cutriguri,  Cortragi),  etc.,  to  swell  the  numbers  of 
the  Huns  or  Bolgars,  descending  on  the  Roman  Empire. 

For  New  Grange  see  "Trans,  of  the  Royal  Society,"  vol.  xxvii.  p.  503. 

"Mona  Antiqua  Restaurata,"  by  Henry  Rowlands,  1st  edit.  (1723),  p.  33S  ;  2nd  edit.  (1766), 
P-  314-. 

"Discourse  concerning  the  Danish  Mounts,  Forts,  and  Towers  in  Ireland,"  by  Sir  Thomas 
Molyneux  (Dublin,  1725),  published  with  the  "Natural  History  of  Ireland,"  by  Gerard  Boate, 
Thomas  Molyneux  and  others,  p.  202  ;  or  p.  187  of  the  edition  dated  1755.  [With  a  plan  and 
section  of  the  monument,  and  drawing  of  the  E.  recess,  and  of  two  gold  coins.] 


3^4  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


"  Works  of  Sir  James  Ware,"  edit,  by  W.  Harris,  vol.  ii.  pi.  ii.  [Molyneux's  plan  and  drawings 
reproduced.] 

"  Arch.-eologia,"  vol.  ii.  {1773),  p.  236,  et  seqq.,  with  plan,  section,  and  elevation. 

Ledwich,  E.,  "Antiquities  of  Ireland,"  pi.  xxvi.  [Reproduction  of  Pownall's  plan  and 
section.] 

"  Rude  Stone  Monuments,"  Fergusson,  p.  203. 

"Tour  in  Ireland,"  by  Sir  R.  C.  Hoare  (London,  1S07),  p.  252. 

Dublin  Penny  Magazine,  1832-1S33,  p.  305. 

"  Archxologia,"  vol.  xxx.  p.  137.     Gold  ornaments  found  at  New  Grange. 

'*  ArchcEologia  Hibernica"  (Dublin,  1848),  p.  21,  d  seqq. 

"  Beauties  of  the  Boyne  and  the  Blackwater,"  Dublin,  1S49,  p.  188.  e/  seqq. 

"  Proceedings  of  the  Oxford  Architectural  and  Historical  Society,"  1865. 

T/ie  Gcntk;iian^s  Magazine,  for  1S65,  p.  735. 

Brash,  "  Ecclesiastical  Architecture  of  Ireland,"  p.  30. 

By  Col.  Forbes  Leslie,  "  Early  Races  of  Scotland,"  vol.  ii.  p.  334. 

"  Archaeological  Journal,"  (1865),  pp.  87,  89. 

"Journ.  R.H.,  and  A.A.  of  Ireland,"  4th  Sen,  vol.  v.  (1879-1882),  p.  381. 

Wilkinson,  G.,  "Ancient  Architecture  of  Ireland,"  with  section,  p.  52. 

"Trans.  R.I.  Acad.,"  vol.  xxx.  (1892),  parti.;  Paper  by  G.  Coflfey,  with  map,  plans,  and  sections, 
cuts  of  sculptured  stones,  and  photographs. 

"Journ.  Roy.  Soc.  of  Ant.  of  Ireland,"  vol.  ii.  p.  430.  "Note  on  New  Grange,"  by  the 
Rev.  James  O'Laverty. 

Note-book,  W.  C.  B.,  188S. 

On  the  western  side  of  the  great  mound  at  New  Grange,  also  in  the  Townland 
of  New  Grange,  is  a  chambered  tumulus.  In  the  "  Proc.  of  the  R.I. Academy," 
Mr.  (afterwards  Sir  William)  Wilde  records  the  discovery  and  examination  of  this. 
It  was  about  8  feet  long,  and  consisted  of  a  small  stone  passage  leading  into  a  little 
chamber  formed  on  the  type  of  the  great  barrow. 

In  this  was  discovered  a  vast  collection  of  the  remains  of  domestic  animals,  as 
well  as  several  human  bones,  some  perfect  and  others  in  a  half-burned  state.  What 
gave  particular  interest  to  this  excavation  was  the  fact  of  the  stones  which  lined  the 
floor  having  been  vitrified  on  the  external  face,  which  would  lead  to  the  conclusion 
that  the  cremation  had  taken  place  in  the  chamber  itself. 

Proc.  R.I.A.,  vol.  iii.  p.  262. 

Below  the  great  mound  of  New  Grange,  and  in  the  same  Townland,  are  two 
tumuli,  one  having  a  vallum.  "  Two  well-defined  tumuli  may  be  seen,"  says  Mr. 
Coffey,  "showing  as  conical  grass-covered  hillocks  on  the  low-lying  land  by  the 
river."  Approximately  their  measurements  are  respectively  220  feet  in  circum- 
ference, and  300  feet  in  circumference,  with  an  altitude  in  each  case  of  about 
20  feet.  The  one  which  is  the  nearer  to  the  great  tumulus,  and  the  smaller  in 
circumference,  "  appears  to  have  been  encircled,  at  a  distance  of  about  200  feet 
from  the  mound,  by  a  vallum,  a  portion  of  which  is  still  traceable  at  the  east  side." 
Both  are  "  at  present  evenly  grass-grown." 

Trans.  R.I.A.,  vol.  xxx.,  Mr.  Coffey's  paper,  pp.  49,  50. 

In  the  Townland  of  New  Grange,  on  the  brow  of  a  steep  bank  E.N.E.  of  the 
last-mentioned  tumulus  with  vallum,  and  near  the  river  Boyne,  are  two  pillar-stones. 
"  A  great  block  of  compact  sandstone  grit,  set  on  end,  similar  to,  but  larger  than, 
those  set  round  the  great  mound.  It  measures  10  feet  high,  and  is  17  feet  in 
girth.  In  the  adjoining  field  a  similar  standing  stone  will  be  found,  but  it  is  not 
so  large." 

Trans.  R.I. A.,  vol,  xxx.,  p.  50. 

In  the  Townland  of  New  Grange,  in  the  field  to  the  left  of  the  second  pillar- 
stone   last  mentioned,  are  the  ruins  of  a  monument  (unclassified),  described  as 
''  several  large  stones,  probably  the  remains  of  some  sepulchral  monuments." 
Trans.  R.T.A.,  vol.  xxx.,  p.  50. 


County  of  Meath. 


365 


In  the  Townland  of  New  Grange,  at  the  top  of  the  field  next  to  that  in  which 
the  mined  monument  last  mentioned  stands,  there  is  a  tumulus  encircled.  It  is 
described  as  "one  of  the  most  remarkable  of  the  lesser  tumuli.  Its  base  is 
enclosed  by  a  well-defined  circle  of  boundary  stones.  It  measures  about  280  feet 
in  circumference,  and  12  feet  in  height." 

Trans.  R.I. A.,  vol.  xxx.  p.  51. 

Between  New  Grange  and  Dowth,  about  |  of  a  mile  S.W.  of  the  tumulus  at 
Dowth,  are  three  tumuli,  one   of  them   resembling  a  Long  Barrow.     The  three 


Fig.  347. 


-Dowth  ;  plan  and  section  of  the  mound  and  chambers.     From  the  Report  of 
Co?nniissioners  0/  Public  IVorks,  Ireland. 


tumuli  are  arranged  in  a  line.  The  central  one  "  is  of  unusual  shape.  It  is  about 
150  feet  in  length,  by  60  feet  in  width,  and  10  feet  high."  In  the  surfaces  of  each 
of  these  mounds  there  are  depressions,  from  which  Mr.  Coffey  infers  they  have 
been  plundered. 

Trans.  R.I. A.,  vol.  xxx.  p.  51. 

In   the   Townland   of  Dowth,t   nearly  ^   a   mile  W.  of  Dowth  House,  is   a 

t  Anciently  spelt  •'  Dubhath  "  (as  see  above  in  the  passages  from  the  A.  4  M.  and  the  A.  of  Ulster, 
under  New  Grange).  "  Over  Dubhath  "  was  the  cave  of  Bodan,  or  Boadan — a  name  also  mentioned 
in  connection  with  a  monument  at  the  Brugh,  by  O'llartigan.  Boadan  was  the  "Shepherd  of 
Elcmar,"  a  Tuatha  De  Danann  ancestral  celebrity.  The  cave  there  was  plundered  (as  also  see 
above)  by  three  foreigners — the  kings  Amhlaeibh,  Imhar,  and  Uailsi  in  the  9th  century,  assisted  by 
Lorcan,  King  of  Meath. 


366 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


chambered  cairn.  Mr.  Coffey  judges  this  tumulus  to  have  been  of  about  the  same 
size  as  that  at  New  Grange.  "  It  averages  in  height  about  47  feet,  and  measures 
280  feet  in  circumference.  The  base  is  surrounded  by  a  curb  of  large  stones  set 
on  edge." 

"Of  the  internal  arrangement  of  this  huge  cairn,"  writes  Mr.  Wakeman,  in  his 
"'ArchceologiaHibcrnica,"  "little,  until  very  recently"  (he  wrote  in  1S48),"  was  known." 
-'The  committee  of  the  Royal  Irish  Academy,  in  the  course  of  the  autumn  of  1S47, 


Fig.  34S.  —  Sculptured  stone  at  Dowth.     Frovi  a  Jnizd 
Dr.  /■'razer,  M.R.I. A. 


:•)■  o.  L>ii  \.y^!\  lent  me  by 


opened  a  cutting  from  the  base  to  the  centre  of  the  mound."  "  The  first  discovery 
was  that  of  a  cruciform  chamber  upon  the  western  side,  formed  of  stones  of 
enormous  size,  every  way  similar  to  those  at  New  Grange,  and  exhibiting  the  same 
style  of  decoration."  "A  rude  stone  trough,  bearing  a  great  resemblance  to  that  in 
the  eastern  recess  at  New  Grange,  was  found  in  the  centre.  It  had  been  broken 
into  several  pieces."  In  the  rubbish,  with  which  the  chamber  was  filled,  was  found 
a  large  quantity  of  the  bones  of  animals,  in  a  half-burnt  state,  and  mixed  with  small 
shells.     A  bronze  pin  and  two  small  iron  knives  were  also  discovered.     "  Upon  the 


County  of  Meath.  367 


chamber  being  cleared  out,  a  passage,  27  feet  in  length,  was  discovered,  the  sides 
of  which  incline  considerably,  leading  in  a  westerly  direction  towards  the  side  of  the 
mound,  and  composed,  like  the  similar  passage  at  New  Grange,  of  enormous 
stones  placed  edgeways,  and  covered  with  large  flags."  "  The  chamber  is  smaller 
than  that  at  New  Grange.  The  recesses  do  not  contain  basins.  A  passage 
extending  in  a  southerly  direction,  communicating  with  a  series  of  small  crypts, 
forms  another  peculiarity." 

"A  stone,  9  feet  high,  and  8  feet  broad,  between  the  northern  and  eastern 
recesses,  is  remarkable  for  the  singular  character  of  its  carving."  The  dimensions 
of  the  structure  are  given  as  follows  :  "  The  entrance  passage  measures  27  to  28  feet 
long,  and  the  chamber  to  which  it  conducts  is  7  feet  in  diameter,  the  centre  being, 
as  above  said,  occupied  by  a  large  hollow  stone.  The  recess  to  the  left  is  a  little 
over  6  feet  in  depth.  The  similar  recess  in  front  is  also  6  feet  in  depth.  The 
passage  running  off  to  the  right  is  16  feet  long.  At  the  end,  the  branches  into 
which  it  divides  are,  the  one  5  feet,  the  other  8  feet  long,  at  which  distance  the  latter 
is  stopped  by  a  stone  across  it,  beyond  which  is  another  cell,  extending  5  feet  further." 

"A  sepulchral  chamber,"  says  Mr.  Wakeman,  "of  a  quadrangular  form,  the 
stones  of  which  bear  a  great  variety  of  carving,  and  among  them  the  cross,  has  been 
discovered  on  the  southern  side  of  the  mound.  Here,  as  elsewhere,  the  workmen 
found  vast  quantities  of  bones,  half  burnt,  many  of  which  proved  to  be  human  ; 
several  unburned  bones  of  horses,  pigs,  deer,  and  birds ;  portions  of  the  heads  of  the 
short-horned  variety  of  the  ox,  and  the  head  of  a  fox.  They  also  found  a  star-shaped 
amulet  of  stone,  a  ring  of  jet,  several  beads,  and  some  bones  fashioned  like  pins." 

Wilde  gives  some  additional  particulars.  He  states  that,  previous  to  the 
exploration  of  the  mound  by  the  Committee  of  the  Royal  Irish  Academy,  a 
considerable  gap  existed  in  the  western  face  of  the  mound,  and  that  in  this 
excavation,  made  by  a  quarryman,  a  passage,  similar  to  that  at  New  Grange,  had 
been  long  exposed.  It  was  this  passage  which  the  committee  determined  to  follow 
up,  and,  in  prosecuting  their  labours  eastward,  the  cruciform  chamber  and  the 
minor  chambers  were  reached. 

Speaking  of  the  stone  basin,  he  tells  us  that  when  the  chamber  in  which  it  now  is 
was  first  opened,  only  a  portion  of  it  stood  there  in  the  centre.  All  "  the  other  frag- 
ments, nine  in  number,  were  since  recovered  in  the  chambers  and  passages  around." 

"  During  the  excavations,"  he  continues,  "  some  very  interesting  relics  and 
antiquities  were  discovered.  Among  the  stones  which  form  the  great  heap,  or 
cairn,  were  found  a  number  of  globular  stone  shot,  about  the  size  of  grape-shot, 
probably  sling-stones,  and  also  fragments  of  human  heads.  Within  the  chamber, 
mixed  with  the  clay  and  dust  which  had  accumulated,  were  found  a  quantity  of 
bones,  consisting  of  heaps,  as  well  as  scattered  fragments,  of  burnt  bones,  many  of 
which  proved  to  be  human."  Here  Wilde  repeats  the  list  given  above,  and 
adds  :  "  Glass  and  amber  beads  of  antique  shapes,  portions  of  jet  bracelets, 
a  curious  stone  button,  or  fibula,  bone  bodkins,  copper  pins,  and  iron  knives  and 
two  rings,  the  latter  similar  to  those  found  in  a  crannog  or  lake-dwelling  at 
Dunshauglin,  also  in  Meath,  were  likewise  picked  up.  Some  years  ago  a  gentleman, 
who  then  resided  in  the  neighbourhood,  cleared  out  a  portion  of  the  passage,  and 
found  a  few  iron  antiquities,  some  bones  of  mammals,  and  a  small  stone  urn,  which 
he  presented  to  the  Academy." 

It  has  been  also  stated  that  a  double  circle  of  stones  set  on  edge  anciently 
surrounded  this  cairn. 

Such  was  all  that  was  known  of  this  tumulus,  until,  in  the  year  1886,  Mr.  (now 


368 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


Sir  Thomas)  Deane,  in  carrying  out  the  provisions  of  Sir  John  Lubbock's  Act  for 
the  Protection  of  Ancient  Monuments,  as  appUed  to  Ireland,  undertook  some  fresh 
excavations,  notices  of  which  will  be  found  in  the  "  Proceedings  of  the  Royal  Irish 
Academy"  for  iSSS,  and  in  the  "  Fifty-fifth  Report  of  the  Commissioners  of  Public 
Works  in  Ireland." 

At  a  distance  of  about  50  feet  S.  of  the  chamber  and  passage  above  noticed,  a 

round  chamber,  with  a  single  recess  opening  off  it 
on  the  S.E.,  was  discovered.  The  recess  is  wedge- 
shaped — a  feature  in  which  these  side  chambers  or 
cells  of  the  chambered  cairns  resemble  the  dolmens 
— broadening  toward  the  inner  and  S.E.  end,  which 
is  closed  by  a  flag,  7  feet  6  ins.  in  length.  A  single 
slab  forms  either  side,  that  on  the  left  measuring 
8  feet  6  ins.,  and  that  on  the  right  9  feet  long.  The 
circular  chamber  itself  measures  15  feet  in  diameter. 
It  is  now  roofed  in  with  concrete,  but  when  found 
the  roof  had  fallen  in.  From  the  S.W.  it  is  entered 
by  a  passage,  the  present  length  of  which  is  1 1  feet 
6  ins. 

Most  of  the  stones  surrounding  the  circular 
chamber  are  covered  with  similar  carvings  to  those 
found  in  the  cruciform  chamber.  The  stones  of 
the  entrance  passage  were  of  large  size,  like  those 
of  the  chamber,  and  on  the  largest  of  them,  to  the 
right  as  one  enters  the  passage,  are  four  hollows. 

On  the  side  opposite  to  that  on  which  this 
latter  chamber,  cell,  and  passage  were  found  by 
Mr.  Deane's  workmen,  viz,  to  the  N.  of  the  pre- 
viously existing  passage,  there  were  traces  of  the 
existence  of  other  vaults.  "  Commencing,"  says  the 
Report,  "  at  the  northern  side  of  the  known  entrance 
to  the  central  chamber,  an  opening  was  made  which 
led  to  a  passage  terminated  at  either  end  by  circular  cells,  carefully  roofed  with 
corbelling  stones.  In  this  passage  were  found  a  quantity  of  bones,  mostly  those 
of  horses  and  lower  animals,  but  none  human.  The  passage  had  an  incline 
towards  the  S.  On  emerging  from  it  at  a  point  where  it  met  the  entrance  to  the 
originally  known  chamber,  a  flight  of  steps  was  discovered.  In  the  circular  cell 
at  the  S.  end  of  the  curved  passage  were  found  a  bronze  pin,  a  buckle,  and  an 
iron  dagger,"  or  other  instrument. 

Mr.  Coffey,  in  his  paper  above  quoted,  and  Mr.  G.  H.  Orpen,  in  the  "Journal 
of  the  Royal  Soc.  of  Antiquaries  of  Ireland,"  have  pointed  out  that  the  character  of 
this  passage  and  of  the  cells  in  connection  with  it  is  quite  different  to  that  of  the 
passages,  chambers,  and  cells  previously  discovered  in  the  tumulus.  "  The  cells, 
which  are  of  the  usual  beehive  form,  and  the  curved  passage  are  built  of  semi- 
coursed  dry  rubble,  the  latter  roofed  with  flagstones ;  they  are,  in  fact  (not  mega- 
lithic,  like  the  others),  but  microlithic."  The  structure  is,  in  short,  a  souterrain 
of  the  .same  type  and  class  as  those  so  frequently  found  in  connection  with  raths, 
and  the  inference  is  that  the  tumulus  was,  long  after  its  original  formation,  found 
by  the  rath-builders  to  be  an  eligible  site  for  a  rath  with  its  souterrain,  and  treated 
accordingly. 


Fig.  349.— Dowlh  :  (i)  Tlan  of 
part  of  ihe  central  cell.  (2)  Plan  of 
newly-cliscovered  chamber.  From 
the  Board  of  Works,  Ireland. 


County  of  Meath.  369 


As  will  be  noticed  by  reference  to  the  plan,  the  various  chambers,  passages, 
and  cells  at  Dowth  are  all  on  the  W.  and  S.W.  edge  of  the  tumulus,  and  occupy 
a  very  small  proportion  of  its  area.  The  committee  of  the  R.I. Academy 
ascertained  that  there  was  no  central  chamber,  and  the  deep  depression  made 
in  the  summit  is  the  result  of  their  attempt  to  discover  one. 

The  sculpturings  on  the  stones  of  the  chambers  and  passages  I  shall  speak  of 
again  in  the  second  part  of  this  work,  but  the  following  passage  from  Mr.  Coffey's 
paper,  comparing  the  construction  of  the  megalithic  portion  of  the  Dowth  tumulus 
with  the  stone-work  at  New  Grange,  must  not  be  here  omitted : — 

"  In  construction,  the  chambers  of  Dowth  are  similar  to  New  Grange,  with  the 
exception  that  the  roofing-flags  are  not  corbelled,  and,  in  general,  less  architectural 
enterprise  is  shown.  The  flags  roofing  the  central  chamber  are  of  great  size,  and 
rest  directly  (dolmen-fashion)  on  the  upright  lining-stones  of  the  chamber.  The 
latter  are,  if  anything,  rather  larger  than  at  New  Grange,  and  in  some  cases  measure 
between  10  and  11  feet  in  height.  The  plan  of  the  principal  chamber  is,  as  at 
New  Grange,  cruciform,  but  smaller.  It  is  11  feet  high,  and  about  9  feet  in 
diameter.  The  passage  measures  27  feet  in  length.  The  entrance  has  been 
recently  protected  by  masonry,  and  it  is  not  now  possible  to  make  out  its  original 
form,"  which  may  be  seen,  however,  in  the  drawing  of  it  in  Wilde's  "  Beauties 
of  the  Boyne  and  the  Blackwater."  "  Across  the  passage  are  placed  three  projecting 
stones,  and  at  the  entry  into  the  central  chamber,  and  before  two  of  the  side- 
chambers,  similar  sill-stones  are  found.  The  latter  are  smaller  than  at  New 
Grange,  and  do  not  contain  slabs,  or  basins.  At  the  end  of  the  right-hand  chamber 
it  is  possible  to  pass  round  the  stone  at  the  right  side,  and  then  enter  the  additional 
chambers  above-mentioned.  The  chamber  going  forward  is  8  feet  6  ins.  long,  and 
is  floored  by  a  great  flag  8  feet  in  length,  in  the  centre  of  which  a  curious  oval 
hollow  has  apparently  been  rubbed  down.  At  the  end  of  this  chamber  a  smaller 
one,  2  feet  6  ins.  by  about  3  feet  6  ins.,  is  divided  off  from  it  by  a  high  sill-stone, 
and  closed  in  at  the  back  by  the  roof,  which  slopes  to  the  ground  at  this  point. 
The  two  chambers,  one  within  the  other,  at  right-angles  to  those  described,  measure 
about  2  feet  each  in  depth.  The  furthest  is  divided  off  by  a  sill-stone,  and  a 
flat  slab  rests  on  its  floor." 

"The  two  chambers,  with  separate  entrance  to  the  S.  of  the  principal  chambers, 
do  not  require  detailed  description.  In  construction  they  are  of  the  same  general 
character.  Sill-stones  are  found  at  the  end  of  the  passage  leading  into  the  circular 
chamber,  and  at  the  opening  into  the  inner  chamber.  The  first  stone  at  the  right- 
hand  side  of  the  passage  .  .  .  has  a  wide  and  deep  groove  sunk  in  its  face,  showing 
nearly  2  feet  above  ground,  and  measuring  about  8  inches  in  width  and  3  inches  in 
depth."  It  is  similar  to  a  stone  found  in  a  dolmen  at  Carrickglass  in  Tyrone, 
figured  above,  and  also  to  the  grooved  doorpost  at  the  entrance  to  the  passage  at 
Killeen-Cormac  tumulus  in  Wicklovv  (see  Proc.  R.I. A.  2nd  Ser.  vol.  i.  p.  125). 

"  Archseologia  Hibernica,"  by  W.  F.  Wakeman,  p.  31. 

"  Archaeological  Journal,"  vol.  xxii.  (1865),  p.  88. 

•'  Beauties  of  the  Boyne  and  the  Blackwater,"  by  W.  Wilde,  p.  204,  et  seqq. 

"  Proc.  R.I.A.,"  3rd.  Ser.,  vol.  i.  (188S),  p.  161.  * 

"Fifty-fifth  Report  of  the  Commissioners  of  Public  Works,  Ireland,"  Appendix,  p.  64. 

Trans.  R.I.A.,  vol.  xxx.  p.  51. 

In  the  Demesne  of  Dowth,  in  the  grounds  at  the  back  of  Dowth  House,  on 
the  W.  side  are  two  tumuli,  one  of  them  a  chambered  tumulus.  There  are  two 
smaller  tumuli  also  near  by.  The  southern  of  the  two  is  open  at  the  top.  "  The 
centre  of  it  consists  of  a  corbel-roofed  chamber,  formed  of  flags  laid  on  the  plan  of 


o/ 


o 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


an  irregular  hexagon.     The  chamber  thus  formed,"  adds  Mr.  Coffey,  "is  about 
S  feet  high,  and  lo  feet  in  diameter.     Five  cells  are  placed  round  the  sides,  formed 
by  small  flags  set  on  edge.     No  trace  of  a  passage  is  apparent,  but  probably  a 
passage  exists.     None  of  the  stones  are  inscribed." 
Trans.  R.LA.,  vol.  xxx.  p.  51. 

At   a   place  called  Cloghalea,  also  in    Dowth   Demesne,  are  the   ruins  of  a 
monument.     In  the   same    field  as   the   great   ring  fort  (see  next   below),  Wilde 


Fig.  350. — Knowth.     J-'roiii  an  original  drawing  !>}•  Mr.  IV.  F.  Waketnan,  M.K.I.A. 

mentions  that  there  was  "  a  portion  of  a  stone  circle,  evidently  part  of  the  side 
wall  or  basement  of  a  sepulchral  chamber,  similar  to  New  Grange."  He  adds  that 
"human  remains  have  on  more  than  one  occasion  been  found  in  the  vicinity  of  this 
remnant  of  an  ancient  tumulus." 

Pownall,  in  his  paper  on  New  Grange  above  quoted,  notices  this  circle,  eleven 
stones  of  which  were  standing.  ''I  paced  this  circle,"  he  says,  "and,  as  well  as 
I  recollect,  it  is  not  above  21  feet.  The  stones  are  large  and  massive,  and  about 
5  or  6  feet  high.  There  remains  eight  of  these  stones  together  in  one  part  of  the 
circle,  two  in  another,  and  one  by  itself.  On  the  left  hand  from  the  entrance  into 
the  circle  lies  a  large  flat  stone,"  which  he  thought  might  have  been  the  top  of  a 
kistvaen,  or  cromlech. 

Trans,  R.LA.,  vol.  xxx.  p.  51. 

In  the  Townland  of  Knowth  f  is  a  chambered  tumulus.  This  tunuilus  has 
been  generally  supposed  to  be  the  largest  of  the  three  great  tumuli  in  this  group. 
Mr.  Coffey,  however,  pronounces  it  to  be  the  smallest,  although  "  almost  equal  in 
size  to  that  of  Dowth."     "  It  measures,"  he  states,  "  nearly  700  feet  in  circumference. 


t  Pronounced  by  the  Irish,  *' Knoo-wa."  The  old  spelling  was  "Cnodhba,"  "Cnogba," 
"Cnoghbhai,"  as  see  the  passages  (jiioled  under  New  Grange,  recording  the  plundering  of  tiiese 
places  by  the  Danes.  It  is  when  writing  of  Knowth  that  O'Donovan,  as  above-quoted,  says  that 
there  is  a  tradition  in  this  county  that  all  these  "  moats  "  have  caves  within  them,  in  which  bars  of 
gold  are  laid  up  ;  but  it  would  be  dangerous  to  open  them,  as  evil  sjiirits  are  watching  the  treasure. 

As  we  have  noticed  above  (§ec  note  to  New  (!range),  Cnogba  is  mentioned  in  the  Dindshenchas 
of  Cam  Conaill  as  one  of  those  good  lands  upon  which  King  Cairbre  Nia-fer  permitted  the  sons  of 
Umor — that  is,  the  Firbolg — after  their  flight  from  the  Tuatha  de  Danann  and  banishment  by  the 
Cruithne,  to  settle.  Another  mention  of  itio  same  place  occurs  in  the  Dindshenchas  of  Nas  (Naas 
in  Kildare),  which,  as  translated  by  Dr.  Whitley  Stokes,  is  as  follows  : — 

"Nas  and  V,(A,  two  daughters  of  Kuadri  son  of  Caite  (?),  King  of  Britain,  were  the  two  wives  of 
Lugh  son  of  Sc.il  Balb,  '  the  Dumb  Champion.'  Now,  Nas  was  the  mother  of  Ibec  son  of  Lugh. 
There  (at  Naas)  Nas  died,  and  in  N.is  she  was  buried,  hence  it  is  called  Nas.  Her  sister  Boi  died 
straightway  of  grief  lor  her,  and  was  buried  on  Cnogba,  whence  that  name  {Ljiot^ha  =  Cnoclnta). 


County  of  Meatii. 


371 


or  about  225  feet  in  diameter,  and  between  40  and  50  feet  in  height.  The  mound 
is  more  regular  in  appearance,  and  has  suffered  less  from  dilapidation  than  those 
at  New  Grange  and  Dowth. 
No  trace  of  base-stones  is  at 
present  to  be  seen,  but  pos- 
sibly they  are  covered  by  the 
sod,  which  is  evenly  grass- 
grown,  and  makes  it  difficult 
to  say  exactly  where  the  mound 
ends,  and  the  natural  slope  of 
the  ground  begins.  ...  At 
the  northern  side  some  large 
stones  showing  above  the 
surface  of  the  ground  seem  to 
indicate  the  entrance  to  the 
tumulus."  The  top  of  the 
mound  presents  "  a  flattened 
form,"  and  "  a  considerable 
depression  existing  in  the 
centre  portion,  gives  the  ap- 
pearance of  a  rampart  round 
the  margin."  "  A  similar  for- 
mation "  is  observable  at  New 
Grange,  and  Mr.  Coffey  throws  out  the  hint  that  "these  mounds  may  have  been  used 
at  various  times  for  purposes  of  defence,"  in  which  case  the  circular,  rath-like  rampart 
would  have  been  purposely  thrown  up,  and  formed  no  part  of  the  original  design. 
14 


Fig.  351.— Section  of  a  "  Pict's  House  " — chambered  tumulus 
— on  the  Holm  of  Papa  Westra.  The  incised  markings 
are  on  the  wall,  some  over  the  entrance  ;  others  on  the 
E.  side  of  the  chambers. 


O.S.L.,  Co.  Meath, 


E.  23' 


151  ;  Trans.  R.I. A.,  vol.  xxx.  p.  68. 


Some  yards  to  the  N.  of  the  Knowth  tumulus  are  "  several  large  stones, 
forming,"  says  Mr.  Coffey,  "a  more  or  less  defined  ellipse,  of  about  70  feet  by 
30  feet,  possibly  marking  the  site  of  another  sepulchral  monument." 

Trans.  R.I. A.,  vol.  xxx.  p.  68. 

Lugh  gathered  the  hosts  of  the  Gaels  (Gaidel)  from  Tailtiu  to  Fiad  in  Broga,  '  the  land  of  the 
Brugh,'  to  bewail  those  women  on  the  first  day  of  August  in  each  year ;  so  thence  was  the  itasad, 
'assembly,'  of  Lugh,  whence  Liigh-nasad,  '  lammas-day,'  that  is,  Lugh's  commemoration,  or 
remembering,  or  recollection,  or  death-feast  "  ("  Rev.  Celt.,"  vol.  xv.  p.  316). 

From  the  poem  on  the  same  subject  in  the  "Book  of  Leinster"  (194a,  17),  Mr.  Coffey  gives 
three  extracts.  He  points  out  that  in  the  last  line  of  the  second  stanza  Bui  is  called  Bui  in  bvoga, 
i.e.  "  Bui  of  the  Brugh."  He  next  quotes  the  lines,  "  Her  sister  and  Cnogba,  it  is  there  Bui  was 
buried;"  and  thirdly,  "Hosts  of  fair  Gaedels  came  to  mourn  the  women  to  the  Brugh  from 
Tailtiu."  Commenting  on  these  passages,  he  justly  concludes  that,  "  not  only  in  direct  statement, 
but  in  the  reference  to  Bui  as  '  Bui  of  the  Brugh,'  is  the  traditional  association  of  Knowth  with 
Brugh  definitely  established." 

In  "  Folk  Lore,"  vol.  iii.  p.  506,  Dr.  Whitley  Stokes  translates  a  passage  from  a  copy  of  the 
Dindshenchas,  in  the  Bodleian,  with  the  following  reference  to  the  name  Cnogba :  "  Englic,  daughter 
of  Elcmaire,  loved  Oengus  mac  ind  Oc,  and  she  had  not  seen  him.  They  had  a  meeting  of  games 
there  between  Cletech  and  Sid  in  Broga.  The  Bright  Folk  and  fairy  hosts  of  Ireland  used  to  visit 
that  game  every  Halloween,  having  a  moderate  share  of  food,  to  wit,  a  nut.  From  the  north 
went  three  sons  of  Derc,  son  of  Ethaman,  out  of  Sid  Findabrach,  and  they  eloped  with  Elcmaire's 
daughter,  (going)  round  the  young  folk  without  their  knowledge.  When  they  knew  it,  they  ran 
after  her  as  far  as  the  hill  named  Cnogba.  Great  lamentation  they  made  there,  and  this  is  the 
feast  that  supported  them — their  gathering.  Hence,  '  Cnogba,'  that  is,  Cno-guba,  '  nut-lamenta- 
tion they  made  at  yon  gathering.' 

"  Hence  is  Cnogba  of  the  troops. 
So  that  every  host  deems  it  famous, 
From  the  lamentation  alter  reaping  nuts  ,  .  . 
Following  Elcmaire's  daughter." 


3/2 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


COUNTY   OF   WESTMEATH. 

In  the  Barony  of  Rathconrath. 

*i.   In  the  Tovvnland  of  Ushnagh  Hill,  and  Parish  of  Conry, 
a  quarter  of  a  mile  W.N.W.  of  the  ruins  of  the  ancient  hill-town 


Fig.  352. — "  The  Cat-Stone  "  at  Ushnagh.     From  a  sketch  by  the  Author. 

of  Ushnagh,  an  oblong  area  on  the  summit  of  the  hill,  is  marked 
Patrick's  Bed  in  Ord.  Surv.  Map  No.  24. 

A  quarter  of  a  mile  S.S.W.  of  Patrick's  Bed  is  the  natural 
cleft  rock  marked  Atlnai7iireann,  or  Cafs  Rock,  Pctra  Coithrigi, 
in  the  Townland  of  Kellybrook. 

A  little  over  a  quarter  of  a  mile  due  S.  of  Patrick's  Bed  is  the 
well  called  Tobernaslath,  or  FmtileascacJi  in  the  Townland  of 
Ushnagh  Hill. 

The  ruined  hill-town  of  Ushnagh,  with  its  cave,  and  a  second 
site  covered  with  ruins  are  in  the  Townland  of  Rathnew. 


Count V  of  Westmeath.  2)7 


0/  o 


There  is  a  place  called  Usnagh  in  the  County  of  Tyrone. 

If  there  are  any  remains  on  Ushnagh  Hill  of  a  structure  of  the  dolmen  class, 
they  are  to  be  looked  for  in  a  long  raised  area  crowning  the  elevation,  and 
called  Patrick's  Bed.  It  is  surrounded  by  stones  on  edge,  and  is  about  2 1  feet 
long,  and  4  or  5  feet  wide.  O'Donovan  says  that  the  people  complained  that 
"the  sappers  removed  stones  from  it,  before  which  it  was  much  more  perfect." 
Its  situation  would  have  been  just  the  one  for  a  dolmen,  and  it  is  too  narrow  to 
have  been  a  church.  I  carefully  examined  it,  but  cannot  speak  with  certainty  as 
to  its  having  been  a  dolmen,  although  what  it  can  have  been,  if  it  were  not,  it  is 
difficult  to  say.     No  trace  of  a  roofing-stone  is  visible. 

As  to  the  idea  that  the  so-called  Cat's  Rock  was  artificial,  or  that  an  artificial 
monument  of  the  dolmen  class  had  been  set  up  beside  it,  that  may  be  dismissed  at 
once.  It  is  a  purely  natural,  though  very  curiously  shaped  outcrop  of  limestone, 
18  to  20  feet  high,  and  60  feet  in  circumference,  having  a  gap,  or  crevice,  running 
through  it  in  a  N.E.  and  S.W.  direction.  The  roofing-stone  of  this  passage 
is  a  detached  piece  of  the  limestone  which  has  fallen  from  the  upper  portion  of 
the  mass  on  to  a  lower  portion.  The  ope  of  the  gap  is  about  5  feet  wide,  and 
its  height  6  feet. 

No  doubt  it  was  an  object  of  veneration,  and  the  crevice  was  probably  used 
for  creeping  through,  in  obedience  to  superstitious  practices.  It  appears  that 
a  bank  of  earth  has  been  raised  around  it,  and  an  intelligent  labourer  suggested  to 
me  that  the  rock  was  more  deeply  embedded  in  the  soil  originally,  and  had,  at  some 
time  or  other,  been  dug  around  to  expose  more  fully  the  crevice  and  lower 
portions.     I  think  this  not  unlikely. 

See  O.S.L.,  Co.  Westmeath,  — ^,  pp.  69,    72,    73,    117,    150;   Proc.  R.I. A,,   2nd   Ser., 

G.  13 
"Pol.  Lit.  and  Antiqq.,'   vol.  i.  pp.  118,  120  ;  Note-book,  W.  C.  B.,  1895. 

In  the  Barony  of  Clonlonan. 

*i.  In  the  Townland  of  Labaun,  and  Parish  of  Ballyloughloe 
(the  Church  of  which  is  in  this  Townland),  was  probably  a  dolmen, 
not  marked  in  Ord.  Surv.  Map  No.  30. 

There  is  another  Townland  bearing  the  name  Labaun  in  the 
County  of  Cork. 

In  the  Ord.  Surv.  Letters,  it  is  mentioned  that  a  "  cromlech  "  existed  "  near  the 
esker  of  Ballyloughloe,"  and  that  in  the  Townland  of  Ballyloughloe  there  was  also 
a  fort  called  the  "  Grianan."  I  have  been  unable  to  identify  this  place,  as  I  find 
no  Townland  of  the  name.  The  name  Labaun,  however,  seems  to  point  to  a  leaba, 
which  may  possibly  be  the  monument  in  question. 

14 
O.S.L.,  Co.  Westmeath,    ^      -,  p.  321. 
Ci.  14 

In  the  Barony  of  Moycashel. 

*i.  In  the  Townland  of  Ballybroder,  and  Parish  of  Durrow, 
is  a  site  marked  Slaghta  in  Ord.  Surv.  Map  No.  40,  and 
indicated  by  three  rocks. 


,74  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


COUxXTY    OF    QUEEN'S    COUNTY. 

In  the  Barony  of  Stradbally. 

1.  In  the  Townland  of  Grange,  and  Parish  of  Dysartenos, 
is  a  monument  of  the  dolmen  class  not  marked  in  Ord.  Surv. 
Maps  13,  14,  18,  or  19.  It  is  two  miles  W.  of  Stradbally,  and 
three-quarters  of  a  mile  S.E.  of  the  Rock  of  Dunamase,  in  a  field 
called  the  Clash  Field. 

Mr.  D.  Byrne  describes  "a  sepulclne  of  unusual  shape"  in  this  Townland.  He 
also  presented  sketches  of  it  to  the  Kilkenny  Archseol.  Societ}'.  The  peculiar 
shape  in  question  he  compares  to  the  print  of  a  shoe  for  the  right  foot. 

The  monument  lay  about  2  feet  beneath  the  surface,  in  sandy  earth.  "  It 
was  formed  of  surface  limestones  of  nearly  flag  form.  The  stones  were  set  on 
their  edges  and  covered  over  by  smaller  stones.  That  part  answering  to  the  heel 
of  the  shoe  was  made  by  small  stones  set  one  over  the  other."  The  "  sepulchre  " 
contained  ashes,  oak  charcoal  in  small  portions,  and  bones.  A  great  quantity  of 
ashes  of  oak  wood  and  animal  matter  lay  in  the  chamber,  but  the  remains  of  bones 
were  very  few. 

"  The  fire  appeared  to  have  been  very  great,  as  the  stones  towards  the  S.  were 
crusted  with  lime.  The  circular  part  of  the  tomb  was  about  9  feet  in  circumference. 
The  entire  length  of  the  monument  was  21  feet.  It  varied  in  breadth  from  1 
foot  6  ins.  to  2  feet,  and  its  depth  was  from  i  foot  6  ins.  to  2  feet." 

"Trans.  Kilk.  Archrcol.  Soc,"  vol.  i.  p.  13S. 

2.  In  the  Townland  of  Manger,  adjoining  that  of  Coolrush  on 
the  S.W.,  and  in  the  Parish  of  Tullomoy,  is  a  dolmen  marked 
Asss  Manger  in  Ord.  Surv.  Map  No.  25.  Mainsair  Asal,  i.e. 
Asses'  Manger,  is  the  name  of  a  dolmen  at  Galway  in  Kilkenny. 

3.  In  the  Townland  of  Monamanry,  and  Parish  of  Tullomoy, 
a  mile  and  a  quarter  W.  of  the  Asss  Manger,  is  a  dolmen  marked 
Drtuds'  Allarin  Ord.  Surv.  Map  No.  25. 

This  is  the  monument  generally  described  as  on  the  top  of  Coolrus  Hill.  Mr. 
D.  Byrne,  who  characterizes  it  as  "  an  exceedingly  curious  cromleac,"  supplied 
a  notice  of  it,  accompanied  by  a  plan  which  was  not  published,  to  the  Kilkenny 
Archa^ol.  Society. 

This  monument  is  certainly  of  a  most  instructive  character.  The  removal 
of  earth  from  it  caused  the  upper  stone  to  slip  from  its  original  position,  and  it 
consequently  rested  with  its  southern  edge  on  the  roadside,  the  other  end  being 
supported  by  two  upright  stones  measuring  respectively  4  feet  and  5  feet.      "  At 


County  of  Queen's  County.  375 


no  time  could  the  upper  stone,"  in  Mr.  Byrne's  opinion,  "have  been  more 
than  I  foot  6  ins.  above  the  surface  of  the  hill.  Underneath  it,  however,  was  a  square 
pit  sunk  about  5  feet,  faced  with  large  flags  and  dry  masonry.  The  upper 
edges  of  the  flags  which  formed  this  pit  were  level  with  the  surface  of  the 
hill,  and,  when  the  upper  stone  was  in  its  original  position,  about  2  feet  of 
the  pit  was  left  uncovered  to  the  north. 

"  The  upper  stone  measured  8  feet  by  6  feet  6  ins.,  and  was  12  ins.  thick. 

"To  the  east,  a  passage,  like  a  sewer,  about  3  feet  square,  extended  9  feet 
in  an  easterly  direction  from  the  pit,  and  opened  on  the  surface  of  the  hill. 
It  was  formed  by  flags  and  dry  masonry  well  built,  and  covered  over,  and  had 
not  any  communication  with  the  pit,  from  which  it  was  separated  by  a  large 
flag  which  formed  the  east  side  of  it.  Adjoining  the  west  side  of  the  pit,  two  flags 
of  about  3  feet  high  were  firmly  fixed  in  the  earth  in  a  chair-like  fashion.  Close 
to  these  were  discovered  the  calcined  remains  of  a  considerable  quantity  of  the 
bones  of  some  large  animals." 

"  At  a  radius  of  about  150  feet  from  this  monument,  formerly  stood  a  large 
circle  of  upright  stones,  now  removed."  "An  old  man,  a  resident  on  the 
spot,  stated  that  he  had  found  and  opened,  to  the  S.E.  of  the  structnre,  many 
small  rectangular  cists,  formed  of  six  flags,  and  containing  burnt  bones,  but 
no  urns,  or  arms,  or  ornaments." 

I  am  disposed  to  regard  this  monument  and  also  that  at  Grange  above  described 
rather  as  burning-places  in  which  the  bodies  were  consumed  than  as  dolmens.  In 
some  parts  of  France,  as,  for  instance,  near  Toulouse,  dolmens  are  termed  cibournies, 
that  is,  "piles  of  cinders,  or  ashes,"  from  the  ash-heaps  which  lie  around  them. 
(See  Alex,  du  Mege,  "  Archeol.  Pyreneennes,"  vol.  ii'.  p.  9,  and  note  p.  26.  See 
also  the  description  of  a  monument  similar  to  this  in  Cornwall,  in  Part  II.  of  this 
work,  infra.) 

"Trans.  Kilk.  Archceol.  Soc,"  vol.  I.  p.  131. 


;76 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


COUNTY  OF  DUBLIN. 

In  the  Barony  of  Coolock. 

In  the  Demesne  of  Howth,  and  Parish  of  Howth,  immediately 
(beneath  the  diff  called   Muck  Rock,  a  little  over  a  quarter  of  a 


^%"%^> 


r^'\ 


i;v^:^" 


Fig.  353 — Howth.     J-'ro>;i  a  drawttti;  by  Mr.  Henry  O'A'eil. 

mile  E.  by  N.  of  Saint  Fintan's  Church,  and  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
W.  of  Ballkill  Cottage,  is  a  dolmen  marked  Cromlech  in  Ord. 
Surv.  Map  No.  15. 

This  dolmen  was  described  and  figured  in  1852  by  Mr.  Henry  O'Neil.  In  the 
arrangement  of  the  blocks  of  stone  which  compose  it,  as  well  as  in  the  colossal 
proportions  of  its  covering-stone,  it  bears  a  close  resemblance  to  that  at  Kernanstown 
.(Browne's  Hill),  in  Carlow.  The  material,  however,  is  different,  the  latter  being  com- 
posed, like  that  at  Mount  Venus  in  the  County  of  Dublin,  of  granite,  and  therefore 
showing  a  comparatively  smooth  exterior,  while  this  one  is  formed  of  rugged  masses 
of  quartzite  rock  detached  by  natural  causes,  like  others  adjacent,  from  the  pre- 
cipitous side  of  the  eminence  called  Muck  Rock,  which  rises  immediately  behind  it. 

According  to  the  measurements  which  are  given  by  Mr.  O'Neil,  the  roofing-stone 
was  17  feet  in  greatest  length  by  12  feet  in  breadth.  The  thickest  portion 
measured  6  feet  at  the  least,  and  the  estimated  weight  was  90  tons.f     The  vault 

t  Sec  this  and  other  estimated  weights  of  roofing-stones  revised  in  Part  II,  of  this  work,  infra, 

V-  433. 


County  of  Dublin. 


m 


or  chamber  lay  E.  by  N.,  and  was  1 2  feet  long  and  4  feet  wide.  The  flooring  was 
of  clay.  He  considered  that  the  chamber  had  been  enclosed  by  eight  stones,  three 
on  either  side,  and  one  at  either  end.  He  adds  that  there  were  "  several  rocky 
fragments  lying  around,  which  in  one  part  formed  a  sort  of  rude  entrenchment  to 
the  monument." 

This  description  fairly  represents  the  structure  in  its  present  condition,  although 
the  measurements  of  the  roofing-stone  require  correction. 

My  own  plan  of  the  monument  was  taken  on  August  10,  1895.  The  cross- 
shaded  portion  in  the  upper  left  corner  indicates  the  point  at  which  the  massive  and 


A 


Fig.  354. — Howth.     Plan  by  the  Author.     Scale  \  inch  =  i  foot. 


rugged  roof-stone  impinges  on  the  natural  surface ;  the  other  and  smaller  ones  the 
places  where  it  bears  on  the  supports.  The  measurements  of  the  stones  were  taken 
as  follows : — 

A  =  6  feet  long  by  4  feet  broad,  lying  in  a  sloping  position,  the  N.E.  upper 
edge  being  i  foot  6  ins.  above  ground. 

B  =  8  feet  long  from  W.N.W.  to  E.S.E.,  and  5  feet  6  ins.  broad  at  the  medium. 
It  is  2  feet  7  ins.  thick.  Only  that  portion  of  this  rock  which  lies  below  the  dotted  line 
crossing  it  in  the  plan  is  fixed  in  the  ground,  as  it  stands  inclined  to  the  northward, 
supporting  one  extremity  of  the  roofing-stone  at  a  height  of  4  feet  above  ground. 

C  =  a  pillar-stone  standing  upright,  7  feet  9  ins.  high,  6  feet  8  ins.  broad,  and 
3  feet  thick. 

D  =  a  large  stone  resting  in  an  inclined  position  on  the  natural  soil,  its  upper 
and  northern  side  forming  one  of  the  points  upon  which  the  roofing-stone  rests.  It 
measures  6  feet  8  ins.  long  from  E.  to  W.,  5  feet  8  ins.  broad  from  N.  to  S.,  17  ins. 
thick,  and,  at  its  highest  point,  stands  about  3  feet  above  ground. 

E  =  a  stone  resting  in  an  inclined  position,  measuring  5  feet  2  ins.  from  E.  to 
W.,  and  2  feet  broad  from  N.  to  S.  Its  most  elevated  point  to  the  W.  forms  another 
support  of  the  roofing-stone. 

VOL.    IL  F 


78  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


F  =  an  upright  pillar-stone  standing  parallel  with  and  close  to  C.     It  measures 

4  feet  6  ins.  long  on  its  N.W.  face,  2  feet  thick,  and  6  feet  6  ins.  high. 

G  =  a  rugged  upright  block  presenting  a  fairly  smooth  face  only  on  its  W.  side, 
which  is  turned  inwards,  and  which  measures  4  feet  6  ins.  broad.  Of  the  other  three 
faces,  the  S.  one  is  3  feet  broad,  the  E.  one  4  feet  broad,  and  the  N.  one  3  feet  8  ins. 
broad.  It  stands  7  feet  6  ins.  high,  and  affords,  at  its  N.W.  point,  towards  which 
direction  it  slopes,  the  most  important  prop  for  the  covering-stone,  which,  near  this 
point,  attains  its  greatest  thickness,  namely,  between  6  and  7  feet  At  the  angle 
of  the  pillar-stone  there  is  a  socket-like  cleft  which  receives  the  weight  of  the 
incumbent  mass. 

H  =  a  stone  resting  in  an   inclined  position  on  the  natural  soil,  measuring 

5  feet  2  ins.  long  from  E.  to  W.,  and  3  feet  broad  from  N.  to  S.  It  lies  close  to  E,  on 
the  S.E.  side  of  the  latter,  and  rises  2  feet  above  ground. 

K  =  a  stone  lying  at  the  back  of  E,  on  the  N.W.  side  of  the  latter.  It 
is  a  flattish  block,  and  about  2  feet  only  of  its  superficial  breadth  is  visible,  owing 
to  the  inner  side  of  it  being  the  point  at  which  the  roofing-stone  comes  in  contact 
with  the  ground. 

L  =  a  rugged  block  lying  immediately  beyond  the  edge  of  the  roofing-stone  at 
N.  £.  its^S;4;.  corner.      It  stands  about  2  feet  above  ground,  and  is  about  3  feet  square. 

M  =  the  position  of  another  stone  lying  outside  the  edge  of  the  roofing-stone,  the 
dimensions  of  which  the  overgrowth  of  brambles,  fern,  and  grass  prevented  my  taking. 

N  =  the  massive  roofing-stone,  the  dimensions  of  which  are  less  than  those 
of  the  Kernanstown  monument  to  be  presently  noticed,  while  its  position  is 
similar.  The  circumference,  measuring  from  point  to  point  round  the  edge,  I 
made  56  feet.  The  girth,  taken  at  the  thickest,  round  the  body  of  the  stone  in 
a  direction  E.  and  W.,  I  made  45  feet,  estimating,  that  is  to  say,  17  feet  for  the 
breadth  of  the  top  or  back  of  the  stone,  18  feet  for  the  breadth  of  the  under  surface, 

6  feet  for  the  almost  precipitous  slope  to  the  E.,  and  4  feet  for  the  corresponding 
thickness  on  the  W.  The  length  of  the  stone  measured  over  the  incline  from 
N.W.  to  S.E.  cannot  be  less  than  20  feet,  in  which  direction  the  entire  monument, 
if  measured  from  out  to  out,  that  is,  from  the  outer  edge  of  L  to  the  outer  edge 
of  C,  measures  30  feet.     For  the  weight  of  the  cap-stone,  see  Part  II.,  infra. 

From  the  S.  edge  of  H  to  the  line,  indicated  by  dots,  where  B's  N.  side  rests 
in  the  ground,  measures  6  feet,  while  from  the  E.  face  of  A,  to  the  W.  face  of  G 
measures  14  feet.  These  dimensions  may  represent  those  of  an  original  chamber. 
The  circumstance  that  the  roofing-stone  at  its  N.W,  extremity  rests  solidly  on  the 
ground,  while  of  the  four  stones  on  which  it  is  propped,  the  two  innermost,  E 
and  D,  are  prostrate,  while  the  two  outermost,  B  and  G,  are  leaning  in  a  N.W. 
direction,  might  be  taken  as  justifying  a  supposition  that  the  roofing-stone  had 
sHpped  down,  and  the  whole  structure  more  or  less  collapsed  towards  that  point 
of  the  compass.  If  so — if,  that  is  to  say,  the  chamber  had  ever  been  completed, 
and  the  roofing-stone  been  raised  to  a  horizontal  position — it  is  probable  that  F 
and  C  also  played  their  part  as  supporters.  The  main  difificulties  in  accepting  this 
view  are — (i)  the  absence  of  adequate  supporting  stones  on  the  N.W.  side  of  the 
monument,  which  certainly  do  not  seem  to  lie  under  it ;  and  (2)  the  enormous 
weight  of  the  roofing-stone,  which  one  would  think  must  have  defied  the  efforts 
of  man  to  have  placed  horizontally  on  columns  three  of  which  measured  close 
on  8  feet  high.  My  own  impression  is  that  a  compromise  between  the  two  views 
would  furnish  us  with  the  truth.  From  the  analogy  of  the  Kernanstown  dolmen, 
I  think  that,   ponderous  though  the  roofing-stone  was,   its  S.  edge  was  actually 


County  of  Dublin. 


379 


raised  on  to  the  points  of  the  columns  on  that  side,  which  would  correspond  to 
the  pillars  C,  D,  and  E  in  the  Kernanstown  structure.  The  N.  edge  of  the  roofing- 
stone  would  then  have  rested  on  the  sloping  backs  of  E,  H,  and  D,  at  a  height  of 
some  2  feet  above  ground,  these  lower  supports  corresponding  to  A  and  B  in  the 
Kernanstown  structure,  which  are  exactly  2  feet  above  ground,  and  upon  which  the 
roofing-stone  in  that  case  does  actually  rest.  From  these  points  I  think  it  probable 
that  the  roofing-stone  in  this  case  has  slipped  back  to  the  point  were  it  now  rests 
on  the  ground,  dragging  with  it  in  its  fall  the  pillar-stones  B  and  G,  and  causing 
them  to  support  it  diagonally,  while  F  and  C  were  left  standing  upright  in  their 
original  places,  relieved  of  its  weight. 

Whether  this  supposition  is  well  grounded  or  not,  it  would  be  difficult  to 
conceive  two  megalithic  structures,  although  composed  of  different  materials,  more 
precisely  similar  in  detail  than  are  the  dolmens  of  Kernanstown  and  Howth. 

"Trans.  Kilk.  Archseol.  Soc,"   vol.  ii.  (1852),  Mr.  Henry  O'Neil's  paper,  p.  40;  W.  C.  B. 
Note-book,  1895. 

In  the  Barony  of  Castlenock. 

I,    2,  3.    In  the  Townland  of  Chapelizod,   a   part  of  Phoenix 


Fig.  355. — Chapelizod  (Knockraary).     Etched  from  a  photograph. 

Park,  and  Parish  of  Chapelizod,  is  a  dolmen  marked  Cromlech 
in  Ord.  Surv.  Map  No.  18.  It  is  usually  called  Knockmary. 
Another  smaller  one,  and  also  a  cist,  were  discovered  not  far 
distant  from  it,  both  of  which  have  been  removed. 

The  mound  which  contained  this  dolmen  was  situated  on  an  elevation,  but 
had  "long  since  been  removed"  in  1852,  and  the  small  dolmen  which  it  covered 
is  all  that  now  remains.  No  traces  of  a  passage  leading  from  the  exterior  to  the 
central  chamber  are  now  apparent,  and  it  is  impossible  to  say  whether  such  existed 


;8o 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


or  not,  and  also  whether  a  circle  surrounded  it.  The  resemblance  of  the  structure, 
as  it  stands,  to  dolmens  inclosed  in  tumuli  of  the  Carrowmore  type,  leads  us  to 
think  it  more  likely  than  not  that  these  features  once  existed.  If  this  were  not  the 
case,  it  would  form  a  link  between  two  classes  of  monument,  namely,  the  open- 
passage  dolmen,  and  the  cist  wholly  surrounded  and  closed  in  by  its  tumulus  of 
earth  or  cairn  of  stones. 

The  height  of  the  tumulus  was  15  feet,  and  its  diameter  120  feet.      In   the 

exterior  portions  of  it  four  small  urns 
containing  ashes  and  fragments  of 
burnt  bone  were  found.  These  were 
enclosed  in  small  stone  cists. 

In  the  centre  of  the  mound  was  the 
"rock-chamber"  or  dolmen.  The 
covering-slab  measures  6  feet  6  ins. 
long,  3  feet  3  ins.  wide,  and  i  foot 
thick.  The  longer  axis  of  it  bears 
N.N.E.  It  is  supported  on  several 
stones,  enclosing  a  vault  in  shape  ir- 
regularly oval,  about  4  feet  long  by 
scarcely  2  feet  deep.  The  floor  of  the 
chamber,  which  was  below  the  level 
of  the  surface,  was  of  clay.  Within 
the  chamber  were  two  skeletons,  both 
of  men,  the  one  about  forty,  and  the 
other,  whose  skull  wants  the  lower 
jaw,  upwards  of  fifty.  There  were  also 
the  tops  of  the  thigh-bones  of  a  third 
human  skeleton,  and  the  bone  of  an  animal  supposed  to  be  that  of  a  dog. 

A  number  of  small  sea-shells  [Ncfifa)  were  also  found,  prepared  by  perforation 
for  stringing,  and  some  of  them  still  retaining  the  string  of  seaweed  which  had 


Fiu.  356. —  Urn  from  Knockmary. 


Fig.  357. — -Urn  from  Knockmary. 


Fin.  35S. — Urn  from  Knockiiiai  \-. 


served  for  the  purpose.     A  small  bone  fibula  and  a  flint  knife  were  also  among  the 
contents  of  the  chamber. 

The  urns  are  preserved  in  the  museum  of  the  R.  L  Academy.     The  one  which 


County  of  Dublin. 


bears  the  greatest  amount  of  ornamentation,  and  which  has  been  frequently  figured, 
measures  6  inches  high,  and  about  the  same  in  its  greatest  diameter,  that  is,  across 
the  centre  of  the  vessel. 

Both  the  skulls  were  dolichocephalic.  For  their  measurements,  and  for  1  )r. 
Davis's  remarks  upon  them,  the  reader  is  referred  to  that  portion  of  this  work  which 
deals  with  the  Anthropological  evidence  derivable  from  the  contents  of  megalithic 
vaults  and  chambers. 

The  roofing-stone  of  the  dolmen  is  calp-rock,  and  is  water-worn.  It  was 
probably  taken  from  the  bed  of  the  river  Liffey,  which  flows  at  the  foot  of  the  hill. 

Another  large  cist,  or  rather  small  dolmen,  was  removed  from  a  spot  in  the 
Phoenix  Park,  "  not  far  from  Knockmary,"  and  placed  in  the  Zoological  Gardens 
at  Dublin,  where  it  now  stands  as  re-erected. 

Not  far  from  the  place  where  this  last  one  was  found,  "a  dome-shaped  cist" 
was  discovered,  "  constructed  of  small  stones,  and  closed  at  the  top  by  a  larger  one." 
It  contained  a  skeleton,  "  the  major  part  of  which  was  placed  at  the  bottom  of  the 
cist,  with  the  long  bones  crossed,  and  the  calvarium  at  the  top,  the  lower  jaw  upon 
it."  Dr.  Davis  considered  this  skull  to  be  that  of  a  young  man  about  thirty.  It 
was  of  the  brachycephalic  type.  For  further  observations  upon  it,  the  reader  is 
again  referred  to  the  portion  of  this  work  which  treats  of  Anthropology. 

"Trans.  Kilk.  Arch^ol.  Soc,"  vol.  ii.  (1852),   pp.  274,   275;   Wilde's  "Cat.  of  the    Mus. 
R.I, A.,"  pp.  181-3  ;  Thurnam  and  Davis,  ''Crania  Brilaiinica,"  vol.  ii.  p.  4. 

In  THE  Barony  of  Dublin. 

I.  Somewhere  in  the  E.  suburbs  of  the  City  of  Dublin  there 
was  a  dolmen,  the  site  of  which  is  now  unknown. 


"In  November,  1646,"  writes  Walter  Harris,  in  his  edition  of  Ware,  "as  people 
were  employed  in  removing  a  little  hill  in  the  east  suburbs  of  the  City  of  Dublin,  in 
•order  to  form  a  line  of  fortification, 
there  was  discovered  an  ancient 
sepulchre  placed  S.W.  and  N.E., 
■composed  of  eight  black  marble 
stones,  of  which  two  made  the 
covering,  and  were  supported  by  the 
others.  The  length  of  this  monu- 
ment was  6  feet  2  ins.,  the  breadth 
3  feet  I  in.,  and  the  thickness  of 
the  stone  3  ins.  At  each  corner  of 
it  was  erected  a  stone  4  feet  high ; 
and  near  it,  at  the  S.W.  end,  another 
stone  was  placed  in  the  form  of  a 
pyramid,  6  feet  high,  of  a  rustick 

work,  and  of  that  kind  of  stone  which  is  called  a  mill-stone  [?  mill-stone  grit].  A 
draft  of  the  monument  was  taken  before  it  was  demolished.  Vast  quantities  of  burnt 
coals  [?  charcoal]  ashes,  and  human  bones,  some  of  which  were  in  part  burnt,  and 
some  only  scorched,  were  found  in  it." 

I  append  the  illustration  which  accompanies  this  account  for  what  it  is  worth. 

"The  Works  of  Sir  James  Ware,"  edit.  Walter  Harris,  vol.  ii.  p.  145;  with  illustration,  id., 
pi.  i.  No.  9. 


Fig.  359.  —  Anomalous  monument  in  the  "suburbs 
of  Dublin."  From  an  old  engraving  in  Harris's 
"  Ware:' 


382 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


In  the  Baron V  of  Uppercross. 

1.  In  the  Townland  of  Ballinascorney,  and  Parish  of  Tallaght, 

in  BalHnascorney  Commons,  nearly  one  mile  N.  of  Ballinascorney 

House,  is   a    dolmen-cairn   encircled    marked   Cromlech   in   Ord. 

Surv.  Map  No.  24.     To  the  S.E.  of  it  is  Raheendhu,  and  there 

are  other  mounds  and   circles   to  the  westward  at  sites  marked 

Knockanvinidee  and  Knockannavea.     Two  miles  to  the  westward 

is  a  pillar-stone.      The    dolmen-cairn   is  about  one  mile   W.    of 

the  Dodder,  and  two  miles  and  a  quarter  to  the  E.  of  Saggart 

Hill. 

This  must,  I  think,  refer  to  the  dolmen-cairn  to  which  O'Curry  calls  attention 

in  the  "  Ord.  Surv.  Letters."      After  speaking  of  cairns  on  Saggart  and  Tallaght 

Hills,  he  proceeds,  "  Two  cairns  on  Sliabh  Toghail  are  open.     The  larger  of  them 

was  very  large  and  high,  and  was  opened  within  the  last  fifteen  years  (dating  back 

from  1837).     It  contained  a  large  grave,  covered  by  a  very  large  flagstone,  which 

was  broken  and  carried  away,  but  the  supporters  still  remain,  though  not  in  their 

proper  places." 

14 
O.S.L.,  Co.  Dublin,  —    -   ,  pp.  52,  ct  scqq. 
C.  23 

2.  In  the  Townland  of  Woodtown,  and  Parish  of  Cruagh,  in 


V."'  ^'  ■V/'k 


Fig.  360. — Woodtown  (Mount  ^'enus).     Etched  from  a  plwtograpli. 

the  grounds  of  Mount  \''enus,  is  a  dolmen  marked  Cromlech  in 
Ord.  Surv.  Map  No.  25. 

This  dolmen,  which  must  be  classed  with  those  of  Howth  and  Browne's  Hill 
(Kernanstown),   must  have  been,   supposing  it  ever  to  have  been  completed — 


County  of  Dublin. 


383 


supposing,  that  is  to  say,  that  the  immense  roofing-stone  was  ever  raised  on  to  the 
summits  of  pillars  of  the  height  of  the  two  which  are  beside  it — one  of  the  most 
magnificent  megalithic  monuments  in  the  world. 

A  vast  granite  block  of  tabular  form  (A),  having  its  longer  axis  N.W.  and  S.E., 
rests  at  an  angle  of  45°  at  its  N.W.  corner,  against  the  shoulder  of  an  upright  block 
of  somewhat  pyramidal  form,  the  upper  portion  of  which,  broken  off  from  it,  lies 
at  a  distance  of  13  feet  from  it  to  the  southward. 

The  greatest  measurement  along  the  surface  of  the  inclined  stone  is  23  feet. 


Fig.  361. — Woodtown  (Mount  Venus),  another  view.     Etched  from  a  photograph. 


The  S.W.  side  measures  21  feet,  and  the  N.E.  side  the  same.  The  S.E.  end 
measures  6  feet  6  ins.,  and  the  N.W.  end  (measured  in  three  divisions  of  3  feet, 
5  feet  8  ins.,  and  2  feet  6  ins.  respectively),  11  feet  2  ins.,  giving  total  circuit  of 
59  feet  8  ins.  The  actual  breadth  (N.E.  to  S.W.)  in  the  centre  was  12  feet. 
The  actual  thickness  on  the  N.E.  side  is  3  feet  4  ins. ;  on  the  S.W.  3  feet  8  ins. ; 
and  at  the  S.E.  end  2  feet. 

The  stone  has  a  smooth,  flat,  and  symmetrical  appearance,  not  so  much  like  a 
boulder  as  that  at  Browne's  Hill,  nor  so  rugged  as  that  at  Howth. 

The  stone  on  which  it  rests  (B)  stands  almost  at  right  angles  to  it,  and,  together 
with  it,  presents  two  sides  of  an  oblong  ground-plan.  It  measures  at  the  base 
5  feet  long  on  the  N.W.  side;  5  feet  6  ins.  on  the  S.W.  side,  3  feet  5  ins.  broad  on 
the  N.E.  side,  and  4  feet  on  the  S.W.  side.  The  highest  point  of  this  stone  is 
8  feet  above  ground,  but  the  shoulder  on  the  S.  side,  on  which  the  great  sloping 
stone  rests,  is  6  feet  high. 

The  severed  piece  (C)  lies,  as  has  been  said,  to  the  southward,  at  the  farther 
end  of  the  area  in  front  of  the  inclined  stone.  Its  measurements  and  shape  leave 
no  doubt  as  to  its  having  been  the  upper  portion  of  B,  and  prove  that  the  pyramidal 
form  was  maintained  to  the  top.  It  lies  on  its  side,  the  apex  to  the  E.,  and 
measures  6  feet  6  ins.  on  the  S.  side,  6  feet  3  ins.  on  the  N.  side,  and  3  feet  on 
tlie  W.  side,  tapering  to   6  ins.   at  the   E.  extremity.     Its  height  above  ground, 


(84 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


which,  as  it  lies  on  its  side,  is  to  be  taken  as  its  breadth  or  thickness,  is  3  feel, 
6  ins.,  corresponding  exactly  to  the  thickness  of  the  upper  part  of  B,  at  the 
shoulder.  The  total  height  of  the  two  pieces,  if  C  were  placed  on  B,  would  be 
approximately  12  feet  9  ins.  or  13  feet 

To  the  N.W.  of  C.  lies  a  fourth  stone  (D),  which  has  the  appearance  of  a  fallen 
pillar.  It  measures  15  feet  in  extreme  length,  by  4  feet  6  ins.  wide,  at  the  widest, 
and  is  2  feet  2  ins.  above  ground.  Its  height,  if  ever  upright,  and  allowing  for 
several  feet  below  ground,  would  fairly  correspond  to  that  of  B  +  C. 

E  represents  a  flattish  stone,  which,  with  several  others,  lies  under  and  around 
the  end  of  A. 

At  a  distance  of  8  feet  S.E.  of  C  lies  another  stone  (F),  8  feet  6  ins.  long,  4  feet 
S  ins.  wide,  and  i  foot  above  ground  ;  and  34  feet  to  the  S.  of  that  again,  lies  yet 


Fjg.  362.— Woodtown  (Mount  Venus).     Plan  by  the  Author.     Scale  \  inch  =  l  foot. 

another  granite  block,  probably  a  portion  of  the  original  monument,  measuring 
4  feet  8  ins.  long,  3  feet  wide,  and  i  foot  4  ins.  thick. 

Evidently,  whatever  the  structure  was,  it  has  been  much  dismantled,  and  it 
seems  likely  that  many  stones  have  been  carried  away  by  persons  recognizing  the 
excellence  of  the  granite  for  building  purposes.  A  drawing  by  Gabriel  Beranger 
shows  several  more  stones  than  are  at  present  in  place. 

On  the  whole,  after  most  careful  consideration,  I  am  not  inclined  to  believe 


County  of  Dublin. 


6^:) 


that  the  great  inclined  block  was  ever  lifted  bodily  on  to  pillars  on  each  of  its 
sides,  but  that,  like  the  Howth  and  Browne's  Hill  examples,  it  rested  obliquely  upon 
or  against  several  pillars  on  the  S.W.  side,  from  one  of  which  (B)  the  long-continued 
strain  of  its  weight  may  have  cracked  off  the  upper  portion  C,  a  circumstance  which 
would  not  have  occurred  had  the  weight  been  incumbent  on  the  summit  of  the 
stone.  D  may  have  formed  another  supporting  column,  while  F  and  the  stone  on 
the  S.  (not  in  the  plan)  may  have  been  portions  of  others,  broken  up  and  partially 
carried  away. 

The  weight  of  the  inclined  stone  A  is  estimated  in  Part  II.,  in/ra.  The  floor 
of  the  oblong  area  beneath  it  is  of  clay.  It  has  been  excavated,  and  it  is  said 
that  the  sides  were  found  to  be  faced  with  small  stones  set  together  without  mortar. 
The  monument,  as  Mr.  Henry  O'Neil  remarks,  "  is  remarkable  for  the  sharpness 
of  the  angles  in  every  part  of  it  " — as  sharp,  indeed,  "  as  if  recently  quarried." 

"Trans.  Kilk.  Archaeol.  Soc,"  vol.  ii.  (1852),  p.  40  ;  drawings  by  G.  Beranger  in  Lib.  R.I. A.  ; 
W.  C.  B.  Note-books,  1888,  1892,  and  1895. 

In  the  Barony  of  Rathdown. 

I.  In    the    Townland    of     Ballyedmonduff,    and    Parish    of 
Kilgobbin,  three-quarters  of  a  mile  N.N.W.  of  Glencullen  House, 


Fig.  363.— Ballyedmonduff.     From  a  sketch  in  the  Ord.  Surv.  Letters. 


on  the  N.E.  slope  of  Two-Rock  Mountain,  is  a  dolmen  marked 
Giant's  Grave  in  Ord.  Surv.  Map  No.  25. 

O'Curry  speaks  of  this  monument  as  a  "  very  fine  Giant's  Grave,  resembling 
the  Bed  of  Callan  More  on  Slieve  GuUion,  only  that  it  is  much  more  perfect." 
"  I  doubt,"  he  says,  "  if  we  have  met  so  perfect  a  pagan  grave  in  any  other  counties 
hitherto  examined.  It  was  discovered  four  or  five  years  ago"  (he  writes  in  1837) 
"  by  Alderman  Blacker  of  Saint  Andrews,  Dublin.  It  was  then  a  tumulus,  but 
now  the  earth  is  cleared  away,  and  the  grave  is  to  be  seen.  The  country  people 
say  that  ashes  were  found  in  the  grave,  but  I  (O'Curry)  could  not  learn  from  them 
that  anything  like  an  urn,  crock,  or  '  ould  thing  like  a  pitcher '  was  found." 


;86 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


In  the  "  Ord.  Surv.  Sketches  "  there  is  a  good  ground-plan  and  elevation  of  this 
monument,  of  which  there  are  also  two  sections.  From  these  it  appears  that  it  was 
enclosed  in  an  oval  tumulus,  and  that  its  longer  axis,  which  was  also  that  of  the 
tumulus,  was  directly  E.  and  W.  The  chamber  itself  was  coffin-shaped,  and  towards 
the  W.  end  was  divided  into  two  portions  or  chambers  by  a  flag  on  edge,  fixed 
across  the  area  in  a  manner  which  showed  that  it — the  partition — was  not  sub- 
sequently inserted,  but  formed  a  feature  in  the  original  design,  since  the  S.  end  of 


the  flag  formed  part  of  the  S.  wall  of  the  entire  structure.  From  this  partition  an 
antechamber  was  extended  to  within  a  foot  of  the  edge  of  the  tumulus,  where  no 
stone  closed  its  end. 

The  side  stones  of  the  two  chambers,  or  rather  of  the  inner  vault  or  cell,  and 


Fig.  365. — Ballyedmonduff;  cross  section. 

its  outer  portion  or  portico,  were  in  all  ten  in  number,  five  on  either  side,  although 
one  was  missing  near  the  S.E.  corner. 

The  width  of  the  chamber  internally  was  2  feet  9  ins.  at  the  E.  end  ;  3  feet 
7  ins.  at  the  W.  end  (that  is,  up  to  the  cross-flag),  and  must  have  been  about  4  feet 
wide  at  the  widest.  One  covering-stone  remained  in  its  place,  about  7  feet  long 
by  5  feet  wide  at  the  widest  point.     It  was  supported  by  three  thin  stones  on  the 


County  of  Dublin.  387 


one  side,  and  five  on  the  other,  resting  one  upon  the  other  on  the  top  of  the  main 
side  stones  of  the  chamber,  one  of  which  measured  5  feet,  the  other  3  feet  6  ins. 
in  height,  giving  to  the  whole  chamber  a  height  of  6  feet  6  ins.  This  point  of 
construction,  it  may  be  noted,  differentiates  this  monument  somewhat  from  the 
ordinary  dohiiens  in  their  elongated  state,  such  as  the  great  one  at  Burren,  near 
Elacklion  in  Cavan,  and  brings  it  nearer  to  those  the  roofs  of  which  are  formed  in 
corbel  fashion. 

The  length  of  the  chamber  is   11   feet  6  ins.     The  single  slab  at  the  end 


^^ 


r^-. 


Fig.  366. — Ballyedmonduff ;  long  section. 

measures  3  feet  4  ins.  in  height,  a  measurement  which,  when  a  small  stone  at  the 

top  is  added,  would  give  a  height  to  the  chamber,  at  that  point,  of  only  4  feet  4  ins. 

The  height  of  the  partition-stone  which  crosses  the  chamber  at  the  ^V.  end  is 

2  feet  6  ins.,  a  fact  which  shows  that  a  cavity  existed  between  the  upper  edge  of 
it  and  the  roofing-flag. 

In  breadth  the  side  stones  of  the  chamber  measured  respectively — those  on  the 
N.,  counting  from  the  E.,  4  feet,  3  feet  8  ins.,  and  4  feet;  those  on  the  S.,  2  feet 
(then  a  gap),  4  feet  2  ins.  and  3  feet  2  ins.  The  side  stones  of  the  antechamber 
measured — those  on  the  N.,  2  feet  and  i  foot  3  ins. ;  those  on  the  S.,  9  inches  and 

3  feet. 

The  little  additional  chamber  or  portico — so  like  those  at  Blacklion  and  else- 
where— narrows  to  about  2  feet  6  ins.,  where  it  reaches  to  within  a  foot  of  the  edge 
of  the  tumulus,  which  appears  from  the  section  to  have  been  steep,  so  that  the 
entrance  would  have  opened  on  the  side,  the  end  being,  as  stated  above,  enclosed. 

14 

O.S.L.,  Co.  Dublin,  — ,  p.  9,  el  scqq.  ;  "Ord.  Surv.  Sketches,"  in  Lib.  R.LA. 

C  23 

2.  In  the  Townland  of  Ballybrack  {I.),t  adjoining  that  of  Bally- 
edmonduff on  the  S.W.,  and  Parish  of  Kilgobbin,  is  a  dolmen 
marked  Giant's  Grave  in  Ord.  Surv.  Map  No.  25.  It  is  half  a 
mile  W.N.W.  of  GlencuUen  House,  a  quarter  of  a  mile  N.  of  Glen- 
cullen  River,  on  the  N.E.  slope  of  Two- Rock  Mountain,  the  sides 
of  which  latter  are  covered  with  circles  and  tumuli. 

I  suppose  this  is  the  same  dolmen  to  which  j\Ir.  Henry  O'Neil  alludes  as  being 
on  the  hill  on  the  Dublin  side  of  GlencuUen.     He  describes  the  covering-stone  as 

t  There  are  in  this  Barony  two  Townlands  of  this  name,  in  each  of  which  is  a  dolmen.     I 
number  them  therefore  L  and  IL 


iS8 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


measuring  lo  feet  long,  8  feet  broad,  and  4  feet  thick,  and  the  chamber  as  "greatly 
disarranged." 


"Trans.  Kilk.  ArchKoI.  Soc,"  vol.  ii.  (1852),  p. 


40. 


Fig.  367. — Ballybraclc  (I.).     ]'rom  a  drawing  by  G.  Du  Noycr, 

3.   In  the  Demesne  of  Kiltiernan,  and  Parish  of  Kiltiernan,  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  N.W.  of  Kiltiernan   House,  and  about  half  a 


Fig.  368. — Kiltiernan.     From  a  sketch  by  the  Author. 

mile  \V.  of  Golden  Ball,  is  a  dolmen   marked   Cromlech  in  Ord. 
Surv.  Map  No.  26. 

The  rock  which  forms  the  roofing-stone  (A)  of  this  dolmen  measures  22  feet  in 
extreme  length  from  E.N.E.  to  W.S.W.,  and  13  feet  6  ins.  in  e.xtreme  breadth  near 
the  N.E.  end.  At  the  W.  end  it  is  6  feet  thick,  but  only  2  feet  6  ins.  at  the 
opposite  end.  It  rests  on  four  of  tlie  stones  which  form  the  sides  of  the  area  of  a 
chamber  beneath,  which  runs  in  a  direction  nearly  due  E.  and  W.  Some  of  the 
stones  seem  to  have  been  pushed  out  of  position  by  the  weight  of  the  incumbent 


County  of  Dublin. 


;89 


block,  the  circuit  of  which,  measured  into  the  crevices  in  its  sides,  is  no  less  than 
58  feet  9  ins.     For  its  estimated  weight,  see  Part  II.,  inp-a. 

It  appears  to  me  that  the  mode  in  which  it  was  brought  into  its  present 
position  was  by  sliding  it  down  the  rocky  plateau  of  the  shelving  hillside  above^ 
from  its  original  bed,  from  which,  if  it  be  not  a  transported  boulder,  it  may  have 
become  detached  by  natural  causes. 

As  seen  at  present,  the  whole  monument  has  the  appearance  of  a  sphinx-like 
monster,  advancing  out  of  the  rocky  hill  on  some  half-dozen  short  and  rickety  legs. 

The  breadth  of  the  chamber  (if  the  area  under  the  covering-stone  may  be  so 
termed),  measures  14  feet  8  ins.  long,  and  varies  in  breadth  from  3  to  10  feet, 
although  so  disordered  are  the  stones  that  it  is  impossible  to  decide  what  was  the 
original  shape  intended. 

The  pillar-stone,  B,  which  is  the  most  important  supporter,  measures  3  feet 
8  ins.  long  by  from  3  to  2  feet  broad,  and  is  5  feet  high.  The  next  behind  it,  C, 
measures  5  feet  6  ins.  high,  2  feet  long,  and  i  foot  10  ins.  broad,  and  on  this  the 


^./ 


CC3C^ 


Fig.  369. — Kiltiernan.     Plan  by  the  Author.     Scale  \  inch  —  i  foot. 

roof  also  rests.  D  and  E  are,  as  it  were,  supplementary  stones,  which  possibly  may 
have  formed  a  portion  of  an  outer  range.  The  former  is  4  feet  high,  2  feet  2  ins, 
long,  and  i  foot  8  ins.  broad ;  the  latter,  which  leans  upon  D  at  its  top,  is  5  feet 
high,  2  feet  6  ins.  broad,  and  i  foot  6  ins.  thick.  It  also  leans  against  the  roofing- 
stone.  F,  G,  H  are  three  stones  set  on  edge,  forming  a  line  about  2  feet  2  ins. 
high,  running  up  to  the  monument.  They  are  respectively,  i  foot  6  ins.,  3  feet,, 
and  5  feet  10  ins.  in  length.  J  is  a  rough  block,  possibly  the  end  stone  of  an  outer 
range.  K  is  a  natural  shelf  of  rock  extending  horizontally  like  a  raised  floor  across 
the  N  part  of  the  chamber,  and  on  which  rest  L,  M,  and  N, — M  measuring  3  feet 
8  ins.  long,  and  3  feet  4  ins.  deep  by  about  10  inches  thick,  and  supporting  on  its- 


390 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


flat  face  the  inner  or  N.W.  end  of  the  roofing-stone.  P  forms  the  fourth  and  last 
supporter  of  the  roof,  and  measures  3  feet  8  ins.  long  by  i  foot  6  ins.  thick.  It  is 
about  4  feet  high.  Q,  standing  behind  it,  as  D  does  behind  C,  may  possibly  have 
been  set  there  as  a  buttress,  or  one  of  an  outer  range.  It  measures  3  feet  3  ins. 
long,  I  foot  6  ins.  wide,  and  5  feet  10  ins.  high,  sloping  against  the  roofing-stone. 
Behind  it,  again,  stands  R,  2  feet  i  in.  long,  i  foot  6  ins.  broad,  and  4  feet  5  ins. 
high.  S  is  a  block  lying  at  the  entrance  of  the  chamber,  3  feet  long  by  3  feet  broad, 
and  I  foot  high. 

At  the  back  of  the  monument  the  letter  T  represents  the  position  of  a  natural 
ledge  of  rocks,  above  which  the  slope  of  the  hill  rises.  At  U  is  an  arrangement  of 
rough  blocks,  perhaps  in  double  line,  placed  there  by  human  agency,  but  whether 
in  ancient  or  modern  times  it  is  difficult  to  form  an  opinion. 


W.  C.  B.,  Note-books,  18SS  and  1S95. 


4.   In  the  Townland  of  Brenanstown,  and  Parish  of  Tully,  by 


Fig.  370. —  Brenanstown.     Etched  from  a  photograph. 


the  side  of  a  stream  running  through  a  valley  commonly  called 
Glen  Druid,  half  a  mile  W.  of  Carrickmines,  is  a  monument 
marked  Cromlech  in  Ord.  Surv.  Map  No.  26. 

This  dolmen  is  a  very  interesting  one,  since  it  alTords  an  example  of  a  perfect 
and  typical  chamber  and  portico,  surmounted  by  a  roofing-stone  which  in  size  and 
weight  approaches  the  immense  blocks  at  Browne's  Hill  (Kernanstown),  Howth, 
Woodtown  (Mount  Venus),  and  Kiltiernan,  under  neither  of  which  can  it  be  said 
that  a  perfectly  arranged  chamber  exists,  the  reason,  I  believe,  being  that,  in  these 
latter  instances,  the  weight  of  the  roofing-stone  and  the  consequent  difficulty  of 
setting  it  in  place  has  either  made  the  construction  of  a  chamber  impossible,  or 
has  crushed  it  out  of  place  when  partially  formed.     In  point  of  construction,  having 


County  of  Dublin. 


391 


regard  to  the  size  of  the  roofing-stone,  this  Brenanstown  dolmen  is  more  nearly 
in  accord  with  the  W.  end  of  Leaba  Callighe,  near  Fermoy. 

My  measurements  of  the  roofing-stone  agree  with  those  of  Mr.  Henry  O'Neil, 
I  made  it  15  feet  6  ins.  in  length  from  E.  to  W.,  and  15  feet  in  breadth  from  N. 


Fir,.  371. — Brenanstown.     Etched  from  a  photograph. 

to  S.     The  thickness  is  from  3  to  5  feet.     Mr.  O'Neil  consequently  estimates  its 
weight  at  about  60  tons,     (See  Part  II.,  infra)     The  stone  is  granite,  the  under 


\ 


0       0 


0 


ih. 


IDS  000 

Fig.  372.— Brenanstown  (Glen  Druid).     P/a/i  liy  the  Atithor.     Scale  \  inch  =  i  foot. 

surface  smooth,  while  in  the  upper  surface  are  two  deep  depressions,  from  the 
E.  one  of  which  two  ducts  lead  to  corners  of  the  stone. 

The  chamber  measures  internally  10  feet  6  ins.  long,  by  4  feet  8  ins,  broad  at 
the  E.  end,  9  feet  6  ins.  in  the  centre,  and  nearly  4  feet  at  the  "W.  end,  where  the 


392 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


terminal  stone  forms  the  partition  between  the  main  chamber  and  the  ante- 
chamber beyond.     The  heiglit  in  the  centre  from  floor  to  roof  is  7  feet  2  ins. 

The  ante-chamber  measures  5  feet  wide  at  the  entrance,  4  feet  i  in.  at  the  E., 
or  inner  side,  3  feet  2  ins.  deep  on  the  S.  side,  and  2  feet  5  ins.  on  the  N.  The 
roofing-stone  rests  on  the  two  ajitct,  or  sides  of  the  portico,  and  on  each  of  the 
large  side-stones  of  the  chamber,  the  S.  one  of  which,  since  it  is  in  two  parts,  may 
possibly  have  been  cracked  by  its  weight.  The  chamber  lies  due  E.  and  W. 
Beyond  the  E.  end  is  a  ciuadrangular  arrangement  of  stones  set  in  the  ground. 
Two  of  these,  standing  next  the  monument  and  a  little  outside  it,  may  have  formed 
part  of  an  outer  range.  As  to  the  rest,  they  suggest  the  presence  at  some  time  or 
other  of  a  modern  building,  or  adjunct  of  some  sort.  The  floor  of  the  chamber  is 
considerably  below  the  level  of  the  surrounding  field,  while  this  square  enclosed 
space  is  even  with  it. 

The  measurements  of  the  side  and  end  stones  are  as  follows  : — 


Length. 

Thickness. 

Height. 

ft. 

ins. 

ft. 

ins.      ft. 

ms. 

ft.     ins. 

A=    6 

0 

3 

0  to  I 

8 

S        2 

B=    7 

0 

3 

6  to  I 

10 

5      0 

C  =    2 

8 

I 

7  to  I 

3 

3      9  (outside) 

D=  II 

0 

I 

2 

3       6  (outside) 

E=    5 
F=    5 

6 
0 

3 

3 

0 

0  to  I 

0 

5      6  (sloping)}^"'^  ^*""=  ''^"'^'^" 

G=    4 

0 

0 

7 

2      9  (inside) 

H=    4 

6 

3 

0  to  I 

2 

2      0 

J=    4 

6 

I 

10 

2     10 

"Trans.  Kilk.  Archreol.   Soc,"  vol.  ii.  (1S52),- 
Note  Books,  1888  and  1895. 


-Mr.  O'Neil's  paper,  at  40,  ct  scqtj.  ;  W,  C.  1>. 


5.  In  the  Townland  of  Shankill,  and  Parish  of  Rathmichael, 

by  the  side  of  the  road,   midway  between  Shankill   House   and 

Shankill  Castle,  was  a  dolmen  marked  Cromlech  in  Ord.   Surv. 

Map  No.  26. 

In  Cromwell's  "  Excursions  "  a  drawing  by  Petrie  is  given  of  a  dolmen  at  this 

place.     Mr.  Henry  O'Neil  states  that  he  had  heard  it  had  been  carried  away. 

Cromwell's   "Excursions  through   Ireland,"  vol.  iii.  p.  159;  "Trans.  Kirk.    Archa-l.  .Soc," 
vol.  ii.  (1852),— Mr.  O'Neil's  paper,  p.  40,  et  seqq. 

6.  In  the  Townland  of  Ballybrack  (II.),f  and  Parish  of  Killiney, 


Fig.  373. — Ballybrack  (IL),  or  Shanganagh. 


t  Not  to  be  confused  with  the  other  of  that  name  ;  see  above,  No. 


County  of  Dublin. 


\93 


in  the  Townland  next  to  that  of  Shanganagh,  half  a  mile  E.  of 
Loughlinstown,  is  a  dolmen  marked  Cromlech  in  Ord.  Surv.  Map 
No.  26. 

This  is  usually  called  the  Shanganagh  dolmen.     Mr.  Henry  O'Neil  gives  a 


•  A-'>,^.- 


FlG.  374. — Ballybrack  (II.)  (Shanganagh).     Etched  from  a  photograph. 

description  and  illustration  of  it.  The  supporting-stones  are  four  in  number,  two 
on  either  side.  One  of  them  is  broken  off  in  the  middle,  and  the  one  opposite  to 
it  has  fallen  in.  On  these  the  covering-stone  rests.  It  is  nearly  7  feet  6  ins. 
square,  by  about  3  feet  thick.  The  under  side  is,  as  usual,  nearly  flat.  The  weight 
of  the  stone  is  probably  about  12  tons.  The  chamber  lies  E.  and  W.,  and 
measures  6  feet  7  ins.  long  by  2  feet  6  ins.  wide.  It  was  probably  5  feet  high. 
The  floor  is  of  clay,  and  the  material  of  the  dolmen  granite. 

"Trans.  Kilk.  Archseol.  Soc,"  vol.  ii.  (1852).     Mr.  O'Neil's  paper,  p.  40,  et  seqq. 

7.  At  Carrig-Gollane,  on  the  S.  flank  of  the  mountain  so 
called,  was  a  dolmen. 

Among  the  sketches  of  Mr.  Du  Noyer  there  is  one  of  a  dolmen  at  this  place, 
which  I  do  not  find,  however,  in  the  Ordnance  Maps.  It  is  mentioned  also  in 
Miss  Stokes's  MS.  list,  but  not  in  her  printed  "  Carte  des  dolmens  d'lrlande." 

7*.  In  the  Townland  of  Taylor's  Grange,  and  Parish  of 
Whitechurch,  i|  mile  S.W.  by  S.  of  Dundrum,  in  the  grounds  of 
Glensouthwell,  is  a  stone  monument  called  "  The  Druid's  Chair," 
possibly  the  remains  of  a  dolmen.  Beside  it  was  another  stone 
since  destroyed. 

The  Rev.  M.  H.  Close,  M.R.I.A.,  has  kindly  given  me  the  following  notes  upon 

it :  "  It  consists  of  three  blocks  of  granite,  forming  the  N.,  W.,  and  E.  sides.     The 

stone  on  the  W.  side  measures  g  feet  3  inches  in  height,  that  on  the  N.  8  feet 

I  inch  in  height,  and  that  on  the  E.  8  feet  9  inches  in  vertical  height,  but  measured 

VOL.    II.  G 


194 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


along  its  median  height  its  length  above  ground  is  9  feet  4  inches.  This  last 
stone  leans  against  the  N.  one,  and  it  also  leans  towards  the  S.  at  an  angle  of  23^ 
from  the  vertical.  The  flat  faces  of  the  three  stones,  clearly  joint  planes,  form  three 
sides  of  a  rectangle,  whose  open  side  looks  S.  10°  W.  (S.  5°  \V.,.true). 

*'  The  *  chair '  had  formerly  a  large  block  of  granite  beside  it  to  the  E.  by  N. 


Fig.  375. — Carrig-Gollanc.     From  an  original  drawing  l>j  G.  Dii  Noycr. 


This  was  broken  up  by  blasting  just  about  twenty  years  ago,  say  1876.  It  was 
described  by  Gabriel  Beranger  in  1776  as  a  'cromlech'  in  itself.  He  made  a 
drawing  of  it,  not  very  accurate,  on  account  of  its  being  enveloped  in  thorn  bushes, 
and  states  that  the  supporting-stones  were  three  in  number,  although  only  two  are 
shown  in  the  sketch." 

Mr.  Close  adds  that  when,  in  1861,  he  made  a  careful  sketch  of  this  stone,  it 
was  lying  on  the  ground  beside  the  "chair,"  and  he  makes  no  mention  of  supporters. 
The  stone  was  6  to  7  feet  in  diameter,  and  4  feet  thick. 

It  appears  to  me  to  be  more  probable  that  this  stone  was  either  a  part,  or 
intended  to  be  a  part,  of  the  "chair,"  than  that  it  was  an  independent  monument. 

8.  In  the  Townland  of  Kilmashoge,  and  Parish  of  White- 
church,  in  the  grounds  of  Larch  Hill,  3^  miles  S.  of  Rathfarnham, 
i^  mile  from  the  Glensouthwell  monument,  and  less  than  i^  mile 
from  Woodtown.  It  is  |  of  a  mile  from  a  cairn  with  a  vaulted 
chamber  on  the  summit  of  Tibradden  Hill,  an  urn  taken  from 
which  is  in  the  Mus.  R.I.  Academy,  and  i^  mile  from  a  cairn  on 
the  top  of  Two-Rock  Mountain,  not  yet  explored. 

The  Rev.  M.  H.  Close,  M.R.I. A.,  has  kindly  given  me  the  following  notes 
upon  this  dolmen  : — "  It  is  surrounded  by  a  circle  of  six  stones  lying  half-buried. 
Four  stones  of  the  dolmen  are  still  in  place,  and  there  are  two  smaller  blocks  near 
which  evidently  belonged  to  it.     There  are  two  side-stones  measuring  respectively 


County  of  Dublin.  395 


5  feet  6  inches  and  6  feet  in  height,  one  of  which  is  still  upright,  while  the  other 
has  succumbed  to  the  weight  of  the  cap-stone.  This  latter  measures  12  feet  4  inches 
long,  8  feet  4  inches  broad,  and  2  feet  thick.  It  rests  upon  the  prostrate  side- 
stone  in  such  a  position  that  it  keeps  the  side-stone  from  falling  flat  on  the  ground. 
Its  upper  end  is  distant  2  feet  9  inches  from  the  side-stone  which  still  remains 
upright,  and  Mr.  Close  observes  that  it  appears  utterly  impossible  for  it  ever  to 
have  touched  this  side-stone,  and  then  slipped  back  to  where  it  is.  As,  therefore, 
it  was  being  edged  up  to  the  standing-stone,  upon  the  top  of  which  presumably  it 
was  intended  to  rest,  some  accident  seems  to  have  happened,  so  that  it  fell  against 
the  side-stone  on  which  it  rests,  and  knocked  it  down.  It  is  therefore  an  unfinished 
structure.  Behind  the  cap-stone,  at  the  inner  side  of  the  cist,  rises  a  pillar-stone, 
perfectly  upright,  measuring  9  feet  10  inches  high,  with  an  almost  square  horizontal 
section,  averaging  3  feet  5  inches  in  the  side. 

I  found  a  pillar-stone  similarly  placed  behind  a  small  dolmen  buried  in  a 
tumulus,  and  beneath  which  were  burnt  bones,  in  a  tumulus  at  Tregiffian  in  the 
Parish  of  Buryan,  Cornwall.     (See  "Nrenia  Cornubi?e,"  p.  107.) 


396 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


COUNTY   OF   CARLOW. 

In  the  Barony  of  Rathvilly. 

1.  In  the  Townland  of  Ballybit,  and  Parish  of  Rathvilly,  was 

a  dolmen  not  marked  in  Ord.  Surv.  Maps  Nos.  3  and  4. 

Mr.  R.  jMalcolmson  states  that  a  "  cromleac  of  hexagonal  form,  rudely  carved 
at  the  top "  [!],  existed  on  this  estate.  An  urn  was  found  "  under  a  granite 
boulder  "  in  the  same  Townland. 

Carltno  Sentinel,  Nov.  23rd,  1861  ;  "  Kilk.  and  S.E,  of  Ir.  A.S.,"  New  Ser.  (1862),  vol. 
iv.  p.  12. 

2.  In  the  Townland  of  Haroldstown,  and  Parish  of  Harolds- 
town,  is  a  dolmen  marked  Cromlech  in  Ord.   Surv.   Map  No.   9. 


Fig.  376.— Haroldstown.     Etched  from  a  photograph. 

It  Stands  on  the  E.  bank  of  the  River  Derreen,  opposite  the 
Townland  of  Tobinstown,  and  in  the  land  adjoining  Acaun(or 
Accaun)  Bridge. 

This  dolmen*  has  been  sometimes  called  the  Accaun,  and  sometimes  the 
Tobinstown  dolmen.  Grose's  description  of  it  is  extremely  inaccurate.  He 
regards,  for  example,  the  two  long  covering-stones  as  one  stone,  to  which  he  gives 
a  length  of  23  feet.  He  mentions,  however,  the  very  interesting  fact  that  in  his 
day  "  from  the  portico  "—as  he  terms  the  arrangement  of  stones  at  the  N.  end  of 
the  structure— stretched  "a  sort  of  avenue  about  40  yards  long,  formed  of  some 
irregular  hillocks,"  and  "which  led  to  the  portico."  Since  this  feature  is  shown  in 
his  otherwise  worthless  drawing,  and  as  the  river  appears  from  it  to  have  been 


County  of  Carlow. 


197 


nearer  the  dolmen  than  it  is  at  present,  I  reproduce  it  from  his  "  Antiquities  of 
Ireland." 

A  family  at  one  time  lived  in  this  dolmen,  which  has  a  singularly  house-like 


Fig.  377. — Haroldstown.     From  Grose. 

appearance,  and  in  order  to  keep  the  cold  out,  plastered  up  the  interstices  with  cob, 
some  of  which  is  still  to  be  seen  between  the  stones. 

The  chamber  lies,  according  to  my  compass,  nearly  due  N.  and  S.,  although 
Grose  speaks  of  the  higher  end,  where 
the  portico  is,  as  the  W.  end.  In  the 
centre  it  has  an  internal  breadth  of  9  feet, 
but  I  think  several  of  the  stones  on  the 
W.  side  have  suffered  displacement.  From 
this  point  it  narrows  to  4  feet  broad  at 
the  S.  end,  under  the  smaller  of  the  two 
cap-stones.     It  is  12  or  14  feet  long. 

The  larger  and  higher  roofing-stone  is 
somewhat  pear-shaped  superficially,  and 
when  looked  at  vertically  resembles  a 
mushroom  top,  being  thicker  at  the  middle 
than  at  the  edges.  It  measures  13  feet 
6  ins.  in  length,  about  13  feet  in  extreme 
breadth  near  the  S.  end,  tapering  to  4  feet 
where  it  protrudes  over  the  portico.  It 
is  flat  on  the  under  side,  but  on  the  top 
it  is  deeply  channeled  and  hollowed  into 
basins,  and  what  might  be  called  cups, 
evidently  by  the  action  of  water.  At  the 
N.  end  it  rests  upon  the  end  stone  of  the 
chamber  and  upon  the  two  side-stones, 
which,  together  with  it,  form  the  ante- 
chamber, or  portico.  The  arrangement  is 
exactly  similar  to  that  at  Brenanstown  in 
Dublin.  At  the  S.  end  the  large  roofing- 
stone  rests  on  the  N.  end  of  the  second 
and  lower  one.  This  latter  measures  10 
feet  from  E.  to  W.,  by  8  feet  from  N.  to  S 


Fig.  378.— Haroldstown. 
Author. 


Plan  by  the 
At  the  S.  end  it  is  partly  buried  in  a 


398  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 

bank  of  earth  and  stones.  The  upper  surface  is  also  channeled  and  pitted  like  the 
larger  stone.  The  thickness  of  the  larger  stone  is  from  2  feet  to  3  feet  9  ins. ;  that 
of  the  smaller  about  2  feet. 

The  E.  side  of  the  chamber,  including  the  portico,  is  composed  of  five  stones, 
marked  A  to  E.  A  measures  4  feet  5  ins.  long,  4  feet  2  ins.  high  externally,  where 
a  bank  abuts  on  it,  but  about  6  feet  internally,  and  14  ins.  thick;  B  =  3  feet 
4  ins.  long,  6  feet  6  ins.  high  internally,  and  i  foot  thick ;  C  =  2  feet  9  ins.  long, 
3  feet  S  ins.  high  externally,  and  i  foot  6  ins.  thick ;  D  =  4  feet  long,  3  feet  5  ins. 
high,  1  foot  4  ins.  thick;  E  =  3  feet  long,  i  foot  high,  i  foot  thick.  The  W.  side 
of  the  chamber  may  also  be  said  to  be  composed  of  five  stones,  marked  F,  G,  H, 
K,  L.  F  =  4  feet  3  ins.  long,  6  feet  2  ins.  high,  and  i  foot  2  ins.  thick.  Between 
it  and  the  lumpy  block  G,  which  is  out  of  line,  as  also  is  H,  behind  it,  is  a  sort  of 
entrance  into  the  chamber,  formed,  I  suspect,  by  the  people  who  inhabited  it,  and  no 
part  of  the  original  design.  This  stone,  G,  =  2  feet  8  ins.  long,  by  2  feet  broad,  and 
about  3  feet  high ;  H  =  5  feet  long,  5  feet  5  ins.  high,  and  2  feet  broad  ;  K  =  5 
feet  9  ins.  long,  3  feet  8  ins.  high,  and  10  ins.  thick ;  L  =  3  feet  long,  and 
almost  buried.  An  artificial  bank  about  6  feet  broad,  and  containing  several  large 
stones,  rises  against  the  side  of  the  structure  on  the  S.W.  The  stone  which  forms 
the  partition  between  the  portico  and  the  chamber  measures  6  feet  high,  3  feet  6  ins. 
broad,  and  2  feet  thick  in  the  centre.  The  portico  measures  internally  3  feet  on 
the  E.  side,  2  feet  6  ins.  on  the  W.,  and  3  feet  6  ins.  on  the  S.  It  is,  therefore, 
nearly  a  square,  with  the  N.  side  open,  over  which  the  end  of  the  cap-stone  pro- 
trudes about  2  feet  6  ins.  The  area  of  this  portico  is  choked  up  with  large  stones, 
and  others  of  equal  size  lie  in  disorder  in  the  bank  without.  A  line  of  stones  buried 
in  a  bank,  and  running  parallel  with  A,  represents  possibly  the  remains  of  an  outer 
range,  or  peristyle. 

"  Antiquities  of  Irel.ind,"  by  Grove,  vols,  i.,  xi.,  and  plate  ;  "  History  and  Antiquities  of 
Carlow,"  by  John  Ryan  (Dublin,  1833),  p.  353  ;  I'roc.  R.LA.  (1882),  Paper  by  Mr.  Kinahan,  with 
plate;   W.  C.  B.,  Note-book,  1895. 

In  the  Barony  of  Carlow. 

I,  2,  3.  In  the  Townland  of  Kernanstown,  and  Parish  of 
Urghin,  two  miles  E.  of  Carlow,  to  the  N.  of  Browne's  Hill,  or 
Browneshill  House,  also  called  Mount  Browne,  are  three  dolmens. 
The  largest  of  the  three  is  marked  Cromlech  in  Ord.  Surv.  Map 
No.  7. 

There  are  three  dolmens  on  this  hill.  One  is  of  enormous  proportions,  the  two 
others  are  smaller.  The  former  has  been  described  by  Ryan,  Ledwich,  and  G.  Du 
Noyer.  Of  one  of  the  latter  there  is  a  drawing  and  plan  in  Miss  Stokes's 
collection  of  drawings  of  dolmens.  The  remaining  one  is  situated  a  distance  of 
50  yards  to  the  N.  of  the  latter. 

The  great  dolmen  stands  in  the  centre  of  a  large  flat  field  in  permanent 
pasture,  and  has  no  trace  of  a  bank  or  cairn  near  it.  It  consists  of  a  splendid  block 
of  granite,  the  longer  axis  of  which  is  N.  and  S.,  raised  at  an  angle  of  35  degrees  to 
the  horizon,  upon  four  blocks,  three  of  which,  pillar-like,  support  its  E.  side,  at  a 
height  of  6  feet  above  the  floor,  while  one  sustains  its  lower  and  W.  side,  at  a 
height  of  only  about  2  feet  above  ground. 

The  following  are  my  measurements  of  the  block  thus  elevated  into  position  : 
Superficial  measurement  from  N.K.  to  S.W.,   23^  feet;  ditto  from  N.W.  to  S.E., 


County  of  Carlow. 


399 


22  feet;  girth,  65  feet ;  thickness  at  W.  side,  6  feet ;  at  S.  side,  5  feet;  at  E.  side, 
6  feet ;  and  at  N.  side,  4  feet. 

Mr.  Du  Noyer's  measurements  make  it  somewhat  less.     He  makes  the  length 


Fig.  379. — Kernanstown.     Etched  from  a  pliotograph. 

of    the   stone    22  feet    10  ins.,  the   breadth    18  feet   9    ins.,    and  the   thickness 
4  feet  6  ins.     Even  then  his  estimate  for  its  weight  was  no  tons,  but  it  is  not 
so  much.    (See  estimated  weights 
of  covering-stones  in  Part  11.) 

In  any  case,  it  is,  I  believe, 
the  largest  block  raised  from 
the  ground  by  the  dolmen- 
builders  which  is  known,  not 
only  in  the  British  Isles,  but  on 
the  continent  of  Europe. 

It  covers  what  may  be  called 
a  chamber,  open  at  each  end, 
the  greatest  width  of  the  opening 
at  the  N.  end  being  8  feet,  and 
at  the  S.  end  4  feet.  On  the 
E.  side  at  the  S.  end  of  the  line 
of  three  pillars  stands  a  fourth 
block,  which  does  not  support 
the  incumbent  rock. 

With  regard  to  the  block  on 
which  it  rests  on  the  N.W.,  and 
to  another  which  lies  beside  it  to 
the  S.,  and  which  together  form 
the  W.  side   of  the  passage  or  vault,  the  question  naturally  arises  as  to  whether 


Fig.  380. — Kernanstown.     Plan  hy  the  Author. 


403 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


they  ever  stood  upright,  like  those  opposite  them,  and  sustained  the  block  on 
their  summits.  I  do  not  think  they  did,  for  had  they  done  so,  and  subsequently 
fallen,  they  would  not  have  fallen  into  the  positions  in  which  they  now  lie.  The 
measurements  of  these  two  stones  are — A,  from  N.W.  to  S.E,  7  feet  6  ins.  ; 
from  N.E.  to  S.W.,  7  feet  3  ins. ;  height  variable,  but  about  2  feet.  B,  length 
8  feet ;  greatest  breadth  2  feet  8  ins. ;  height  2  feet.  The  four  stones  on  the  E. 
side  measure— C,  3  feet  3  ins.  long,  2  feet  9  ins.  broad,  5  feet  high  ;  D,  5  feet 
long,  2  feet  9  ins.  broad,  6  feet  high ;  E,  4  feet  6  ins.  long,  3  feet  broad,  9  feet 
high ;  F,  6  feet  long,  4  feet  broad,  6  feet  6  ins.  high. 


Ryan,  "  Hist,  of  Carlow,"  Dublin,  1833  ;  Ledwich,  "Antiquities  of  Ireland  ; "  Du  Noyer,  "  Kilk. 
Archa-ol.  Journ.,"  vol.  i.  (1868),  p.  40;  Kinahan,  Proc.  R.I. A.  (1882)  ;  Miss  Stokes,  MS.  "Notes 
on  Dolmens;"  W.  C.  B.,  Note-book,  1895. 

In  the  Barony  of  Forth. 

I.  In  the  Townland  of  Ballynoe,  als.  Newtown,  and  Parish  of 
Ardoyne,  at  Aghade  Lodge,  on  the  River  Slaney.  The  dolmen 
is  not  marked  on  Ord.   Surv.   Map  No.   13.     On  the  N.  of  the 


wt^>^^ 


Fig.  381. — Ballynoe  (Aghade).     Etched  from  a  photograph. 

Townland  of  Aghade,  which  lies  on  the  W.  side  of  the  river, 
opposite  to  that  in  which  Aghade  Lodge  is,  the  holed  stone  called 
Clochaphoill  is  marked. 

At  this  place  was  "  a  dolmen  and  several  pillar-stones,"  some  of  the  latter  8  feet 
in  height,  described  in  the  Ord.  Surv.  Letters  as  being  "  channeled  from  the  tops 
on  all  sides  to  the  middle."  "  This  dolmen,"  it  is  added,  "  possessed  a  peculiar 
roofing-stone,  having  grooves  down  the  side,  giving  it  the  appearance  of  the  body  of 
an  animal  with  protruding  ribs ;  or,  on  the  underpart,  that  of  a  sow's  dugs." 

This  peculiarity  of  grooves,  or  ribs,  is  not  uncommon  in  waterworn  boulders  of 
granite.  In  several  parts  of  Ireland  natural  rocks  are  to  be  found  presenting  this 
peculiarity,  as  near  Bunbeg  on  the  coast  of  Donegal ;  and  wherever  this  is  the  case, 
it  seems  that  some  superstition  attaches  to  them. 


O.S.L.,  Co.  Carlow, 


14 


B.  14' 


p.  404. 


(     40I     ) 


COUNTY  OF  KILDARE. 

In  the  Barony  of  Narragh  and  Reban  East. 

I.   In  the  Townland  of  Colbinstown,  and  Parish  of  Davids- 
town,  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  boundary  of  the  County  of 


^=^*^^fesw 


Fig.  382. — Colbinstown  (Killeen  Cormaic).     From  a  drazving  by  Sir  Samuel  Fergusson. 

Wicklow,  is  a  chambered  tumulus  marked  Killeencoimtack  Grave- 
yard m  Ord.  Surv.  Map  No.  32. 

This  tumulus  is  mentioned  and  a  plan  of  it  and  the  country  surrounding  are 
given  by  the  Rev.  W.  Shearman,  in  his  "  Loca  Patriciana."  A  drawing  of  it  by 
Sir  Samuel  Fergusson  is  published  in  the  Proc.  of  the  R.I.A.  The  end  of  a  natural 
"esker"  is  fashioned  into  an  oval  tumulus,  on  the  summit  of  which  an  oblong 
depression  marks  the  site  of  a  primitive  church.  There  is  a  central  vault  or 
chamber  under  the  tumulus,  and  on  the  E.  side  of  the  mound  was  a  grooved  stone 
similar  to  ones  found  in  the  dolmen  of  Carrickglass  in  Tyrone,  and  in  a  passage  at 
Dowth,  which  seemed  to  have  been  one  of  the  jambs  of  the  entrance  to  it.  There 
was  another  chamber  on  the  other  side  of  the  mound,  the  entrance  to  which  was 
closed  by  a  thin  slab.  The  whole  mound  was  covered  with  graves,  and  there  was 
also  an  inscribed  stone  on  which  were  both  Roman  and  ogham  letters. 

Proc.  R.I.A. ,  vol,  i.  (1879),  p.  123  ;  Shearman,  "Loca  Patriciana." 


402  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


COUNTY  OF  KILKENNY. 

In  the  Barony  of  Galmoy. 

1,2.  In  the  Tovvnland  of  Ballynaslee,  and  Parish  of  Durrow, 
were  two  dolmens,  called  respectively  Cloghan-carnecny  and 
Mainsair  Asal.  Two  stones  are  marked  in  Ord.  Surv.  Map 
No.  4,  near  a  fort  in  this  Townland. 

At  this  place,  according  to  Tighe,  was  "  a  great  stone,  called  in  Irish  Cloghan 
£arncen.  It  was  about  15  feet  long  by  nearly  8  feet  broad,  and  20  inches  thick,  and 
was  supported  on  six  or  eight  large  stones  which  stood  in  the  side  of  a  cavity,  and 
raised  it  3  feet  above  the  ground.  Beneath  was  a  place  hollowed  out  and  floored 
with  stones."  The  monument  was  destroyed,  the  hollow  place  only  remaining,  in 
one  angle  of  which,  when  the  stone  was  broken,  was  found  a  heap  of  bones,  with 
teeth  like  those  of  pigs. 

On  the  hill,  a  hundred  yards  above,  a  cavity  appeared,  from  which  the  great 
stone  might  have  been  raised,  and  slipped  down  upon  its  supporters. 

Not  far  from  this  dolmen,  adds  the  same  writer,  was  "a  square  enclosure, 
formed  of  four  large,  upright  stones,  with  two  others  forming  a  roof  Three  or 
four  side-stones  had  been  taken  away.  On  digging  within,  human  bones,  it  was 
said,  had  been  found.  The  earth  around  it  was  raised.  The  entrance  was  at 
an  angle. 

This  latter  monument  was  called  in  Irish  Mainsair  Asal,  or  the  Asses'  Manger, 
a  name  which  occurs  again  in  the  case  of  a  dolmen  at  Manger  in  the  Queen's 
County,  about  12  miles  to  the  N.W. 

On  the  hill  above  was  "  an  elliptical  enclosure,  40  yards  by  34,  surrounded  by 
a  bank  of  small  stones.  A  pit  and  heap  had  been  made  in  it.  To  the  N.  and  E. 
of  this,  on  the  side  of  the  hill,  were  marks  of  small  enclosures,  and  foundation  walls 
showing  the  site  of  an  inconsiderable  town.  A  small,  oblong  building  was  said  to 
have  been  a  chapel.  Among  these  enclosures  were  seven  or  eight  circular  pits, 
mostly  filled  up,  about  12  feet  wide  at  top,  narrower  below,  their  sides  formed  of 
stones.  Between  this  hill  and  the  river,  a  great  many  human  bones  have  been 
found,  and  among  others,  a  skeleton  enclosed  between  flags. 

"Stat.  Account  of  the  County  of  Kilkenny,"  by  W.  Tighe  (Dublin  Society,  1802),  p.  625. 

3.  In  the  7'ownland  of  Ballyspellan,  and  Parish  of  P^rtagh, 
was  a  dolmen  not  marked  in  Ord.  Surv.  Map  No.  8.  There  is 
a  large  rath,  or  ring,  in  this  Townland.  The  dolmen  is  called 
"  Cloch-Bannagh,  or  the  Stone  of  Blessing,  by  the  country-people." 

Tighe  describes  this  as  "  a  very  large  stone,  which  was  formerly  supported  on 
smaller  ones."     *'  Not  far  from  it  was  a  conical  stone  lying  on  its  side." 
"  Stat.  Account  of  the  County  of  Kilkenny,"  by  \V.  Tighe,  p.  625. 


County  of  Kilkenny, 


40: 


In  the  Barony  of  Fassadinin. 

I.  In  the  Townland  of  Coan  West,  and  Parish  of  Dysart,  was 
a  dolmen  or  cist  not  marked  in  Ord.  Surv.  Maps  Nos.  6  or  11. 

Dr.  Anderson  stated  that  it  was  reported  to  him  that  "a  large  sepulchral 
chamber,  covered  by  a  massive  stone,  6  feet  long,  and  containing  an  earthen  vessel 
filled  with  burned  human  bones,  which  was  destroyed,"  had  been  discovered  at 
this  place,  some  years  before  he  wrote. 

"Trans.  Kilk.  Arch.-eol.  Soc,"  vol.  i.  {1849),  p.  28. 

In  the  Barony  of  Gowran. 

I.  In  the  Townland  of  Dangan,  and  Parish  of  Columbkille,  to 
the  S.E.  of  Thomastown,  on  the  E.  bank  of  the  river  Nore,  is  a 
dolmen  not  marked  in  Ord.  Surv.  Map  No.  28. 

The  dolmen  here  is  thus  described :  '*  The  cap-stone  measures  1 2  feet  square. 
It  rests  quite  flatly  on  three  supports,  and  weighs  about  3  tons.  There  is  a 
remarkable  feature  in  it,  namely,  that  these  supports,  which  appear,  however,  to  be 
only  18  inches  in  height,  are  not  single  stones,  as  is  usually  the  case,  but  that  each 
one  consists  of  two  or  three  joints,  or  different  pieces."  This  mode  of  construction 
is  found  in  the  case  of  some  of  the  dolmens  of  North  Africa. 

"  Near  it  are  some  groups  of  standing-stones ;  and,  within  the  limits  of  three 
townlands  around,  are  no  less  than  thirty-six  large  and  perfect  barrows. 

"  Near  one  of  these  barrows  a  gold  torque  was  found  in  ploughing." 

'•Trans.  Kilk.  Archoeol.  Soc,"  vol.  i.  {1849),  p.  26. 

In  the  Barony  of  Knocktopher. 

I,  2.   In  the  Townland  of  Ballylowra,  and  Parish  of  Jerpoint 


Fig.  383. — Ballylowra  (I.).     From  the  "  Trans.  Kilk.  ArcJucoi.  Soc." 


404 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


Church,  are  two  dolmens,  one  at  Ballylowra,  the  other  a  quarter 
of  a  mile  distant.  The  second  is  called  "  Cloch-na-Gobhar.' 
Neither  is  marked  in  Ord.  Surv.  Map  No.  32. 

The  existence  of  a  dolmen  at  Ballylowra  is  mentioned  by  the  Rev.  James 
Graves  in  describing  the  Cloch-na-Gobhar. 

The  latter,  to  judge  by  the  drawing  which   Mr.   Graves  gives  of  it,  is  very 


Fig.  384. — Ballylowra  (II.).     From  a  drazviiig  by  the  Rev.  James  Graves. 


similar  to  that  called  the  Cloiche-leithe  in  the  Townland  of  Glencloghlea  {vide  infra). 
It  is,  he  says,  of  peculiar  construction,  one  end  of  the  covering-stone  resting  on 
the  rocky  surface  of  the  hill,  and  the  other  on  two  uprights.  The  covering-stone 
measures  12  feet  4  ins.  long  by  6  feet  10  ins.  wide,  and  is,  on  an  average,  i  foot 
8  ins.  thick. 

"Trans.  Kilk.  Archseol.  Soc,"  vol.  i.  (1850),  p.  130. 

3.  In  the  Townland  of  Derrynahinch,  and  Parish  of  Derryna- 
hinch,  was  a  dolmen  not  marked  in  Ord.  Surv.  Map  No.  32. 

This  monument  is  described  as  "  one  of  those  ancient  stone  enclosures  called 
"  Leaba  Diarmada  is  Ghraine."  It  is  of  an  oblong  form,  having  eight  upright  stones 
on  the  S.  side,  six  on  the  N.,  and  one  at  the  W.  end,  the  stones  varying  from  4  to 
6  feet  in  height,  and  from  4  to  3  feet  in  breadth, 

O.S.L.,  Kilk.,  ^^,  p.  131. 
E.  I 

4.  In  the  Townland  of  Castlemorris,  and  Parish  of  Aghaviller, 
between  Castlemorris  and  Kilmacoliver,  was  a  dolmen  not  marked 
in  Ord.  Surv.  Map  No.  31. 

There  was  a  dolmen  here,  and  also  a  pillar-stone  prostrate  at  the  date  of  the 
Ord.  Survey. 


O.S.L.,  Kilk., 


E.  i' 


p.  130. 


County  of  Kilkenny. 


405 


5,  6.  In  the  Townland  of  Ballynoony  West,  and  Parish  of 
Kilbeacon,  there  were  two  dolmens.  Neither  of  these  is  marked 
in  Ord.  Surv.  Map  No.  40 ;  but  one  of  them  is  perhaps  indicated 
by  a  circle  of  stones  around  a  central  one.  It  is  near  the  hamlet 
of  Ballynoony  South. 

The  name  of  this  Townland  has  been  derived  from  baile-inneona,  i.e.  "  town  of 
the  anvil."  Within  its  limits  there  is  "a  Giant's  Grave,"  12  feet  long,  and  4  feet 
wide.  This  monument  was  originally  enclosed  by  lines,  or,  rather,  a  fence  of  large 
standing  stones,  three  of  which  remained  at  the  time  of  the  Survey  on  the  N.  side, 
about  the  middle,  one  on  the  S.  side,  and  one  at  the  E.  end.  They  varied  from 
3  to  4  feet  in  height,  inclining  very  much  inwards. 

There  was  another  monument  of  the  same  character  about  half-a-mile  N.E.  of 
this  one,  of  which  two  of  the  stones  only  remained  upright,  while  some  half  a  dozen 
or  so  lay  prostrate. 

The  Lackmore  marked  on  the  map  in  this  townland  is  a  large  menhir.  Near 
this  was  a  cairn  in  which  cists  and  urns  were  found. 

O.S.L.,  Kilk.,  -  "*-,  p.  145  ;  cf.  "Trans.  Kilk.  Archoeol.  Soc,"  vol.  i.  (1849),  pp.  27,  28, 

7.  In  the  Townland  of  Ballymartin,  and  Parish  of  Listerlin, 
is  a  dolmen  not  marked  in  Ord.  Surv.  Maps  Nos.  36  or  40, 
called  by  the  people  "  The  Pooka's  Grave." 

The  Rev.  P.  Moore  records  the  existence  of  a  dolmen  in  this  Townland.  It 
was  of  the  class  known  to  him  as  "  Giants'  Graves,"  and  measured  about  14  feet  long 
and  4  feet  wide,  its  sides  secured  by  coarse 
upright  flags,  which  were  quite  perfect  and 
uninjured  in  1849.  It  lay  E.  and  W.  The 
spot  where  it  stood  was  considered  a  favourite 
haunt  of  the  "Good  People." 

In  a  rock  forming  the  bed  of  an  adjoin- 
ing stream,  is  a  track  somewhat  resembling 
the  impression  of  a  human  foot,  which  the 
people  call  the  "  Pooka's  Footprint." 

"Trans.  Kilk.  Archoeol.  Soc,"  vol.  i.  (1849), 
p.  12. 

8.  In  the  Townland  of  Kil- 
mogue,  and  Parish  of  Fiddown,  is 
a  dolmen  marked  Leac-an-Scail  in 
Ord.  Surv.  Map  No,  35.  Tighe 
calls  it  Lachan  Scakl,  and  Mason, 
Leac-an-Sgail.  The  name  is  de- 
rived from  leac,  a  "  flagstone,"  and 
seal,  a  "champion."  This  name  is  also  given  to  a  dolmen  in  the 
County  of  Kerry. 


Fig.    385.— "The     Leac-an-Scail,"     Kil- 
'-  mogue.     Reduced  from  a  large  drawing 
by  G.  Dii  Noyer. 


4o6 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


Of  this  dolmen,  which  is  the  most  remarkable  in  the  County  of  Kilkenny, 
Tighe  says:  "The  upper  stone  is  45  feet  in  circumference,  and  is  supported 
before  upon  three  upright  stones,  two  of  which  are  12  feet  high,  and  one  9  feet 
high,  being  further  in.  The  other  end  rests  on  an  horizontal  stone,  propt  up  by 
others,  forming  (with  side-stones,  in  all  nine)  a  small  enclosure  under  the  lower  part 


Fig.  386.  — "The  Leac-an-Scail,"  Kilmogue.     J^rom  a  draiving  by  IVakeman  in  the  Ord.  Sun: 

Sketches. 

of  the  great  stone,  which  is  6  feet  from  the  ground  at  the  lower  end,  and  15  feet  at 
the  upper.     It  slopes  to  the  S.S.W.     The  stones  are  all  silicious  breccia." 


Fig.  387. — Leac-an-Scail,  Kilmogue.     From  the  ^^  Archaologia,'^  vol.  xvi.  pi.  18. 
Mason,    after    describing    other    Kilkenny    dolmens,    says :     "  But    the    most 


County  of  Kilkenny.  407 

stupendous  work  of  this  nature,  as  well  as  the  most  perfect,  is  that  called  Leac-an- 
sgail.  .  .  .  The  vast  altar-stone  is  16  feet  in  length,  12  feet  in  breadth,  and  2  feet 
6  ins.  in  thickness,  with  an  elevation  from  the  E.  of  upwards  of  15  feet.  ...  It  is 
supported  by  high  rocks,  standing  upright  on  their  edges,  in  such  a  manner  as  to 
strike  every  beholder  with  awe  and  astonishment." 

The  Rev.  James  Graves  says  that  the  highest  point  of  the  covering-stone  is  18 
feet  above  the  base  of  the  monument. 

As  in  the  instance  of  the  dolmen  in  the  "  Giant's  Ring,"  at  BalUnahatty  in 
Down,  a  circular  embankment,  or  rath,  formerly  surrounded  the  spot  where  this 
dolmen  stands. 

Eugene  O'Curry,  in  the  "  Ord.  Surv.  Letters,"  describes  this  dolmen  as  "  the  finest 
he  ever  saw."  He  says  that  Mason  (Sandys)  "  has  well  described  it,"  and  terms 
Tighe's  account  as  "accurate  also."  It  has  been  sketched  at  various  times,  and 
from  several  points  of  view,  by  G.  Du  Noyer,  W.  F.  Wakeman,  and  others. 

"Stat.  Account  of  the   County  of  Kilkenny,"  by  W.  Tighe,  pp.  621,   624;     "Trans.  Kilk. 

Archreol.  Soc,"  vol.  i.  p.  129;  O.S.L.,  Kilk.,  ^T,  p^  20S,  et  seqq.;  "  Stat.  Account  of  the  Union 

of  Fiddown,"  by  J.  Sandys,  in  "  Mason's  Survey  of  Ireland,"  vol.  i.  pp.  364,  365. 

In  the  Barony  of  Kells. 

I.  In  the  Townland  of  Frankfort,  and  Parish  of  Killamery, 
was  a  dolmen  not  marked  in  Ord.  Surv.  Map  No.  30,  but  a 
tumulus  is  indicated  in  Frankfort  East. 

Mr.  Dunn  records  the  fact  that  in  a  tumulus  levelled  at  this  place  by  a  farmer 
shortly  before  the  year  1849,  "acromleac"  had  been  found,  the  scattered  stones 
of  which  were  then  to  be  seen.  It  was  in  the  centre  of  the  tumulus,  but  it  was  not 
ascertained  whether  human  bones  had  been  found  in  it. 

"Trans.  Kilk.,  Archceol.  Soc,"  vol.  i.  (1849),  P-  26. 

In  THE  Barony  of  Iverk. 

1.  In  the  Townland  of  Mullenbeg,  adjoining  that  of  Booly- 
glass  on  the  S.,  and  Parish  of  Fiddown,  was  a  dolmen  marked 
Cromlech  in  Ord.  Surv.  Map  No.  35.  There  is  also  a  rock 
marked  Carricktriss. 

There  is  a  dolmen  in  this  townland,  and  a  large  rock,  which  seem  to  be 
wrongly  placed  by  the  writer  of  the  "  Ord.  Serv.  Letters "  in  the  townland  of 
Boolyglass,  or  Bolliglas. 

14 
O.S.L.,  Kilk.,  TTT,,  P-  130- 

H..   I 

2.  In  the  Townland  of  Garryduff,  and  Parish  of  Owning,  was 
a  dolmen  marked  Lcaba-na-con  in  Ord.  Surv.  Map  No.  35. 

Eugene  O'Curry  describes  this  as  an  oblong  enclosure,  fenced  in  by  large  upright 
stones,  three  of  which  remained  standing  on  the  E.  side,  one  on  the  West,  and  one 
prostrate  near  it.  Four  more  of  them  had  been  thrown  out  of  their  places — three 
on  the  AV.,  and  one  on  the  E.  side.  The  people  of  the  place  asserted  that  the 
stones  of  this  enclosure  amounted  to  over  fifty  in  number,  forty  years  previous  to- 


4o8  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


the  Survey.  The  "  grave  "  appeared  to  have  been  3  feet  9  ins.  wide.  The  highest 
of  the  standing  stones  was  5  feet  by  4  feet  6  ins.  broad. 

At  the  foot  of  the  hill  was  a  large  flagstone,  1 1  feet  high,  and  from  5  feet  6  ins. 
to  2  feet  wide,  and  2  feet  thick.  The  S.  side  of  it  was  very  rough,  the  other  sides 
smooth, 

Tighe  mentions  these  monuments,  and  also  stone  circles  near  them.  "  On  the 
upper  part  of  the  hill  of  Garridufif,"  he  says,  "  is  a  place  called  Lcibe-na-cuhn,  or 
the  Dogs  Grave.  It  is  somewhat  hollow  in  the  centre.  There  were  sixteen  stones, 
placed  in  four  rows,  but  two  or  three  have  been  taken  away.  The  largest  are  about 
6  feet  high.  The  two  centre  rows  were  4  feet  distant,  and  had  five  stones  each, 
close  to  each  other.  The  outer  rows  were  closer  to  the  others,  and  had  three 
stones  each.  There  might  have  been  more  stones.  A  large  stone  lies  against 
the  ditch  near  it,  and  there  were  said  to  have  been  formerly  stones  covering 
these,  and  forming  cells.  Some  burnt  bones  were  said  to  have  been  found  near 
the  surface."  "  Lower  down,"  he  adds,  "  on  the  lands  of  Garriduff,  were  the 
remains  of  enclosures,  or  stones  deposited  by  art,  and  about  300  yards  lower 
down  stands  a  tapering  stone,  10  feet  8  ins.  high,  at  the  base  6  feet  round,  in 
thickness  varying,  from  one  side  to  the  other,  from  2  feet  to  10  inches.  In  other 
places  upright  stones,  as  well  as  some  ancient  heaps,  were  seen." 

"Stat.  Surv.  of  the  County  of  Kilkenny,"  by  W.  Tighe,  p.  627  ;  O.S.L.,  Kilk.,  -^ ,  pp.  193, 

E.  I 
208;   "Stat.  Account  of  the  Union  of  Fiddown,"  by  J.  Sandys,  in  "Mason's  Survey,"  vol.  i. 
p.  364. 

3,  4.  In  the  Townland  of  Owning,  and  Parish  of  Owning,  were 
two  dolmens,  one  of  them  marked  Druid's  Altar  in  Ord.  Surv. 
Map  No.  35.  It  is  a  short  distance  N.  of  Owning  Church,  and 
near  it  is  a  well  called  Toberitna. 

Mason  mentions  the  "cromleac"  here  as  being  "  of  the  same  construction 
as  that  at  Carrick-na-gawg"  (see  below),  but  the  altar-piece  (so  he  calls  the 
covering-stone)  "  had  fallen  from  its  position."  The  length  of  the  covering-stone 
was  about  9  feet  6  ins.,  its  breadth  7  feet,  and  its  greatest  thickness  2  feet.  It 
rested  on  three  supporters  in  front  and  two  behind,  and  sloped  to  the  S.S.W.  It 
had  two  side-stones,  making  a  cell. 

There  was,  he  adds,  another  "  cromleac  "  on  the  side  of  the  hill,  entire,  but  low, 
and  filled  up  with  loose  stones. 

"  Stat.  Account  of  the  Union  of  Fiddown,"  by  J.  Sandys,  in  "  Mason's  Survey,"  vol.  i.  p.  364. 

5,  6.  In  the  Townland  of  Ballyhenebery,  and  Parish  of  Owning, 
were  two  dolmens  not  marked  in  Ord.  Surv.  Map  No.  38. 

Eugene  O'Curry  mentions  a  prostrate  dolmen  at  this  place.  It  was  supported, 
he  says,  by  four  or  five  upright  stones,  three  of  which  were  standing  in  their  original 
position,  the  others  being  prostrate.  The  covering-stone  was  16  feet  long,  10  feet 
4  ins.  broad,  and  3  feet  thick. 

It  would  appear  that  there  was  a  second  dolmen  on  the  same  townland,  a  mile 
E.  of  the  one  at  Killonerry  (see  below).  The  length  of  the  covering-stone  was 
15  feet,  its  breadth  12  feet  6  ins.,  and  its  thickness  3  feet. 

O.S.L.,  Kilk.,   ^"*  ,  p.  188. 
E.  I 


County  of  Kilkenny,  409 

7.  In  the  Townland  of  Killonerry,  and  Parish  of  Whitechurch, 
is  a  dolmen  not  marked  in  Ord.  Surv.  Map  No.  38. 

The  covering-stone  of  this  measured  1 2  feet  long,  9  feet  9  ins.  broad,  and  i  foot 
6  ins.  thick.     The  monument  had  partly  fallen. 

"  Stat.  Account  of  the  Union  of  Fiddown,"  by  J.  Sandys,  in  "  Mason's  Survey,"  vol.  i.  p.  364. 

8.  In  the  Townland  of  Raheen,  and  Parish  of  Fiddown,  to  the 
N.W.  of  Bessborough,  and  adjoining  on  the  W.  the  Townland  and 
Wood  of  Tinnakilly,  is  a  dolmen  not  marked  in  Ord.  Surv.  No.  39. 

This  is  mentioned  as  a  "  small  cromliagh." 

"  Stat.  Account  of  the  Union  of  Fiddown,"  by  J.  Sandys,  in  "Mason's  Survey,"  vol.  i.  p.  364. 

9.  In  the  Townland  of  Tubbrid,  and  Parish  of  Tubbrid,  is  a 
dolmen  not  marked  in  Ord.  Surv.  Map  No.  39.  Saint  Bridget's 
Holy  Well  is  in  the  same  Townland. 

It  is  stated  that  there  was  a  "  cromliagh  "  on  this  townland. 
"Stat.  Account  of  the  Union  of  Fiddown,"  by  J.  Sandys,  in  "Mason's  Survey,"  vol.  i.  p.  364. 

10.  In  the  Townland  of  Licketstown  (written  by  Mr.  Moore^ 

"  Lickerstown,"  and  in  Irish,  Baile-aii-CheadaicIi),  and   Parish  of 

Portnascully,  N.  of  Moonveen,  in  a  bend  of  the  River  Suir,  is  a 

dolmen  not  marked  in  Ord.  Surv.  Map  No.  45. 

"The  grave,"  says  Mr.  Moore,  "is  about  25  feet  long,  and  10  or  12  feet  wide. 
It  was  lined  by  huge  flags,  and  at  the  head  and  foot  were  enormous  stones,  about 
1 6  feet  in  height.  On  one  of  these  there  were  some  indentations."  The  grave 
was  opened  about  the  year  1790,  and  a  skeleton  of  gigantic  proportions  and  a 
"  huge  sword "  said  to  have  been  found  (see  the  tradition  about  this  dolmen, 
infra). 

"Trans.  Kilk.  Archreol.  Soc,"  vol.  i.  (1S49). 

IT.  On  the  S.W.  side  of  the  summit  of  Carrick-na-Gawg,  is 
a  dolmen.  Carrick-na-Gawg  is  a  mountain  between  the  Barony 
of  Kells  and  that  of  Iverk.      The  meaning  of  the  name  is  "  Rock 

of  the  Cleft,  or  Chink." 

"The  covering-stone  of  this  dolmen  measured  13  feet  long,  6  feet  9  ins.  broad, 

and  I  foot  9  ins.  thick.     It  was  supported  by  four  other  bare  stones,  placed  upright. 

Its  elevation  from  the  ground  was  about  5  feet."    Mr.  Sandys  adds  that  "it  seems  to 

have  been  one  of  that  description  called  cairns,  composed  of  heaps  of  loose  stones, 

piled  together,  which  are  so  frequently  found  on  the  tops  of  mountains  in  Ireland." 

"  Stat.  Account  of  the  Union  of  Fiddown,"  by  J.  Sandys,  in  "  Mason's  Survey,"  vol.  i.  p.  363  ; 

O.S.L.,  Kilk.,  -'-^  ,  p.  208. 
E.  I 

In  the  Barony  of  Ida. 

I.   In  the  Townland   of  Brownstown,  between   Inistioge  and 
Rosbercon,  and  Parish  of  Listerlin,  is  a  dolmen  not  marked  in 

VOL.  II.  H 


410 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


Ord.  Surv.  Map  No.  2)7 •     ^t  lies  on  the  E.  slope  of  the  hill,  near 
the  wood  of  Brownstown. 

Mr.  Moore  describes  this  dolmen  as  "a  deep  trench,  about  12  feet  long 
by  4  feet  6  ins.  wide,  lying  nearly  N.  and  S.  in  a  level  field,  unaccompanied 
by  any  barrow  or  artificial  elevation  of  the  ground.  Its  bottom  is  carefully  floored, 
not  flagged,  but  the  clay  trodden  or  beaten  hard.  The  sides  and  ends  were  lined 
with  large  upright  stones  or  coarse  flags.  The  monument  was  partially  destroyed  by 
the  farmer,  who  used  the  greater  portion  of  the  side-flags  to  pave  the  yard  around 
his  dwelling.  Nothing  was  found  during  the  excavation.  The  grave  had  been 
uncovered  within  the  memory  of  man." 

"Trans.  Kilk.  Archx-ol.  Soc,"  vol.  i.  (1849),  pp.  Ii,  12. 

2.   In  the  Tovvnland  of  Glenclo^hlea,  and  Parish  of  Shanbogh, 


Fir..  388. — Glencloghlea  (Gleann-na-cloiche-leithe).     From  a  draiving  by  the  Rev.  James  Graves. 

is   a   dolmen  called    "  Cloiche-Leithe,"  about  a   mile   and    a  half 
W.S.W.  of  Rosbercon,  not  marked  in  Ord.  Surv.  Map  No.  ^il- 

The  Rev.  James  Graves  states  that  this  dolmen  measured  8  feet  in  height,  from 
the  surface  of  the  field.  The  supporting-stones  were  five  (?  three)  in  number,  the 
tallest  of  them  being  5  feet  high,  5  feet  wide,  and  i  foot  thick.  These  were  at  the 
N.  end.  At  the  S.  end  the  covering-stone  rested  on  a  third  stone,  which  inclined 
very  much  to  the  N.  The  covering-stone  measured  9  feet  10  ins.  long,  7  feet  wide, 
and,  on  an  average,  3  feet  thick.  Two  of  the  uprights  were  slate,  a  third  was 
granite,  as,  also,  was  the  covering-stone.  The  latter  sloped  towards  the  S.,  at  an 
angle  of  40  degrees  from  the  horizon.  It  was  difficult  to  stand  on  its  sloping  and 
uneven  surface. 

"Trans.  Kilk.  Archccol.  Soc,"  vol.  i.  (1850),  p.  129. 

Note. — In  the  Demesne  of  Mr.  Neville,  at  Marymount,  was 
a  dolmen,  described  as    one  of  the  smallest  of   its   class.      The 


County  of  Kilkenny.  411 


covering-stone  measured  27  feet  in  circumference,  and  was  sup- 
ported on  three  others.  The  two  front  supporters  were  8  feet 
high,  and  on  these,  when  it  was  described,  it  still  rested.  The 
hinder  one  had  slipped  away  and  been  broken.  All  the  stones 
were  limestone,  and  beneath  there  was  a  flat  stone,  under  which 
it  was  said  bones  had  been  found. 


412  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


COUNTY   OF   WICKLOW. 

In  the  Barony  of  Rathdown. 

1.  In  the  Townland  of  Tonygarbh  (?  if  Toneygarrow),  and 
Parish  of  Powerscourt,  was  a  dohnen  not  marked  in  Ord.  Surv. 
INIaps  Nos.  3  and  7  ;  called  locally  "  The  Giant's  Grave." 

14 

O.S.L.,  Co.  Wicklow,  77 — ,  p.  Q. 
G.  21'  ^     '^ 

This  monument  is  described  as  "  a  place  6  yards  long,  and  2  yards  broad." 

2.  In  the  Townland  of  Parknasillage  or  Barnasilloge,  and 
Parish  of  Powerscourt,  was  a  dolmen  marked  Cromlech  in  Ord. 
Surv.  Map  No.  7.  It  is  W.  of  Knocksink  Moat,  half  a  mile  W. 
of  Enniskerry,  and  N.  of  the  main  road  through  the  Townland. 
It  is  called  locally  "  The  Giant's  Grave." 

"There  is,"  says  O'Curry,  "a  perfect,  unmutilated  cromleac  here."  "There  is 
first  a  square  enclosure  measuring  2,^  feet  in  length  by  18  feet  in  breadth.  Ten 
of  the  large  stones  which  formed  this  enclosure  remain,  but  those  on  the  S.  side 
have  been  removed.  Immediately  within  this  is  a  small,  circular  enclosure,  unbroken, 
and  consisting  of  ten  large  stones,  some  laid  flat  but  deep  in  the  ground,  others  set 
on  edge.  In  the  centre  of  this  circle  is  the  cromleac,  consisting  of  an  horizontal  flag, 
5  feet  square,  and  i  foot  2  ins.  thick,  supported  by  three  rude  stones  placed  on 
edge,  lengthwise — one  on  the  N.,  one  on  the  S.,  and  one  on  the  E.,  each  5  feet  long 
and  2  feet  2  ins.  high.  The  space  between  the  side-stones  is  2  feet,  and  thus  a 
cavity  is  formed,  5  feet  long,  2  feet  broad,  and  2  feet  high.  It  is  open  at  the  W. 
end,  but  completely  closed  at  the  E.  end  by  the  supporters. 

14 

O.S.L.,  Co.  Wicklow, ,  p.  14. 

G.  21    '      ^ 

3.  In  the  Townland  of  Glaskenny,  and  Parish  of  Powerscourt, 
is  a  dolmen  marked  CromlccJi  in  Ord.  Surv.  Map  No.  7.  It  lies 
N.  of  the  Glencree  River,  and  has  the  Townland  of  Lacken- 
darragh  on  the  W.  The  country-people  call  this  dolmen 
"  Donnchadh  Dearg,"  that  is,  says  O'Curry,  " '  The  Red  Donogh," 
but  why,  no  one  knows." 

"There  is,"  says  O'Curry,  "a  very  fine  cro?nlcac  in  ruins  at  this  place.  The 
horizontal  stone  measures  10  feet  long,  8  feet  broad,  and  2  feet  thick.  It  lies  with 
its  end  on  the  ground,  reclining  against  the  two  eastern  of  six  upright  stones,  which 


County  of  Wicklow. 


413 


at  one  time  had  supported  it.     The  upright  stone  at  the  W.  end  is  10  feet  high 
above  the  surface  of  the  ground.     The  stones  at  the  E.  end  are  about  5  feet  high. 

14 

O.S.L.,  Co.  Wicklow,  /; ,  p.  10. 

'  '  G.  21'  ^ 

In  the  Barony  of  Talbotstown  Upper. 

I.  In  the  Townland  of  Baltinglass  East,  and  Parish  of 
Baltinglass,  half  a  mile  S.E.  of  Baltinglass,  marked  Remains  of 
Cromlech  in  Ord.  Surv.  Map  No.  27. 

In  the  Barony  of  Newcastle. 

I.  In  the  Townland  of  Parkmore,  and  Parish  of  Derrylossary, 
was  a  dolmen  marked  Giant's  Grave  in  Ord.  Surv.  Map  No.  24. 
It  is  to  the  N.E.  of  Moneystown  Hill,  and  about  six  miles  W.N.W. 
of  Wicklow. 

In  the  Barony  of  Ballinacor  North. 

1.  In  the  Townland  of  Ballintombay  Upper,  and  Parish  of 
Knockrath,  is  a  dolmen  marked  Giant's  Grave  in  Ord.  Surv.  Map 
No.  29.  It  is  near  the  bed  of  a  stream,  and  is  S.E.  of  the  top 
of  Kirikee  Mountain. 

In  the  Barony  of  Ballinacor  South. 

I.  In  the  Townland  of  Mongnacool,  and  Parish  of  Ballykine, 
is  a  dolmen  not  marked 


C2za 


in  Ord.  Surv.  Maps  34 
or  35.  It  is  called  "  Lab- 
banasigha"  in  Irish,  and 
in  English,  "  The  Fairy's 
Bed."  It  lies  on  a  slight 
eminence  in  a  boggy  flat, 
on  the  E.  slope  of  the 
high  ground  between 
Ballynaclash  and  Augh- 
rim. 


Mr.  Kinahan  describes  this 
monument  as  being  constructed 
**in  an  oval  mound  of  clay, 
measuring  30  feet  long,  and  20 
feet  wide."  The  chamber  lies 
along  its  length,  this  longer 
axis  being  in  a  direction  N.N.W. 
and  S.S.  E.  The  chamber  itself 
measures  21  feet  long,  5  feet 
wide,  and  from  3  to  5  feet  high. 
At  one  end  of  the  main  chamber  is  what  Mr.  Kinahan  terms  a  small  parallel 


Fig 


389,— Mongnacool.  From  plan  and  section  by  Mr. 
Kinahan.  a,  cover-stone,  slipped  off;  h,  a  second 
one,  under  it,  broken  in  two  ;  c,  small  chamber ; 
V),  supplementary  chamber ;  e,  a  layer  of  flags ; 
F,  charcoal ;  g,  soft  yellow  clay  ;  h,  hard  white  clay  ; 
K,  yellow  clay  ;  l,  hard  brown  clay  ;  M,  broken  flags, 
stones,  and  clay  ;  N,  confused  mass  of  stones  and  clay. 


414  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


chamber,  or  rather,  as  it  may  be,  perhaps,  more  properly  described,  a  cist  within 
the  larger  structure. 

Over  the  main  chamber  one  roofing-stone  was  in  place,  and  another  Mr. 
Kinahan  regards  as  possibly  so,  having  been  placed  "over  what  was  perhaps  the 
entrance."  "The  mound  had  been  originally  surrounded  by  flagstones  on  edge, 
some  of  which  remained." 

An  exploration  of  the  interior  of  the  chamber  resulted  in  the  discovery  of 
charcoal,  but  no  bones.  The  detailed  results  of  the  exploration  may  be  gathered 
from  the  explanatory  section  which  is  subjoined,  and  which  is  copied  from  Mr. 
Kinahan's  paper. 

Mr.   Kinahan  is  of  opinion  that  this  structure  is  allied  to  those  in  the  Aran 

Islands  in  Gahvay. 

Journ.  R.H.A.A.L,  4tli  Ser.,  vol.  v.  (1879-82),  pp.  253-257;  Proc.  R.LA.  (1879),  p.  161, 
and  pi.  ix. 

In  the  Barony  of  Arklow. 

I.  In  the  Townland  of  Castletimon,  and  Parish  of  Dungans- 
town,  is  a  dolmen  marked  Cromlech  in  ruins  called  the  Long-Stone 
in  Ord.  Surv.  Map  No.  -^G.  It  is  near  Castletimon  Church  to  the 
N.     The  next  Townland  to  the  S.  is  called  Brittas. 

This  must  be  the  Brittas  dolmen  described  by  Mr.  Tuomey,  and  by  Eugene 
O'Curry.  When  the  former  saw  it  the  covering-stone  had  been  thrown  off.  It  {i.e. 
the  covering-stone)  was  of  circular  form,  and  measured  14  feet  by  12  feet  6  ins.,  this 
measurement  "  including  the  thickness  of  one  of  its  curved  edges."  Its  weight  was 
estimated  at  about  26  tons.  Four  pillar-stones  had  formed  its  supports.  Of  these 
the  first  measured  6  feet  9  ins.  "  in  slant  height  from  the  grass."  Its  breadth  was 
from  3  feet  to  i  foot  2  ins.  The  second,  also  standing,  measured  5  feet  in  height. 
The  third  had  a  height  of  7  feet  5  ins.,  and  a  breadth  of  5  feet  7  ins. 

In  O'Curry's  notice  of  this  monument,  he  says  that  the  covering-stone  is  3  feet 

thick,  and  the  space  enclosed  under  it  8  feet  by  4  feet. 

14 
"Trans.  Kilk.  Archreol.  Soc,"  vol.  iii.  (1854-58),  p.  137  ;  O.S.L.,  Co.  Wicklow,  r. ,  p.  283. 

In  the  Barony  of  Shillelagh. 

I.   In  the  Townland  of  Moylisha,  and   Parish  of  Moyacomb, 


'•^■^\ 


\ 


'^^. 


Fa-,.  390.—"  The  Labba-na-Sigha,"  Moylisha.     rrom  a  plan  by  Mr.  Kiitalian. 


County  of  Wicklow.  415 

is  a  dolmen  marked  Labbanasighe  in  Ord.  Surv.  Map  No.  4-2.      It 
is  indicated  by  a  circle  of  six  stones,  with  one  in  the  middle. 

This  must  be  the  dohiien  mentioned  in  the  "  Ord.  Surv.  Letters "  under 
Moyacomb.  It  is  simply  noticed  as  a  "  Pagan  Grave,"  bearing  the  name,  not  of 
Labbanasighe,  as  in  the  map  (with  which  we  may  compare  the  name  of  the 
Mongnacool  monument),  but  of  Leaba-na-Saighc,  explained  Lectus  Cams  Vcnaticce, 
"  where  it  is  supposed  a  famous  huntsman  of  old  interred  a  favourite  greyhound." 

14. 
O.S.L.,  Co.  Wicklow,    7 ,  p.  no. 


4i6 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


COUNTY   OF   WEXFORD. 

In  the  Barony  of  Gorey. 

*i.  In  the  Townland  of  Cummerduff,  and  Parish  of  Cross- 
patrick,  is  a  structure  not  marked  in  Ord.  Surv.  Map  No.  2.  It 
is  locally  called  the  "  Quaker's  Hut." 

I  am  not  sure  whether  this  structure  is  entitled  to  be  considered  a  genuinely 
ancient  monument  or  not.  If  it  is  so,  it  belongs  to  the  class  of  chambered  tumuli. 
A  passage,  running  E.  and  W.,  terminates  at  its  inner  or  E.  end,  in  a  circular 
structure.  The  length  of  the  passage  is  20  feet  5  ins.  and  its  width  only  15  inches. 
The  diameter  of  the  circle  to  which  it  leads  is  16  feet.  In  the  centre  of  the 
circular  chamber  is  a  pit  6  feet  in  diameter. 

To  Mr,  Kinahan,  who  describes  it,  it  appeared  never  to  have  been  used  as  a 
habitation ;  but,  as  far  as  the  question  of  antiquity  went,  it  bore,  he  thought,  an 
ominous  resemblance  to  kilns,  used  for  diying  flax  in  Ulster,  There  were  traces  of 
a  fire  having  been  lighted  in  the  pit. 

Near  this  anomalous  structure  there  were  others,  and  in  the  vicinity  of 
Cummerduff  some  fine  urns  (one  of  them  said  to  have  been  nearly  2  feet  high)  had 
been  found,  as  well  as  cists,  etc.  The  place  has  been  described  by  Mr.  Kinahan 
in  the  Proc.  R.I.A. 

In  the  Barony  of  Bantry. 

I.   In  the  Townland  of  Bree  (Brea),  and  Parish  of  Clonmore ; 


Fic.  391. — Bree,  looking  W.     /'roin  a  dra'wingby  G.  Du  Noyer. 


County  of  Wexford. 


417 


near  the  River  Slaney,  to  the  W. ;  about  four  miles  and  a  half  S. 


Fig.  392. — Bree,  looking  N.     From  a  cira'coing  by  G.  Du  Noyer. 

of  Enniscorthy,  is  a  dolmen 
not  marked  in  Ord.  Surv. 
Maps  Nos.  25  or  31. 

The  sketches  which  I  am  able 
to  give  of  the  dolmen  on  "  Brea 
Hill "  are  copies  from  those  in  Mr. 
George  Du  Noyer's  collection  of 
drawings  in  the  R.I.A. 

In  the  Barony  of  Forth. 

I.   In    the   Townland   of 

Saint   Vogue's,    and    Parish 

of  Carn,  a  quarter  of  a  mile 

S.  of  the  chapel  and  well  of  Saint  Vogue,  on  the  extreme  point 

of  the  promontory  of  Carn  sore,  was  a  dolmen  marked  Gimifs 

Grave  in  Ord.  Surv.  Map  No.  32. 

At  the  time  of  the  Survey  the  remains  of  this  monument  were  "  nearly  effaced." 

14 

O.S.L.,  Co.  Wexford,  — ,  p,  297. 

G.  17   ^ 


Fig.  393. — Bree.     Plan  by  G.  Du  Noyer. 


The  foregoing  catalogue  of  Irish  megalithic  monuments  is 
formulated  under  three  heads:  first,  the  dolmens  properly  so 
called  according  to  my  definition,!  presendy  to  be  given  ;  second, 
the  chambered  tumuli,  also  according  to  definition,  differing  from 


t  For  definitions,  see  pp.  424,  425,  infra. 


4rS 


The  Dolmens  oe  Ireland. 


the  dolmens  in  the  essential  particular  of  the  construction  of  the 
roof,  but  connected  with  them  in  certain  details  of  plan  and  section, 
and,  presumably,  in  purpose.  To  these,  in  spite  of  my  best 
efforts  to  avoid  the  necessity  of  doing  so,  I  have  been  obliged  to 
add  a  third  division,  the  notices  of  which  on  the  list  I  simply 
desire  to  be  regarded  as  indicative.  Under  it  are  comprised 
certain  monuments  marked  in  the  Ordnance  Surveys  by  various 
names,  some  of  which  are  no  longer  extant,  some  of  which  I 
believe  may  be  dolmens,  but  have  been  unable  to  visit,  and  which 
I  therefore  commend  to  the  attention  of  those  with  antiquarian 
tastes  who  may  happen  to  be  within  reach  of  them.f 

The  total  number  in  each  of  these  divisions  is  as  follows  : — 


Cork 

Kerry    ... 

Limerick 

Tipperary 

Waterford 

Clare     

Totals  for  Munster ... 

Galway 

Mayo     

Sligo      

Leitrini 

Roscommon 

Totals  for  Connaught 

Cavan  ... 

Tyrone 

Fermanagh 
Donegal 

Londonderry    ... 
Antrim  ... 
Down     . 
Monaghan 
Armagh 

Totals  for  Ulster     ... 

Louth 

Longfortl 

Meath 

Westmcath 
Queen's  County 
King's  County 

Dublin 

Carlow... 

Kildare 

Kilkenny 

Wicklow 

Wexford 

Total  for  Leinster  ... 

Grand  totals 


olmens. 
22 

Ch.imbered 
tumuli. 

Uncertain. 
9        ... 
4        ... 

Total 

80 
26 

11 

— 

13 

19 

— 

3      ••■ 

22 

15 

— 

— 

15 

94 

— 

— 

94 

234 

0        . 

.       16      ... 

250 

30 

— 

2 

3- 

45 
163 

3 
2 

2 
10 

50 
175 

4 

— 

I 

5 

6 

— 

I 

7 

248 

5       • 

16      ... 

269 

12 

— 

— 

12 

10 

— 

6       ... 

16 

29 

82 



I 

.       14      ... 

96 

22 

— 

I 

23 

29 

... 

— 

29 

19 
J4 

2 
I 

3       ... 
3 

24 
18 

10 

2 

I 

13 

227 

5       . 

2-)         ... 

261 

4 

— 

2 

6 

14 

6 

28 

9 
2 

71 
780 


39 


40 

50 


7 
68 


4' 


o 
6 

I 

28 
9 
3 

118 

898 


This  list  does  not  include  any  cairns  or  tumuli  which  are  not 


t  '1  hesc  iittccr/ain  monuments  arc  marked  *  in  the  list. 


County  of  Wexford.  419 

known  to  contain  or  to  have  once  contained  a  dolmen  or  a 
chamber,  nor  any  stone  circle  or  other  stone-setting  unless  it 
surrounds  one  of  these  monuments,  or  was  otherwise  attached  to 
it.  Pillar-stones  are  also  omitted  unless  in  proximity  to  a  dolmen 
or  chamber. f 

The  venerated  natural  rocks,  the  menhirs,  the  circles,  or  other 
settings  of  stones,  the  great  unexplored  cairns,  as  well  as  the 
cairns  and  earthen  tumuli  which,  having  been  explored,  have  been 
found  to  contain  comparatively  small  cists,  with  urns,  etc.,  together 
with  cists  uncovered  by  cairns  and  their  contents,  are  not  con- 
tained in  the  list.  The  chambered  tumuli,  such  as  those  at 
Newbliss,  Annaclochmullin,  Slieve  na  Callighe,  New  Grange,  and 
Dowth,  have  been  added  because  their  structural  details  prove 
them  to  be  connected  with  the  dolmens  proper,  presumably  in 
relation  to  an  identical  cultus  of  the  dead  shared  by  their 
respective  builders.  The  ornamental  details  which  occur  in  some 
of  them,  and  which  belong  to  the  Bronze  and  Iron  Ages,  afford 
points  of  comparison  with  early  decoration  in  the  Mediterranean, 
thence  transferred  by  northern  trade  routes  to  the  shores  of  the 
Baltic,  the  German  Ocean,  and  the  English  and  Irish  Channels, 
and  belong  to  a  new  epoch  in  archeeology,  in  and  through  which, 
however,  dolmen-building  survived. 

t  I  may  here  add,  however,  the  following  examples  of  circles  and  pillar-stones  which,  amongst 
others,  have  come  under  my  notice.  Other  examples  of  circles  in  Ireland  will  be  found  in  the 
second  and  comparative  portion  of  this  work. 


Fig.  394. — Circle  at  Caugh  Hill,  near  Banagher,  Co.  Londonderry.     From  an   oil  painting  by 

G.  Petrie. 

This  circle  is  one  of  several  still  remaining  on  the  mountain.  In  the  "  Life  of  George  Petrie," 
by  Dr.  William  Stokes,  mention  is  made  of  this  picture  at  p.  19:  "The  tall  stones  of  the  circle 
raise  their  dark  forms  against  a  saffron  sky," — the  effect  impressively  indicating  "  the  solitude  and 
silence  "  of  the  spot  on  which  they  stand.  According  to  the  tradition  of  the  peasantry  of  the 
district,  these  circles  are  the  tombs  of  the  chiefs  slain  in  a  great  battle  fought  here,  from  which  the 
mountain  has  received  the  name  of  Caah  {i.e.  Cathach),  or  Battle  Hill.  This  same  word  "Cathach" 
(pronounced  Caah  or  Caugh)  was  the  name  of  the  famous  relic  of  Saint  Columbkille. 

In  searching  for  dolmens  in  the  County  of  Cork,  I  met  with  a  small  and  very  curious  one 
{fig.  395)  standing  on  high  ground  at  Caolkil.     It  is  oval  rather  than  circular,  measuring  7  ft.  8  ins. 


420 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


from  N.  to  S.,  and  lo  feet  from  E.  to  W,     Nine  feet  to  the  N.E,  of  it  stands  a  dallan  7  ft.  6  ins. 
high  and  5  feet  broad.     Fifteen  feet  to  the  W.  of  this  stood  another,  which  has  fallen,  having 


Fig.  395. — Circle  at  Caolkil,  Co.  Cork.     From  a  sketch  by  the  Author. 

broken  from  its  base.  When  upright  it  must  have  been  17  ft.  9  ins.  high,  and  3  ft.  4  ins.  broad. 
Twenty-seven  feet  S.E.  of  the  circle  were  the  remains  of  two  long  stone  graves  or  cists  which 
had  been  apparently  covered  by  a  cairn. 

The  next  three  examples  I  subjoin  are  also  in  the  County  of  Cork. 


Fig.  396.— Circle  at  Knuck-r.a-Nyrk,  near  Kilmurvy.     It  is  1 1  feet  in  diameter,  and  one  of  the 
stones  has  two  hollows  in  the  upper  surface.     From  a  dra-ving  by  J.  Windcle. 


."-Hj-Ai^ '/■■•*>>  ■■-.lll'^ 


fN /.» J '» •.*'••     ^■*^''''  Al{/--     ..  ,  -■    .  --«, 


Fig.  397.— Circle  near  Lettergorman.    From  a  draiving  by  J.  Windele. 


County  of  Wexford. 


421 


That  at  Lettergorman  has  a  central  stone  like  the  "domrings  "  of  Scandinavia,  which  i.tQinfra 
That  called  Dallan-crom-na-thittim  is  at  Knocknakilla,|and  is  itself  called  also  the  "Gill/ 


Fig.  398. — "Dallan-crom-na-thiltim."     From  a  sketch  by  J.  IVindde. 

The  diameter  is  9  feet,  and  the  pillar-stone,  called  "  Crom,"  from  its  slanting  position,  is  12  feet  Sr 
of  it.     The  stones  of  the  circle  are  about  4  feet  high. 


Fig.  399. — Circle  at  Dromiskin,  County  Louth.      Etched  from  a  photograph. 
The  fourth  circle  is  at  Dromiskin,  in  the  County  of  Louth. 


422 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


Fig.  400. — Pillar-stone  at  Bawnatouniple,  Co.  Cork.     From  a  sketch  by  the  Author, 


^■'^'^<jjk 


,4-  ^- #<1 


<^ 


')}'. 


r^.    ',>A,\* 


lS/<e^ 


^^^'■<?'. 


'•>>\ 


Fig.  401.— Tlic  "  Long-Stone,"  Furnace,  Co.  Kildare. 


County  of  Wexford. 


423 


The  first  of  the  three  monoliths  which  I  also  subjoin  is  in  the  vicinity  of  Gougann-Barra  in 
Cork.  _  It  stands  on  high  ground  at  Bawnatoumple.  It  measures  19  ft.  8^  ins.  above  ground,  by 
3  ft.  6  ins.  wide,  and  i  foot  6  ins.  thick.      At  a  distance  of  500  or  600  yards  S.W.  of  it  stood  a 


Fig.  402. — Pillar-stone  at  Doonfeeny,  Co.  Mayo.     Fro//i  a  drawing  by  IV.  F,   ]Vakeman. 


second,  which  has  fallen  and  is  broken  into  three  pieces,  measuring  respectively  14  ft.  6  ins.,  9  feet 
and  5  feet. 

The  second  monolith  stands  in  the  centre  of  a  rath  in  the  Demesne  of  Furnace,  or  Forena^hts 
in  Kildare.  It  is  a  four-sided  pillar  of  granite,  20  feet  in  height,  and  is  mentioned  in  the  Su*rvey 
of  the  County  of  Kildare  by  T.  Rawson,  p.  iii. 

The  third  monolith  is  _at_  Doonfeeny  in  Mayo.  It  was  no  doubt  of  pagan  origin  and  un- 
sculptured,  before  the  Christian  cemetery  was  formed  around  it,  and  the  interesting  "cross  carved 
on  its  face.     It  measures  about  14  feet  in  height. 


Giants  and  Dwarfs  building  the  Dolmens  of  Drenlhe  ;  Picardt's  representation  of  the  popular  tradition. 


PART   II. 
THE    DOLMENS   AND   CHAMBERED   TUMULI. 


Classification,  Construction,  and  Distribution. 

The  definition  which  I  propose  for  a  dohnen  is  somewhat 
wider  in  its  scope  than  archeeologists  have  hitherto  adopted ;  but 
it  has  been,  as  it  were,  forced  upon  me,  owing  to  the  difficulties 
I  have  found  in  drawing  any  line  of  demarcation  between  what 
Irish  antiquaries  have  termed  Cromlcacs  and  those  they  have 
termed  Giants  Graves,  between  the  more  square  and  upstanding 
monument,  that  is  to  say,  roofed  with  a  single  stone,  on  the  one 
hand,  and  the  trough-like  monument  on  the  other,  roofed  witli 
a  succession  of  slabs.  I  had,  indeed,  commenced  my  work  by 
making  this  very  distinction  between  what  the  French  call  the 
dolmen  carree  and  the  dolmen  allongdc  or  allde  couverte ;  but 
experience  has  caused  me  to  re-write  my  pages  for  reasons  which 
I  will  presently  demonstrate. 

A   dolmen,   then,   is   a  covered   structure   formed   of  slabs  or 
blocks  of  stone  in  such  manner  as  that  the  stone  or  stones  which 


Classification,  Construction,  and  Distribution.       425 


constitute  the  roof  are  supported  in  place  by  the  upper  points  or 
edges  of  some  or  all  of  the  other  stones  which,  set  on  end  or  edge, 
enclose  or  partially  enclose  an  area  or  vault  beneath. 

A  chamber  differs  from  a  dolmen  constructively,  in  the  circum- 
stance that  the  roof  is  not  formed  by  a  single  slab  spanning  the 
vault,  but  by  successive  layers  of  slabs  approaching  each  other 
as  they  rise,  the  lowermost  resting  on  the  tops  of  the  perpen- 
dicular side  stones  which  surround  the  vault,  and  the  uppermost 
supporting  the  large  flat  slab  or  slabs  which,  laid  across  them, 
serves  at  once  to  close  in  the  central  space  so  as  to  form  the  apex 
of  the  dome,  and,  by  its  weight,  to  consolidate  and  keep  in  place 
the  overlapping  layers  which  support  it. 

Over  structures  so  formed  a  superincumbent  cairn  or  mound 
was  essential  in  order  to  make  the  structure  impervious  to  the 
elements,  and,  by  pressure  from  without,  to  give  strength  to  the 
whole.  In  cases  where  the  roof  of  the  vault  or  passage  has  fallen 
in,  the  tumulus,  on  being  explored,  is  found  to  contain  two  parallel 
lines  of  slabs  or  walls,  often  compared  by  explorers  to  a  sewer, 
the  space  between  them  being  filled  with  small  stones  like  paving- 
stones,  which  once  formed  the  layers  of  the  roof. 

The  varieties  in  ground-plan  exhibited  by  some  of  these 
structures  are  exceedingly  curious,  and  serve  to  differentiate  them 
from  the  dolmens.  Nevertheless,  they  have  points  in  common 
with  the  latter,  and  sometimes  are  found  in  close  association  with 
them,  as  near  Lough  Arrow  in  Sligo,  and  in  Achill  Island  in  Mayo. 
From  a  constructive  point  of  view,  the  magnificent  dolmen  of 
Labbacalle,  near  Fermoy,  would  at  its  higher  and  west  end 
approach  the  chamber  class,  since  the  roofing-stone  does  not 
actually  rest  on  the  side  stones,  but  on  two,  probably  once  on  three, 
narrower  stones  placed  respectively  on  the  terminal  upright  slab 
and  each  of  the  side  ones.  Again,  in  the  case  of  the  monument 
at  Annacloghmullin,  in  Armagh,  the  roof  construction  is  that  of  a 
chamber,  while  the  plan  is  precisely  that  of  a  typical  dolmen. 

It  is  impossible,  then,  to  separate  these  structures  from  the 
dolmen  series,  and  in  the  sequel  I  hope  to  show  that  a  similar 
cultus  was  provided  for  in  the  one  class  of  monument  and  in  the 
other.  The  chambers  bear  witness,  however,  to  an  architectural 
departure  which  seems  to  mark  the  limit  where  the  "rude  stone" 
roof  gave  place,  not,  I  would  say,  to  the  embryo  arch,  as  a  dis- 
covery made  by  the  insular  natives,  but  to  a  barbaric  attempt  to 

VOL.    II.  I 


426  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 

copy  in  unhewn  materials  some  elaborate  models  of  hewn-stone 
domes  and  arched  vaults  which  had  become  known  to  the  builders 
through  contact  with  the  cultivation  of  the  Mediterranean  or  the 
r>lack  Sea  coasts, — the  tomb  of  Atreus,  for  example,  or  the 
vaulted  chamber  tombs  of  Etruria.  The  sculptures  they  contain 
may  be  rude  copies  of  decorative  art  in  the  same  districts. 

Meanwhile,  to  return  to  the  dolmen,  I  believe  that,  in  common 
with  the  chamber,  but  in  distinction  from  the  cist,  it  was  the 
intention  and  object  of  the  builders  that  access  should  be  had  to 
it  from  without.  At  the  same  time  I  think  that  it  was  invariably 
surrounded  by  a  cairn  or  mound,  but  that  sometimes  so  slight  was 
the  envelope,  that  it  only  reached  the  edges  of  the  cap-stone. 
Sometimes,  again,  it  was  covered  by  an  immense  tumulus,  the 
result,  in  some  cases,  of  the  veneration  of  ages,  such  a  veneration 
as  brought  together  the  vast  pile  of  stones  which  surrounds  the 
holy-well  in  Glencolumbkille  in  Donegal ;  in  others,  of  the  labours 
of  the  thousands  of  hands  which  assisted  in  the  construction  of 
the  original  tomb. 

It  was  the  opinion  of  Mr.  John  Bell  of  Dundalk,  an  antiquary 
of  no  mean  repute  for  painstaking  and  observation  early  in  this 
century,  and  who  was  said  to  have  disinterred  over  sixty  "crom- 
leacs  "  from  cairns  in  Ulster,  that  all  dolmens  were  covered  by 
tumuli — a  view  which,  as  I  need  hardly  say,  has  commended  itself 
to  English  archaeologists,  and  found  a  specially  strong  exponent 
in  the  late  Rev.  W.  C.  Lukis. 

That  dolmens  answering  to  my  defmition  have  been  entirely 
denuded  of  their  envelope,  and  left  standing  in  their  simple 
nakedness,  with  hardly  a  stone  of  the  cairn  which  formerly  covered 
them  about  them,  and  that  within  the  last  few  years,  is  certain. 
Monuments  marked  cairns  in  the  earlier  Ordnance  Survey,  and 
where  then  no  trace  existed  of  the  megalithic  structure,  will  in 
several  places  have  to  be  marked  dolmens  in  subsequent  surveys^ 
since  the  cairn  has  been  removed  and  the  structure  exposed  to 
view.  Of  this  fact  a  good  example  occurs  in  the  Townland  of 
Leana  in  Clare. 

Again,  the  magnificent  monument,  as  it  must  have  been,  at 
Carnbane  in  Armagh,  the  destruction  of  which  is  more  to  be 
deplored  than  that  of  any  other  known  to  have  existed,  was 
brought  to  light  from  its  cairn  between  the  years  1744  and  the 
end  of  that  century,  when  it  was  removed  for  building  purposes. 


Classification,  Construction,  and  Distribution.       427 


Large  tumuli,  however,  such  as  these,  were  not  essential  to  the 
dolmen  structure.  All  that  was  necessary  was  that  the  walls  of 
the  cell  or  crypt  should  be  impervious  to  the  elements  and  to  wild 
animals.  Indeed,  that  no  more  than  this  was  aimed  at  by  the 
constructors  of  those  of  the  type  which  is  almost  universal  in 
Munster,  is  shown  by  the  proximity  of  the  peristyle,  or  outer 
range  of  stones  which  girdled  the  monument,  to  the  sides  of  the 
main  structure  itself.  This  outer  range  evidently  formed  the  base- 
ment or  outer  retaining  wall,  within  which  and  between  which  and 
the  side  slabs  of  the  dolmen  a  kind  of  hedging  of  stones,  bound 
together  probably  with  clay  and  turfs,  was  raised  to  a  sufficient 
height  to  meet  the  overlapping  edges  of  the  covering-stones,  and 
so  fill  up  the  interstices  between  the  side  slabs  which  supported 
the  roof.  In  the  case  of  the  Labbacalle,  where,  on  the  north  side, 
this  filling  between  the  ranges  has  not  been  removed,  its  effect  in 
closing  out  the  light  from  the  interior  of  the  structure  may  be 
observed  even  at  the  present  day  ;  and  in  the  case  of  the  Giant's 
Grave  at  Drumcliff,  in  Sligo,  Col.  Wood-Martin's  plan  shows  that 
between  the  outer  lines  and  the  walls  of  the  structure  the  filling 
was  still  in  place.  Now,  since  the  peristyle  marked  the  outmost 
circuit,  in  almost  every  case,  of  monuments  of  this  type,  it  follows 
that  the  monument  was  not  buried  in  a  mound,  nor  indeed  is  it 
possible  to  conceive  (had  such  been  the  case)  what  could  have 
become  of  every  stone  of  the  superstructure  in  situations  where, 
for  example,  the  dolmen  stood  on  a  mountain-side,  or  on  a  lime- 
stone plateau,  or  in  the  middle  of  a  bog,  in  any  spot,  indeed,  to 
which  access  was  difficult — far  removed  too  from  stone  dwellings 
or  fences  or  roads  for  which  the  material  micjht  have  been 
requisitioned. 

I  have  been  speaking  here  more  particularly  of  the  long 
wedge-shaped  dolmens  which  are  particularly  plentiful  in  Munster, 
and  have  endeavoured  to  account  for  my  view  that,  in  the  majority 
of  cases  at  least,  the  envelope  of  the  dolmen  did  not  reach  higher 
than  the  edges  of  the  cap-stone,  or,  if  it  did,  only  surmounted  it  by 
a  slender  covering  of  stones  and  turf.  I  come  now  to  another 
type  of  monument,  where  the  dolmen  is  surrounded  by  a  circle,  as 
in  the  examples  common  on  the  north-west  coast  of  Antrim,  at 
Carrowmore,  and  elsewhere.  Col.  Wood-Martin  has  drawn  a 
distinction  between  two  types  of  these  dolmen-circles,  namely, 
(a)  those  in  which  the  circle  is  subordinate  in  size  to  the  dolmen,. 


428 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


and  (d)  those  in  which  the  dolmen  is  subordinate  in  size  to  the 
circle.  In  the  latter  case  the  so-called  dolmen  may  sometimes 
be  merely  a  closed  cist,  to  which  there  was  no  access  from  the 
side  of  the  mound.  In  both  cases  the  circle  or  circles — for  there 
were  frequently  concentric  ones — formed,  I  feel  sure,  the  basis  and 
enclosino-  wall  of  a  cairn  or  earthen  tumulus  which  covered  the 
entire  monument,  the  cap-stone  of  the  dolmen  being  enveloped 
to  a  depth  of  several  feet  at  least  below  the  apex  of  the  original 

pile. 

Although,  however,  this  type  differs  so  materially  from  that 
of  the  wedge-shaped  monuments  with  their  parallel  outer  ranges 
of  stones,  there  are  points  of  construction  common  to  both,  as 
well  as  forms  which  hold  an  intermediate  place.  A  reference  to 
several  of  the  plans  of  the  Carrowmore  group  f  will  show  that  the 
interior  crypt  was  not  intended  to  be  absolutely  closed,  but  that, 
as  in  the  case  of  the  dolmen  of  Yr  Ogof  in  Wales,  of  many 
Portuguese  examples,  of  the  covered  dolmens  of  Brittany,^  and 
of  the  chambered  tumuli  of  Great  Britain  and  Ireland,  a  creep 
or  passage  communicated  with  the  edge  of  the  mound. 

There  is  one  example,  owing  its  state  of  preservation  to  the 

sandhills  which   covered  it,  at 


Streedagh  in  Sligo,§  planned 
by  Col.  Wood-Martin,  which 
affords  an  excellent  illustration 
of  the  combination  of  types,  a 
wedge-shaped  dolmen  with  its 
peristyle  being  surrounded  at  a 
distance  nearly  equal  to  its 
length  by  a  circle  of  stones, 
which  seems,  when  perfect,  to 
have  been  double  and  con- 
centric. 

In  the  Land's  End  district 
of  the  county  of  Cornwall,  on 
the  farm  of  Brane,  and  in  the 
Parish  of  Sancred,  a  locality 
in  which  Irish  types  are  pre- 
valent,   I    discovered    many    years    ago   a     monument    of     the 


Fig.  403. — Plan  and  section  of  dolmen  in  iiiniii- 
lus  at  Brane.  By  IV.  C.  J.itkis  and  //'.  C. 
Borlasc. 


t  E.j^.  Nos.  X.,  XXXVir.,  and  Col.  Wood-Martin's  R.S.M.,  p.  78. 
X  For  plans  of  these,  see  injra.  §  P-  '28.  su/ra. 


Classification,  Construction,  and  Distribution.      429 


wedge-shaped  type  surrounded  by  a  circular  peristyle  in  close 
proximity  to  it,  and  the  little  conical  mound  over  which  was 
still  perfect.  It  was  one  of  many  others  which  had  been  re- 
moved, and  it  owed  its  preservation  to  its  fitness  for  a  goat- 
house.  In  the  circumstance  of  the  peristyle  being  circular  while 
the  structure  within  is  wedge-shaped,  it  occupies  an  intermediate 
position  between  the  two  types  to  which  I  have  just  referred. 
It  affords  an  excellent  example  of  the  truth  of  my  contention  that 
where  a  peristyle  is  found  to  be  in  close  proximity  to  the  structure, 
the  covering  of  the  latter  was  comparatively  slight. 

Having  now  seen  reason  to  draw  a  distinction  between  dolmens 
of  the  long-oblong,  or  wedge-shape,  and  the  dolmen-circles,  I 
return  to  the  question  whether  a  further  distinction  should  be 
drawn  between  the  former  class  of  monument  popularly  known 
as  the  "Giant's  Grave"  in  Ireland,  and  the  structure  for  which 
the  name  of  "  Cromlech  "  has  been  specially  reserved,  and  which 
consists,  as  at  present  seen,  of  a  single  stone  raised  on  the 
summits  of  two  or  more  pillar-stones,  forming  the  end  and  sides 
of  a  more  or  less  irregular  vault  below,  almost  invariably  open  at 
one  end. 

Such  a  distinction  has,  I  may  say,  been  drawn  by  every  Irish 
antiquary  who  has  dealt  with  the  subject,  as  well  as  by  many 
authorities  in  Scandinavia,  France,  and  Germany,  and  it  requires, 
therefore,  some  assurance,  which  I  would  mingle  with  all  deference 
to  the  opinion  of  those  who  have  preceded  me,  to  meet  and  attempt 
to  controvert  an  opinion  so  long  held  and  so  frequently  asserted. 

At  first  sight,  certainly,  no  two  monuments  could  seem  more 
distinct  than  the  "  Cromlech  "  and  "  the  Giant's  Grave."  We  need 
not  go  further  than  Ballymascanlan,  near  Dundalk.f  to  find  a 
typical  specimen  of  each  at  a  distance  of  only  about  80  yards 
apart  in  one  and  the  same  field.  The  "  Cromlech  "  is  the  most 
lofty  in  Ireland,  consisting  of  a  huge  granite  boulder  poised  in 
an  inclined  position  upon  the  points  of  three  blocks,  two  of  which 
are  fixed  in  the  ground,  while  the  third  is  wedged  into  place 
by  the  weight  of  the  cap-stone  and  its  impingement  on  one  of  the 
pillars,  and  at  its  lower  point  on  two  small  stones  in  the  soil.  Viewed 
from  the  "  Giant's  Grave,"  the  whole  structure  looks  like  a 
gigantic  fellow  in  grey  bending  beneath  the  weight  of  a  huge  and 
well-filled  sack,  which    he    is    making  off  with    away  from    you 

t  See  pp.  305-307,  supra,  "  Proleek." 


430  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


towards  the  west — an  appearance  which  gave  rise  to  its  name, 
the  "Giant's  Load." 

The  "  Giant's  Grave"  at  the  same  place  presents,  on  the  other 
hand,  an  equally  excellent  example  of  the  long  wedge-shaped 
structures  which  have  been  compared  to  troughs,  their  sides  lined 
with  flags,  slabs,  or  blocks,  and  the  space  between  covered  over 
with  from  two  to  five  proportionately  large  roofing-stones. 

Now,  in  the  case  of  these  latter  monuments,  it  may  be  laid 
down  as  a  rule,  in  the  case  of  the  Irish  examples,  that  one  end  is 
higher  than  the  other.  That  end  is  generally  the  west  end,  and 
if  you  climb  upon  the  monument  at  the  other  extremity,  and  the 
cap-stones  are  all  in  place,  you  will  find  yourself  ascending  step  by 
step  until  you  stand  on  the  summit  of  the  block  which  covers  the 
higher  end.  It  is  at  that  end  that  the  structure  is  most  con- 
solidated, both  the  pillar-stones  and  the  end  stone,  as  well  as 
the  roofing-stone,  being  the  largest  superficially,  and  the  most 
ponderous,  and,  consequently,  the  most  difficult  to  throw  down  or 
carry  away. 

Supposing,  now,  that  the  smaller  stones  composing  the  lower 
end  were  to  be  removed,  a  structure  would  remain  which  in 
ground-plan  and  general  appearance  would  be  a  "  Cromlech,"  in 
the  sense  in  which  antiquaries  have  used  that  term  as  distinct 
from  a  "  Giant's  Grave."  Take  the  monument  at  Brenanstown, 
in  the  county  of  Dublin. f  It  is  called  a  *'  Cromlech,"  but  its 
ground-plan  shows  it  to  be  the  ponderous  western  end  of  a 
"  Giant's  Grave,"  the  eastern  end  of  which  dwindled  away  into 
insignificant  proportions,  and  the  stones  of  which  have  been 
removed.  Take,  again,  the  monument  at  Haroldstown,  in  the 
county  of  Carlow.J  That  is  also,  to  all  intents  and  purposes, 
a  "Giant's  Grave;"  but  take  away  all  the  stones  except  the 
northern  covering-stone  and  its  three  supporters  at  that  end,  and 
you  have  a  "  Cromlech,"  the  roofing-stone  of  which  would  probably 
have  toppled  over  for  lack  of  support  at  its  southern  end,  and 
would  be  resting  in  an  inclined  position  against  the  two  uprights 
(A  and  F  in  the  plan). 

It  comes  to  this,  then,  that  the  "  Cromlech,"  hitherto  technically 
so  called,  is  the  more  megalithic  portion  of  the  "  Giant's  Grave," 
also  technically  so  called,  and  that  both  types,  despite  the 
differences  in  their  appearance  in   the  condition  in  which  we  now 

t  See  p.  390,  supra.  \  See  p.  396,  supra. 


Classificatiox,  Construction,  and  Distribution.       431 


find  them,  belong  to  one  and  the  same  class  of  dolmen,  originally 
of  elongated  form,  in  all  probability  surrounded  by  a  peristyle 
either  parallel  to  the  sides,  or  circular,  or  oval,  and  closed  in,  it 
may  have  been,  up  to  the  edge  of  the  roofing-stone,  but,  in  the 
case  of  the  larger  structures  especially,  I  think  no  higher. 

The  constructive  details  of  these  dolmens  at  their  higher 
extremities  next  call  for 
remark.  Sometimes,  as 
in  the  striking  example 
called  Kit's  Coity  House 
in  Kent,  only  four  stones 
are  left,  consisting  of  two 
side  stones  on  edge  or 
end,  a  transverse  stone, 
also  on  edge,  crossing  the 
centre  of  the  space  be- 
tween them,  and  a  roonng- 
stone  coverinor  the  whole. 
An  exactl}^  similar  ar- 
rangement is  observable  at 
Brenanstown  and  Harolds- 
town,  but  in  the  latter  cases 
the  presence  of  other  por- 
tions of  the  structure  prove 
clearly  what  the  intention 
was,  namely,  to  leave  on  the  one  side  of  the  transverse  stone  an 
open  outer  crypt  or  porch,  and  to  construct  on  the  other  side  of 
it  a  chamber  or  cell,  of  the  sides  of  which  the  inner  ends  of  the 
side  stones  formed  part. 

In  examples  where  the  entire  sides  of  a  monument  were  formed 
each  of  an  immense  slab,  as  is  frequently  found  to  be  the  case  in 
Clare,  the  transverse  stone  was  placed  at  a  short  distance  within 
the  ends  of  the  slabs,  so  as  to  form  the  portico,  over  which  the 
cap-stone  protruded ;  and  such  an  arrangement  is  in  some  cases 
observable  also  in  the  case  of  the  terminal  stone  at  the  opposite 
end  of  the  monument.  For  examples,  I  refer  to  the  dolmens  at 
Ballyganner-South,  Leana,  and  Tully  Commons.f 

Sometimes,  again,  the  transverse  stone  crossed  the  entire 
structure,    the   side  slabs   of  the    cell   within   and   of  the    porch 


Fig.  404.— "Kit's  Coity  House,"  Kent. 


t  See  pp.  67,  73,  75,  supra. 


432  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


without  being  set  at  right  angles  to  the  ends  of  its  faces.  For 
examples  of  this,  I  would  refer  to  the  dolmens  at  Ardaragh  in 
Bear  Island  (Cork),  at  Burren  (Cavan),  and  at  Gortakeeran 
(Sligo).t 

The  likeness  which,  when  viewed  from  the  open  side,  this 
arrangement  of  stones  presents  to  a  porch  or  portico,  has  been 
frequently  noticed.  A  review  of  the  plans  which  I  have  taken 
myself,  in  addition  to  other  considerations,  causes  me  to  feel  sure 
that  porticoes  they  in  reality  and  designedly  were  ;  that  they  were 
always  intended  to  be  open — that  is  to  say,  that  they  were  never 
entirely  enclosed  in  a  mound  and  inaccessible  from  without ;  and 
that  some  means  of  communication,  either  through,  or  under,  or 
at  the  side  of,  or  above  the  transverse  stone,  was  always  provided 
for  with  the  inner  vault  or  cell. 

Rude  as  they  are,  they  may  be  as  truly  called  porticoes  to  the 
cell  within,  as  were  the  antcc  or  7rapacrTdSe<;  to  the  cc//a  of  the 
Romans  and  to  the  vaos  of  the  Greeks.  To  those  points  of 
similarity  between  shrines  and  dolmens  I  shall  recur  later  on. 

From  a  constructive  point  of  view,  dolmens  may  be  divided 
into  two  classes  :  (a)  those  in  which  the  formation  of  a  regular  and 
symmetrical  vault  or  crypt,  was  the  first  consideration,  and  the 
question  of  the  size  of  the  roofing-stones,  although  they  were 
always  massive,  subordinated  to  it ;  (d)  those  in  which  the  per- 
formance of  a  colossal  feat  of  strength  in  raising  and  placing  in 
position  the  most  enormous  block  for  a  roofing-stone  obtainable 
was  evidently  the  first  consideration,  and  the  symmetry  of  the 
crypt  beneath,  which  would  of  necessity  be  liable  to  be  upset 
during  the  process,  a  secondary  one. 

All  dolmens  covered  in  with  slabs  or  stones  of  moderate  but 
sufficient  size,  are  examples  of  the  first  class.  Examples  of  the 
second  class  are  those  at  Mount  Browne  (Carlow),  Mount  Venus, 
Howth,  and  Kiltiernan  (Dublin),  and  Ballymascanlan  (Louth). 

The  dolmens  of  Labbacalle  in  Cork,  and  those  of  Haroldstown 
and  Brenanstown  in  Carlow  and  Dublin,  and  "  the  Labby  "  at 
Carriglass  near  Lough  Arrow  in  Sligo,  stand  in  an  intermediate 
position,  the  roofing-stones,  especially  in  the  latter  case,  being 
very  massive,  while  the  chamber  beneath  is  symmetrically 
formed. 


t  Sec  pp.  41,  20 1,  I  So,  siif^ra. 


Classification,  Construction,  and  Distribution.       433 


The  following  are  the  estimated  weights  of  some  of  the  larger 
covering-stones  : —  y 

tons. 

Kernanstown,  i.e.  Browne's  Hill,  or  Mount  Browne  (Carlow)...  100 

Carriglass  (Sligo)  ...          ...          ..  ...  ...         ...         ...  72 

Howth  Demesne  (Dublin)           ...  ...  ...          ...          ...  70 

Woodtown,  or  Mount  Venus  (Dublin)  ...          44 

Kiltiernan  (Dublin)         ...           ...  ...  ••■          .••          •••  43 

Brenanstown  (Dublin)      ...         ...  ...  ...         ...         ...  38 

Ballymascanlan  or  Proleek  (Louth)  ...  ...          ...          ...  30 

Labbacallee  (Cork)          ...         ...  ...  ...         ...         ...  24 

At  Kernanstown,  Howth,  and  Woodtown,  it  can  scarcely  be 
said  that  a  chamber  exists  at  all,  the  incumbent  block  being  in  each 
case  supported  by  a  pillar  or  pillars  on  one  side  only,  and  on  the 
other  or  lower  side,  resting,  in  the  case  of  Kernanstown  on  low 
stones,  and  in  those  of  Howth  and  Woodtown  on  the  natural  soil. 
In  the  Kiltiernan  example  the  crypt  is  much  disarranged,  owing, 
apparently,  to  the  weight  of  the  roofing-stone. 

The  Howth  cap-stone  rested,  probably, originally  at  its  lower  end 
on  the  backs  of  two  low  stones  still  in  place,  from  which  it  has 
seemingly  slipped  back,  carrying  perhaps  with  it  out  of  their 
perpendicular  several  of  its  supporters.  If  this  supposition  be 
risfht,  the  monument  at  one  time  bore  the  closest  resemblance  to 
that  at  Kernanstown. 

In  spite  of  what  might  seem  precedents  at  Ballymascanlan  or 
Kiltiernan,  I  cannot  bring  myself  to  believe  that  either  of  these 
three  inclined  blocks  of  Kernanstown,  Howth,  or  Woodtown,  were 
at  any  time  raised  upon  pillars  at  that  side  which  is  at  present  the 
lower. 

The  question  to  which  such  a  list  of  mighty  weights  naturally 
leads,  and  to  which  we  should  surely  be  prepared  with  some 
rational  answer,  is,  *'  By  what  agency  were  such  masses  transported 
to  the  spots  in  which  we  find  them  ;  and  how  could  people,  in  the 
savage  state  which  the  natives  of  Ireland  must  have  been  in  in 
the  days  when  they  were  erected,  have  brought  appliances  to  bear 
to  raise  them  into  the  positions  in  which  we  find  them  }  " 

As    to    the   question    of  transportation,    so    much    requiring 

t  For  assistance  in  estimating  the  weights  of  these  stones  I  beg  to  accord  my  best  thanks  tO' 
IMr.  Thomas  Matthews,  C.E.,  of  the  Trinity  House,  and  also  to  the  Rev.  M.  II.  Close,  Treasurer  of 
the  Royal  Irish  Academy,  to  whom  (after  he  had  made  personal  visits  to  Kernanstown,  Howth, 
Kiltiernan  and  Woodtown)  I  am  indebted  for  a  revision  of  my  own  estimates  of  the  weights  of 
those  stones.  The  loo  tons,  at  which  figure  the  fust  of  these  is  estimated,  rests  on  no  merely 
approximate  guess,  but  is  based  on  measurements  most  carefully  checked. 


434  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


explanation  In  the  case  of  the  blocks  which  form  the  pyramids  of 
Egypt,  I  do  not  think  it  need  trouble  us  much.  The  stones  are 
approximately  in  situ  geologically,  either  portions  of  the  bed-rock 
naturally  detached,  or  erratics  left  upon  the  surface.  The 
quart/ite  block  at  Howth  is  a  portion,  unusually  large,  of  talus 
which  lies  under  the  Muck  Rock  immediately  behind  it.  The 
Kiltiernan  stone  is  one  of  a  thousand  Qrranite  masses  like  It  on 
the  hillsides  around  it.  The  same  may  be  said  of  the  Woodtown 
mass,  and  that  at  Brenanstown  has  found  its  way  from  the  granite 
mountains  into  a  valley  below,  and  lies  beside  the  stream  which 
once  in  flood-time  left  it  where  it  is. 

The  Kernanstown  stone  is  also  a  granite  boulder,  resting 
where  it  has  ever  rested  since  the  *'  Great  Ice  Age,"  and  only 
tilted  up  on  edge  on  other  stones  by  man. 

The  great  flat  limestone  slabs  which  form  the  Clare  dolmens 
are,  perhaps,  as  Interesting  from  the  point  of  view  of  their 
material  as  any  used  in  these  structures,  and  excite  the  wonder  of 
the  Intelligent  farmers  of  the  locality,  who  Impressed  on  me  again 
and  again  the  fact  that  no  such  splendid  blocks  were  to  be  found 
on  the  surface  of  the  "crag"  (as  the  broken  surfaces  of  limestone 
are  called)  nowadays. 

Three  modes  suggest  themselves  by  which  the  Immense 
covering-stones  of  dolmens  may  have  acquired  the  positions  which 
excite  our  wonder. 

In  the  first  place.  It  Is  possible  to  conceive  that  there  may  be 
cases  In  which  the  block  may  never  have  been  removed  from  its 
position  in  siltc  at  all,  but  may  have  been  undermined,  and  the 
side  stones  of  the  crypt  inserted  beneath  it,  the  surrounding  ground 
being  then  removed,  and  the  block  left  to  rest  upon  the  upper 
edges  of  the  stones  forming  the  walls.  In  examples  where  the 
under  face  of  the  overlapping  edges  of  the  roof-stones  are  close  to 
the  level  of  the  surrounding  soil,  and  where  the  vault  it  covers 
seems  to  be  a  lined  pit  beneath  it,  this  view  suggests  Itself  strongly. 
The  huge  block  at  Carriglass,  near  Lough  Arrow,  is  a  case  in 
point,  and  so,  also,  planted  as  the  crypt  Is  In  the  alluvial  soil  of  the 
valley,  I  have  sometimes  thought  the  Brenanstown  dolmen  might 
be.  No  such  theory,  however,  would  be  for  a  moment  tenable  in 
the  case  of  a  monument  such  as  that  at  Ballymascanlan,  where  the 
surrounding  ground  shows  no  sign  of  having  been  levelled,  and 
where  the  block  rests  upon  the  points  of  pillars  8  or  9  feet  high. 


Classification,  Construction,  and  Distribution.       435 


The  agency  by  which  one  of  these  covering-stones  was  lifted  into 
place  was  probably  that  which  was  applied  to  them  all,  and  there- 
fore I  do  not  hold  that  even  in  some  few  cases  this  first  theory  of 
the  block  beinof  in  sihi  is  tenable. 

The  second  mode  is  that  of  which  His  Majesty  the  King  of 
Denmark  made  himself  the  exponent  many  years  ago,  namely,  that 
the  covering-stones  of  dolmens  were  worked  up  into  place  over  an 
inclined  plane  or  bank.  No  theory  appears  to  me  so  hopelessly 
impossible  as  this  with  regard  to  such  structures  in  general,  and 
to  those  in  Ireland  in  particular.  Such  a  bank  of  new-made 
material,  in  a  climate  notoriously  wet,  would  be  a  hopeless 
impediment  to  moving  onward  and  upward,  a  rock  weighing  60  or 
70  tons.  It  would  literally  "stick  in  the  mud"  beyond  all  possi- 
bility of  extrication.  In  addition  to  this,  in  the  majority  of 
localities  where  dolmens  abound,  the  question  might  fairly  be 
asked  from  whence  could  any  hard  material  of  the  kind  necessary 
have  been  obtained,  or  what  can  have  become  of  it  since  the 
object  for  which  it  would  have  been  collected  had  been  gained  ? 
The  savage  people  who  had  brought  the  stuff  together  would  not 
have  been  so  excessively  careful  to  have  swept  away  every  trace 
of  their  preparatory  work  when  once  the  monument  stood 
perfected  on  the  mountain-top  or  the  moor. 

In  one  sense,  and  one  alone,  the  theory  of  an  inclined  plane 
may  possess  truth  with  regard  to  the  erection  of  Irish  dolmens. 
We  have  seen  that,  when  in  their  perfect  and  elongated  state, 
they  rise  step  by  step  (generally,  but  not  universally,  from  E. 
to  W.).  One  end  is  low  and  narrow,  the  side-stones  approaching 
each  other  closely  at  the  small  end  of  the  wedge  (which  in  shape 
they  resemble),  and  gradually  expanding  from  each  side,  and 
becoming  taller  as  they  approach  the  end  on  which  is  to  rest  the 
largest  covering-stone.  Now,  it  is  quite  possible,  and  I  think 
probable,  that  over  this  incline  so  formed,  each  cap-stone,  the  larger 
one  first,  was  slid  upward  in  turn — a  theory  which  would  account 
for  the  frequent  disarrangement  noticeable  in  the  lines  of  the  side- 
stones  of  the  crypt.  The  stone  on  edge  would  have  afforded  a 
solid  support  such  as  no  bank  could  give,  and  the  presence 
occasionally  of  buttress-stones,  placed  at  right  angles  against  their 
sides,  may  be  taken  as  evidence  that  they  were  prepared  to 
sustain  unusual  pressure  from  above.  Be  this  as  it  may,  enor- 
mous leverage   would    have    been    required    to    move    the  huge 


436  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


masses  Into  position,  which  brings  me  to  the  third  theory  as  to 
the  mode  of  their  erection,  which  is  that  which  I  adopt,  and 
which  may  be  stated  in  a  few  words. 

The  very  existence  of  these  megahthic  structures  appears  to 
me  to  be  an  indication — if,  indeed,  such  were  needed  to 
demonstrate  the  fact — that  Ireland  was  once  a  well-timbered 
country.  It  must  have  been  by  the  power  of  mighty  leverage 
that  these  stones  were  lifted  into  place,  and  such  leverage 
could  only  be  obtained  with  felled  timber.  The  trees  once 
felled  with  the  aid  of  chisels  of  stone  or  bronze  and  the  application 
of  fire,  and  points  for  purchase  being  obtained  beneath  the  rock, 
four  or  five  trunks,  heavily  weighted  at  the  opposite  extremity, 
could,  with  the  aid  of  the  united  action  of  a  fairly  large  body  of 
men,  be  brought  to  bear  at  once  in  lifting  the  stone  little  by  little. 
As  the  work  of  elevation  went  on,  stones  would  be  inserted  to 
prevent  the  mass  from  falling  back.  The  pillar-stones  destined 
to  support  it  would  then  be  fixed  in  the  ground  beneath  its  edge, 
the  small  trigging  stones  gradually  removed,  and  the  mass  allowed 
to  sink  on  to  the  summits  of  the  uprights. 

Mr.  Du  Noyer  has  supplied  a  drawing  j  of  a  monument  which 
he  regarded  as  a  dolmen  in  an  unfinished  state,  showing  a  mass 
of  small  stones  inserted  beneath  a  ponderous  rock,  in  an  inclined 
position,  illustrating,  if  my  theory  be  right,  that  stage  in  the 
process  of  elevation  which  preceded  the  insertion  of  other  columnar 
supports  than  that  up  to  the  point  of  which  one  end  of  the  stone 
has  been  raised. 

Timber  was  doubtless  used  also  for  the  removal  of  stones, 
both  for  rollers  beneath  them  and  levers  to  propel  them.  An  old 
friend  of  mine  resident  in  Clare  showed  me  the  root-crown  of  a 
tree  which  his  workmen  had  discovered  in  a  bog,  and  which  bore 
on  its  upper  surface  thousands  of  marks  made  by  the  narrow 
wedges,  probably  of  flint  or  other  stone,  with  which  in  remote 
acres  the  trunk  had  been  cut  throu";h. 

For  the  construction  of  a  dolmen  large  gangs  of  human  beings 
would  be  doubtless  required,  and,  as  in  the  case  of  the  pyramids 
of  Egypt — to  compare  great  undertakings  to  comparatively  small 
ones — these  monuments  are  silent  witnesses  to  human  misery  in 
days  when  slavery  was  predominant,  but  in  a  land  where  the  means 
of  subsistence  was  readily  obtainable. 

t  Sec  !>.  57,  supiii. 


Classification,  Construction,  and  Distribution.       437 


A  dolmen  in  Ireland  is  more  or  less  rugged  in  its  appearance 
according  to  the  nature  of  the  stones  which  the  district  provides. 
The  most  symmetrical  one  which  I  have  seen— the  slabs  being  as 
well  squared  by  nature  as  those  of  a  mediaeval  altar-tomb  by  art — 
is  that  on  Slieve  Callan,  in  Clare.f  With  almost  equal  neatness, 
resembling  boxes  which  children  build  with  cards,  many  of  the 
ofreat  limestone  dolmens  of  the  Burren  in  Clare  are  formed. 
Where,  again,  the  material  is  altered  slate,  or  quartzite,  or  green- 
stone, a  ruder  appearance  is  the  result,  and  the  internal  area  of 
the  chambers  is  often  rendered  shapeless.  In  the  case  of  granite, 
which  often  presents  one  smooth  face,  that  face  is  always  turned 
inward,  so  that  the  crypt  is  symmetrical  within,  both  as  regards 
roofing  and  side-stones,  though  rugged  without.  The  upper  side 
or  back  of  the  cap-stone  is  often  found  to  be  traversed  with 
channels  and  hollow  basins,  the  result  of  exposure  to  the  action 
of  water  or  other  disintegrating  influences.  It  has  often  struck 
me  that,  both  with  regard  to  dolmens  and  other  megalithic 
monuments,  stones  with  some  natural  peculiarity  were  pre- 
ferred to  others.  The  channeling  on  the  roof  of  the  Harolds- 
town  dolmen  is  especially  curious,  and  natural  cups  and  hollows 
are  almost  the  rule,  and  certainly  not  exceptional.  On  one  of  the 
cap-stones  of  a  dolmen  I  myself  unearthed  in  a  tumulus  at 
Tregaseal  in  Cornwall  was  a  most  peculiar  excrescence, J  rising 
perpendicularly  more  than  6  inches  above  the  surface  of  the 
granite,  and  rounded  at  the  top ;  in  another  was  an  artificial 
bowl  or  rock-basin  such  as  the  Irish  call  a  btdldii.  Artificial  cup- 
markings  are  also  found  on  the  cap-stones  of  some  dolmens. 
Circles  are  carved  on  the  supporters  of  one  in  Meath.  Rude 
scribings  are  incised  occasionally,  both  on  roofing-  and  side- 
stones,  and,  in  one  instance  at  least,  a  stone  with  an  artificial  basin, 
or  btdldn,  stands  on  the  threshold  of  a  dolmen-crypt. 

Details  of  these  points  in  Irish  examples  have  been  already 
given.  Meanwhile  there  remain  some  few  amplifications  and 
varieties  of  type  to  be  noticed  in  the  plan  and  arrangement  of 
the  monuments. 

At  Magheraghanrush  (Sligo),  at  Ballyglass  (Mayo),  and  at 
Cashel  §  (Donegal),  are  large  oval  areas  of  peculiar  but  distinctive 
form,  having  arrangements  of  dolmens  at  either  end  of  the  oval, 

t  See  p.  79,  supra.  X  See  fig.  40S,  p.  442,  infra. 

§  Called  the  Cloghan  in  Glenmalin. 


438  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


as  well  as,  in  the  Donegal  example,  in  the  side.  The  two  former 
monuments  arc  free-standing,  but  the  latter  was  partially,  if  not 
entirely,  covered  over  by  a  pear-shaped  cairn. 

Three  or  four  examples  may  be  quoted  of  dolmens  arranged 
in  lines,  as  many  as  six  forming  the  line,  as  at  INIac  Kee's  farm  in 
Glenmalin  in  Donegal. 

In  some  districts — Antrim  especially — two  dolmens,  the  one 
smaller  than  the  other,  occur  in  close  proximity. 

In  no  case  have  so  many  been  found  together,  contained  in  so 
limited  an  area  as  at  Carrowmore  in  ShVo.  Here,  with  the 
exception  of  the  great  dolmen  described  by  Dr.  Walker  to  Sir 
William  Wilde,  and  of  w^iich  one  side-stone  of  the  cist,  or  crypt, 
measured  i6  feet  long  and  6  feet  broad,  and  of  the  chamber  at 
Clover  Hill,  all  the  examples  are  of  the  dolincn-circle  type. 

The  builders  of  the  dolmens  of  the  long  wedge-shape  type 
often  placed  their  monuments  in  groups  of  four  or  five,  or  even 
more  ;  but  as  a  rule  they  are  rather  grouped  in  districts  than  in 
adjoining  fields,  and  lie  a  mile  or  two  apart,  as  parish  churches  do. 

The  chamber-cairns  were  gathered  together  in  large  groups 
on  the  Boyne  and  at  Loughcrew.  They  do  not,  so  far  as  I 
know,  occur  in  Munster,  but  examples  of  them  are  found  in 
Mayo,  Sligo,  IMonaghan,  Fermanagh,  and  Armagh. 

Dolmens  of  the  wedge-shaped  type  are  more  evenly  dis- 
tributed over  Ireland  than  are  those  of  either  of  the  other 
classes.  They  are  sometimes  found  by  the  seaside,  occasionally 
close  to  the  sea,  but  they  are  found  in  inland  districts  as  well, 
which  cannot  with  like  truth  be  said  of  the  dolmen-cairns,  such  as 
those  of  Carrowmore.  In  Sweden,  the  Danish  islands,  and  the 
southern  coasts  of  the  Baltic  the  same  two  types  of  monument 
occur,  and  there  also  it  is  the  dolnicn-cainis  which  hug  the  shore, 
and  the  zucdge-s/iapcd  iuo7mviai/s  which  lie  by  the  lake-sides  in  the 
interior.  In  these  latter  districts  the  wedge-shaped  dolmens,  with 
their  peristyles,  are  referable  to  the  early  Bronze  Age,  and  in  the 
Iberian  Peninsula,  where  they  are  also  found,  the  same  observation 
has  been  made.  Further  remarks,  however,  on  the  age  and 
purpose  of  the  dolmens  would  be  premature,  until  we  have 
compared  the  Irish  examples  with  those  in  other  countries. 

IMiss  Margaret  Stokes,  in  her  "Carte  des  Dolmens  d'Irlande," 
has  laid  some  stress  upon  the  distribution  of  Irish  dolmens  in  river- 
basins,   on  the  coast,   and  in   mountainous  districts  respectively. 


Structural  Comparisons  in  the  British  Isles.        439 


A  large  proportion  of  her  sea-coast  examples  are  dolmen- 
circles  and  dolmen-cairns.  As  to  the  position  of  those  in 
mountainous  districts  and  spots  which  are  now  wild  and  bare, 
we  must  remember  that  it  is  certain  that  in  most  cases  these 
heights  and  moors  were  richly  wooded,  affording  a  plentiful 
supply  of  timber, — the  material  necessary  for  the  purposes  of 
leverage, — for  the  work.  Even  the  limestone  flats  of  Aran,  and 
the  apparently  verdureless  Burren  of  Clare,  that  might  be  taken 
for  an  ice-field  upheaved,  with  its  deep  crevices,  where  the 
maidenhair  and  geranium  flourish  snugly  and  warmly  deep  down 
and  out  of  sight,  were  once  overshadowed  with  fir,  and  oak,  and 
ash.  In  the  clearings  of  these  glades,  sometimes  at  the  summit  of 
a  "  divide,"  so  as  to  attract  the  veneration  of  the  traveller, — some- 
times on  the  top  of  the  mountain  itself,  above  the  forest  line, — 
sometimes  by  the  side  of  a  lake,  the  veneration  for  which  survives, 
maybe,  in  some  weird  legend ;  sometimes  close  to  a  spring-well  or 
a  stream,  for  water  was  in  some  way  connected  with  the  cultus  of 
the  dead,  stood  the  dolmen,  no  mere  sepulchre  made  once  for  all 
and  forgotten,  but  the  goal  of  the  pilgrim  who  sought  the  abode 
of  the  spirit, — the  ancestral  shrine  at  the  porch  of  which  the 
dead  were  communicated  with,  and  the  accustomed  offerings  made. 
Indeed,  where  dolmens  occur  in  river-basins,  it  is  generally  on  the 
hillside,  or  by  a  lake  or  stream  that  they  must  be  sought.  From 
the  flat  lands  of  Westmeath  and  Meath,  of  the  King's  County  and 
the  Queen's  County,  and  Kildare,  they  are  almost  entirely  absent. 
Two  in  Carloware  on  river-banks,  and  one,  the  largest  in  Ireland, 
in  the  same  county  is  upon  a  richly  wooded  hill. 

Such  were  the  spots  ever  chosen  for  the  cultus  of  the  dead,, 
whether  the  objects  of  the  worship  were  the  Sidhe,  as  in  Ireland, 
or  the  Sitte,  as  in  Lapland,  or  the  Shinto  or  Sinto,  as  in  Japan  at 
the  present  day. 

Structural  Comparisons  in  the  British  Isles. 

As  might  reasonably  be  supposed,  the  closest  resemblances  to 
Irish  megalithic  monuments  are  found  in  those  examples  which 
are  located  on  the  opposite  coasts  of  Britain.  The  Cornish  series 
may,  indeed,  be  said  to  be  identical  ;  and  upon  that,  since  I  have 
myself  either  planned  or  assisted  in  planning  every  individual 
structure,  many  of  which  I  have  also  explored,  I  may  be  permitted 
to  offer  some  preliminary  remarks.     The  dolmen-cairn  or  dolmen- 


440 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


circle  type  is  found,  as  in  Ireland,  hugging  the  coast,  while  the 
wedge-shaped  dolmens  occupy  positions  on  the  hills  further  inland. 

The  ground-plans  of  the  Zennor  and  Trethevy  dolmens 
might  have  been  designed  and  the  structures  erected  by  the 
same  persons  who  set  up  those  at  Ardaragh  in  Bear  Island  (Cork), 
at  Brenanstown  (Dublin),  or  any  of  the  Clare  series.  The  same 
details  have  been  carried  out  in  each  case.  There  is  the  feature 
of  the  ante-chamber  or  portico,  and  the  hole  or  creep  connecting 
it  with  the  inner  cell,  a  characteristic  specially  marked  in  the  case 
of  Trethevy. 

In  the  Land's  End  district  and  in  the  Isles  of  Scilly,  examples 
occur  of  long-oblong,  or  wedge-shaped  structures,  each  surrounded 
by  a  peristyle,  which  forms  the  base,  from  which  a  tumulus  rises 
just  high  enough  to  overtop  the  covering-stones.  Dr.  Borlase  has 
described  two  of  these  in  Scilly.  The  mouth  of  the  first  was  4 
feet  6  ins.  wide,  the  length  of  the  cell  13  feet  8  ins.,  and  the 
height  3  feet  8  ins.      It  was  covered  from  end  to  end  with  large 


Fio.  405. — Plan  of  Zennor-Quoit,  Cornwall,     liy  IV.  C.  Lukis  ami  \V.  C.  Borlase. 

flat  stones.  The  second  was  entered  at  its  E.  end  by  a  passage, 
I  foot  8  ins.  wide,  "  betwixt  two  stones  set  on  end."  The  cell  was 
4  feet  8  ins.  wide  in  the  middle,  22  feet  long,  and  4  feet  10  ins. 
high.  At  the  W.  end — it  bore  nearly  E.  and  VV. — it  was 
terminated  by  a  large   Hat  stone   on  edge,  and  from  end  to  end 


Structural  Comparisons  in  the  British  Isles.        441 


it  was  covered  by  great  flags.     In  Scilly  these  monuments  were 
called   "Giants'    Graves"    by  the  natives.     In  one  respect  they, 
or  some,  at  least,  of  them,  seem    to   have    differed    from    Irish 
examples,  for  their  side  walls 
were    formed    not    of    single  .•■"■••.... 

slabs,  but  of  layers  of  stones. 
Those  on  the  mainland,  how- 
ever, are,  with  one  exception, 
formed  in  the  usual  manner. 

One  of  the  latter,  that  at 
Brane  (Par.  of  Sancred),  near 
the  stone  hill-fort  of  Caer- 
Bran,  I  have  already  men- 
tioned as  illustrating  the  mode 
in  which  dolmens  of  this  class 
were  covered.  Of  another, 
near  the  stone-circles  of  Tregaseal  (Par.  of  St.  Just-in-Penwith),. 
I  made  a  most  careful  examination.  The  cairn,  which  rose 
from  an  oval  peristalith,  just  overtopped  the  two  covering-stones 


Fig.  406. — Plan  of  Trethevy,  Cornwall. 


Fig.  407. — Dolmen  in  tumulus,  Tregaseal,  West  Cornwall.     Etched  front  a  photograph. 

of  the  cell,  which  were  still  in  place.     The  interior  measurement 
was  1 1  feet  3  ins.  long,  and  at  the  entrance,  2  feet  wide,  but  the 
VOL.  n.  K 


442 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


vault  expanded  as  it  approached  the  N.W.  end,  and  was  4  feet 
high. 

At  the  inner  and  broader  end  a  sort  of  dais,  raised  platform,  or 
table  had  been  formed  in  the  manner  indicated  in  the  section 
(fig.  409).  Generally  throughout  the  floor,  but  mostly  upon  and 
under  this  table,  was  a  stratum,  or  "  mat,"  of  a  dark  substance, 


P"lG.  408. — Interior  of  dolmen  at  Tregaseal,  showing  stone  platform  and  excrescence  on  roofing- 
stone.     Etched frovi  a  photograph. 

which  proved  to  be  composed  of  charcoal,  small  burnt  fragments 
of  human  bones,  and  a  great  quantity  of  broken  pottery,  many 
of  the  specimens  of  which  w^ere  decorated.  The  confusion  in 
which  they  lay  caused  me  to  form  the  opinion  that  the  vessels, 
some  of  which  had  probably  once  contained  the  bones,  had  never 

been  placed  whole  in  the 
vault,    but    thrown    in    in 
the  shattered  condition  in 
^    which  I  found  them.     On 
-^  the     platform,      however, 
some  of  the  bonesappeared 
to  have  been  arranged  in 
little  piles.      In  the  stratum  was  a  perforated  whetstone. 

Immediately  beyond  the  outer  end  of  the  terminal  stone,  and 
almost  in  the  centre  of  the  tumulus,  a  rude  cist  had  been  formed, 


Fig.  409. — Section  of  dolmen-mound  at  Tregaseal 


Structural  Comparisons  in  the  British  Isles.        44; 


which  contained  an   urn  about  2  feet  in   height,  with  two  large 
handles,  highly  ornamented  round  the  upper  portion,  and  having 


Fig.  411. — Plan  of  tomb  near  Halle. 


Fig.  410. — Section  of  tomb  near  Halle. 

a  cruciform  design    raised  in  relief  on  the   inner  surface  of  the 

bottom,  a   design   which    is   almost   exactly    reproduced    on    the 

exterior  of  the  bottom  of 

an  urn   taken  from  a  cist 

on     Knockmunion,      near 

Navan    in    Meath.      The 

Treeaseal     urn     was     in- 

verted  over  burnt  human 

bones. 

In  1826,  Herr  Hart- 
niann,  of  Halle,  explored 
a  structure  buried  in  a  tumulus  53  paces  long,  34  paces  wide,  and 
about  10  feet  high,  at  Niedleben,  near  Halle  in  Saxony,  which  so 
much  resembles  this  one  at  Tregaseal  that  I  shall  not  reserve  it 
for  my  section  on  Germany,  but  notice  it  at  once.  The  vault  was 
formed  by  two  slabs  on  edge  on  either  side  supporting  two  cover- 
ing-stones, and  closed  at  the  inner  or  N.  end  by  a  single  large 
slab.  At  the  S.  end  three  smaller  stones  on  either  side  supported 
another  covering-stone,  and  formed  a  sort  of  ante-chamber  or 
narrow  portico,  separated,  apparently,  from  the  main  cell  or  vault 
by  a  stone  slab  which  nearly  reached  the  covering-stone.  The 
whole  structure  the  writer  describes  as  divided  into  three  sections, 
viz.  entrance,  vestibule,  and  vault.  I  do  not  find  that  the  dimen- 
sions of  the  vault  are  given,  but  it  appears  to  have  been  about 
10  feet  long.  The  sandstone  slabs  which  covered  it  were  10  inches 
thick.  It  was  wedge-shaped,  expanding  from  about  2  feet  wide 
at  the  entrance,  to  about  5  feet  6  ins.  at  the  inner  end.  At 
this  inner  end  was  placed  a  wooden  table-slab  about  3  feet  long, 
2  feet  broad,  and  2  inches  thick,  which  had  been  joined  to  another 
slab  with  oblique  ridges   which   went    right  across    it,   and  with 


444 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


square  holes  at  its  ends,  through  which  wooden  pegs  were  fixed. 
The  entire  vault  was  covered  at  the  bottom  with  ashy  earth  mixed 
with  small  pieces  of  charcoal.  This  stratum  was  continued  under 
the  table,  \vhere  it  contained  fragments  of  decorated  urns,  and 
dish-like  vessels,  one   of  which  latter  was  covered   by  a  wooden 

lid.  Urns  were  also  found  both  within  and 
without  the  stone  which  partitioned  off  the 
vestibule.  In  the  N.W.  and  in  the  N.E. 
corners  of  the  vault  respectively,  were  a 
skull  and  a  backbone,  and  betw^een  them 
the  ribs  and  leg-bones.  Kruse  mentions  in 
a  note  that  over  a  hundred  perforated  boar's 
teeth  were  found  when  the  earth  was  sifted, 
besides  numerous  Hint  knives  or  chisels,  a 
flaying  instrument  (?  a  stone  celt),  several 
pieces  of  amber,  one  of  them  perforated  and 
in  the  form  of  a  little  round  hammer,  but  no 
object  of  metal. 

The  side  stone  in  the  centre  on  the  \V. 

had  a  few  roughly  carved  marks  at  its  base, 

and   opposite  to  it  on   the  slab   in  the   E. 

^,  T       1   ,    .         side  was  a  +   rei^ularly    cut.      Herr  Hart- 

riG.    412. — Inscribed    stones  ^  > 

from  a  wedge-shaped  tomb  in   maun  sDcaks  of  the  iucised  marks   on   the 

tumulus   near    Halle,     /'rom     -.^r       ,    ,  ,  •         it        r^ 

Krusc,    ''Deutsche    Alter-   W.  slab  as  "  um  decoratlou.        One  of  the 

thiimv"  1827,  tab,  i%'.  r  '      ^  r     1        r  im 

ngures  reminds  us  ot  the  tern-like  pattern  at 
New  Grange,  while  others  are  not  unlike  ogauis^  and  others, 
again,  resemble  wild  runes. 

With   regard  to  the  pottery,  Kruse  considered  that  one  of  the 


/^ 

■ 

111 

iim- 

Mm 

Hi 

^m^ 

^\ — ^^ — g 

1 

\  1 

Fig.  413. — Specimens  of  jtottcry  fioin  ilic  loiiib  at  Halle. 

larger  urns  probably  served  for  meat-offerings,  and  a  smaller  one 
for    drink-offerings.       He  compares    the   whole   structure  to   one 


Structural  Comparisons  in  the  British  Isles.        445 

explored  at  Farrenstadt.f  and  thinks  that  it  belongs  to  the  same 
race  of  people.  The  feature  of  the  ante-chamber  is  more  than 
once  noticed  by  him,  as,  for  example,  in  the  case  of  a  "grave- 
hill  "  near  the  Zschornhugel,  near  Langendorf,  upon  which  Herr 
Bergner,  the  explorer,  remarks  that  "  as  it "  {i.e.  the  ante- 
chamber) "  was  large  enough  for  a  person  to  sit  in,"  he  con- 
sidered that  it  was  formed  with  the  object  of  affording  "  a  place 
for  praying  to,  or  visiting  the  dead."  This  latter  tomb  was  also 
wedge-shaped,  narrowing  from  8  feet  to  4  feet  6  ins.  in  the 
middle,  and  to  3  feet  at  the  further  end.  Bones  and  teeth  of 
animals,  several  decorated  vessels,  a  copper  needle  with  an  eye, 
and  some  flint  implements,  were  found  here. 

Had  these  German  antiquarians  seen  the  wedge-shaped  dolmens 
of  Ireland,  or  been  present  at  the  exploration  of  that  in  Cornwall, 
with  its  wedge-shaped  form,  its  stone  table-slab,  and  its  stratum 
of  ashes  and  broken  pottery,  they  must,  I  think,  have  come  to 
the  conclusion  that,  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  inhumation  had  been 
practised  in  the  German  instances,  and  cremation  in  the  Cornish 
one,  both  belonged  to  one  race,  one  state  of  culture,  one  order  of 
customs,  and  approximately  to  one  date. 

The  evidence  of  the  Cornish  tumuli  proved  to  me  that  in  that 
district  the  practice  of  inhumation  preceded  that  of  cremation,  and 
that  the  latter  custom,  including  urn-burial,  was  still  in  use  in  the 
Roman  epoch.  In  two  great  tumuli  on  the  edge  of  the  cliff  near 
Newquay,  I  found  in  each  case  a  stone  cist  containing  an  unburnt 
body,  representing  the  primary  interment.  Upon  the  roofing- 
stone  of  one  of  these  a  fire  had  been  kindled,  which,  to  judge  by 
the  immense  quantity  of  burnt  earth  and  stone  above  it,  must  have 
been  kept  alight  for  a  very  considerable  time.  With  the  skeleton 
in  this  tumulus  lay  a  beautifully  polished  stone  axe-hammer  4  ins. 
long,  and  showing  no  marks  of  wear,  exactly  similar  to  a  Scottish 
example  taken  from  a  cairn  at  Fardenreogh,  in  Ayrshire,^  in 
which  an  unburnt  body  was  also  found.  In  the  case  of  the  Cornish 
tumulus,  I  discovered  near  the  top  of  the  mound,  and  many  feet 
above  the  cist,  a  little  pile  of  burnt  human  bones,  representing 
a  secondary  interment,  placed  without  urn  or  cist  in  a  hole  dug 

t  The  stone  structure  in  this  case  consisted  of  "  two  oblique  rows  of  stones  inclined  towards  one 
another.  Two  entire  skeletons,  fragments  of  a  very  thin  little  vessel,  a  tusk  of  a  pig  perforated,  a 
pig's  snout  over  one  of  the  skulls,  a  vessel  six  inches  high,  and  other  small  pigs'  teeth  with  holes 
ivere  found  in  this  structure."    See  Kruse,  "  Deutsche  Alterthihiier,"  Bd.  2,  Heft  2,  3  ;  pp.  27,  etseqq. 

X  Dr.  J.  Macdonald,  "Ayr  and  Wigtonshire  ArchKoI.  Assoc,"  vol,  iii.  p.  78. 


446 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


to  receive  it.  These  Newquay  mounds,  with  their  central  cists, 
roofed  in  each  case  by  a  large  thick  stone,  and  containing  unburnt 
remains,  belong  to  the  end  of  the  Neolithic,  and  beginning  of  the 
Bronze  Age,  and  are  precisely  comparable  to  the  tumulus  and 
cist  at  Knockmaraidhe,  in  the  Phoenix  Park,  Dublin.f 

Chambers,  such  as  those  in  Scilly  and  West  Cornwall,  which 


Fig.  414.— Section  of  dolmen  in  tumulus  at  Tregiftlan,  West  Cornwall.     By  ilic  Aul/ior. 

resemble  the  long  dolmens,  except  that  their  sides  are  formed  of 
walling  instead  of  single  slabs,  are  of  later  date  than  the  purely 
megalithic  structures,  and  belong  to  the  age  of  incineration.     Sonie 


Fig.  415. — Dolmen-mounils,  and  section  of  an  incineration  chamber  in  one  of  them,  in  Japan. 
From  Morse.     Popular  Science  Monthly,  18  So. 

of  them,  like  the  chambers  in  the  sepulchral  tumuli  of  far-distant 
Japan,  which  they  closely  resemble,  were  actually  the  burning-places, 
or  C7'cmatoria,  in  which  the  fire  was  kindled  for  the  destruction  of 
the  body.  I  explored  one  such  at  Tregiffian,  in  the  same  parish 
as  the  Tregaseal  monument  (I'ig.  414). 

t  See  "  Naniia  Cornubice." 


Structural  Comparisons  in  the  British  Isles.       447 


A  narrow  passage  (running  N.E.  and  S.W.),  4  feet  6  ins.  long, 
2  feet  wide,  and  2  feet  6  ins.  deep,  more  like  a  creep,  or  sewer,  or 
the  draught-hole  of  a  furnace  than  an  entrance,  led  into  a  chamber 
roughly  square  in  shape,  measuring  4  feet  6  ins.  each  way.  The 
lower  portion  of  it  was  constructed  in  a  pit  sunk  in  the  natural 
soil.  One  single  block  of  rugged  granite,  6  feet  long  by  5  feet 
wide,  roofed  it  in.  In  the  debris,  resting  on  the  floor-level,  were 
found  the  fragments  of  an  urn,  and  on  the  floor  itself,  burnt  into 
the  surface  of  clay  which  formed  it,  was  a  stratum  of  calcined 
human  bones,  mixed  with  the  ashes  of  a  peat  fire.  This  con- 
glomerate of  burnt  bones,  charred  wood,  ashes,  and  clay  extended 
for  some  3  feet  into  the  passage  adjoining.  Burnt  stones  found 
in  the  chamber,  as  well  as  indications  of  great  heat  on  the  walls 
and  roof,  testified  unmistakably  to  the  fact  that  the  fire  which 
consumed  the  body  had  been  made  in  this  instance  within  the 
structure  itself. 

For  the  sake  of  comparison,  I  give,  side  by  side,  a  section  of 
this  monument,  and  that  of  one  of  the  incineration  chambers  in 
the  Japanese  prehistoric  dolmen-mounds. 

The  Tregiffian  structure  is  precisely  comparable  to  that  at 
Coolrus,  in  the  Queen's  County,  where  a  square  pit,  sunk  5  feet 
in  the  ground,  and  faced  with  flags  and  dry  masonry,  was  roofed 
in  by  a  stone  8  feet  long,  6  feet  wide,  and  12  ins.  thick,  and 
approached  by  a  "  sewer-like "  passage  extending  9  feet  in  an 
easterly  direction.  Near  the  Coolrus  monument  many  small  cists 
were  found  containing  burnt  bones,  which  may  have  been  calcined 
in  the  pit. 

At  another  place,  also  called  Tregiffian  in  Cornwall,  but  in 
the  Parish  of  Buryan,  adjoining  that  of  St.  Just-in-Penwith,  and 
forming  one  of  a  group  of  megalith ic  remains,  including  a  circle, 
three  menhirs,  and  several  other  cairns,  I  explored  a  dolmen- 
circle  of  exactly  the  same  type  as  those  at  Carrowmore.  A 
monolith,  now  prostrate,  once  stood  on  the  tumulus  beside  the 
little  dolmen.  Upon  the  top  of  the  covering-stone  of  the  latter 
lay  a  large  quantity  of  ashes,  burnt  and  splintered  human  bones, 
and  among  them  a  flint  flake  or  knife.  Under  the  covering-stone 
a  very  considerable  quantity  (enough  to  fill  a  cart  more  than 
half  full)  of  calcined  bones  mingled  with  ashes  was  taken  up  ; 
and  under  a  smaller  flat  stone,  placed  beneath  the  S.  edge  of  the 
large  one,  was  an  entirely  separate  and  more  carefully  arranged 


448  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


deposit.  The  small  pit  in  which  it  was  placed  was  lined  with 
shell  sand,  peculiar  to  a  particular  cove — not  the  nearest  cove — 
but  one  situated  some  three  or  four  miles  distant.  The  bone 
chips  and  ashes  in  this  deposit  would  have  filled  a  quart  measure. 
No  pottery  or  metal  object  was  found.  The  dolmen  had  been 
enclosed  in  a  ring  of  stones  which  formed  the  base  and  retaining 
wall  of  the  tumulus  of  stones  and  earth  which  covered  it. 

Thus  we  see  that  these  types  of  Irish  dolmen, — firstly,  the 
wedge-shaped  elongated  one  ;  secondly,  the  dolmen-circle  or 
dolmen-cairn  ;  thirdly,  the  cycviaforium,  such  as  that  at  Coolrus — 
are  severally  repeated  in  Cornwall. 

The  one  type  which  would  seem  to  be  absent  in  Cornwall 
is  the  chamber-tumulus,  which  I  believe,  however,  is  represented 
in  a  way  by  such  examples  as  that  at  Tregiffian,  where  the 
narrow  portion  does  not  correspond  to  the  narrowing  termination 
of  the  wedge-shaped  dolmens,  as  in  Clare,  which  were,  I  think, 
always  closed  at  the  lower  end,  but  open  at  the  higher,  but  to 
structures  entered  through  a  passage,  as  at  New  Grange. 

It  is  further  to  be  observed  that  Cornwall  possesses  its  stone 
circles,  and  menhirs,  and  stone  cathairs,  and  cliff  castles,  and 
earthen  raths,  and  hut-towns,  and  hut-clusters,  just  as  Ireland 
does,  and  of  types  which  are  identical.  The  Caer,  i.e.  Catkai}-,  for 
example,  of  Chyvvoone,  stands  close  to  a  fine  dolmen,  just  as  is 
the  case  with  several  of  the  cathairs  in  the  Burren  of  Clare. 
Beehive  huts,  similar  to  those  at  Mount  Eagle  in  Kerry,  are  to 
be  found  in  various  places  in  the  Land's  End  district,  and,  beneath 
them  (for  they  are  generally  on  hillsides),  almost  every  headland 
on  the  coast  is  traversed  by  its  lines  of  primitive  fortifications, 
as  is  the  case  on  the  Irish  coast.  A  comparison  of  Cornish  hut- 
clusters  with  some  near  Glencullen  on  the  Dublin  mountains, 
and  of  both  with  Welsh  examples  in  Carnarvonshire,  can  leave  no 
doubt  as  to  the  identity  of  the  series.  These  hut-towns,  however, 
were  inhabited  as  late  as  the  days  of  the  Roman  occupation  of 
Britain,  so  that  from  the  Age  of  Stone,  to  which  the  earliest  dolmens 
belong,  through  that  of  Bronze,  to  which  the  cisted  tumuli  pertain, 
and  far  into  that  of  Iron,  when  a  mining  population  dwelt  in  the 
clustered  beehive-huts,  the  Dumnonian  peninsula  (for  Dartmoor, 
with  its  alignments,  and  avenues  leading  to  cairns,  and  stone 
^athah's  reproducing  exactly  those  at  Slievemore  in  Achill,  must 
not  be  excluded)  was,  as  far  as  the  races  or  tribes  by  whom  it  was 


Structural  Comparisons  in  the  British  Isles. 


449 


visited  and  settled  were  concerned,  in  the  closest  relation  ethno- 
logically  with  Ireland  and  Wales. 

From  Cornwall  the  transition  to  Wales  is  only  natural.  The 
occurrence  of  dolmens  on  either  side  of  the  British  Channel — 
or  (as  it  was  once  euphoniously  called)  the  "  Severne  Sea " — 
those  at  Pawton  in  Cornwall,  for  example,  and  Drewsteignton  in 
Devon,  on  the  one  side,  and  those  in  the  Gower  peninsula  and 
up  the  W.  coast  of  Wales,  on  the  hills  N.  of  Barmouth  especially, 
on  the  other,  coupled  with  the  fact  of  their  absence  in  North 
England,  and  their  great  scarcity  in  Scotland,  while  the  coasts 
of  Ireland  possess  them  in  plenty,  all  tend  to  give  plausibility 
to  a  theory  that  the  route  by  which  those  who  erected  them 
arrived  was  from  the  south,  either  down  the  English  Channel  or 
up  the  western  coast  of  Europe,  and  so  round  the  Land's  End 
and  up  St.  George's  Channel  and  around  the  entire  coast  of 
Ireland,  which  island  they  specially  made  their  own. 

In  the  peninsula  of  Gower  are  a  very  considerable  number  of 


Fig.  416. — Plan  of  the  Anta  de  Pa^o  da  Vinha.     From  Cartailhac.     Scale  O'oi  m.  =  I'oo. 
Showing  cup-marks  on  cap-stone. 

prehistoric    remains,   pre-eminent   among   which   is   the   immense 
dolmen  called  Arthur's  Quoit,  on  the  northern  slope  of  Bryn  Cefn, 


r^'/almt*  ^PTTwraa   ^ffifflia 


jimajuiii|[|||t»u'y  ^^ 


^BOEJJJIjgj,  ^E23 


Fig.  417. — Plan  of  the  chambered  tumulus  of  (Javr-lnis.     After  Bertrand. 

surrounded  by  upwards  of  eighty  cairns.    The  cap-stone,  although 
pieces  have  been  broken  off  it,  still  measures  14  feet  6  ins.  long, 


450 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


6  feet  8  ins.   broad,  and  7  feet  5  ins.  high.      It  is  said  to  have 
rested  originally  on  ten  or  eleven  supporters.     In  size  and  rugged- 

ness  it  is  comparable  to  such 
structures  as  Kiltiernan  and  Bally- 
mascanlan,  in  Ireland. 

Another  point  of  comparison 
between  Welsh  and  Irish  dolmens 
is  to  be  found  in  the  circumstance 
that  two  monuments  are  fre- 
quently found  in  near  proximity  to  each  other.  In  the  case 
of  those  between   Carnarvon    and    Barmouth,    I   have   observed 


Kir,.  418. — Plan  of  dolmen  at  Kercado. 
From  MoriilUl. 


^^^i^mmm^m^msmm 


Fig.  419. —  Plan  of  tlie  alL'c  couzerlc  at  Mane  Lud.     Frotii  Bcrtrand. 

several  instances  of  this,  which  recall  examples  in  the  counties  of 
Antrim  and  Donegal. 

Among  the  dolmens  of  Wales   is   the    extremely   interesting 


Fk;.  420. — Plan  of  the  dolmen  of  Vr  Ogof.     Etched  hy  the  writer  from  that  by  Captain  I.uhis  iit 

the  ''  ArchtEol.  Caml>r."  1869. 

passage-dolmen  of  Yr  Ogof.f  a  structure  of  a  class  which,  while  it 
is  well  represented  in  the  long  covered  dolmens  in  Brittany,  such 
as  those  at  Mane  Lud  J  (Locmariaker),  Kercado  (Carnac),  and 
Gavr  Innis,§  finds  almost,  I  may  say,  its  double,  both  as  regards 


t  •' Archreol.  Camb."  (1869),  p.  140. 


§  II/k1. 


+  Bertrand,  "  Diet.  Archeol.,"  in  voc. 


Structural  Comparisons  in  the  British   Isles.       451 

the  form  of  its  chamber  and  the  passage  approaching  it,  in  the 
passage  dolmens  of  Portugal  f  (Fig.  416).  It  is,  according  to  my 
definition,  a  dolmen  and  not  a  chamber,  being  roofed  in  with  Hat 


Fig.  421. —  rillai-sti  ne  at  Temair.     A/ici'  Petrie. 

flags  ;  but  it  takes  its  place,  not  among  the  wedge-shaped 
structures,  which  were  closed  at  the  lower  and  narrower  end,  but 
midway  between  a  monument  such  as  that  at  Coolrus,  consisting 
of  an  avenue  and  covered  pit,  and  the  chamber  of  the  tumulus  of 
New  Grange,  of  which  latter,  again,  the  Loughcrew  cairns  in 
Meath  and  some  of  the  Caithness  and  Argyllshire  examples  are 
reproductions  in  miniature. 

The  shaded  circles  in  the  plan  of  Yr  Ogof  are  pillar-stones 
abraded  or  worked  in  circular  form  so  as  to  be  described  as 
"  nearly  polished."  That  in  the  inner  chamber  has  been  removed. 
It  appears  that  it  was  free-standing,  that  is  to  say,  it  did  not 
touch  the  original  roof.  It  must  have  resembled  the  pillar-stone 
commonly  called  the  '*  Bod  Fergusa  "  at  Tara,  and  Captain  Lukis 
compares  it  with  the  styles  on  altars  in  India,  against  which 
stone  celts  were  customarily  placed.  In  the  older  plans  of 
New  Grange,  as  we  have  seen,  a  conical  stone  is  shown  as 
having  been  at  one  time  in  the  centre  of  the  principal  chamber 
there. 

In  the  peninsula  of  Gower  is  the  Cwm  Park  tumulus  explored 
by  Sir   John   Lubbock,   with   which   and   others   of  like   type   in 

t  Cartailhac,  "Ages  Prehist.  de  I'Espagne,"  fig.  254,  Anta  de  Pa9o  da  Vinha. 


452  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 

Britain,  namely,  those  of  Plas  Newydd  in  Anglesey,  of  Uley  and 
Rodmarton  in  Gloucestershire,  of  West  Kennet  in  Wiltshire,  of 
Stoney-Littleton  in  Somersetshire,  and  that  known  as  Wayland 
Smith's  Cave  in  Berkshire,!  are  to  be  connected  the  Irish 
■chambered  tumuli,  all  situated  in  the  counties  of  Meath,  Armagh, 
Monaghan,  Sligo,  and  Mayo. 

According  to  Canon  Greenwall,  all  monuments  of  the  elongated 
type  are   developments   of  the  Long   Barrows  of  the   Yorkshire 


Fig.  422. — Plan  of  the  tumulus  and  chamber  at  Ulejbury.     From  T7uirna»i. 

wolds,  that  strange  class  of  structure  which  the  same  authority 
and  Professor  Rolleston  attribute  to  the  earliest  inhabitant  of 
Britain,  the  dolichocephalic  monopolist  of  the  previously  unpeopled 
isle. 

Whether  a  Long  Barrow  of  this  primitive  type  has  ever  been 
found  in  Ireland  is  doubtful.  Mr.  Plunkett,J  of  Enniskillen, 
examined  a  mound  in  Fermanagh,  which  he  took  to  be  one,  but 
his  excavations  were  without  result.  It  is  necessary  that  we 
should  have  a  right  conception  of  what  a  Long  Barrow  is, 
and  for  this  purpose  I  turn  to  Canon  Greenwell's  work.§  It  is, 
then,  a  tumulus  in  the  form  of  half  a  pear  divided  lengthways, 
and  placed  with  the  flat  side  downwards.  The  higher  and 
broader  end  of  the  mound  is  usually  towards  the  east,  the  longi- 
tudinal axis  of  the  pile  lying  E.  and  W.  In  cases  where  the 
drain  or  passage  beneath  terminates  in  a  chamber,  the  entrance 
to  this  passage  is  almost  invariably  at  the  eastern  extremity, 
although  examples  occur  where  it  is  in  the  side.  This  entrance 
is  not  unusually  in  the  centre  of  a  semicircle  formed  by  horn- 
shaped  protuberances  either  spreading  out  from  the  mound,  or 
recurved,  like  rams'  horns,  into  it,  flanked  in  either  case  by  low 

t  "Congres  Internal."  (Norwich,  1868),  p.  46. 
%  Troc.  R.I. A.,  and  Ser,,  vol.  i.  p.  323.  §  "British  Barrows." 


Structural  Comparisons  in  the  British  Isles.       453. 


containing-walls  of  stone.  Where  these  horns  spread  outwards, 
the  whole  structure,  if  looked  down  upon  from  above,  would 
not  be  unlike  a  bovine  head. 

To  examples  of  these  types  we  shall  return.  At  present  we 
are  only  dealing  with  the  simpler  class.  These  latter  are  to  be 
found  in  the  north  of  England,  in  parts  of  Yorkshire  especially, 
where  Canon  Greenwell  and  Professor  Rolleston  have  thoroughly 
investigated  the  structure  and  contents  of  several  examples,  the 
only  drawback  to  the  account  they  have  published  being  that 
the  descriptions,  although  lucid,  are  unaccompanied  by  plans. 

The  simpler  mounds  do  not  attain  the  great  dimensions  of 
the  chambered  tumuli,  nor,  as  has  been  said,  do  they  possess 
the  feature  of  "horns."  Their  form,  however,  their  rude  and 
peculiar  internal  arrangements,  their  contents,  and  in  especial 
the  distinctive  type  of  the  human  remains  they  cover,  justify  the 
conclusion  (supposing,  with  Professor  Rolleston,  that  custom  in 
this  case  may  safely  be  taken  as  a  test  of  race)  that  they  are  the 
work  of  one  and  the  same  people  with  those  who  constructed  the 
chambered  examples,  although  it  may  be  at  an  earlier  period,  and 
in  a  less  forward  stage  of  savage  existence. 

In  the  process  of  construction  in  the  Yorkshire  Long  Barrows, 
the  preliminary  operation  seems  to  have  been  the  placing  upon 
the  natural  surface  of  the  ground  a  long  layer  of  clay  or  a 
pavement  of  flagstones,  which  was  destined  to  occupy  a  position- 
immediately  under  the  centre  line  of  the  tumulus  when  subse- 
quently piled  up. 

Upon  these  floorings  it  is  usual  to  find  deposits  of  bones,  botli 
of  man  and  beast.  In  some  cases,  as  in  that  of  the  Westow 
Barrow  in  the  North  Riding,  "  it  seemed  almost  certain  that 
some  of  the  human  bodies  .  .  .  had  been  buried  in  an  entire 
condition,  and  with  the  bones  in  their  proper  order  and  juxta- 
position;" but  this  condition  of  things  appears  to  have  been 
rather  the  exception  than  the  rule.  Indeed,  in  this  very  same 
deposit  the  bones  of  other  bodies  were  found  "  in  a  broken  and 
dislocated  state."  Speaking  of  a  Long  Barrow  at  Rudstone,  Canon 
Greenwell  remarks,  "In  this,  as  in  some  other  Long  Barrows, 
there  was  apparently  no  burial  of  what  seemed  to  have  been  an 
unmutilated  body,  all  the  bones  having  been,  before  they  were 
deposited  in  the  mound,  more  or  less  disjointed,  and,  in  some 
cases,  perhaps,  fractured." 


454  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


Sometimes  the  remains  of  as  many  as  five  bodies  were  found 
upon  the  central  area  beneath  one  of  these  barrows,  all  of  them 
beino-  in  a  disjointed  condition.  This  phenomenon,  to  whatever 
custom  or  cause  it. is  to  be  assigned,  is  not  confined  to  the 
barrows  of  the  ruder  sort,  but  is  observable  also  in  the  case  of 
the  remains  found  in  the  more  elaborate  chambered  tumuli  of  the 
south-west  of  England,  that  is,  in  Gloucestershire,  Wiltshire,  and 
Somerset. 

Over  the  bone-deposit  was  raised,  in  the  case  of  the  Yorkshire 
barrows,  a  pile  of  stones  intermixed  with  turf  or  wood.  Upon 
this  heap  the  tumulus  was  raised,  and  (what  is  most  singular) 
after  this  had  been  done,  as  it  would  appear,  fire  was  applied  to 
the  interior  of  the  mound,  kindled,  seemingly,  in  cross  trenches  or 
in  holes  which  are  found  filled  with  ashes  at  the  end  of  the 
tumulus,  and  thence  driven  by  means  of  a  draught  through  a 
duct,  or  through  hollow  stones,  into  the  part  where  the  bones 
were,  with  the  result  that  the  latter  are  found  to  be  partially  or 
wholly  calcined,  according  to  the  strength  of  the  fire  introduced, 
and  its  power  to  reach  the  part  furthest  from  where  it  was  kindled. 

Upon  this  curious  feature  in  the  arrangement  the  explorer 
observes  that  "it  is  not  easy  to  say  how  the  fire  was  applied  in 
the  first  instance,  but  it  is  not  unlikely  that  the  cross-trench  at  the 
S.E.  end  of  the  mesial  deposit"  in  some  barrows,  "and  the  holes 
found  in  a  similar  position  "  in  others,  "  were  connected  with  the 
ignition  of  the  pile."  In  one  example  "  there  seemed  to  have 
been  a  further  provision  for  continuing  the  operation  of  burning, 
by  means  of  side  openings  along  the  line  of  the  mesial  deposit.  The 
mode  of  arrangement  of  the  stones  in  the  form  of  a  ridge-shaped 
pile  by  means  of  which  a  draught  might  be  kept  up,  and  which 
corresponds  with  the  manner  of  placing  the  limestones  in  certain 
descriptions  of  kilns  for  burning  lime  at  the  present  day,  seems 
to  show  how  the  fire  would  gradually  spread  from  the  place  where 
it  commenced  until  it  reached  the  limits  sought  to  be  attained. 
This  complete  ignition  was  not  always  effected,  for,  in  the  cases  of 
two  barrows,  the  burning  gradually  decreased  in  intensity  towards 
the  W.  end  of  the  deposit  of  bones,  where  it  was  found  to  have 
died  out,  leaving  them  entirely  uncalcined.  .  .  ."  "  It  is  probable," 
adds  Canon  Greenwell,  "  that  at  the  end  of  the  deposit  furthest 
from  that  where  the  fire  was  applied,  there  was  a  construction 
of  the  nature  of  a  chimney  through  which  to  carry  the  draught ; 


Structural  Comparisons  in  the  British  Isles.        455 


of  this,  however,  I  have  not  met  Avith  any  distinct  signs,  though 
there  was  somewhat  of  such  an  arrangement  in  one  barrow." 

"In  one  instance,"  however,  "there  was  an  evident  provision 
for  creating  a  draught,  made  by  narrow  chimney-shaped  upright 
flues,  connected  with  the  Hne  of  burning  along  the  centre  of  the 
mound.  The  way  in  which  the  ordinary  material  of  the  mound 
was  affected  by  heat  appears  to  make  it  certain  that  the  whole 
of  the  barrow  was  thrown  up  before  the  fire  was  applied  ;  and, 
though  it  does  not  seem  to  be  an  easy  operation  to  ignite  any 
material  covered  up  by  incombustible  matter  in  the  way  in  which 
it  is  found  to  be  enclosed  in  these  barrows,  yet,  when  the  peculiar 
arrangement  of  the  stones  immediately  overlaying  the  bones  is 
considered,  it  does  not  appear  to  be  at  all  impossible.  The  men 
who  were  employed  in  opening  one  of  these  barrows  were 
accustomed  to  burn  lime,  and  they  all  agreed  that  there  would 
be  no  difficulty  in  setting  on  fire  and  igniting  the  deposit  in  which 
the  bones  were  placed,  even  though  that  was  covered  by  the 
ordinary  material  of  the  mound  ;  indeed,  it  became  quite  clear 
to  them  how  the  operation  had  been  completed  before  my  doubts 
on  the  subject  were  resolved." 

This  most  interestine  account  makes  it  clear  that  tumuli  of 
this  class  were  not  sepulchres  in  the  ordinary  sense  of  the  word, 
but  that  they  were  raised  over  the  sites  where  some  savage 
ceremonial  had  been  performed,  presenting  phenomena  quite 
distinct  from  what  would  have  appeared  if  either  simple  in- 
humation or  cremation  on  a  funeral  pile  had  been  practised. 

The  fact  is  that,  instead  of  looking  for  simplicity  of  custom 
among  the  savages  of  primitive  ages,  we  should  expect  to  find  the 
reverse.  Civilization  has  tended  to  divest  the  rites  connected 
with  death  and  the  disposal  of  the  dead  of  the  superstitious 
practices  and  barbarous  orgies  which  accompanied  them  when 
the  fetich  faith  was  the  only  form  of  belief  known  to  man,  when 
Death  and  Deity  were  synonymous,  when  the  cultus  of  the 
inanimate,  and  especially  of  that  form  of  it  which  had  been  animate 
— the  worship,  that  is  to  say,  of  dead  ancestors — was  the  sole  and 
universal  religion  of  the  world. 

As  to  the  fact  that  the  bodies  had  been  severed  into  pieces, 
that  need  not  imply,  as  some  have  thought,  the  practice  of  can- 
nibalism. Diodorus  Siculus  states  that  the  inhabitants  of  the 
Balearic  Isles,  who,  it  must  be  remembered,  were  Iberians,  had  a 


456  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


strange  custom  with  regard  to  the  burial  of  the  dead  :  "  They 
cut  the  corpse  into  fragments  with  wooden  knives  or  axes,  and 
placed  all  the  several  portions  in  an  urn."  The  use  of  wooden 
instruments  for  the  performance  of  a  rite,  at  so  late  a  period  as 
that  in  which  this  author  wrote,  when  iron  was  ready  to  their 
hand,  points  (like  the  stone  knife  employed  in  the  rite  of  circum- 
cision in  the  East)  to  the  premetallic  antiquity  of  the  custom. 
The  MM.  Siret  found  that  a  similar  method  of  disposing  of  the 
body  had  prevailed  in  South-Eastern  Spain,  and  Herr  Schliemann 
states  that  he  found  jars  containing  human  remains  at  Hissarlik. 
In  Smith's  "History  of  Cork"j  will  be  found  an  illustration 
representing  a  jar  containing  human  remains  found  in  that  county. 
It  was  found  with  three  others,  placed  in  a  kind  of  triangle  in  the 
earth,  and  made  of  fine  clay,  each  capable  of  holding  about 
i6  gallons.  Around  their  rims  was  "a  rude  kind  of  carved 
work."  Each  urn  was  4  feet  high,  2  feet  in  diameter  at  the 
centre,  and  16  inches  at  mouth  and  bottom.  "In  one  of  them 
was  the  skeleton  of  a  man.  The  ribs  and  smaller  bones  were 
bundled  up,  and  tied  with  copper  wire,  rusted  green,  as  were  those 
of  the  thighs,  arms,  etc.  The  skull  was  placed  near  the  mouth  of 
the  urn.  None  of  the  bones  had  passed  through  the  fire."  In 
the  second  urn  was  an  anomalous  substance,  supposed  to  be  the 
remains  of  the  flesh  ;  and  in  the  third,  a  small  quantity  of  pieces 
of  copper  of  irregular  shape,  like  chipped  money  devoid  of  in- 
scription.| 

Some  similar  mode  of  disposing  of  the  body,  perhaps  by  its 
having  been  left  exposed  for  a  considerable  time  and  allowed 
to  fall  to  pieces,  may  account  for  the  presence  in  neolithic 
sepulchres  in  various  parts  of  Europe,  of  little  piles  of  bones 
carefully  arranged,  and  having  the  skull  disposed  on  the  top  of 
them. 

There  is,  however,  another  question  which  I  will  postpone 
until  I  have  briefly  noticed  the  chambered  tumuli  in  England 
and  Scotland,  which  may  be  regarded  as  developments  of  this 
primitive  type.  That  question  is,  "  Do  the  phenomena  presented 
by  the  Long  Barrows  point  to  the  practices  either  of  anthro- 
pophagy or  human  sacrifice,  or  of  both  '^.  " 

The   Cwm    Park  tumulus  in  the  Gower  peninsula  contained 

t  Vol.  ii.  p.  410,  and  pi.  xi. 

+  Can  they  have  been  copper  arrow-heads,  such  as  arc  found  in  Spain  ? 


Structural  Comparisons  in  the  British  Isles.       457 

a  regularly  built  passage  and  chambers,f  in  which  latter  the 
remains  of  at  least  forty  human  bodies  were  discovered.  The 
bones  were  jumbled  together  in  a  state  of  utter  confusion,  and 
were  unbiirnt.  They  were  not  accompanied  by  any  implement 
or  object  of  metal.  The  entrance  consisted  of  a  funnel-shaped 
passage  which  led  to  the  cells,  and  the  excellence  of  the  dry 
masonry  of  its  retaining  walls  led  Fergusson  to  the  just  conclusion 
that  this  approach  was  "  meant  to  be  seen  and  kept  open." 

The  Plas  Newydd  tumulus  presents  a  similarly  wide-splayed 
entrance.  It  is  near  a  fine  dolmen  with  two  covering-stones.  The 
mound  in  this  case  measures  50  yards  long.  The  funnel-shaped 
entrance  is  at  the  E.  side.  The  chamber  measures  7  feet  long  and 
3  feet  3  ins.  wide,  and  is  roofed  by  two  slabs.  An  avenue  of  stone 
leads  up  to  the  entrance,  another  proof  that  it  was  intended  to  be 
visited.  Two  holes  have  been  pierced  in  the  slab  which  crosses  the 
entrance,  a  feature  which  I  will  notice  separately  and  at  more  length. 

The  Uley  tumulus  is  very  similar  in  its  internal  structural 
arrangement  to  that  at  Cwm  Park.  In  each  case  there  are  four 
cells,  two  being  placed  on  either  side  of  the  passage.  The 
mound  measures  120  feet  long,  85  feet  wide,  and  10  feet  high. 
The  chamber  is  22  feet  long,  4.^  feet  wide,  and  5  feet  high.  As 
at  Cwm  Park,  a  confused  mass  of  unburnt  bones  was  found. 

The  West-Kennet  example  is  a  mound  measuring  336  feet  long 


^'i> 


'J, 


Fig.  423. — Plan  of  chambered  Long  Barrow  at  West  Kennel.     Scale  60  feet  =  i  inch. 
From  Thiirnavi  and  Davis. 


by  75  feet  wide  at  its  broadest  part.  In  common  with  that  at  New 
Grange,  one  of  the  Clava  cairns,  and  others,  it  was  originally 
surrounded  by  a  peristyle,  as  is  shown  in  the  curious  drawing  by 
Aubrey  in  1665  (Fig,  424).     The  passage  is  15  feet  long  by  3  feet 


t  See  plan,  infra.  Part  IV. 
VOL.    II. 


458 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


6  ins.  wide,  and  leads  to  a  chamber  8  feet  long  by  g  ins.  wide.  Dr. 
Thurnam  found  here  six  original  interments  under  a  stratum  of 
black,  sooty,  greasy  matter,   3  to  9  ins.  thick.     The  bones  were 

C?  "vEs  ^3    s^   CD     c?   <c^    ^_ 


Fig.  424. 


■  Barrow  at  West  Kennet,     Fro/n  a  sketch  by  Aubrey  in  1665, /row  e/ie 
"  Crania  Bn/aniiica,'^ 


k^ 


not  burnt,  and,  in  the  case  of  two  of  the  skulls,  fractures  had 
been  made,  which  the  eminent  craniologist  who  explored  the 
chamber  considered  to  have  been  the  cause  of  death,  and  to  have 

been  purposely  inflicted  by 
human  agency.  Other 
skulls  were  found  entire. 
Pieces  of  coarse  black  pot- 
tery were  also  present  in 
remarkable  quantities.  No 
vessels  were  found  whole, 
but  there  were  fragments 
of  fifty  at  least,  piled  to- 

FlG.  42:;. — Ground-plan  of  chamber  at  West  Kennet.  .,  •  i^i.     , 

^  ^  gether  m  corners.       rlmt 

implements,  chippings,  and  cores  accompanied  these  remains,  but 
nothing  of  metal. 

In  point  of  plan  and  construction,  the  West-Kennet  monument 

may  be  said  to  be  identical  with 
that  of  the  Hiinengrab  of  Nas- 
chendorf,  in  Mecklenburg.f  Sir 
John  Lubbock  has  remarked  the 
resemblance  of  the  former  to  one 
in  the  island  of  Moen,  and  it 
may  be  compared  also  with  that 
known  by  the  name  of  "  Harold 
Hildetand's  Tomb"  at  Lethra, 
in  Zeeland.  In  these  Scandi- 
navian examples  the  bones  are 
imburnt,  as  has  also  been  found 
to  be  the  case  in  the  very  similar 
Htinebedden  of  Mecklenburg,  Hanover,  and  Drenthe. 


Fig.  426. — Weyland  Smith's  Cave.  Scale 
20  feet  =  I  inch.  From  the  Nonvich  Con- 
gress of  Prehist.  Architology,  1868. 


t  Schroter  and  Lisch,  "  Friderico-Francisceum,"  Leipzig  (1824),  pi.  xxxvi.     Vide  infra. 


Structural  Comparisons  in  the  British  Isles.       459 


Two  varieties  of  these  structures  in  England  remain  to  be 
noticed,  each  of  which  has  its  counterpart  in  respect  of  its  charac- 
teristic feature  amonof  the  chambered  tumuH  of  Scotland  and 
Ireland.  The  first  variety  is  the  cruciform  arrangement  of  the 
chambers  or  cells,  of  which  in  Ireland  we  have  examples  at 
New  Grange,  Loughcrew,  and  in  the  island  of  Achill ;  and  of 
which  the  Orkney  Islands  afford  us  so  notable  an  example  in  that 
of  Maeshowe  (Fig.  427), fa  structure,  by  the  way,  the  ground-plan 
of  which  recalls  those  of  the  Siva  temples  of  India. 

The  English  example  of  this  cruciform  arrangement  meets  us 
in  the  case  of  no  less  noteworthy  a  monument  than  that  called 
**  Weyland  Smith's  Cave,"  in  the  county  of  Berkshire,  a  plan 
of  which  I  have  given  above  (Fig.  426). 

"  Congres  int.  d'Amh.  et  d'Archreol."  (Xorwich,  i86S),  p.  46. 

The  second  variety  is  that  displayed  by  those  tumuli  in  which 
the  so-termed  horns  at  the  extremity  do  not  curve  backwards 
like    rams'  horns,   and   so  form  a  funnel-like  entrance,  but    turn 


Fig.  427. — Plan  and  section  of  chambered  tumulus  at  Maes  Howe. 

outwards  in  a  semicircular  or  crescent-shaped  form.  In  Ireland 
the  best  example  of  this  peculiarity  is  to  be  seen  in  the  ground- 
plan  of  the  chambered  cairn  at  Annacloghmullin,|  in  Armagh. 
It  is  also  observable  in  that  near  Newbliss,§  and  in  the  form 
•of  the    tumulus    at    Doohat,  in    Fermanaorh.jl       The    two    latter 


t  "Archreol.  Journal,"  vol.  xviii.  p.  355  (Petrie). 
:  Fig.  278.  §  Fig.  269.  II  Fi^ 


219. 


460  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 

monuments  have  their  exact  counterparts  in  cairns  in  Argyllshire, 
Caithness,  and  the  Western  Islands.  The  Armagh  example 
presents  us  with  a  far  more  interesting  comparison,  namely,  in  the 
"  Tombeaux  des  Gcants  "  of  Sardinia,  examples  of  which  I  will 
presently  subjoin. 

For  English   examples  of  this   feature  we    may  turn    to   Sir 
John    Maclean's   paper  on   tumuli   on    the    Cotteswold    Hills,   in 


Fig.  428. — Ground-plan  of  chambered  cairn  at  Varhou>e.     From  Anderson. 

Gloucestershire.  One  of  these,  which  may  be  taken  in  illus- 
tration, called  the  West  Tump  Barrow,  measures  149  feet  long, 
76  feet  broad  at  one  end,  and  41  feet  at  the  other.  The  height. 
at  the  highest  point,  is  ro  feet  3  ins.  "  Horns  "  forming  a  semicircle 
are  placed  at  the  broader  end,  which  faces  the  S.E,  There  is 
no  sign  of  a  similar  arrangement  at  the  other  end,  as  in  several, 
if  not  all,  of  the  Scottish  examples. 

For  an  account  of  the  exploration  of  the  Caithness  cairns  we 
turn  to  Professor  Anderson's  "Scotland  in  Pagan  Times." f  Two 
very  large  cairns  lie  from  E.  to  W.  across  the  crest  of  a  hill 
overlooking  the  southern  end  of  the  loch  of  Yarhouse.  Both 
are  of  elongated  form,  and  both  have  at  either  end  horn -like 
projections,  "falling  gradually  to  the  level  of  the  ground."  The 
larger  cairn  measured  240  feet  long,  66  feet  broad  at  the  E.  end, 
and  36  feet  at  the  W.  end  ;  12  feet  high  at  the  E.  end,  and  5  feet 
at  the  W.  end.  In  this  respect — namely,  that  the  most  elevated 
point  was  towards  the  E. — these  cairns  present  a  parallel  to  the 
Long  Barrows  of  Britain,  and  to  the  Hiinebedden  in  Drenthe, 
but  differ  from  the  wedge-shaped  dolmens  of  Ireland,  the  highest 
point  in  which  is  almost  invariably  towards  the  west,  the 
monument  sloping  downwards  and  diminishing  also  in  breadth 
towards  the  east. 

At  Yarhouse,  in  the  centre  of  the  semicircle,  is  the  entrance  to 


t  Tlie  volume  entitled  "  Hronac  and  Stone  Age,"  p.  230,  e! scqq. 


Structurat,  Comparisons  in  the  British  Isles.       461 


a  passage,  2  feet  wide,  10  feet  long,  and  4  feet  high  at  the  inner 
end,  where  it  communicates  with  a  chamber  12  feet  long  by  about 
6  feet  broad,  the  walls  of  which,  after  rising  vertically  for  7  feet,  are 
replaced  by  an  overlap  which  forms  the  first  stage  of  a  vaulted 
roof,  as  at  New  Grange.  The  chamber  is  divided  into  three 
sections  or  compartments,  following  on  each  other  consecutively,  as 
at  Annacloghmullin  in  Armagh  (where  there  are  four),  by  divisional 
stones  projecting  from  the  side  walls,  so  as  to  leave  an  aperture 
about  2  feet  wide  between  their  inner  edges.  The  third  and  inner- 
most chamber  differs  from  the  others  in  the  construction  of  its  roof, 
which  is  not  formed  in  the  beehive  fashion,  but  consists  of  a  single 
enormous  block  of  stone,  resting  in  front  on  the  second  pair  of 
partition  stones,  and  supported  at  the  back  by  another  great  slab 
set  on  edge.  Were  the  rest  of  the  chamber  and  the  cairn  to  be 
removed,  this  portion  would  exactly  resemble  a  dolmen.  The 
height  of  the  cell  beneath  the  roofing-stone  was  not  more  than 
3  feet  in  front,  and  2  feet  at  the  back.  The  entrance  into  it  was 
closed  by  a  slab  fitting  the  aperture.  The  interior  was  found  to 
have  been  filled  with  stones  from  fioor  to  roof.  Taken  together, 
the  three  compartments  did  not  occupy  more  than  a  twentieth  part 
of  the  entire  length  of  the  cairn.  The  floor  of  the  compartments 
was  formed  of  a  dark-coloured  clay,  in  which  rough  paving-stones 
had  been  partially  and  irregularly  laid.  The  surface  of  the  clay 
was  hard,  like  a  well-trodden  floor.  The  substance  of  the 
floor  was  a  compacted  mass,  about  5  ins.  thick,  of  earthy  clay, 
plentifully  intermixed  with  ashes,  charcoal,  wood,  and  calcined 
bones  in  a  condition  of  extreme  comminution.  The  amount  of 
bone-ash  in  it  was  very  large,  but  no  fragment  of  bone  in  it 
measured  above  an  inch  in  length.  About  a  dozen  chips  of  flint, 
and  two  fragments  of  pottery,  well  made,  hard-baked,  thin,  and  of 
black  paste,  were  also  found  in  it.  In  these  details  it  will  be 
noticed  how  exactly  the  contents  of  these  chambers  correspond 
with  those  of  the  Cornish  examples  explored  by  me. 

The  second  cairn  was  almost  precisely  similar  to  the  first,  with 
the  exception  that  the  innermost  of  the  three  compartments  of  the 
chamber  was  semicircular,  and  seemed  to  have  been  included 
under  the  same  vaulted  roof  which  covered  the  other  two.  On 
the  floor  of  the  first  compartment,  to  the  left  of  the  entrance,  a  cist 
had  been  placed,  formed  by  slabs  set  on  edge,  and  covered  by 
smaller  slabs.     It  measured  4  feet  4  ins.  in  length,  20  ins.  in  width, 


462  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


and  9  ins.  in  depth,  and  upon  the  floor  of  it  was  a  whitish  layer  of 
bones,  in  dark,  earthy  clay.  At  the  E.  end  of  this  cist  were  the 
softened  fragments  of  an  urn,  ornamented  with  parallel  bands  of 
impressions  of  a  twisted  cord,  with  which  a  necklace  of  small  beads 
of  lignite  had  been  deposited.  With  this  smaller  cist  within  the 
chamber  I  should  venture  to  compare  those  discovered  by  me  in 
the  Ballowal  tumulus  in  West  Cornwall,  described  in  the  "  Archceo- 
logia."  The  floor  of  the  chamber  itself  consisted  of  a  layer  of  clay 
and  ashes,  intermixed  with  charcoal  and  burnt  bones,  both  human 
and  animal.  On  the  surface  of  this  compacted  floor,  which  was 
6  ins.  in  depth,  was  a  loose  layer  in  which  were  fragments  of 
human  bones  imbitrnt.  In  the  corners  of  the  compartments  were 
numbers  of  human  teeth.      No  pottery  or  flint  was  found  here. 

Other  cairns  in  the  same  neio;-hbourhood  showed  variations 
from  the  type  presented  by  these  two.  In  one  instance  two 
passages  entered  the  tumulus  from  one  side,  one  of  which  was  of 
the  usual  tripartite  construction,  the  other  a  long  straight  passage, 
17  feet  in  length,  terminating  in  a  small  and  roughly  circular  cell, 
havinor  a  beehive  roof.  In  the  former  of  these  chambers  was  the 
usual  compacted  mass  of  clay  and  ashes,  mixed  with  burnt  bones, 
human  and  animal,  and  upoti  it,  in  a  loose  layer,  a  few  fragments 
of  skulls  and  other  human  bones,  mingled  with  splintered  bones  of 
the  horse,  ox,  deer,  and  swine.  No  pottery  or  flints  were  found 
in  this  case. 

Another  variety  of  these  cairns  is  of  a  shorter  form,  the 
chamber  occupying  the  centre,  and  the  horns  giving  to  the  ground- 
plan  a  cruciform  appearance.  In  some  cases  the  explorations 
disclosed  a  layer  of  ashes  extending  under  as  well  as  over  the 
pavement  of  the  chamber,  a  circumstance  also  found  by  me  to  be 
present  in  Cornish  chambers.  The  natural  subsoil  underneath 
was  occasionally  deeply  pitted,  the  pits  being  filled  with  the  same 
compacted  mass  of  ashes  and  bones.  In  one  chamber  as  many  as 
thirty  fragments  of  skulls  were  found.  The  bones  were  very 
irregularly  burnt,  some  being  merely  charred  for  a  part  of  their 
length,  a  fact  which  is  to  be  compared  with  what  is  found  in  the 
Long  Barrows  of  Yorkshire,  as  also  are  the  evidences  that  rites 
connected  with  fire  had  been  practised  on  the  surface  previous  to 
the  erection  of  the  chamber  or  tumulus.  Besides  human  bones, 
those  of  animals  and  birds  were  distinguishable,  namely,  of  the 
horse,   ox,   deer,  dog,  swine,   and  leg  and   wing  bones   of  fowls. 


Structural  Comparisons  in  the  British  Isles.       463 


Fragments  of  pottery,  of  dark  round-bottomed  vessels,  hard  and 
smooth,  but  without  ornament,  were  found,  as  also  flints,  in  one 
instance  a  flint  knife  and  arrow-head,  and  a  finely  polished  instru- 
ment of  grey  granite  perforated. 

To  this  truncated  and  cruciform  variety  belongs  the  Cah'n  of 
Get,  lying  in  a  hollow  among  the 
hills  at  Garrywhin,  near  Bruan.  In 
this  case  the  floor  was  composed 
of  the  usual  compacted  mass  of 
ashes  and  bones.  Four  imburnt 
skeletons  were  found  here,  the  skulls 
lying  close  to  the  wall  on  the  right 
of  the  entrance.  The  quantity  of 
human  and  animal  bones  in  this 
instance  was  very  great.  Flints, 
chips,  and  flakes  also  occurred, 
pottery  of  a  blackish  colour,  belong- 
ing to  round-bottomed  vessels,  and 
three  leaf-shaped  arrow-heads.  The 
positive  identity  of  this  structure 
with  one  near  Newbliss  in  Mona- 
ghan  will  be  seen  at  a  glance  on 
turning  to  the  plan  of  that  monument  (Part  I.,  p.  269). 

Another  variety  of  these  cairns  is  circular.  One  at  Camster, 
measuring  75  feet  in  diameter,  has  a  long  passage  leading  to  a 
high  central  chamber.  The  plan  and  section  of  this  is  so  exceed- 
ingly like  New  Grange  that  I  reproduce  it  here.     "  A  number  of 


Fig.  429. — Ground-plan  of  the  "  Cairn  of 
Get."     From  Anderson. 


Fig.  430. — Section  of  clianiljurcd  cairn  at  Caai.-^lcr.     I-roin  Anderson. 

bones,  both  human  and  animal,  were  found  on  the  floor  of  the 
chamber.  Among  these  bones,  on  the  surface  of  the  floor,  was  an 
iron  sinele-edeed  knife  or  dao-aer-blade,  about  4  ins.  in  leno^th. 
Two  human  skulls,  with  the  bones  of  the  upper  extremities,  were 
found  among  the  stones  with  which  the  passage  was  filled.     As 


464 


The  Dolmkn's  of  Ireland. 


usual,  a  layer  of  burnt  bones  and  ashes  formed  the  lloor  of  the 
chamber,  from  9  ins.  to  i  foot  in  thickness.  Human  bones  were 
mixed  with  those  of  animals,  for  the  most  part  burnt.  Three 
different  human  skeletons,  at  least,  had  orone  to  form  the  fragments. 

Many  pieces  of  pottery  were 
found,  all  of  which  had  be- 
longed to  round-bottomed 
vessels,  thin,  black,  and  hard- 
baked.  Some  of  the  vessels 
had  thickened  and  others 
everted  lips.  One  of  them 
was  pierced  with  holes  im- 
mediatelyunder  the  rim.  Very 
similar  vessels  occur  in  the 
Gra//teuvelsoi North  Brabant. f 
A  small  and  finely  formed  flint 
knife  was  also  found  among 
the  debris!^ 

All  these  cairns  show 
evidence  of  the  same  structure 
internally,  namely,  a  tripartite  chamber.  In  one  instance  the  third 
chamber  opens  off  the  second,  not  from  the  end,  but  from  one  side, 
being  thus  placed  at  right  angles  to  the  passage,  an  arrangement 
which   may   be   regarded  as    a    commencement  of  the   cruciform 


<^'^0=^{j't)«'OMjad;w<Qf|J 


Fig 


431. — Section  of  chambered  tumulus  at 
Camsler.     From  Anderson. 


Fig.  432. — Section  of  chambered  cairn  at  Achnacree.     I'rovi  Anderson. 

shape  of  structure  observable  at  New  Grange,  at  Slieve  Callighe, 
and  in  many  other  examples. 

The  chambered  cairns  of  Argyll  and  Orkney  show  the  same 
general  features  as  those  of  Caithness.  That  at  Achnacree,  in 
Argyllshire,  is  in  section  as  strikingly  like  that  of  New  Grange  as 
is  that  of  Camster,  just  mentioned.  The  cairn  in  which  it  is,  is 
approximately  circular,  with  a  diameter  of  75  feet.  On  the  floor 
fragments  of  urns  were  found,  of  a  fine,  dark-coloured,  hard-baked 
paste.      One   of  them    is   a   wide-mouthed,   thick-lipped,  round- 

t  Prosper  Cuypers,  Nijhoff,  Hijdragen,  vol.  iv.  p.  194,  pi.  ii. 


Structural  Comparisons  in  the  British  Isles.       465 


bottomed  vessel,  7  ins.  in  diameter  and  4  ins.  deep.  Canon  Green- 
well  explored  a  cairn  at  Largie  measuring  130  feet  in  diameter. 
In  the  centre  was  a  chamber  19  feet  long,  divided  into  four  com- 
partments by  partitional  slabs  set  across  the  floor,  the  number  of 
septa  therefore  corresponding  to  that  of  those  at  AunaclochmuUin. 
In  the  largest  compartment  was  a  cist  placed  in  one  corner,  as  at 
Yarhouse.  The  substance  of  the  floor  was  dark,  earthy  matter, 
plentifully  interspersed  with  burnt  bones,  human  and  animal, 
together  with  flakes,  knives,  scrapers  of  flint,  and  barbed  arrow- 
heads unburnt.  Close  to  the  side  of  the  chamber  was  found  a 
vessel,  6  ins.  in  height  and  12  ins.  in  width  at  the  mouth.  It  is 
round-bottomed,  and  has  a  broad,  flat  lip.  It  is  composed  of  a 
dark,  hard-baked  paste,  and  the  surface  is  ornamented  with  vertical 
flutings.  At  Kilchoan  another  cairn  was  opened  by  the  Rev.  R.  K. 
Mapleton.  It  contained  three  compartments,  in  which  were  found 
burnt  bones,  flint  knives,  scrapers  and  flakes,  and  the  fragments 
of  a  well-made  urn. 

On  the  Holm  of  Papa-Westra  is  a  chambered  cairn  115  feet  in 
length,  55  feet  in  breadth,  and  10  feet  in  height.  The  entrance  is 
in  the  middle  of  the  eastern  side,  and  consists  of  a  low  passage 
I  foot  10  ins.  in  width,  2  feet  8  ins.  in  height,  and  18  feet  in 
length.  The  chamber  measures  67  feet  in  length  by  5  feet  in 
width,  and  is  divided  into  three  compartments,  the  central  one 
being  45  feet  in  length,  the  one  at  the  north-eastern  end  7  feet, 
and  that  at  the  south-western  12  feet.  Opening  off  the  long 
passage-chamber  are  a  series  of  cells,  round  or  oval  in  form.  One 
is  placed  at  either  end,  and  six  on  either  side.  They  average 
4  feet  in  length  by  3  feet  in  width,  and  from  3  feet  to  5  feet  6  ins. 
in  height.  No  results  attended  the  exploration  of  this  most 
curious  cairn.  In  the  case  of  another  cairn,  also  at  Papa  Westra, 
having  a  tripartite  division,  as  at  Caithness,  the  chamber  being 
12  feet  in  length,  the  entire  floor  was  strewn  with  bones  of 
animals,  and  in  it  were  imbedded  the  remains  of  at  least  ten 
human  skeletons  tinbiinit.  The  bones  of  animals  included  those 
of  common  domestic  kinds.  Among  them  were  also  no  less  than 
eleven  pairs  of  the  antlers  of  red  deer. 

At  Burray  is  a  cairn  with  horned  or  crescent-shaped  endings, 
as  at  Caithness.  Near  the  opening  into  the  entrance-passage  ten 
human  skulls,  unburnt,  were  discovered.  Bones  of  domestic 
animals  were  also  found  here,  and  among  them  seven  skulls  of 
dogs. 


466 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


At  Unstan,  near  Stennis,  is  a  chambered  cairn  measuring  50 
feet  in  diameter.  A  passage  on  the  south-eastern  side,  2  feet  in 
width  and  14  feet  in  length,  opens  into  a  chamber  21  feet  in  length 
by  6  feet  6  ins.  in  width  in  the  centre,  but  narrowing  to  4  feet 
in  width  at  one  end  and  to  5  feet  at  the  other,  giving  the  whole 
a  boat  or  barge-shaped  appearance.  It  is  divided  into  five 
compartments.  Across  the  entrances  to  the  two  terminal  com- 
partments slabs  had  been  placed  in  the  manner  of  doors.  Upon 
the  floor  was  a  large  quantity  of  bones,  human  and  animal. 
Evidence  of  cremation  was  present  in  burnt  bones  and  charcoal. 
Pieces  of  broken  pottery  were  exceedingly  numerous.  They  were 
the  fragments  of  large,  shallow,  round-bottomed  vessels,  with  more 
or  less  vertical  rims.  One  measured  14  ins.  in  diameter,  and  5  ins. 
in  depth  in  the  centre.  The  pattern  round  it  is  composed  of 
alternate  triangles,  filled  up  with  diagonal  and  horizontal  lines. 
The  prevailing  type  of  vessel  here,  as  also  in  Argyllshire,  found 
in  cairns  is  round-bottomed,  with  vertical  brim,  and  thick,  flat,  or 
bevelled  lip.  The  composition  is  a  hard,  dark-coloured  paste. 
The  ornamentation  is  that  which  belongs  to  the  Bronze  Age, 
and  the  shape  somewhat  resembles  that  of  vessels  found  in  the 
artificial  cave  of  Palmella,  in  Portugal. 

From  the  floor  of  the  Unstan  cairn  were  also  taken  up 
numerous  flint  implements,  such  as  arrow-heads,  scrapers,  and 
knives,  which  had  passed  through  the  fire.  "  Taking  the  Orkney 
group  of  chambered  cairns  as  a  whole,"  says  Professor  Anderson, 
"  we  find  it  presenting  the  same  essential  characteristics  as  are 
exhibited  by  the  groups  which  have  been  described  on  the 
mainland  of  Scotland.  There  is  considerable  variation  in  the 
arrangement  of  the  chambers,  and  a  strongly  marked  tendency 
to  a  grouping  of  smaller  cells  round  the  main  chamber,  which 
may  be  regarded  as  a  local  peculiarity  of  the  Orkney  Islands." 
"  Comparing  the  general  features  of  all  the  groups  (namely,  those 
of  Caithness,  Argyll,  and  Orkney),  we  find  that  while  the  typical 
relationship  is  abundantly  obvious,  there  is  also  obvious  a  strong 
local  differentiation  in  each  of  the  groups,  which  imparts  to  it  a 
special  character  of  its  own." 

A  chambered  cairn  at  Clawa,  in  Strathnairn,  near  Inverness, 
may  here  be  mentioned  before  we  part  with  tlie  Scottish  series. 
It  is  circular  in  shape,  with  a  diameter  of  50  feet,  and  a  height  of 
10  feet.     A    ring  of  large  blocks — a  peristyle,  that  is  to  say,  as 


Structural  Comparisons  in  the  British  Isles.        467 


Islands.      From  '■''Mai.  pour 
Hist,  de  niomine" 


at  New  Grange — surrounds  the  base.  A  passage,  18  feet  in  length 
and  2  feet  in  width,  enters  a  circular  chamber  13  feet  in  diameter. 
In  structure  this  chamber  was  a  beehive.  On  the  floor  were  burnt 
bones  and  fragments  of  urns. 
Of  these  urns  it  is  remarked  that 
they  were  larger,  thicker,  more 
rudely  formed,  and  less  carefully 
fired  than  those  from  the  cham- 
bered tumuli  of  Argyllshire. 

Taking  into  consideration, 
therefore,  the  structural  affinities 
between  the  chambered  cairns 
just  described  and  those  of  New 
Grange,  Dowth,  Loughcrew, 
Annaclochmullin,  and  Newbliss 
in  Ireland,  we  may  safely  con- 
clude that  a  race,  possessing 
similar  customs,  inhabited,  at 
that  epoch,  the  North-West  of  Fig.  433.— Canary 
Scotland  and  the  islands,  and 
also  portions  of  North  Leinster  and  Ulster.  These  districts 
are  those  which  tradition  assigns  to  the  Picts.  A  comparison 
of  sculpturings,  both  on  the  walls  and  lintels  of  the  so-called 
"Picts"'  House  at  Papa  Westra  (Fig.  351),  and  on  covering- 
stones  of  cists  such  as 
those  of  Carnwath  (Fig. 
436)  and  Annan  Street 
(F'ig.  437)  near  Yarrow, 
with  the  Irish  examples, 
show  parallel  affinities. 

The  concentric  circles,         T«L\i-'  xj ^.^       "^^-^  r-^) 

with    the    line    to    the         «fe^-'~^ ^0/3      ^.,       &: 

central  cup  in  Fig.  435, 

connects  these  patterns 

with     those    in     ruder 

sculpturings,  as,  for  example,   one    found    near  Youghal  now   in 

the    museum  at   Kilkenny.y      The    cist-cover   (Fig.   437)    shows 

also    the    simpler     type.        It    is    a    very    remarkable    fact    that 

similar  sculpturings  occur  not  only  in  Brittany,  as  we  shall  see, 

t  See  Journ,  R.H.A.A.I.,  1885-86,  p.  604. 


Fig.  434. — Cover  of  a  cist  at  Carnwath. 


468 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


but    in    the    Canary   Islands,  where   the    typical  boat  (Flo-.   341, 


Fk;.  435. — Sculptured  cover  of  a  stone  cist  at  Carnwath  (Scotland),     //ww  Anderson's 
^"^  Scotland  in  Pa^an  7iincs"  "  S/one  Age"  p.  87. 

New    Grange),    the    spiral,    and    the    serpentine    figure   are   all 
present  f 


Fig.  436.— Annan  Street,  near  Yarrow.     From  D.  Wilson,  "  Prchist.  Ann.  of  Scotland^'  p.  334. 

Some  antiquaries  have  denied  the  existence  of  dolmens,  as 

distinguished  from  cisted  cairns  and 
chambered  tumuli,  in  Scotland. 
This  is,  however,  untrue.  Dr. 
Angus  Smith  \  has  proved  the 
existence  of  two,  at  all  events,  on 
Ledaig  Hill  in  Achnacree-Beg, 
near  Loch  Etive.  So  near  together 
p..,    „    ^        r     •  -  u  I    un  T>        were  they  that    the  circles  of   the 

V  10.  437. — Cover  of  a  cist,  Bakerhdl,  Ross-  -^ 

shire.        From      Simpson,      '■'■Archaic     caimS  which   SUrrOUttdcd   them  mUSt 
Sculpturtngs.'^ 

t  See  M.S.  Berihelot,  ••Antiquities  Canariennes,"  1879,  pi.  18,  Fig.  8.  The  sculpturings 
are  at  the  entrance  of  a  cave  at  Belmaco  in  the  He  de  la  Parma.  See  also  Figs,  i,  3,  and  5  for 
marks  similar  to  those  on  rocks  in  Ireland.  See  also  pi.  3  in  the  same  work  for  a  dolmen  habitation 
at  Fortavcnlure. 

X  •'Loch  Ktive,"  p.  257. 


Cannibalism  and  Human  Sacrifice.  469 

have  met.  One  of  them  he  describes  as  a  large  granite  table 
on  ten  boulders ;  the  other  as  a  smaller  one  upon  five  boulders. 
Near  a  well  on  this  hill  it  was  customary  to  hang  pieces  of  cloth  or 
string  on  the  bushes. 


Cannibalism  and  Human  Sacrifice. 

Before  extending  my  comparisons  of  the  Irish  dolmens  and 
chambers  beyond  the  limits  of  the  British  Isles,  I  would  here 
return  to  the  question,  "  Was  the  primitive  and  dolichocephalic 
inhabitant  of  these  islands  a  cannibal,  or,  whether  he  was  or  was 
not  so,  does  the  exploration  of  the  monuments  tend  to  prove  that 
he  offered  human  or  other  sacrifices  at  these  places  ?  " 

The  rites  performed  by  those  who  raised  the  Long  Barrows 
of  the  Yorkshire  Wolds  were,  as  we  have  seen,  of  the  most 
barbarous  kind.  Limb  had  been  separated  from  limb,  and  the 
bones  broken,  and  all  this  before  the  tumulus  had  been  raised 
over  the  remains.  In  addition  to  this,  the  human  bones  were 
accompanied  by  those  of  animals,  which  had  been  treated, 
apparently,  in  a  precisely  similar  manner.  We  should  not 
hesitate  to  regard  the  latter  as  evidence  of  feasting — what  are 
we  to  say  of  the  former  .'* 

The  eminent  Danish  antiquary,  Worsaae,  has  made  the  curious 
remark  that  in  the  fetich  stage  of  the  worship  of  ancestors^ 
the  eating  of  the  body  may  have  borne  some  direct  relation 
to  the  religious  ideas  which  gave  occasion  to  the  feasting,  and 
he  throws  out  this  hint  to  account  for  the  discovery  in  the 
shell-mound  refuse  of  Denmark,  of  disjointed  fragments  of  the 
human  body,  and  bones  artificially  split,  just  such  phenomena  as 
the  Long  Barrows  present. f 

Sr.  Delgado  regards  the  natural  caves  of  Cesareda,  on  the 
Tagus,J  as  the  "  halls  for  cannibal  feasts."  In  these  Spanish 
caves,  marks  of  posthumous  trepanning  have  been  found,  which 
must  have  been  the  work  of  human  agency,  and  if  it  be  concluded 
that  the  object  of  making  such  incisions  was  to  extract  the  brain, 
all  doubt  on  the  subject  would  be  removed. 

In  the  Province  of  Reggio  (Emilie),   in   Southern    Italy,  the 

t  Mr.  Morse  noticed  in  the  shell-  and  refuse-mounds  of  Japan  human  bones  which  had  been 
broken  in  the  same  manner  as  those  of  the  animals  which  were  found  with  them. 

X  Commissao  geologica  de  Portugal,  "  Noticia  acerda  das  grutas  de  Cesareda,"  Lisbon,  1867. 


470  The  Dolmens  ok  Ireland. 

Abbe  Chierici  explored  a  natural  cavern  in  which  he  considered 
that  there  were  evidences  of  human  sacrifice.  The  primitive 
population  of  this  district  was  dolichocephalic.  In  the  inner 
end  of  the  cave  was  a  raised  platform,  formed  by  stones  set 
along  the  wall,  to  the  height  of  half  a  inHre.  This  platform 
measured  5  m.  long,  and  from  1-50  m.  broad.  Upon  it  were 
deposited  the  remains  of  skulls  which  had  been  subjected 
to  fire,  while  scattered  around  were  human  jawbones  unburnt. 
There  were  distinct  traces  of  a  fire  having  been  kindled  within 
the  cave,  the  floor  of  which  was  composed  of  layers  of  carbon, 
burnt  earth  and  stone,  stone  axes  and  other  implements,  and 
broken  pottery,  and  interspersed  with  this  mass  of  dddris,  human 
bones  dismembered  and  scattered  about,  together  with  those  of 
animals — pig,  dog,  and  sheep.  A  bronze  nail  and  a  vessel  of 
bronze  were  also  found.  To  quote  the  words  of  the  explorer  : 
*'  La  caverne  contient,  en  effet,  tous  les  elements  necessaires 
pour  representer  des  semblables  sacrifices.  Pour  dire  toute  ma 
pensee,  je  pense  qu'au  sacrifice  s'ajoutait  la  distribution  des 
membres  du  victime,  ce  qui  expliquerait  la  confusion,  et  la 
dispersion  des  ossements." 

This  writer  adds  a  very  curious  theory  with  regard  to  the 
unburnt  jawbones.  He  states,  and  truly,  that  in  other  cases 
in  Western  Europe,  where  human  remains  have  been  found  in 
connection  with  burning-places,  the  jaws  have  been  found  with- 
out the  other  portions  of  the  head,  and  he  might  add  that  the 
other  portions  of  the  head  have  been  found  without  the  lower 
jaw.  This  fact,  he  thinks,  affords  evidence  of  identical  ob- 
servances. 

With  regard  to  the  sacrificial  uses  to  which  caverns  in  Apulia 
had  been  put,  M.  Regnoli,  as  a  result  of  explorations  made  in 
them,  came  to  a  similar  conclusion. 

I  will  quote  M.  Chierici's  own  words  in  support  of  the  theory 
he  was  led  to  adopt — 

"  Les  deductions  que  je  viens  d'eniettre  sont  confirmees  et 
completces  par  la  tradition.  Rappelons-nous  le  celcbre  oracle  de 
Dodone  aux  Pelasges  qui  allaient  cmigrer  vers  I'ltalie :  'Allez 
chercher  une  terre  (Saturnia)  des  Sicules,  et  une  refuge  (KOTv\r)v, 
sinum)  d'aborigenes  ou  surnage  une  ile.  Conjointment  avec  ces 
aborigenes  vous  enverrez  la  dime  a  Zebus  (Phccbus),  et  vous 
offrirez    des    tetes   au   Tcnebreux   (Dites)    et   des    enfants    males 


Cannibalism  and  Human  Sacrifice.  471 

au  pere  (Saturnus).'f  Macrobe  ajoute  qu'en  effet  les  Pelasges 
etablis  en  Italic  '  diu  humanis  capitibus  Ditem  et  vivorurn  victimis 
Saturnum  placare  se  crederent.'  Et  nous  avons  aussi,  chez  les 
Latins,  la  formule  execratoire  '  hominem,  caput  consecrare.' 
Virginias,  levant  son  poignard,  s'ecriait  vers  Appius  Claudius, 
'  Te  tuumque  caput  hoc  sanguine  consecro.'  En  outre,  on  sait 
que  les  sacrifices  a  Dites  se  faisaient  '  in  loco  abdito,  sub  effossa 
humo.'  Plus  tard  des  moeurs  adoucies  ont  substitue  aux  tetes 
humaines  des  petites  tetes  d'argile  (les  oscilla),  et,  aux  victimes 
des  Saturnales,  des  effigies  qu'on  jetait  chaque  annee  dans  le 
Tibre,  apres  les  avoir  exposees  en  public.  II  est  curieux  de 
constater  qii'un  usage  semblable  s'est  conserve  dans  ma  patrie, 
meme  jusqu'a  nos  jours."  % 

The  writer  concludes  with  two  observations  on  the  words  of 
the  oracle — 

"  II  dit  expressement,"  he  says,  "  que  les  Pelasges  devaient 
accomplir  les  sacrifices  a  Dites  et  a  Saturnus  avec  le  concours 
des  aborigenes.  Ceux-cl  participerent  done  a  ce  rite,  et  il  est 
permis  de  reconnaitre  en  eux  nos  peuples  itallens  de  I'age  de  la 
pierre  polie.  D'autre  part,  les  tetes  humaines  destinees  a  Dites 
sont  designees  par  I'oracle  sous  le  nom  de  Ke(f)a\a<5,  mot  signifiant 
d'une  maniere  precise  la  partie  de  la  tete  qui  contient  le  cerveau. 
Cette  interpretation  ne  nous  apprend-t-elle  pas  pourquoi  les  cranes 
trouves  sur  I'autel  (i.e.  in  the  cavern  he  explored),  sont  tous  brides, 
tandis  que  les  machoires  eparses  alentour  ne  le  sont  pas  ?" 

The  absence  of  the  lower  jaw  has  been  frequently  remarked  in 
the  case  of  Irish  skulls  from  cists  in  tumuli.  That  the  sacrifices  of 
human  beings  (infants  where  a  good  harvest  was  required  and 
famine  to  be  averted,  and  prisoners  of  war,  malefactors,  and 
strangers,  where  the  war-god  or  the  national  deity  was  to  be 
specially  honoured  or  appeased)  took  place  throughout  the  whole 
of  North-Western  Europe — in  Ireland,  in  Britain,  in  Scandinavia, 
in  Germany,  and  in  Gaul — we  have  ample  testimony,  not   from 

f  STei'xeTe  juai(^/uecot  Si/ceAaJv  ^arovpinav  aJai' 
'H5'  'A^optyivfooi'  KoTuATjf  o'u  vaaos  ox^^TUi, 

Kal  KicpaKas  KpoviSr]  Koi  Tij?  irorpl  TrejuTere  (pura. 

Dionys.  Hal.  "Ant,,"  i.  19;  Macrob.  "  Saturn.,"  lib.  i.  c.  7. 

X  A  precisely  similar  modification  of  the  ancient  observances  which  ordained  that  human 
victims  should  be  slaughtered  on  the  grave-mounds,  took  place  in  Japan,  when,  by  command 
of  an  Emperor,  well  within  historic  times,  little  figures  of  men,  formed  of  baked  clay,  were 
buried  in  the  tumuli  in  place  of  the  real  human  subjects  who  had  previously  had  to  pay  the  penalty. 
The  younger  Von  Siebold  has  figured  some  of  these  images  in  his  "Notes  on  Japanese 
Archaeology,"  Yokohama,  1879. 


47-  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland, 

classical  sources  alone,  but  from  the  traditions  which  mediaeval 
writers  have  rescued  from  the  past.  Caesar  has  made  us 
acquainted  with  the  barbarous  orgies  which,  among  the  Britons 
of  his  day,  accompanied  the  sacrifice, — the  burning  of  captives 
and  felons,  Irish  tradition  has  similarly  pointed  out  to  us  a 
district  lying  round  Ballymagauran,  in  the  County  of  Cavan, 
called  Mag  Slecht,  that  is.  "  Plain  of  Prostrations,"  where  infant 
sacrifice  was  practised. f 

I  will  here  quote  from  Dr.  Whitley  Stokes's  recent  trans- 
lation of  the  Dindshenchas,  the  passage  which  relates  to  this  : 
" 'Tis  there  was  the  King-idol  of  Erin,  namely,  the  Crom 
Croich,  and  around  him  twelve  idols  made  of  stones ;  but  he 
was  of  gold.  Until  Patrick's  advent,  he  was  the  god  of  every 
folk  that  colonized  Ireland.  To  him  they  used  to  offer  the 
firstlings  of  every  issue  and  the  chief  scions  of  every  clan. 
'Tis  to  him  that  Erin's  King,  Tigernmas,  son  of  Follach,  repaired 
on  Hallontide,  together  with  the  men  and  women  of  Ireland, 
in  order  to  adore  him.  And  they  are  prostrated  before  him, 
so  that  the  tops  of  their  foreheads,  and  the  gristle  of  their 
noses,  and  the  caps  of  their  knees,  and  the  ends  of  their  elbows 
broke,  and  three-fourths  of  the   men  of  Erin   perished  at  those 

t  The  deity  was  called  Crom  Croicli,  or  Cromm  Cniaich,  or  In  Cromm  Crin,  or  Cenn  Cruaich, 
which,  if  Crotn  means,  as  I  think  it  does  here,  a  worm  or  serpent,  Cruach,  a  mound  or  cairn,  a 
high  place,  or  marked  Iiiil,  whether  natural  or  artificial,  Crin  (compare  Crineamh  =  fate,  destiny  ; 
or  Crineamna,  another  name  for  the  Lia  Fail,  or  Stone  of  Destiny,  at  Tara),  fate  (or  perhaps  it  is 
the  adjective  Criona  =  old),  and  Ccnn,  "a  head,"  would  signify  respectively,  "  Mound  Serpent," 
"  the  Serpent  of  Destiny,"  or  simply  "  the  Old  Serpent,"  and  "  Mound  Head."  With  this  idea  of 
Serpent  and  Head,  comp.  Pausanias  (Bseotia,  bk.  ix.,  cap.  19):  "As  you  go  on  the  high-road 
from  Thebes  to  Glisas  is  a  place  surrounded  by  unhewn  stones,  which  the  Thebans  call  the  Head  of 
the  Serpent." 

Crom,  as  an  adjective,  means  "crooked"  or  "slahting,"  as  GalldnCrom  =  "slanting  pillar- 
stone;"  Cromlacka  =  shelving-rocks  on  the  sea-coast,  etc.,  but  here  it  seems  to  be  a  noun- 
substantive.  Crom  Dubh,  that  is,  "Black  Crom"  (?  Black  Serjient),  is  represented  as  a  Pagan 
opponent  of  Patrick,  connected  with  Croagh  Patrick,  a  natural  hill  in  Mayo,  from  which  that  saint 
was  supposed  to  have  driven  the  serpents  out  of  Ireland.  Cathair  Crofinn  (?  from  Crom  and 
Fionn  —  White  Serpent)  was  the  most  ancient  name  of  Tara,  or  Temair.  Crofinna  herself  was  a 
mythological  being  of  the  Tuatlia  Dc  Danann,  the  mother  of  a  trinity  of  divinities,  Brcs  (Eochaid), 
Nar,  and  Lothar,  answering  to  the  Norse  divinities  Odin,  Hcenir,  and  LotSer,  whose  mother  was 
Bestla  (comp.  Ir.  peist  =  a  serpent)  :  compare  also  Crovdearg  (?  from  Croiiili  and  Dean;  =  Red 
Serpent),  a  half-pagan  and  half-mythical  personage  worshipped  at  a  well  near  the  Paps  in  Kerry ; 
Crom  =  crui//i ;  Welsh  prem ;  Lat.  vermis;  Eng.  wurm,  worm.  The  Wurm-dyke  is  a  name 
applied  to  a  rampart  traversing  the  country.  A  Peiste,  or  snake,  in  Ireland  inhabits  the  bottoms  of 
venerated  lakes.  A  similar  superstition  exists  in  Hailand  at  the  magic  lake  of  Helsjo,  to  which 
pilgrims  flocked,  just  as  was  the  case  in  Ireland.  In  the  "  Life  of  St.  Barbatus  "  we  find  that  the 
Langobartli  in  Italy  worshipped,  among  other  relics  of  idolatry  brought  from  the  North,  a  golden 
sitimlacnim  viperiv,  an  image  of  the  bestia  t/uir  vulgo  vifera  dicitur.  Crom,  as  we  have  seen,  was 
made  of  gold.  In  a  German  legend  in  Cirimin  we  find  a  Black  Worm  lying  coiled  round  a  heap  of 
gold.  In  Ireland  the  great  Croach,  literally,  "Mound,"  a  venerated  mountain  in  Mayo,  was 
connected  with  Crom  Dubh,  the  Black  Crom,  and,  as  we  have  seen,  Crom  Cruaich  means  Crom  of 
the  Mound.  In  old  German  poetry  the  Devil  is  called  Ilcllewurm.  In  Styria  was  the  Silberberg, 
a  mountain  full  of  fabulous  snakes,  over  which  a  queen — the  Great  White  .Serpent — ruled.  On 
Ararat,  too,  dwelt  a  royal  race  of  snakes,  who  possessed  a  stone  called  llul,  or  the  stone  of  light, 
which  they  tossed  in  the  air,  which  reminds  us  of  the  Druids  and  their  serpent's  egg. 


Cannibalism  and  Human  Sacrifice.  473 

prostrations."  In  a  poetical  version  of  this  account  of  Mag 
Slecht,  the  object  of  the  worshippers  is  set  forth  :  "  Milk  and 
corn  they  used  to  ask  of  him  urgently ;  for  a  third  of  their 
offspring.  Great  was  its  horror  and  its  wailing."  From  other 
authorities  we  learn  that  Tigernmas  died  in  the  "great  meeting" 
held  in  this  plain,  and  three-fourths  of  the  men  of  Erin  along 
with  him,  while  adoring  Crom  Croich  ;  also  that  he  was  a  special 
god  of  Foilge  Berraide,  that  is,  of  the  chief  of  the  Hiii  Foilge, 
Failge,  or  Falgi ;  and  also  that  the  twelve  f  surrounding  idols  were 
covered  with  bronze.  It  was  reserved  for  Patrick  to  destroy 
this  idol.  Tigernmais  signifies  "  Lord  of  Death."  The  eminent 
philologist  who  translated  the  above  passage  states  that  he  infers 
from  it  that  among  the  Irish,  as  among  other  races,  "  the  Earth- 
gods  could  be  propitiated  by  human  sacrifice." 

Turning  to  Germany  and  the  North,  we  have  the  statements 
of  Tacitus  that  "  on  certain  days "  the  god  whom  he  calls 
Mercury,  and  who  is  probably  the  Teutates  of  Lucan,  and  the 
Odin  or  Woden  of  the  North,  was  propitiated  with  human 
victims.  The  Semnones,  too,  who  occupied  a  part  of  the  Mark 
of  Brandenburg,  and  held  themselves  to  be  the  oldest  and  noblest 
tribe  of  the  Suevi,  were  wont  "  at  a  stated  time  to  assemble  in  a 
wood  consecrated  by  the  auguries  of  their  forefathers  and  ancient 
terror,  and  there,  by  the  public  slaughter  of  a  human  victim,  to 
celebrate  the  horrid  origin  of  their  barbarous  rites." 

At  Upsala,  in  Sweden,  every  ninth  year  nine  persons  were 
sacrificed,  chosen  from  among  the  ranks  of  captives  if  in  war- 
time, or  of  slaves  if  they  were  at  peace.  Olaus  Wormius,  after 
describing  the  temple  of  Kialarnes  in  Iceland,  with  its  altar  for 
sacrifice  and  its  deep  well  close  by,  states  that  although  for  the 
most  part  animals  were  the  victims,  which  were  subsequently 
eaten  by  the  devotees,  yet  that  human  victims  also  had  not  only 
been  slaughtered,  and  their  bodies  plunged  in  the  well,  but  had 
formed  a  part  of  the  pagan  feasts. 

With  such  evidence  as  this  that  cannibalism  accompanied 
human  sacrifice,  and  may  even  have  been  an  essential  part  of 
the  rite,  as  Worsaae  thought,  it  is  impossible  not  to  compare  the 
following  passage  from  Pliny  : — 

"  Very  recently,"  he  says,  "  on  the  other  side  of  the  Alps,  it 
was    the  custom  to  offer  human  sacrifices,  after  the    manner   of 

t  In  the  Norse  pantheon  there  were  twelve  principal  gods  (Anderson,  p.  185). 
VOL.   II.  M 


474  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 

the  Cyclopes  and  LcEstrygones  who  formally  existed  in  Italy 
and  Sicily ;  and,"  he  significantly  adds,  "  the  difference  is  but 
small  between  sacrificing  human  beings  and  eating  them." 

That  ancient  rite  in  Italy  was  connected  with  the  worship  of 
Saturnus,  who  is  to  be  equated  with  the  Dis  of  the  Gauls,  to  whom, 
according  to  the  Druids,  the  whole  of  that  people  traced  their 
orio^in  as  to  a  common  father.  The  distinction  drawn  between 
these  two  names  by  Macrobius,  who  states  that  the  Pelasgi  built  a 
sacelhim  to  Dis  and  an  ara  to  Saturnus,  and  the  fact  that  Gruter 
gives  us  an  inscription  at  Rome  which  mentioned  Ateria,  a 
priestess  of  Dis- Pater,  need  not  interfere  with  the  conclusion 
that  Ccesar's  Dis- Pater  is  Saturnus,  or  rather  his  Gaulish 
equivalent.  Cicero,  indeed,  states  that  among  the  people  of  the 
West  the  worship  of  Saturnus  was  most  widespread  and  popular, 
while  Dionysius  of  Halicarnassus  assigns  his  cultus  to  the  Celts. 

Pliny,!  after  mentioning  the  fact  that  human  sacrifices  were 
not  forbidden  in  Rome,  but  were  actually  practised  there  until 
the  year  a.u.c.  657,  connects  these  rites  with  necromancy. 
"  The  Gallic  provinces,"  he  says,  "  were  pervaded  with  the  magic 
art,  and  that  even  down  to  a  period  within  memory.  ...  At  the 
present  day,  Britain,  struck  with  fascination,  still  cultivates  this 
art.  .  .  .  Such  being  the  case,  then,  we  cannot  too  highly 
appreciate  the  obligation  that  is  due  to  the  Roman  people  for 
having  put  an  end  to  these  monstrous  rites,  in  accordance  with 
which  to  murder  a  man  Avas  to  do  an  act  of  the  greatest 
devotedness,  and  to  eat  his  flesh  was  to  secure  the  highest 
blessings  of  health." 

Diodorus  Siculus  brings  against  the  inhabitants  of  Ireland 
a  distinct  charge  of  cannibalism.  "  Those  Gauls,"  he  says, 
"  towards  the  north,  and  bordering  upon  Scythia,  are  so  exceeding 
fierce  that,  as  report  goes,  they  eat  men,  like  the  Britons  do  who 
inhabit  Iris."  It  will  be  observed  that  the  doubt  expressed  in 
this  sentence  is  Avith  regard  to  the  Gauls  next  to  Scythia, 
not  with  regard  to  the  Britons  of  Ireland.  That  they  were 
anthropophagi  was  evidently  as  much  a  matter  of  general  know- 
ledge among  the  literati  of  the  South  in  the  time  of  Diodorus 
as  is  the  news  which  Mr.  Stanley  and  others  have  brought  us  that 
there  is  a  race  of  dwarfs  in  the  "  Dark  Continent  "  to-day. 

Lastly,  we  come  to  the  horrible  accusations  of  Jerome  with 

t  Hk.  XXX.  cap.  4. 


Cannibalism  and  Human  Sacrifice.  475 

regard  to  the  Attacotti,  a  people  which  he  assigns,  however,  not 
to  Ireland,  but  to  Britain.  Before  quoting  his  words,  I  may  say 
that  a  possible  explanation  of  the  name  of  this  tribe  may  be 
looked  for  in  the  Goidelic  word  Aikack,  meaning  a  "giant,"  and 
corresponding,  therefore,  in  sense  to  the  Teutonic  lot,  lohm,  lotr, 
Eoten,  etc.,  which,  whether  or  not  it  included  the  idea  of  great 
stature,  signified  a  person  of  a  lower  race,  non-Aryan,  perhaps, 
but,  at  all  events,  like  Hun,  a  term  denoting  an  allophylian.  That 
the  giants  got  the  name  of  having  been  cannibals  our  folk-lore 
abundantly  shows  us,  and  had  Jerome  when  a  boy  lived  under  the 
shadow  of  St,  Michael's  Mount  in  Cornwall,  and  heard  the  tale 
of  Jack  and  the  Giant  Blunderbore,  we  might  well  imagine  that 
in  later  years  he  might  have  persuaded  himself  that  he  actually 
had  seen  that  which  had  made  so  deep  an  impression  upon  his 
youthful  mind.  That  a  story  of  the  kind  may  have  reached  him 
with  regard  to  the  Attacotti,  who  were  probably  regarded,  being 
allophylians,  as  one  of  the  giant  races  of  the  North,  and  that  it 
may  once  have  had  a  shadow  of  truth  in  it,  I  do  not  deny ;  but 
that  it  was  true  at  the  time  Jerome  wrote,  even  of  fierce 
mercenary  bands  in  Gaul,  I  hesitate  to  believe.  Here  is  the 
statement :  "  Quid  loquar  de  cceteris  nationibus,  quum  ipse 
adolescentulus  in  Gallia  viderim  Atticottos,  gentem  Britannicam, 
humanis  vesci  carnibus." 

Jerome  f  had  reason  to  dislike  the  Britons,  whose  country  had 
given  birth  to  Pelagius  and  in  which  heresy  flourished,  and  he 
was  a  man  for  the  coarse  venom  of  whose  tongue  no  unscrupulous 
slander  was  too  vile  an  ingredient.  And  yet,  in  ages  which  then 
would  not  have  so  long  gone  by  that  the  tradition  would  have 
wholly  passed  away,  there  may  have  been  truth  in  the  assertion 
that  Britain,  and  Ireland  too,  possessed  tribes  who,  on  sacrificial 
occasions,  were  actually  cannibals. 

It  is  doubtless  a  long  jump  backwards  from  Jerome's  time 
to  the  Neolithic  Age,  in  the  Long  Barrows  of  which  Thurman 
thought  that  he  found  evidence  of  human  sacrifices  in  the  broken 
skulls,  and  Greenwell  and  Rolleston  of  possibly  cannibal  practices 
under  those  of  the  Yorkshire  Wolds.  But  custom,  we  must 
remember,  had  all  this  time  nothing  to  check  it,  until  first  of  all 
the  reflected  civilization  of  Rome,  and  then  Christianity,  appeared 

t  Jerome  makes  Pelagius  an  Irishman,  "  Scoticte  gentis  de  Britannorum  vicinia,"  Pref.  lib.  iii, 
in  Jerem. 


476  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


on  these  shores.  Just  contemporaneously  with  the  first  of  these 
events  comes  the  statement  of  Diodorus,  the  general  truth  of 
which  I  am  not  disposed  to  question,  with  regard  to  Ireland, 
supplemented  by  that  of  Pliny,  that  necromancy,  involving  the 
sacrifice  of  human  life,  was  prevalent  in  Britain. 

The  question  arises,  "  Where  would  such  weird  rites  have 
been  performed  ?  "  and  the  answer  to  it  is,  "  At  the  tombs  of 
ancestors  of  the  race ; — at  the  tumuli  zn^o  which,  as  the  Norse 
poets  say,  their  heroes  died ; — at  the  dolmen,  at  the  circle,!  and 
at  the  cairn." 

Illustrations  of  the  fact  that  such  monuments  were  no  mere 
sepulchres  of  the  dead,  but  places  set  apart  for  the  sacrificia 
mortuo7'7i7n,  for  pilgrimages,  for  the  periodical  assembling  of  the 
tribe  or  tribes  for  religious  or  social  purposes,  for  the  holding  of 
fairs,  for  the  contracting  of  marriages,  and  for  unrestricted  feasting 
and  revel,  will  be  introduced  as  we  proceed. 

At  the  root  of  all  this  lay  the  cultus  of  the  dead,  and  there 
IS  no  need  to  shun  the  fact  that  in  the  British  Islands,  in  the 
days  when  their  inhabitants  were  little  different  from  the  other 
savage  peoples  of  Northern  Europe,  human  sacrifices,  almost 
certainly  combined  with  cannibal  practices,  prevailed. 

ScANDiXAVL\,   Denmark,  Schleswig,  and  Holstelnt. 

The  Malar  Lake  appears  to  be  the  northern  limit  of  the 
dolmens  of  the  Scandinavian  peninsula.  North  of  this — that  is, 
in  West  Bothnia  and  Lapponia  Pithensis,  the  countries  where 
legends  placed  the  second,  or  northern,  lotunheim.J — the  Risaland 
or  Hunaland  of  the  sagas,  the  kingdom  of  the  Jsette,  or  Reise  or 
Huns,  there  were  tumuli,  it  appears,  and  pillar-stones,§  but  no 
dolmens.  To  the  primitive  inhabitants  of  these  countries,  namely, 
the  Same  or  Lapps,  the  natural  cavern  in  the  hillside,  in  imita- 
tion of  which  the  artificial  stone  structures,  with  their  long 
passage-entrances  and  expanding  interiors,  covered  over  by 
mounds  and  forming  artificial  hills,  were  probably  formed,  served 
as  the  sepulchres  of  their  race. 

t  That  circles  were  unquestionably  places  where  human  victims  were  slaughtered  will  appear 
when  we  come  to  speak  of  the  Dom-rings  of  Scandinavia. 

X  The  other  and  southern  lotunheim,  Mr.  Du  Chaillu  thinks,  was  between  the  Dnieper  and  the 
Volga  and  Don,  north  of  Asgard,  which  was  between  the  Dnieper  and  Don  on  the  shores  of  the 
I'alus  Maiotis. 

§  J.  D.  Stecksenius,  "  Dissertatio  gradualis  de  Westro-Botnia"  (Ups.ila,  1731),  P-  12;  "  Cippos 
esse  atque  tumulos,  magnum  antiquitatis  indicium  respondemus." 


Scandinavia,  Denmark,  Schleswig,  and  Holstein.     477 

Scheffer  tells  us  that  these  Lapps  buried  in  caves,  the  mouths 
of  which  were  stopped  up  with  stones,  and  that  with  the  dead  they 
buried  a  hatchet,  and  a  flint  and  steel.  They  sacrificed  a  reindeer 
in  honour  of  the  dead,  and  feasted  on  it  for  three  days  after  the 
burial.  The  bones  of  the  animal  they  gathered  up,  put  them  in  a 
coffer  with  the  wooden  figure  of  a  man  upon  it,  and  buried  themi 
underground.  Their  names  for  the  ghosts  they  worshipped  was 
Sitte.  When  offering  them  sacrifices  (presumably  at  the  cave's 
mouth),  their  first  business  was  to  inquire  the  will  of  the  dead. 
They  said,  "  O  ye  Sitte,  what  will  ye  have  '^.  "  Then  they  beat 
the  drum,  on  which  was  a  ring,  and  if  the  ring  fell  on  any  creature 
pictured  on  the  surface,  they  understood  that  that  was  what  the 
ghost  desired.  They  then  took  the  animal,  ran  through  its  ear 
or  tied  about  its  horns  a  black  woollen  thread,  and  sacrificed  it. 

In  every  particular  of  this  account  we  see  precisely  what 
archaeological  research  on  the  one  hand,  and  legend  and  tradition 
committed  to  writing  in  the  Middle  Ages,  coupled  with  folk-lore 
still  in  oral  survival,  on  the  other,  lead  us  to  believe  occurred 
in  the  case  of  the  dolmens  and  chambered  tumuli.  We  will 
recount  them  in  order:  (i)  The  burial  in  a  cave,  formed  arti- 
ficially ;  (2)  the  hatchet  and  the  flint  interred  with  corpse  ;  (3)  the 
sacrifice  of  an  animal  ;  (4)  the  subsequent  feast ;  (5)  the  interment 
of  the  animal  bones  ;  (6)  the  interment  of  the  painted  figure  of  a 
man  in  place  of  the  original  human  being  sacrificed  ;  (7)  the  name 
Sitte,\  so  closely  similar  to  the  name  given  by  the  Irish  to  the 
spirits  of  the  dead  who  inhabited  the  chambers  in  the  tumuli, 
namely,  Sidhe,  a  word  unexplained  in  Celtic  ;  (8)  the  veneration 
of  the  dead  shown  in  the  desire  to  supply  their  wants ;  (9)  the 
practice  of  necromancy ;  (10)  the  woollen  thread  tied  on  the 
horns  of  the  beast,  just  as  threads  and  rags  may  be  seen  to  this 
very  day  attached  to  thorns  round  venerated  spots,  such  as  the 
dolmen  of  Maulnaholtora  in  Kerry  ; — all  these  point  to  an 
identity  of  custom  between  the  Turanian  peoples  of  Northern 
Europe  and  a  primitive  race  in  the  British  Isles. 

Whether  there  were  monuments  of  the  dolmen  class  on  the 
other  and  eastern  side  of  the  Gulf  of  Bothnia,  that  is,  in  Finland, 
I  have  not  been  able  to  ascertain  with  certainty.  It  would 
certainly  appear,  from  what  Ruehs  says,  that  there  were.     *'  One 

t  This  word  has  been  compared  with  the  name  of  \.)^^Sito7ies,  a  people  of  Scandinavia  mentioned 

l)y  Tacitus.    Muellenhoft',  "  Deutshe  Alurtums,"  ii.  9,  derives  Sitones  from  the  Gothic  silaits,  a  stranger 


478  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


meets,"  he  tells  us,  "  in  Finland  with  hiincngrdber,  roofed  over  with 
enormous  stones,  in  which  have  frequently  been  found  vessels  of 
gold,  silver,  and  other  metals,  with  quantities  of  bones  of  birds, 
and  skulls  of  small  wild  animals."  f  The  discovery  of  golden 
vessels  ma}'  be  ascribable  to  the  exaggerations  of  the  rustics  who 
gave  this  writer  his  information,  as  is  so  commonly  the  case  in 
Ireland,  where  similar  stories  are  current,  the  popular  belief  in 
the  latter  country  being  that,  even  if  the  vessel  appear  to  be  of 
clay  and  its  contents  bone-dust  and  ashes,  they  were  gold  origi- 
nally, but  have  been  turned  by  the  ill-natured  fairies  or  some 
neighbouring  witch  into  valueless  rubbish  to  spite  the  finder. 
The  existence,  however,  of  the  megalithic  monuments  must  surely 
have  been  a  fact  within  the  knowledge  of  so  careful  and  generally 
accurate  a  writer  as  Ruchs. 

Turning  to  Sweden,  we  have  dolmens  in  plenty,  and,  what  is 
more,  we  have  for  our  guide  one  of  the  greatest  of  modern 
antiquaries,  ]\I.  Oscar  Montelius.j  whose  system  of  classification 
of  these  monuments  very  closely  agrees  with  that  which  I  have 
made  for  Ireland.     He  divides  them  into — 

(i)   Dolmens  proper  (called  in  Swedish  ddsar,  sing.  dds). 

(2)  Passage-tombs,  scpttlttires  d  galerie  (called  in  Swedish 
gaiiggrifter^  sing,  ganggn'fi),  ox  j'dttestiigor,  "  Giants'  Graves." 

(3)  Cists,  or  great  slab-graves,  cercueils  en  dalles  (called  in 
Swedish  Jidllkistor,  sing,  hdllkistd),  the  tops  of  which  are  not 
covered  over  with  earth  or  stones. 

(4)  Cists,  or  slab-graves,  eercucils  en  dalles,  covered  up  com- 
pletely in  earthen  tumuli,  or  piles  of  stones. 

A  Swedish  monument,  of  which  Rudbeck,  in  his  "  Atlantis," 
gives  a  rough  ground-plan,  does  not  readily  fall  into  an}'  of  these 
divisions,  but  resembles  rather  some  structures,  perhaps  transitional, 
such  as  those  of  Killachlug  and  Kilberrihert  §  in  the  County  of 
Cork.      I  give  it  for  what  it  is  worth. 

All  his  several  divisions  M.  Montelius  refers  to  the  Neolithic 
Age,  and  adds  that  there  are  other  interments,  referable  to  the 
same  period,  which  are  found  to  have  been  placed  simply  in 
the  ground,  without  any  protecting  stones. 

In    Sweden,    during    the    Stone     Age,    the    dead    were    not 

t  C.  F.  Ruehs,  "Finland  unci  seine  Bewohner  "  (Leipzig,  1S09),  p.  27  :  Abo-Tidning,   17S2, 
S.  221. 

t  "  Congres  intern.  d'Anth.  et  Archeol.,"  1874,  p.  153. 
§  I'P-  32,  34,  supra. 


Scandinavia,   Denmark,  Schleswig,  and  Holstein.     479 


cremated.     They  were  buried,  often  in  a  sitting  posture,  and  at 
their  side  were  placed  their  arms  or  implements. 

In  the  case  of  the  first  of   the  above  divisions,  that  of   the 
"dolmens  proper,"  the  sides  are  formed  of  large  slabs  of  stone. 


Fig.  438. — Plan  of  monument  in  Sweden.     From  Riidbcclc's  '■'■Atlantis.^'' 

fixed  in  the  ground,  and  reaching  from  floor  to  roof,  the  inner  face 
of  each  slab  being  flattish,  the  outer  one  generally  rough  and 
irreorular.  The  floor  of  the  cell  within  is  of  sand  or  eravel.  The 
roof  consists  of  a  single  large  block,  the  under  surface  of  which  is 
flat,  the  upper  one  rough  and  rugged. 

The  ground-plan  of  the  vault  is  either  square,  oval, 
pentagonal,  or  nearly  round.  Its  average  measurement  is  from 
2*5  m.  to  4*5  m.  long;  from  i'5  m.  to  2  m.  broad,  and  from 
o*9  m.  to  I  "6  m.  high.  On  one  side — either  that  facing  the  S.  or 
that  facing  the  E. — it  is  very  frequently  open.  The  lower  portion 
of  the  structure  is  in  general  covered  by  an  artificial  knoll  of 
circular  or  oblong  shape,  formed  of  earth  or  stones  {cailloiix),  and 
environed  by  large  blocks. 

Of  dolmens  of  this  class  I  give  examples  from  Bohuslan, 
Scania,  Zeeland,  and  Denmark ;  and,  for  comparison  with  the 
encircled  examples,  I  add  Fergusson's  sketch  of  the  Leaba  na 
dh-Fiau,  at  Carrowmore.  I  may  add  that  I  hold  the  same  opinion 
with  regard  to  these  as  I  do  with  regard  to  the  Irish  examples, 
namely,  that  each  had  a  passage-way  to  the  edge  of  the  mound, 
a  portion  of  which  the  Herrestrup  example  retains.  A  rough 
drawing  from  Liljegren  shows  a  low  prolongation,  as  at  Brenans- 
town  in  the  county  of  Dublin  (Figs.  440-446). 

It  is  added  that  on  the  surface  of  the  block  which  forms  the 
roof  of  the  cell,  little  basins,  or  round  scooped-out  pittings  are 
often  found,  measuring  5  to   10  centimetres  in  diameter,  intended 


48o 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


Fig.  439. — Sketch  and  plan  of  the  dohiien  at  Stala,  Island  of  Oioust,  Bohuslan. 
From  MouteUus,  "  Coiigns  lu/crtia/.,"  1874,  p.  155. 


u:isiCj^^:-^:  '^^niiCyL'^:^ 


I'IG.  440, — A  Swedi>h  dolmen.     Fro/it  IJljcgi-cft  an,/  Jirunins,  ^^  A'ordiska  FornUmni»gar,'' 

1823,  vol.  ii.  pi.  Ixxv, 


Scandinavia,  Denmark,  Schleswig,  and  Holstein.     481 

(so   M.  Montelius  thought)  to  be  the  depositories  of  offerings  in 
honour  of  the  dead.     Stones  whicli  have  such  Httle  cups  [pierres 


Fig.  441. — Herrestrup,  in  Zeeland.     From  Ilolmben^,  ''  Skandhiaviens  Ual.'ristintioa);^'' 
1848,  Tab.  A  and  B,  Fig.  24. 


Fig.  442. — Danish  dolmen.     From  JVorsaae,  '■'' Xordiske  Oldsager"  1859,  pi.  i.  Fig.  I. 


Fig.  443. — Dolmen  at  Hafang,  Scania,    Fivm  HildeOratid,  *'  Forhistoriska  Foiken  i  Furopa,^'  p.  68. 

d  ^cuclles)  are   known   to   the  Swedish    peasantry  as  elfqvarnar, 
that  is,  "  fairy-mills,"  and  are  held  in  traditional  veneration. 

M.  Montelius  gives  an  example  of  a  dolmen,  on  the  covering- 


482 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


stone  of  which  is  an  arrangement  of  cups.      It  is  at  Fasmarup,  in 
Scania  (Fig.  449).      In  the  Meneage  district  in  S.W.  Cornwall  an 


Fig.  444. — Cairn  at  Canowmore.     From  Fcr^iisson,  R.S.M.^  p.  183. 

example  occurs  of  cup-markings  upon  the  roofing-stone  of  a  structure 
comprising  a  natural  rock,  a  block  set  on  edge  lengthways  beside  it, 


Fic.  445. — Danish  dolmen,     l-'roin  ll'orsaae,  '■'•  Prim.  Ant."  transl.  Thorns,  pi.  ii. 

and  a  cap-stone  laid  across  the  passage  thus  formed.  A  larger  cup 
has  been  sunk  into  the  surface  of  the  natural  rock  at  the  N.E.  end  of 

the  passage.  It  seems  that  some  super- 
stition, involving  creeping  through  the 
passage,  was  practised  here  ;  and  that 
the  cups  w^ere,  like  those  of  Scandi- 
navia, intended  to  receive  offerings, 
while  the  larger  one  may  have  con- 
tained water  for  some  preparatory  pro- 
cess of  oblation  (Figs.  447,  448). 

In   Halland  is  a  natural  rock,   on 
the    back    of    which     rests     another, 
Fig.     446.-rian    of    the    "Three    forming  a  crccp  between  them.t    Here, 
ZTcll^!'^'Bf]h'^^^^^^^  too,  cup-basins  have   been   sunk   into 

w.  c.  Boriase.  ^-^^  surface  of  the  stones.     In  Portui^al 

several  examples  occur  of  such  cups  on  the  covering-stones  of 
dolmens,  as  in  the  case  of  the  Anta  de  Paredes,  to  be  noticed 
presently.  In  Wales  a  good  example  exists  at  Clynnog  Fawr, 
in  Carnarvonshire.  In  Ireland  I  have  repeatedly  found  them,  in 
many  instances  evidently  artificial.  In  other  cases,  where  they  are 
purely  natural,  I  have  been  led  to  suppose  by  their  position  that 

t  "Sketch  from  Iliklebrand,"  \<.  129. 


Scandinavia,  Denmark,  Schleswig,  and  Holstein.      48, 


the  stone  had  been  specially  selected  because  it  contained  them.  I 
feel  sure  that  wherever  found  in  such  situations  they  were  connected 
with  pilgrimages,  and  with   the  superstitious  practice  of  creeping 


Fig.  447. — Section  of  the  "  Three  Brothers  of  Grugith,"  Cornwall. 
By  /r.  C.  Liikis  and  II\  C.  Borlasc. 

under  the  rock.  Several  Scandinavian  and  Danish  dolmens  — 
such,  for  example,  as  that,  often  figured,  at  Herrestrup  in  Zeeland 
(Fig.  442) — have    sculptured  figures    upon   their  cap-stones.     A 


Fig.  448. — Dolmen  of  Fasmorup.     From  jMonlcliiis,  '''■  Coiigi\'s  Interuat.,^''  1874,  p.  157. 

rock  in  Scania  presents  some  fair  samples  of  these,  which  we  may 
compare  with  some  of  those  at  Loughcrew  (Fig.  452). 

Another  rock  in  the  same  province  presents  figures  of  ships 
and  carriages  (Fig.  453).  With  these  figures  of  ships  we  may 
compare  a  sculpture  at  New  Grange  (Fig.  341)  ;  and  with  those 
of  the  carriages,  or  chariots,  those  on  a  stone  at  Castle  Archdale 
(Fig.  211).  A  ship  of  later  date  and  superior  design  occurs  on 
the  stone  wall  of  a  church  in  Langeland  (Fig.  451).  There  is  another 
on  one  of  the  carved  stones  in  a  chamber  at  Kivik  in  Scania. f 

The  contents  of  dolmens  of  this  first  class  may  be  judged  from 
the  following  list  of  objects  found  in  one  at  Luthra  in  Vestergot- 

t  vSee  Fig.  454,  and  .Sjijhorg,  "  Samlingar  j(3r  Nordens  Fornaiskare,"  1830,  iii.  pis.  xi.  and  xii. 


484 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


lande ;  namely,  five  spear-heads,  one  arrow-head,  nineteen  axes, 
all  of  tlint ;  four  pins  and  eighteen  beads,  of  bone  ;  four  beads  of 
amber ;  eleven  perforated  teeth  of  bears,  dogs,  and  pigs ;  several 
bones  of  cows,  and  a  large  number  of  human  skeletons. 

The  second  division,    that  of  the    passage-tombs,    comprises 


Fig.  449.— Clyiinog  Fawr,  Carnarvonsliirc.     From  Simpson's  ^'■Archaic  Scitlpltirings.'" 

monuments  constructed  in  the  same  fashion  as  the  dolmens,  but 
distinguished  from  them  by  their  elongated  form,  by  a  plurality 
of  covering-stones,  and  by  the  presence  of  a  covered-passage,  of 

considerable  length,  leading 
into  them  from  the  S.  or  E. 
side.  The  entire  structure  is 
surrounded  by  an  artificial 
mound,  which  does  not  in 
Sweden  cover  the  roof,  except 
in  rare  instances,  although  in 
the  examples  in  Denmark  the 
reverse  is  the  case.  The 
average  measurement  of  the 
vault  itself  in  these  structures 
is  from  4  m.  to  17  m.  long, 
from  1-5  m.  to  3  m.  broad,  and  from  1-3  m.  to  2  m.  high. 

The  passage  is  narrower  and  lower  than  the  vault  to  which  it 
leads,  but  often  quite  as  long.  In  the  majority  of  cases  it  entered 
the  vault  at  or  near  the  centre  of  its  S.  side,  approaching  it  at  a 
right-angle,  and  thus  forming  a  ground-plan  in  the  shape  of  a  T. 
In  these  instances  the  vault  is  a  long- oblong,  its  angles  being 
right    angles.       There    are,    however,    examples    in    which     the 


Fl<^>.  450. — Ship  on  a  stone  wail  of  the  churcli  of 
Skrobelef,  Langeland,  Denmark.  J'lom  Dii 
Chaillu,  "  Viking  Aj^'e,"  ii.  141. 


Scandinavia,  Denmark,  Sciileswig,  and  Holstein.     485 


passage  is  much  nearer  one  end— the  S.E.  end— than  the  other, 
and  in  these  cases  the  vault  is  narrower  at  that  end  than  at  the 
other,  approaching  in  this  respect  the  wedge  form.      In  structures 


Fig.  451. — Rock-sculpturing  in  Scania. 
From  Dii  Chailln. 


Fig.  452. — Rock-sculpturing  in  Scania. 
From  Dii  Chaillu. 


Fig.  453.— Shbs  from  the  ciiin  of  kivik  ncai  Cimhrishavn,  Sweden.     Inom  Du  Chaillu. 

•'  Viking  Age,''  p.  88. 

ol  the  third  and  fourth  (Jidllkistd)  types,  the  passage  is  wholly 
absent,  and,  where  this  is  the  case,  in  the  generality  of  cases,  the 
two  longer  sides  of  the  vault  were  not  parallel,  so  that  the  ground- 
plan  was  actually  wedge-shaped,  and  precisely  similar  to  Irish 
examples.      These  latter  structures  had  their  longer  axis  almost 


486 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


invariably  N.  and  S.,  the  S.  end  being  the  narrower,  as  the  E. 
end  is  in  Ireland,  and  are  almost  always  open  at  that  extremity, 
Mr.  Du  Chaillu  regards  this  latter  form  as  "the  outcome  of  the 
omission  of  the  passage,"  and  remarks  that  "several  intermediate 
forms  have  been  found,  showing  how  the  passage  was  gradually 
lessened,  till  it  could  only  be  traced  in  the  opening  which  narrows 
at  the  S.  end."     The  seemingly  analogous  structures  in  Ireland 

do  not  lead  me  to  this  con- 
clusion.     It    is   true    that  I 


Qittt     ciacxa 

8 
I 


csaraca 


^ 


gij/^i!-"^  «!.'»«"* 


,,;rBW>  *ai»s*^ 


have  sometimes  found  the 
narrower  end  open ;  but  in 
the  case  of  some  of  the 
finest  monuments  of  the  class 
I  have  found  it  closed  by  an 
immense  stone,  evidently  an  integral  part  of  the  structure,  never 
intended  to  be  moved,!  nor  any  entrance  effected  from  that  end, 


<m^ ^^^  ^^2,  ^^^<^^^'^^52iG^^^^^ 


Fig.  454. —  Plan  of  cist  at  Knyttkiirr,  Dalslande. 
From  O.  Montelius. 


Fig.  455.— Danish  passage-dolmen.     l-'rujn  ll'orsaae,  '•'•  Friin.  Ant.,''^  transl.  Thorns,  pi.  iii. 

whereas  at  the  broader-and  loftier  W.  end,  there  was,  invariably, 
I  think,  a  hollow  place  or  passage,  either  above,  under,  or  at  the 
side  of  the  closing  Hag,  and  a  porch-like  arrangement  without. 
I  regard  the  two  types  of  structure,  therefore,  as  distinct,  and  from 
the  form  of  such  examples  as  those  at  Labbacallee  (Co.  Cork,  p.  9) 
and   Knyttkarr,J  in  Dalslande,  I   should  venture  to   hint   that,  if 


t  E.g.  liallyganncr  South,  Co.  Clare,  p.  67.  %   "  Congrcs  Internal."  (Siockholm),  p.  169. 


Scandinavia,  Denmark,  Sciileswig,  and  Holstein.      487 


those  of  the  T  type  are  to  be  looked  upon,  as  they  have  been, 
as  models  of  houses,  those  of  the  wedge  type   may   be  plausibly 


rfffr7r7r/777rrnrFnT/!77f77r,'77/rpri7/f/r/mn!///m77ir>rTi 


^^ilSsnTPrrTTTrmrrnrm^ini. 


Fig.  456.— House  ofa  Norwegian  Lapp.   From  Sir  A.  Dc  C.  Brooke's  "  Winter  in  Lapland"  p.  31S, 

regarded  as    models   of  ships.      In  the    Knyttkarr    example   the 

peristyle    has    its    counterpart    in    numberless     Irish    structures, 

besides  the  Labbacallee,  of  many 

of  which  I  have  given  plans,  as, 

for  example,  in  the  Lacht-Niall 

and   Leaba  Owen  (Eogain)  ;    in     . 

those  at   Lackaduv,   Keamcorra-  '{^^ 

vooly,  Coolaclevine,  and  very  many 

more.t    The  view  that  the  former 

were  models  of  houses  arose  from 

a  comparison   of  them  with   the 

houses  of  the  Lapps,  to  which  in 

form  the  typical  Danish  example 

in  Worsaae,  and  the  Ottagarden 

one  given  by  Montelius,  certainly 

bear  a  strong  resemblance  (Figs. 

456,  457>  45^)- 

A  good  example  of  the  T- 
shaped  type,  which  seems  to  be 
in  some  measure  repeated  in  the 
case  of  one  of  the  monuments  in 
the  Lough  Arrow  group  (Co. 
Sligo),  is  that  on  A.xevalla 
Heath,J    near   Lake   Venern,  in 


Fig.  457. — Swedish  passage-dolmen,  at  Otta- 
garden, Vestergotlande.  From  Montelius^ 
'■^  Congres  Inlern.,"  1874,  p.  164. 


Vestero^otlande. 


The  passage  measures  20  feet  long  by  2^,  to  3  feet 


t  Figs.  1 8,  23,  28,  31.  34. 


I  Du  Chaillu. 


488 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


broad,  and  3  feet  high  ;  the  vault  32  feet  long,  8  or  9  feet  broad, 
and  5  or  6  feet  high.  Nineteen  bodies,  all  unburnt,  were  found 
crushed  into  small  cists,  arranged  mostly  around  the  walls  of  the 
vault 


The    slabs    forming   these    cists    measured    3 


feet    hiofh. 


Fig.  458.— "  Elfsten  "  in  Ilalland.    From  Hihlcbraml,  '•  Die Forhistoriska  Folkm  i  Fiiropa,'"  ]}.  129. 

Madsen  gives  an  interior  view,  and  a  ground-plan  of  a  vault 
covered  by  a  tumulus,  at  Uby,  in  Zeeland.  The  mound  measured 
300  feet  in  circumference,  and  13  feet  in  height.  The  entrance 
passage  was  20  feet  long,  and  the  vault   13  feet  long  by  8  feet 


rJ  ;     ^,.  "V--A 


Fig  459.— Dolmen  at  Axevalla.     From  A.  F.  Holmbcrg,  ''  Nordbon  tinder  Hednatiden" 
p.  IS,  and  Du  C/iailltt,  "  Viking  Age,"  i.  73. 

wide.  The  walls  were  formed  by  nine  huge  slabs  set  on  end,  the 
interstices  between  them  being  filled  up  with  small  stones  neatly 
fitted.     The  roof  consisted  of  two  immense  blocks. 

?^lr.  Du  Chaillu  gives  a  plan  of  a  passage-tomb  near  Karleby, 
in  Vestergotlande,  which  illustrates  the  type  of  those  entered  near 


Scandinavia,  Denmark,  Schleswig,  and  Holstein.      489 

the   end.      It   is  described  by   M.   Montelius    as    the   largest   in 
Sweden,  covered  in  with  nine  great  slabs,  and  measuring   17  m. 
long  by  about  2  m.  broad,  the  passage  having  a  length  of  2  m. 
Two  very  fine  examples  of  passage-tombs  in  Denmark  were 


Fig.  460. — Ground-plan  of  dolmen  with  passage  near  Karleby. 
FroDi  Du  Chaillu,  "  Viking;  Age,''  i.  p.  75. 

visited  by  the  members  of  the  Congres  International  during  their 
stay  in  Copenhagen,  in  1869,  in  the  "  Proceedings"  for  which  year 
they  are  figured.  The  first  is  the  Jcette-Sttte  (Giant's  Chamber) 
of  Om.  The  passage  measures  13  m.  long,  and  the  walls  of  the 
vault  itself  are  formed,  like  those  at  Uby,  of  great  upright 
blocks,  with  smaller  stones  forming  a  dry  walling  between  them. 
Upon  these  blocks  rest  the  covering-stones  which  span  the  vault, 
the  interior  of  which  is  large  enough  to  afford  standing-room  for 
twenty  persons,  and  high  enough  to  allow  them  to  stand  upright. 

The  second  is  the  langdysse,^  of  Trollesminde,  near  Hillerod. 
A  langdysse  is  defined  as  "  un  dolmen-tumulus  allonge  presentant 

t  For  typical  specimens  of  a  langdysse  and  a  rundJysse,  see  Worsaae,  "  Nordiske  Oldsager," 
1859,  pi.  i.  figs.  2  and  3. 

VOL.  II.  N 


490  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 

des  tertres  artificiels,  entourcs  de  grandes  pierres  dressees 
perpendiculairement,  et  contenant,  en  dedans  du  cercle,  un,  deux, 
ou  trois  dolmens,  ou  tombes,  faits  avec  de  grandes  blocs."  This 
particular  mound,  which  is  covered  with  turf,  is  about  30  m.  long 
by  10  m.  broad.  It  lies  E.  and  W.,  and  contains  only  one  vault 
or  dolmen,  and  that  under  its  eastern  end.     The  roof  is  formed 


Flc.  461. — Dolmen  with  gallery,  \'estergcitlancle.     J'roiit  I\Ioiilcliiis,  "  Coiigih hitcrii.^''  1874,  p.  161. 

by  a  single  stone,  which  rests,  at  either  end,  on  one  of  the 
blocks  which  form  the  sides  of  the  vault.  The  tumulus  is 
surrounded  by  a  free-standing  ring  of  upright  stones. 

It  may  be  compared  with  the  monument  called  popularly 
"  Harald  Hildetand's  Tomb,"  at  Lethra  in  Zeeland,  of  which 
Sjoborg  f  gives  an  illustration,  which  shows  it  to  be  a  mound  of 
elongated  form,  with  a  dolmen  upon  it  at  one  side,  and  an 
arrangement  of  free-standing  blocks  around  it.  With  monuments 
of  this  type  may  specially  be  compared  the  "  Long  Barrow"  at 
West  Kennet,  and  the  HUnebedden  of  Mecklenburg,  Brandenburg, 
and  Hanover. 

Another  structure  of  the  same  class  is  that  on  the  island  of 
Moen,  which  has  been  described  by  Sir  J.  Lubbock. J 

To  one  of  the  monuments  of  the  Ji'dllkista  type  of  M.  Montelius, 
I  would  call  especial  attention,  since  both  in  construction  and 
arrangement  it  affords  a  most  convincing  proof  of  the  oneness 
of  design  and  purpose  which  prompted  men  in  past  ages  to 
erect   those    structures,  whether    in    India    or    Palestine,   on    the 


I  "Saml.  for  Nordens  Fornalskare,"  vol.  ii.  fig.  214,  and  p.  I46. 
X  "  Prehistoric  Times,"  5lh  edit.  p.  162. 


Scandinavia,  DeNxMARk,  Schleswig,  and  Holstein.      491 


Vistula  or  the  Elbe,  in  Scandinavia,  in  Denmark,  in  Britain  and 
Ireland,  France,  Italy,  Spain,  North  Africa,  and  the  islands  of 
the  Mediterranean. 

Like  the  vault  in  a  British  "  Long  Barrow,"  or  the  dolmens  of 
Brittany  and  Spain,  it  was  roofed  with  flags  and  buried  in  a 
mound,  and,  like  the  cairn-chambers  of  Annacloghmullin  and 
Caithness,   it  was  divided  into  compartments,  three   in   number. 


Fig.  462. — Karlsgarden,  Vestergotlande.     From  Montclius,  ^'  Coiigrcs  Intent. ,"  1874,  p.  166. 

Access  from  one  compartment  to  another  was  provided,  not  by 
means  of  a  narrow  space  between  upright  stones,  but  by  semi- 
circular holes  cut  out  of  the  single  flagstone,  which,  in  each  case, 
forms  the  partition.  Of  similar  holes  in 
structures  at  Karlsgarden,  in  Vestergotlande, 
and  at  Rod  in  Bohuslan,  Montelius  has 
given  examples. 

The  structure  is  near  that  at  Karleby, 
above  mentioned.  It  measures,  in  its  entire 
length,  7  m.  The  largest  compartment  is 
that  at  the  N.W.  end,  which  measures 
4"3  m.  long,  2  m.  broad,  and  2  m.  high.  The  middle  one  measures 
about  I  m.  long,  and  the  third,  or  S.E.  one,  which  has  the 
appearance  of  an  antechamber  or  porch,  rather  than  a  closed 
compartment,  being  open  at  the  end,  i'5  m. 

When  explored  by  MM.  Montelius  and  Retzius,  each  of  the 


Fig.  463. — Entrance  to  a 
cist  encircled  by  a  ring  of 
stones  at  Rod,  Bohuslan. 
From  Montelius, ' '  Congres 
Intern.,^''  1874,  p.  186. 


Fig.  464, — Ground-plan  of  chamber  at  Karleby,  Vestergotlande.     From  Montelius,  loc,  cit.,  p.  173, 

apertures  between  the  compartments  was  found  to  be  closed  by 
a  flag  placed  against  the  S.E.  side  of  the  slab.     It  is  not  stated 


492 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


what  were  the  dimensions  of  the  apertures,  but  from  the  drawing 
it  would  appear  that  in  each  case  they  were  large  enough  to  admit 
the  passage  of  a  human  body. 

In  the  inner  compartment  were  no  fewer  than  sixty  skeletons, 
and  with  them  had  been  deposited  thirteen  daggers,  six  lance- 
heads,  four  arrow-points,  one  chisel,  one  saw  (semicircular),  six 
scrapers,  and  ten  splinters — all  of  flint ;  five  little  polishers  of 
black  schist ;  two  pins  and  four  awls  of  bone  ;  two  beads  of  amber, 
and  two  others  of  bronze,  and  the  point  of  a  lance  of  the  same 
metal ; — the  whole  affording  evidence  that  the  date  of  the  structure, 
like  that  before  described,  near  Halle,  was  towards  the  close  of 

the  Neolithic  and  the  commence- 
ment of  the  Bronze  As^e.  A 
proof  that  the  wedge-shaped  type, 
broad  at  the  W.  end  and  nar- 
rowing towards  the  E.,  existed 
Fig.  465. -Wedge-shaped  tomb  at  VambNegre- in    Sweden,    is    afforded    by   an 

garden,     rrom  Montehus,  loc.  cit.,  \y.  167.  _  •' 

rt  =  an  orifice  between  the  chamber  and  ante-    example    giveU    by     MontcHuS    at 

Vamb  Negregarden,  near  Skofde, 
in  Vestergotlande.  The  appearance  of  this  form  of  monument  at 
the  beginning  of  the  Bronze  Age,  to  which  period,  following  the 
lead  of  M.  Cartailhac  with  regard  to  Portuguese  examples,  and  of 
M.  Montelius  with  regard  to  Swedish  examples,  I  would  refer 
the  Irish  specimens  also,  is  a  fact  of  very  great  importance,  if  we 
look  at  it,  as  we  surely  must  do  in  the  case  of  that  at  Labbacalle 
in  Cork,  as  the  model  of  a  ship.  For  the  ship  is  no  Viking's 
ship — no  ship  like  those  of  the  ancient  Sueones,  with  pointed  prow 
at  either  end,  such  as  have  been  dug  out  of  mounds  in  Sweden 
and  Denmark — no  ship  like  those,  the  shape  of  which  in  stone 
occurs  in  the  ancient  cemeteries  of  the  North  ;  but  a  ship  like  the 
inhabitants  of  the  Greek  islands  of  the  Mediterranean  used  to 
build,  and  of  which  models  in  pottery  enrich  our  museums. 

It  was  a  ship  with  a  lofty  and  squarish  stern,  the  "  castle,"  or 
puppis,  beneath  the  deck  of  which  was  a  small  apartment,  opening 
by  a  low  and  narrow  doorway  into  the  central  portion  of  the  vessel. 

When  we  take  into  consideration  the  undoubted  fact — proved 
by  the  influence  of  the  civilization  of  the  yligean  on  the  earliest 
metal  work  and  fictilia  of  the  North — that  intimate  commercial 
relations  were  at  the  period  in  question  taking  place  between  the 
amber-people    on    the    Baltic    coast    and    the    merchants    of    the 


Scandinavia,  Denmark,  Schleswig,  and  Holstein.      493 

South,  along  routes  which  Archaeology  is  now  able  to  indicate,  the 
form  which  these  rude  temples  of  the  dead  now  took  for  the  first 
time,  strikes  us  as  not  a  little  remarkable. 

Have  we  in  them  evidence  of  a  rude  attempt  to  copy  the 
vaos  and  TrapacrraSe?  of  the  Greek  shrine,  from  which  were  copied 
the  cella  and  the  antes  of  the  Roman  temples  ? 

This  is  a  question  to  which  we  must  return  again  when  we 
come  to  speak  of  the  Nau  des  Tudons,  or  great  stone  ship-tomb 
in  Minorca,  and  to  note  the  re-emergence  of  the  form  in  Ireland 
under  Christian  auspices. 

Meanwhile,  it  will  not  have  been  amiss  to  have  indicated  the 
possibilities  of  the  existence  of  a  connection  so  singular,  and,  if 
true,  of  such  surpassing  interest. 

One  hundred  and  forty  structures  of  the  "  Passage-Tomb  "  type 
are  known  to  exist  in  Sweden,  and  of  these  one  hundred  and  ten 
are  in  the  Province  of  Skaraborg.  Near  Falkoping  they  are 
clustered  thickly.  The  distribution  of  the  dolmens  of  Sweden,  with 
special  reference  to  the  respective  types  he  indicates,  is  shown 
by  M.  Montelius  in  a  valuable  map.f  From  this  it  appears  that  the 
dolmens  proper — those,  that  is  to  say,  which  accord  exactly  with 
the  dolmen-cairn  and  dolmen-circle  type  in  Ireland — are  only  found 
on  the  south  and  west  sides  of  the  peninsula — that  is,  in  Scania, 
Halland,  Bohuslan,  and  (in  a  single,  small  group  of  four)  on  the 
west  side  of  the  island  of  Oland.  They  occur  invariably  on,  or  at 
no  great  distance  from,  the  sea-coast,  as  is  also  the  case  in  Ireland. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  passage-tombs  and  hdllkista  types 
are,  as  in  Ireland,  often  located  far  inland,  and  generally  near 
rivers  or  on  the  shore  of  some  large  lake.  An  exception  to  this 
latter  rule  is  the  great  group  of  passage-tombs  near  Falkoping 
in  the  midst  of  the  most  fertile  plains  in  the  whole  country. 
Passage-tombs  occur  side  by  side  with  dolmens  in  Scania,  where 
they  are  numerous,  and  in  Bohuslan,  where  they  are  not  so  plenti- 
ful. In  the  Falkoping  district  no  dolmens  are  found.  Two 
isolated  examples,  closely  resembling  those  of  Sweden,  occur — 
the  one  in  Nerike,  the  other  in  Sodermanlande.  The  large  un- 
covered cists  are  not  found  in  Scania  with  the  dolmens,  but  they 
occur  plentifully  in  the  southern  part  of  Vestergotlande,  in 
Bohuslan,  Dalslande,  and  the  south-west  of  Vermlande.  Lastly, 
the  cists  covered  by  a  tumulus   or  cairn   are    found  in   all   the 

t  loc.  cit.,  p.  176. 


494 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


^* 


'^^^i^ 


Fig    466.— Old  engraving  of  the  "Brut  Camp."     From  Christian  Dethkv  Rhodes,  "  Nov.  Lit. 
'  Ba/tici  Maris,"  Sept.  1699,  pi.  ix.,  and  Eccart,  '' Dc  Orig.  Germ.;'  i)l.  ix.  sec.  44. 


Fk;.  467. — Dolmen  at  Biilcke,  or  lUitlckcn  in  Ilolstcin.     ]-'roiii  Major,  ''  Devol.  Ciiith-;'  p.  42, 
and  Eccart,  "Z>(?  Orig.  Germ.;'  pi.  vii.  sec.  43. 


Scandinavia,  Denmark,  Schleswig,  and  Holstein.      495 


provinces  of   Sweden  which  were  peopled  at  the  close  of  the 
Neolithic  Age.     They  appear  in  districts  where  none  of  the  other 


^,0 


mm 


Fig.  468. — "The  Brut  Camp,"  in  Schleswig.     From  "  Letters  from  Mecklenburg  and  Ilolsiein,'"  by 
G.  Downes,  1822,  title-page,  and  p.  203. 

types  occur.     This  set  of  facts  is  in  some  respects  similar  to  what 
we  find  in  Ireland.     Early  in  the  Neolithic  Age  a  seafaring  people 


Fig.  469. — Dolmen  in  Schleswig-Holstein,  near  Albersdorf.     From  Mestorf,  "  Vaterliind. 
Altcrthiiiner  Schles7c'ig-I/olsteins"  pi.  iv. 

were   erecting   their  dolmen-cairns    upon    the    coast,    whereas   a 
settled    population   in   the  late   Neolithic    Age  and   in  the  early 


496  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 

Bronze  Age  erected  a  difterent  class  of  monument  in  the  interior 
— namely,  in  the  case  of  Ireland  and  Sweden  alike,  the  long, 
wedge-shaped  dolmen.  The  passage-tomb  people,  who,  in  the 
case  of  Ireland,  built  New  Grange,  did  not  arrive  until  later,  and 
then  confined  themselves  to  only  a  few  rich  districts,  where  the 
remains  of  their  monuments  show  that  they  had  attained  a  higher 
degree  of  culture,  architecturally  speaking,  than  was  the  case  with 
apparently  the  same  people  in  Scandinavia.  The  larger  and  open 
h'dllkista  in  Sweden  corresponds  to  the  wedge-shaped  dolmen  of 
Ireland,  and  the  smaller  and  covered  type  to  that  of  the  cists  with 
urns  and  unburnt  bodies,  referable  also  to  the  latest  Neolithic  and 
earlier  Bronze  Age.  Of  the  skulls  found  in  the  monuments,  indi- 
cating the  existence  of  two  distinct  races,  I  have  to  speak  later  on. 

In  the  Danish  peninsula,  again,  we  have  the  passage-tombs 
and  the  dolmen-cairns,  well-known  examples  of  which  are  given  by 
Worsaae.  Some  of  the  latter  class  bear  a  most  striking  likeness 
to  those  of  the  Antrim  coast  and  the  great  Carrowmore  group. 
There  appear,  also,  to  be  dolmens  of  the  more  massive  type,  such 
as  that  at  Kernanstown,  As  an  example  of  one  of  these,  I  give 
one  in  N.W.  Holstein,  in  the  Dithmarschen,  near  Albersdorf.  It 
is  described  as  standing  on  a  hillock  in  an  oblong  field  enclosed 
with  hedges,  called  "  De  Brut  Camp,"  supposed  to  mean  "  The 
Bride's  Plain,"  in  allusion  to  a  tradition  that  marriages  were  cele- 
brated there,  and  sacrifices  offered  before  a  person  began  plough- 
ing, and  before  he  was  married.  Possibly  the  name  gave  rise  to 
the  story,  and  the  word  Camp  may  be  Kempe,  "  a  Giant,"  as  in  the 
name  "  Kempe  Stone  "  in  the  Co.  Down.  If  so.  Brut  would  be  the 
proper  name  of  the  mythological  being,  and  might  be  associated 
with  some  early  god  or  hero.  The  structure  is  of  granite,  and 
consists  of  an  enormous  block  (Fig.  468),  supported,  says  Mr. 
Dovvnes,  upon  "  the  usual  number  of  five  large  stones."  The 
vault  is  circular,  as  in  Spanish  examples,  and  the  hillock  on  which 
it  stands  was  surrounded  with  trees,  as  shown  in  an  older  drawing 
given  by  Rhode  (Fig.  466).f 

At  a  place  called  Buelcke,  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  peninsula, 
two  miles  E.  of  Kiel,  was  another  fine  dolmen  (Fig.  467),  very 
similar  indeed  to  a  Portuguese  example  on  the  Douro.  The 
illustration  I  subjoin  is  from  Major.  I  append  an  illustration  of 
another  Schleswig-Holstein  dolmen  from  Mestorf  (Fig.  469). 

t  Grose  has  blundered  in  his  description  of  this  dolmen.    Sec  his"  Antiqrj.  of  Ireland,"  vol.  i.xii. 


Germany  and  the  Eastern  Baltic  Coast.  497 

Germany  and  the  Eastern   Baltic  Coast. 
Riigen. 

The  prehistoric  monuments  of  the  island  of  Riigen  approach 
more  closely,  as  might  be  expected,  to  the  German  than  to  the 
Scandinavian  types.  Grlimbkef  describes  several  which  are 
evidently  Hunebedden,  like  those  of  Mecklenburg.  One,  near 
Nobbin,  consists  of  forty  flags  set  upright  contiguously,  so  as 
to  form  a  wedge-shaped  figure,  44  paces  long  from  N.  to  S.,  and 
10  paces  broad  at  the  N.  end,  but  widening  towards  the  S.,  at 
which  extremity  stand  two  pillar-stones — a  marked  feature  in  the 
Mecklenburg  monuments — each  9  feet  high.  Within  the  area 
some  large  stones  are  probably  the  remains  of  the  ancient  dolmen. 

Another  at  Mukrahn,  which  is  called  the  Giant's  Grave,  is 
raised  in  the  centre,  and  encircled  by  flagstones.  At  the  W.  end 
appear  the  two  tall  stones,  one  fallen,  the  other  standing  on  end 
to  the  height  of  12  feet.  The  monument  is  36  paces  long,  and, 
at  the  W.  end,  12  paces  broad.  There  is  a  legend  told  regarding 
it  that  it  was  the  burial-place  of  two  children  of  a  giantess,  who, 
through  the  negligence  of  their  mother,  were  drowned  at  sea. J 

There  are,  or  were,  some  curious  monuments  on  the  island  of 
Huen.  Near  the  centre  of  it  there  is  marked  in  Blaeu's  map, 
''  for  tun  judi dale  rusticonnn,"  indicated  by  a  circle  formed  of  seven 
stones  and  a  long  tabular  structure  like  a  dolmen,  with  a  covering- 
stone  supported  by  four  uprights.  At  four  places  on  the  coast 
accumulations  of  stones  are  shown,  marked  Vestigia  qtiattwr  arciwn 
dirtitartim.  These  places  are  connected  with  a  story  of  a  giantess, 
Huenella,  and  her  children,  Hago  and  Grunilda,  who,  says  Blaeu, 
are  mentioned  in  the  story  of  the  Champions  among  the  Germans 
{les  Athletes  chez  les  Alleniands). 

In  the  Stubnitz,  to  the  N.W.  of  the  Black  Lake  and  the 
Borgwall — at  a  place  which  a  clergyman  of  the  district  endeavoured 
to  identify  with  the  temple  of  Hertha,  and  called  the  Herthaberg — 
is  a  dolmen  which  consisted  of  four  flags  set  on  edge  and  a  cover- 
ine-flae,  with  regard  to  which  a  tradition  seems  to  have  been 
prevalent  that  it  was  used  as  a  treasure-house  for  offerings,  and 
an  altar  for  sacrifice.  It  is  so  difficult,  however,  to  separate 
genuine  ancient  folklore  from  the  Hertha  stories  invented  by  the 

t  Neuer  Darstellungen  von  der  Insel  Riigen  (1819),  part  ii.  p.  209,  et  seqq. 
X  Compare  the  "Children  of  Mermaid"  in  Sligo,  p.  175. 


49S  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 

parson,  that  we  cannot  be  sure  that  here,  too,  as  well  as  at  the 
borgUHiU,  his  genius  has  not  been  at  work.  Near  the  dolmen, 
which  is  called  the  Pfc7iniiigskastcn,  is  an  alignment  of  pillar-stones. 

Another  monument  of  the  Hiinebedden  class  is  in  the  Patziof 
and  Borow  wood.  It  lies  in  a  narrow  valley,  and,  from  Grllmbke's 
description,  would  seem  to  be  a  long  tumulus  surrounded  with 
stones  on  edge,  2  or  3  feet  apart.  It  is  over  60  paces  long,  and 
from  4  to  5  paces  broad,  its  longer  axis  lying  E.  and  \V.,  where 
it  comes  to  a  point  "on  an  oblique  slope." 

There  are  stone-circles  in  Riigen,  and  at  Ouoltitz  a  so-called 
altar-stone,  in  which  is  a  duct  or  furrow,  and  five  circular  artificial 
cavities,  in  which  the  natives  say  the  priest  used  to  place  the 
bhitgrapen — i.e.  the  offering-bowls  or  saucers,  that  is  to  say,  the 
sacrificial  cups. 

The  writer  I  have  been  quoting  adds  two  other  types  of 
monument  found  in  this  island — namely,  the  steinkisten  wakkcn- 
bettcn,  "  sandstone  stone-chests,"  and  the  huueugrabcr,  or  Giant's 
Graves.  Near  Silvitz  is  one  of  the  former  type  called  the  "Steinhof." 
Blocks  of  stone,  placed  contiguously,  form  an  oblong  vault,  upon 
which  are  placed  two  roofing-stones  over  4  yards  in  length,  and 
lying  E.  and  W.  There  are  several  near  Krakow,  many  of  which 
have  lost  their  covers.  Some  must  be  of  considerable  height,  as 
a  man  can  stand  upright  in  them.  In  one  of  these,  in  1793,  were 
found,  under  strata  of  sand,  pebbles  from  the  shore,  and  earth,  ten 
human  skeletons  in  contracted  positions,  with  the  legs  bent  under. 
Some  vestiges  of  hair-cloth  were  found  with  them.  Beneath  this 
stratum  was  a  hard  mass  of  clay,  containing  nine  urns.  Of  these 
three  were  "  of  the  usual  size,"  the  other  six  only  as  large  as 
ordinary  apples.  The  exterior  of  each  was  ornamented  with  short 
incised  lines.  The  interior  had  been  strewn  with  leaves,  which 
had  left  their  impressions  in  the  clay,  and  upon  them  ashes  and 
fragments  of  bone  had  been  placed.  Under  each  of  the  three 
larger  urns  lay  a  worked  flint  axe,  one  of  which  was  of  large  size. 
Near  the  little  vessels  were  found  some  flint  knives  and  an 
implement  of  Jiarz,\  having  a  hole  in  the  centre,  and  pointed  at 
either  end.  A  layer  of  flint  splinters  lay  under  the  urn-stratum 
and  upon  the  floor  of  the  vault,  which  was  stamped  hard. 

Hilnengrabci^,  by  which  Griimbke  means  tumuli,  are  very 
numerous  in  Riieen. 


■\  I  do  not  understand  what  Griimbke  means  by  tliis  word  :  Ilarz  =  resin. 


Germany  and  the  Eastern  Baltic  Coast. 


499 


Mecklenburg. 

For  the  ancient  sepulchral  monuments  of  Mecklenburg  Lisch 
proposes  the  following  classification  :  (i.)  Steinkisten,  constructed 
of  great  flags  raised  on  edge,  in  the  form  of  a  square,  and 
covered    by    another,    not,    however,    enclosed    in    a   tumulus : 


■"^^^ 


Fig.  470. — Dolmen  at  Rudenbeck,  Mecklenburg.     From  "  Tiiisko-Land,"  ^i.  64. 

(ii.)  Earthen  tumuli,  generally  round,  but  sometimes  oval  and 
cone-shaped,  sometimes  having  a  circle  of  small  stones  round  the 
base  ;  in  the  centre  a  rough  cist  or  heap  of  stones,  to  protect  the 


*'  St*"* 


«  Kt^'S^-^i; 


*''^  .'•-«#• 


'M^^^P'^M 


■V 


^jf  •'''■ 


Fig.  471. The  Fliinengrab  of  Katelbogen.     From  Lisch  and  Schroler,  '■'■  Fridcrico-Franciscciim,"' 

pi.  xxxvi.  fig.  3. 

remains  :  (iii.)  Stone  cairns,  of  like  form  with  the  last,  sometimes 
having  a  ring  round  the  edge  :  (iv.)  Hiinengraber,  in  the  form  of 
a  lono-  parallelogram,  with  an  environment  of  great  granite  blocks. 
In  the  area  so  surrounded  a  "  trough-shaped  "  mound  of  earth  is 
raised,  not  much  above  the  height  of  the  surrounding  stones,  and  at 
one  end,  usually  the  E.  end,  a  structure  is  erected,  covered  over. 


500 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


in, the  generality  of  cases,  by  four  roofing-stones  :  (v.)  Tumuli  in 
oval  form,  having  at  the  E.  end,  close  under  the  covering  of  earth, 
a  small  cist,  sometimes  formed  of  stones  set  on  edge,  sometimes 
without  them,  and  covered  over  with  thinnish  slabs,  enclosing 
urns  with  ashes:  (vi.)  Stone  circles,  surrounding  little  round  or 
oval  tumuli  of  earth  :  (vii.)  Low  earthen  tumuli  without  a  bor- 
dering of  stone:  (viii.)  The  so-called  "Wendish  Churchyards," 
consisting  of  wide  elevations  of  earth  of  irregular  form,  in  which 


Fio.  472. — Hiinengrab  of  Katelbogen  near  Biitzow.     From  Lisch  atid  Schroter, 
^''  Friderico-Franciscenm"  \i\.  xxxvi.  fig.  i. 

stand  urns  in  great  numbers,  near  each  other,  and  often  packed 
between  stones  :  (ix.)  Roman  graves. 

The  writer  observes  that,  although  it  is  comparatively  easy  to 
classify  the  sepulchral  antiquities  of  Scandinavia,  the  question 
is  rendered  complex  in  Germany  on  account  of  the  Sclave  bury- 
ing-places  and  the  Middle-German  tombs. 

With  two  only  of  the  types  here  classified  will  it  be  necessary 
to  deal,  namely,  the  Stcinkisten  and  the  Hiincngraber,  and  these 
really  here,  as  in  Riigen,  most  frequently  resolve  themselves  into 
one,  since  the  Steinkister  is  the  vault  contained  in  the  area  of  the 
Hiinengrab ;  it  is  the  Hiinenbed,  or  Hiincbed,  or  Hilnegrab  itself. 

Close  to  Katelbogen,  about  a  mile  W.  of  Butzow,  is  a  very 
fine  Hiinengrab.      It  consists  of  a  larije  mound  of  oval  form  and 


Germany  and  the  Eastern  Baltic  Coast.  501 

rounded  on  the  top,  having  its  longer  axis  E.  and  W.  The 
external  circumference  of  the  base  measures  175  paces.  The 
foot  of  this  elevation  is  surrounded  by  a  ring  of  little  stones,  which 
may  be  no  part  of  the  original  plan.  On  this  base  are  erected 
the  great  setting  of  stones  which  forms  the  oval  ring  surround- 
ing the  mound  itself,  many  of  which  have  sunk  in  or  fallen  away. 
They  seem  to  have  been  about  twenty-five  in  number,  and  were 
6  or  7  feet  long  in  some  cases,  and  3  to  4  feet  high.  The  longer 
diameter  of  the  oval  area  which  they  enclose  is  80  feet,  and 
within  it  the  mound  has  been  thrown  up.  On  the  top  of  this 
mound,  in  the  middle,  lie  contiguously  four  huge  covering-stones, 
measuring  together  25  feet  in  length.  The  longest  of  them 
is  that  at  the  W.  end,  which  is  10  feet  long,  7  feet  wide,  and 
4  feet  thick  ;  the  next  to  it  is  8  feet  long  and  5  feet  wide  ; 
the  third,  8  feet  10  ins.  long  and  6  feet  11  ins.  wide;  and  the 
fourth,  7  feet  long  by  5  feet  6  ins.  wide.  The  three  last  are 
between  3  and  4  feet  thick. 

These  covering-stones  rest  upon  the  upper  edges  of  wide 
supporting-stones,  which,  rising  from  the  floor  of  the  vault,  form 
with  their  flat  sides  the  interior  walls.  In  this  manner  a  regular 
Steinkister  is  formed.  It  is  filled  with  earth.  The  walls  are 
not  parallel,  but  form  a  zvedge-shaped  chaDiber,  the  W.  end 
of  which  is  8  feet,  and  the  E.  end  5  feet  2  ins.  wide.  At  the 
W.  end,  in  front  of  the  covering-stone,  lay  a  stone  of  conical  form 
broken  into  two  pieces,  the  breadth  and  thickness  of  which  would 
exactly  allow  of  its  having  filled  the  aperture  under  the  covering- 
stone.  This  Hiinengrab  differs  from  the  usual  form,  in  the  fact 
that  it  has  an  oval  stone-setting  around  it  instead  of  the  more 
usual  oblong  or  wedge-shaped  form.  The  stone  structure,  too, 
lies  in  the  middle  instead  of  at  one  end  of  the  enclosed  area. 
Formerly  there  was  a  grove  around  it. 

The  exact  resemblance  which  in  every  particular  the  Steinkister 
here  described  bears  to  the  ordinary  long  wedge-shaped  dolmens 
of  Ireland  will  have  been  remarked.  In  common  with  the  latter, 
the  larger  and  broader  end  is  towards  the  W.  The  presence 
of  an  outer  stone-setting  supporting  a  low  tumulus  or  cairn,  in 
the  midst  of  which  the  dolmen  rises,  is  not  an  uncommon  feature, 
as  at  Kilcloonyf  (Co.  Donegal)  and  at  ScreggJ  (Co.  Roscommon), 
where  a  large  area  is  enclosed  around  the  monument. 

t  p.  239.  X  p.  199. 


502 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


A  typical  Hilnengrab,  of  the  class  found  in  Mecklenburg,  lies 
in  a  fir  wood  about  a  mile  E.  of  Grevismuhlen,f  between  Nasch- 
endorff  and  Barcndorff.  On  a  low  tumulus,  which  serves  as  its 
base,  a  setting  of  fifty  coarse  granite  stones  has  been  set  up, 
averaging  6  feet  in  height  and  4  feet  6  ins.  to  5  feet  6  ins.  in 


Fig.  473. — Plan  and  section  of  the  Hiinengrab  of  Naschendorf.     J^ro///  Lisch, 
"  Pfahlbauten  m  Meklcubtirg-Sch%verin ,''''  1865,  p.  12. 

width.  Inside  these  stones  is  a  circular  bowl-shaped  mound 
of  earth.  The  whole  monument  forms  a  regularly  extended 
oblong,  150  feet  long,  and  36  feet  wide.  The  longer  axis  is 
S.E.  and  N.W.  At  the  S.E.  end  four  large  granite  covering- 
stones,  placed  contiguously  and  in  line,  rest  upon  supports,  each 
one  of  which  measures  on  an  average  9  to  10  feet  long  by  7  feet 
broad.  The  whole  length  of  the  structure  is  28  feet,  and  its 
breadth  10  feet  6  ins. 

Circles. 

Lisch,  to  whom  we  are  indebted  for  the  illustration  of  the  last- 
mentioned  structure,  gives  also  a  plan  and  illustration  of  three  very 
remarkable  stone-circles  in  a  wood  near  the  village  of  Boitin.  They 
are  known  in  the  country  as  the  Steintanz,  i.e.  Stone-dance,  and 
many  legends  attach  to  them,  as,  for  example,  that  the  peasants 
of  a  village  which  had  disappeared  had,  on  the  occasion  of 
a  wedding,  danced  upon  cheeses  out  of  bravado,  and  had  as  a 
punishment  been  turned  into  stones.     The  pillars  are  of  granite, 

t  See  '•Friderico-Francisceum,"  Lisch  and  Schiotcr,  pi.  xxxvi.  figs.  2,  3. 


Germany  and  the  Eastern  Baltic  Coast, 


503 


and  there  is  no  trace  of  a  mound  either  in  or  near  them.  Two 
were  still  perfect,  and  the  three  are  so  arranged  that  they  form 
a  semicircle  open    to  the  E.     The  middle  circle  is  the  largest ; 


Fig.  474. — Stone-circles  of  Boitin,  Mecklenburg.     From  Lisch  and  Sclnvfct;  "  Friden'co-Francis- 

ceiim,"  pi.  xxxvii.  fig.  i. 


^  c:^ 


z^ 


o» 


^ 


o 


•^ 


OP 


r^ 


(Xt 


Fk;.  475. — Ground-plan  of  the  circles  and  ' '  altar-stone  "  at  Roitin.    From  Lisch  and ScJiroter,  loc.  cit. 

the  one  to  the  S.E,  the  next  in  size;  and  that  to  the  N.W.  the 
smallest.  They  consisted  of  nine  stones  each,  but  the  smallest  has 
lost  three.  The  largest  circle  is  somewhat  oval,  measuring  60  feet 
at  its  greatest  diameter,  and  48  feet  at  its  least.  The  second 
circle  is  50  feet,  and  the  third  30  feet  in  diameter. 


504 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


One  of  the  nine  stones  in  the  S.E.  circle  is  called  the  Opferstcin 
(altar-stone).  It  is  a  great  flat  stone  lying  on  the  S.  side.  It 
is  lo  feet  long,  and  4  feet  2  ins.  wide,  and  over  its  centre  length- 
ways a  row  of  thirteen  cubic  cavities  have  been  cut,  each  measuring 
about  z\  ins.  cubic  content,  and  about  the  same  distance  from 
each  other.  The  fourth  stone  towards  the  W.  from  this  "altar- 
stone  "  is  called  the  Kanze/slem  (pulpit-stone).     It  is  a  block  of 


Fig.  476.-Circ]e  at  Bearhaven,  Co.  Cork,  showing  a  "  pulpit-stone."     From  a  skelch 

by  the  Author. 


Fig.  477.— Dom-ring:,  Blomsholm,  Bohusliin.     From  Du  Chaillu,  "■  Vikirt^^  Age,"  i.  370. 

Stone  6  feet  8  ins.  high,  and  on  its  N.  side  it  has,  2  feet  8  ins. 
above  ground,  a  hewn  step,  so  that  a  man  standing  on  it  looks 
towards  the  stone  altar.  It  appears  that  each  circle  had  its  altar- 
and  pulpit-stones. 

Similar  stone   altars,   with  rows   of  hewn  cubic    cavities,  are 


Germany  and  the  Eastern  Baltic  Coast. 


505 


found  in  Pomerania ;  in  some  cases  a  single  groove  is  cut  across 
the  stone.f 

At  Harbour  View,  near  Bearhaven  (Co.  Cork),  there  is  a 
stone-circle  (Fig.  476),  one  of  the  pillars  in  which  has  a  step  in 
it  precisely  as  described  in  the  case  of  the  pulpit-stones.  There 
can,  I  think,  be  little  doubt  that  such  circles,  whether  found  in  the 
British  Isles,  or  Scandinavia,  or  Germany,  were,  many  of  them, 
places  of  human  sacrifice. 

"  Not  far  from  the  large  ship-grave  of  Blomsholm,  in  Bohu- 
slan,"  says  M.  Du  Chaillu,  "  in  a  silent  pine  forest,  stands  a 
magnificent  Dom-ring  (sacrificial  circle)  (Fig.  477).  The  ring  is 
about  1 00  feet  in  diameter,  and  is  composed  of  ten  standing-stones. 
Near  by  is  the  eleventh.  In  the  centre  is  a  huge  boulder  over- 
looking the  rest.  Its  uncovered  part 
stands  about  5  feet  above  ground.  It 
measures  9  feet  long  by  7  feet  wide." 

In  several  Norse  sagas  distinct  men- 
tion is  made  of  these  Dom-rings.  The 
central  stone  was  called  Thor's  Stone, 
upon  which  the  backs  of  the  victims — 
strangers  or  prisoners  of  war — were 
broken.  There  was  one  at  Thorsness, 
which  was  regarded  as  a  very  holy  place,  J 

In  Sweden  the  enclosure  is  some- 
times oval,  as  is  also  the  case  in  Ireland. 
We  may  take  from  Hildebrand  an 
example  in  Vestergotlande  (Fig.  479), 
and  from  Du  Noyer,  for  comparison  with 
it  one  from  Carrabeha  in  Cork  (Fig.  478), 
upon  one  stone  in  which  are  markings 
similar  to  those  on  the  dolmen  at  Scraha- 
nard  (Fig.  20). 

These    customs,    we  may  feel  sure, 


Fig,  478. — Stone  circle  at  Carrn- 
beha,  Co,  Cork,  From  a  plan 
original  by  G.  Dii  Noyer.  The 
central  stone  is  white  quartz,  and 
the  stone  marked  X  is  inscribed. 


survived    far    into   the  Iron  Age ;    but   similar   circles    may   be 
traced  back  to  the  Neolithic  period.     Dr.  Lissauer  has  supplied 

t  Pomm,  Gesellschaft,  **  Jahresbericht,"  iii.,  p.  83  ;  and  iv,  p.  75. 

X  In  Ireland  the  practice  of  going  a  circuit  around  a  venerated  object  was  called  making  a 
furas,  or,  vulgarly,  turrish.  This  word  has  been  referred  to  the  same  origin  as  that  which  gives  us 
"  tour,"  dolour.  Circles  were,  however,  connected  in  Scandinavia  with  the  worship  of  the  war-god 
Thor,  Among  the  Finns,  too,  the  war-gods  were  called  Turri,  Turras,  and  Turrisas.  Thyr  was  a 
warrior — their  Mars.  May  not  the  turas  of  the  Irish  have  a  similar  origin?  (Grimm,,  "Teut. 
Myth.,"  p.  940.)  May  not  the  name  have  been  applied  to  the  dance  round  the  central  stone,  on 
which  the  sacrifice  to  the  god  was  made  ? 


VOL.  II. 


O 


So6 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


a  most  interesting  description  of  a  group  of  monuments  of  this 
class. J     In  the  Royal  Forest  of  Odry,  not  far  from  the  Schwarz- 


\     \^ 


o 


G? 


o 


CS> 


o 


o 


© 


Fig.  479. — Stone  oval  in  Vestergiitlande.     F^om  HildebronJ^  Forhislorisha  Folken 

i  Etiropa,  p.  124. 


Fig.  4S0. — Kough  bird's-eye  view  of  circles  near  Odry.     Fivm  Lissatur. 

wasser,    and    almost  covered    by   the    growth    of  the    forest,   he 
counted  nine  stone-circles.     The  stones  composing  them  ranged 

t  Nahtr-Forschende  Gcsdlschajt  in  Daiitztg,\iA.  iii.  (Neue  Folge,  1871-1874),  pp.  16,  17.     1874. 


Germany  and  the  Eastern  Baltic  Coast. 


507 


from  2  to  5  feet  high,  and  were  sunk  from  i  to  2  feet  under 
the  surface.  They  were  placed  at  regularly  arranged  intervals  of 
from  4  to  6  feet  apart,  while  in  the  centre  of  each  circle  stood  one 

The  radius  of  each  circle  averaged  from 


larger  stone  by  itself. 


'•Dili' 


~x.^ 


Fig.  481.— Circle  and  trilithon  near  Odry.     From  Lissaiter. 

II  to  22  paces.  The  single  central  stones  were  frequently 
pyramidally  shaped  at  the  top,  as  if  hewn,  and  were  from  2  to  3 
feet  thick.     It  would  have  taken  eight  men  to  move  one. 

Dr.  Lissauer  explored  these  circles,  stone  by  stone.  In  each 
case,  close  to  the  central 
stone,  towards  the  E., 
about  I  or  2  feet  under 
the  level  of  the  earth,  was 
an  incinerated  deposit, 
consisting  of  charcoal  and 
burnt  human  bone,  placed 
in  a  plain  hole  v\/ithout 
cist  or  urn.  Close  to  the 
rear  of  the  outermost  circle 
was  found  a  beautifully 
polished  stone-hammer  of 
serpentine,    with    a    hole 

for  the  handle  smoothly  pierced  through  it.  The  group  of  circles 
lay  at  a  distance  of  about  250  paces  from  the  Schwarzwasser. 

In    conjunction   with  the    circles  were    six  other  monuments 


'LL 


Fig.  482. — Group  of  Danish  circles.     From  "  Baer, 
VorgescliichtUche  Alensch,^'  p.  276. 


5o8  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


described  as  trilithons,  and  consisting  each  of  a  large  block  of 
granite  between  two  smaller  ones.  On  digging  in  the  middle  on 
the  E.  side  of  them,  Dr.  Lissauer  found,  at  a  depth  of  i  to  2  feet 
under  the  surface  in  three  cases,  urns  with  burnt  bones,  in  two 
cases  nothing,  and  in  one  case  bone  fragments  placed  in  a  hole 
without  cist  or  urn.  Near  one  of  the  urns  lay  a  flint  "  strike-a- 
light." The  vessels  were  of  good  shape,  but  poorly  baked.  One, 
which  was  of  a  brown  colour  (another  was  black),  was  ornamented 
with  a  single  zigzag  pattern,  roughly  formed,  around  the  neck. 
These  circles  are  very  similar  to  those  in  Denmark,  a  group  of 
which  I  here  insert  from  Baer  (Fig.  482). 

Vistula  and  Dniester,  Galizia,  Bulgaria. 

The  Odry  monuments  are  of  especial  interest,  since  remains 
which  must  be  referred  to  the  Stone  Age  are  so  rarely  to  be  met 
with  in  West  Prussia  or  E.  of  the  Oder,  and  I  shall  permit 
the  consideration  of  them  to  lead  me  into  a  digression  which, 
while  it  will  carry  us  southward  to  Galizia,  will  bring  us  back  to 
the  S.E.  corner  of  the  Baltic,  namely,  the  country  of  the  Estho- 
nians,  and  thence  into  East  Prussia.f  Megalithic  tombs,  however, 
to  which  MM.  Kohn  and  Mehlis  give  the  name  of  dolmens,  do 
occur  at  rare  intervals  on  the  Vistula  and  the  Dniester.  These, 
it  seems,  are  referable  rather  to  the  type  of  that  at  Halle,  than 
to  the  massive  inegalitJigraber  type  of  the  Hiinebedden.  MM. 
Kohn  and  Mehlis  show  examples  in  their  map  at  the  following 
places:  (i)  S.  of  Dantzig,  near  Stargardt,  W.  of  the  Vistula, 
in  Pomerania  ;  (2)  near  Bogdonawo,  N.  of  Posen,  in  the  Province 
of  Posen,  W.  of  the  Warthe  ;  (3,  4)  E.N.E.  of  Plock,  one  on  either 
bank  of  the  Vistula;  (5)  at  Trzebez,  N.W.  of  Thorn,  just  E.  of 
the  Vistula ;  (6)  at  Kociubinsce,  E.S.E.  of  Lemborg,  in  Galizia. 

The  last  of  these  we  may  take  as  typical.  In  the  course 
of  removing  the  earth  from  a  spot  in  the  centre  of  the  dorj^ 
known  from  old  times  as  "  the  old  burying-ground,"  and  sur- 
rounded by  a  bank  of  earth,  four  stone  slabs  were  found  placed 
together  in  the  form  shown  in  the  plan  (Fig.  483).  Fragments  of 
two  urns  were  found  in  the  grave,  two  Neolithic  stone  axes,  and, 
on  the  N.  side,  two  sitting  skeletons.  There  were  also  two 
small  tusks  of  the  wild  boar,  a  piece  of  amber — very  likely  an 
amulet — and  a  small  bead  of  clay. 

t  "  Vorgeschichte  des  Afeitsc^ien,'"  Jena  (1879),  Archiiologische  Karte. 


Germany  and  the  Eastern  Baltic  Coast. 


509 


The  direction  of  the  orave  was  N.  and  S.  The  N.  end 
measured  85  cm.,  the  S.  end  97  cm.,  or  12  cm.  broader.  The  S. 
slab  measured  79  cm.  high,  and  the  N.  slab  68  cm.  The  grave 
was  170  m.  long.  It  is  added,  with  regard  to  one  of  the  skulls, 
which  was  well  preserved,  that  Dr. 
Kopernicki  had  examined  it,  and 
proved  its  undoubtedly  prehistoric 
origin,  a  vague  description,  which  we 
wish  was  amplified.  Near  the  tomb 
stood  a  menhir.  This  Megalithg}''db 
is,  as  we  see,  of  small  dimensions 
compared  to  the  dolmens  of  the  West. 
Its  contents,  too,  more  closely  re- 
semble those  of  the  large  cists  en- 
closed entirely  in  tumuli  found  in 
Germany  and  the  British  Isles,  espe- 
cially in  Ireland,  where  the  body  is 
placed  in  a  sitting  position,  with  an 
urn  beside  it,  and  where  the  skull 
is  of  a  markedly  brackycephaiic  type. 

From  another  work  of  MM.  Kohn 
and  Mehlis,  I  will  adduce  one  other  example  of  a  megalithic 
tomb  in  Eastern  Europe.  It  was  discovered  at  the  village  of 
Beremijany,  near  the  junction  of  the  river  Strypa  with  the 
Dniester,  and  appears  to  have  been  buried  in  a  cairn,  from  which 
a  hundred  cartloads  of  stones  were  taken  away.  The  stein-grab 
was  formed  of  six  great  slabs,  and  in  it  (it  is  stated  on  the 
authority  of  MM.  Kraszewski,  Zegota  Pauli,  and  Glowacki)  was 
a  stone  cist,  in  which  were  five  men's  skulls,  thoroughly  hardened. 
Near  them  lay  a  stone  hatchet,  which  is  preserved  in  the 
Institute  at  Lemborg. 

In  Galizia  there  are  some  very  remarkable  monuments  of 
the  Stone  Age.  Dr.  E.  F.  Von  Sacken  f  mentions  one,  which 
he  describes  as  a  "  kind  of  cromleac,"  consisting  of  an  avenue 
300  paces  long,  formed  of  blocks  of  stone  4  to  6  feet  in  height, 
and  leading  to  a  stone-circle,  in  the  centre  of  which  is  a  monstrous 
rocking-stone. 

In  the  Sakar  Planina,  in  the  district  of  Gerdeme,  in  Bulgaria, 


Fig.  483. — Megalithic  grave  at  Kociu- 
binsce.  From  Kohn  and  Mehlis, 
"  Vorgcschichte des  Menschen,"  Y>'  loo. 


t  "Leitfaden  zur  Kunde  des  Heidnischen  Alterthums  auf  die  Osterreichischen  Lander  Wien" 
(1865),  p.  76.     See  also  Wogel. 


5IO 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


N.  of  Adrianople,  are  the  remains  of  no  less  than  sixty  dolmens, 
together  with  a  stone-circle   and  a  curiously  formed  rock  called 


Fig.  484. — Dolmen  in  ihe  Sakar  Planina  in  Bulgaria.    From  Radiinsky. 

the  "  Opferstein."     To  these  W.  V.  Radimskyf  adds  the  Wackel- 
stein   at    Kopfing,  which  he  also   terms   an    altar-stone.       It   is 


Fig.  485. — Circle  on  the  Sakar  Planina,  Uulgaria.     I-'roin  Kadintsky. 

apparently   a   rocking-stone   on    a  raised   platform,   and  was   an 

t  "  Die prahistorischen  Fundstatten  .  .  .  auf  Bosnian  und  die  Hercegovina"  (1891),  pp.  130,  131, 
145.     Unfortunately,  the  illustrations  are  very  unsatisfactory. 


Germany  and  the  Eastern  Baltic  Coast. 


511 


object  of  local  veneration.  From  the  illustration  which  he  gives 
of  one  of  the  dolmens  on  the  Sakar  Planina  (Fig.  484),  it 
appears  to  be  a  structure  of  the  same  type  as  the  Htinebedden. 
Three  covering-stones  are  shown,   one  fallen  ;    and   there  seems 


Fig.  486. — Altar-stone,  so  called,  on  the  Sakar  Planina,  Bulgaria.     From  Radimsky. 

to  be  a  semicircular  hole  leading  from  one  part  to  another, 
as  in  the  monuments  at  Karleby  in  Vestergotlande,  and  else- 
where. The  resemblance  of  the  ancient  camps,  both  in  point 
of  construction  and  in  peculiarity  of  design  found  in  Bosnia  and 
the  Herzegovina  to  Irish  examples,  is  a  specially  noteworthy  fact, 
as,  also,  is  the  likeness  observable  between  certain  bronze  imple- 
ments, ornaments,  and  fictilia  in  Ireland  and  those  countries. 

Livonia,  Esthonia. 
Turning  from  these  southern  parts  to  the  coasts  of  the  Baltic, 
it  is  very  doubtful  whether  any  dolmens  exist  in  Livonia  and 
Esthonia.  Kruse,  however,  speaks  of  two  stone-settings,  the  one 
called  the  Klauensteine  on  the  Duna,  opposite  Selburg,  and  the 
other  the  Donner,  or  Perkuhn's  Steine,  at  Capsehten,  which 
he  seems  to  regard  as  the  remains  of  megalithic  monuments. 
They  consist,  he  says,  of  "  two  stones  set  together  on  edge, 
like  the  Danish  ones,  with  several  great  flat  stones  lying  round 
about,   which    probably    formed    their   tops."     He    adds   that   in 


512  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


the  case  of  the  Klauensteine  the  folk-lore  stones  connect  it 
with  the  Devil,  while  they  connect  that  at  Capsehten  with  a 
Giant.  At  Selburg,  he  says,  are  also  found  the  so-called  Jette- 
fiat,  i.e.  Giant's  Footsteps,  which  are  so  general  in  Sweden.  Near 
this  latter  place  are  tumuli  having  stone-circles  around  them,  and 
containing  burnt  bodies,  with  balls  and  shapeless  pieces  of  molten 
metal.  In  Livonia,  however,  it  must  be  remembered  that  the 
dead  were  burnt,  even  after  the  time  when  the  Germans  entered 
the  land.  Henry  the  Lett,  speaking  of  Corpo,  who  fell  in  the 
battle  fought  with  the  insurgent  Esthonians  in  1216,  says, 
"  Combustum  est  corpus  ejus  et  ossa  delata  in  Livoniam  et 
sepulta  in  Kubbe^ele." 

But  whether  there  are  dolmens  or  not  on  the  east  coast  of  the 
Baltic,  there  are  other  monuments  and  traditions  which  intimately 
concern  us,  from  the  close  comparisons  which  we  may  draw 
between  them  and  those  found  in  Ireland.  There  are  old  altar- 
stones,  venerated  caves,  stone-circles,  and  holy  trees.  Kruse  was 
shown  pieces  of  money  which  in  his  own  time  had  been  placed 
on  the  stone  altars  in  the  holy  groves.  A  pastor,  too,  had  then 
recently  caused  an  old  altar-place,  near  which  was  a  circle,  to  be 
destroyed,  and  *'  the  holy  tree  "  to  be  cut  down. 

There  was  a  famous  cave,  called  the  Livenhohle  of  Kuikul, 
or  Kukulin,f  near  Salis.  Internally  it  was  vaulted  in  the  form  of  a 
"cone-shaped  dome."  Kruse  describes  it  as  perfect  in  his  time, 
with  the  exception  of  the  entrance,  which  had  fallen  in.  He 
found  in  it  offerings  which  had  been  made  by  the  natives  only  a 
few  days  previously,  and  which  consisted  of  coloured  wool  and 
fowls'  feathers.  This  was  the  district  in  which  the  native  saga  of 
the  Esthonian  Finns  placed  the  giant  Kallewe  Poeg.  Between 
Kukulin  and  the  Lake  of  Ecks  they  still  show  the  great  rock 
called  Kallewe  Poeg  Tool,  that  is,  Kallewe  Poeg's  Seat,  upon 
which  he  is  said  to  have  rested,  in  consequence  of  which  it 
received  the  form  of  an  armchair.  It  is  about  9  feet  high,  and 
has  a  back  and  two  arms.  Another  legend  makes  the  giant  cast 
the  rock  over  from  Russia  in  order  to  mark  the  limit  of  the  lands 
he  was  going  to  occupy.  Then  he  dug  out  the  lake  of  Peipus, 
and  with  the  sand  which  he  threw  out  of  his  apron  made  the  hills 
near  Alatskiwwi. 


t  See  this  form  of  the  name  of  this  place  in  "  Ur-Geschichtc  dcs  Estlinischen  Volkstammes  " 
von  F.  Kruse,  p.  183  ;  the  Saga  of  Kallewe  Poeg.  See  account  of  the  cave  in  Kruse,  *'  Necroli- 
vonica,"  p.  7,  and  pi.  67,  3. 


Germany  and  the  Eastern  Baltic  Coast. 


513 


Kruse  says  that  this  legend  appears  to  him  remarkable  on 
account  of  the  likeness  it  bears  to  a  story  told  by  Saxo  of  a 
Danish  giant,  Starkather,  who,  in  like  manner,  left  impressions  of 
his   body    on    a  rock    on   which  he    rested:    "  cujus   cava  adhuc 


Fig.  487. — Stone  on  the  Sadejerw  Lake,  thrown  by  Kallewe  Poeg,  and  impressed  with  his 
finger-marks.     From  F.  Kruse,  "  Ur-Gesckichte  des  Esthnischen  Volkslamtnes,'"  p.  183. 

superficies  cernitur  (it  is  not  said  where),  ac  si  illam  decubantis 
moles  conspicua  impressionem  signasset."  It  was  this  hero 
Starkather  who  was  said  to  have  recovered  Esthland  for 
Denmark  in  about  a.d.  450. 

Rocks  thrown  by  Kallewe  Poeg,  i.e.  Kaallew's  son,  were 
shown  on  the  Sedejerw  Lake,  and  near  Abo,  in  Finland.  In 
the  latter  case  the  giant  threw  it  at  the  church,  but  it  fell  short. 
In  the  former  case  the  marks  of  his  finger  and  thumb  are  shown 
upon  it,  just  as  those  of  Finn  Mac  Cumail  are  shown  upon  I 
know  not  how  many  rocks  in  Ireland.  Upon  the  stones  sacred 
to  Kallewe  Poeg  it  was  usual  to  place  a  piece  of  money,  or  other 
offering,  "as  a  memorial" — an  illustration,  probably,  of  the  purpose 
for  which  the  little  cup-shaped  hollows  found  in  the  surfaces  of 
venerated  rocks  in  Scandinavia,  Ireland,  Cornwall,  Spain,  and 
elsewhere  were  made. 

Several  of  the  tales  of  Finn  Mac  Cumail — such  an  one,  for 
example,  as  "  Finn  and  the  Phantoms  " — closely  agree  with  sagas 
relating  to  Kallewe  Poeg.     The  resemblances,  in  short,  between 


514  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland, 


the  Esthonian  Finns  and  tlie  ancient  Irish  in  points  of  folk-lore 
and  customs  are  not  a  little  remarkable,  and  are  not,  I  feel  sure, 
without  their  value  as  ethnological  indicators,  pointing  out  to 
us  a  connection  which  belongs  to  very  remote  antiquity. 

I  cannot  do  more  in  this  place  than  enumerate  a  few  of  them. 

The  ancient  Finns  craved  advice  and  assistance  from  the 
dead.  "  One  went,"  we  read,  "  to  the  grave  of  the  ancient  wisdom 
bard,  and  found  the  lost  words  of  the  Master."  Those  who 
remember  the  story  of  the  disciples  of  Seanchan  Torpeist  being 
sent  to  tlic  East  to  bring  back  the  forgotten  tale  of  the  Taiu-bo- 
Cuailgnc,  but  learning  it  on  the  way  at  the  tomb  of  an  ancient 
bard,  whose  orhost  recited  it  to  them,  will  be  struck  with  the 
similarity  of  the  superstition. 

In  Ireland  wells  and  lakes,  when  insulted,  or  when  evil  words 
are  spoken  beside  them,  migrate  to  some  other  place.  In 
Esthonia  there  is  a  rivulet,  Vohanda,  held  in  such  reverence  that 
none  dared  fell  a  tree  or  cut  a  shrub  in  its  immediate  vicinity,  lest 
death  should  overtake  the  offender  within  a  year.  We  read  of  a 
lake,  too,  which  departs  into  the  air,  taking  all  its  fishes  with  it, 
and  leaving  only  snakes,  lizards,  and  toads,  in  consequence  of  evil 
men  living  on  its  banks. 

The  ancient  Irish  indulged  in  vapour-baths  in  little  circular 
houses  built  for  the  purpose.  So  did  the  Esthonian  Finns,  who 
held  in  hiorh  esteem  "  the  cleansincj  and  healinof  virtues  of  the 
heated  bath-room." 

The  Finns  were  famous  for  necromancy  ;  so  were  the  Cruithne 
and  the  legendary  Tuatha  De  Danann  among  the  Irish. 

In  Esthonia  the  smith  was  almost  a  divine  personage,  and 
the  hero  of  many  a  tale  ;  so  he  was  in  Irish  sagas. 

The  Esthonians  burned  their  dead  after  the  body  had  lain  in 
the  house  for  sometimes  half  a  year,  if  the  deceased  were  wealthy, 
during  the  whole  of  which  time  drinking  and  sports  were  kept 
up.  The  Irish  also  at  one  time  burned  their  dead  ;  while  in 
the  extraordinary  practice  of  feasting  around  the  dead  body,  we 
cannot  fail  to  note  a  resemblance  to  the  "wake." 

The  vencratio  lapicituii,  against  which  Christian  Councils  issued 
their  anaikevias,  was  as  strongf  amonof  the  Finns  as  it  was  in 
Ireland.  It  is  amono^  the  Turanians  of  the  North  that  we  must 
seek  for  the  origin  of  the  practice  of  creeping  under  sacred  rocks, 
which    in    Ireland    was    kept    up   until   recently   by  the  pilgrims 


Germany  and  the  Eastern  Baltic  Coast. 


515 


who  visited  the  shrine  of  St.  Declan  at  Ardmore  in  Waterford. 
Leems,  in  his  account  of  the  Laplanders,  speaks  of  a  sacred 
rock  on  the  summit  of  the  mountain  of  Neiden,  which  was  called 
the  Niackken-Karg,  or  Mountain  of  Creeping.  The  ancestral 
hero  of  the  race  v/as  said  to  have  *'  been  made  upon  a  rock." 
Many  an  Irish  saint  and  legendary  hero  was  similarly  "  born  upon 
a  rock." 

I  might,  from  material  I  have  collected,  add  to  this  list  of  com- 
parisons very  considerably,  but  it  is  time  that  I  passed  to  the 
Southern  Baltic,  and  the  evidence  of  dolmens  there. 


Fig.  4S8.— earn  with  dolmen-cist  at  \'arzeit  in  Samlande.     From  Voight,  Geschichtc  Freuseiis, 

J3d.  I. y  frontispiece. 


Fig,  489. — Ground-plan  of  cairn  with  dolmen-cist  at  Varzeit  in  Samlande.    From  Voight,  loc.  cit. 


East  and  West  Prussia,  Pomerania. 

Cairns  containing  large  flag  tombs  exist  in  the  island  of 
Samlande.  An  illustration  given  by  Voight  of  a  structure  which 
may  be  compared  to  a  Swedish  hdllkista,  makes  this  fact  clear. 

It  is  not,  however,  until  we  reach  the  west  bank  of  the  Vistula 
that  dolmen  districts,  properly  speaking,  are  found.f 

t  For  much  of  what  follows  on  the  subject  of  West  Prussia,  I  am  indebted  to  the  works  of 
Dr.  Lissauer,  and  especially  to  his  "  Prahistorischen  Denkmaler." 


5i6 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


In  Cujavia  a  peculiar  form  of  grave  of  the  Neolithic  Age 
exists.  Examples  of  it  bear  a  great  likeness  to  those  which  occur 
in  Mecklenburg,  already  noticed,  and  to  those,  also,  which  I  have 
yet  to  notice  in  Brandenburg  and  Hanover.  They  consist 
usually  of  large  mounds  of  sand  in  the  form,  not  of  ovals  or 
oblongs,  but  of  long-extended  isosceles  triangles,  surrounded  by 
great  blocks  of  stone  (Fig.  490).     At  the  base  of  the  triangle  the 


Fig.  490. — Elongated  monument  in  Cujavia.     From  Lissauer. 

grave-chamber — a  sort  of  stone  cist,  about  li  m.  long,  and  i  m. 
broad — is  formed.  The  sides  are  composed  of  rough,  flat  stones, 
while  the  roof  consists  of  well-hewn  (bekaiceiieu)  thin  slabs,  almost 
sharp  at  the  edges.  In  this  vault,  so  formed,  lies  the  skeleton,  with 
several  urns  at  head  and  foot,  and  with  accompaniments  of  stone, 
bone,  and  amber.  Inhumation  was  the  general  rule,  and  a 
definite  cidtns  of  the  dead  evidently  prevailed. 

There  is  a  second  kind  of  these  monuments  which  has  more 
the  form  of  a  narrow  quadrangle,  6  paces  long  and  3  wide,  the 
stones  in  which  are  carefully  worked.  Like  the  former,  the 
examples  of  it  are  surrounded  each  by  a  stone-setting  running  to 
a  point.  The  remains  of  pigs  in  the  graves  renders  it  probable, 
Dr.  Lissauer  thinks,  that  feasts  took  place  at  the  interment. 

The  Neolithic  Age  lasted  long  in  West  Prussia,  and  during  it 
the  customs  of  the  people  were  undergoing  changes,  consequent, 
perhaps,  on  the  approach  of  higher  civilization.  Thus,  even  in 
graves  having  all  the  characteristics  of  those  just  described  in 
Cujavia,  the  stone  vaults  contain  evidences  of  the  practice  ot 
incineration.  Stone-circles  again  occur,  with  all  the  character- 
istics of  the  Stone  Age  structures,  and  yet  containing  evidences 
of  urn-burial.  The  stone-circles  and  trilithons  of  the  Forest  of 
Odry  contained,  as  has  just  been  noticed.  Neolithic  objects  and 
incinerated  remains.  The  same  is  true  of  urn-graves  on  the 
Varter,  On  the  other  hand,  stone-cist  graves  {Stcinkisten-grabcr), 
which,  as  a  rule,  are  attributable  to  the  Bronze  Age,  have  been 
found  to  contain,  together  with  burnt  remains,  objects  of  the  Stone 


Germany  and  the  Eastern  Baltic  Coast.  517 

Age.     A  stone  axe,  for  example,  and  a  bronze  sword  have  been 
found  together. 

Inhumation,  however,  undoubtedly  preceded  incineration,  and 
lasted  throughout  the  first  two-thirds  of  the  Neolithic  Age. 

Only  a  few  skulls  and  fragments  of  skeletons  have  been 
recovered  from  Neolithic  graves  in  this  country,  and  among  these 
are  examples  of  dolicho-,  meso-,  and  brachy-cephaly.  One  well- 
preserved  skeleton  was  found  at  Janishschewek.  The  average 
capacity  of  the  skull,  according  to  Virchow,  is  about  1650  c.cm. ; 
the  countenance  usually  powerful  and  high  ;  the  nose  high  and 
narrow ;  the  eye-sockets  low  and  depressed ;  the  whole  skull 
bearino;  in  its  formation  more  resemblance  to  skulls  of  civilized 
people  than  to  those  of  savages;  the  size  and  massiveness  of  the 
bones  admitting  no  effeminacy ;  the  extremities  of  the  bones  of 
the  body  large  and  strong ;  the  lower  part  of  the  leg  extremely 
platycnemic,  as  flat  as  the  sheath  of  a  scimitar. 

Having  thus  classified  the  megalithic  tombs  of  the  Neolithic 
Age  under  two  heads — the  triangular,  which  answers  to  the 
Hiinebedden  of  Mecklenburg,  Brandenburg,  and  Hanover,  and 
the  Long  Barrows  of  Britain,  and  the  oblong,  which  appears  to 
represent  the  survival  of  the  structural  portion  of  the  Hunebed  in 
a  phase  of  development  which  had  bereft  the  latter  of  its  outer 
enclosure — Dr.  Lissauer  proceeds  to  classify  the  tombs  of  the 
Bronze  Age  under  three  heads,  namely,  (i)  the  Urn-fields  (Urnen- 
felder),  (2)  the  Tumuli  [Hugelgrabe?'),  and  the  Stone  Cists  [Sfein- 
kistengraber). 

In  Ireland,  we  have,  as  I  believe,  examples  of  all  three  of 
these  classes.  The  first  is  represented  by  the  Hill  of  Rath, 
Ballon  Hill,  and  other  places  where  cinerary  urns  have  been 
discovered  In  cemeteries,  which  would  be  truly  described  as 
"  urn-fields,"  without  any  indication  of  their  presence  in  the  form 
of  a  cairn  or  monument  raised  upon  the  surface.  The  second  is 
represented  by  cairns  or  earthen  mounds  which  cover  cists  con- 
taining incinerated  remains.  The  third  has  its  affinities,  as  will  be 
seen  when  we  proceed  to  describe  individual  examples,  in  the 
chambers  of  the  chambered-cairns,  but  with  this  difference,  that 
whereas  the  Prussian  structures  are  all  under  the  surface,  the 
Irish  and  Scottish  ones  are,  like  the  cists  in  the  Hugelgraber, 
built  on,  or  only  partially  under,  the  ground-level,  and  covered 
with  a  cairn  or  earthen  mound. 


5iS  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 

Further  remark  upon  the  urn-fields  and  tumuli  of  Ireland  I 
leave  for  a  future  occasion.  The  Steinkistengraber,  however, 
since  I  class  them  with  the  chambered-cairns,  must  be  noticed  in 
this  place. 

They  are  built  at  a  depth  which  brings  their  roofs  to  within 
30  to  45  cm.  of  the  surface.  They  are  usually  constructed  of 
slabs  of  split  red-sandstone.  In  form  they  are  "tolerably 
rectangular  stone  cists,"  by  which  Dr.  Lissauer  means  that 
they  are  generally  wedge-shaped,  some  even  approaching  the 
shape  of  an  isosceles  triangle.  They  vary  in  size  according  to 
the  number  of  urns  they  are  intended  to  contain, — from  one  to 
thirty,  and  more.  Almost  all  the  urns  contain  ashes,  and  they 
are  provided  with  well-fitting  covers,  a  characteristic  of  some  few 
of  the  best  examples  of  Irish  sepulchral  pottery.  Little  vessels 
with  handles  sometimes,  though  rarely,  accompany  them,  and 
these  are  empty.  The  remains  in  the  cinerary  urns  consist  of 
small  fragments  of  human  bone  burnt  white.  The  side  slabs 
of  the  cist  are  often  supported  by  cobble-stones  placed  against 
their  outer  sides,  but  sometimes  entire  slabs  are  used  for  this 
purpose,  which  form  a  second  course  around  the  cist,  like  the 
peristyle  of  many  Irish  and  Swedish  dolmens.  The  roof  is 
sometimes  formed  by  several  slabs  placed  one  on  another.  The 
depth  of  each  cist  is  from  30  to  45  cm.,  the  length  0*3  to  1*5  m., 
the  breadth  0*3  to  o"6  m. ;  but  many  much  larger  ones  have  been 
found,  such  as  those  which  MM.  Koln  and  Mehlis  call  dolmens, 
and  which  extend  up  the  Vistula,  the  largest  known  example 
being  in  the  grave-field  of  Steinthal,  near  the  Semmlerischen 
Gate,  in  Pomerania.  In  rare  cases  a  cairn  or  earthen  tumulus 
of  slight  elevation  has  been  raised  over  them. 

These  cists  lie  generally  scattered,  mostly  on  a  hillside  and 
near  water.  Sometimes  one  is  constructed  close  to  another,  so 
as  only  to  be  separated  by  a  partition  wall — a  feature  common  to 
several  Irish  examples.  In  ground-plan  and  construction  the 
oblong  form  is  most  common,  but  there  are  many  divergencies 
from  it.  In  Linken,  Dr.  Marschal  discovered  one  in  the  form  of 
a  cross.  Another  of  the  same  form  is  figured  by  Beckmann.  In 
Oschen  there  is  one  in  shape  like  a  Danish  gang-grab,  or  passage- 
tomb.  At  Liebenthal  there  are  several  of  octagonal  form,  and 
at  Wroblewo  there  were  five  built  like  beehives,  but  of  peculiar 
construction,  since  there  was  a  double  row  of  split  slabs  surrounded 


Germany  and  the  Eastern  Baltic  Coast. 


519 


externally  by  round  stones.     In  them  were  urns,  saucers,  cups  of 
clay,  a  piece  of  a  bronze  pin,  etc. 

In  the  case  of  the  one  in  the  grave-field  of  Steinthal,  in 
Pomerania,  the  covering-stone  did  not  rest  immediately  upon 
the  upper  edges  of  the  perpendicular  side  stones,  but  a  walling 
of  little  flat  stones,  which  gave  greater  height  to  the  roof,  and 
on  which  it  rested,  inter- 
vened. This,  therefore, 
belonged  to  the  same  class 
of  chambers  as  those  in 
the  cairns  of  Scotland  and 
Ireland. 

Cists  of  this  class  are 
very  numerous  indeed  in 
Pomerania,  diminishing  in 
number  as  we  trace  them 
up  the  left  bank  of  the 
Vistula  to  the  Province  of 
Posen,  where  they  die  out. 
On  the  right  bank  of  the 
Vistula  they  are  frequently 
found  also,  though  not  so 
plentifully  as  on  the  left, 
and  in  East  Prussia  they 
are  absent. 

The  people  who  formed 

them   must    have    occupied    Fk-..  491.— Megalithic  grave  in  the  Giaheifcid  of  Stein- 
*U^  ^^, ,.-.♦-.-, r  f^-  ^  ,ra,-,,  lr^t-.,^        ^^^^   (Pomerania).     /^'rom    IVeissenfels   and  Lesau.     a, 

the  country  tor  a  very  long  i,^ ,  ^  positions  of  ums. 
period,  since,  while,  judg- 
ing from  their  contained  remains,  they  far  overlap  the  Iron  Age 
on  the  one  hand,  they  extend  also,  more  especially  the  larger 
ones,  into  the  latter  portion  of  the  Neolithic  Age  on  the  other, 
covering  the  entire  epoch  of  Bronze,  including,  of  course,  what  is 
known  as  the  Hallstadt  period,  and  proving  by  evidence  not  to 
be  gainsaid  that  commerce,  moving  along  several  routes,  con- 
nected the  shores  of  the  Southern  Baltic  with  those  of  the  Black 
Sea  and  the  Adriatic. 

The  ancient  routes  by  which,  from  the  Neolithic  Age,  com- 
puted by  Montelius  to  have  been  succeeded  by  the  introduction 
of  bronze  in  the  fifteenth  century  B.C.,  the  Mediterranean  peoples 


520  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 

were  brought  into  contact  with  the  inhabitants  of  the  North  Sea 
and  the  German  Ocean,  have  been  traced  by  the  presence  of 
amber,  a  substance  held  in  high  esteem  for  ornamental  purposes  by 
the  civilized  populations  whose  remains  are  found  in  the  ancient 
graves  of  Greece  and  Italy.  That  the  barbarians  of  the  North 
valued  it  also  among  themselves  is  proved  by  the  fact  that  it 
is  found  in  the  great  triangular  "  Long- Barrows"  of  Cujavia, 
together  with  the  skeleton,  with  urns  at  head  and  foot,  and 
implements  of  stone  and  bone, — all  tending  to  show  that,  even 
at  that  remote  period,  a  belief  in  a  future  state,  and  the  require- 
ment by  the  dead  of  articles  treasured  by  the  living,  had  already 
marked  the  first  step  in  culture  from  the  mere  savage  to  the  com- 
paratively civilized  man. 

To  the  same  early  period  belong  in  West  Prussia  narrow 
quadrangular  structures,  averaging  six  paces  long  by  three 
paces  wide,  each  surrounded  by  a  stone-setting,  or  peristyle, 
running  to  a  point  at  one  end,  seemingly  precisely  similar  to 
the  Hiinebeds  of  the  more  western  districts.  In  these  the 
presence  of  the  remains  of  pigs  make  it  probable  that  death-feasts 
took  place. 

During  the  Neolithic  period  the  practice  of  incineration  was 
introduced  into  these  countries,  triangular  monuments  having 
been  found,  in  the  chambers  of  which  all  the  characteristics  of  the 
Stone  Age  are  present,  together  with  one  single  urn,  the  recep- 
tacle for  the  burnt  remains. 

The  custom  of  incineration,  however,  came  from  the  South, 
where  bronze  must  have  been  in  use  through  a  great  portion  of 
the  long  epoch  during  which  the  Northern  peoples  were  in  their 
Neolithic  A^e.  Can  it  be  that  the  bringers  of  the  bronze 
brought  also  the  design  of  those  shrines  for  the  worship  of  the 
dead,  which,  although  carried  out  with  unhewn  and  megalithic 
material,  remind  us  so  much  of  the  most  primitive  form  of  temple 
known  to  the  Greeks  ?     (See  pp.  637,  638.) 

To  return,  however,  to  the  amber  trade,  we  find  that  during 
the  Neolithic  epoch  the  custom  of  manufacturing  ornaments  and 
fio-ures  of  this  material  extended  all  round  the  Baltic  basin.  Far 
away  to  the  south,  through  Austria,  in  Italy,  in  Greece,  numbers 
of  amber  ornaments  have  been  discovered,  proving  that  in  the 
early  ages  of  culture  this  fossil  gum  was  in  request. 

The  Greek  graves  which  Schliemann  found  at  Mycenee,  which, 


Germany  and  the  Eastern  Baltic  Coast.  521 

according  to  Helbig.f  date  from  about   1500  B.C.,  contained  hun- 
dreds of  beads  and  balls  of  amber. 

It  has  been  pointed  out  that  other  countries  besides  the  Baltic 
produced  amber — the  coasts  of  the  North  Sea,  and  the  British 
Islands,  Spain,  Italy,  Roumania,  Austria.  But,  on  the  other 
hand,  the  investigations  of  Helbig  have  shown  that,  by  certain 
chemical  characteristics,  the  amber  of  the  Baltic  and  the  North 
Sea  can  be  distinguished  from  that  of  other  districts,  and  that  the 
material  of  that  found  at  Mycenae  on  the  one  hand,  and  in  the 
Necropolises  of  the  district  of  Bologna  on  the  other,  is  identical 
with  that  from  the  Prussian  and  Frisian  coasts. 

We  come,  then,  to  the  routes  along  which  this  commerce  was 
carried  on.  Mullenhof  has  placed  the  fact  beyond  question  that 
the  Phoenicians  never  came  beyond  the  North  Sea, J  and  that  the 
stories  of  their  having  entered  the  Baltic  are  fabulous.  According 
to  the  same  authority,  however,  a  trade  route  by  land  existed 
from  the  North  Sea  through  Gaul  to  the  Rhone,  and  thence  to 
the  Mediterranean.  From  this  a  branch  road  made  for  the  Po,  and 
hence  communication  was  opened  with  North  Italy  and  Greece. 

Helbig,  on  the  other  hand,  is  of  opinion  that  there  was  an 
ancient  road  from  Prussia  direct  through  North  Italy  to  the  Po, 
by  which  amber  was  carried  from  district  to  district  through 
Middle  Europe  to  the  Phoenicians,  who  sold  it  to  the  Greeks  and 
other  southern  peoples.  Granted,  then,  that  in  these  primitive 
times  commercial  relations  had  commenced  between  the  population 
of  the  Lower  Vistula  and  the  merchants  of  the  Mediterranean, 
was  it  conducted  through  their  western  neighbours  as  Mullenhof 
supposes,  or  by  their  southern  ones  according  to  Helbig?  Lissauer 
adopts  both  views.  He  points  to  the  discovery  in  West  Prussia, 
Posen,  Silesia,  and  the  Mark,  of  bronze  articles,  as,  for  example,  a 
sword  with  elegant  spiral  decorations  on  the  handle,  and  fibulae  of 
characteristic  form  which  may  be  referred  to  the  Hungarian 
Bronze  Age,  the  period  of  which  has  been  computed  to  reach  back 
certainly  beyond  1000  B.C.  At  the  same  time  he  indicates  the 
presence  of  certain  other  bronzes  which  must  be  referred  to 
relations  with  Italy.  In  West  Prussia  itself  evidences  of  pure 
Etruscan  influence  have  not  been  found  which  can  be  ascribed  to 
so  remote  a  period,  but  in   Silesia  and   Posen,  as  Virchow  has 

t  Osservazioni  sopra  il  commercio  deU'ambra  in  Atti  d.  R.  Acad.  d.  Lincei,  Anno  274.     1876- 
77,  3rd  Ser.,  vol.  i. 

t  "  Deutsche  Altertumskunde  I.,"  Berlin,  1870,  p.  215,  sci/q. 

VOL.   IL  P 


522  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 

pointed  out,  certain  so-called  "  skeleton  chests  "  (gcripptcn  Cistcn) 
have  been  found  which  are  of  ancient  Etruscan  origin.  To 
Etruscan  importation  in  the  sixth  century  B.C.,  is  to  be  ascribed 
also  a  fibula  from  Gorszewice,  near  Kazmierz.f 

In  any  case,  the  results  of  accurate  study  have  made  it  clearer 
and  clearer  that  from  the  earliest  period  the  bronzes  found  in  the 
North  were  importations  from  the  South.  That  the  bronze 
industry  may  have  taken  its  rise  in  Central  Asia,  in  the  Hindu 
Koosh  and  the  Altai,  as  Virchow  thinks,  is  not  irreconcileable 
with  this  view ;  but  that  its  spread  into  Europe  went  northwards 
from  the  Black  Sea  is  proved  by  the  absence  of  our  old  friend 
the  bronze  celt  from  Greece,  from  Asia  Minor,  and  from  the 
Caucasus.  The  doctrine  of  an  old  Bronze  People,  and  a 
northern  Bronze  Kingdom  in  Europe,  during  which  the  bronze 
industry  was  developed  among  otherwise  uncivilized  races,  has 
been  completely  overthrown.  In  fact,  the  contrary  hypothesis 
has  taken  its  place.  Instead  of  a  development  from  ruder  types 
and  unskilled  manufacture  to  elegant  forms  and  skilled  workman- 
ship, the  truth  is  that  the  more  finished  the  article  the  older  it  is, 
since  it  was  either  derived  directly  from  the  cultured  artisans  of 
the  Mediterranean,  or  was  copied  by  those  who  had  been  brought 
into  direct  contact  w^ith  them  and  their  work.  The  bronzes 
made  in  the  North  were  mostly  recast  by  foreign  dealers  and 
wandering  bronze-merchants,  says  Lissauer,  from  old  bronzes. 
Thus,  as  time  went  on,  and  the  industry  passed  into  native  hands, 
the  forms  became  more  rugged,  and  the  workmanship  less  skilled. 

The  trade  with  the  South  lasted  on  from  the  Neolithic  Age  in 
the  North  until,  in  the  sixth  century  b.c,  the  routes  by  which  it 
went  were  indicated  by  coins  of  Greek  origin,  and  by  the  products 
of  the  more  distant  South,  such  as  the  cowries  of  the  Red  Sea  and 
Indian  Ocean,  which  were  worn  as  ear-rings. 

As  regards  the  coin-finds,  Genthe  J  has  followed  them  up  from 
the  coasts  of  the  Baltic  to  the  South,  and  been  thus  enabled  to 
indicate  trade  routes  passing  directly  to  the  yEgean  Sea  from 
West  Prussia,  through  Posen,  Silesia,  Hungary,  Transylvania, 
Servia,  and  Macedonia,  to  the  island  of  Thasos,  between  the 
peninsula  of  Chacidice  and  the  Thracian  Chersonese,  from  which 
point  a  great  portion  of  these  coins  come.  They  were  first 
brought  into  the  barbaric  North  via  Thrace,  Maesia,  and  Dacia. 

t  Lissauer,  "  Priihist.  Denkmaler,"  p.  55,     Die  Hallstaetter  Epochc. 

♦  "Ueber  die  etruskischen  Tauschhandel  nach  dern  Norden,  Frankrilri,"  1874,  p.  OS. 


Germany  and  the  Eastern  Baltic  Coast.  523 

This  route  is,  as  we  notice,  quite  independent  of  the  two 
previously  referred  to,  namely,  those  via  the  Rhone  and  the  Po. 
The  fact  that  it  is  indicated  in  the  sixth  century  by  the  coins  by  no 
means  proves  that  it  commenced  at  that  period ;  and  as  the 
Phoenicians,  as  Lissauer  points  out,  were  previously  settled  on 
this  island  of  Thasos  on  the  Thracian  coast,  this  commercial 
route  may  with  probability  be  attributed  to  the  period  of  Phoenician 
trade.  The  absolute  identity  of  several  forms  of  flat  bronze  celts 
found  in  India,  in  Hungary,  in  Germany,  in  Ireland  and  Britain 
— not  to  speak  of  examples  which  may  have  travelled  by  a 
route  along  the  coasts  of  the  Levant  and  Mediterranean  to 
Spain,  where  we  find  them  also — could  thus  be  accounted  for.  A 
"money-cowrie"  found  by  me  in  a  barrow  near  the  Land's  End 
in  Cornwall  was  accompanied  by  Neolithic  axes.y  Such  flat  celts, 
some  of  which  are  of  pure  copper,  and  seem  to  be  imitations  of 
stone  celts  and  axes,  are  placed  by  Montelius  in  his  first  period 
of  the  Older  Bronze  Age  in  the  North.  To  this  same  period 
(B.C.  1 450-1 250)  he  also  assigns  riveted  dagger-blades,  which 
partly  came  from  the  North  of  Italy,  in  which  case  the  handles 
were  detached,  and  partly  native  copies,  in  which  case  the  handle 
and  blade  were  cast  together.  Certain  triangular  daggers,  be- 
longing to  the  pure  Bronze  Age  in  Italy,  which  in  about  1000  B.C. 
was  passing  into  that  of  Iron,  he  also  assigns  to  this  period.  The 
so-called  halbert-heads  were  also  characteristic  of  this  period. 
The  ornaments  consisted  of  simple  smooth  neck-rings,  broad-fluted 
arm-bands,  or  spiral  finger-rings,  the  decoration  consisting  only 
of  straight  lines.  Inhumation  was  practised,  the  bodies  being 
placed  in  great  stone  cists.  This,  of  course,  applies  especially  to 
Scandinavia.  In  North  Germany  the  period  is  represented  by 
finds  in  Saxony,  Neunheilingen,  near  Langen-Salza  and  Leubingen 
in  Mersebourg.  It  is  exemplified  also  in  Mecklenburg,  and 
Pomerania,  in  Denmark,  and  Schonen,  but  more  rarely  in  the 
North  of  Sweden  and  Norway.  In  the  Iberian  Peninsula,  in  the 
British  Isles,  but  in  Ireland  especially,  it  is  well  represented,  in 
flat  celts,  some  of  copper,  dagger-blades,  and  halbert-heads.l 

The  second  period  of  Montelius  (b.c.  i 250-1050)  is  the  best 
period  of  the  Older  Bronze  Age.  The  celt  is  t\\e.  paalslab,  which 
had  originated  in  the  previous  period.      Its  edges  are,  however, 

t  See  "All  Indian  Money-cowrie  in  a  British  Barrow,"  The  Antiquary^  vol.  i.  (l88o),  pp.  30,31 
X  See  examples,  pp.  673-5,  ^79,  6S0,  infra. 


524  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 

higher,  and  a  cross-bar  or  stop-ridge  is  introduced.  The  hollow 
or  socket-celt  now  appears.  The  principal  weapon  is  the  sword» 
with  a  bronze  handle,  surmounted  by  an  oval  hilt-knob,  and 
ornamented  with  spirals  or  concentric  circles.  Knives,  with 
pointless  blades  and  hilts  like  horse-heads,  belong  also  to  this 
period.  The  ornaments  were  twisted  neck-rings  ending  in  spirals, 
diadem-like  neck  ornaments,  with  low  flutings,  fluted  arm-bands, 
and  fibular,  in  the  form  of  violin  bows.  The  decoration  consists 
of  spirals.  Inhumation  was  customary,  but  incineration  had 
commenced. 

This  period  is  represented  in  Mecklenbourg-Schwerin,  Jutland, 
Ftinen,  Seeland,  and  Schonen,  but  it  is  also  exemplified  elsewhere 
in  the  North.  An  example  of  a  paalstab,  decorated  with  spirals 
from  Finland,!  must  also  be  assigned  to  it.  In  France,  on  the 
west  coast  of  the  Iberian  Peninsula,  and  in  Britain  it  is  present. 

In  Ireland  it  is  represented  with  exceptions,  and  with  the 
addition  of  several  types  not  mentioned  in  the  Scandinavian  list, 
but  some  of  which  belong  also  to  Portugal.^  Of  paalstabs,  with 
high  edges,  there  are,  of  course,  plenty,  and  the  feature  of  the 
stop-ridge  is  found  not  only  on  celts  but  on  spatula-shaped  instru- 
ments, of  long  and  distinctive  type.  Swords  and  dagger-blades, 
with  oval  hilt-knobs,  are  not  wholly  wanting,  but  are  certainly 
rare.  The  socketed-celt  has,  as  a  rule,  a  round  or  oval  mouth, 
in  which  feature  it  resembles  some  Batavian  examples.§ 

With  an  Irish  fibula,  figured  by  \Vilde,||  an  Etruscan  example, 
figured  by  Lindensmidt,^  as  well  as  two  from  Holstein,  one  from 
Oppenheim,ff  and  an  example  from  Bosnia,  given  by  Radimsky.JJ 
may  be  exactly  compared.  The  long  spatula-like  instrument 
found  in  Ireland  has  been  found  also  near  Maintz,  and  another 
in  an  urn  on  the  Feuerberg  in  Rheinbayern,  and  a  peculiar  celt 
of  the  same  type,  but  with  a  cross-piece  forming  a  stop  in  the 
centre,  has  its  counterpart  also  in  one  found  near  Frankenthal.§§ 

To  me  it  appears  that  at  this  period  a  Scandinavian,  South 
Baltic,  and  South-eastern  influence,  which  had  previously  domi- 
nated the  bronze  culture  in  the  British  Isles,  was,  to  some  extent, 
supplanted  by  the  establishment  of  a  connection  with  the  Rhenish 
and  Danubian  districts,  and  thence  with  Italy.     In   Ireland,  the 

t  "Bijdrag.  til.  Finland,"  1863.  X  See paalslabs  compared,  pp.  672,  676,  infra. 

§  Nijhoff,  "  Bijdragen,"  1837,  etc.  ||  "Cat.  Mus.  R.LA.,"  p.  567. 

H  "Mus.  of  Maintz,"  heft  vii.  pi.  iii.,  fig.  9.  ft  Id-,  heft  ix.,  figs,  i,  3,  4. 

XX  "  I^ie  priihist.  Fundstatten,"  p.  37. 
§§  Lindensmidt,  "Mus.  of  Maintz,"  heft  i.  pi.  iii.,  figs.  7,  S,  and  15. 


Germany  and  the  Eastern  Baltic  Coast.  525 

absence  of  the  spiral  in  bronze  decoration  is  noticeable.  For 
ornamental  purposes,  the  chevron,  the  straight  lines,  and  the 
herring-bone  seem  to  have  been  retained.  Concentric  circles  are, 
however,  found  on  certain  gold  objects.f  such  as  the  so-called  Irish 
Crown  J  and  on  a  few  socketed  celts.  This  curious  head-dress 
may  be  compared,  both  in  point  of  its  use  and  its  ornament,  tO' 
three  objects  found  respectively  at  Corinth,  Speyer,  and  Poitiers, 
and  figured  by  Lindensmidt§  and  by  Thoms.||  The  spiral,  it  may 
be  observed,  although  absent  in  Irish  metal  work  at  this  period,, 
is  amply  represented  in  stone  as  at  New  Grange,  Dowth, 
Loughcrew,  and  Cloverhill.  The  same  observation  holds  good 
with  regard  to  Brittany.  To  this  period,  in  the  case  of  Ireland^ 
are  to  be  assigned  the  leaf-shaped  bronze  spear-heads,  which 
belong  alike  to  Scandinavia,^  to  Hanover,!!  to  Bosnia,{J  to 
Hungary,§§  to  the  Lake  Dwellings,  and  to  France. 

To  this  period,  in  short,  it  is  that,  with  great  deference  to  the 
opinion  of  those  who  may  differ  from  me,  I  would  attribute  the 
spread  of  a  civilization  which,  passing  westward  into  Gaul  and 
portions  of  Spain,  and  northwards  down  the  Rhine,  carried  with 
it  new  developments  of  the  bronze  industry,  the  practice  of  in- 
cineration, and  last,  but  not  least,  the  germs  from  which  spread 
forth  the  Celtic  language.  In  support  of  this  view,  three  facts 
are  noticeable  :  (i)  that  Archaeology  demonstrates  to  us  that  much 
of  the  bronze  culture  of  the  North,  and  North-West  especially, 
was  derived  from  contact  with  North  Italy  ;  (2)  that  the  custom 
of  incineration  came  from  the  South  ;  and  (3)  that  Philology 
requires  us  to  find  a  centre  somewhere  to  the  north  of  the  Alps, 
where  those  who  spoke  the  Latin  language  on  the  one  hand,  and 
those  who  spoke  the  Celtic  language  on  the  other,  were  once 
dwelling  side  by  side.  If  Montelius  is  approximately  right  in  his 
date,  B.C.  1 250-1050,  for  this  most  important  of  all  the  periods  of 
the  Bronze  Age,  it  is  to  that  epoch  that  I  would  assign  the  move- 
ment in  question.  The  extent  to  which  the  influence  would  have 
been  felt  west  of  the  Rhine  and  Elbe  might  have  been  the  bank 
of  the  Oder  (Mullenhof  has  traced  the  presence  of  the  Celtic 
language  east  of  the  Weser),||||  and  there  is  no  reason  why,  passing 

t  See  figs.  537,  539,  540,  541,  542,  543,  544;  PP-  616-618,  infra. 

X  See  Harris's  "Ware,"  vol.  ii.  pi.  i,  and  the  Preface  to  O'Connor's  "Keating." 

§  Op.  cit.,  heft  X.  pi.  iv.  ||  Note  to  his  trans,  of  "  Worsaae,"  p.  36. 

H  ("Du  Chaillu,"  vol.  i.  p.  1 10.  tt  "  Estorff,"  p.  7. 

XX  "  Radimsky,"  p.  16,  §§  "  Hampel,"    pi.  xxvi. 

nil  See  map,  tab.  i.,  in  vo!.  ii.,  "  Deutsche  Altertumskunde." 


526  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 

northwards  into  the  Cimbric  peninsula,  it  should  not  have  reached 
Jutland,  and  even  Scandinavia,  where  the  presence  of  Celtic  has 
been  more  than  suspected,  though  never  as  a  lasting  influence. 

It  is  not  necessary  that  I  should  follow  Montelius  with  the 
same  fulness  throuo^h  the  four  other  divisions  he  marks  off  in  the 
Bronze  Age.  Many  types  occur  which  are  unknown  in  Ireland, 
and  as  to  those  which  are  known  there,  they  occur  also  in 
France  or  on  the  Danube  and  the  Rhine.  In  his  third  period 
(b.c.  1050-900)  he  places  those  swords — common  to  the  whole  of 
Western  Europe,  the  hilts  of  which  were  covered  wdth  plates  of 
bronze,  horn,  or  wood.  Of  these  Ireland  has  in  her  museums 
some  splendid  specimens.  Among  knives,  too,  are  those,  the 
handles  of  which  are  perforated,  also  common  in  Ireland.  In- 
humation becomes  rarer,  and  the  district  of  Germany  and  the 
Baltic,  over  which  the  cultus  is  found  to  have  extended,  is  the 
same  as  in  the  last  period. 

In  the  fourth  period  (b.c.  900-750),  the  socket-celts,  which 
were  of  large  size  in  the  preceding  one,  becomes  smaller,  but  are 
still  provided  with  a  handle  for  attachment.  The  so-called  razor- 
knives  appear,  which  are  also  found  in  Ireland,  as  are  also  the 
spectacle-shaped  fibulae.  Incineration  is  now  practised,  and  the 
ashes  buried  in  small  cists,  in  contradistinction  to  the  larger  cists 
of  the  two  last  periods.  This  period  is  represented  in  North 
Germany,  Denmark,  and  Schonen. 

The  fifth  period  (b.c.  750-550)  is  described  as  the  best  period 
of  the  later  Bronze  Age  in  Scandinavia.  It  is  represented  in 
Germany  from  Hanover  to  the  further  side  of  the  Oder.  In- 
cineration had  become  general,  and  the  ashes  were  placed  in  urns. 
In  Ireland  this  would  be  represented  by  the  small,  plain,  socket- 
celts,  by  the  open  arm-rings,  which  end  in  bowl-shaped  hollows, 
and  by  pins  of  various  forms,  some  with  bowl-shaped  heads. 

Period  the  sixth  (b.c.  550-400)  marks  the  termination  of  the 
Bronze  Age  in  Scandinavia.  During  this  epoch,  inhumation 
comes  back  again,  and  the  corpse  is  buried  whole.  It  is  repre- 
sented throughout  the  whole  of  the  North,  and  in  North  Germany, 
especially  from  Hanover  to  Pomerania.  In  Ireland,  the  little 
handleless  socket-celt  would  belonof  to  it ;  also  the  crold-twisted 
torques,  and  certain  pins,  with  peculiar  heads  like  swan-necks. 
Weapons  are  absent,  the  bronze  having  presumably  given  place 
to  iron. 


Germany  and  the  Eastern  Baltic  Coast. 


527 


As  might  be  supposed  from  the  fact  that  those  who  con- 
structed the  tombs  of  this  period  burnt  their  dead,  little  or  no 
certain  evidence  is  obtainable  as  to  their  physical  characteristics. 
Two  skulls,  obtained  from  a  cist  at  Konopath,  are  the  only  ones 
assignable  to  it  which  Dr.  Lissauer  is  able  to  cite.  One  of  these 
was  mesocephalic,  the  other  brachycephalic. 

In  Ireland,  where  unburnt  bodies  buried  in  a  contracted 
position,  generally  with  an  urn,  are  found  in  very  similarly 
constructed  cists,  the  head-form  is  brachycephalic,  and  the  index 
high.  They  seem  to  belong,  however,  to  the  commencement  of  the 
Bronze  Age  in  that  country,  and  are  comparable  to  that  at  Halle, 
before  noticed,  and  being  often  double,  to  that  of  which  Klernan 
gives  a  section  in  his  "  Handbuch  "  (plate  9). 

Brandenburg. 
We  now  pass  to  examples  of  structures  which  resemble  very 
closely   indeed    the   larger   dolmens    of  Ireland.       In    Pomerania 


Fig.  492. — Dolmen  at  Richtenberg,  Pomerania  Citerior. 
Baltid"  1700,  p.  257. 


From  ' '  Nova  Lit.  Maris 


Citerior,  opposite  the  island  of  Rugen,  examples  are  not  unknown. 
From  an  old  and  valuable  periodical  I  introduce  in  facsimile  an 
engraving  of  one  at  Richtenberg. 


528 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


Bekmann,  in  the  grand  old  folio  f  in  which  he  so  exhaustively 
describes  the  antiquities  and  relates  the  history  of  Brandenburg, 
tells  us  that  in  the  Altmark  in  his  day  there  were  numerous 
"  Hiinenbetten,"  and  that  there  were  also  some  few  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  Prignitz  and  Ukermark.  The  longest  of  them 
consisted  of  an  external  range  of  some  forty  or  fifty  large  stones, 
measuring  from  3  to  4  feet,  and  sometimes  more,  in  height. 
Also,  he  adds,  "towards  the  east"  there  sometimes  stand  two 
rude  pillar-stones,  one  on  either  side.  To  these  he  applies  the 
name    0/s/o(/cs,    or    "Guardians."      They   recall    the    two  pillar- 


Fir..  493. — Iliinebed  at  Besewege,  near  Frankfort  University.     J^rom  Bd-;//aini. 
A  =  depressed  end  of  the  vault;  r>  =  roofing-stone. 

stones  on  either  side  the  entrance  of  the  Annacloghmullin  monu- 
ment in  Armagh  (Fig.  276,  supra). 

Within  this  outer  range,  and  "  in  the  upper  portion  of  the 
area  "  there  was  usually  a  structure  reaching  to  one-third,  or  rather 
more,  of  the  entire  length.  It  seems  by  his  description  that 
these  vaults  were  generally  formed  of  five  stones  on  either  side, 
and  one  at  either  end,  supporting  on  their  tops  one  or  more  very 
large  roofing-stones. 

There  was  such  a  monument  in  the  village  of  Besewege,  near 
Frankfort  University,  situated  on  a  hill.  The  top  stone  was  smooth 
underneath,  and  measured  1 1  feet  4  ins.  long,  9  feet  wide,  and  4  feet 
4  ins.  thick.  The  longer  axis  was  N.  and  S.,  which  appears  to 
have  been  usually  the  case.  On  the  way  to  Garliep  was  another, 
the  roofing-stone  of  the  cist  in  which  measured  9  feet  long, 
7  feet  broad,  and  2  feet  6  ins.  thick.  The  surrounding  stones  were 
very  large,  and  were  thirty-four  in  number,  and  at  the  "top" — 

t  "  Historische   Beschreibung  der   Chur  und   Mark  Brandenburg"  (Berlin,   1751),  by  J.  C. 
Bekmann. 


Germany  and  the  Eastern  Baltic  Coast. 


529 


that  is,  the  highest  part  of  the  enclosed  mound,  and  where  the 
cist,  or  crypt,  was — there  was,  as  usual,  an  opening.  Towards 
the  S.  there  appeared  to  have  been  the  remains  of  another  similar 
monument.  Some  of  the  stones  here  measured  2  2  German  ells 
in  height. 

At  Kloden,  on  the  way  to  Steinfield,  there  were  three  Hunebeds, 


Fig.  494. — Hunebed  in  the  Altmark  between  Steinfeld  and  Kloden.     Fro77i  Bekntann, 

op.  at.,  tab.  i.,  fig.  3. 

near  together.  One  of  them  had  double  rows  of  stone  enclosing 
it,  the  roofing-stone  of  the  cist  within  the  area  measuring  7  feet 
3  ins.  long,  7  feet  wide,  and  3  feet  4  ins.  thick.  Bekmann  com- 
pares this  monument,  and  also  one  near  Steinfield  exhibiting  the 
same  characteristic,  with  a  "  Heidenbette"  in  Wormius.f  and  other 
monuments  described  by  Arnkiel.J 


Fig.  495. — Hunebed  at  Hobiscb.     From  Bekmann,  tab.  iii.,  fig.  3. 

The  village  of  Steinfield  derived  its  name  from  the  number 
of  these  monuments  which   existed  there.     Some  of  these  were 


t  "Mon.  Dan.,"  lib.  i.  cap.  vi.  p.  35. 
%  "  Cimbrische  Heyden-Religion,"  Hamburg,  1690,  p.  231,  seqq. 


Oo 


.^o 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


of  considerable  proportions,  one  having  twenty  stones  on  either 
side,  and  five  across  each  end,  and  another  thirty-three  stones 
on  one  side,  twenty-nine  on  the  other,  two  at  the  lower  end,  and 
four  at  the  upper. 

Near  the  village  of  Ballerstatt  are  three  monuments  of  this 
class,  one  on  the  Hundesrukken  (Dog's  Back),  one  on  the 
Hasenakkern  (Hare  Field),  and  the  third  and  finest  on  the 
Krummenschlag  (?  Bent  Blow).  The  latter,  says  Bekmann,  is 
quite  a  "  Hero-Bed,"  formed  by  huge  stones  set  lengthways,  "the 
altar  "  (as  he  calls  the  dolmen  or  crypt)  "  standing  within  twelve 
large  stones."  Near  Bellingen  was  another,  also  described  as 
having  double  ranges  of  stones. 

The  historian  Entzelt,j  following  a  local  tradition,  considered 
these  monuments  as  memorials  of  the  battles  of  Marcfrave  Albrecht 
of  Anhalt,  and  Margrave  Huder,  and  regarded  two  other  monu- 
ments, the  Steinbette  and  Heldenbette,  at  Stafel,  as  the  burial- 
places  of  the  Lords  of  Zera.  Bekmann,  however,  combats  this 
view.  "  They  are  neither,"  he  says,  "  Christian  nor  Wendish. 
The  Wends  never  took  the  trouble  to  bring  together  such  big 
stones,  from    far  off  too,  and    they  are    never   found  where    the 


J"iG.  496.— Circular  Iliinebed,  near  DallersliiU.     From  Bekmann^  tab.  iii.,  fig.  2. 

Wends  were  settled.  .  .  .  They  must  have  been  the  burial-places 
of  our  old  German  heathen  ancestors,  and  consequently  much 
older  than  any  Wendish  and  Christian  monuments  in  the  Mark." 

Near  the   village  of   Bretschen  were  five   Hunebeds,   but  of 
smaller  size  than  those  at  Kloden  and  Steinfield.      In  one  example 

t  These  monoliths  occupy  the  position  of  the  columns  of  the  portico,  or  rather  perhaps  of  the 
TTopao-Tt^Sts  of  a  (jreek  shrine,  ur,  to  go  further  liack,  of  the  pair  of  monoliths  before  an  Egyptian 
temple. 


Germany  and  the  Eastern  Baltic  Coast. 


531 


five  long  stones  occupy  the  part  of  the  area  not  filled  up  by  the 
crypt.  There  is  another,  and  larger  one,  at  Primarsch,  consisting 
of  eighteen  or  twenty  stones  on  either  side,  with  an  "altar" 
within,  formed  of  twenty  stones,  and  a  fairly  large  roofing-stone. 
Like  most  of  the  others,  it  has  its  two  pillar-stones,  or  CiLstodes,\ 
Near  Diestorf  were  seven  of  these  monuments. 

About  one  near  Salentin  a  local  legend  existed.  The  in- 
habitants called  the  whole  monument  "  The  Lying-in  Woman," 
or  "the  Six-Weeks'  Bed,"  and  the  dolmen  inside  "the  Cradle." 
Others  existed  in  the  heath  near  Mesenthin,  at  Winterfield,  and 
at  Ahlun,  the  latter  a  very  large  one. 

One  on  the  Dolchow  INIountain  was  circular  in  form,  the 
environment  measuring  30  to  40  feet  in  diameter.  In  the  centre 
some  larger  stones  were  set  in  quadrangular  form,  and  on  the  top 
of  these  rested  several  stones  of  huge  size,  one  of  which  measured 
7  Berlin  ells  long,  4§  wide,  and  2  thick. 

Another  was  near  Arnberg,  and  Bekmann  thought  that  there 


Fig.  497. — Hiinebed  near  Ballerstiitt.     From  Bekmann,  tab.  iii.,  hg.  i. 

might  have  been  many  more,  which  had  been  removed.  In 
Prignitz  he  knew  only  of  one  of  any  importance,  under  the  "grave 
altar-stone  "  of  which  a  man  could  crawl.  Near  it  were  twenty-eight 
tumuli,  and  there  had  been  others  which  had  been  ploughed  over. 

In  the  Ukermark,  near  Wilmersdorf,  were  remains  of  similar 
megalithic  structures,  and  at  Dedelow^  was  a  curious  monument 
with  two  pillar-stones  standing  in  the  enclosure.  In  the  Neumark 
Hilnebeds  do  not  exist,  but  only  stone-circles. 

Besides  the  dolmens,  each  environed  by  a  peristyle,  like  those 

t  "Chur-Brandenburgische,"  Halberstatt,  1682,  p.  63. 


532 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


just  noticed,  there  were  some  which  stood  alone,  without  any  stone 
setting.  Sometimes  they  were  similar  to  those  in  the  enclosed 
areas,  sometimes  they  consisted  of  three  great  flat  slabs  set  up 
on  edge,  on  the  upper  edges  of  which  rested  a  fourth  flat  stone. 
Under  these  one  or  two  urns  full  of  bones  were  usually  found. 
Of  this  class  there  were  three  close  together  between  Steinfield 
and  Kloden.  The  largest  of  the  cap-stones  measured  7  feet  long, 
and  3  feet  5  ins.  thick.  Bekmann  compared  these  with  the 
monuments  at  Drenthe,  to  be  presently  noticed. 

Near  the  village  of  Kohrberg  was  one  with  a  roofing-stone  12 
feet  long,  and  9  feet  wide,  resting  on  three  others  not  much 
smaller,  set  up  edgeways.  A  man  could  sit  easily  beneath  them. 
With  this  the  dolmen  before  mentioned  at  Ahlun  may  be 
compared,  but  the  latter  was  surrounded  with  a  range  of  stones, 
a  fact  which  gives  reason  to  think  that  there  may  once  have  been 
such  an  arrangement  round  the  free-standing  ones,  the  stones 
of  which  have  been  removed. 

Under  one  at  Mtirow  two  persons  could  sit  conveniently.  On 
a  high  hill  near  Schapow  in  Prenzlow,  four  enormous  flat  stones 
had  been  set  up  edgeways,  forming  a  longish  quadrangle,  and 
having  a  large,  levelled  stone  on  top.  About  50  paces  from 
this  another  flat  stone  was  found,  resting  on  four  others,  forming 
the  sides  of  a  cist  in  which  were  many  small  bones,  and  a  portion 


¥ic..  49S. — Hiinebed,  near  Ahlum.     /^'rom  Jickiiiann,  tab.  i.,  (ig.  7. 

of  an  urn  with  a  sort  of  slate  cover.  About  2  paces  from  this, 
again,  under  another  flat  stone  not  covering  a  cist  were  found 
burnt  bones  of  horses,  and  by  the  side  of  them  a  small  urn  of  red 
clay,  containing  about  a  pint  of  ashes  and  small  bones. 

Between   Seehausen    and  Bertikow   were    the   remains    of    a 


Germany  and  the  Eastern  Baltic  Coast.  533 

monument  of  this  kind,  the  largest  side-stone  measuring  6  feet 
long  and  3  feet  high,  and  in  which  a  rather  large  urn  with  bones 
was  found.  Near  Pinnow  were  several  of  them,  described  as  "  like 
entrances  to  cellars."  One  near  Grilneberg,  in  the  Neumark,  bore 
the  name  of  the  "  Stone  Cellar."  This  structure  stood  on  high 
ground,  and  consisted  of  five  large  slabs,  two  of  which  formed  the 
side  walls,  each  8  feet  6  ins.  long.  The  end  towards  the  N.  (the 
monument  stands  N.  and  S.)  was  closed  by  a  stone  3  feet  6  ins. 
wide,  and  the  same  in  height.  The  S.  end  was  open.  The  breadth 
and  height  of  the  crypt  are  3  feet  6  ins.  The  roof  was  formed  by 
two  large  flat  stones,  the  larger  of  which  (24  feet  in  circumference) 
covered  the  S.  end,  and  the  smaller  {17  feet  6  ins.  in  circumference) 
rested  on  the  back  wall.  The  space  underneath  was  high  enough 
and  wide  enough  for  two  people  to  sit  together  and  stretch  out 
their  feet.  The  stones  were  fairly  smooth  inside,  but  not  hewn. 
They  were  fitted,  however,  closely  together,  so  that  they  kept  out 
wind  and  rain.  Similar  structures  were  common  in  this  vicinity, 
as  Ettester  observed  in  1746.  In  most  cases  the  covering-stone 
was  absent. 

Besides  the  oblong  or  wedge-shaped  or  circular  area  enclosing 
the  dolmen,  Bekmann  has  given  numerous  examples  of  inde- 
pendent stone-circles  in  Brandenburg.  Their  presence,  he  says, 
seems  to  mark  a  distinction  of  race,  his  reason  for  this  conclu- 
sion being  that  they  begin  to  be  found  where  the  other  mega- 
lithic  structures  leave  off.  None  of  the  latter  are  to  be  found 
beyond  MoUen,  in  the  Prignitz,  while  this  is  the  district — that 
is,  east  of  Mollen — where  stone-circles  and  ovals  are  first  met 
with.  They  were  formed  of  medium-sized  stones,  and  were  about 
20  feet  in  diameter. 

Among  the  peasants  such  circles  are  called,  in  general, 
Htinen-  or  Heiden-Graber,  while  some  near  Writzig,  close  to  the 
University  of  Frankfort,  are  called  Hiinen-  or  Heiden-Thoren 
(Hunnish,  or  Heathen,  Graves  or  Gates). 

Circles  occurred  also  in  the  Ukermark,  in  one  of  which  an 
urn  and  burnt  bones  were  found,  with  an  iron  pin  and  a  brass 
ring.  In  the  Neumark,  in  the  Wulfsbriichern,  was  one  which  bore 
the  name  of  "Adam's  Dance,"  or  the  "  Stone  Dance,"  from  a  story 
that  once  at  Easter  some  men  held  a  dance  there  naked,  and 
were  turned  into  stone  as  a  punishment.  The  stones,  fourteen 
in  number,  are  in  pairs.     One  stone  in  the  middle  measures  2  ells 


534 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


(4  feet)  high,  and  is  hooped  round  like  a  cask.  Two  some- 
what taller  stones  outside  the  ring,  are  said  to  have  been  the 
musicians. 

In  some  places  several  stone-circles  are  found  together,  some- 
times measuring  iS  to  20  feet  in  diameter.  A  monument  of  this 
kind  lay  near  IMaschdorf,  about  one  mile  and  a  half  from  Frankfort, 
on  the  other  side  of  the  Oder.  There  were  twenty  of  them  when 
Bekmann  was  there  in  1683.  Near  Zehden,  in  the  Neumark,  a 
still  larger  number  might  be   seen.     They  were  often  formed  of 

^    ^  Q 


Fig.  499. — Tumulus  in  Sweden,  with  stone  setting  divided  into  compartments. 
From  J\iidl>cck''s  '■^Atlafitis.''^ 

very  large  stones,  which  were  sometimes  square,  and  in  several 
examples  a  huge  stone  was  placed  in  the  centre,  which  Bekmann 
regarded  as  the  "grave-altar." 

They   were   also   to    be  found  in  groups    near    Teschendorf, 
Steinhofel,  and  Janikow ;  also  at  Grossin  and  Pribslaf,  where  they 


L 


■^. 


■-3.;i  >'J  ^*^«;>,'5.  '^'^^'J^  y^  ^'-'^'^^  '  *i».'*  -o^^'A^^  *  ^  *  ^  I.  .-^    .i^. 


^'%'^  "a'^  %^    '  JV 


Fig.  500. — Long,  avenue-lii<e  monuments  in  Brandenburg.    From  Bekmann,  tab.  iv.,  figs,  i  and  2. 

were  called  "  Hills  of  the  Dead,"  "  Giant  Hills,"  "  Giant  Graves." 
"HunenbrUkhen"  (Hune-Bridges),  and  "Hiinenbetten."  Some  of 
them  consisted  of  from  fifteen  to  twenty  stones.  Near  Schoner- 
mark  and  at  Stendelchen  were  several  of  nine  stones.  In  most 
cases  the  number  of  stones  was  seven. 

Not  far  from  Oderberg,  near  the  Krummensee,  was  a  stone- 


Germany  and  the  Eastern  Baltic  Coast.  535 

circle   18  to  20  feet  across,  with  a  very  large  stone  in  the  middle. 
Close  to  it,  and  forming  a  triangle,  were  three  small  circles. 

There  were  also  monuments  in  the  form  of  stone  avenues,  or 
rather  exceedingly  long  oblongs  (Fig.  500).  They  were  to  be  met 
with  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Schievelbein.  They  were  rounded 
at  the  ends,  and  consisted  of  flat  or  raised  stones.  One  near 
Schlonnewitz  measured  100  feet  long  ;  and  one  at  Pribislas  was 
180  feet  long,  32  feet  wide  at  one  end,  and  20  at  the  other,  so 
that  it  was  wedge-shaped.  There  was  another  at  Buzenhagen, 
on  the  road  to  Pomerania,  and  a  fourth  on  the  river  Malsto. 
Similar  arrangements  of  stones  occur  in  Sweden,  as  may  be 
judged  by  the  annexed  rude  drawing  from  Riidbeck  (Fig.  499). 
Very  long  Hunebeds  occur  also  in  Hanover. 

Just  as  double  ranges  of  stones  sometimes  surrounded  the 
Hunebeds,  so  was  it  also  with  the  stone-circles.  Sometimes  there 
were  more  than  two  concentric  ranges,  but  these  were  divided  into 
several  parts,  and  were  very  unusual.  One  circle  near  Arendorf 
had  a  single  stone  in  the  middle,  and  around  it  six  concentric  rings. 
Another  had  a  cross  of  stones  in  the  centre,  and  around  it  four 
concentric  oval  ranges.  The  long  diameter  of  the  oval  was  2 1 
feet,  the  breadth  14  feet.  There  were  four  of  these  eccentric 
monuments  in  the  same  field,  called  by  the  natives  Jekkendanz 
{i.e.  "  Dance  of  the  Geeks,"  or  "  Silly  Folk  "),  or  the  Wunderberg 
("  Marvellous  Mountain  "}.  The  cruciform  centre  reminds  us  of 
another  example  mentioned  above,f  and  also  of  the  cruciform 
arrangement  in  the  chambered  cairns  in  Ireland. 

It  is  quite  clear  that  stone-settings,  in  lines  close  together,  and 
other  arraneements,  were  at  one  time  as  common  on  the  hills  and 
plains  near  Pinnow  as  they  were  and  are  in  parts  of  Ireland.  On 
a  lofty  hill  at  Miirow,  Bekmann  describes  five  stones  of  great  size 
set  close  together.  Such  stones  were  to  be  seen  in  larger  numbers 
near  Oderberg,  on  an  elevation,  with  a  very  large  pillar-stone  in 
the  centre.  Such  also  occurred  on  the  Schlossberg,  and  near  the 
village  of  Melsow.  Underneath  one  of  these  stones  near  Pinnow 
three  flint  "  wedges  "  (celts)  and  three  stone  axes  were  found. 

That  the  veiieratio  lapidwn  which  prevailed  so  largely  in 
Northern  and  Western  Europe  was  largely  in  vogue  in  this 
district,  does  not  admit  of  a  doubt.  Near  Frankfort  were  the 
so-called   Napfchensteine.      In  the  largest  of  these  stones  there 

t  p.  519. 


536  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 

were  seventeen  holes,  mostly  round,  of  different  sizes,  twelve  of 
them  deeply  sunk.  Near  Bossen  were  two  more,  one  having  a 
double  row  of  holes,  and  the  other  ten  longish  holes.  Another 
at  Schwarzbrack  had  been,  it  was  thought,  connected  with  a  circle. 
Several  others  are  mentioned,  and  one  is  also  noticed  as  existing 
on  a  hill  near  Stargard,  in  Pomerania.  Footprints  of  a  child  ten 
years  old  are  said  to  be  recognizable  in  a  great  stone  at  Reidenitz. 
At  Zehden,  in  a  wood,  lies  the  Kuhtrafpe,  or  Cow's  Foot,  used 
as  an  official  boundary,  the  name  of  which  is  derived  from  a  well- 
hewn  mark  of  a  cow's  hoof,  close  to  which  is  a  dog's  footmark, 
and  opposite  them  another  but  unrecognizable  footprint.  A  mile 
from  Stendal,  in  the  Altmark,  is  a  stone  in  which  is  the  rather 
deep  imprint  of  an  unshod  horse's  hoof.  There  was  a  legend 
regarding  it,  that  the  devil  carried  off  a  woman  who  kept  an  inn 
near  by  ;  and  also  another  that  a  general  said  that  he  was  as  sure 
of  winnins:  a  battle  as  he  was  that  his  horse's  hoof  would  sink 
into  the  stone,  which  accordingly  took  place.  So-called  footprints 
are  frequently  pointed  out  in  venerated  rocks  in  Ireland,  and 
identical  legends  told  about  them. 

At  Mohrin  was  a  stone  which,  as  seen  above  ground,  looked 
like  two  stones  wide  enough  apart  for  a  horse  and  his  rider  to 
pass  through  the  gap,  though  underground  it  was  all  one  stone  — 
this  form  having  been  produced,  so  Bekmann  states,  artificially. 

At  Ostherrn,  near  Darmstat,  was  a  stone  with  a  child's  shoe 
imprinted  on  one  side,  and  a  woman's  on  the  other.  Between 
Reez  and  Rietzig  was  a  large  stone  around  which  lay  some 
smaller  ones,  and  on  which  occurred  all  kinds  of  figures  of  hands 
and  claws,  among  which  was  a  footprint  of  either  a  child  or  a 
woman,  while  a  hand  and  a  horseshoe  were  very  distinct.  Beside 
the  Wandel  Lake  at  Mullenbek  was  an  enormous  block,  which 
bore  on  its  surface  the  imprint  of  a  very  large  human  hand,  with  its 
five  fingers  perfectly  clear  and  distinct.  Legend  averred  that  a 
giant  took  it  up  and  cast  it  from  the  opposite  side  of  the  lake,  and  left 
the  impression  of  his  hand  on  it.  Bekmann  compares  this  legend 
to  that  told  of  stones  on  the  Petersberg  and  at  Weltin,  in  which 
were  likewise  marks  ascribed  to  a  similar  origin,  as  also  two  hands 
in  a  stone  near  Sonnenwitz.  We  can  add  to  these  the  stories  of 
the  stones  thrown  by  Kallewe  Poeg  in  Finland,  and  by  Finn  Mac 
Cumail  and  other  giants  in  Ireland,  on  each  of  which  they  left  the 
imprint  of  their  fingers  and  thumb  (see  p.  513,  supra). 


North-West  GerxMANy.  537 

It  was  said  of  stones  standing  against  each  other  near  Saltzwedal, 
that  Drusus  cut  the  original  block  in  two  with  his  sword  at  one 
stroke.  Near  Arnswalde  was  a  stone  which  the  people  called  the 
Wend-Stone,  and  which  they  said  was  used  as  an  altar.  About 
other  stones  the  tradition  exists  that  they  were  altars.  Near 
Freienwalde  is  a  great  stone,  resting  on  three  others,  which 
Bekmann  compares  to  one  figured  by  Arnkiel.f  He  says  it  was 
evidently  a  "  grave-altar  " — a  name  which  he  applies  to  dolmens. 
He  thinks  that  the  so-called  "Hiinenstein"  near  Trebnow  may 
be  of  the  same  kind.  Of  two  large  stones  at  Konigstat,  one 
was  called  the  "  Bride's  Bed,"  and  the  other  had  an  opening 
in  it,  as  though  it  had  been  cut  through  with  a  saw. 

The  conclusion  at  which  Bekmann  arrives  with  regard  to  the 
ethnological  question  as  indicated  by  the  distribution  of  the  great 
Hunebeds,  is  that,  since  they  are  to  be  found  westwards  as  far  as 
the  North  Sea  (that  is,  as  far  as  Drenthe),  and  further  northwards 
through  Holstein,  Schleswig,  Jutland,  Sweden,  and  Schonen,  they 
must  have  been  first  erected  by  the  old  German  peoples,  the 
Suevi,  Vandali,  and  Langobardi,  when,  "  as  they  journeyed  towards 
the  North,  they  made  a  halt  here  and  there,  and  established  for  a 
time  fixed  settlements,  for  such  monuments,"  he  adds,  "  could  not 
have  been  the  work  of  a  nomadic  race."  He  mentions  that  they 
are  found  to  reach  as  far  south  as  Magdeburg,  and  that  two  still 
existed  near  the  village  of  Hohenziass,  one  in  the  village  of 
Behrden  near  Zerbst,  and  one  near  Dornbourg,  but  that  from 
thence  in  the  Anhalt-Zerbst  district,  and  in  Prignitz,  Middle- 
mark,  Ukermark,  and  Neumark  they  become  scarcer,  and  die  out. 


North-West  Germany. 

The  principal  authority  for  the  dolmens  of  Hanover,  at  which 
we  now  arrive,  is  G.  O.  C.  von  Estorff,  who,  in  1846,  published 
his  "  Heidnische  Alterthiimer"  of  that  district. 

To  the  S.W.  of  Edendorf,  to  the  E.  of  the  Ilmenau  river,  lay 
a  group  of  five  megalithic  monuments  and  several  tumuli.  One 
of  the  former,  which  he  calls  an  oblong  Hunengrab,  was  a  particu- 
larly fine  one.  It  lay  E.  and  W.,  and  stood  upon  a  low  artificial 
mound.      Thirteen  blocks  of  granite,  from  3  to  4  feet  high  and  of 

t  Lib.  ii.  cap.  vii.  3,  p.  242. 
VOL.   IT.  Q 


538 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


the  same  breadth,  served  as  pillars  to  support  the  stone  cover, 
which  consisted  of  three  blocks  of  the  same  material,  which  over- 
lapped the  pillars.  The  E.  covering-stone,  measuring  1 1  feet 
long,  6  feet  broad,  and  3  feet  6  ins.  thick,  rested  on  four  of  the 
pillars,  and,  towards  the  E.,  on  a  broad  closing-stone.  The  middle 
cover-stone  measured  10  feet  long  by  about  6  feet  broad  and 
3  feet  thick,  and  rested  originally  upon  four  stones.  The  W. 
cover-stone,  if  there  ever  was  one,  was  not  in  place. 

One  of  the  dolmens  of  this  group  has  a  wedge-shaped  environ- 
ment or  peristyle,  as  will  be  seen  from  the  accompanying  ground- 
plan. 

There  was  a  very  remarkable  group  of  stone  monuments  and 
tumuli  which  extended  in  a  serpentine  form  up  to  the  source  of 


Fig.  501. — Dolmen  with  wedge-shaped  environment  at  Edendorf.    From  Estorff. 

the  Wahlbeck,  and  close  to  the  village  of  Alt-Medingen,  described 
as  one  of  the  most  ancient  places  of  the  Bardingovv.  The  group 
consisted  in  all  of  thirty-six  stone  monuments  and  seventy-three 

tumuli.  Eio^ht  stone  monuments  and 
thirteen  tumuli  lay  close  together.  The 
first  described  was  an  oblong  Htinengrab, 
measuring  24  feet  from  N.  to  S.,  and 
7  feet  wide,  formed  of  fourteen  stones, 
six  on  either  side  and  one  at  either  end, 
which  supported  four  granite  covering- 
stones  measuring  from  6  to  7  feet  long. 
There  was  originally  a  fifth,  which  has 
been  taken  away. 
Fig.  502. -Dolmen   at    Dormte,  ^he    second    in    the   group   was   an. 

Ami  Oldenstadt,  Hanover,  /'-r^w      oblong       "  H  uncnbcd  "  f— (EstOrff      Calls- 

a  aounen  without  its  environment, 
"  Hunengrab."  and  with  it,  "  Hunenbed  "—close  to  the  border  of 
Secklendorf.      It  measured  44  paces  long  by  16  paces  wide,  and 

t  I  adopt  here  the  form  of  llic  name  used  i)y  Estorff. 


North-West  Germany.  539 

consisted  of  fifty-one  stones,  averaging-  from  5  to  6  feet  long  and 
high.  No  "  bed  "  or  grave  was  visible  on  the  exterior,  but  there 
might  have  been  one  within  the  enclosed  mound. 

The  third  example  of  the  group  was  an  oblong  Hilnenbed,  with 
the  longer  axis  S.W.  and  N.E.  This  is  the  longest  of  them,  since 
it  measured  400  feet  long,  while  it  was  only  from  12  to  14  feet  broad. 
It  was  formed  by  166  stones,  from  3  to  5  feet  high,  and  the  same  in 
width.  No  grave,  i.e.  dolmen,  was  visible.  The  fourth  was  an 
oblong  Hiinengrab,  24  feet  long  from  S.W.  to  N.E.,  5  feet  wide, 
and  formed  by  twelve  setting-stones,  five  on  either  side  and  one  at 
either  end.  There  is  only  one  covering-stone  left,  which  measured 
8  feet  long,  5  feet  wide,  and  4  feet  thick.  The  fifth  was  an  oblong 
Hiinengrab,  16  feet  long  from  S.W.  to  N.E.,  and  6  feet  wide, 
formed  by  eleven  pillar-stones,  five  on  one  side,  four  on  the  other, 
and  one  at  either  end,  averaging  4  to  5  feet  high.  Two  covering- 
stones  remained,  each  8  feet  long,  8  to  5  feet  wide,  and  i  foot  4  ins. 
thick.  On  the  S.E.  there  was  an  entrance  like  a  fiight  of  stairs,  but 
it  seemed  that  the  structure  had  been  tampered  with.  The  sixth 
was  an  oblong  Hiinengrab,  30  paces  N.  of  the  preceding.  It 
measured  18  feet  long  from  S.W.  to  N.E.,  and  6  feet  wide.  The 
two  long  sides  were  formed  by  three  stones,  each  measuring  5  feet 
high,  and  the  ends  by  one  stone  each.  The  covering-stone  was 
6  feet  long,  3  feet  wide,  and  2  feet  thick.  Three  hundred  paces 
from  the  last  was  the  seventh,  which  was  also  an  oblong  Hiinengrab, 
lying  somewhat  raised,  and  measuring  32  feet  long  from  S.W.  to 
N.E.,  and  6  feet  wide.  It  was  formed  by  fourteen  setting-stones, 
six  on  either  side,  and  one  at  either  end,  from  3  to  4  feet  above 
ground.  These  supported  five  covering-stones  from  6  to  7  feet 
long,  from  4  to  5  feet  wide,  and  from  2  to  4  feet  thick.  On  the 
S.E.  side  was  a  staircase  entrance.  Another  Hiinengrab  lay  at  a 
distance  of  40  paces  from  the  fourth,  above  noticed.  The  cover- 
stone,  which  was  2  feet  above  the  surface,  and  rested  on  com- 
paratively small  stones,  was  of  considerable  dimensions,  measuring 
14  feet  long,  7  feet  wide  in  the  centre,  and  5  feet  wide  at 
either  end. 

A  fine  Hiinengrab  lay  on  the  W.  side  of  the  village  of 
Havekost.  It  was  an  oblong  structure  on  a  round  hillock,  planted 
by  peasants — an  interesting  instance  of  the  veneration  of  the  people 
in  regard  to  these  places — with  two  birch  trees  and  two  aspens. 
The  monument  measured  32  feet  long  from  N.  to  S.,  was  5  feet 


540 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


wide,  and  consisted  of  seven  covering-stones,  each  7  to  8  feet  long, 
which  rested  on  fourteen  stones,  which  were  about  2  feet  above 
the  surface,  but  in  such  manner  that  they  (the  covering-stones),  by 
overlapping  the  side-stones,  also  touched  with  their  edges  the 
surface  of  the  ground.  There  were  two  tumuli  near  the  structure 
on  the  E.  and  S.E. 

The  next  dolmen   or  Hunengrab  to  be    noticed    occupied   a 
position  which  deserves  particular  attention,  since  the  ruins,  which 

■■.4.:..' 4    w   t-<^ 


Fic.  503. — Iliinenbed  at  Gansan,  Amt  Oldenstadt,  Hanover. 


From  Estorff. 


"  were  high  enough  to  sit  upon,"  were  upon  a  height  in  the 
Schooten  Wood,  near  the  old  road  from  Celle  to  Uelzen,  a  spot 
where  formerly  the  rural  assemblies  of  Liineburgh  were,  according 
to  the  old  German  custom,  held  in  the  open  air.  The  place  is 
described  as  a  romantic  one,  and  was  in  the  forest  land  which 
formed  the  girdle  of  the  Bardengow.  The  presence  of  the 
ruined  Hunengrab  leads  Estorff  to  remark  that  it  was  probably 
a  place  for  feasting  and  judgment,  and  that  here  was  the  original 
place  of  assembly  of  the  Landtag. 

Another  place  of  assembly,  where  the  Ampt-Bodenteich  Court 
of  Justice  was  held,  lay  at  the  distance  of  a  few  hundred  paces 
S.  of  the  Guts-Thore,  a  gate  of  the  ancient  town  of  Uelzen,  upon 
a  sand  hillock  which  here  forms  the  right  bank  of  the  Ilmenau 
river.  Here  the  people  assembled,  under  the  open  sky,  for  the 
transaction  of  their  business,  under  the  shadow  of  a  few  trees 
which  surrounded  the  barriers.  Estorff  thinks  that,  since  such 
places  for  the  administration  of  justice  {landgereicht)  were  conse- 
crated by  popular  belief,  this,  too,  was  an  ancient  place  of  feast- 
ing in  connection  with  the  rites  of  the  dead.  No  Hiinenbed 
is  extant  still,  but  from  times  past  a  great  number  of  urns  with 
ashes  and  burnt  human  bones  have  been  found  here,  proving  the 
spot  to  have  been  a  cemetery  in  prehistoric  times. 


North-West  Germany, 


54J 


We  are  at  once  reminded  of  the  Oenachs  or  Assembly- Fairs 
of  the  ancient  Irish,  all  of  which  were  held  at  places  of  burial, 
as,  for  example,  at  Temair,  at  Tailten,  and  at  Carman. 

Near  Haassel  were  two  important  Hunenbeds,  the  one  lying 
N.  and  S.,  the  other  E.  and  W.  In  the  former  fourteen  stones  3 
feet    high    formed    a    peristyle    26   feet   long   and    9    feet   wide, 


Fig.  504. — Megalithic  monuments  at  Riestedt,  CJross  Prezier,  Heitbrak.f  Lehmke,  and 
Gansau  (2),  all  in  Hanover.     From  Estorff. 

enclosing  a  dolmen  (Hiinengrab),  also  formed  of  fourteen  stones,. 
16  feet  long  and  3  feet  wide.  Two  of  the  covering-stones 
were  left,  measuring  respectively  6  to  7  feet  long  and  2  feet  thick. 
The  latter  of  the  two  monuments  consisted  of  eighty  stones,. 
3  feet  high,  forming  a  "bed"  70  paces  long  and  12  feet  wide. 
Within  this  area  were  the  remains  of  several  dolmens. 

Eighteen  monuments  of  this  class  were  to  be  met  with  near 
Uelzen.       One    at  Retzlingen  consisted    of  eighty-four    stones, 


t  Note  the  word  brak  applied  iiere,  as  in  Ireland,  to  dolmen  sites. 


542 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


forming  the  setting  or  peristyle,  arranged  in  rows  of  thirty-nine 
on  either  side,  l^vo  colossal  "Gate-Stones"  stand  at  the  S.E. 
end — answering  to  the  Custodes  of  Bekmann — and  four  blocks 
form  the  N.W.  end.      The  whole    measured  90  paces   long   by 


~^?^^?'  >w 


yeich 


Fig.  505. — Lird's-eye  view  of  the  Hiinenbed  of  Klein  Piezier,  Amt  BodeiUeich.     From  Estorff. 

24  feet  wide,  and  lay  on  a  slight  artificial  elevation.     The  dolmen 
had  been  nearly  destroyed.     It  lay  50  paces  from  a  pond. 

Another  Hiinenbed  at  Klein  Prezier  was  also  near  a  pond,  and 
on  a  slight  artificial  elevation.  It  lay  N.  and  S.,  and  measured  35 
paces  long  and  9  broad.  The  dolmen,  which  was  in  the  N.  half 
of  the  area,  measured  1 2  paces  long,  and  was  covered  by  four 
stones  resting  on  little  pillars.  Estorff  noticed  a  human  leg-bone 
in  the  interior,  and,  upon  making  incjuiries,  found  that  a  shepherd 
had  found  an  iron  (.'*)  pot  i  foot  high  and  9  to  10  feet  wide  in  the 
grave,  and  that  subsequently  a  "great  human  skeleton,  fairly  well 
preserved,"   had  been  discovered,  about  a  foot  under  the  earth. 


North- West  Germany. 


543 


restin,^  on  a  bed  of  stones.      According  to  the  account  given  him, 

the  body  had  a  leathern  girdle  with  buckle  and  bands  around  it. 

Near  the  breast  were  beads  upon  a  wire  and  a  buckle,  all  "of  bronze. 

A   few  feet  S.  of  this   skeleton  lay  a  second,   also  with  girdle, 

buckles,    and    beads    of    clear    green 

glass.     There  was  also  a  bronze   ear-    ^^liilliii^^ 

ring.     A    third   skeleton   lay   near  the    ^  W 

second,     and     (like    the    others)    in    a    '^\-\^'^^^\'^^'^^l''\'^ 

direction  E.  and  W.     With  this  were    '^ '    '""'    "    '       •      '  ^ 

bronze  earrincjs  and  two  hollow  bronze    fl' 

plates  with  enamel  in  the  centre,  and    J( 

fastened    with    two    rivets    to   another 

bronze    plate.     To  the    S.  of   the  last 

were     two      more     skeletons    without 

metal  accompaniments,   and  at  the   S. 

end  of  the   Hunenbed  was  a  sixth  and 


last.     It  lay  close  to  the   surface,  and  g 

was  6  feet   in    length.     A   quantity  of  % 

stones  and    broken    pieces    of  pottery 

were  found  in  other  parts  of  the  area,  %  _   1 

including    fragments    of    a   very   large  %  -' 

and  thick  vessel,  and  a  few  pieces  of 

charcoal.     There  can   be,    I   think,  no  ^ 

doubt    that    these    discoveries    indicate  u-, 

late  secondary  interments  the  remains 

of  which  were  commino^led  with  those  %/ 

of  the  more    ancient  ones,  in   a  place  p 

which  traditionally  was  a  tomb.  111111^^^^^^^^ 

Near   Emmendorf,  on  the  bank  of  ^      '    ^    ;' .     ,   ,  '     .^ 

riG.     506. — Hunenbed    at     Lmmen- 
the     IlmenaU     river,     on     the     side    of    a         flo^f  in  the  Amt  Medingen.     From 

hill    called    the    Hatzberg,    stood    the 

first  of  a  group  of  ten  stone  monuments  which  were  on  the 
borders  of  Mendingen  and  Oldenstadt.  It  pointed  E.  and  W., 
and  was  33  paces  long,  the  length  of  the  enclosed  dolmen  being 
8  paces.  In  this  Hunenbed,  and  particularly  round  the  enclosing 
wall,  Estorff  found  many  urns  filled  with  ashes,  human  bones, 
and  ornaments.  Bronze  and  iron  fibulae,  iron  hooks,  flint  knives, 
and  "little  knife-like  flint  chips  "  were  found  outside  the  area  of 
the  "bed."  The  presence  of  these  objects  indicates  that  this 
monument  was  used  as  a  place  of  interment  at  various  periods. 


544 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


Besides  the  ten  structures  of  this  class  there  were  three  tumuh, 
of  which   that   to   the   W.  was   the  lars^est.      It    was    called  the 


Fu;.  507.— Hunenbed  at  Gohlan,  Amt  Liichow,     /■rorn  Estorff. 

"  Weinburg/'t  which,  among  the  natives  of  the   district,    is   the 


Fig.  508.— Iliinenbeds  of  Riestadt,  Amt  Oldensladt  ;  Gross  rrezier,  Amt  Bodenleicli  ; 
and  Jastorf,  Amt  Medingen  ;— all  in  Hanover.     From  Estorff. 


t  Wand  F  being  interchangeable,  compare  Walenbostel  and  Fallingbo.-tcl,  etc.,  this  would  be 
Feinburg,  with  which  comp.  Icinni. 


North-West  Germany.  545 


general  name  for  a  sepulchral  tumulus,  but  for  which  they  can 
offer  no  explanation. 

Descriptions  are  given  of  some  fifteen  or  twenty  other  Hunen- 
beds  and  Hilnengrabs  in  the  same  district  as  those  just  noticed. 
They  varied  in  shape  and  size — one,  an  otherwise  oblong  example, 
having  one  end  circular,  and  another  being  altogether  circular. 
Some,  too,  are  described  as  very  small.  One  group  lay  close  to 
the  source  of  a  brook,  and  several  were  near  a  spring  or  a  pond, 
or  on  a  river-bank.  The  circular  Hiinenbed,  which  was  near 
Gansau,  is  said  to  have  contained  in  its  chamber  a  human  skeleton, 
pieces  of  wood,  and  many  objects  of  bronze.  On  opening  another 
near  the  same  place,  several  urns  ornamented  with  cleats,  and  with 
lines  around  the  upper  part,  of  red  or  brownish-grey  colour,  were 
found  ;  also  large  pieces  of  charcoal.  One  Hiinengrab,  at  Riestedt, 
near  Oldenstadt,  described  as  in  very  good  condition,  had  an 
entrance  formed  by  some  smaller  stones  on  the  S.E.  side  (the 
structure  lay  S.W.  and  N.E.),  a  feature  which  characterizes  some 
of  the  Swedish  and  Drenthe  dolmens. 

It  may  be  observed  that  where  Estorff  speaks  of  a  "  round 
Hiinenbed  with  the  chamber  not  visible,"  he  seems  to  refer  to  a 
dolmen-cairn  or  tumulus  piled  up  inside  its  enclosing  ring,  and  un- 
disturbed. He  speaks  of  one  such  at  Heitbrack,  near  Medingen, 
on  the  summit  of  an  elevation  on  the  great  Todtenkampe  (Death- 
field),  near  the  Todtenteich  (Death-pool).  The  word  **  Hiinengrab  " 
is  used  to  express  a  sepulchral  tumulus  as  well  as  a  stone  monu- 
ment by  the  people  of  the  country. 

The  following  names  are  also  applied  to  stone  monuments : 
Hiinenkeller  (cellar),  Biilzenbett,  Brautstein  (bride-stone),  Leu- 
chenstein  (.'*  linked  stone),  Speckseite  (flitch  of  bacon),  Backofen 
(baking-oven),  Sonnenstein  (sun-stone),  Trutenstein  (?  trout-stone), 
Ehrengang  (passage  of  honour),  etc. 

A  tumulus  is  sometimes  called  Branhugel  (hill  of  burning),  or 
Venden-Kirchoff  (Wends'  churchyard). 

Estorff  regards  the  Hanover  series  as  the  prototypes  of  all  the 
others  in  Germany.  Of  the  Hiinengraber  he  says  there  are  two 
classes:  (i)  that  in  which  the  roof-stones  rest  on  the  side-stones, 
and  (2)  that  in  which  the  side-stones  surround  the  roofing-stones 
without  supporting  them,  that  is,  where  the  roofing-stones  rest 
on  independent  pillars.  The  Hiinenbed  he  defines  as  a  Hiinen- 
grab with  a  setting  of  stones  around  and  outside  it.     In  Hanover, 


546 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


only  a  single  range  of  stones  encloses  the  area.  There  are  three 
shapes,  oblong  (most  common),  oval,  and  round.  The  stone- 
setting  contracts  towards  that  end  where  the  chamber  {i.e.  the 
Hunengrab)  is.  In  some  of  the  stone  settings  only  one  end  is 
closed,  the  other  being  left  open.  In  some  cases  the  lines  of  the 
outer  setting  are  not  parallel  to  those  of  the  chamber. 

As  to  the  situation  chosen  for  the  monuments,  the  rule  seems 
to  have  been  to  place  them  on  elevated  ground,  in  "a  holy  grove," 
as  close  as  possible  to  water,  near  "  holy  "  lakes  or  ponds,  rivers, 
brooks,  or  springs;  "for  they  always  lie  upon  the  heights,  where 
the  land  allows  it,  or  on  a  declivity  in  places  where  there  is  water 
still  to  be  found,  or  where  it  is  evident  that  it  existed." 

In  almost  all  cases  the  stone  monument  is  surrounded  by 
tumuli.      In  the  same  district,  also,  are  Lager-platze,  Bourgplatze 


Fk;.  509.  —  "Sleinhaus"  near  Fallingbostel.     From  Vahrl.  "  Archiv.,'"  vol.  ii.  p.  305. 

[}  the  Castra  ac  Spatia  of  Tacitus]  forts,  ancient  roads,  boundary 
stones,  judgment  and  assembly  places,  holy  groves,  lakes,  etc. 

The    Christians,   so    Estorff  thinks,   used   the    older  heathen 
tombs  as  burial-places  for  themselves. 


Dolmens  between  the  Weser  and  the  Elbe  have  been  noticed 
by  Dr.  Edward   Brown,  Wormius,  and   Pococke.f     Kelpius  says 

t  Brown,  "  Reize  Van  Weenen,  naar  Hamburg,"  1682  ;    O.  Wormins,  •'  Mon.  Danica"  ;  Ric. 
Pocockc,  "  Voyages  en  Orient  "  (Paris,  1772),  vol.  vii.  p.  463. 


North-West  Germany.  547 


there  were  many  in  Buxtehude,  Haarburg,  Staken,  Bederkesa, 
and  in  particular  in  the  Ottenburg  district.  One  in  Steenfelder- 
Holtz  has  three  stones  on  either  side,  and  one  at  each  end, 
and  is  covered  over  by  three  very  uneven  flags.  Another, 
called  "  Willenstein,"  consisted  of  a  block,  8  feet  long,  3  feet 
broad,  and   3  feet  thick,  raised  on  others  to  a   height   of  about 


i!!:fcs:TlV 


0 


0 


Fig.  510.  — The  Biilzenbelte,  near  Sievern  in  the  Amte  Bederkesa  ("  A'c/ws  VaterL  Arcliiv.,''^ 

vol.  ii.  p.  154). 

3  feet  from  the  ground.  Another,  at  Oosterholte,  had  four 
stones  on  either  side,  and  one  at  each  end.  The  largest 
covering-stone  measured  3  paces  long,  and  3  paces  broad,  and 
was  of  extraordinary  thickness. 

There  is  an  interesting  monument  in  the  Ampt-Bederkesa, 
called  the  Biilzenbettc,  of  which  I  subjoin  a  plan  and  elevation, t 
It  was  near  the  ancient  strongholds  of  Pipinsberg  and  Heiden- 
statt. 

Kelpius  mentions  seven  similar  structures  near  Godenhuizen, 
lying  each  of  them  E.  and  \V.,  and  measuring  about  14  or  15  feet 
long,  and  5  or  6  feet  broad. J 

Near  Fallingbostel  in  Ltlneburgh,  between  the  Elb  and  Aller, 
were  the  monuments  mentioned  in  the  Vaterland  archives  as 
the  "  Seven  Stone-houses  "  (Steinhausen),  of  one  of  which,  with 
others  in  the  distance,  I  subjoin  an  illustration  (Fig.  509).  They 
seem  to  have  borne  also  the  name  Gudehausen, 

t  See  Spangenberg,  "  Neues  Vaterl.  Archiv."  (Zelle,  1819),  vol.  ii.  p.  195. 
X  Kelpius'  "  Memoria  Stadiana." 


;4S  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


In  1812,  M.  J.  Regnoul  t  visited  some  monuments  called,  he 
says,  HUnen-Steine,  in  Westphalia,  on  the  right  bank  of  the  Ems, 
at  Baccum,  near  Lingen,  for  the  purpose  of  comparing-  them  with 
some  he  had  examined  the  previous  year  near  Nogent-sur-Seine, 
in  the  Department  of  the  Aube.  He  found  the  two  series  of 
structures,  the  one  in  France,  the  other  on  the  Ems,  to  be 
"absolutely  identical,"  not  even  differing  in  the  number  of  the 
supporters,  nor  in  the  feature  of  the  double  ring  of  stones  by 
which  they  were  surrounded. 

The  dolmens  in  question  stood  on  a  slight  elevation  {inontictde) 
S.  of  Baccum.  They  occupied  the  summit  of  the  little  hill,  and 
were  three  in  number,  placed  near  each  other,  and  in  a  line  E. 
and  \V.  The  two  ranges  of  stones  which  surrounded  them  formed 
an  elongated  ellipse. 

The  stones  of  the  monuments  which  these  ranees  enclose 
were  called  the  "  Hunen-Steine."  A  stone  10  or  11  feet  long 
by  6  or  7  feet  broad,  and  4  feet  thick  in  the  middle,  had  been  set 
up  on  three  other  great  stones  of  the  same  kind,  two  facing 
the  S.W.,  and  one  the  N.E.  The  three  structures,  which  were 
similar  to  each  other,  were  2  to  3  paces  apart,  and  stood  on 
a  mound,  which  seemed  to  be  artificial,  raised  on  the  surface  of 
the  hill. 

The  first  or  inner  ran^e  of  stones  which  surrounded  them 
was  5  or  6  paces  distant  from  the  dolmens  ;  the  second  further  off. 
On  digging  into  the  monuments,  M.  Regnoul  discovered,  in  the 
first,  ashes,  heaps  of  calcined  bones,  and  the  fragments  of  an  urn, 
which  had  probably  stood  on  a  stone  i  foot  square  and  3  ins.  thick. 
In  the  second  he  made  a  similar  discovery,  and  in  this  case  the 
urn  had  been  decorated  with  an  infinity  of  designs  on  its  upper 
part.  He  particularly  remarks  that  the  material  of  the  pottery 
was  absolutely  identical  w^th  that  which  he  had  found  in  the 
similar  dolmens  at  Nogent-sur-Seine.  The  structures  were  of 
fine  granite,  and  about  400  paces  to  the  N.  was  a  mound  sur- 
rounded by  a  single  ring  of  stones. 

Westendorp,;j;  speaking  of  Hunebedden  between  the  Ems  and 
the  Weser,  says  that  he  visited  one  at  Brunevoorde  in  Westphalia. 
On  either  side  there  were  thirteen  stones,  at  each  end  one,  and  the 
covering-stones  numbered  eight.     One  of  the  latter  measured  9  feet 

+  "  Annales  des  Ant.  de  France,"  i.  449. 

\  *' Verhandeling  over  dc  Hunebedden,"  Groningcn  (1822),  p.  24.     I  here  adopt  his  spelling 
of  the  word. 


North-West  Germany.  549 


7  ins.  long,  and  the  same  wide,  and  was  7  feet  1 1  ins.  thick.  The 
side  stones  were  not  close  together.  The  length  was  fully  jT)  f'set. 
At  the  E.  end  the  interior  width  was  5  feet  10  ins.  ;  at  the  W.  end, 
something  over  7  feet.  There  were  two  others  in  ruins.  There 
was,  he  says,  a  "  Hiinebed"  at  Vries,  about  24  feet  long,  with  four 
stones  on  each  side,  one  at  each  end,  and  three  covering-stones. 
It  was  somewhat  smaller  at  one  end  than  at  the  other,  "as," 
says  Westendorp,  "  is  usually  the  case."  This  writer  visited  a 
celebrated  example  at  Bischopsbrug.  It  was  surrounded  by  an 
oval  formed  of  numerous  stones,  measuring  124  feet  in  longer 
diameter.  Within  this  lay  the  dolmen  covered  by  three  stones 
and  a  portion  of  a  fourth.  These  stones  measured  9  feet  by  7  feet. 
The  breadth  at  the  E.  end  was  7  feet  6  ins.,  and  at  the  W.  rather 
over  5  feet  6  ins. 

Van  Langen,  who  had  a  collection  of  stone  celts,  etc.,  found  in 
dolmens  and  tumuli,  stated  to  Westendorp  that  he  had  never  found 
any  metal  implements  in  the  Hunebedden,  and  that  the  urn,  where 
he  had  discovered  one  in  any  of  them,  was  always  smaller  than 
those  taken  from  tumuli.  He  also  said  that  the  structures  always 
lay  E.  and  W. 

There  was  a  very  remarkable  monument  at  Kloppenburg,  lying 
on  rough  ground  on  the  slope  of  a  hill.  It  was  an  oblong  formed  of 
stones,  open  at  the  E.  end,  measuring  316  feet  in  length.  On  one 
side  thirty-three  stones  remained,  and  on  the  other  twenty-eight, 
but  many  were  wanting.  The  lines  were  5  paces  apart.  The 
stones  at  the  W.  end  were  of  great  size,  measuring  10  feet  6  ins. 
above  ground.  Within  this  oblong,  at  a  distance  of  less  than 
1 5  paces  from  the  W.  end,  was  the  "  cellar,"  as  it  is  termed, 
measuring  16  feet  long,  3  feet  6  ins.  broad  at  the  W.  end,  and  lying 
N.E.  and  S.W.  Westendorp  considers  it  a  middle  form  between 
the  open  and  the  covered  Hunebedden  of  Drenthe.  There  was 
a  legend  about  it  which  assigned  to  it  the  name  of  the  "  Visbeck 
Bride,"  a  lady  newly  married,  or  rather  about  to  be  married, 
who  had  wished  that  she  and  her  bridal  party  might  be  turned 
to  stone  on  the  way  to  the  wedding. 

Dr.  Osthoff,  of  Oldenburg,  informed  Westendorp  that  there 
were  many  examples  of  Hunebedden  at  Bassum,  all  pointing 
E.  and  W.  He  mentioned,  in  a  printed  account  of  one  which  was 
explored  between  Reksheim  and  Wildhuizen,  that  urns  orna- 
mented with  devices,  but  nothing  else,  were  found  in  it. 


550  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 

The  Pastor  Trenkamp  explored  one  at  Emsteck,  the  direction 
of  which  was  also  E.  and  W.  One  at  Wallenhorst,  in  the  district 
of  Iburg  called  Hoin,  was  found  to  contain  urns,  bones,  and 
pebbles.  The  cap-stones  appear  to  have  measured  together 
32  feet  long,  10  to  16  feet  broad,  and  2  feet  6  ins.  thick. 

For  dolmens  in  these  districts  we  may  also  consult  the  works 
of  Smids,  Keysler,  and  Rump.  Nunninghf  mentions  a  dolmen 
called  Saaj'bohfs  Jniis  in  the  Hummelingwoud.  There  was  a 
verse  about  this  dolmen,  which  will  be  quoted  subsequently. 

Westendorp  was  not  aware  of  the  existence  of  any  dolmens 
in  East  Friesland.  Searches  for  runes,  he  adds,  upon  any  of  the 
above  structures  have  been  fruitless. 

At  Helmstadt,  in  Brunswick-Wolfenbiittel,  is  another  fine 
Hiinenbed,  an  illustration  of  which  is  given  by  Keysler.J 

Tollius  noticed  two  monuments  of  the  same  class  on  his  way 
from  Halberstad  to  Magdeburg.§ 

On  the  Feldberg,  in  Hesse,  was  a  dolmen  popularly  called 
the  "Brunehild  Stone."  Lcct2d7is  Brttnehildc,  or  "  Brunhild's  little 
bed."  The  country-people  believed  that  at  night  flames  were 
seen  about  this  stone,  and  they  say  that  it  is  Brunhild's  place  of 
penance. [|  Whoever  this  Brunhild  was,  she  clearly  takes  the 
place  of  Grainne  in  the  Irish  dolmen-legends.  Von  der  Hagen 
considered  the  tradition  referred  to  the  Brynhild  of  the  Niebe- 
lungen  Lied,  and  Suhm  thought  he  had  found  a  passage  in  which 
it  was  actually  mentioned.^ 

Keysler  describes  and  figures  a  dolmen  with  a  single  covering- 
stone  at  Wildbaden  in  the  district  of  Wurtemberg. 

Nicholas  Schaterius,  in  his  "  History  of  Westphalia,"  gives  the 
accompanying  rude  plan  of  a  dolmen  between  Osnaburgh  and 
Wallenhorst,  consisting  of  a  single  block,  supported  on  either  side 
by  four  stones,  about  which  a  tradition  existed  that  the  covering- 
stone  had  been  broken  by  Charlemagne,  after  he  had  fought  with 
W^idekund  at  that  spot.    The  plan  shows  that  it  was  wedge-shaped. 

t  "  Sepulcretum  Westfalico-Mimigardicn-Gentili,  Francos,"  1814;  Bussching,  "  Erdbeschr.," 
iii.  I,  543,  662  ;  Miiser,  "Osnabruckische  Geschicte,"  i.  th.  pp.  269,  297  (Berlin,  1819);  Meijer, 
"  Darsielliingt-n,"  Dorar.,  1819  ;  Lodinian,  "In  nionum.  ad  arani  Ilonensem,  p.  120.  For  Sor- 
bold's  House  or  Grave,  which  lies  in  the  litirgerwald  in  the  N.  part  of  the  Iliinilinj^s,  see  "  Alter- 
thiimer  im  Kreise  Meppen,"  in  Archiv.  fiir  Ccschichtc  unci  Altcrthmiisktindc  WcslpliaUiis,  ed. 
Dr.  Paul  Wif^and,  vol.  ii.,  1827,  p.  166,  etc. 

+  "Anliquitates  SelectreSeplentrionalesct  CeUicce,"  1720.  See  also  Conringh,  "  De  Anliquissima 
Statu  Hclmstadii,  Conr.  Opern,"  vol.  v.  p.  358,  Brunswick,  1730. 

§  Jac.  Tollius,  "Kpist.  Iiiner.,"  vol.  i.  p.  19. 

II  Neuhofs  "  Buchlcin,"  Ilomlnirg,  1870. 

^  See  "  Die  Edda  Lieder  von  den  Niebelungtn,"  Breslau,  1814. 


North-West  Germany. 


551 


In     Brunswick- Luneburgh,    Keysler    mentions   that  dolmens 


^^sm 


^2^ 


Fig.  :jII.—  'S-\.im  L.it  L-ius,    ih_  L..Ll,_nste  n,  a  IL...eL.i  at  IIel..ista.U  ..1  l.a„.,.l.al.».     /.o.,. 
Conringh  {,'■'■  De  Ant.  Helvistad.  Stain.,"  p.  25,  and  Eccart.  pi,  viii.,  sec.  43). 

are  to  be  found  in  many  places.  One  group  bears  the  name 
of  the  Seven  Steenhensen. 
It  is  near  Walenbostel,  and 
has  been  previously  men- 
tioned at  p.  547,  and  Fig. 
509.  Others  are  found 
in  the  Duchy  of  Bremen  ; 
one  on  the  top  of  a  moun- 
tain at  Helmstadt  called 
the  Ltibbenstein  ;  and 
others,  again,  on  some  of 
the  heights  of  the  Hercy- 
nian,  that  is,  the  Hartz 
Mountains. f 

With     respect      to     the        FJG.  512. — Very  nule  plan  of  wedge-shaped  dolmen  in 
^  Westphalia.     FroDi  Scliatcrius. 

size  of  some  of  the  roofing- 
stones,  this  writer  states  that  under  that  in  the  Hummelino-woud 


t  "  Antiq.  Select.,"  p.  6. 


d:)- 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


a  hundred  sheep  might  shelter  from  the  storm,  while,  according 
to  Picardt,  when  a  detachment  of  a  hundred  and  fifty  soldiers, 
passing  through  the  Munster  country,  tried  to  dislodge  one  at 
Amasen,  they  completely  failed  in  the  attempt. 


Holland. 

The  Province  of  Drenthe,  in  Holland,  contains  one  of  the 
most  important  groups  of  dolmens  in  Europe.  In  a  list  of 
the  names  of  places  in  the  Netherlands,  Belgium,  the  Duchy  of 
Luxembourg,  and  the  neighbouring  districts,  at  which  prehistoric 
antiquities  of  the  megalithic  class  occur,f  forty-two  dolmens 
are  recorded,  as  being  in  Drenthe,  and  since  in  this  list  the 
plural  "  dolmens  "  occurs  in  the  case  of  several  of  the  localities, 


Fir,.  513. — Etched  from  a  curious  old  engaving  in  Picardt's  work,  representing  the  giants  and 
dwarfs  who,  it  was  believed,  built  the  dolmens  of  Drenthe.  Another  of  Picardt's  illustrations 
has  been  given  at  p.  425  supra. 

it  is  clear  that  there  were  many  more.  On  the  subject  of  these 
monuments  a  very  curious  little  work  is  extant  by  John  Picardt, 
published  at  Amsterdam  in  i66o.;|;  His  view  with  regard  to  their 
constructors  followed  the  current  legends    and  traditions  handed 

+  It  was  drawn  up  by  Reuvens  in  1845.     See  A.  P.  Schaye's  "La  Belgique  et  Los  Pays  Bas." 
+  "Korte  beschryvinge  van  cenige  Vergetene  en  Verborgene  Antiquitaten  der  Provintien  en 
Landen  gelegen  tuschen  de  Noord-Zee,  de  Vssel,  Emse  en   Lippe,"  etc.,  Amsterdam,   1660.     .\ 
second  edition  was  printed  at  Groningen  in  1731,  but  it  does  not  contain  the  plates. 


Holland. 


553 


down  from  Saxo,  namely,  that  they  were  the  work  of  the  two 
races  of  men  who  inhabited  the  country,  the  Giants  and  the 
Dwarfs — the  former  being  cannibals,  and  eating  the  smaller  and 
impish  people,  when  they  had  dispensed  with  their  services  as 
dolmen-builders.  The  imaeination  of  the  writer  illustrates  the 
scenes  which  took  place  at  the  building  of  a  dolmen  in  two 
plates,  which  are  so  quaint  and  curious  that,  considering  that  one 
of  them  (Fig.  512)  contains  a  view  of  an  immense  monument  since 
destroyed,  I  may  be  pardoned  for  inserting. 

Besides  the  uncovered  Hunenbedden  there  were  also  dolmen- 
mounds,  the  hollow  vaults  in  the  centres  of  which  were,  he  tells 
us,  "according  to  the  general  belief,  inhabited  by  White  Women, 
and  the  memory  of  some  of  their  deeds  was,"  he  adds,  "  still 
fresh  in  the  minds  of  many  old  people."     The  natives  all  agreed 


Fig.  514. — A  "  White  Woman"  prophcsyiiiL;  from  a  dolmen-mound  in  Drenthe ;  Picardt's 
i^epresentation  of  the  popular  tradition. 

in  saying  that  round  about  these  mounds  a  great  deal  of  witchery 
had  of  old  been  practised,  and  that  mournful  cries  have  been  heard 
in  them.  Also,  that  these  witches  used  to  be  fetched  by  night  and 
day  by  women  in  childbirth,  and  that  they  could  afford  them  help 
when  all  else  had  failed.  They  told  fortunes,  too,  and  could  in- 
dicate the  whereabouts  of  stolen  property.  The  States  recognized 
something  divine   in   them.     Some   of  the   inhabitants  said  that 

VOL.  II.  K 


554  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 

they  had  themselves  been  inside  these  mounds,  and  seen  and 
heard  incredible  things,  but  that  they  had  promised  not  to  tell 
them.  They  (the  witches)  were  swifter  than  any  creature.  They 
always  dressed  in  white,  by  reason  of  which  they  were  called 
IVitte  Wyven,  or  simply  De  Witter.  "  A  large  number  of  mounds," 
it  is  added,  "were  called  Wittcn  for  this  same  reason,  although 
their  colour  mio'ht  be  black." 

It  is  singular  to  notice  here,  in  every  detail,  the  exact 
counterpart  of  Irish  tradition  in  relation  to  so  many  cairns  and 
tumuli.  We  are  reminded  also  of  the  account  which  Tacitus 
gives  of  Yeleda  and  other  prophetic  women. f 

The  HUnenbedden  described  in  this  work  are  said  to  measure, 
for  the  most  part,  from  1 6  to  20  yards  in  length,  and  from  4  to  6 
yards  in  breadth.  They  lay  in  a  direction  E.  and  W.,  and 
consisted  of  smaller  pillars  fixed  in  the  ground,  supporting  larger 
blocks,  measuring  from  20  to  40  feet  in  circumference. 

Ubbo  Emmius,  the  historian  of  the  Frisians, J  regarded  these 
Drenthe  structures  as  the  monuments  of  the  ancient  Frisians. 
"  I  think  it  worth  noticing,"  he  writes,  "  as  others  have  done, 
that  in  this  district  numerous  rocks  are  found,  piled  up  in  such 
fashion  that,  on  account  of  their  massive  proportions,  it  seems 
past  belief  that  any  carrying  power — that  any  force  of  man — could 
remove  them.  The  opinion  prevails  that  they  are  altars,  for 
while  some  of  the  stones  lie  on  the  ground,  others  are  laid  upon 
them  horizontally,  and  underneath  the  latter  a  hole  (/orauien)  is 
left,  through  which  a  man  might  creep.  The  tale  goes  that  the 
pagans,  accustomed  in  former  times  to  practise  human  sacrifices,, 
compelled  those  men  that  were  to  be  slaughtered  to  pass  through 
these  holes,  and  having  defiled  the  bodies  of  the  intended  victims 
as  they  passed  through,  with  dung  and  other  filth  thrown  on  them 
by  the  crowd,  put  them  up  on  the  altar-stones,  and  offered  them 
in  sacrifice.  The  custom  prevailed,  it  is  said,  down  to  the  time  of 
Boniface,  Bishop  of  Utrecht.  For  this  reason  it  is  that  even 
to  the  present  day  the  natives  call  these  holes  by  a  foul  name." 
The  name  here  alluded  to  is  the  Duyvel's  Kutte.§ 

Schonhovius   adds  to  the  above  account  that  strangers  (and 

t  Veleda  herself,  however,  resided  in  tlie  summit  of  a  lofty  tower,  whence  she  issued  her 
prophecies.  Irish  legend  connects  the  Round  Towers  with  women,  and,  in  the  case  of  Clonmac- 
noise,  with  whi(e  women,  who,  on  particular  days,  occupied  its  top. 

X  *'  Rerum  Frisicarum  Historia  "  (Lug.  Hat.,  1616),  p.  21,  and  end  of  lib.  i. 

§  See  Slictenhorst,  Arend  van.,  vol.  xiv.  ;  "  Bockcn  van  de  Geldersee  Geschiedc  Missen," 
Arnham  (1654),  vol.  i,  p.  78. 


Holland.  555 

we  may  presume,  if  there  is  truth  in  the  tradition,  prisoners  of 
war)  were  the  victims. f 

Down  to  the  sixteenth  century  traces  of  this  practice  are  said 
to  have  survived.  Luckless  strangers,  especially  if  from  Brabant, 
were  subjected  to  the  same  ignominious  treatment  above  referred 
to,  but  stopping  short  of  the  sacrificial  portion  of  the  process,  at 
these  places. 

KeyslerJ  mentions  the  Drenthe  monuments,  and  compares 
them  to  Stonehenge,  to  which,  however,  they  bear  little  or  no 
resemblance,  except  in  the  size  of  the  stones. 

In  1789  Prince  Dimitri  de  Gallitzin  visited  Drenthe,  and  sent 
an  account  of  the  dolmens  and  tumuli  there  to  Professor  Camper, 
which  was  published  with  six  illustrations.  He  quotes  a  work 
on  the  subject  by  M.  Van  Lier.  He  states,  among  other  things, 
that  the  stones  of  which  they  are  composed  are  not  found  in  the 
natural  geological  formation  of  Drenthe.  The  reason  of  this 
is  that  they  are  erratics  with  which  the  surface  is  covered. 
His  illustrations  include:  (i)  A  dolmen,  or  "  Hunnen-bed," 
situated  in  a  field  to  the  W.  of  Nordlaren.  The  covering- 
stone,  which  measures  ;^^  feet  5  ins.  in  circumference,  is  sup- 
ported upon  five  others,  and  there  is  a  small  additional  covering- 
stone.  (2)  A  monument  between  Anlo  and  Sudlaren,  having  an 
entrance  on  the  S.  side.  There  are  four  roofing-stones,  which 
diminish  in  size  towards  the  east.  It  appears  that  there  were 
four  stones  at  either  side,  and  one  at  each  end,  with  two  thin 
ones  on  edge  forming  the  sides  of  the  little  entrance.  The  roof- 
ing-stone measured  28  feet  3  ins.  in  circumference.  (3)  A 
monument   near    Aunen,    the    "  table-stone "  of  which  measured 


t  The  work  of  Antonius  Schoahovius,  Batavus,  "  De  origine  et  sedibus  Francorum,"  etc.,  will  be 
found  in  the  "  Veteris  ajvianalecta  of  Ant.  Matth^eus,  Hagce-Com.,"  2  edit.,  1738,  torn.  i.  p.  37.  At 
p.  41  is  his  notice  of  the  Drenthe  monuments,  which  I  prefer  to  leave  untranslated :  "  Praacipua  eorum 
(i.e.  Teventeri,  afterwards  called  Tencteri)  regio  adhuc  Trenta  sive  Drenta  dicitur,  ex  quo  medise- 
jetatis  scriptores  Trentones  fecere.  Sane  non  possum  hie  praeterire  Columnas  illas  Herculis  quas 
Tacitus  ('  De  Mor.  Germ.,'  c.  34)  in  Frisiis  fuisse  magna  celebritate  commemorat,  quarum  reliquiae 
hac  tracta  Trenterorum,  hoc  est  in  Drenta,  adhuc  visuntur,  vico  Roelden,  haud  procul  a  Coevordia, 
non  sine  spectantium  admiratione.  Sunt  enim  singuli  lapides  (quorum  non  parvus  acervus  est) 
tantre  magnitudinis,  ut  nuUos  currus,  nullasque  naves  admittere  posse  videantur :  neque  ibi  fodinai 
lapidum  sunt,  ut  loco  paludoso ;  quare  suspicio  est  eos  illuc  a  daemonibus,  qui  Herculis  nomine  ibi 
colebantur,  adductos  fuisse.  Stabant  enim  super  columnas  arae  {'  Saxa  vocant  Itali,'  ut  quidam  inquit 
Poeta,  Virg.,  '^-En.'  i.  109),  quas  ad  aras  incolre  vivos  immolabant,  maximeque  advenas,  quos  prius 
quam  mactarent,  cogebant  transire  augustam  foramen,  quod  sub  aris  erat,  transeuntemque 
stercoribus  infectabantur,  ac  petebant.  Quod  et  hodie  faciunt  presertim  si  Brabantum  nacti 
fuerint,  unde  soepe  csedes  oriuntur.  Foramen  ipsum  ob  ignominiam  Duvels  Kut,  hoc  est,  Dae- 
monis  cunnus,  appellatur.  \Kut  Hollandice  =  pudendum  feminos].  Sed  immolationem  sustulit  D. 
Bonifacius.  Hujus  monumenti  videndi  causa  Drusus  Germanicus  fama  excitus,  auspiciis  Augusti, 
primus  Romanorum  Septentrionalem  Oceanum  navigavit,  teste  Plinio,  lib.  i.  v." 

X  "  Antiq.  Select.,"  p,  6,  1720. 


556  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 

28  feet  3  ins.  In  circumference,  extremely  like  one  in  the 
Co.  Down,  Ireland.  (4)  A  dolmen  near  the  mill  of  Eext, 
unroofed,  and  in  a  tumulus.  The  vault  measures  12  feet 
long,  and  there  appear  to  be  three  large  stones  on  either 
side,  and  one  at  either  end.  The  terminal  stones  measure 
respectively  5  feet  10  ins.  by  4  feet  6  ins.,  and  5  feet  5  ins. 
by  4  feet  6  ins.  The  greater  axis  is  E.  and  W.,  and  the 
entrance  is  to  the  S.f  (5)  A  "  Hunnenbed "  near  Eext,  the 
stones  composing  which  extended  to  a  length  of  59  feet. 
There  seem  to  have  been  four  stones  on  either  side,  supporting 
four  on  the  top.  Some  of  the  stones  had  been  displaced,  and 
others  were  covered  over  by  sand.  This  great  mass  of  stones 
appeared  to  have  formed  several  Hunnenbedden.  (6)  Another 
"  Hunnenbed "  near  Eext,  completely  ruined.  This  structure 
is  very  similar  indeed  to  the  Labbacallee,  near  Fermoy.  Three 
stones  are  in  place  on  the  top.  One  of  these  measured  26  feet 
in  circumference,  10  feet  in  length,  and  6  feet  in  thickness  ; 
another  was  29  feet  in  circumference. 

In  1822,  Nicolas  Westendorf  J  published  at  Groningen  his 
treatise  on  the  Hunebedden,  with  special  reference  to  those  of 
Drenthe,  of  which  latter  he  gives  examples  in  twenty  localities, 
including  some  forty  or  fifty  monuments.  He  adds  illustrations 
of  two  of  them  ;  first,  the  uncovered  monument  at  Tinaarloo, 
and  second,  a  covered  structure  at  Emmen.  After  treating  the 
question  of  the  ethnological  identity  of  the  dolmen-builders  by  an 
exhaustive  process — considering  the  claims  of  each  nation  known 
to  history  in  turn — he  comes  to  the  conclusion  that  they  were 
the  work  of  the  Celts. 

From  Mr.  Alfred  Sadler's  paper  §  on  the  "  Hunebeds  of 
Drenthe "  we  derive  the  information  that  the  material  of  these 
structures  is  coarse  granite,  and  that  the  rocks  are  erratic 
boulders.  The  average  height  of  the  interior  vault  or  chamber 
is  3  feet ;  Its  breadth  3  feet  to  4  feet  6  ins.  There  are  spaces 
between  the  side-stones.  One  of  the  roofing-stones  of  the 
example  at  Midlaren  was  estimated  to  weigh  52,000  lbs.  The 
porticoes,  which  run  at  right  angles  to  one  side,  are  formed  of 
from   two  to   six    stones.     Some    "  Hunebeds "    are  surrounded 

t  See  Van  Licr,  "  Oudheidkuiidige  IJiieven,"  1760. 

X  "  Vcrhaiuleling  over  de  Hunebedden  "  (Groningen,  1822),  pp.  4O-90. 

§  "  Journ.  Roy.  Archaol.  Assoc,"  1870,  pp.  53-60. 


Holland.  557 

by  enclosures,  square  or  oval,  formed  of  smaller  stones.  In 
one  case  the  structure  had  been  erected  in  a  pit  (as  is  the 
case  with  some  of  the  Caucasian  dolmens),  so  that  the  roofing- 
stones  were  level  with  the  ground.  Mr.  Sadler  thought  they 
had  all  been  covered  with  earth. 

The  fullest  and  best  account  of  the  dolmens  of  Drenthe 
which  has  appeared  in  any  English  publication  is  that  of  Dr. 
D.  Lubach.j 

The  mec-alithic  monuments  called  Hunebedden  consist,  he 
says,  of  large  cap-stones,  commonly  of  granite,  supported  by 
smaller  uprights,  the  latter  forming  two  rows  with  a  space  of  one 
or  two  metres  between  them.  The  two  longer  sides  of  a  Himebed 
are  never  pai^alleL  They  expand  to  the  west,  or  towards  tha( 
part  ivhich  is  7nost  zvesterly,  the  consequence  being  that  they  are 
widest  at  that  end.  Generally,  also,  the  uprights  and  the  cap- 
stones increase  in  bulk  towards  the  west  end,  and  thus  the  whole 
Hunebed  is  7iot  only  broader,  but  also  higher.  I  have  given  this 
passage  in  italics  because  it  shows  an  exact  correspondence  in 
points  of  detail  with  so  large  a  proportion  of  the  dolmens  of 
Ireland. 

The  average  height  between  the  under  surface  of  the  roofing- 
stones  and  the  floor  is  one  metre.  The  crevices  between  the  side- 
stones  and  the  roofing-stones  were  undoubtedly  filled  with  small 
pieces  of  stone.  In  the  best-preserved  examples  each  end  is 
closed  by  a  single  stone.  It  does  not  seem  probable  that  the 
entrance  was  at  either  end.  In  many  instances,  indeed,  a  so- 
called  "portal"  is  found,  consisting  of  two  rows,  each  formed 
by  two  or  three  stones,  placed  at  right  angles  to  one  of  the 
longer  sides  of  the  Hunebed,  and  rather  towards  the  S.  end — 
a  point  in  which  these  monuments  agree  with  some  of  those  of 
Sweden,  but  differ  from  Irish  examples.  These  "portals"  are 
never  covered  over  by  cap-stones,  a  point  in  which  they  differ 
from  those  in  Sweden,  and  also,  says  Dr.  Lubach,  from  those 
in  Germany.  The  outer  surfaces  both  of  the  stones  which  form 
the  sides  and  roof  are  rough,  angular,  and  somewhat  rounded, 
while  the  inner  surfaces  are  flat — a  characteristic  of  dolmen- 
building  which  is  universal. 

In  some  of  the  stones  formingf  the  structure  small  holes  are 
found,  evidently  artificial,  and  bored  to  the  depth  of  one  centim^etre . 

t  "Journ.  of  the  Anthrop.  Institute,"  vol.  vi.  (1876),  p.  158. 


558  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


"  Many  of  the  monuments,  originally  perhaps  all,  are  surrounded 
by  a  row  of  stones,  placed  at  a  distance  of  about  three  steps 
from  the  Hunebed.  The  position  of  the  monument  is  invariably 
E.  and  W."  Dr.  Lubach  takes  sixty  instances,  in  which  fifteen 
are  E.  and  \V.,  two  N.  and  S..  twenty-four  N.W.  and  S.E., 
sixteen  N.E.  and  S.W.,  two  N.W.  by  W.  and  S.E.  by  E.,  and 
one  N.E.  by  E.  and  S.W.  by  W. 

Two-fifths,  at  least,  of  them  stood  In  a  hollow  on  the  top 
of  a  low  tumulus — the  hollow  not  being  deep  enough  to  hide 
the  structure  from  view.  Dr.  Lubach  agrees  with  Mr.  Sadler  in 
thinking  that  they  were  all  originally  covered  with  mounds  of 
earth,  and  the  entrance  to  the  "  portal  "  was  probably  closed  with 
a  large  stone. 

Although,  as  he  states,  only  fifty-five  examples  now  exist 
in  Drenthe,  their  number  was  probably  once  much  greater,  and 
the  eastern  half  of  the  Province  once  covered  with  them.  They 
are  not  found  in  other  parts  of  the  Netherlands,  however,  with 
the  exception  of  a  doubtful  monument  near  the  village  of  De 
Vuursche,    in   the    Province    of    Utrecht.     Those    that    are   still 


Fig.  515. — Hunebed  of  1  inaarloo,  Drenilie.     From  old cn^ravin^  by  ll'estcndorp. 

extant  in  Drenthe  owe  their  preservation  to  the  backwardness 
of  that  district,  as  is  evinced  by  the  prevalence  of  old  customs 
there.  Christianity  reached  it,  however,  in  the  eighth  century, 
and  the  people  would  then  have  destroyed  their  ancient  monu- 
ments, more  especially  had  they  been,  as  almost  certainly  they 
were,  the  sites  of  pagan  superstitious  rites,  even,  possibly,  as  we 
have  seen,  including  human  sacrifices. 

]\Iany  churches.  Dr.  Lubach  thinks,  may  have  been  built 
with  the  stones  that  formed  them.  He  instances  the  tower  of 
the  church  at  Emmen,  which  consists  of  irregular  blocks  of  stone 
like  those  which  were  used  in  Hunebedden. 


Holland.  559 

The  Hunebed  of  Tinaarloo,  mentioned  by  every  writer  who 
describes  the  series,  may  be  taken  as  typical  of  the  rest.  For 
comparison  with  Irish  dolmens  I  will  here  give  its  description 
and  dimensions  in  Dr.  Lubach's  words :  "  It  consists  of  two 
rows  of  upright  stones,  each  row  containing  three  stones,  with 
two  end-stones  and  three  cap-stones.  No  trace  of  a  *  portal '  or 
outer  circle  exists.  The  entire  length  (S.E.  and  N.W.)  is 
570  m.,  the  greatest  breadth  3  m.,  and  the  greatest  height  1*57  m. 
The  end-stones  measure  respectively — 


Height . 

Breadth. 

Thickness. 

a  =  075  metre 

I  "oo  metre 

o'45  metre 

/'  =  072     ,, 

I-I3    .. 

0-32     „ 

The  side-stones — 

Height. 

Breadth. 

Thickness. 

a  =  070  metre 

I  -oo  metre 

0*56  metre 

/>  =  o-7S     ,, 

1-25     „ 

0-S3     ,, 

c  =  o*66     ,, 

I'OO      ,, 

075     » 

d=0"Jl      ,, 

I -GO      „ 

075     » 

t'  =:  072       ,, 

0-92      „ 

o'35     » 

/=o-64     ,, 

I'OO     ,, 

0-58    „ 

The  roofing-stones — 

Height. 

Breadth. 

Thickness. 

rt  =  2"oo  metre 

2"oo  metre 

o"66  metre 

l>  =  I'OO      ,, 

2-00      ,, 

o-Si     ,, 

(T  =    1-26       ,, 

2-45     .> 

0-88     „ 

"One  near  the  village  of  Borger  measures  22  m.  long  (N.W. 
and  S.E.),  3-8  m.  broad,  and  2*8  m.  in  greatest  height.  The  breadth 
of  the  vault  inside  is,  at  the  W.  end  2*5  m.,  and  at  the  E. 
end  17  m.  The  space  between  the  upright  stones  is  0*85  m. 
The  length  of  the  largest  roofing-stone  is  over  9  m.,  its 
breadth  2  m.,  and  its  thickness  i  m.  There  are  twelve  up- 
right side-stones  on  the  N.E.  side,  and  thirteen  at  the  S.W. 
side.  There  is  one  terminal  stone  at  the  S.E.  end,  and  three 
are  roofing-stones  in  all.  There  is  no  terminal  stone  at  the 
N.W.  end.  At  the  S.W.  side  are  the  remains  of  a  'portal' 
formed  of  six  stones,  three  on  either  side. 

"  The  largest  of  the  Hunebedden  near  Emmen  is  26  m.  long 
(E.  and  W.),  and  13  m.  broad.  There  are  eleven  upright  stones 
on  either  side  of  the  vault,  two  terminal  stones,  and  seven 
roofing-stones.  The  length  of  the  largest  roofing-stone  is 
375  m.,  its  breadth  2*5  m.,  and  its  thickness  0*5  m.  The 
vault  is  about  3  m.  broad  in  the  middle.  At  the  S.  side  are 
traces  of  a  '  portal.'  The  structure  is  surrounded  by  an  oval 
range  of  stones. 


560  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


"  In  the  Province  of  Groningen,  near  the  frontier  of  Drenthe, 
is  the  Hunebed  of  Noordlaren.  Two  roofing- stones  are  laid 
on  four  upright  side-stones,  and  there  is  one  terminal  stone  at 
the  N.E.  end.  The  structure  seems  to  have  been  much  larger, 
but  the  S.W.  portion  has  been  probably  removed.  The  largest 
roofing-stone  measures  3-5  m.  long,  2-25  m.  broad,  and  1-5  m. 
thick.     There  are  traces  of  a  surrounding  circle. 

"  There  is  another  on  the  road  from  Emmen  to  Odoorn,  con- 
sisting of  three  uprights  at  the  N.  side,  and  four  at  the  S., 
with  a  terminal  stone  at  each  end,  and  four  cap-stones.  The 
length  is  5*5  m.,  the  breadth  2*2  m.,  and  the  height  1*5  m." 

Dr.  Lubach  mentions  other  Hunebedden  at  Rolde,  and  on  the 
way  from  Borgar  to  Rumen,  the  roofing-stones  of  which  latter 
are  very  flat  on  the  upper  side.  There  was  also  a  triple  Hunebed 
near  Emmen. 

"  Near  Eext  is  a  monument  of  a  class  to  which  the  Dutch 
give  the  name  of  'Grafk elders,'  i.e.  Grave-cellars,  but  which  seems 
to  be  only  differentiated  from  the  Hunebed  in  the  fact  that  the 
proportions  are  somewhat  smaller,  and  that  the  structure  is  buried 
in  a  tumulus.  The  northern  and  southern  walls  of  the  example  in 
question  consist  each  of  three  flat  stones  tightly  joined  together, 
and  in  the  S.  side  a  space  of  o"6  m.  has  been  left  for  ingress  by 
means  of  steps.  The  length  of  the  side  walls  is  about  3*7  m.  The 
E.  and  W.  ends  are  each  formed  of  a  single  stone,  that  at  the 
E.  end  being  17  m.  broad,  and  that  at  the  W.  2*05  m.  The 
roofing-stones  are  three  in  number. 

"  Two  similar  monuments  buried  in  tumuli  have  been  found 
near  Emmen.  They  were  close  together,  and  the  space  in  which 
they  were  was  surrounded  by  an  oval  range  of  stones,  measuring 
about  1*5  m.  high,  and  0*9  m.  broad.  The  one  of  which  I  annex 
two  sections  bears  a  strikincr  resemblance  to  monuments  in  the 
West  of  France,  and  in  the  Basque  Provinces  of  Spain,  as,  for 
example,  that  at  Equilaz,  in  the  latter  country,  to  be  noticed  as 
we  proceed. 

"  Explorations  in  the  Hunebeds  have  disclosed,  below  the  sand 
which  filled  the  upper  part  of  the  vaults,  a  floor  of  pebbles, 
between  which,  and  sometimes  resting  on  a  lower  floor,  were  found, 
imbedded  in  sand  and  mixed  with  charcoal  and  ashes,  urns 
containing  burnt  bones,  fragments  of  rude  pottery,  implements 
and   weapons — ahuays   of  stone,    never    of  metal — celts,   knives, 


Holland. 


561 


arrow-heads,  hammer  or  axe-heads,  etc.,  sometimes  of  flint,  some- 
times of  granite,  syenite,  serpentine,  jaspar,  agate,  etc.,  of  various 
degrees  of  finish  and  workmanship." 

Dr.  Lubach,  from  whom  I  have  quoted,  states  that  between 
the  two  floors  of  the  structure  at  Eext  were  found  urns,  celts,  a 
hammer  or  axe  with  a  hole  in  it,  a  flint  arrow-head,  and  a  globular 
piece  of  yzer-oei',  or  iron  ore  (oxyde  of  iron),  a  mineral  formation 
frequently  found  in  the  diluvium  of  the  Netherlands. 

Mr.  Sadler  adds  some  particulars  of  finds  which  slightly  differ 


Fig.  516. — Sections  (Fig.  i,  E.  and  W.  ;  Fig.  2,  N.  and  S.)  of  a  dolmen  in  its  tumulus  at  Drenthe. 
From  an  old  engraving  in  IVesteiidorp. 

from  the  above.  In  addition  to  burnt  human  bones  and  ashes, 
flint  and  stone  implements  and  coarse  pottery,  he  says  that  bone 
implements  are  found  in  Hunebeds.  With  regard  to  the  urns 
found  in  them,  he  makes  the  remark  that  they  are  generally 
smaller  than  those  found  in  the  tumuli,  and  of  better  workmanship 
— a  fact  which  is  absolutely  true  in  the  case  of  Irish  pottery.  They 
are  of  a  brown  or  ash  colour,  occasionally  adorned  with  straight 
or  wavy  lines.  Their  appearance  gave  him  the  idea  that  they 
had  been  cast  in  a  mould,  rather  than  hand-made.  None  were 
glazed,  but  some  seemed  to  have  been  polished.  He  contrasts 
the  discovery  of,  generally  speaking,  more  than  one  urn  in  the 
Drenthe  structures,  with  that  of  a  single  one  placed  under  the 
central  cap-stone  in  Hunebeds  in  Westphalia,  and  elsewhere  in 
Germany. 

Among  the  objects  of  stone  found  in  the  Drenthe  examples 
were  axes  and  hammers  of  grey  granite,  or  of  basalt.  A  great 
number,  also,  were  of  jade  corresponding  to  that  found  in  the 
mountains  of  Switzerland  and  Savoy.  The  implements  were  of 
superior  workmanship,  and  equal  to  the  best  manufacture  of  the 
South   Sea    Islanders.     Among    the  objects   mentioned   by    Mr. 


562  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 

Sadler  are  celts  of  llint,  of  German  agate  and  of  claystone 
porphyry,  some  rough,  some  polished ;  one  piece  of  a  whetstone  ; 
one  bone  arrow-head  ;  and  discs  of  stone  or  baked  clay,  5  or  6 
inches  in  diameter,  and  2  inches  thick,  having  a  round  hole  in  the 
centre,  and  marked  with  one  or  more  crosses.  These  discs,  he 
considers,  may  have  been  used  in  a  game,  such  as  is  played  on 
the  island  of  Gothland,  where  a  stone,  flat  on  both  sides,  and 
as  nearly  circular  as  possible,  is  used.  One  of  these  stones  is  in 
the  Museum  at  Kiel,  and  is  similar  to  those  from  the  Hunebeds. 
Precisely  similar  stones  were  used  until  recently  in  West  Corn- 
wall. I  have  seen  many  specimens  of  them  picked  up  on  the 
moors,  and  measuring,  like  those  of  Gothland,  from  3  to  5  ins. 
in  diameter,  and  about  i  in.  thick.  They  were  thrown  at  a 
mark  at  distances  of  some  16  to  24  paces. 

I  have  mentioned  some  of  the  traditions  relative  to  the  Hune- 
beds. I  may  add  from  Mr.  Sadler's  paper  a  few  more.  On  the 
stones  of  one  at  Oosterwoede  marks  were  pointed  out  to  him  as 
the  finger-marks  of  the  giants  who  had  piled  the  rocks  one  on  the 
other.  Of  the  stones  at  Borger  it  was  said  that  they  were  cast  by 
ofiants  a  distance  of  a  mile  at  a  time.     About  one   near  Sleen 

o 

a  local  legend  said  that  it  was  built  by  a  spirit  which  still  haunts 
it.  This  monument  bears  a  curious  name  among  the  people, 
namely,  the  **  Parsonless  Church."  Some  old  traditions  include 
the  Hunebeds,  as  well  as  the  tumuli,  in  the  class  of  structures 
which  were  held  to  be  the  favourite  haunt  of  the  kind  of  witches 
known  as  the  White  Women.  Lastly,  in  times  past,  but  still 
not  unremembered,  few  of  the  peasantry  were  bold  enough  to 
approach  these  weird  piles  in  the  dark  hours  of  night. 

In  addition  to  the  megalithic  monuments  just  described, 
Drenthe  possesses  a  large  number  of  tumuli,  a  considerable  group 
of  which  lay  around  the  plain  of  Ballerkoele,  probably  once  a 
place  of  assembly  and  worship.  Here  was  the  Baller-houdt,  or 
Baller-wood,  and  the  Baller-kuile,  which  Picardt  described  as 
a  great  curiosity,  being  apparently  an  enclosure  surrounded  by 
a  bank,  around  which  were  seats  made  of  earth,  where  not  only, 
so  he  thought,  were  "  the  great  assemblies  of  the  States  held,  but 
where  strange  solemnities  were  performed,  for  which  both  the 
kuyl,  i.e.  the  hollow  place  within  the  bank,  and  the  seats  sur- 
rounding it  were  used."  f 

t  "  Kortc  beschiyvinge"  (1731),  p.  214. 


Holland.  563 

The  tumuli  are  usually  round,  sometimes  oval,  and  rarely 
square,  from  3  to  5  mm.  in  diameter.  There  are  oblong  ones 
also,  from  3  to  5  mm.  broad,  and  from  10  to  30  mm.  long.  Many 
of  these  are  surrounded  by  ranges  of  stones. 

Dr.  Lubach  describes  the  contents  of  these  tumuli  as  "  (1)  urns 
of  rude  pottery,  containing  burnt  human  bones  ;  (2)  small  heaps 
of  human  bones  ;  (3)  objects  of  earthenware,  such  as  drinking- 
cups  and  other  vessels,  discs,  etc.  ;  (4)  implements  of  bronze, 
rarely  of  iron,  but  (with  one  exception)  never,"  as  far  as  he  knew, 
"  of  stone ;  metal  spear-heads,  arrow-heads,  knives,  daggers,  the 
fragments  of  a  sword,  celts — in  form  very  like  those  found  in 
England — hairpins,  fragments  of  armlets,  etc.  The  urns  were 
often  adorned  with  rows  of  lines  or  punctures.  If  there  were 
more  urns  than  one  in  the  same  tumulus,  they  were  often  placed 
one  above  the  other,  and  sometimes  were  inverted.  In  some 
tumuli  no  urns  were  found,  but  only  heaps  of  burnt  bones ;  in 
others  were  similar  heaps  and  urns  as  well." 

"  Urns  have  been  found,"  he  proceeds,  "  which  contain  small 
urns  filled  with  bones  of  little  children  " — which  latter  statement, 
perhaps,  requires  verification. 

Sometimes  the  tumulus  covers  the  urns  placed  simply  in  the 
earth  of  which  it  consists ;  sometimes  they  are  placed  on  a 
little  pile  of  pebbles  in  the  interior  ;  sometimes  they  stand  on 
a  floor  of  pebbles ;  sometimes  they  are  between  two  such  floors  ; 
sometimes  they  are  surrounded  with  an  enclosure  of  larger  stones  ; 
and,  lastly,  they  are  sometimes  placed  in  a  cist  in  the  shape 
of  a  trough. 

In  some  cases,  where  a  flooring  of  pebbles  is  found,  it  extends 
far  beyond  the  area  covered  by  the  mound,  and  as  much  as  a 
hundred  cartloads  of  pebbles  have  been  removed  from  one  single 
floor.  The  earthen  material  of  the  mound  is  frequently  found  to 
be  mingled  with  charcoal  and  ashes  in  considerable  quantity.f 

Dr.  Lubach  remarks  that,  while  it  is  the  opinion  of  Dutch 
archaeologists  that  tumuli  of  this  latter  description  are  attributable 


t  Other  notices  of  dolmens  in  Drenthe  will  be  found  in  "  Antiquiteiten,"  edit,  by  N.  Westen- 
dorp  and  C.  J.  C.  Reuvens  ;  in  "  Alphabetisch  naamliist  van  de  in  Nederland,  Belgie  en  een 
gedeelte  der  aangreuzende  landen  gefonden  romeinsche,  germaansche  of  gallische  oudheden " 
(Leyden,  1845),  by  Reuvens;  in  the  "  Kronik  van  het  Utrechtsgenoots  "  (1846),  pp.  23  and  128; 
in  the  "Drenthe  wolks  Almanack,"  1837,  p.  127;  "  Vrye  Fries,"  v.  p.  338;  "Sim.  de  Vries 
Wanderen  de  Zeen,"  p.  521  ;  "Johan.  Mensinga  in  Saxa  Agri  Trentini,"  1687;  Slichtenhorst, 
"Gelders  Geschichte,"  I.  i.  p.  78;  Blancard,  "  Holl,  Jaaregister,"  cent.  viii.  n.  96;  Janssen, 
quoted  in  Fergusson's  R.S.M.,  and  Fergusson,  R.S.M.,  himself. 


564  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


to  Germanic  peoples,  it  is  also  their  opinion  that  the  Hunebeds 
belong  to  pre-Germanic  inhabitants. 

The  same  problem  presents  itself  in  the  British  Isles,  and  in 
Ireland  especially,  where  we  have  the  dolmens,  which  are  the 
Hunebeds,  on  the  one  hand,  and  the  tumuli  with  urns  and  cists  on 
the  other.  Whatever  be  the  true  ethnic  explanation  in  the  one 
case  should  hold  good  in  the  other  also. 

On  the  shore  of  the  island  of  Urck,  which  in  old  times,  says 
Keysler,  was  washed  by  the  Rhine,  but  is  now  surrounded  by 
the  Zuyderzee,  stones  of  great  size  are  to  be  seen,  for  the  most 
part  overthrown  by  the  waves,  which  the  elder  school  of  Dutch 
German  antiquaries  seem  to  have  regarded  as  the  remains  of 
megalithic  monuments.f 

Belgium. 

The  dearth  of  megalithic  remains  in  Belgium  has  often 
been  a  matter  of  surprise  to  archceologists.  Before,  however, 
any  final  conclusion  is  arrived  at  on  this  subject,  it  is  necessary 
to  refer  to  the  local  authorities,  from  which  it  will  appear  that, 
although  rare,  and  scattered  widely  apart,  they  were  by  no 
means  absent  from  the  country.  Many,  also,  are  known  to  have 
been  destroyed. 

In  the  Grand  Duchy  of  Luxembourg  is  the  Gruenstein,\  upon 
the  top  of  the  Manternach  Mountain,  described  by  Schayes  and 
others  as  a  "  dolmen  druidique,"  an  immense  block  of  stone  which 
'*  had  evidently  been  dragged  up  the  mountain  by  human  hands," 
but  which  had  been  overthrown  by  pleasure-seekers  in  about 
1820.  A  legend  regarding  it  existed,  namely,  that  the  Evil  Spirit 
dropped  it  here  on  account  of  its  weight,  when  carrying  it  to 
build  the  "  Devil's  Church  "  (Simeonsthor)  at  Trier,  and  that  he 
danced  with  rage  in  consequence.  Another  so-called  "  pierre 
druidique  "  was  at  Diekirch.§  It  was  called  the  DciwePs  altar, 
but,  like  the  Gruenstein,  it  had  been  reduced  to  "  shapeless  frag- 
ments." Only  six  or  seven  stones  of  this  monument  remained, 
upon  which  people  in  old  times  used  to  think  they  could  trace 


t  Kommelyn,  "In  de  ByvjEgselen  byde  Beschryving  van  Amsteldam," v.  p. 878;  Dirk  Bergar, 
"  De  Scolerer  Medcmblick,"  p.  36S  ;  and  Slichtenhoist,  "  Gelders  Geschichte." 

X  "  I'ublications  de  la  Soc.  pour  le  recherche  et  la  conservation  des  monuments  historiqucs  dans 
la  Grand-Duche  de  Luxembourg,"  vol.  vi.  (1S51),  p.  88  ;  id.  vol.  x.  (1854),  p.  69. 

§  Id.,  vol.  X.  p.  69,  and  vol.  vi.  p.  88;  and  "Leveque  de  la  basse-Monturie,"  Itin.,  p.  391. 


Belgium.  565 

the  imprints  of  wolves'  feet  {wol/sklauen).  In  the  map  it  is  seen 
that  the  whole  district  takes  its  name,  "  Diefelselter,"  from  this 
monument. 

The  existence  of  a  "  cromlech "  (by  which  a  stone-circle, 
according  to  the  French  application  of  the  term,  is  meant)  on 
the  Waldbillig  is  also  recorded,  and  also  that  of  the  Hcci^tches-ley 
at  Altlinster,  described  as  a  "  monument  druidique."  These  four 
monuments  comprise  the  entire  list  of  "  Celtic  Antiquities  "  which 
the  Statistiqite  Momcmentale  of  the  Duchy  could  supply.^  At 
Ferrieres-Saint- Martin,  however,  also  in  Luxembourg,  are  six 
dolmens  bearing  the  name  of  "  Pierres,  ou  Cunelees  du  Diable."  ^ 
With  the  latter  name  we  may  compare  that  of  the  "  Duyvel's 
Kutte,"  at  Drenthe.  Between  Hallaux  and  Stavelot,  and  at 
Malempre  et  Fraiture,  some  "  pierres  gigantesques "  have  also 
been  noticed,^  and  at  La  Roche  a  Fresne  *  were  some  *'  pierres 
druidiques  dits  du  Diable."  At  Mousny  were  menhirs  and 
"  tombes  gauloises."  ^  At  Salm-Chateau  was  a  great  wall  of 
unhewn  stones,  in  the  centre  of  which  was  a  "pierre  druidique."  ^ 
There  were  also  tumuli.  Lastly,  at  Waha  ^  was  a  "  sort  of 
menhir  "  overthrown,  and  also  "  tombes  gauloises." 

In  the  province  of  Hainault,  in  the  Commune  of  Hollain,  near 
Tournai,  was  the  "pierre  celtique,"  called  Brunehault,^  the  name 
of  which  we  may  compare  with  that  of  the  dolmen  called 
Brunefort  or  Brunevoord,^  mentioned  by  Wigand,  Klemm,  and 
Westendorp,  in  Westphalia,  and  that  of  the  Brynhild  Stone,  in 
Hesse.  This  is  a  menhir  13  feet  in  height,  standing  on  an  eleva- 
tion formerly  covered  by  forest.  The  stone  is  a  very  hard  grit. 
M.  Grangagnage,^"  in  his  notes  on  "  Druidical  Monuments  in 
the  Province  of  Liege,"  ^^  expressed  his  opinion  that  a  "  pierre 
druidique"  destroyed  at  Binche  (Hainault)  was  a  dolmen.  At 
Bray  in  the  same  Province  was  a  monolith,  and  at  Erbant  and 
Ghlin^^  "pierres  celtiques,"  which  here,  however,  mean  simply 
menhirs.  It  is  stated  that  from  the  debris  of  monuments  of  this 
class  Christians  constructed  their  own. 

*  "  Soc.  de  Luxemb.,"  ut  supra,  loc.  cit.  ^  "  Annales  de  la  Soc.  d'Arlon  "  (1847-49),  p.  88. 
^  Id.,  p.  92.                       ■•  Id.,  p.  93.  *  Id.,  p.  89.  *  Id.,  pp.  90,  91. 

"  "  Soc.  de  Luxemb.,"  ut  supra,  vol.  vi.  p.  88. 

*  Lambiez,  '•  Hist.Mon.  du  Nord  des  Gaules,"  p.  450;  De  Bast,  "Ant.,"  pp.  197,  547  ;  Nelis, 
"  Anc.  Mem.  de  I'Acad.  de  Brux.,"  i.  ;  "Bull,  de  la  Soc.  de  Tournai,"  i.  p.  81. 

"  Wigand,  Dr.  Paul,  "  Alterthiimer  im  Kreise  Meppen,  in  Archiv  fur  Geschichte  und  Alter- 
thiimskunde  Westphalens,"  vol.  ii.  (1827).  p.  179. 

'"  "  Messager  des  Sciences  hist,  de  Belgique  "  (1849),  p.  336  ;  Lambiez,  "  Hist.  INIon.  du  Nord 
des  Gaules,"  p.  154. 

"  "  Bull,  de  I'Acad.  de  Brux.,"  vol.  xviii.,  pt.ii.  p.  113.  '*  Id. 


566  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


In  the  Province  of  Liege,  there  was  a  dohnen  at  Romsee.f 
and  also  a  menhir  at  Louveigne.J  In  the  province  of  Flandre- 
Occidentale  was  a  "  pierre  celtique  "  at  Kerkhem,§  and  at  Assche, 
in  Brabant,||  was  a  "  pierre  druidique." 

On  the  right  bank  of  the  Meuse,  in  the  "  Plaine  de  Jambes," 
there  stood,  in  the  beginning  of  the  present  century,  a  dolmen 
called  La  Pierre  du  Diablc.  It  consisted  of  a  table-stone,  8  feet 
7  ins.  long,  6  feet  6  ins.  broad,  and  9  ins.  thick,  supported 
upon  two  others  fixed  vertically  on  edge  in  the  ground,  and 
measuring  8  feet  long,  5  feet  5  ins.  high,  and  3  feet  4  ins.  thick. 
More  anciently  there  were  four  stones,  the  two  forming  the  other 
sides  or  ends  having  been  broken  up.  The  longer  axis  of  the 
roofine-stone  was  E.  and  W.,  and  it  inclined  to  the  N.E.  In 
the  last  century  there  were  other  stones  lying  at  a  distance  of 
20  feet  from  the  structure,  supposed  to  be  the  remains  of  an  outer 
range,  or  of  a  passage-way.  They  were  nearly  as  large  as  those 
of  which  the  monument  was  composed.^ 

France. 

If  I  do  not  speak  of  the  dolmens  of  France  as  fully  as  I 
have  of  those  of  North  Germany  and  the  Western  Baltic,  it  is 
firstly,  bjecause  the  German  series  have  hitherto  been  almost 
overlooked  as  an  essential  factor — as  I  believe  them  to  be — in 
the  question  of  the  immediate  origin  of  the  West-British  and 
Irish  dolmens,  and  secondly,  because  the  general  types  and  area 
of  dispersion  of  the  French  series  are  already  so  well  known  to 
English  archaeologists  in  the  excellent  and  richly  illustrated  works 
of  Messrs.  Bertrand,  Cazalis  de  Fondouce,  Mortillet,  Cartaillac, 
and  others. 

The  areas  of  dispersion  of  the  dolmens  in  France  was  shown 
in  a  map  drawn  up  in  1867  by  M.  Bertrand.  Judging  from  this, 
and  from  more  recent  sources  of  information,  it  may  be  said  that 
they  are  not  found  east  of  the  middle  course  of  the  Rhone,  and 
are  but  sparsely  scattered  through  the  extreme  south-west  corner 
of  the  Republic,  where,  indeed,  in  the  llat  country  of  Les  Landes, 

t  "  Bull,  (le  I'Acad.  de  Belg.,"  vol.  xviii.,  pt.  ii.  p.  Ii8.  J  Id.,  p.  Il6. 

§  Wcslendorp  and  Reuvcns,  "  Antii|uilLil,"  iii.  p.  47. 

II  Communication  from  M.  Galcslool  to  Schayes  ;  "La  Beligiquc  et  Les  Pays-Bas,"  in  list  of 
monuments  s.v.  Assche. 

\  "  Ann.  de  la  Soc.  Archeol.  de  Namur,"  vol.  iii.  p.  151  ;  Vangeois,  "Mcmoires  de  TAcadeniie 
Celtique,"  vol.  iii.  p.  329. 


France.  567 

they  could  scarcely  be  expected.  Rarely,  again,  are  they  to  be 
met  with  north  of  the  Valley  of  the  Seine,  so  that,  with  the 
exception  of  the  Heraultf  group  on  the  south,  and  those  near 
Toulouse  and  the  eastern  Pyrenees,  it  is  to  the  western  half  of 
France  that  they  specially  belong.  Here  they  occur  all  along 
the  Atlantic  sea-front,  with  the  exception  of  that  portion  of  it 
south  of  the  Garonne,  and  between  it  and  the  foot-hills  of  the 
Pyrenees,  to  which  I  have  alluded.  Especially  rich  in  dolmens 
are  the  valleys  of  the  Loire,  and  those  of  its  tributaries,  and  thence 
they  stretch  away  inland,  up  the  courses  of  the  southern  streams, 
until  they  reach  the  series  which  belongs  to  the  western  bank  of  the 
Rhone,  and  which  occupies  the  district  between  that  river  and  the 
northern  bank  of  the  Garonne.  To  the  southward  and  westward 
of  this  group,  from  the  Mediterranean  to  the  Atlantic,  they  are 
dotted,  though  sparsely,  along  the  slopes  of  the  Pyrenees.  It 
is  in  Brittany,  however,  that  they  attain  their  maximum  number, 
and  here,  too,  each  of  the  several  types  into  which  French 
archaeologists  have  divided  them  seem  to  be  represented. 

M.  Mortillet's  classification  involves  a  threefold  division, 
namely,  (i.)  alUes  cottvertes,  approached  by  short  entrance- 
chambers  {vestibules) ;  (ii.)  caveaux  (vaults  or  cells),  having  long 
entrance  passages  {couloirs  d'acces);  (iii.)  caisses,  i.e.  rectangular 
cists  of  large  proportions.  The  long,  large  dolmens  of  the  first 
of  these  classes  are  well  represented  in  central  France,  at  no 
great  distance  from  Paris.  The  tumuli  containing  those  of  the 
second  class  belong  to  Brittany,  while  the  large  cists  of  the 
third  class  distinguish  the  type  of  those  in  the  Lozere,J  Aveyron, 
Gard,  and  Ardeche.§  Speaking  roughly,  we  may  compare  the 
alUes  couvertes  to  the  Gang-grifter  of  Sweden,  to  the  Hunebedden 
of  Drenthe  and  North  Germany,  to  the  structures  in  the  Long 
Barrows  of  Britain,  and  to  the  dolmens  of  Ireland,  as  exempli- 
fied   by   the  Labbacallee    in   Cork.      The    French    examples,    in 


t  "Mem.  de  la  Soc.  Archeol.  de  Montpellier,"  vol.  vii.  (1881),  p.  73,  et  seqq,  ;  "Carte  Aicheol. 
de  Dep.  de  I'Herault,"  par  M.  P.  Cazalis  de  Fondouce.  There  are  sixty-three  dolmens  tabulated, 
divided  into  two  principal  groups,  one  in  the  extreme  S.W.  of  the  Province,  in  the  mountains  of  the 
ancient  Pagus  Narbonensis  ;  the  other  in  the  north-central  district,  in  the  Pagus  Lutevoisis.  There 
are  small  groups  of  two  and  three  E.  of  these.  There  is  one  isolated  example  in  the  Pagus 
Agathensis,  showing  that  the  builders  of  these  structures  were  known  on  the  littoral  as  well  as  in 
the  mountains. 

X  For  the  dolmens  of  the  Lozere,  see  paper  by  M.  L.  de  Malafossa  [Mat.  (1869),  p.  321).  The 
local  name  for  them  is  Tombede  Geant,  ox  Pierre  des  Giants.  The  entrances  ol  some  are  at  the  side 
of  one  end.  In  the  covering-slab  of  one  is  a  basin-shaped  pit,  or  bullan,  as  the  Irish  would  call  it. 
Human  bones  and  bones  of  pigs  have  been  found  in  these  dolmens. 

§  For  dolmens  in  Ardeche,  see  I\Ial.  (1873),  P-  345> 


568  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


many  cases,  however,  display  a  decided  superiority  in  the  sym- 
metry of  their  construction. f  With  the  cavcanx  and  long  coidoirs 
cVacccs  of  the  second  class  we  may  compare  the  structures  in 
the  tumuli  of  Denmark,  the  dolmen  of  Yr  Ogof  in  Wales,  the 
galcrfas  of  Spain,  the  structures  in  the  cairns  of  Caithness  and 
Argyllshire,  in  the  Maes-Howe  in  Orkney,  and  in  the  great 
tumulus  at  New  Grange,  in  which  latter  monuments — namely, 
those  in  the  British  Isles — we  observe  an  architectural  amplifi- 
cation in  reofard  to  the  construction  of  the  roof  which  is  not 
found  in  Brittany.  The  caisses  of  the  third  class  are  comparable 
with  the  dolmens  of  Clare.  They  occur  principally  in  the  Lozere, 
in  Card,  and  in  Ardeche,  in  Tarn-et-Garonne,  and  the  Pyrenees- 
Orientales. 

I  may  add  to  the  classification  proposed  by  M.  Mortillet 
that  in  Brittany  and  the  Channel  Islands  are  to  be  found  along 
the  coast  examples  of  the  type  of  structure  to  which  I  have  given 
the  name  of  dolmen-circles  or  dolmen-cairns,  such  as  those  on  the 
opposite  coast  of  Cornwall,  at  Carrowmore  and  elsewhere  in 
Ireland,  in  southern  Sweden,  and  in  Denmark. 

For  the  student  of  the  early  developments  of  dolmen-building 
and  the  accompanying  cultus  of  the  dead,  there  is  no  country  so 
rich  in  interest  as  France.  As  we  shall  see  when  we  arrive  at 
the  anthropological  portion  of  this  work,  there  is  some  reason  for 
supposing  that  sepulchral  rites  were  practised  at  the  mouth  of 
the  Caverne  de  I'Homme  Mort,  a  natural  cavern  in  the  Lozere, 
containing  the  remains  of  men  whose  cranial  type  and  certain 
other  osseous  peculiarities  were  identical  with  those  of  the  Long- 
Barrow  men  of  Britain,  and  the  Atlantic,  or  Iberian,  type  in 
general.  From  this  starting-point  we  proceed  to  the  evidence 
adduced  by  M.  Mortillet,  that  no  fewer  than  twenty-four  natural 
caves  have  been  discovered  in  France  which  had  served  the 
purpose  of  sepulchral  vaults  to  a  population  living  in  the 
Neolithic  Age.  He  adds  that  the  accompaniments  of  the  dead,  as 
well  as  certain  indications  bearing  upon  the  nature  of  the  rites 
performed  at  the  sepulchre,  were  identical  with  what  was  found  in 
connection  with  the  dolmens,  so  that  the  latter  may  be  supposed 
to  have  taken  the  place  of  the  natural  caves. 

France,  indeed,  furnishes  us  with  a  stepping-stone,  as  it  were, 
between  the  natural  cave  and  the  dolmen  in  certain  artificial  caves 


t  See  plan  of  llic  dolmen  called  "  La  Pierre  Turquaise,"  iii/ra. 


France.  569 

which  offer  comparison  both  with  the  former  and  the  latter. 
These,  again  (some  of  which  I  will  presently  describe),  may  be 
compared  with  the  artificial  caves  of  Majorca,  Minorca,  Sicily, 
the  He  Pianosa  in  the  Mediterranean,  and  that  of  Palmella  in 
Portugal,  Of  the  French  examples  those  in  the  Department  of 
the  Marne  are  the  most  important,  while  others  more  or  less 
similar  exist  in  the  Departments  of  Aveyron,  Finistere,  Oise,  and 
Seine-et-Marne.  In  these,  also,  evidence  is  afforded  of  the 
presence  of  the  same  articles,  and  of  the  performance  of  the  same 
rites  as  in  the  natural  caves  on  the  one  hand,  and  in  the  dolmens 
on  the  other.  The  natural  cave  was  scooped  out  into  a  large 
chamber  or  chambers  within  by  the  swirling  of  water  pent  up  in 
the  limestone  or  other  yielding  rock,  and  finding  its  way  out 
through  some  narrow  crevice.  The  ground-plan  and  section, 
therefore,  is  that  of  an  allege  couverte  with  a  vestibule, — the  salle,  or 
caveatt  mortuaire  being  only  accessible  through  a  narrow  opening, 
leaving  only  just  room  enough  to  creep  through  on  hands  and 
knees.  The  artificial  cave  is  modelled  on  the  natural  one,  and 
yet  bears,  as  M.  Mortillet  points  out,  a  close  resemblance  to  the 
dolmen. 

From  the  Department  of  Gard  some  characteristic  examples 
have  been  cited  of  the  transition  from  the  natural  cave  direct  to 
the  dolmen.  M.  Aures  explored  a  natural  one  at  Aubussagues, 
which  had  been  adapted  for  sepulchral  purposes,  and  closed  up 
like  a  dolmen. 

The  following  conclusions,  at  which  M.  Emile  Riviere  f  arrived 
after  exploring  some  natural  caves  and  dolmens  in  the  Maritime 
Alps,  may  here  be  cited.  He  found  evidence  of  the  existence  of 
two  prehistoric  peoples  absolutely  distinct — the  one  living  in  the 
Quaternary  epoch,  the  other  in  the  Bronze  Age  {^Epoque  actuelle). 
The  Quaternary  race  were  cave-dwellers,  whose  remains  are 
found  in  the  Grottes  de  Menton,  the  caves  near  Nice,  and  the 
Station  die  cap  Roux  de  Beatdiett.  These  caves  are  all  natural. 
The  Bronze-Age  race  belong,  on  the  other  hand,  to  the  megaliths, 
tumuli,  dolmens,  and  caves  in  the  districts  of  Grasse,  Sant  Cesaine, 
etc.  The  Quaternary  race  was  tall  and  dolichocephalic.  The 
race  of  the  dolmens  was  short  and  brachycephalic.  The  former 
made  use  of  chipped  stone,  bone,  and  antlers  of  deer,  shaped  to 


t  "  Antiquitc  de  rHomme"  (Paris,  1887). 
VOL.   11, 


570  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 

serve  their  purpose.     The  latter  were  possessed  of  pohshed  stone, 
pottery,  plain  or  ornamented,  and  objects  of  bronze. 

The  cephalic  index  of  a  skull  from  a  IMenton  cave  was  73*9. 
The  skeletons  of  two  children  found  in  another  were  covered  over 
their  middles  with  quantities  of  perforated  shells,  which  had 
formed  their  dress. 

Again,  we  have  examples  of  monuments  which  are  in  part 
natural  caves  and  in  part  dolmens.  One  of  these,  at  Des  Mau- 
duits  near  Mantes,  will  be  subsequently  noticed.  In  that  case 
a  dolmen  had  been  built  out  from  the  face  of  the  rock  as  an 
elongation  of  the  cave,  which  at  the  opposite  end  possessed  a  most 
remarkable  portico  and  artificial  hole  for  ingress. f  M.  Cazalis 
de  Fondouce  has  described  and  figured  monuments  at  Cordes  and 
Castellet  in  the  Commune  of  Fontvielle,  which  are  in  part  natural 
and  in  part  artificial,  where  advantage  has  been  taken  of  hollow 
places  in  the  natural  rock  for  the  sides  of  the  structure,  and  great 
flagstones  have  been  laid  overhead. 

In  the  Department  of  the  Aisne,  on  the  lands  of  Cierge  near 
Tere-en-Tardenois,  on  a  small  triangular  plateau  at  the  confluence 
of  two  streams,  at  a  spot  called  Caranda,  is  a  very  remarkable 
cemetery,  which  has  been  explored  and  described  with  excellent 
illustrations  of  the  objects  discovered  by  M.  Frederic  Moreau.J 
It  contained  2600  interments — 300  Gaulish,  100  Gallo-Roman, 
2200  Merovingian,  and,  what  is  most  singular,  a  dolmen  in  close 
proximity.  The  latter  is  placed  on  the  top  of  a  little  eminence. 
Its  shape  was  oblong,  and  it  was  regularly  built.  It  measured 
5  m.  long,  2  m.  broad,  and  2  m.  high,  and  pointed  E.  and  W. 
The  entrance,  closed  by  a  slab,  was  between  two  slabs  at  the 
E.  end.  Four  large  slabs  formed  the  roof  (Fig.  517).  It  con- 
tained an  unburnt  human  skeleton,  a  fine  Neolithic  spear-held,, 
and  other  implements  of  flint,  among  which  were  arrow-heads, 
and  a  pointed  instrument  of  stag's  horn.  The  structure  was  built 
on  the  surface  of  the  knoll. 

In  the  case  of  the  caves  explored  by  M.  le  Baron  de  Baye  in 
the  Department  of  the  Marne,  they  were  of  wholly  artificial 
origin.  Certain  details  to  be  pointed  out  in  them  connect  them 
closely  with  the  dolmens. 

t  "Nouveaux   Documents  Archeologiques,"   par  M.   L.   De   Mauk-Pl,    Paris,    1872,   p.   15, 
ei  sc(](j. 

\  "  Collection  Caranda"  (1877),  pi.  i.  ii.  iii. 


France. 


571 


The  district  in  which  they  occur  is  the  southern  portion  of  the 
Canton  of  Montmort,  on  the  slopes  of  the  Toulon  mountain, 
which  rises  above  the  valley  of  Petit  Morin.  They  are  clustered 
together  in  groups,  one  at  Coizard,  between  the  Toulon  mountain 


Fig.  517. — Dolmen  at  Caranda,  Department  of  the  Aisne.     Section  of  end,  covering-stones,  and 
ground-plan.     From  M.  Moreau  :  the  letters  refer  to  his  description. 

and  Mount  Aout,  in  the  centre  of  a  semicircle  of  foothills  ;  a  second 
at  Razet,  on  the  southern  slope  of  the  mountain  ;  and  a  third 
further  to  the  south,  at  Courjeonnet. 

The  caves  have  their  entrances  in  the  sides  of  monticules,  i.e. 
natural  hillocks,  which  form  a  second  and  diminutive  series  of 
foothills,  and  which  serve  as  natural  barrows  or  tumuli  covering 
the  artificial  vault  within.  The  great  number  in  which  they  occur 
indicates  the  presence  in  ancient  times  of  a  considerable  popula- 
tion. The  geological  formation  in  which  they  have  been  exca- 
vated is  cretaceous. 


572  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


One  group  at  Courjeonnet  consists  of  three  little  caves  in 
addition  to  a  circular  excavation  open  at  the  top.  Near  these  was 
a  hearth,  or  burning-place,  in  which  were  found  burnt  stones, 
charcoal,  and  traces  of  other  carbonized  matter.  Two  of  the  three 
caves  \vere  divided  each  into  two  compartments ;  the  third  was 
not  so.  A  second  group  at  the  same  place  consisted  of  six  caves, 
differing  from  those  in  the  former  group  in  size  and  shape,  but 
identical  with  them  in  respect  to  the  modes  of  sepulture,  three  in 
number,  which  had  been  employed.  Each  possessed  an  "  anti- 
grotte,"  as  M.  de  Baye  calls  it,  consisting  of  a  little  chamber  or 
porch,  through  which  it  was  necessary  to  pass  in  order  to  enter  the 
tomb.  On  the  wall  of  this  ante-chamber  or  portico  is  represented 
in  bas-relief,  cut  out  of  the  natural  chalk  rock,  a  hafted  axe, 
accompanied  by  another  rude  attempt  at  sculpture,  intended  to 
represent  a  female  human  figure. 

The  Coizard  group  consists  of  thirty-five  caves,  all  grouped 
together  on  the  same  slope.  These  vary  in  shape  and  dimensions. 
Some  have  only  one  compartment,  others  two.  In  no  case  are 
any  two  exactly  alike.  The  smallest  of  them  measures  I'go  m.  by 
2  m.,  the  largest  3*92  m,  by  ybo  m.  The  smallest  of  those  having 
two  compartments  measures  2*40  m.  square.  The  height  from  floor 
to  roof  in  the  lowest  is  riom.,  in  the  highest  1*70  m.  Some  were 
more  commodious,  larger,  and  more  easy  of  access  than  others. 
The  doorways  were  provided  with  grooves  to  make  their  closure 
more  perfect,  and  in  some  caves  natural  protuberances,  like  pegs, 
had  been  left  standing  out  in  the  chalk.  Sometimes  partitions 
had  been  left  in  the  course  of  excavation.  The  walls  and 
entrances  showed  a  polish,  denoting  that  they  had  been  frequently 
rubbed  against  by  passing  bodies.  In  some  cases  two  sloping 
steps  were  placed  to  facilitate  ingress  and  egress.  In  several  caves 
a  blackish  coating  adhered  to  the  walls,  such  as  smoke  and  dust 
would  produce.  Sometimes  shelves  had  been  cut  in  the  walls, 
and  there  were  also  attempts  at  sculpture,  and  shapeless  characters 
such  as  children  make.  M.  de  Baye  considered  that  the  larger 
caves,  which  were  those  in  which  these  features  were  present, 
might  have  been  habitations  before  they  were  sepulchres. 

The  smaller  ones  lacked  these  characteristics.  The  entrances 
to  them  were  firmly  closed  up  with  stones  laid  with  care. 
They  did  not  contain,  as  the  others  did,  utensils  necessary  for 
daily  life.     Frequently,   near  the  entrance   of  the  larger  ones,  a 


France.  573 

large  block  of  stone  was  found,  which  appeared  to  have  served 
the  double  purpose  of  closing  the  vault,  and  indicating  the  spot 
where  it  was. 

Not  only  had  the  inner  chamber  or  cell,  in  the  case  of  the 
double  ones,  been  made  the  receptable  for  human  remains,  but 
the  "  anti-grott "  also.  One  of  these  porches  contained  the 
remains  of  six  bodies  placed  there  subsequently  to  the  interment 
of  those  within.  The  remains  found  in  the  "  anti-grottes  "  were 
not  accompanied  by  the  primitive  implements  and  ornaments  which 
were  found  deposited  with  the  remains  in  the  vault  within.  The 
interments  were  of  six  kinds — (i)  extended  inhumation,  the  heads 
all  in  one  direction  and  the  bodies  carefully  laid ;  (2)  extended 
inhumation,  but  the  bodies  not  placed  in  one  direction,  and  laid 
carelessly;  (3)  contracted  inhumation  in  a  sedentary  posture;  (4) 
disjecta  membra,  Avithout  anatomical  connection,  but  unburnt ; 
(5)  fragments  of  calcined  bones  in  heaps ;  (6)  bodies,  unburnt, 
laid  in  pulverized  earth,  with  stones  to  support  them. 

Of  the  bodies  laid  carefully  at  full  length  there  were  compara- 
tively few  examples ;  they  occurred  in  the  larger  caves,  and  were 
laid  along  the  two  lateral  walls,  the  head  being  towards  the 
entrance,  and  the  arms  stretched  at  full  length.  Between  the  two 
rows  of  them  on  either  side  a  clear  space  was  left  along  the  centre 
of  the  vault.  The  bodies  were  of  both  sexes  and  all  ages,  but 
those  of  the  young  were  scarce.  It  was  observed  that  the 
conformation  of  the  skulls  in  a  single  vault  thus  arranged  were 
strikingly  uniform.  The  position  of  the  bodies  and  the  articles 
deposited  with  them  evinced  care.  This,  however,  was  not  the 
case  with  respect  to  the  remains  found  in  the  porches  of  these 
caves. 

The  second  mode  of  burial,  also  by  inhumation,  but  in  pro- 
miscuous fashion,  occurred  in  caves  in  which  a  great  number  of 
bodies — as  many  as  twenty-five  to  forty — had  been  interred 
apparently  at  one  time,  necessitating  a  peculiar  arrangement. 
The  larger  bodies  had  been  carried  in  first,  then  the  shorter 
ones,  and  the  heads  were  not  placed  in  any  one  direction. 
Warlike  implements,  including  arrow-points,  were  found  with 
such  interments  in  considerable  quantity.  The  bodies  had  been 
covered  with  ashes,  different  layers  of  which  seemed  in  some 
cases  to  indicate  successive  interments.  The  whole  interior  of 
the  cave  was  utilized  for  their  reception. 


574  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 

The  third  mode  employed  was  that  of  placing  the  body  in  a 
squatting  posture,  the  result  being  that  the  sides  of  the  skeleton 
were  found  to  have  sunk  down  on  themselves,  the  bones  thus 
arranging  themselves  in  concentric  circles,  surmounted  by  the 
skull.  This,  I  may  say,  is  the  explorer's  own  theory  for  accounting 
for  the  phenomena  presented.  For  my  own  part,  I  am  more 
inclined  to  think  that  where  such  an  arrangement  of  the  bones 
is  met  with,  both  in  these  caves  and  in  many  other  Neolithic 
sepulchres,  the  bones  may  have  been  denuded  of  flesh  either  by 
time  or  customary  process,  and  purposely  placed  in  the  symmetrical 
order  in  which  they  are  found.  From  Otheref  we  learn,  as  has 
been  before  remarked,  that  it  was  a  custom  among  the  Esthonians 
to  leave  the  bodies  of  the  dead  for  months  in  their  houses  before 
the  funeral  rites  were  consummated  on  the  pyre.  In  China  at 
the  present  day  bodies  are  stored  in  open  mortuaria,  as  I  have 
myself  seen,  for  years,  awaiting  interment  in  the  ancestral 
line. 

The  fourth  method  employed  seems  to  have  been  that  of 
dissevering  the  various  parts  of  the  body,  perhaps  by  hacking,  as 
we  have  pointed  out  was  the  practice  among  the  Iberians  of  the 
Balearic  Isles. 

The  fifth  mode  was  by  incineration,  and  in  these  instances  the 
fragments  of  bone  were  found  together  in  heaps,  as  if  they  had 
been  brought  in  baskets,  and  the  contents  emptied  with  care. 

The  sixth  and  last  mode  was  that  in  which  the  bodies  had 
been  covered  with  pulverized  earth,  carefully  selected  and 
prepared,  and  where  this  was  the  case,  stones  had  been  set  in  such 
positions  as  to  hold  the  body  in  its  place,  which  w'as  inhumated 
in  an  extended  posture,  like  those  in  the  ashes. 

In  these  details  we  discover  the  fact  that  here  we  have  a 
common  meeting-ground  of  many  customs  in  regard  to  sepulture, 
among  which  those  of  inhumation  and  cremation  are  the  most 
markedly  divergent.  Intermediate  between  them  is  the  practice 
of  interment  by  contraction  of  the  body,  placed  on  the  left  side,  such 
as  is  found  in  the  Round  Barrows  of  Britain,  but  which  seems  to 
be  absent  here.  The  skulls  were  numerous  and  in  a  fine  state  of 
preservation.  The  cephalic  indices  were  as  various  as  the  modes 
of  interment,  and  ranged  from  71  "65,  to  8571,  the  former  being 
that  of  the   Iberian,   or   Long- Barrow  dolichocephali,   the  latter 

t  Uosworth's  "  King  Alfred's  Orosius  "  (1859),  p.  255. 


France.  575 

that  of  the  inhabitants,  ancient  and  modern,  of  south-central 
France,  and  of  the  Lapps. 

Some  of  the  methods  of  interment  employed,  and  in  especial 
the  presence  of  the  bodies  carelessly  thrown  into  the  porticoes, 
may  be  referable  to  human  sacrifice. 

The  objects  found  in  the  caves  were  disposed  in  a  general 
way  without  order.  In  some  cases  stone  axes  were  found 
between  the  side-walls  and  the  bodies.  Flint  knives  and  arrow- 
points  were  plentiful,  and  in  the  right  hand  of  one  skeleton  was 
the  handle  of  a  bone  instrument.  Beads  for  necklaces,  and  small 
shells  for  the  same  purpose,  lay  near  the  necks  of  some,  while 
large  perforated  shells  were  dispersed  over  the  entire  body. 
Broken  pieces  of  pottery  occurred  in  the  ashes  and  earth,  but 
only  one  whole  vase  was  found,  and  that,  curious  to  say,  covered 
one  of  the  skulls.  More  than  700  arrow-points  were  found,  and  in 
two  instances  they  were  imbedded  in  human  vertebrae.  Axes  with 
stag-horn  hafts,  more  than  200  knives,  blunted  arrow-heads  formed 
both  to  feather  and  to  wing  the  game,  lance-heads,  crushers,  and  a 
scraper  like  those  found  on  the  surface,!  comprised  the  objects  of 
flint.  Bone  sockets  and  hafts,  awls  and  polishers,  a  hoe,  a  club  with 
a  short  cylindrical  handle,  representing  the  kind  of  industries  of  the 
people,  a  tibia-bone  armed  at  either  end  with  the  canines  of  a  pig, 
pigs'  teeth,  more  than  150  shells  of  various  kinds,  all  perforated 
and  a  great  many  cut,  250  necklace-beads  made  of  chalk  and  of 
scallop  shells,  numerous  pendants  in  schist  and  marble,  perforated 
teeth,  and  perforated  and  polished  belemnites,  a  large  quantity  of 
fragments  of  pottery,  rudely  decorated,  and  the  one  perfect  vase 
above  mentioned, — such  is  the  sum  total  of  discoveries,  from  which 
we  can,  more  readily  than  from  any  other  collection  of  data  known 
to  me,  depict  for  ourselves  man  as  he  dwelt  by  the  banks  of  the 
Marne  in  the  Neolithic  Age,  in  a  district  where  and  at  period 
when,  as  the  remains  clearly  prove,  two  races  met,  as  plainly 
distinguished  from  each  other  in  physical  type  as  they  were  in 
the  customs  which  attended  the  disposal  of  their  dead.  That  it  is 
to  the  long-headed  type  that,  in  these  primitive  times,  inJminatioii 
is  to  be  ascribed  there  can  be  little  doubt,  while  to  the  short-heads 
belongs  the  practice  of  inc  me  ration  y  following  on  that  of  contracted 
inhumation. 

We  now  arrive  at  a  very  important  point  in  regard  to  these 

t   It  is  of  the  Grand- Pressigny  type. 


576 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


caves,  which  in  the  most  direct  manner  connects  them  with  the 
dolmens.  Three  of  them  contain  sculptures  in  demi-relief.  In 
the  first  of  these,  one  of  the  Courjeonnet  group,  an  axe  is  rudely 
represented,  and  over  it  a  figure,  in  which  M.  de  Baye  recog- 
nizes the  rude  image  of  a  female  divinity.  In  one  of  the  "  anti- 
grottes "  in  the  Coizart  group  another  bas-relief  portrays  the 
same  form.  This  latter  figure  measures  44  cm.  high,  and  32  cm. 
broad.  The  resfion  of  the  neck  is  ornamented  with  a  necklace  made 
of  oblong  beads,  on  which  is  shown  a  medallion  suspended,  which 
retains  traces  of  a  yellow  colouring  substance,  seemingly  ochre. 
The  features  are  only  rudely  indicated.  The  nose  is  very 
prominent,  and  is  flanked  by  two  black  spots.  The  breasts 
also  are  prominent.     In  the  same  chamber  on  the  walls  to  the  right 


Fig.  51S. — I.  Sculptured  stone  in  the  dolmen  of  Collorgues.  From  ^^Mat.  pour 
2,  3,  4.  Sculptures  in  the  caves  on  the  Marnc.     From  M.  le  Baron 


VHist.  d,. 
de  Baye. 


rHomme.'^ 


and  left  of  the  entrance  two  hafted  axes  are  represented.  The  haft 
of  that  on  the  right  measures  32  cm.  long,  the  socket  15  cm.,  and 
the  cutting  edge  5  cm.  The  total  height  of  the  figure  is  26  cm. 
The  portion  which  is  meant  to  represent  the  exposed  edge  of  the 
stone  axe  is  coloured  black,  to  distinguish  it  from  the  socket. 
The  axe  on  the  left  is  not  so  well  finished.  It  measures  2S  cm. 
high,  and  the  blade,  including  the  sheath  or  socket  and  the  stone 
edge,  is  19  cm,  long. 


France.  577 

On  the  outer  wall  of  the  **  anti-grotte  "  adjoining  the  last  is  a 
figure  less  distinctly  formed  than  the  others.  It  is  49  cm.  high  by 
32  cm.  wide.  On  the  side  wall  on  the  left,  in  the  same  "anti- 
o-rotte,"  is  an  imao^e  analogous  to  that  of  the  "divinity"  before 
described.  In  this  case,  however,  it  seems  that  folding  draperies 
surround  the  figure.  Here,  again,  on  the  walls  to  right  and  left  of 
the  entrance  are  two  carved  axes,  measuring  respectively  35  cm. 
and  S3  cm.  high.  In  the  interior  another  implement  has  been 
sculptured  with  much  care,  the  use  of  which  is  unknown.  It 
measures  24  cm.  high  by  6  cm.  wide,  its  breadth  diminishing 
gradually  to  i  cm. 

Near  Uzes,  in  the  Department  of  Card,  is  the  dolmen  of 
Collorgues,  an  account  of  which  has  been  given  by  MM.  Lombard 
Dumas  and  L.  Rousset.f  The  inner  structure  was  a  chamber, 
circular  in  form,  and  of  beehive  construction,  having  a  passage 
leading:  into  it.  The  interments  were  inhumated.  A  large, 
flattish  slab  formed  the  central  covering  of  the  roof,  resting  on 
which  was  the  stone  of  which  an  illustration  is  here  given,  and 
which  measures  175  m.  in  length. 

It  will  be  seen  at  a  glance  that  the  characteristics  of  the 
sculpturings  in  the  Marne  caves  are  here  reproduced,  with  the 
addition  of  eyes  and  arms,  which  in  the  former  caves  may  have 
existed  in  colour.  It  is  clear  that  the  intention  in  each  case  was 
to  form  a  female  human  figure.  The  vertical  ridge  deflected 
from  the  top  is  seen  to  be  the  nose,  on  either  side  of  which  is  an 
eye.  The  breasts  stand  out  prominently,  and  the  necklace  is  also 
in  high  relief,  below  which  two  arms  appear,  and  beneath  them 
the  image  of  a  rude  axe,  so  often  repeated  in  the  Marne  caves, 
and  in  one  example  occupying,  below  the  breast  of  the  figure, 
precisely  the  same  position  that  it  does  here. 

The  correspondence  here  observable  between  an  object  of 
remote  antiquity  found  in  the  Department  of  the  Marne,  and  one 
found  as  far  to  the  S.W.  as  the  Department  of  Card,  reminds  us 
of  a  parallel  set  of  facts  observed  by  M.  de  Ouatrefages,J  namely, 
the  wide  range  of  the  brachycephalic  people,  during  the  Neolithic 
Age,  from  the  valley  of  the  Lesse  in  the  same  direction,  as 
evidenced  by  cranial  type,  and  distinctive  flint  implements. 

The  travels  of  this  "  Goddess  of  the  Axe  "  were  not,  however, 


t  "  Mem.  de  I'Acad.  de  Nismes,"  1887 
X   "  Homnits  Fossiles,"  pp.  74  and  104. 


578  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 

limited  to  this  one  direction.  Her  presence  is  unmistakably  indi- 
cated in  sculpture  on  one  of  the  supporting-stones  of  the  dolmen 
{allcc  cmivertc)  of  Bellahaye,  at  Bourg  in  the  Department  of  Oise/ 
and  again  on  a  supporting-stone  of  the  dolmen  at  Dampsmesnil,  in 
the  Department  of  Eure.'"^  Thus  her  image  may  be  said  to  extend 
from  the  Rhone  to  the  sources  of  the  Saone,  and  from  thence  to 
the  N.W.,  the  line  on  which  they  are  found  corresponding, 
roughly  speaking,  with  the  eastern  edge  of  the  dolmen-bearing 
districts  of  France.  A  very  similar  figure  occurs  on  prehistoric 
pottery  from  Sardinia.^  The  facial  traits  occur  also  on  bone 
carvings  which  have  been  found  in  British  barrows,  and  with 
great  distinctness  in  bas-relief  on  one  of  the  two  singularly  carved 
circular  objects  found  by  Canon  Greenwell  in  a  Round  Barrow  in 
Britain,  and  now  in  the  British  Museum.*  A  precisely  similar 
sculpturing  to  the  latter  occurs  on  one  of  the  stones  in  the 
chamber  of  New  Grange.^  On  pottery  from  Hissarlik,  found 
there  by  Schliemann,"'  it  also  occurs,  as  well  as  on  urns  from 
tombs  of  North  Germany^  of  far  more  recent  date.  The 
incised  representation  of  an  axe,  whether  on  the  stones  of 
dolmens  or  on  natural  rocks  in  siin,  is  not  infrequent.  Perhaps 
the  example  which  is  best  known  is  that  which  occurs  on  the 
under  surface  of  the  covering-stone  of  the  dolmen  at  Locmariaker, 
in  Brittany,^  called  the  Merchants'  Table.  A  slab  figured  by 
Bertrand,^  also  from  Locmariaker,  has  five  or  six  hafted  axes 
engraved  on  its  surface,  surrounding  a  bell-shaped  figure,  possibly 
representing  an  inverted  cinerary  urn.  Unhafted  axes,  or  rather, 
perhaps,  flat  bronze  celts  are  shaped  out  in  one  of  the  stones  of  a 
cist  at  Kilmartin,  Argyllshire,"  and  at  Simrisland,^^  in  Scania,  and 
at  a  place  in  Bohuslan  ^^  the  figures  of  hafted  axes  are  sculptured 
in  natural  rocks.  The  best  representation  of  axes,  however,  which 
Scandinavia  has  produced  are  those  carved  in  one  of  the  stones  of 

*  "Materiaux  pour  I'Histoire  de  rHomme  "  (1876),  p.  17S.  The  face  is  here  represented  by 
an  oval,  below  which  are  the  breasts. 

*  "  Materiaux  pour  I'Histoire  dTHomme  "  (1888),  p.  9,  et  seqq. 

'  "  Voyage  en  Sardaigne,"  by  M.  le  IMarquis  Ferrero  de  la  Marmora,  pi.  xxxii. 

*  "  Archxologia,"  vol.  li.,  pi.  i.  fig.  2,  and  pi.  ii.,  figs,  i  and  3. 

*  See  Mr.  Coffey's  photograph  in  the  Trans.  R.I.  Academy,  reproduced,  supra,  fig.  346. 
\  "  llios,"  pp.  331-345- 

'  These  urns  are  found  in  the  Steinkistengriibcr  of  Pomerania.  They  are  so  like  old 
Etruscan  vases  and  those  found  by  Schliemann,  that  the  latter  might  have  been  their  prototypes. 
See  Lissauer,  "  Die  Prahist.  Denkmaler,"  p.  61,  ct  seqq. 

*  Simpson,  Sir  J.  V.,   "Archaic  Scuipturings,"  pi.  xxx. 

"  "Diet.  Archeol.  in  voc.  Locmariaker,"  "les  pierres  plates." 

'"  "Scotland  in  Pagan  Times,"  by  Anderson  (Bronze  Period),  p.  89. 

•'  "Congres  Prehist.  .Stockholm"  (Paper  by  O.  Montelius),  vol.  i.  p.  460. 

"  Id.  p.  472. 


France.  579 

the  unique  sculptured  cist  in  the  Kivik  cairn,  near  Cimbrisham, 
in  Bohuslan.f 

Folk-lore,  which  is  much  more  tenacious  of  the  past  than 
language,  religion,  historical  tradition,  or  even  racial  type,  has,  in 
a  large  number  of  instances,  preserved  in  the  names  popularly- 
given  to  megalithic  monuments  and  tumuli  the  remembrance  of 
the  connection  with  them,  once  a  reality,  and  a  terrible  reality  in 
all  probability,  of  a  goddess  of  tombs,  under  the  designation  of 
Witch  or  Hag.  Witches,  as  we  have  seen,  were  believed  to 
inhabit  the  tumuli  and  dolmens  of  Drenthe.  In  the  Basque 
Provinces  of  Spain,  a  covered  dolmen  bears  the  name  Sorguineche, 
i.e.  "Hag's  House,"  and  in  the  same  country  another  name  for 
"■  witch,"  Jorguina,  is  also  found  associated  with  such  monuments. 
In  Ireland,  the  Calliagh,  Cailleac,  or  Hag,  presides  over  a  large 
number  of  these  sepulchral  sites — probably  at  one  time  over  them 
all — and  in  some  instances  her  very  name  is  on  record.  One 
interesting  name  of  a  female  divinity  presiding  over  an  ancient 
cemetery,  where,  although  there  is  no  dolmen,  a  fair  or  assembly 
was  held  in  her  honour,  is  that  of  Tailtiu,  daughter  of  Magmor, 
wife  of  Eochu  Garb,  son  of  Dua  Teimin,  and  foster-mother  of 
Lug,  son  of  Seal  Balb.  Her  name  might  literally  mean  "  Axe- 
Goddess,"  or,  more  correctly,  "Adze-Goddess,"  an  appropriate  one 
for  her,  for  which  possibly  we  have,  more  hibernico,  an  etymological 
explanation  in  the  story  that  she  requested  Eochu  to  cut  down  a 
wood  for  her,  in  order  that  an  denach  (fair)  might  be  held  round 
her  sepulchral  monument  {lechi).\  That  this  is  no  fanciful  inter- 
pretation of  her  name  is  shown  in  the  case  of  a  name  applied 
to  Patrick,  namely,  Tailcenn,  i.e.  Adze- Head,  in  allusion  to 
the  peculiar  tonsure  he  wore,  the  whole  of  the  fore  part  of  the 
head  being  shaved,  and  thus  giving  it  the  appearance  of  an 
adze  protruding  from  its  socket.§  The  association  of  Tailtiu,  a 
mythical  Irish  personage,  with  a  sepulchral  site  is  curious  in 
connection  with  what  we  have  adduced  in  proof  that  an  Axe-  or 
Adze-Goddess  was  certainly  associated  with  dolmens  and  artificial 
caves  reaching  back  to  the  Neolithic  Age  in  France.  The  con- 
stant custom  of  burying  a  stone  axe  with  the  dead  had  its  origin, 
probably,  in  some  cognate  superstition. 

It    is    noticeable    that   while    in    other    countries    the    female 


+  "The  Viking  Age,"  by  P.  B.  Du  Chaillu,  vol.  i.  pp.  86-88. 

%  Whitley  Stokes,  "Rev.  Celt.,"  vol.  xvi.,  No.  i,  p.  51  (Jan.  1895). 

§  Other  examples  might  be  quoted,  as,  for  example,  MacTal,  "  Son  of  the  Adze,"  etc. 


580  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


divinity  of  the  tombs  has  been  transformed  by  the  force,  we  may 
suppose,  of  Christian  anathema,  into  a  "  hag,"  or  evil  genius,  she 
has  received  better  treatment  at  the  hands  of  the  more  kindly  and 
gallant  people  of  France.  It  is  no  witch,  as  at  Slieve  Callighe,  in 
Meath,  who  drops  from  the  gauzy  skirts  of  her  robe  f  the  Pierre 
Levee  (a  monolith  9  feet  high)  at  Vieux,  but  Saint  Carissima 
herself,  whose  legend  places  her  in  the  fifth  century.  At  Verdier, 
not  far  off,  is  a  dolmen  around  which  the  people  believe  that  the 
Faytillcros  (fairies)  come  in  the  night  to  dance.J  Not  infre- 
quently it  is  the  Virgin  Mary  herself  who  has  taken  the  place  of 
the  native  divinities,  and  who  comes  to  play  at  quoits  with  the 
Devil.  In  the  Pyrenees,  Christian  mythology  has  supplanted  the 
Pagan  system  on  its  own  ground.  Shrines  of  Christian  saints 
have  been  placed  in  the  vicinity  of  the  venerated  stones,  which — 
as  in  the  case  of  the  Caillaou  de  I'Araye — are  still  visited  by  the 
pilgrims.  Nowhere,  perhaps,  in  Europe,  with  the  exception  of 
Ireland,  has  the  veneratio  lapid^tniy  inveighed  against  by  Councils, 
been  retained  so  long  as  among  the  shepherds  of  the  Pyrenees. 
Bouquets  of  flowers  are  placed  by  stealth  at  the  foot  of  the 
menhir,  and  on  the  table-stone  of  the  dolmen.  Young  girls  come 
to  them  to  pray  for  a  lover,  and  young  brides  for  a  child.  It 
was  the  Mother  of  God,  they  say,  who  descended  upon  these 
granite  blocks  and  sanctified  them.  Along  the  whole  of  the 
Pyrenean  range  supernatural  power  is  attributed  to  the  fairies 
who  are  called  Hados,  and  in  French  Fees.  They  are  dressed  in 
white,  inhabit  the  mountain-tops,  and  cause  salutary  plants  to 
spring  up  wherever  they  dwell.  They  are  the  presiding  genii  of 
certain  wells.  On  the  last  day  of  December,  which  there  seems  to 
have  been  substituted  for  All-Hallow-E'en,  each  family  waits  with 
anxiety  their  arrival,  and  prepares  a  feast  for  them.  The  offerings 
made  to  them  consist  of  thick  milk  and  white  bread.  If  they  are 
not  propitiated,  wolves  devour  the  flocks.  We  hear  of  them 
making  their  abode  in  the  centre  of  the  mountains,  like  the  Irish 
sidhe,  whom  in  all  their  attributes,  and  in  the  veneration  paid 
them,  they  so  closely  resemble. 

Besides  the  ordinary  fairies— the  diminutive  spirits  of  the 
dead — there  seem  to  have  been  in  Pyrenean  mythology  female 
divinities  of  greater  power,  who  may  be  regarded  as  their  queens. 

t  Tliere  is  a  dolmen  in  Wales  (mentioned  in  the  "  ArciiKologia  Cambrensis  ")  and  called  the 
Giantess's  Apron-full — the  very  name  of  which  shows  an  exact  parallel  to  this  legend. 
X  "  Archeologie  Pyreneennc,"  by  Alex,  du  Mege,  vol.  ii.  p.  55. 


France.  581 

Of  these,  the  three  principal  were  Diana,  Herodiade  and  Ben- 
sozia.  The  cultus  of  these  mythological  beings  is  matter  of 
authentic  history  in  the  Middle  Ages.  Thus  we  find  Aunger  de 
Montfaucon,  Bishop  of  Conserans,  placing  among  the  "  statutes  " 
issued  by  him  in  1274,  the  following:  "  Let  no  women  dare  to 
boast  that  she  rides  at  night  with  Diana,  goddess  of  the  Pagans, 
or  with  Herodiade  and  Bensozia.  Let  no  band  of  women  enter 
the  lists  of  the  divinities,  for  it  is  an  illusion  of  the  Devil."  How 
great  is  the  gap  in  time  between  this  admonition  and  the  present 
day,  and  how  completely  should  we  have  imagined  that  all  trace 
of  such  rites  in  Western  Europe  had  been  stamped  out,  had  we 
not  read  the  evidence  in  the  recent  horrible  case  of  witch-burning 
in  Tipperary,  and  learned  that  it  was  expected  that  the  murdered 
woman  would  be  seen  at  nio^ht  ridinof  on  her  witch's  horse  on  the 
old  ra^/i  or  /is  upon  the  hill  near  by !  Is  it  not  true  to  say  that 
folklore  transcends  language,  religion,  and  even  racial  type  ? 

Tradition  unquestionably  associates  megalithic  monuments — 
circles  especially — in  the  Pyrenees  with  the  fairies.  Lord  Talbot 
de  Malahide  f  has  described  some  stone-circles  and  other  remains 
in  the  Department  of  the  Basses  Pyrenees,  in  a  paper  in  the 
"  Archaeological  Journal,"  accompanied  by  sketches  by  Sir  Vincent 
Eyre.  These  "  so-called  Celtic "  remains  are  within  a  short 
distance  of  Pau,  and  were  the  only  ones,  it  is  stated,  known  to 
Villemarque,  south  of  Poitou.  A  group  of  circles  is  specially 
mentioned  in  a  round  valley  at  a  spot  called,  in  the  dialect  of 
Beam,  Hondaas  de  las  Hadas,  or  the  "  Spring  of  the  Fairies,"  just 
as  on  the  Spanish  side  Gruta  de  las  Hadas  is  the  name  of  a 
chambered  tumulus. 

"  In  the  month  of  May" — so  Lord  Talbot  was  informed — "  there 
are  great  festivities  among  the  peasantry,  who  dance  and  amuse 
themselves  under  the  chestnut  trees,  which  form  a  grove  around 
the  circles."  It  was  considered  a  "blessed  spot,"  and  no  evil  spirit 
could  venture  to  disturb  their  innocent  amusement.  The  spring 
has  a  still  holier  character.  "  It  is  under  the  protection  of  the 
Virgin  Mary,  and  its  waters  are  held  to  be  a  sovereign  remedy 
against  the  diseases  of  cattle."  The  circles  are  very  small,  the 
largest  not  measuring  more  than  4  or  5  feet  in  diameter.  In  all, 
there    are   between    twelve    and    twenty   of    them.       They   are 

t  •'  Archseol.  Journ.,"  vol.  xxvii.  p.  227,  ct  seq,j.  ;  and  "  Proc.  Roy.  Ir.  Acad.,"  vol.  x,  (1S66-69), 
p.  472,  et  seqq. 


582 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


formed  of  rough  stones  common  to  the  country.  At  a  little 
distance  from  the  group,  on  a  terrace  overlooking  the  Gave 
d'Ossau,  are  about  a  dozen  similar  ones.  The  stones  are, 
however,  larger.  These  had  been  less  disturbed  than  the  others, 
probably   owing   to  a  superstitious  dread   which   prevails   in   the 


Fig.  519. — Stone-circles  in  the  Basses  Pyrenees.     Afler  a  sketch  by  Gcii.  Sir  Vijicent  Eyre,  C.B. 

neighbourhood  respecting  them.  They  are  supposed  to  be 
haunted  by  Loupgarou,  a  class  of  fairy  answering  to  the  Lepra- 
haun  in  Ireland,  and  "no  peasant  would  venture  to  approach 
them  after  dark."  In  the  vicinity  there  is  a  small,  but  very 
interesting  dolmen,  originally  buried  in  a  cairn,  with  a  covering- 
stone  resting  on  five  supporters  (Fig.  520). 

M.  Paul  Raymond  f  notices  these  remains  more  explicitly. 
He  counted  forty-three  circles  in  the  Vallee  d'Ossau,  divided  into 
three  groups.  The  first  group  is  near  a  chapel  called  "  De 
Houdas,"  at  the  entrance  of  a  glen  which  has  the  reputation  of 
being  haunted  by  the  spirits.  It  contains  twenty-four  perfect 
circles,  of  from  thirteen  to  twenty  stones  each,  averaging  from 
25  to  60  cm.  in  height.  The  second  group,  consisting  of  six 
circles,  is  a  little  higher  up  on  the  banks  of  a  stream.  The  third, 
comprising  thirteen  circles,  is  on  a  mountain   plateau  above  the 


t  "  Bull,  de  Comite  d'llistoire  ct  d'ArchcoI.  de  la  Prov.  Eccles.  d'Auch. 


France. 


58: 


valley.     Their  diameter  varies  from  2*50  m.  to  8  m.     The  stones 
have  a  smooth  face  on  the  inner  side,  but  are  rough  externally. 

In  1862  M.  F.  Couraze  de  Laa  reported  to  the  same  society 
the  discovery  of  five  dolmens,  one  on  the  road  to  Urdos,  on  the 
left  bank  of  the  Gave,  and  four  in  the  Vallee  d'Ossau.  One  of 
these  he  describes  as  "  magnifique."  The  others  appear  to  be 
lichaven,  or  trilithons,  and  one  of  them  is  called  Qii^ebe  de  Barelhole. 


Fig.  520, — Dolmen  at  Buzy,  near  Oloron,  Basses  Pyrenees.     Afte7-  a  sketch  by 
Gen,  Sir  Vincent  Eyre,  C.B. 

He  also  mentions  a  circle  ("  cromlech,"  as  the  French  archaeolo- 
gists term  it)  at  Bielle. 

All  these  are  in  the  Department  of  the  Basses  Pyrenees,  in 
which  M.  Bertrandf  places  five  dolmens.  In  this  province  is  the 
little  town  of  Saint  Bertrand  de  Comminges,  once  the  ancient 
Lugdunum  Convenarum.  The  citadel  occupied  the  level  summit 
of  a  large  isolated  mass  of  rock,  on  which  the  present  village 
stands,  commanding  an  extensive  view  over  the  plain  of  Valcabrere 
as  far  as  the  Garonne,  a  district  in  which  inscriptions  in  the  Roman 
character,  mosaics,  altars,  and  coins  are  frequently  found.  An 
annual  fair  is  held  at  the  village  in  August,  corresponding  to  the 
Lugnasad,  or  "  Lug's  Games,"  held  at  Tailten  in  Meath  at 
Lammastide,  in  honour  of  Tailtiu,  and  instituted,  according  to  the 
Irish  legend,  by  Lug,  who  appears  to  be  one  and  the  same  god, 

t  "Archeol.  Celtique  et  Gauloise." 


284  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


whether  we  find  him  in  Scandinavia  as  Loke,  in  the  Wetter-au 
where  his  statue  was,  as  Lug,  in  Ireland  as  Lug  and  Lugaid, 
in  Spain,  with  his  fellows  the  Lugoves  at  Uxama,  or  in  any  of 
the  many  places  to  which  he  has  given  name,  Gallia  Lugdunensis, 
Lugdunum  Celtarum  (Lyons),  Lugdunum  Batavorum  (Leyden), 
Lu<^dunum  Convenarum  (Comminges),  Luguvallium  (Carlisle),  or, 
finally,  whether  we  seek  the  site  of  his  fortress  at  Dunlevvey  in 
Done^i-al,  or  at  Dinlleu  in  Wales,  or  that  of  his  grave  near  the 
town  of  Louth.  In  Ireland,  as  in  Germany,  the  site  of  a  dolmen 
was  also  in  some  cases  that  of  an  assembly  which  gives  interest 
to  the  circumstance  mentioned  by  M.  Alex,  du  Mege.f  that  a 
dolmen  exists  at  Comminges.  It  is  called  the  Pierre  de  Crcchcts, 
and  is  said  to  have  been  placed  in  its  present  position  by  Saint 
Bertrand's  mule,  just  as  St.  Patrick's  Grey-Mare  deposited  her 
load  in  the  form  of  a  cairn  at  Broughderg  in  Tyrone.  Places  in 
the  French  Pyrenees  bearing  the  name  Pierre  FitaJ  are,  like 
those  called  Piedra  Hita  in  Spain,  named  from  the  presence 
either  now  or  formerly,  of  an  upright  stone  or  menhir.  A  great 
upright  block  near  Valcabrere  is  said  to  turn  to  the  East  on 
Christmas  night.§ 

In  the  Department  of  the  Landes,  W.  Bertrand  places  only  a 
single  dolmen,  which  is  probably  that  mentioned  by  M.  Alex,  du 
Mege,  at  Saint  Circ.|| 

In  the  Department  of  Gironde,  which  extends  across  the 
Garonne,  M.  Bertrand  places  seven  dolmens.  At  Saint  Pau,  not 
far  from  the  ancient  capital  of  the  Sotiates  (S.  of  the  Garonne), 
there  was  a  circle  of  nine  stones  called  Las  Naou  Peyros.^  They 
are  described  as  nine  enormous  unhewn  blocks,  near  which  stands 
a  menhir.  The  monument  is  on  raised  ground  in  the  middle  of  a 
wood,  and  near  a  lake  which  bears  the  same  name. 

In  the  Vallee  d'Aran,  once  part  of  the  country  of  the  Garumni 
and  Convense,  stands  a  rude  block  called  the  Peyro  de  Miech 
Ara7i,'\j  from  the  fact  that  it  was  supposed  to  indicate  the  middle 
of  the  valley.  Similar  indicating  ideas  about  their  middle  are 
believed  by  the  superstitious  to  attach  to  menhirs  elsewhere  in 
France.  One  between  Pont  Leroy  and  Chateau  du  Rocher  is 
called  the  Pierre  de  MinuitX[.  because  at  the  middle  hour  of  night 
it  is  said  to  turn  round.     Cambry  mentions  a  stone  having  a  like 

+  '•  Archeol.  ryrcnn.,"  vol.  ii.  p.  66.  X  I^'-.  P-  ^'2-  §  Id-.  V-  62. 

11  Id.,  p.  63.  T  1(1.,  pp.  61  and  328.  tt  Id.,  p.  62.  \X   Id. 


France. 


585 


gift  near  Blois,  and  La  Pierre  qui  toiirne  at  Morancez,  near 
Chartres,  is  of  the  same  class.  Menhirs,  called  dalld7ts  or  galldns 
in  Ireland,  are  frequently  pointed  out  as  being  in  the  middle  of  a 
district  or  townland,  and  the  famous  Carrig-a-Chait,  or  Cat- Rock, 
at  Ushnagh  is  said  to  be  the  middle  of  the  whole  island. 

In  the  Department  of  the  Basses  Pyranees,  in  the  tumulus  of 


f^%^         rt  e    ^^^S^P^^Csar^eiiS^saig*  c^gae^a^^^C^^^ 


Fig,  521. — Plan  of  the  allie  cotivcrte  of  the  tumulus  of  Halliade,  Hautes  Pyrenees. 

Puy  Espy,  is  an  interesting  dolmen,  which  expands  in  the  interior 
from  a  narrow  entrance  closed  by  two  small  stones.  It  is 
paved,  and  covered  over  by  a  slab  2*05  m.  in  length. f 

In   the    Department   of  the   Hautes  Pyrenees,    M.   Bertrand 
places  no  dolmens.     That  they  do  exist  there,  however,  cannot  be 


Fig.  522. — "  ^ Les  Pierres  fiches''  de  tumulus 
des  Deux  Menhirs,"  Hautes  Pyrenees. 
From  '^  Mat.  pour  PHist.  de  V Homme." 


Fig.  523. — The  dolmen  de  Puyo-Mayou, 


doubted.  I  have  before  me,  for  example,  as  I  write,  the  plan  of 
an  allh  cotivcrte  in  a  tumulus  at  Halliade,J  in  this  province, 
which  has  a  special  interest  in  connection  with  Irish  examples  of 
the  chamber  type,  such  as  that  in  Achill,  and  those  at  Lough 
Arrow.  The  plan  of  the  structure  will  show  at  a  glance  how  close 
the  resemblance  is.  A  long  narrow  chamber,  covered  by  ten 
roofing-stones,  is  divided  into  five  or  six  compartments  or  septa, 
by  means  of  transverse  flags.  At  right  angles  to  this  shaft,  as  it 
were,  of  the  structure,  an  arm  branches  off,  while  on  the  opposite 
side  a  gap  in  the  stones  indicates  possibly  that  formerly  there  was 
another.     In  this  case  the  arrangement  would  have  been  cruciform, 


t  "Mat.  pour  I'Histoire  de  I'Homme  "  (1884),  p.  582. 
X  Ibid.  (1881),  pi.  xviii. 


VOL.  II. 


586  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 

although  in  any  case  the  parallel  to  the  Sllgo  and  Mayo  chambers 
is  close  enough.  Another  example  of  a  dolmen  in  this  province 
which  reminds  me  strikingly  of  examples  in  the  county  of  Clare, 
and  especially  of  that  in  the  Deer  Park,  Lemeneagh,  will  be  found 
in  the  "  Materiaux  pour  I'Histoire  de  I'Homme"  (1881,  p.  522, 
pi.  xviii.).  It  is  called  the  Dolmen  de  Puyo-Mayou.  Together 
with  this  is  an  illustration  of  a  monument  called  Lcs  pierres  fichcs 
de  tunmlus  des  detix  Dicnhirs,  which  shows  a  creep  or  hollow 
formed  by  a  flagstone  on  edge,  raised  on  the  point  of  another 
stone. 

A  somewhat  similar  monument  is  the  Mhi-an-tol  in  West 
Cornwall,  meaning  the  "  Stone  of  the  Hole." 

Pottery,  found  in  tumuli  and  dolmens  in  the  Basses  Pyrenees 
and  near  Lourdes,  bears  in  form  and  ornamentation  a  great 
likeness  to  some  of  the  urns  found  in  Ireland  and  Cornwall, 
especially  to  those  with  perforated  cleats  found  in  the  latter 
district.f 

In  1859  and  1861  M.  Charles  DuponeyJ  was  engaged  in 
collecting  materials  illustrative  of  the  archaeology  and  folk-lore  of 
this  department.  The  answers  he  received  to  the  questions  he 
circulated  are  of  much  interest.  The  tumuli  are  surrounded 
with  Valiums  rising  to  half  their  height,  apparendy  like  those  to 
which  Signor  Martinez  de  Padin  gives  the  name  of  castros  in 
Galicia.  At  Lassalles  there  are  three  tumuli  of  this  kind,  bearing 
respectively  the  names  Tepoulet,  Casteradon  (Fairy's  Casde),  and 
Castera.  The  generic  names  applied  by  the  natives  to  such 
artificial  eminences  are  ttuoos,  tiiqites,  Ittsqucs,  ptijoos,  2iX\d,  piijolets. 
In  French  they  are  called  mamelons^  which  corresponds  to  the 
name  for  them  in  the  Iberian  peninsula,  manioas.  Some  of  these 
hicoos  are,  like  the  round  hill-forts  or  dtcns  of  the  British  Isles, 
large  enough  to  support  a  fortification  on  their  summit. 

At  Lourdes  there  is  a  legend  that  the  ancient  town  once  stood 
in  a  place  now  occupied  by  an  extensive  lake,  and  on  the  road  to 
Pontyferre  is  a  huge  rock,  supposed  to  be  a  woman  turned  into 
stone  under  circumstances  recalling  the  story  of  Lot's  wife.  On 
Saint  John's  night,  that  is.  Midsummer  Eve,  the  inhabitants  of 
Lourdes  congregate  on  the  margin  of  the  lake,  and  lying  on  the 
ground,  listen  at  midnight  for  the  sound,  coming  from  its  depths, 

t  "Mat.  pour  I'llist.  de  I'llomme,"  id.  pi.  iii. 

X  See    the  publications  of  the  SociOte  Academique  des   Hautcs   Pyrenees,  of  which  he  was 
secretary. 


France.  587 

of  the  bells  of  the  ancient  town.  After  that  they  bathe  in  its 
waters,  and  by  the  effects  of  that  bath  they  set  great  store.  M. 
Charens,  the  director  of  the  High  School  at  Lourdes,  who  com- 
municates this  legend,  thinks  that  the  great  rock  is  a  megalithic 
monument. 

At  Argeles,  in  the  district  of  Balandraii,  was  a  great  rock, 
supported  on  another,  called  the  Caillozt  ddra  Encantado — that  is, 
the  Enchantress's  Boulder.  Under  it,  according  to  a  legend,  is  a 
hole  which  serves  for  the  retreat  of  the  fairy  called  "  La  bero  det 
balandraii."  At  Avezac,  besides  two  caves  inhabited  by  fairies, 
are  several  tumuli,  known  by  the  names  Pujoo-Lardou,  Pujoo- 
Houradaat,  Pujoo-de-Lestaque,  and  Tretze-Pujoos.  Near  these, 
says  the  legend,  a  great  battle  was  fought,  the  sounds  of  which 
may  still  be  heard,  and  armed  horsemen  are  seen  coming  out  of 
the  sides  of  the  mound,  from  which  circumstance  one  of  them  is 
called  Houradaat.  A  similar  legend  attaches  to  a  tumulus  at 
Slieve  Kielta,  in  the  county  of  Wexford. 

A  battle  legend  is  also  told  of  a  great  pillar-stone  on  the 
mountain  of  Miremont,  near  Orincles,  and  which  was  said  to  have 
been  set  up  by  human  agency.  The  natives  say  that  if  this  were 
to  be  removed,  general  disaster  to  the  crops  would  follow  ;  an 
immense  volume  of  water  would  rise  from  the  spot  where  the 
stone  had  stood.  No  human  power  could  avail  to  stay  the  torrent, 
which  would  carry  down  into  the  plain  the  wreck  of  forest  and 
mountain.  Toulouse  itself  would  be  submerged,  and  its  site 
strewn  with  Pyrenean  rocks,  above  which  this  Pierre  Blanche,  as 
it  is  called,  would  lift  its  head  as  a  memorial  of  divine  displeasure.f 
A  leofend  somewhat  resemblino^  this  is  common  in  Ireland.  It  is 
generally  told  of  a  woman  who  offended  a  well  by  omitting  to 
replace  its  cover.  Lough  Neagh,  with  the  submerged  city  said  to 
lie  in  its  depths,  was  said  to  have  been  formed  by  a  flood  so  caused. 

M.  V.  de  Chausenque  J  says  that  a  long  list  of  venerated  rocks 
in  the  Pyrenees  might  be  given.  They  seem,  generally  speaking, 
to  be  erratics,  which,  while  the  ancient  rustic  people  attributed  to 
divine  agency,  modern  antiquaries,  equally  ignorant  of  their  real 
origin,  attributed  to  the  Druids.  Such,  seemingly,  is  the  true 
account  of  the  Caillaou  d'  I'Araye,  or  de  la  Raille,  in  the  valley  of 


t  "  Archeol.  Pyrenn.,"  by  A.  du  Mege,  vol.  ii.  p.  271. 

X  "  Les  Pyrenees,  ou  Voyages  pedestres,"  by  M.  le  Capt.  V.  de  Chausenque,  edit.   2,  vol.  i. 
,PP.  354r  355- 


58S  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 

Heas,  before  mentioned,  famous  for  its  pilgrimages,  and  near  to 
which  the  shepherds  built  a  little  chapel  to  the  Virgin.  It  is 
greatly  reverenced,  and  is  described  as  a  great  block  of  gneiss,  of 
cubical  form,  from  which  the  pilgrims  chip  off  fragments.  With 
this  we  may  compare  such  venerated  rocks  in  Ireland  as  that  on 
the  summit  of  Slieve  Liag,  in  Donegal,  by  the  side  of  which 
Christians  built  a  little  chapel,  called,  like  the  rock,  by  the  name  of 
a  supposed  hermit,  Aedh  Brecain.  It  is  the  object  of  great  devo- 
tion and  pilgrimage,  and  from  it  devotees  chip  off  fragments. 
M.  de  Chausenque  mentions  in  the  same  category  a  block  at 
Hagetman,  the  sacred  stones  at  Heycette  at  the  entrance  of 
the  Vallee  d'Aure,  certain  rocks  at  Barousse,  which  look  like 
altars,  and  the  Pierre  de  Tou  above  Lartique  de  Salabre.f 

So  closely  similar  is  the  folk-lore  of  the  Pyrenees  to  that 
of  Ireland,  that  I  am  inclined  to  pursue  the  subject  further. 
The  worship  of  wells  and  lakes  is  distinctly  characteristic  of  the 
Pyrenean  cult.  It  is  forbidden  to  say  impious  words  when 
standing  near  the  brink,  or  to  throw  stones  into  the  water,  a 
superstition  most  prevalent  in  Ireland,  and  found,  as  we  have 
seen,  among  the  Esthonian  Finns.  The  lake  at  Gembrie  was 
held  in  great  veneration.  Near  it  was  a  rock  called  the  Pierre 
de  Lios,  which  was  said  to  have  been  carried  thither ;  and  not 
far  off  was  the  "  Tombeau  de  la  Geante,"  or  Grave  of  the  Giantess. 

The  miraculous  and  holy  wells  are  so  numerous  that  three 
classes  of  them  are  distinguished.  The  first  comprises  those 
the  w^aters  of  which  are  held  to  be  curative  at  all  seasons ;  the 
second,  those  whose  healing  properties  are  only  manifested  at 
certain  periods  known  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  country  round  ; 
the   third,   those   which    bear    the    name    of  Fontaines   Solaires, 

t  It  is  worthy  of  note  that  the  word  Tawlmen,  singularly  like  the  Daulmen,  or  Tol-men,  "  Table- 
stone,"  or  "  Holed-stone,"  whichever  it  should  be,  of  the  Bretons  and  Cornish,  is  used  in  the 
Pyrenees  in  the  sense  of  a  sepulchral  monument,  such  as  those  set  up  by  the  shepherds  to  the 
memory  of  any  one  of  their  number  who  might  have  perished  in  the  mountains.  The  account  of 
the  customs  of  the  shepherd  community  is  given  in  M.  A.  du  Mege's  work  ("Archeol.  Pyrenn.," 
vol.ii.  pj).  24,  31,  and  38),  on  the  authority  of  M.  Pages,  who  communicated  a  paper  upon  that  subject, 
apparently  unpublished,  to  the  Academie  des  Sciences  de  Toulouse.  The  passage  relating  to  the 
Tawlmen  is  as  follows :  "  Lorsque  les  neiges  ont  disparu,  nos  bergers  se  rassemblcnt  aux  premieres 
lucurs  du  jour  ;  ils  s'arrctent  en  silence  le  lever  du  soleil.  Des  que  I'astre  du  jour  parait,  le  plus  age 
d'entr'eux  commence  une  priere,  et  tout  I'ljcoutent  dans  le  recueillement.  La  priere  achevee,  ce 
veillard,  pontife  d'un  moment,  a  perdu  tous  ses  droits ;  ce  n'est  plus  qu'un  patre.  Les  bergers 
partagenl  alors  entr'eux  les  moiitagnes  oil  doivent  paltre  leurs  troupeaux,  et  les  huttes,  les  cabanes 
qui  doivent  les  abriter  ;  en  sortant  de  la  reunion,  ces  bergers  forment  de  petites  peuplades. 
Chacune  elit  son  chef ;  la  couronne  est  toujours  sur  des  chcveux  blancs.  Celui  qui  a  porte  a  le  nom 
de  Vcre,  de  I'wtix.  Lnsuite,  les  differents  chefs  s'assemblent ;  ils  jurent  de  revcrer  ct  d'aimer 
Dieu  ;  de  montrer  la  route  aux  voyageurs  egares  dans  nos  montagnes,  de  leur  offrir  le  lait  de  leurs 
troupeaux,  I'eau,^  le  feu,  I'abri  de  k-urs  chaumicres ;  ils  y  ajoutent  la  promesse  de  poser  le  tawlmen 
sur  les  infortunes  que  la  lar-o  ou  la  toiirb  feraient  perir  ;  de  reverer  les  fontaines  \coHla  eras  /louus], 
et  d'avoir  soin  des  troupeaux." 


France.  589 

because  it  is  at  the  summer  solstice,  when  the  people  believe 
that  they  see  the  sun  dancing  in  the  midst  of  the  morning  fog 
{ech  Soureil  que  trcpo  el  dio  dc  Sant  Jouan),  that  the  waters 
acquire  the  power  to  heal  terrible  maladies,  and  to  give  life  and 
hope  to  human  beings.  On  the  eve  of  this  great  Midsummer 
festival,  fires,  lighted  simultaneously,  blaze  from  the  banks  of  the 
Gironde  to  those  of  the  Rhine.  It  is  the  custom  to  leap  over  the 
fires,  and  afterwards  to  collect  the  remains  of  the  pile.  Torches 
snatched  from  them,  called  ha'illas  in  the  language  of  the  district, 
illumine  the  mountain  heights  alone  the  whole  isthmus  which  is 
traversed  by  the  Pyrenean  range.  "  They  announce,"  says  M.  du 
Mege,  "alike  to  Iberia,  to  Gallia  Aquitania,  and  to  Gallia 
Narbonnensis,  at  the  same  instant,  that  the  day  is  about  to 
return  when  the  sun  comes  once  more  to  ripen  the  harvests." 

The  same  writer  adds  a  list  of  holy  wells.  At  Bourg-de- 
Viza  was  one  to  which  the  people  resorted  on  the  5th  of  May. 
The  hamlet  of  Mas  Garnier  was,  until  1789,  the  scene  of  a  fair 
held  at  the  summer  solstice  on  a  piece  of  land  where  they  built  a 
church  of  St.  John.  From  the  foundations  of  this  edifice 
issued  the  waters  of  a  well,  gifted  with  healing  properties. 
Thither,  before  the  sun  was  up,  came  immense  crowds  of  people, 
the  greater  number  of  whom  bathed  in  its  waters,  while  others 
carried  away  water  for  those  who  could  not  come.  When  the 
sun  appeared,  it  was  said,  the  waters  of  the  well  turned  red, 
and  were  no  lon^jer  efficacious. 

To  the  well  De  la  Mandre,  on  the  day  of  the  summer  solstice, 
the  people  of  Soreze  came  in  crowds,  to  await  there  in  silence 
the  rising  of  the  sun,  because  then,  they  said,  he  would  show  them 
his  sacred  dance. 

A  well  near  the  Chateau  de  Ramondens  was  resorted  to  by 
brides  in  hopes  of  being  mothers,  and  pilgrims  might  frequently 
be  seen  kneeling  and  dipping  glasses  in  the  basin. 

At  the  Fonteine  de  la  Reine,  on  the  mountain  of  Candeil,  a 
queen  {regino)  presides,  and  never  fails  to  cure  her  devotees. 

At  Toulouse  the  water  has  to  be  drunk  out  of  a  new  cup, 
which  is  then  broken  and  the  fragments  thrown  into  the  water, 
together  with  pieces  of  silver.  At  a  well  near  Sos  is  a  cave  into 
which  women  go  to  ask  the  Virgin  for  milk  to  nourish  their 
children.  This  place  is  called  the  Hoim  de  las  Poiipettes  (the 
Dolls'  Well)  ;  and  there    is  another  of  the  same  name  near  the 


590  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 

ruins  of  the  Chateau  Nerac.  In  Basque  the  word  for  the 
"  poupette "  which  it  was  customary  to  affix  to  a  tree  on  May- 
day was  Si/s(7.j 

At  the  brink  of  a  well  at  Latone,  at  an  oratory  bearing  the 
name  of  St.  Radegonde,  is  a  stone  having  a  cavity  scooped  in 
its  surface,  said  to  have  been  formed  by  the  knees  of  the  saint. 
Hither,  on  the  15th  of  August,  pilgrims  came  in  crowds,  to  obtain 
remedies  for  ailments  in  the  water  which  escapes  from  the  basin. 
Here  we  have  the  exact  counterpart  of  Irish  custom  and  belief. 
The  bulldn  stone,  with  the  story  of  the  knee,  is  found  alike  in 
connection  with  wells,  crosses,  sanctuaries,  dolmens,  and  circles, 
resorted  to  by  pilgrims  at  stated  seasons  and  for  a  like  cause. 
Examples  of  the  occurrence  of  wells  by  the  tombs  of  saints  are 
as  plentiful  in  the  one  country  as  in  the  other,  and  even  the 
reverence  paid  to  the  sacred  tree  which  stands  by  the  well  is 
known  also  in  the  Pyrenees. 

Some  very  interesting  comparisons  may  be  drawn  between  the 
superstitious  and  early  cultus  which  attached  to  lakes  in  France 
and  North-Western  Spain  on  the  one  hand,  and  Ireland  on  the 
other. 

In  Gregory  of  Tours's  "  De  Gloria  Confessorum  "  we  read  of 
a  lake  in  a  mountain  called  Helanus,  in  the  county  of  the  Gabali, 
that  is  to  say,  in  the  diocese  of  Mende,J  north  of  the  Cevennes 
Range,  in  the  midst  of  a  district  rich  in  dolmens  and  menhirs  and 
rocking-stones. 

To  this  lake,  at  a  stated  period  of  the  year,  the  peasants  were 
in  the  habit  of  resorting  for  the  purpose  of  throwing  into  it  pieces 
of  linen  cloth,  and  shreds  of  men's  clothes,  by  way  of  offerings. 
Some  threw  in  fleeces  of  wool,  but  most  of  them  figures  shaped 
out  of  cheese,  or  wax,  or  bread,  and  various  sorts  of  things,  too 
numerous  to  specify,  each  individual  according  to  his  station  of  life. 
They  used  to  come,  too,  bringing  drink  and  food  in  waggons,  and 
slaughter  animals  on  the  spot,  and  hold  a  three-days'  feast. 
Gregory  goes  on  to  describe  how  on  one  occasion  a  thunderstorm 
dispersed  the  devotees,  after  which  the  cultus  of  the  lake  was 
transferred  to  that  of  St.  Hilary  of  Poitiers. 

t  It  is  tempting,  but  I  think  inadmissible,  to  compare  this  word  to  the  Irish  sidhc,  and  the  sitte 
of  the  Lapps.     Van  Eys,  Diet.  Basque-Fran9ais,  in  voc. 

\  Mende  was  called  Mimatum  Gabalorum,  otherwise  Anderidum,  Anderedon,  Anderitum 
(comp.  Anderida  in  Britain).  It  was  a  bishopric,  the  first  occupant  of  the  see  being  called 
Severinus,  and  the  third  Firmin,  not  to  be  confounded,  however,  with  the  apostle  of  Austria,  and 
the  saint  of  Pfcffers.     See  "  Zcdler,"  vol.  .xx.  p.  632,  and  "  Greg,  of  Tours,''  Paris  (1696),  p.  894. 


France.  591 

At  Loughadrine  in  the  county  of  Cork  is  a  "sacred  lake." 
On  the  side  of  the  hill  adjoining  it  on  the  north,  a  clump  of  furze 
was  pointed  out,  says  Windele,  which  was  called  the  "altar,"  point- 
ing not  improbably,  I  think,  to  the  presence  here  in  former  times 
of  a  dolmen,  since,  as  in  the  case  of  the  Bealick  at  Carrigdangan 
which  stands  on  an  elevation  above  Lough  Kil  Hanna  (Johnstown 
Lake),  and  many  other  Irish  dolmens,  the  brink  of  a  lake  was  a 
situation  specially  selected  for  such  remains.  This  so-called 
"altar"  at  Loughadrine  was  a  grand  "Station"  in  the  times  of 
the  "  Rounds,"  before  the  priests  interfered  to  prevent  them,  as 
they  have  done,  says  Windele,f  of  late  years.  Offerings  of  rags 
were  tied  on  the  bushes. 

There  were  several  "  Station  Days "  in  the  year,  but  the 
principal  "  Stations "  were  on  May  Eve.  The  great  "  Pattern 
Day"  was  a  Saturday  in  June,  when  faction-fights  took  place. 
There  were  floating  islets  in  the  lake.  The  trout  in  it,  on  being 
boiled,  turned  into  blood.  On  "Pattern  Days"  the  devotees 
flung  bread  and  biscuits  into  the  water  to  these  holy  fishes,  saying 
certain  prayers  when  making  the  offering.  On  such  occasions 
one  could  take  up  "  kish-fulls  "  of  bread  out  of  the  water.  Cures 
of  every  kind  were  effected  at  this  lake.  Windele's  informant  had 
a  daughter  cured  of  the  effect  of  some  stroke  (fairy-dart)  by  the 
potency  of  its  waters.  As  in  the  Lozere,  the  period  of  devotion 
was  always  closed  by  revelry. 

Windele  adds  to  the  above  account,  "  Our  lake-legends  are 
worth  being  collected  and  examined.  Many  of  these  sheets 
of  water  are  supposed  to  cover  subaqueous  regions — lands  of 
enchantment  and  wonder."  He  proceeds  to  refer  to  the  lake- 
legends  in  the  medieval  MSS.,  notably  to  "the  story  of  the  land 
beneath  En-Loch,  i.e.  Bird-Lake,  in  Magh  Ai  in  Roscommon,  into 
which  Laoghaire  Libhan,  son  of  Criomthan,  King  of  Connaught, 
went  on  an  adventure."  The  subaqueous  city  with  its  "  Round 
Towers,"  which  lies  beneath  Loch  Neagh,  is  well  known  to 
romance. 

In  the  Pyrenees  and  in  the  province  of  Galicia,  lake-legends, 
according  perfectly  with  those  found  in  Ireland,  are  abundant. 
Villa  Amil  y  Castro  states  that  the  legend  of  the  sunken  city  is 
common  to  nearly  all  the  lakes  and  pools  in  Galicia.  About 
thirty  miles    from   Mondonedo  is  a  lake  now  named  Cama  de 

t  MSS.,  J.  Windele,  in  Lib.  R.I.  A.,  "  Coik  W.  and  N.E.,"  p.  759. 


592  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 

Santa  Christina,  but  in  the  sixteenth  century  La  Lamas  de  Gua, 
in  which  the  river  Tamago  rises.  In  "  La  Descripcion  del  reino 
de  Gahcia  de  MoHna  de  Malaga," t  it  is  stated  that,  at  certain 
times  of  the  year,  the  noise  of  loud  and  terrible  bellowing  is  heard 
arising  from  the  lake.  Upon  a  person's  going  to  that  part  of  the 
lake  from  which  this  sound  proceeds  it  is  immediately  heard  in 
another  part.  Although  no  one  has  ever  seen  the  animal  from 
which  the  sound  proceeds,  it  is  said  traditionally  to  be  a  kind  of 
cow — precisely  the  Irish  Phooca,  in  fact.  The  legend  is  fully 
believed  in  the  vicinity.  It  is  also  stated,  with  regard  to  this 
same  lake,  that,  after  a  dry  summer,  when  the  water  is  low, 
quantities  of  iron  objects,  worked  stones,  bricks,  tiles,  vases,  and 
other  things  are  laid  bare,  showing  that  in  former  times  the  place 
was  the  residence  of  an  extensive  population.  The  Padre  La 
Gandara,  who  lived  in  the  century  succeeding  that  in  which  this 
account  was  written,  in  his  "  El  Cisne  Occidental,"  J  tells  the  same 
story.  Lastly,  Bohan,  who,  living  also  in  the  seventeenth  century, 
wrote  an  "  Historia  del  Reino  de  Galicia,"  goes  so  far  as  to  assert 
that  he  had  himself  heard  the  bellowing,  and  seen  the  objects 
discovered. 

Near  the  Bandon  Mountain  in  Cork  is  a  little  lake  called 
Loch-bo-booirha,  i.e.  "  Lake  of  the  Lowing  Cow."  The  Bandon 
Mountain  itself  is  called  Sliabh-bo-booirha,  from  the  same  en- 
chanted animal  that  once  lived  there.§  North  of  Ross,  also  in 
Cork,  are  two  lakes,  the  one  called  Loiigh-bo-finna,  i.e.  "  Lake  of 
the  White  Cow,"  and  the  other  Lough-a-tarriv,  i.e.  "  Lake  of  the 
Bull."  A  Piast,  i.e.  in  general,  "Serpent,"  was  said  to  be  still  at 
the  bottom  of  one  of  the  lakes  in  this  vicinity ;  but  that  it  was  in 
this  instance  akin  to  the  bovine  species  is  clear  from  the  legend 
that  it  used  to  come  up  out  of  the  lake,  and  consort  with  the  cows 
on  its  bank. II  The  Phooca  is  often  represented  as  a  water-calf, 
possibly,  however,  through  some  confusion  of  the  name  of  this 
mythical  beast  with  the  Latin  Phuca — a  seal.  On  a  man  trying  to 
drain  a  lake  called  Veildeheen  (in  Desmond),  the  water  lit  up,  and 
a  beast  came  out  "like  a  dunkey,"  says  Windele.*[[ 

To  return  to  Galicia,  Signor  Manuel  INIorguiaff  tells  us  of 
a   legendary    city  called  Villaverde   [Goidelicc  Ba/lyglass]  lying 

t  Printed  at  Mondoni-do  in  1550  (p.  40).  J  Tom.  i.  p.  44. 

§  MSS.,  J.  Windcle,  "Cork  W,  and  N.K.,"  p.  792. 
II  Id.,  p.  529.  \  Id.,  "  Topography  of  Desmond,"  p.  254. 

tt  "  Historia  dc  Galicia,"  Lugo  (1865),  vol.  ii.  p.  13. 


France.  593 

submerged  in  the  lake  of  Carrigal  at  Dimo.  When  the  water 
is  clear  there  appear  at  the  bottom  the  ruins  of  buildings,  the 
great  beams  of  which  are  visible.  The  popular  belief  is  that 
this  town  was  submerged  as  a  punishment  to  the  inhabitants  who, 
when  the  Virgin  came  there  disguised  as  a  poor  beggar,  treated 
her  badly. 

M.  Cartailhac  I  regards  these  stories  of  sunken  towns  and  of 
objects  discovered  at  low  water  as  evidences  of  the  former 
presence  of  lake-dwellings.  Signor  Villa  Annil  y  Castro  com- 
pares the  legends  with  those  told  of  the  lake  of  St.  Andeol  in  the 
Lozere,  and  that  of  Paladru  in  the  Dauphine.  M.  Alexandre  du 
Mege,  in  his  "  Archeologie  Pyreneene,"  J  has  noticed  some  lake- 
legends  at  Toulouse,  Beam,  and  Comminges — the  waters  at  each 
of  which  places  were  the  object  of  veneration,  prayers  being 
addressed  to  them,  and  offerings  of  bits  of  silver,  woollen  stuff 
{dtoffes),  food  and  flowers  being  thrown  in.  He  adverts  also  to 
the  story  that  treasure  was  concealed  beneath  the  lake  of 
Toulouse.  The  tale  that  it  was  placed  there  by  the  Volcse 
Tectosages,  and  discovered  by  the  consul  Caepio,  is  to  be  dis- 
credited. With  this  legend  of  hidden  treasure,  and  with  those  of 
subaqueous  cities,  we  may  compare  that  told  of  the  little  tarn 
which  sleeps  beneath  the  summit  of  Slieve  Callan  in  Clare,  called 
Lochbooleynagreine.  Near  it,  at  the  head  of  a  pass,  is  the 
dolmen  of  Knockalassa,  "  Knoll  of  the  Sea-green  (Cow),"  and 
close  above  it  on  the  hillside  is  a  stone,  upon  the  face  of  which 
is  an  ogam  inscription,  and  which  is  called  traditionally  Leaba 
Conain,  or  Conoin,  i.e.  Conan's  Bed.§  The  tradition  of  the 
peasantry  regarding  this  stone  was  that  it  marked  or  covered  a 
grave,  and  that  should  it  be  removed,  and  the  grave  opened,  "  the 
wild,  inhospitable  mountain  would  at  once  become  a  fertile  plain  ; 
that  a  beautiful  city  which  lay  enchanted  in  the  lake  would  be 
opened  by  a  key  which  was  said  to  be  buried  with  Conan  in  his 
tomb,  and  that  a  great  mass  of  golden  treasure  was  then  to  be 
acquired."  || 

The  "terrible  supernatural  being"  who,  according  to  M.  A. 
du  Mege,  inhabits  the  depths  of  the  Lac  de  Tabe  in  the  Pyrenees, 
may  certainly  be  compared  to  the  Piast  of  Lough  Veildiheen — 

t  "Ages  prehist.  de  I'Espagne,"  pp.  70-73. 

X  Vol.  i.  pp.  I07-IIO  ;  vol.  ii.  xxix.  xxx. 

g  Compare  this  name  with  that  of  Conan's  Stone  in  Co.  of  Waterford,  Ord.  Surv.  Map  No.  17. 

II  See  papers  by  Sir  Samuel  Ferguson,  Proc.  R.I.  A.,  2nd  Ser.,  vol.  i.  pp.  160,  167,  265,  and  315. 


594  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 

not  far  from  which,  by  the  way,  is  a  dolmen  described  by  Windele 
as  of  considerable  size.  "  This  lake,"  says  that  writer  in  his  MS. 
Notes,  "  is  enchanted. f  It  contains  a  great  Worm  (?  Crom),  or 
Piast.  This  serpent  lies  imprisoned  under  a  great  tub  or  vat, 
whence  is  derived  the  name  of  the  lake.  The  monster  in  old 
time  was  a  pest  to  the  country,  and  so  powerfully  malignant  that 
no  one  could  approach  the  mountains,  much  less  the  lake.  At 
length  St.  Patrick  arrived  at  the  Galtecs  on  his  mission  of  peace 
and  beneficence,  and  he  held  a  colloquy  with  the  Piast,  who,  over- 
come by  the  soft  sawder  of  the  saint,  consented  to  try  the  luxury 
of  a  short  sojourn  under  the  cover  of  a  vat  which  the  saint  pro- 
cured, Patrick  promising  to  set  him  at  large  after  the  day  of  Luan. 
But  this  was  a  mere  taking  advantage  of  the  poor  monster's 
simplicity,  for  the  Saint's  "  Luan  "  is  a  time  more  remote  than 
Tib's  Eve,  or  the  Greek  Kalends  ;  and  ever  and  anon  the  poor 
serpent  is  heard  painfully  calling  out,  Is  fadda  an  Luan  z  a 
Phad}'uig,  that  is,  '  It  is  a  long  Luan  (Monday),  O  Patrick.'  " 

A  supernatural  Piast  resides  also  under  the  waters  of  Lough 
Keel  Hanna,J  in  the  Parish  of  Kil-Michael  and  county  of  Cork. 
"  The  Tarn  is  a  small  one,  covering  about  ten  acres.  It  lies  in  a 
moory  hollow,  interspersed  with  rude  rocks,  and  is  surrounded  by 
low  banks.  It  contains  several  floating  islands,  or  rather  turfy 
tussocks,  near  its  northern  shore.  The  lough  is  sacred  water,  and 
a  place  of  weekly  devotion.  The  floating  islands  have  been 
objects  of  superstition,  apparently  from  pagan  antiquity.  *  Rounds '§ 
are  given  at  the  part  where  they  lie.  Three  islands  are  said  to 
move,  but  no  eye  is  upon  them  when  they  do  so.  The  reason 
why  the  eastern  side  of  the  lake  is  bald  is  this  :  A  mower  once 
used  his  scythe  upon  it.  Immediately  there  shot  forth  from  the 
island  and  upward  from  it  a  shower  of  blood,  and  from  that  day  to 
the  present  no  verdure  has  been  produced  upon  it.  The  moving 
islets,  so  runs  the  legend,  are  three  sisters  of  different  ages.  The 
eldest  always  leads,  when  a  desire  to  change  arises,  and  the  two 
juniors,  with  sisterly  duty,  follow.  Devout  people  come  here  on 
Saturday  nights,  to  perform  *  Rounds.'  The  religious  ceremonies 
consist  of  making  three  rounds,  and  saying  a  rosary  on  the  Sunday. 
The  water  of  the  lake  is  then  rubbed  into  such  portions  of  the  body 

t  MSB.,  J.  Windele,  "Topography  of  Desmond,"  p.  254. 
X  Id.,  "Cork  Topography,"  j).  501  ;  and  "  Cork  W.  and  N.E.,"  p.  509. 

§  This  circuit  seems  to  me  to  be  the  "■  paganus  ciirsiis^(\wQm  Yrias  vocant,  scissis  pannis  vel 
calceis,'  mentioned  in  the  Capitularies  of  Charlemagne,  Anno  743. 


France.  595 

as  may  be  afflicted  with  rheumatism,  which  is  the  complaint  for 
which  the  water  is  a  remedy." 

On  the  banks  of  the  Lac  de  Tabe,  inhabited  by  the  Piast 
above  mentioned,  no  person  must  speak  an  impure  word,  or  throw 
stones  into  the  water.  If  they  do,  a  fearful  thunderstorm  ensues. 
This  superstition,  as  to  insulting  wells  and  lakes,  and  causing  their 
migration  in  consequence,  is  found  both  in  Ireland  and  Esthonia, 
as  we  have  seen. 

About  the  Lake  of  Limia  in  Galicia  many  legends  are  told. 
One  of  these,  according  to  Villa  Amil  y  Castro,f  is  that  an 
enormous  swarm  of  buzzing  gnats,  which  in  summer-time  surround 
its  waters,  are  "  the  enchanted  army  of  King  Arthur  of  England." 
How  this  legend  arrived  here  I  cannot  tell,  unless  we  look  upon 
it  as  an  importation  coincident  with  the  establishment  of  a 
bishopric  at  Bretana,  which  was  probably  of  Breton  origin. 
Legends  of  insects,  however,  seem  to  be  connected  with  Irish 
lakes.  The  name  of  the  Lake  of  Connshingann  in  Cork  is 
explained  by  "  Glen  of  the  Ants."  This  lake  is  said,  also,  to  be 
inhabited  by  a  supernatural  Water-Serpent  of  monstrous  length 
and  bulk,  having  a  horse's  head  and  mane.  He  sometimes  rises 
and  disports  himself  on  the  surface. 

At  the  Lake  of  Gougann  Barra,  also  in  Cork,  I  was  told  the 
legend  of  St.  Finnbarr  and  the  Serpent  or  Dragon,  who  used  to 
dwell  beneath  its  waters,  until  slain  at  the  rapid  and  fall  through 
which  it  discharges  its  waters.  Luan,  a  servant  of  Finnbarr, 
was  standing  on  the  brink  when  the  Piast  rose  and  swallowed 
him.  Finnbarr  was  away,  but  returning,  and  finding  what  had 
happened,  he  cursed  the  snake,  who  forthwith  fled  to  the 
river,  and,  after  having  vomited  Luan  into  the  first  pool,  was 
there  slain. 

With  the  name  Luan  I  am  inclined  to  connect  the  name 
Vincehma,  which  is  explained  "  Lunse  Defectio  "  in  the  Cartularies 
of  Charlemagne,  and  the  superstitions  connected  with  which  are 
there  forbidden.  On  the  occasion  of  an  eclipse  of  the  moon  it 
was  believed  that  it  had  been  swallowed  by  a  monster,  who  could 
only  be  forced  to  release  it  by  being  frightened  by  noise. 
People  therefore  assembled  and  made  all  the  noise  in  their 
power  by  shouting  and  other  means.  The  monster  who  com- 
mitted  the  atrocity  seems  to    have   been    the  sun.     Upon   this 

t  "  Antiguedades,"  Lugo,  p.  75. 


596  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 

subject  some  very  curious  passages  might  be  quoted. f  A  similar 
belief  in  a  dragon  swallowing  the  moon  obtains  in  China  ;  and  in 
Japan,  on  the  occasion  of  an  eclipse  of  the  sun,  people  assemble 
and  clash  together  sounding  metal,  to  make  her  look  out  of  the 
cave  in  which  she  is  concealed. 

In    the    Department   of  Ariege,J    Vl.   Bertrand    places    eight 
dolmens.     In  that  of  Pyrenees  Orientales  there  are  said  to  be  ten, 


Fig.  524. — Dolmen  under  tumulus  in  the  Gorge  de  la  Vail,  Pyrenees  Orientales.    From  a  rough 
titgraving  i/i  ^^Mat.  pour  V Hist,  de  P Homme," 

bordering  on  those  in  Gerona  and  others  in  North-Eastern  Spain. 
In  this  Department  INI.  V.  de  Chausenque  §  specially  mentions  that 
of  Vicdessos  ;  and  another  writer,  in  the  "  Materieux  pour  I'Histoire 
del'Homme,"  ||  figures  and  describes  two — one  under  a  tumulus  in 
the  Gorge  de  la  Vail ;  the  other  called  Balma  (flagstone)  del  Moi'o, 
or  otherwise  the  Dohien  de  la  Roqiie.  In  the  Department  of 
Aude  ]\I.  Bertrand  places  four,  and  in  that  of  Tarn,  to  the  north 
of  it,  twelve.  Of  the  megalithic  remains  found  in  these  districts 
M.   du  Mege  has  much  to   say.     He   reminds  us  that  in  early 

t  Plutarch,  "  Life  of -Fmilius,"  Langhorne,  p.  193  :  "The  Romans,  according  to  their  custom, 
made  a  great  noise  by  striking  upon  vessels  of  brass,  and  held  up  lighted  faggots  and  torches  in  the 
air  in  order  to  recall  the  moon's  light."  Tac.  "Ann.,"  lib.  i.  p.  28  ;  Juvenal.,  vi.  (Delph.  edit.), 
J).  443  ;  Liv.,  lib.  xxvi.  p.  5  ;  Senecse  "  In  Hippol.,"  notce  M.  A.  Delrius,  1576,  p.  168  :  "  Tinnitus 
deaimus  ;  solebant  antiqui  pelvium  tinnilu  et  tubarum  strepitu  deficienti  lumi;  auxiliari  ut  apud 
poetas  passim."  See  also  Andoen's  *'  Vita  .S.  Kligii,"  in  Archery's  "  Spicclegium,"  p.  97,  where 
this  superstition  is  mentioned  together  with  a  number  of  pagan  practices  forbidilen  to  Christians — 
the  most  curious  list  of  them — which  is  preserved  :  "  Nulius,  si  cjuando  luna  obscuratur,  vociferare 
pnvsumat."  See  also  Pede,  "  De  Remediis  Peccatorum,"  in  the  "  Canones  Paenitent."  of  Ant 
Augustin  Archepis,  Tarracon.,  1584,  p.  1 16  :  "  Nolite  exercere,  quando  luna  obscuratur,  et  clamoribus 
ac  maleficiis  sacrilego  usu,  se  defensare  posse  confidunt  ; "  also  S.  Maximus,  Epis.  Taurinensis,  Romiv, 
1684,  p.  334,  Homilia  C,  De  defectu  Luna;:  "Nam  cum  ante  dies  plerosque  de  vestrre  avaritia; 
cupidiiate  pulsaverim,  ipsa  die  circa  vesperum  tanta  vociferatio  populi  extitit,  ut  irreligiositas  ejus 
penetraret  ad  ccelum.  (^uod  cum  requirerem  quid  sibi  clamor  hie  velit?  dixcrunt  mihi  quod 
laboranti  luna;  vestra  vociferatio  subveniret,  ct  defectum  ejus  suis  clamoribus  adjuvaret.  Risi 
cquidem,"  etc.  This  homily,  in  a  Vat.  Codex  (4951,  p.  213),  is  attributed  to  S.  Augustin,  and 
headed  *'  Ad  eos  qui  defectum  luna'  suis  clamoribus  adjuvare  nituntur  ;  "  also  Pope  Gregory  IIL, 
"  De  Diversis  Criminibus,"  in  "Bib.  Patr.,"  De  la  Bigne,  Paris,  1610,  vol.  vi.  p.  512:  "Si  quis 
maleficus  aut  malefica  hlium  suum  aut  fdiam  supra  tectum  aut  in  fornace  pro  sanitate  febrium 
posuerit,  vel  quando  Luna  oliscuratur,  vel  clamoribus  suis  vel  maleficiis  sacrilego  usu  se  defensare 
nossc  confidunt,  vel  ut  frater  in  honore,  Jovis  vel  Beli  aut  Jani,  secundum  paganum  consuetudincm 
honorare  presumpserit,  placuit  secundum  antiquam  consuetudincm  sex  annos  paniteant." 

\  "  Arcix^ol.  Celt,  et  Gaul  "  (1S76),  p.  144. 

§  "Lcs  Pyrenees," /£7c-.  t//.  Il  1887,  p.  440. 


France. 


597 


historic  times  this  was  the  country  of  the  Volcse  Tectosages. 
He  finds,  also,  certain  names  of  places  which  indicate  here  as 
elsewhere  the  presence  of  ancient  monuments  ;  as,  for  example,  the 
Peyro  Traucado  in  the  Bois  de  Belene,  called  the  Pierre  Trouee 
de  Moelan,  and  the  Peyros  d'Antix  near  Martignac.  At 
Malves,  in  the  country  of  the  ancient  Atacini— so  called  because 


Fig.  525. — The  Balma  del  Moro,  Pyrenees  Orientales.     After  a  rough  engraving  in 
' '  ATat.  pour  FHist.  de  rHonime.''^ 

they  bordered  on  the  river  Atax,  now  the  Aude — there  stands,  he 
says,  a  menhir  7  m.  high,  2  m.  broad,  and  about  i  m.  thick. 
Menhirs  are  also  found  at  Alet,  Peyroles,  Belcastel,  and  in  the 
arrondissement  of  Carcassone. 

Proceeding  northwards  into  the  Department  of  Tarn,  we  find 
mention  of  the  dolmen  of  Andouque,  called  the  "  Tomb  of  the 
Three  Kings,"  or,  as  the  Christians  called  it,  "of  the  Magi." 
Of  the  monolith  at  Vieux,  and  the  legend  regarding  it,  I  have 
already  spoken. 

At  Vaour,  in  the  Department  of  Tarn  et  Garonne,  is  a  dolmen 
a  good  illustration  of  Avhich  will  be  found  in  the  volume  of  the 
"  Congres  Internationale  d'Anthropologie  "  for  1868  f  (Fig.  526). 

In  the  country  of  the  Albienses,  on  that  side  of  it  which 
touched  the  borders  of  the  Tasconi  and  Cadurci,  are  the  remains 
of  stone  circles  and  also  a  dolmen. J  The  Palet  de  Notre  Dame 
and  the  Palet  du  Diable,  near  the  town  of  Alban,  have  been  before 
noticed.  The  most  famous  of  these  Pyrenean  "  Quoits "  is  the 
Palet  de  Roland  (Fig.  527)  at  Arles-sur-Tech  in  the  Department 
of  the  Pyrenees  Orientales,  on  a  spur  of  the  Carrigon,  a  view  of 


t  n.  iv. 


X  "  Archeol.  Pyrenn.,"  vol.  ii.  p.  57. 


598 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


which  is  given  in  "  Materiaux  pour  THistoire  de  rHomme."j  In 
the  same  locality  is  a  trilithon  on  a  hill  called  Lo  Troulierro,  which 
bears  the  name  Lou  Sent  Rouoc.  It  is  situated  in  the  district  of 
the  Rutheni,  near  the  border-line  of  Herault. 

This    monument    is,    like    others    before    noticed,    attributed 


Fig,  526. — Dolmen  clc  Vaour  (Tarn  ct  Garonne).     I'rom  ""Congrh  d'Anik.  et  d'Archcol."   186S. 

popularly  to  the  Virgin  Mother  of  the  Christians*  God,  who 
seems  universally  throughout  this  district  to  have  taken  the 
place  of  the  elder  and  native  divinities.     The  supporting-stones 


Fig.  527.— The  "  Palet  de  Roland,"  at  Arles-sur-Tech,  Pyrenees  Orientales.     From 
"  3rat.  pour  PIIisL  dc  P Homme:' 

she  is  said  to  have  carried  under  her  arms,  the  transverse  stone 
poised  upon  her  head,  and  for  all  this,  during  the  time  it  took  her 
to  complete  the  distance  from  the  quarry  where  the  stones  were 

t  Vol.  for  188S,  p.  100. 


France.  599 

cut  to  the  spot  on  which  she  set  them  up,  her  hands  being  free 
and  provided  with  a  distaff,  she  covered  the  spindle  seven  times 
with  a  fine  silken  skein.  Traditions  of  its  having  been  a  tomb 
also  attach  to  this  monument,  and  it  probably  is  a  ruined  dolmen. 

The  Lou  Sent  Rouoc  overlooks  to  the  north  a  larofe  fertile 
plain  called  La  Coumbo  (valley)  of  Auribal,  where  there  is  a 
dolmen,  and  also  a  tradition  of  a  bloody  battle.  To  the  north  of 
this,  again,  is  a  dolmen,  or  Cibouiniid,\  and  around  it  a  number 
of  small  stone  heaps,  the  debris  of  tumuli.  The  place  is  called 
Carroillasses.  West  of  the  Lou  Sent  Rouoc  is  another  dolmen 
of  large  size,  and  a  line  of  ten  others,  more  or  less  denuded  of 
their  tumuli,  one  of  which  (the  covering-stones  had  been 
removed)  measured  15  m.  long. 

Rocking-stones  are  met  with  in  the  same  district,  among 
which  the  best  known  was  the  Pierre  Martine.  Near  it  were 
two  menhirs,  30  paces  apart,  the  one  15,  the  other  over  20  feet 
high.  The  place  where  they  stand  is  called  Belinac.  Other 
rocking-stones  exist  in  the  district  called  Sidobre,  near  Castres. 

Of  the  antiquities  of  the  Province  of  Herault  we  are 
fortunate  in  possessing  an  excellent  map  drawn  up  by  AL  Cazalis 
de  Fondouce.;|;  The  number  of  dolmens  there  indicated  is  sixty- 
three,  the  same  number  which  jNL  Bertrand  assigns  to  it.  They 
are  divided  into  two  principal  groups — the  one  at  the  extreme 
S.W.  of  the  Department,  in  the  mountainous  districts  of  the 
ancient  Pagus  Narbonensis  ;  the  other  in  the  country  known  as 
the  Pagus  Lutevensis,  in  the  north  central  portion.  Small  groups 
of  twos  and  threes  occur — also  in  the  mountains — to  the  E. 
of  these,  in  what  was  the  Pagus  ^Nlagalonensis,  whence  they 
extend  through  Card  and  Ardeche  (where  there  are  no  fewer 
than  two  hundred  and  twenty-six)  to  the  banks  of  the  Rhone. 
The  presence  of  one  isolated  example  in  the  S.  of  Herault,  in  the 
Pagus  Agathensis,  as  well  as  that  of  a  few  in  Var  and  the  Alpes 
Maritimes,  proves  that  the  limits  of  the  people  who  erected 
them  were  not  wholly  or  always  confined  to  the  mountainous 
districts  alone. 

I  have  hitherto  endeavoured  to  keep  myself  free  from 
hazarding   any  theory  as  to    whether  the   people  or   peoples  by 

t  Literally  "  ash-heap."  a  name  not  infrequently  used  in  France  to  designate  the  heap  mixed 
with  charcoal  and  ashes  which  covered  a  dolmen  or  cist,  and  hence  the  structure  itself. 

J  Published  in  the  "  Memoires  de  la  Socicte  Archeol.  de  Montpellier"  for  1881,  vol.  vii. 
p.  273,  d  seqq. 


6oo  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


whom  the  dolmens  in  Europe  were  erected  can  be  traced 
ethnologically  to  any  of  those  races  or  tribes  to  whom  History 
presents  us  as  the  inhabitants  of  these  regions  when  first  she 
lifts  the  veil.  The  discoveries,  however,  which  have  been  made 
in  the  dolmens  in  this  part  of  France  force  upon  us  the  considera- 
tion of  the  survival  of  this  class  of  monument  into  the  later  ages 
of  archaeology. 

From  an  ethnographic  point  of  view  the  remarks  of  M.  Cazalis 
de  Fondouce  on  this  point  are  of  considerable  value.  The 
discoveries  made  in  the  Herault  dolmens  consist  not  only  of 
flint  arrow-heads,  but  of  rings  and  arrow-heads  of  bronze,  also 
articles  of  glass,  amber,  and  even  pottery  of  the  Roman  period, 
all  which  go  to  prove  that,  however  remote  in  origin  these  ancient 
monuments  may  be,  the  custom  which  prompted  their  erection 
for  purposes  of  sepulture  covered  in  survival  a  very  extended 
period,  reaching  to  even  more  recent  times  than  the  close  of  the 
Bronze  Age,  to  which  epoch,  however,  the  greater  number  of 
them  may  be  most  safely  assigned.  Some  of  the  dolmens  in  this 
Department,  as  in  those  of  Aveyron,  Gard,  Lozere,  Ardeche, 
and  in  the  Cevennes  district  generally,  are  found  to  be  of  the 
same  wedge-shaped  type  (in  ground-plan)  which  is  found  in 
Germany  on  the  N.E.,  and  in  Southern  Portugal  on  the  S.W. 
In  these,  and  in  the  sepulchral  caves  of  the  same  district,  are 
found  more  objects  of  pure  copper  than  of  bronze,  and  M. 
Cartailhac  attributes  them  to  a  period  of  transition  between  the 
Ages  of  Stone  and  Metal — to  a  Copper  Age,  in  fact.f 

In  the  mountainous  regions  especially — so  well  adapted  to 
shelter  old  populations  and  sustain  old  practices,  while  the  littoral, 
being  on  the  high-road  of  commerce,  adopted  the  customs  and 
arts  of  foreign  civilization — we  find  the  dolmens,  as  might  be 
expected,  in  greatest  number.  A  coast  route  connected  what  is 
now  the  Department  of  Herault  with  Spain  on  the  one  hand 
and  with  Italy  on  the  other.  The  Phoenicians  had  possessed, 
at  a  period  which  has  been  assigned  to  the  fifteenth  century 
B.C.,  an  extended  line  of  colonies  and  markets  all  around  the 
western  basin  of  the  Mediterranean.  For  the  transport  of 
merchandize,  routes  were  established  which  traversed  the  country 
of  Nemausus,  and  passed  into  Spain  and  Italy.  Under  the 
Romans  these  routes  became  the  Domitian  and  Aurelian  Ways. 

t  "  Ages  prchist.  de  I'Espagtic,"  p.  212. 


France.  6oi 

Polybius,  who  wrote  in  B.C.  154,  tells  us  that  these  routes  were 
already  in  existence  before  the  Second  Punic  War,  and  mentions 
an  ancient  road  which,  starting  from  Carthagena  in  Baetica, 
passed  through  Emporiae  in  Catalonia,  and  traversing  the 
Narbonaise,  led  to  the  Rhone.  This  road,  says  M.  C.  Charvet, 
was  already  in  existence  before  the  Romans  made  themselves 
masters  of  the  country,  and  was,  doubtless,  the  work  of  the 
native  tribes,  the  more  civilized  of  whom,  long  before  the  Roman 
conquest,  had  been  initiating  themselves  in  the  art  of  constructing 
great  public  works.  The  facilities,  therefore,  for  close  and  constant 
intercommunication  between  the  tribes  occupying  Western  Italy, 
Southern  Gaul,  and  Eastern  Spain,  were,  from  the  earliest  times, 
very  great  indeed. f 

Now,  the  people  who  occupied  Languedoc  when  the  Romans 
conquered  it  in  b.c.  121,  were  the  Volcae,  called,  as  it  is 
certainly  curious  to  note,  "Belgae"  in  some  Codices  of  Cicero.J 
They  were  divided  into  the  Arecomici,  who  occupied  the  Bas- 
Languedoc,  and  the  Tectosages,  who  occupied  the  rest  of  the 
province  on  the  Toulouse  side.  The  line  of  demarcation  between 
these  two  tribes  of  Volcae,  running  from  north  to  south,  would 
have  divided  the  present  Department  of  Herault  into  two  unequal 
parts.  These  peoples,  says  M.  Cazalis  de  Fondouce,  whose 
capitals  were  respectively  Nismes  and  Toulouse,  have  left 
behind  them  but  few  traces  of  their  presence.  In  no  case  could 
their  monuments  be  traced  very  far  back  if,  that  is  to  say,  we 
accept  the  view  taken  by  M.  Amedee  Thierry,  and  regard  these 
Volcae  as  an  offshoot  of  the  Belgae,  who,  at  a  date  which  he  fixes 
as  the  fifth  century  b.c,  coming  from  the  north-east,  penetrated 
like  a  wedge  across  the  populations  who  occupied  the  coast  of 
the  Mediterranean,  and  south-central  Gaul.  On  these  grounds 
it  is  concluded  by  M.  Cazalis  de  Fondouce  that  the  dolmens 
cannot  be  assigned  to  them. 

Without  committing  myself  to  any  theory  with  regard  to  the 
origin  of  the  Volcae, — and  while  feeling  quite  unable  to  admit  their 
identity  with  the  Belgs, — the  plausibility  of  the  view  which  would 
connect  one  branch  of  them  (the  Tectosages)  with  the  Tectosages 
whom  Caesar  found  dwelline  in  wealth  and  honour  in  his  own 
time  on  the   further  side   of  the   Rhine,  in  the   Hercynia  Silva, 

t  M.  Cazalis  de  Fondouce,  op.  cit.,  p.  276. 

X  See  Roget  de  Belloguet,  "  Glossaire  Gauloise,"  2nd.  edit.  (Paris,  1872),  p.  402. 

VOL.  II.  ,  U 


6o2  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 

is  beyond  dispute.  Equally  is  it  beyond  dispute  that  time  was 
when  the  pioneers  of  the  Aryan  speech,  whoever  they  were, 
were  driving  across  Gaul  the  "wedges"  of  that  language  which 
philologists  have  arbitrarily  chosen  to  term  "  Celtic,"  and  which 
in  process  of  time  ousted  all  other  forms  of  speech,  imposing 
itself  upon  the  Ligurian  populations,  if,  that  is  to  say,  these  latter 
peoples  did  not  themselves  possess  already  the  germs  of  Aryan 
speech,f  and  driving  back  the  Aquitanian  tongue  into  those 
mountain  passes  where  the  latter  still  exists,  perhaps  in  modified 
survival,  as  one  form  of  Basque,  side  by  side  with  the  not- 
distantly  related  dialects  of  Spanish  Basque,  and  tracing  back,  in 
common  with  them,  to  a  long-lost  and  ancestral  Iberian  stock. 
That  the  Volcae  Tectosages  in  Languedoc  may  have  been 
originally  one  of  these  "  wedge  "  people  who  brought  the  Celtic 
language  is  likely  enough,  but  that  they  were  an  off-shot  of  those 
in  the  Hercynia  Silva,  as  M.  Thierry  supposed,  is  in  direct 
opposition  to  the  explicit  testimony  of  Caesar, J  whose  statement 
about  these  people  is  that  they  it  was  who,  crossing  the  Rhine, 
and  therefore  passing  eastward,  had  overcome  the  Germans,  and 
occupied  the  most  fertile  portions  of  the  country  around  the 
Hercynia  Silva. 

With  regard  to  the  general  question  of  the  spread  of  the 
Celtic  language  in  the  regions  of  the  Rhine,  while  on  the  one 
hand  Etymology,  as  interpreted  by  Mlillenhof,  gives  us  reason 
to  suppose  that  it  was  once  the  spoken  language  of  the  North 
of  Germany  as  far  east  as  the  Weser,  and  perhaps  beyond  it, 
whence  we  may  suppose  it  to  have  been  pressed  westward  by 
advancing  Teutons,  History,  on  the  other,  taking  cognizance  of 
later  times,  shows  us  that  the  German  peoples  further  south  were 
giving  way  before  those  tribes  who  spoke  this  Celtic  tongue,  and 
who,  as  Helvetii  and  Boii,§  Vindelici,  Recti,  Norici,  and  Carni, 
were  carrying  their  speech  southward  over  the  heights  of  the 
Alps,  or  eastward  down  the  Danube.  That  at  a  very  early  date 
Celtic-speaking  peoples  had  made  their  way  into  Greece  and  Asia 
Minor,  there  is  no  room  for  doubt.  Plutarch's  mention  of  Celto- 
Scythes  on  the  Pontus,  at  a  far  later  date,  would  seem  to  indicate 
the  presence  of  an  element  there  neither  German  nor  wholly 
Scythian,  nor  Mongol,  but  which  was  recognized  as  having  had 
its  origin  in  the  West. 

t  See  above,  p.  526.  ;  "  B.  Gall.,"  vi.  24.  <}  "Tac.  Germ.,"  28. 


France.  603 

At  the  dawn  of  history,  then,  the  tendency  of  the  Celtic- 
speaking  peoples  in  Gaul  was  towards  the  South  and  East.  For 
this  movement  some  cause  of  displacement  must  be  looked  for, 
such  as  a  movement  of  north-eastern  or  Baltic  tribes  over  the  Rhine 
and  around  the  northern  and  western  coasts  of  France.  Of  such  a 
movement  the  tradition  of  the  Belese  that  their  ancestors  had 
crossed  the  Rhine  may  be  evidence,  as  also  the  similarity  of  the 
names  of  the  peoples  on  the  Southern  Baltic  and  in  Northern 
Gaul.f  The  origin  of  the  Celtic  language — the  first  instalment 
of  Aryan  in  the  West — was  in  the  East,  however,  on  the  Middle 
VolgaJ,  where  brachycephali  and  dolichocephali  dwelt  side  by 
side.  Who,  then,  were  the  peoples  whom  the  Volcse  would  have 
found  already  settled  in  Languedoc  ?  In  the  first  place,  there 
were  those  foreigners  who  had  founded  cities  and  established 
commercial  centres  at  various  points  along  the  littoral — the 
Phoenicians,  the  Rhodians,  the  Phoca;ans,  and  others.  At  the 
date  to  which  belono-  the  materials  which  served  Festus  Avienus 
as  the  basis  of  his  geography,  and  which  some  place  as  early 
as  the  sixth  century  B.C.,  the  Rhone  divided  the  Ligyes  or 
Ligures  from  the  Iberes.  The  Helisyci,  who,  according  to 
Avienus,  were  the  earliest  inhabitants  of  the  country  about 
Narbonne,  are  called,  however,  by  Hecatseus  a  Ligurian  tribe. 
Scylax  assigns  to  the  Ligurians  the  coast  of  the  Mediterranean 
as  far  as  the  mouth  of  the  Rhone,  while  the  district  from  that 
river  to  Emporiae  in  Spain  he  describes  as  one  in  which  Iberes 
and  Ligures  were  intermingled.  Thucydides,  again,  speaks  of  the 
Ligures  as  having  expelled  the  Sicani,  an  Iberian  tribe,  from 
the  banks  of  the  Sicanus  in  Ibei'ia.  ^schylus  represents  Hercules 
as  contending  with  the  Ligurians  on  the  stony  plains  near  the 
mouth  of  the  Rhone — a  legend  found  also  in  Pomponius  Mela, 
where  two  giants,  Albion  and  Dercyon  (or  Bergion  }),  are  put 
in  place  of  the  Ligurians,  and  seem  to  represent  two  native 
peoples  with  whom  Hercules  (representing  the  Greek  colonies) 
had  to  contend.  Herodotus  speaks  of  the  Ligures  as  occupying 
the  country  above  Marseilles.  In  Italy  they  were  to  be  found 
around  the  Gulf  of  Genoa,  with  an  extension  southward  into 
Etruria,  a  country  subsequently  held  by  the  Tyrrheni.     Stephen 

t  e.g.  Veneti ;  Lemovii  (Lemovici)  ;  Curi,  Osili  (Curio-solites)  ;  Vinili  (Unelli)  ;  Osii  (Osismii)  ; 
Galindas  (Caletes) ;  and  perhaps  luchti  (Pictones). 

X  This  view,  held  by  Schrader  and  others,  dispenses  with  the  objection  that  dolicephali  must 
necessarily  have  carried  the  Arj'an  language  into  Western  Europe. 


6o4  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 

of  Byzantium  connects  their  name,  but  unauthoritatively,  with  that 
of  the  river  Liger,  the  Loire. 

The  opinions  of  modern  critics  are  as  conflicting  as  is  the 
testimony  of  early  writers  with  regard  to  these  people.  Some 
French  authorities,  and  among  them  M.  Cazalis  de  Fondouce, 
have  reo-arded  them  as  the  precursors  of  the  "  Indo-Europeans," 
in  which  view,  provided  the  term  be  used  philologically,  and  not 
ethnologically,  the  theory  I  venture  to  propound  concurs.  The 
Lio-ures  would  have  found  on  their  arrival  the  Iberes,  who  are 
reo"arded  as  the  autochthones  in  possession  of  the  country.  Cer- 
tain it  is  that  these  Ligures  are  clearly  distinguished  from  the 
Iberes  on  the  one  hand,  and  from  the  only  Celts  known  to 
ethnology  on  the  other,  for  with  both  these  peoples  they  are 
represented  to  have  been  at  war  at  one  time,  and  intermingled 
at  another.f 

When  we  speak  of  Celts,  we  must  remember  that  this  term 
had  two  meanings,  which  have  been  a  fertile  source  of  inex- 
plicable confusion.  These  meanings  take  their  rise  from  two 
seemingly  conflicting  statements  of  Ccesar,  from  the  first  of 
which  we  gather  that  the  people  called  Celtae  belonged  only  to 
the  portion  of  Gaul  which  formed  a  central  band  between  the 
district  occupied  by  the  Aquitani  on  the  S.W.,  and  that  occupied 
by  the  Belgse  on  the  N.E.,  and  from  the  second  of  which  we  quite 
as  distinctly  derive  the  information  that  Galli  and  Celtae  are 
synonymous  terms,  which  would  extend  the  meaning  of  the  latter 
term  not  only  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  whole  of  Gaul,  but  (as  we 
find  it  used  in  later  writers)  to  those  of  Gallic  descent  in  other 
lands  as  well.J  Celtica,  it  may  be  said  in  parenthesis,  in  the  sense 
in  which  Herodotus  and  the  earlier  writers  use  it,  carried  with 
it  no  ethnological  meaning  whatever,  any  more  than  the  term 
Scythia,  the  latter  being  used  as  a  general  geographical  term 
including  all  the  region  north  of  the  Danube  and  the  Black  Sea, 
and  the  former  including  all  the  country  adjoining  it  to  the  north- 
west, bounded  by  the  coast  of  France,  the  British  Isles  being 
specially  excluded,  and  spoken  of  as  "  opposite  Celtica." 

t  Avienus,  "  Ora  Mar.,"  132-137  ;  Skylax,  "  Gail,"  i.  237  ;  Stiabo,  "  Geog.,"  4,  p.  200. 

X  Procopius  speaks  of  the  mountains  in  which  the  Danube  rises  as  the  Celtic  mountains,  and 
then  applies  the  same  name  to  those  in  which  the  Rhine  rises.  Zosimus  informs  us  that  in  Rhaitia 
there  were  Celts.  It  is  curious  to  observe  that  among  the  later  Byzantine  writers  the  word  Celtic 
regained  its  most  ancient  meaning,  for  it  was  applied  to  any  people,  irrespective  of  their  language, 
who  came  from  the  N.  and  W.  of  Europe.  Pachymeres  calls  the  Varangian  guard  "  Celts,"  and 
Zonaras  calls  the  Germans — for  whom  the  Sclavonic  name  was  Nemic  or  Nemitz — a  Celtic  nation. 


France.  605 

The  question  then  arises,  "Who  were  the  'only  Celts  known 
to  ethnology' — the  Celtae,  namely,  of  central  Gaul — whom  Caesar 
locates  there  ?  "  While  not  actually  identical  with  the  Ligurians, 
whose  ancestral  type  of  race  is  represented  by  those  pronouncedly 
brachycephalic  skulls  which  are  found  in  the  dolmens  of  the 
Lozere,  the  Celtae,  too,  were  brachycephalic,  and,  according  to 
M.  Broca,  their  type  was  that  which  is  found  in  survival  in  the 
heads  of  the  Auvergnats  at  the  present  day.  The  representative 
of  the  earlier  Ligures  is  the  modern  Ligurian  of  North  Italy, 
whose  cephalic  index  is  86,  while  that  of  the  Auvergnats  is  84. 

The  discovery  of  the  brachycephalic  skulls,  together  with  a 
few  dolichocephalic  ones,  and  some  of  mixed  or  medium  type  in 
the  dolmens  of  the  Lozere,  while  in  those  of  Aveyron  only 
dolichocephalic  skulls  were  found,  seems  to  have  weighed  with 
M.  Mortillet  in  coming  to  a  conclusion  that  there  was  in  reality 
no  dolmen-building  race,  by  which  I  understand  him  to  mean  that 
the  custom  of  erecting  these  structures  appertained  to  no  one 
people,  nor  had  any  common  place  of  origin.  I  think,  myself,  that 
the  truth  on  this  point  lies  too  deeply  hidden  in  an  impenetrable 
past  to  admit  of  any  definite  conclusion  on  the  subject.  In 
France,  in  the  Neolithic  and  Bronze  Ages,  we  clearly  have  two 
races  occupying  the  country  side  by  side,  and  subsequently  inter- 
mingling, and  the  dolmens  present  us  with  the  skull-types  of  all 
three,  that  is  to  say,  of  each  of  the  extremes  and  of  the  middle 
one,  which  so  largely  predominates  that  it  has  become  known  as 
the  dolmen-builder  s  skull.  As  a  parallel  to  these  data  we  have 
at  the  dawn  of  history  two  races  dwelling  side  by  side — on  the 
one  hand  the  Iberes,  who  were  dolichocephalic,  and,  on  the  other, 
the  Ligures,  followed  by  the  Celtae,  who  were  brachycephalic  ; 
and,  besides  these,  in  evidence  of  the  intermingling  which  was 
taking  place,  "  Ligues  {i.e.  Ligures)  and  Iberes  mixed  "  (/xtyctSe?), 
as  well  as  Celto-Ligues  and  Celtiberi. 

Some  of  the  discoveries  in  the  dolmens  in  Herault  belonged, 
as  we  have  seen,  to  the  Iron  Age  and  to  historic  times.  May 
we  not  see  in  these  the  sepulchres  of  the  mountaineers  who, 
descended  from  these  races,  preserved  the  customs  of  their 
ancestors  ? 

M.  Cazalis  de  Fondouce  would  put  the  Ligues  out  of  the 
question,  and,  regarding  the  Iberes  as  autochthonous,  would  refer 
the  dolmens  to  them  alone — a  view  which  would  ignore  the  fact  of 


6o6  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 

the  immense  divergence  of  racial  type  which  an  investigation  of 
their  contents  discloses.  That  the  Iberes  were  the  primitive  in- 
habitants, and  may  have  been  the  descendants  of  dolichocephali 
of  the  Neolithic  Age,  I  do  not  doubt,  but  the  lessons  derivable 
from  the  artificial  caves  of  the  Marne,  and  from  the  natural 
caves  of  Belgium,!  show  us  that  the  brachycephalic  race  was 
not  far  behind  in  point  of  time.  There  is  reason  to  believe 
that  both  these  races, — the  Turanian  and  the  Iberian  or  Atlantic, 
— worshipped  the  spirits  of  the  dead  whose  remains  they  buried 
first  in  natural,  and  then  in  artificial  caves.  As  in  the  course 
of  time  they  met,  whether  in  war  or  peace,  there  would  be 
an  assimilation  of  custom.  The  closed  cist  in  the  tumulus, 
which  experience  directs  us  to  associate  with  the  brachycephali, 
would  expand  into  the  elongated  form  of  the  dolmen,  and  be 
provided  with  an  aperture,  or  means  of  access  to  the  tomb,  while, 
on  the  other  hand,  the  dolmen  would,  as  is  found  to  be  the  case 
with  the  caisses  class  of  dolmens  of  the  French  antiquaries,  assume 
the  appearance  of  an  enlarged  cist.  In  dolmens  thus  modified,  we 
might  expect  to  find  what,  indeed,  we  do  find,  the  medium  type 
of  skull  known  as  the  "  dolmen-builder's." 

Having  spoken  of  the  Iberes  of  history  as  possibly  the  de- 
scendants of  the  original  dolmen-builders  of  South-Western  France, 
it  is  essential  that  I  should  say  something  of  the  Basques,  in 
whose  country,  as  we  have  seen,  a  series  of  megalithic  remains 
occur  side  by  side  with  a  folk-lore  which,  from  a  comparative 
point  of  view,  is  of  very  great  interest,  having  its  affinities  in 
Ireland  and  Esthonia. 

With  regard  to  their  language,  so  much  has  been  written  that 
the  subject  forms  a  literature  in  itself.  A  very  curious  reason  has 
been  brought  forward  by  the  Abbe  Inchauspe  J  for  carrying  it  back 
even  into  the  Neolithic  Age.  In  Basque  aitz  or  atcJi  signifies 
"a  stone,"  "pierrede  roche,"  the  Spanish  "pena,"  and  the  Latin 
"  saxum."  The  word  for  an  axe  is  aitzcora,  literally,  he  says,  "a 
hafted  stone  ; "  a  pickaxe  is  aitzura,  literally,  "  a  stone  for  tearing 
or  hacking  "  {ddc/nrer) ;  a  knife  is  aizttoa,  literally,  "  a  small  stone  ;  " 
and  a  pair  of  scissors,  aiztirac,  "  a  small  stone  for  hacking  purposes." 
With  regard  to  this  "bed-rock  language  "of  the  Pyrenees,  four 
dialects  of  which  are  still  recognized,  spoken  by  two  perfectly 
distinct   types   of  men  anthropologically  considered,   it  may  be 

t  e.g.  The  Trott  Rosette  on  the  Lesse.  %  Quoted  by  M,  Cazalis  de  Fondouce,  loc.  cit. 


France.  607 

taken  for  granted  that  it  has  existed  ages  out  of  mind  in  the 
mountainous  region  where  it  lives  to-day.  Some  writers  have 
held  that  from  barbarous  ages  until  the  present  day  it  has  never 
extended  far  beyond  the  limits  in  which  we  find  it,  since  the 
rudimentary  condition  in  which  it  presents  itself,  and  its  power- 
lessness  to  express  abstract  ideas,  show  that  it  cannot  be  looked 
upon  as  descending  from  a  stock  once  belonging  to  people  in  a 
high  state  of  native  civilization,  such  as  the  Iberes  were  on  the 
one  side,  and  the  Aquitani  on  the  other.  Of  its  relation  to 
these  two  peoples  respectively,  and  their  relation  to  each  other, 
M.  Luchaire,t  who  made  a  cautious  and  careful  study  of  the 
question  from  the  etymological  point  of  view,  speaks  as  follows  : — 

"  At  the  time  of  Strabo,  Pliny,  and  Ptolemy,  there  existed  in 
the  southern,  central,  eastern,  and  north-eastern  parts  of  Spain, 
certain  localities,  the  names  in  which  are  capable  of  probable 
explanation,  both  as  regards  their  form  and  meaning,  by  the 
Eskuara  {i.e.  Basque),  still  spoken  in  a  corner  of  the  Pyrenees. 
These  names  are  so  numerous  and  the  likenesses  so  striking 
that  we  can  safely  conclude  that  a  language  other  than  Celtic 
was  spoken,  in  ancient  times,  throughout  a  great  part  of  the 
Spanish  territory,  and  that  this  language  was  related  to  the 
Basque.  At  the  same  time  we  must  be  careful  not  to  infer, 
with  Wilhelm  von  Humboldt,J  the  ethnic  identity  of  an  Iberian 
people  with  the  Basques  as  the  latter  exist  to-day,  nor  even 
a  linguistic  identity  between  the  ancient  Spanish  form  of  speech 
with  the  Eskuara.  We  must  be  content  to  have  established 
the  incontestible  fact  that  a  relationship  existed  between  the 
two  languages,  and  we  shall  then  have  arrived  at  the  utmost 
point  that  we  can  with  certainty  reach  in  the  '  Iberian  Question' 
{la  Thdorie  ibdrienne).  We  shall  have  before  us  enough  to 
render  extremely  probable  the  hypothesis  that  in  the  Basque 
we  recognize  the  last  representative  of  a  family  of  languages 
which  had  once  dominated  the  entire  Spanish  Peninsula." 

Upon  the  relationship  of  the  old  Aquitanian  language  to  the 
Iberian  and  the  Basque,  M.  Luchaire  says  :  "  The  direct 
information  furnished  us  by  the  ancient  writers  on  the  subject 
of  the  Aquitanian  language  amounts  to  very  little.     Caesar  simply 


t  •'  Les  Origines  linguistiques  de  I'Aquitaine,"  par  A.  Luchaire,  Pau,  1877,  from  the  "  Bulletin 
de  la  Societe  des  Sciences,  Lettres,  et  Arts  de  Pau." 

X  "Pruefung  der  Untersuchungenueber  die  Urbewohnes  Hispaniens  vermittelst  der  Waskischen 
Sprache,"  1821.      Humboldt  worked  out  a  tlieory  already  propounded  by  Hervas  and  Leibnitz. 


6o8  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


states  that  the  Aquitani  were  distinguished  in  their  language  from 
the  Celtce  and  the  Belgai.  Strabo,  more  expHcit,  says  that  the 
language  of  the  Aquitani  differed  completely  from  that  of  the 
Celts,  and  approached  more  nearly  to  that  of  the  Iberes.f  But 
the  resemblance  between  Aquitani  and  Iberes  did  not,  according 
to  him,  end  there,  for  it  was  also  in  their  physical  characteristics 
that  these  two  peoples  resembled  each  other,  and  were  differentiated 
from  the  Celts."  We  here  recall  the  fact  that  in  the  "  Life  of 
Aoricola,"  J  Tacitus  notes  the  resemblance  which  was  observed 
by  the  Roman  general,  who  had  himself  served  in  Spain,  between 
the  Silures  of  South  Wales  and  the  Iberi,  so  that,  following 
Strabo,  the  Aquitani  would  also  have  resembled  the  curly-haired, 
swarthy,  long-headed,  plucky  little  Welshmen. 

"  To   these   positive   assertions    of    Caesar    and    Strabo   may 
be   added,    firstly,    that    certain    customs,    such    as    the   devotio,\ 
or    bond    by    which    certain    warriors    called    soldiirii    pledged 
themselves  to  serve  their  chief  in  life  and  death,  were  common 
to    the     Iberes    and    the     Aquitani  ;     secondly,    that    the    two 
peoples  lived  on   terms  of  intimacy,   and   made   common   cause 
against    the    Romans ;  ||    thirdly,    that    in    primitive    times    the 
name  '  Iberia '   was    extended  to  the  Aquitanian  country,"   and, 
fourthly,  that  Iberes  were  dwelling,  as  we  have  seen,  next  to  the 
Ligures,  in  what  was  afterwards  Gallic  territory.       From    these 
facts    M.    Luchaire   infers,    "  that   the   Aquitani    were   linked    to 
the  Iberes  of  Spain  by  a  bond  of  real  relationship,  and  that  their 
language  was  either  an  important  dialect  of  the   Iberian,  or  an 
idiome  related  to  it,  and  consequently  that  the  Aquitanian  language 
itself  belonged  also  to  that  family  of  language  which  is  represented 
at  present  by  the  Basque  " — the  last  survivor  of  a  primitive  stock 
which  once  covered  we  know  not  how  much  ground  in  Western 
Europe.      The   great  caution    which    is    observable    in    all    that 
M.    Luchaire    has   written    on     this    subject    only   permits    him 
to    admit   that   the   evidence   he    has    so    far   adduced   from    the 
ancient  writers  furnishes  only  a  presumption  in  favor  of  a  thesis, 
and  not  actual  proof,  and  he  therefore  produces  in  evidence  certain 
nouns-substantive  supposed  to  have  belonged  to  the  language  of 

t  See  Cces.,  "De  B.  Gall.,"  i.  i  ;  Strabo,  "  Geog.,"  iv.  2;  Pliny,  iv.  31  and  n;  Pomp., 
"  Mela,"  iii.  2  ;  Amni.,  *'  Marc,"  xv.  29. 

X  "  Vit.  Agrlc,"  ii. 

§  Plutarch,  "  Sartorius,"  14. 

II  Monimsen,  "  Hist.  Rom."  (French  translation  by  M.  Alcxanchc),  vol.  v.  \^.  16S;  vol.  vii. 
pp.  8,  9,  di. 


France.  609 

Aqultaine,  as  well  as  proper  names  on  coins  and  in  inscriptions. 
With  regard  to  the  majority  of  the  words,  he  regards  them  as 
Celtic  f  in  form,  in  use  among  the  Bituriges  at  Bordeaux,  and  the 
Volcce  Tectosages  at  Toulouse.  The  names,  too,  of  the  kings 
of  the  Sotiates  |  on  coins  seem  to  be  Celtic.  With  respect  to 
those  in  the  inscriptions,  however,  M.  Luchaire  finds  many  which 
he  does  not  hesitate  to  attribute  to  the  Aquitanian  language. 
Some  of  the  names  of  the  gods  §  have  "  an  incontestably  Basque 
character."  Certain  names  of  men  and  women,  of  which  he  gives 
a  list,  can,  with  great  probability  of  truth,  be  explained  by  the  Basque 
language.  These  are  sometimes  comparable  to  proper  names 
actually  in  use  in  the  districts  in  which  the  Esktiara,  is  spoken ; 
sometimes,  too,  with  the  names  of  Pyrenean  seigneurs  found  in 
medieval  documents,  which  do  not  appear  to  be  either  Celtic, 
Germanic,  or  Roman. 

From  the  Straits  of  Gibraltar  to  the  Garonne  is  a  large  slice 
out  of  the  map  of  Western  Europe,  and  yet  throughout  this  entire 
stretch  of  country  we  have  reason  for  thinking  that  one  race  and 
one  stock  of  languages,  now  only  found  in  survival  in  the  Pyre- 
nees, once  prevailed.  Did  this  race  and  this  form  of  speech  ever 
reach  further  north,  into  Brittany,  into  the  British  Isles  ?  Of 
the  primitive  people  and  language  of  Brittany  we  know  nothing, 
except  that  there  are  clustered  an  immense  number  of  those 
megalithic  remains  which  are  common  to  the  whole  Atlantic  coast. 
In  the  British  Isles  we  have  one  primitive  people  at  least, 
seemingly  the  survivors  from  Neolithic  times,  namely  the  Silures, 
who  are  specially  selected  by  so  competent  a  witness  as  Agricola  as 
worthy  of  mention  in  respect  to  the  likeness  they  bore  to  the  Iberes. 
With  the  Silures,  the  evidence  on  the  subject  of  nigrescence  would 
lead  us  to  class  the  dark  short  race  of  Western  Ireland,  a  country 
filled  with  dolmens,  and  perpetuating  a  whole  system,  as  we  may 
call  it,  of  folk-lore  and  superstition  which  even  in  detail  reproduces 
precisely  that  which  still  survives  in  the  mountains  of  the 
Pyrenees.  Can  we  fail  to  feel  impelled  to  the  conclusion  that  the 
northern  boundaries  of  the  Aquitani  were  by  no  means  the  limit 

t  See"Ueber  die  Marcellischen  Formein,"  J.  Grimm,  1855;  The  prescriptions  of  the  doctor 
Marcellus  contain  words  in  which  the  combinations^,  cr,  scr,  occur,  admissible  in  Celtic,  not  in 
Eskuara.  See  also  Virgil  the  Grammarian  quoted  in  "  Ethnogenie  Gauloise,  Glossaire  Gauloise,' 
by  Roget  de  Belloguet  (Paris,  1S72),  pp.  416,  e(  seqq. 

X   "  Revue  Numismatique,"  1851,  p.  II. 

§  Roschach,  "Catalogue  des  antiquites  et  des  objects  d'art  du  musee  de  Toulouse,"  1865  ; 
Roget  de  Belloguet,  op.  cit.  ;  A.  du  Mege,  "  Archeol.  pyrenn. ;"  Sansas,  *' Congres  scientifique  de 
Bordeaux,"  1861,  vol.  iv.  p.  176. 


6io  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 

in  prehistoric  times  of  this  non-Aryan,  pre-Aryan  stock,  but  that 
it  extended  yet  further  northward,  so  as  to  include  North- 
Western  France,  and  portions  of  the  British  Isles,  and  possibly  has 
left  traces  of  its  presence  also  wherever  in  Sweden,  or  Denmark,  or 
Germany,  or  Holland,  the  long-headed  short  race  is  found  in  con- 
nection with  the  dolmens — where,  that  is  to  say,  the  gcing-grifter, 
the  hunebcddcn,  the  giants  graves^  are  the  names  by  which  the 
people  of  those  northern  lands  know  monuments  which  are  to  all 
intents  and  purposes,  and  very  frequently  in  minute  details  of 
construction,  identical  with  the  antas,  the  galcrfas,  the  grottes  des 
fics,  and  the  tonibes  dcs geants  of  the  Iberian  peninsula,  the  northern 
valleys  of  the  Pyrenees,  and,  as  we  shall  see,  the  islands  of  the 
Mediterranean  respectively  ? 

There  is  a  theory  which  would  answer  this  question,  and 
account  for  the  parallel  phenomena  which  archaeology  presents. 
I  propound  it  with  hesitation  and  deference.      It  is  this  : — • 

While  still  in  their  Neolithic  epoch,  and  commencing  to  erect 
their  elongated  dolmens  in  place  of  the  caves  which,  whether 
natural  or  artificial,  they  had  previously  employed  for  the  burial 
of  their  dead  and  the  rites  connected  with  sepulture,  the  dolicho- 
cephalic inhabitants  of  France  and  Spain  found  themselves 
pressed  westward  by  an  immigration  into  their  country  of  a 
brachycephalic  race  coming  from  the  east  and  north-east  of  Europe. 
If  such  were  the  case,  traces  of  the  later  stages  of  the  progress 
of  the  incomers  may  have  reached  us  from  the  earliest  historic 
period  in  the  traditions  of  conflicts  between  the  Ligures  and 
the  Iberes,  whether  in  France  or  Spain.  The  Iberes,  a  dark- 
haired,  swarthy  people,  were  everywhere  driven  either  into  the 
Pyrenean  mountains  or  towards  the  western  ocean,  where  they 
held  their  own  during  a  period  in  which  the  dolmen-building 
industry  was  principally  developed  among  them.  Being  still 
hard  pressed,  as  wave  succeeded  wave  of  brachycephalic  intruders, 
each  more  powerful  than  that  which  went  before,  three  courses 
were  open  to  them  :  firstly,  to  stand  their  ground  among  the  cliff 
and  mountain  fastnesses  whither  they  had  retreated  ;  secondly, 
to  go  southward  into  Africa ;  thirdly,  to  go  northward  to  the 
islands  of  Britain  and  the  coasts  of  the  Baltic.  The  place  where 
they  would  naturally  have  adopted  the  first  of  those  courses  was 
the  north-west  promontory  of  Brittany,  where,  as  if  to  bear  out 
this    theory,   we    find    their   remains   thickly    compressed    into    a 


France.  6ii 

comparatively  small  area,  and  where  those  remains  themselves 
show  stages  of  development  indicative  of  a  lengthy  occupation 
of  the  district  by  their  builders.  Had  any  of  them  adopted 
the  second  course,  and  passed  into  Africa  either  from  the  French 
or  Spanish  coast,  the  vast  dolmen  fields  described  by  General 
Faidherbe  and  others  would  be  memorials  of  their  presence. 

Had  contingents  of  this  population,  again,  gone  north,  some 
might  well  have  occupied  the  nearest  promontory — that  is,  the 
Land's  End  district — while  others  would  have  rounded  it,  and, 
passing  up  the  Severne  Sea,  have  placed  their  tombs  on  the 
coast,  or  pursued  the  rivers  into  Gloucestershire,  where  the  Long 
Barrows  occur.  Ireland,  till  then  perhaps  uninhabited,  would  have 
offered  to  them  her  entire  surface,  of  which,  as  the  number  of 
dolmens  may  testify,  they  would  have  availed  themselves.  Others, 
proceeding  up  the  English  Channel,  may  have  left  sparse  traces 
of  their  presence  in  Somersetshire,  Wiltshire,  Berkshire,  and 
Kent.  The  coast  of  Belgium  was  perhaps  held  by  the  hostile 
peoples,  but  Holland  may  have  offered  an  open  field,  and,  passing 
over  the  intermediate  rivers,  they  might  have  reached  the  southern 
coast  of  the  Baltic,  where  the  Vistula  marked  the  eastern  limit 
of  their  march ;  again,  northward,  they  extended  themselves  into 
Denmark  and  Sweden,  where  the  Malar  Lake  was  their  limit,  and 
where,  in  their  hands,  the  implements  of  the  Neolithic  industry 
were  brought  to  the  zenith  of  their  perfection  as  objects  of  art. 
The  circumstance  of  the  occurrence  of  the  dolmens  in  greatest 
numbers  on  the  west  coast  of  Spain,  on  the  west  coast  of  France, 
on  the  west  coast  of  Britain,  and  on  the  west  coast  of  Ireland, 
gives  countenance  to  this  view,  as  does  also  the  fact  that  it  is 
in  rnountainous  districts,  and  on  rivers  and  arms  of  the  sea,  that 
they  are  most  frequently  met  with.  I  do  not  mean  that  the 
dolmens  are  referable  to  any  one  migration,  or  to  one  period 
alone.  Some  may  be  the  spontaneous  creations  of  early  settlers 
in  the  north,  whom  the  desire  of  finding  new  habitations  and  no 
pressure  from  without  induced  to  seek  new  abodes.  Some,  again, 
may  be  as  late  as  the  Bronze  Age,  or  even  later.  A  careful  study 
of  their  several  types  might  lead  to  speculation  as  to  the  point 
of  departure  of  this  or  that  form.  For  example,  the  Yr  Ogof 
dolmen  in  Wales  is  so  exactly  similar  in  plan  to  the  passage 
dolmens  of  Portugal,  that  a  common  place  of  origin  might  well 
be  supposed.     The  wedge-shaped  dolmens  of  Ireland,  again,  are 


6l2 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


so  similar  to  monuments  found  in  Sweden  and  North  Germany, 
that  the  same  might  be  said  of  them.  But  there  is  no  necessity 
to  suppose  that  these  several  varieties  broke  away  from  a  parent 
stock  at  one  and  the  same  time.  On  the  contrary,  the  inference 
is  that  long  periods  elapsed  between  the  several  migrations. 

In  any  case,  the  S.W.  of  Europe  would  have  been  the  starting- 
point  for  such  departures,  and  this,  be  it  remembered,  was  the 
cradle-land  of  the  dolichocephali  of  the  West.  Here,  in  the 
"  Reindeer  Period,"  dwelt  the  man  of  the  Cro-Magnon  cave, 
with  his  cephalic  index  of  73 '34,  and  whose  skull  M.  Broca  com- 
pares with  that  of  the  Guanches  of  the  Canary  Isles.  Here,  in 
the  Neolithic  Age,  dwelt  the  denizen  of  the  Caverne  de  I'Homme 
Mort,  whose  skull  may  be  compared  with  those  of  the  Spanish 
Basques,  of  the  Berbers  of  North  Africa,  and  of  the  Corsicans. 

In  the  dolmen-bearing  districts  of  the  upper  tributaries  of  the 
Garonne,  we  find  that  the  distribution  of  these  structures  in  the 
Department  of  Lot  reaches  the  highest  Breton  average  for  one 
province,  namely  5C0.  Thence,  passing  to  the  north-west,  the 
dolmen-belt  reaches  the  Loire  and  its  tributaries,  the  banks  of 
each  and  all  of  which  are  plentifully  strewn  with  them,  as  far  east 
as  Loiret.     In  Brittany,  however,  the  average  is  far  the  greatest, 


Fig.  528. — Sectional  plan  of  the  allce  couverte  at  Manc-Lud.     AJter  Bertraiid,  ^^  Did.  Arclu'oiy 

Scale  10  millimetres  =  i  metre. 

if  we  take  together  the  three  coast  provinces  of  Morbihan, 
Finisterre,  and  Cotes  du  Nord,  which  contain  respectively  500, 
500,  and  89,  according  to  a  computation  of  them  taken  in  1875. 

Here  the  long  dolmen,  buried  in  its  mound,  identical  with  the 
Long  Barrow  of  Britain,  the  Langdyss  of  Denmark,  and  the  covered 
Galeria  of  Spain,  is  represented  in  many  excellent  examples. 
At  Kerlescant,  in  1867,  the  Rev.  W.  C.  Lukisf  examined  a  mound 


t  "Jour.  Arclireol.  Assoc,"  vol.  xxiv.  p.  40. 


France.  613 

measuring  about  130  feet  long  by  50  feet  broad,  the  ends  of 
which  were  rounded  off.  Extending  along  the  central  line  he 
found  a  passage-vault  52  feet  long  by  5  feet  wide.  It  was 
divided  into  two  compartments  by  two  flags  set  up  on  edge,  from 
the  inner  edges  of  which  semicircular  pieces  had  been  broken 
out,  so  that  they  formed  together  an  ovately  circular  slit  or 
aperture,  which  has  its  exact  counterpart  at  Rodmarton  in 
Britain,   in  the  dolmen  of   Des   Maudits    near    Mantes,    in    that 


ti.-.i  iiiiii.ii.. ..ii.iiii.i  ,1 ,1  ij 


'\i^'tr7y^A!;fffktr([ttrwt^^ 


Fig.  529. — Section  of  the  chambered  tumulus  of  Gavr  Inis.     After  BcrtranJ. 

at  Dilar  in  Andalucia,  and  elsewhere.  In  the  interior  of  the 
dolmen,  Mr.  Lukis  found,  among  the  debris,  an  immense  quantity 
of  broken  pottery,  some  of  fine  quality,  and  among  the  rest  a  cup 
with  a  handle  very  closely  similar  to  one  found  by  myself  in 
a  barrow  at  Denver  in  CornwalLf  To  the  deeply  entombed 
dolmens  of  Brittany  belong  those  at  Mane  Lud  (Figs.  419,  528, 
529),  Kercado  (Fig.  418),  Locmariaker,  and  Gavr  Inis.J  With 
these  are  to  be  compared  that  at  Bougon  in  the  Department  of 
Deux  Sevres,  where  the  vault  measured  7*48  m.  E.  and  W., 
by  5'io  m.  N.  and  S.  ;  §  that  at  Equilaz,||  near  Albeniz,  in  the 
jurisdiction  of  Salvatierra,  in  the  country  of  the  Spanish  Basques  ; 
that  at  Ubi  in  Zeeland,  etc.  The  grandest  monument  of  this 
class  in  existence  is  that  at  Antequera  in  Andalucia,  which  we 
shall  notice  later  on. 

Of  the  alUe  couverte  at  Mane-Lud  I  have  already  given  a 
ground-plan  (Fig.  419)  for  comparison  with  other  elongated 
dolmens.  From  a  section  which  is  here  added,  it  will  be  seen 
that  the  structure  of  the  roof  is  that  of  the  dolmen,  and  not  of  the 
chamber  (Fig.  528). 

To  this  I  add  a  section  of  the  Gavr  Inis  tumulus  (Fig.  529), 
the  structure  in  which  would  have  been  a  counterpart  of  that  at 
New  Grange,  had  the  latter  stopped  short  at  the  point  where  the 

t  Now  in  the  Brit.  Museum.  %  Bertrand,  "  Diet.  Archeol.,"  in  voce  (Fig.  417). 

§  "Monuments  du  Poitou,  Mus.  de  Niort,"  Soc.  Statist.,  vols.  v.  and  viii.     See  also  "  Semi- 
nario  Pintoresco  Espafiol,"  1850-1851,  p.  393  ;  also  Chas.  Arnaud,  in  "Diet.  Archeol." 
II  "  Sem.  Pintoresco  Esp.,"  1846,  p.  406. 


6i4 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


beehive-roofed  chamber  begins.f  Of  the  carvings  on  the  stones 
in  the  Gavr  In  is  structure  I  append  also  six  examples  from 
Bertrand,   for  comparison    with    those  at   New  Grange,   Dowth, 


Fig.  530.— Sculptured  stones  in  the  chambered  tumulus  at  Gavr  Inis 
From  Bertrand' s  '^  Diet.  ArciieoL''' 


mmm 


"iG.  531. — Sculptured  stones  in  the  chambered  tumulus  at  Gavr  Inis. 
From  BertravcTs  ''Diet.  Areheoi:' 


Loughcrew,  Annan  Street  (Scotland),  and  with  decorative  designs 
displayed  on  pottery  and  metal. 

To  these  I  add  a  sculptured  stone  (Fig.  535)  from  the  tumulus 


I 


\\  //^  \\\ ' 


m      ^'^'" 


Fig.  532.— Vessel  from  Bohemia. 
From  Waring. 


Fl(;.533.— Onan  urn 

from  Italy. 

From  Hearing. 


Fig.  534.— On  an  urn 
from  Germany. 
From  Waring. 


of  Renougat  (Finisterre),  the  marks  on  which  may  be  compared 


t  See  above,  p.  362. 


France. 


615 


with  those  on  the  Horseman's  Stone  at  Clonmacnoise,  and  with 
others  upon  a  rock  in  GaHcia,  figured  by  Signor  Murguia.f  I 
here  insert  also  the  covering-stone  of  a  cist  at  Treogat  (also  in 


Fig.  535. — Sculptured  stone  from  the  tumulus  of  Renougat  (Finisterre) ;  length  2'95  m. 
From  "  Mat.  pour  VHist.  de  rHoin/ne." 

Finisterre),  traversed  by  cavities  of  pecuHar  form  (Fig.  536),  very 
similar  to  those  found  on  the  tops  of  dolmens  in  Ireland,  Palestine, 
Corsica,  Spain,  and  elsewhere.  Two  dolmen  slabs  in  the  same 
district  (Fig.  546)  also  deserve  notice. 

With  the  peculiar  concentric  semicircles  or  arches  in  the  Gavr 


Fig,  536. — Covering-stone  of  a  cist  at  Treogat  (Finisterre) — an  urn  with  ashes  was  in  the  cist. 
Frot?t  *'  Mat.  pour  VHist.  de  Pl/ommf.'" 

Inis  sculptures,  found  also  at  Loughcrew  and  New  Grange,  we  are 
inclined    to    compare    similar    devices    upon    pottery    found    in 

t  Vide  infra,  pp.  695,  696. 


6i6 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


Germany,  Bohemia,   Italy  and  Greece  (Figs.  532,  533,   534,  558, 
559).      With    the   herring-bone    pattern   at  Gavr    Inis   we    may 


F1G.537.  — Gold  cap.    From  O'Connor! 
preface  to  "  Keating' s  History"  1723,  p.  v.i 


Fig.  538. — Terra   cotta  bottle    from 
Assyria,  in  Brit.  Mus.    After  Waring. 


jiii 


z=H& 


.^  \ 


*)C»(>) 


Fk^'-  539- — From  Speycr.     From 
Lindensmidt. 


•rtx.'r. 


!*•«>' 


»^^-^r.>-.!_.V^ 


^ 


Fig.  540. — From 

Corinth.     From 

Lindensmidt. 


Fig.  541.  —  From  Poitiers. 
From  Thomas  notes  to 
transl.  of  IVorsaae's 
*'  Prim.    Antiquities.'" 


t  Found  in  a  bog,  at  a  depth  of  ten  feet,  on  the  lop  of  a  hill  called  Barnanely,  or  the  Devil's 
Bit,  Co.  Tipperary;  weight  about  5  oz. 


France. 


617 


compare  that  on  bronze  celts  in  Ireland,  of  which  I  adduce  two 
examples  (Figs.  545,  547).  Concentric  circles,  chevrons,  and 
herring-bone  patterns  occur  on  Assyrian  vessels  (Fig.  538). 


Fig.   542. — In  the  Museum,  Trin.  Coll.  Dublin.     No  particulars  as  to  locality  where  it  was 
found  ;  weight,  33  ozs.  ;  length,  8^  ins. 


Fig.  543.— Gold  ornament  in  Mus.  R.I. A.  ;  found  in  1836,  lying  on  the  gravel  4  feet  deep  in  a 
turf  bog  in  the  Townland  of  Burrisnoe  on  the  E.  side  of  Bendubh  Mountain,  Co.  Tipperary. 
Diameter  (out  to  out),  io|  ins. ;  weight,  4  ozs.  6  dwts.  2  grs. 

An  urn  from  a  sepulchral  chamber  at  Danesfort  in  the  county 

VOL.   II.  X 


6i8 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


Fig.  544. — Example  of  decoration  on  a  golden  shield,     /^/oz/i  a  tomb  at  Jcvgersberg ;  in  the 
Museum  at  Copenhagen  ;  one-fottrth  of  the  size. 


^^G.  545. — ISronzc  celt  (Ireland).  J-'rom  the  collection  of 
Mr.  T.  He-uitt,  of  Cork.  From  IVindeic's  MS.  "  Archa- 
^"<i'«."P-  407. 


France. 


619 


of  Kilkenny  (Fig.  548)  repeats  the  features  of  the  concentric 
semicircle  and  the  herring-bone,  as  does  also,  in  regard  to  the 
herring-bone,  a  handsome  little  vessel  from  Ballyvvillan  in  Antrim. 
The  cover  is  a  feature  of  German  and  Danish  sepulchral  vessels, 
on  which  the  herring-bone  type  of  decoration  also  appears.  For 
comparison  with  some  of  the  designs  at  Loughcrew  I  give  an 
illustration   of  a  very  remarkable  piece  of  pottery  found  at   La 


Fig.  546. — On  slabs  in  dolmens 
in  Finisterre.  From '■'■  Mat. pour 
rHist.  de  I'Hofmne,"  l88i,  p. 
265. 


A**     "  ♦ » . ;  \    >- 


^-t^ 


Fig,  547, — Bronze  celt  in  the  Mus.  of  the  R.I. A. 


Tourelle  (Fig.  553)  in  Brittany.  It  belongs  to  a  type  usually 
called  Gaulish  by  French  archaeologists,  and  is  referable  to  a 
survival  of  type  into  the  Iron  Age. 

In  order  to  instance  the  wide  diffusion  of  the  concentric 
circle  ornamentation  on  gold  objects,  I  give  seven  examples — 
three  from  Ireland  (Figs.  537,  542,  543),  one  from  near  Copenhagen 
(Fig.    544),t    01^^   from    Poitiers    (Fig.    541),    one   from    Speyer 

t  See  also  Mestorf,   "Alt.   Schleswig-Holstein,"  pis.  32,  33;  Worsaae,   "  Nord.  Oldsager,"' 
pp.  61,  62,  etc. 


620 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


(Fig-.    539),  and    one  from  Corinth   (Fig.    540)  respectively, 
point  of  decoration  the  three  latter  are  marvellously  alike. 


In 


Fig.  548. — Urn  from  Uanesfort,  in  iMus.  R.LA.  Height 
of  cover,  2|  ins.  ;  total  height  of  urn  and  cover,  5^  ins.  j 
greatest  diameter,  7J  ins.  ;  diameter  at  base,  3  ins. 


Fig.  549. — Urn  from  Ballywillan. 
Height  of  the  upper  urn,  forming 
the  cover,  3I  ins. ;  height  of  lower 
urn,  4  ins. ;  together,  7|  ins.f 
Frotn  a  photograph  by  Mr.  U. 
Coffey. 


yA 


Fig.  550. — Urn  from  North-Italy  (J  size),  apparently  the  model  of  a  temple  possibly  raised  on  piles, 
the  outer  walls  richly  decorated  with  spirals  such  as  those  found  at  Mycenre,  and  elsewhere  in 
Greece  and  Asia  Minor. 

It  can  be  shown  that  much  of  the  Irish  pottery,  both  in  form 
and  ornament,  was  copied  from  vessels  in  gold  and  bronze,  found 

t  For  urns  with  similar  decoration  to  that  on  the  cover  of  this  one,  see  Worsaae,  "  Nordiske 
Oldsager,"  p.  19,  fig.  95  ;  also  Mcstorf,  "  Vorgeschicht.  Alterthiim.  .Schleswig-Holstein,"  pi.  xvii. 
fig,  145.  For  covers  see  Mestorf,  "  Urncnfricdhofe,"  pi.  ii.  fig.  6  ;  pi.  iii.  figs,  i  and  2  ;  also 
Lissauer,  for  West  Prussian  examples. 


1 


France. 


62 1 


Fig.  551.— Golden  bowl  from  Schles\vig-Holstein,t  Mestorf. 


Y\o.  552. — Urn  from  Bishop's  Cairn,  Glenwherry,  Co.  Antrim  ;  height,  4  ins.     From  a 
photograph  hy  Mr.  G.  Coffey. 


Fig.  553. — From  a  subterranean  chamber  at  La  Tourelle,  Finisterre. 

t  Found  with  bronze  knife,  with  horse's  head  for  hilt,  and  many  other  objects,  in  a  grave  with 
broken  pottery  and  burnt  remains,  at  GonnebeU ;  now  in  the  Kiel  Museum. 


622 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


in  Sweden  and  Denmark.  Fig.  552  is  a  common  type  of  Irish 
bowl-shaped  vessels.  The  decoration  is  to  be  compared  with  the 
gold  bowl  from  Gonnebek  (Fig.  551). 

As  an  illustration  of  the  treatment  of  spirals  for  comparison 
with  those  at  New  Grange,  I  cannot  do  better  than  adduce  the 
very  remarkable  little  urn  from  North  Italy  (Fig.  550).  I  add  also 
sixteen  designs  from  vases  from  Greece,  upon  which  are  found 
almost  every  type  represented  in  the  sculptures  of  Brittany  and 
Ireland  (pp.  624,  625). 

The  class  of  dolmen,  so  common  in  Ireland,  which  had  but  a 
slight  covering,  is  also  represented  in  Brittany.  A  fine  example 
of  it  is  that  of  Krukenno.  The  side  pillar-stones  are  four  in 
number  on  the  W.  side,  and  five  on  the  E.,  but  in  the  latter  case 
the  passage  expands  into  a  squarish  vault  having  two  side-stones. 


Fig.  554. — Dolmen  of  Krukenno  at  Plouharnel.     Etched  ajter  MortilU..^ 

and  three  end-stones.  The  passage  is  open  to  the  S.S.E.,and  the 
length  of  the  interior  25  feet.  It  is  covered  over  by  two  roofing- 
stones,  of  which  that  at  the  N.N.W. 
end  is  by  far  the  largest.  This  descrip- 
tion, as  will  be  seen,  tallies  precisely 
with  many  typical  Irish  examples,  and  is 
represented  at  Drcnthe.  The  entrance, 
however,  as  in  the  Irish  dolmens,  is  from 
the  end,  and  not  the  side. 
Fig.  555.— Plan  of  the  Dolmen  de        Cambry,    in    his    "  Voyagc    daus    la 

Krukenno:  the  opening:  faces  S.S.E.  -r^-     •  »»  •  i      •  .1      ._ 

rmisterre,     mentions    several    m    that 
district,  of  this  unmounded  type.     On  the   extreme  point  of  the 

t  "Musee  Prehistorique,"  plates  Ivi.  and  Iviii. 


France. 


62 


promontory  near  Plouneour  Trez  are  two  dolmens,  the  one  14 
feet  long  and  7  feet  high  ;  the  other  20  feet  long  and  5  feet 
high.  Near  Kerroch  is  one  34  feet  long  and  15  feet  broad,  called 
the  "  Dancing  Maidens." 

In  the  Channel  Islands  are  some  interesting  dolmens.  They 
have  been  well  illustrated  by  Captain  Oliver  in  the  "  Quarterly 
Journal  of  Science,"  especially  those  at  Ancresse.  The  examples 
bearing  the  names  "Autel  des  Vardes,"  "Autel  du  Grand  Sarrazin,"f 
and  "  Creux  des  Fees  "  are  excellent  specimens  of  the  type  known 


Fig.  556. — The  "  Trepied  "  on  Catioroc. 

in  Ireland  as  Giants'  Graves,  each  covered  by  five  or  six  roofing- 
stones.  Among  those  of  the  Channel  Isles  is  that  of  Catioroc, 
in  Guernsey,J  which  is  of  the  type  of  which  we  have  last  spoken, 
two  cap-stones  being  in  place,  and  covering  a  long  area  flanked 
with  stones  on  edge.     With  respect  to  the  spot  where  this  dolmen 


Fig.  557. — Dolmen  at  Epunes.     From  Cassan. 

stands,  a  superstition  prevails  that  it  is  haunted  by  night,  at  which 
time  the  natives  will  not  approach  it.  Strabo  mentions  a  similar 
superstition  attaching  to  Cape  Saint  Vincent,  where  stones  piled 

t  Mine  refuse  in  Cornwall  is  called  popularly  atal  Sarazin,  a  term  which  has  been  misinter- 
preted "Jews(?.^.  Saracens')  refuse."  The  term,  however,  is  found  also  in  Belgium,  where  the 
name  for  scoriae  of  iron  found  at  the  village  of  St.  Denis  is  Crayats  de  Sarrasins,  Sarrasins  being 
mine  fairies.    "  Bull,  de  I'Acad.  de  Bruxelles,"  xv.  pt.  2,  p.  195  ;  see  also  Grimm,  "Teut.  Myth." 

%  See  Lukis,  "Prim.  Ant.  of  Channel  Islands,"  Arch.  Journ.,  vol.  i.  p.  222. 


624 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


Fig.  558. — Patterns  on  Archaic  Greek  vases.     Irom  FitrtivaengUr  and  Locsclieke. 


The  three  at  top  arc  from  Attika  (Spata),  as  are  also  the  middle  one  on  the  left,  the  one  below 
the  central  one,  and  the  lower  one  on  the  right.  The  central  figure  is  from  Mycenx,  and  the  one  to 
the  right  of  it  from  Athens.  The  one  in  the  lower  left  corner  is  from  Cyprus.  These  and  those 
on  the  opposite  page  are  given  for  comparison  with  the  rock-sculpturings  at  Newgrange,  Dowth, 
Loughcrew,  Gavr-Inis  in  Brittany,  and  (as  in  the  case  of  the  central  one  on  this  page)  with  some 
of  the  engravings  on  gold  ornaments. 

Some  are  referable  to  the  lotus  conventionalized  [e.^.  the  middle  one  on  the  left). 


France. 


625 


Fig    qCQ— Patterns  on  Archaic  Greek  vases.     Frovi  Furlwaeugkr  and  Loesclieke.  ^ 
The  four  on  the  left  are  from  Attika  (Spata) ;  the  three  on  the  right  from  Breotia  (that  at  the 
top),  and  the  two  others  from  Mycenx. 


626 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


on  others  were  turned  by  devotees.  Circles  in  the  Pyrenees  were, 
as  we  have  seen,  haunted  by  night,  and  Mount  Gabriel,  in  Cork, 
was  similarly  dreaded,  as  the  abode  after  dark  of  a  lower  order 
of  angels  who  had  become  demons,  so  that  none  would  cross  that 
mountain  by  night. 

Another  dolmen,  which,  as  will  be  seen  by  the  accompanying 


Fig.  560. — Dolmen  de  la  Justice,  at  Presles 
(Oise).     From  Mortillct. 


Fu;.  561. — Dolmen  at  Constans-Sainte-Honorinc 
(Seine  et  Oise).     From  Mortillct. 


copy  of  a  rough  engraving,  closely  resembles  some  of  the  Cork 
examples,  is  that  of  Epones  near  Mantes.  Six  supports,  each 
about  o'6o  m.  high,  support  two  roofing-stones,  measuring  together 
4*5  m.  long,  and  i2"43  m.  in  circumference.  Near  it  is  a  second 
dolmen. t 

In  a  little  work  entitled  "  Nouveaux  documents  Archcologiques," 


Fig.  562. — Rodmarton  (Gloucestershire). 
From  Lyons  and  Mortillet. 


Fig.  563.— Dolmen  de  Gramont  (Hcrault).      From 
a  photograph  by  M.  Cartaillac;  Mortillct. 


by  M.  L.  De  Maule-Pl.  (Paris,  1872),  there  is  a  curious  account, 
accompanied  by  two  elevations,  of  a  dolmen  discovered  in  1868  at 
Des  Maudits  near  Mantes.  It  is  described  as  measuring  16=^ 
"  coudees  "  in  length,  or  1 7  if  the  overlapping  stone  which  formed 
the  roof  of  the  portico  be  taken  into  account.  At  the  end 
remote  from  this  portico  the  structure  extended  under  the  soil, 
terminating  in  a  natural  cave.  Two  pillars,  which  the  writer  calls 
the  ''antes,"  supported  a  great  freestone,  7  "  coudees"  long,  and  ii 
thick,  at  a  height  of  3  "  coudees"  above  the  ground.     The  end  of 


t  M.  Armand  Cassan,  "Stat,  de  I'arrondissement  de  Mantes"  (1S33),  p.  209. 


France. 


627 


the  structure  within  and  between  these  pillars  presents  a  remark- 
able appearance.  There  appears  to  be  a  hole,  or  creep,  Into  the 
cell  within,  on  a  level  with  the  ground,  at  the  base  of  the  closing 
and  terminal  stone,  above  which  is  one  of  those  slits,  or  foramina, 
which  we  have  noticed  at  Kerlescant  in  Brittan}'-,  and  at  Aveling 


Fig.  564. — "  La  Pierre  Tuiquaise." 


and  Rodmarton  in  Gloucestershire  (Fig.  562),  and  to  which  we  may 
here  add  examples  from  the  dolmens  of  Constans-Sainte-Honorine 


Fig.  565. — Entrance  portico  or  "  anta; "  of  the  dolmen  of  Des  Maudits  near  Mantes. 

From  I^Iaicic-Pl. 

(Seine  et  Oise)  (Fig.  561),  the  dolmen  de  la  Justice  at  Presles 


628 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


COise)  (Fig.  560),  and  the  dolmen  de  Gramont  (Herault)  (Fig.  563). f 
In  the  latter  the  cavity  is  at  the  base  of  the  supporting-stone. 
The  dolmen  of  Des  Maudits  was  formed  of  slabs  of  chalk,  and 
paved  within.  Skulls  found  in  it  were  dolichocephalic,  and  with 
them  were  polished  stone  axes,  the  antlers  of  a  deer  perforated, 
and  a  bronze  arrow-point  of  a  form  found  in  Spain. | 

Unmounded  dolmens  are  met  with  in  many  parts  of  France. 
M.  H.  d'Arbois  de  Jubainville  has  furnished  descriptions  and 
illustrations  of  types  in  the  Valleys  of  the  Seine  and  the  Orvin, 
the  former  of  which  (Fig.  570A)  recalls  the  common  type  in  Cork 


Fig.  566. — The  dolmen  of  Des  Maudits,  terminating  in  a  natural  cave,  near  Mantes. 

From  Maulc-Pl. 

and  Kerry,  while  the  latter  (Fig.  570B)  reminds  us  of  examples  in 
Clare.§  ]\I.  Gailhabaud  ||  has  figured  several  which  in  point  of 
size  and  symmetry  may  be  said  to  vie  with  that  of  Antequera  in 
Spain.  That  at  Mettray  near  Tours  (Fig.  569)  is  a  fine  example, 
composed  of  twelve  slabs,  three  on  either  side,  two  at  one  end, 
and  one  at  the  other.     Three  blocks  form  the  roof,  the  centre  one 

t  See  f^round-plan  of  this  compared  to  that  of  an  Irish  Christian  Icaba,  injra,  p.  637. 

X  Spectanti  mihi  foramina  hujusniodi  tani  in  Britannia  quam  in  Gallia,  Hispania,  Scania, 
Caucasia,  Palestina,  India,  reperta,  vcnit  non  rare  in  menteni  an  simulacra  essent  vaginre  Matris 
TerrcE  quam  coram  vel  potius  intus,  id  est,  cjuasi  in  utero  Dea.-  Matris,  supplices,  prostrati  inter 
disjecta  procerum  membra,  facere  aut  vota  reddere  aut  responsa  petere  soliti  essent. — G.C.B. 

The  German  tribes  worshipped  the  Terra  Mater  under  the  name  of  Ilertha.  The  rites  of  Saturn 
in  Italy  took  place  "sub  effossa  humo."  Those  of  the  female  death-goddess  may  well  have  been 
practised  also  in  caves  and  tombs.  To  this  cause  may  be  due  the  presence  of  the  image  of  a  female 
in  the  cave-tombs  of  the  Marne  and  elsewhere.  Above  all,  this  would  explain  the  singular  tradition 
about  a  dolmen  at  Drenthe  mentioned  in  a  note  at  p.  555. 

§  "Rev.  Archeol."  1859,  p.  427,  and  pi.  368. 

II  "Architecture  Anc.  et  Mod."  vol.  ii.  pis.  7  and  S. 


France. 


629 


of  which  is  about  double  the  thickness  of  either  of  the  others,  and 
of  immense  size  and  weight.     Another  specimen,  much  larger  than 


Fig.  567. — The  "Grolte  aux  Fees"  near  Saumur.     Fjv;/i  Gailhahaud. 


'^3^  wow^v^w^weaw^ 


m7  ^  ^r^ 


Fig.  568. — The  Grotte  d'Esse.     From  Gailhabatid. 


630 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


this  (Fig.  567),  is  at  Saiimur  near  Bagneux.     It  is  composed  of 
four  stones  on  one  side,  and  three  on  the  other,  which  cover  a 


I 


I 


Fig,  569. — The  "  Grotte  aux  Fees,"  at  Mettray,  near  Tours  (see  p.  628).     From  Gailhabaud. 


Fig.  570. — Dolmens  of  the  Champagne  ("  Rev.  Archeol.,"  1859).     A,  in  the  valley  of  the  Sehic  ; 
B,  in  the  valley  of  the  Orvin  (see  p.  628). 

length  of  57  feet  6  ins.,  the  breadth  being  14  feet  4  ins.    Another, 
at   Esse  (Fig.   568),   is   of  still  larger  proportions,   although  the 


Spain  and  Portugal. 


631 


stones  forming  it  are  not  individually  so  great  in  size.  It  measures 
61  feet  long,  by  12  feet  broad  at  the  narrower  end,  where  the 
entrance  is,  increasing  in  breadth  (as  do  the  wedge-shaped 
examples  of  Ireland,  Sweden,  Drenthe,  Germany,  and,  as  we  shall 
see,  the  Jordan)  to  14  feet  at  the  inner  end. 

Perhaps  the  most  interesting  of  all  the  French  dolmens  is  that 
in  the  Department  of  Seine  et  Oise,  called  "  La  Pierre  Turquaise  "  f 
(Figs.  564  and  573).  It  is  roofed  in  by  five  stones,  and  two  over 
the  portico  set  pediment-wise,  as  if  in  imitation  of  the  pediment 


The  aisle  of  the  Chapel 


W 


'i^^^ms^Mm^^B, 


Length  of  the  Crypt  S'rjS'. 


......4.SS 

1.68 


,0.63 


t&>X  , 


WW^^^^IS^tEBii^^^^^ 


Fig.  571. — The  dolmen  of  the  Chapel  of  the  Seven  Saints  near  Plouaret,  Cutes-dii-Nord. 

From  Cattailhac. 

over  the  entrance  of  a  classic  temple.  In  ground-plan,  too,  it 
resembles  ancient  Greek  shrines,  as  will  presently  be  shown.  The 
cap-stones  measure  from  3*50  m.  to  4  m.  across,  and  from  4  m. 
to  I  m.  long,  the  total  length  of  the  covered  structure  beino- 
about  I4"50  m.;j; 

As  then,  if  my  view  be  right,  France  was  the  cradle-land  of 
the  dolmen  builders,  so,  also,  it  was  the  country  in  which  they 
brought  these  works  to  their  greatest  development,  and  in  which, 
perhaps,  also  the  veneration  attaching  to  them  lasted  as  long 
as  anywhere,  since  Christian  edifices  were  built  on  the  tumuli  in 
which  they  were  concealed,  as  at  Carnac,  and,  as  in  the  case  of 
the  Chapel  des  Sept-Saints,  near  Plouaret,  in  the  Department  of 
C6tes-du-Nord,  where  the  dolmen  was  actually  used  as  a  crypt  to 
the  Christian  church  (Fig.  571). 

Spain  and  Portugal. 
From    France   we    pass    into    the    Iberian    Peninsula,§    and 
proceed    to    extend    our   comparative    analysis   to    the  .southern 

t  See  ground-plan  of  this  compared  to  that  of  a  Greek  temple,  infra,  p.  639. 

i  "Mat.  pour  I'Hist.  de  THomme"  (1868),  p.  162. 

§  The  works  to  which  I  am  principally  indebted  for  the  summary  here  given  of  the  prehistoric 
monuments  of  the  Peninsula  are  the  following :  "  Antigiiedades  Prehistoricas  de  Andalucia,"  Madrid, 
1868,  by  Signor  Manuel  de  Gongora  y  Martinez  j   "Descripgao  de  alguns  dolmins  ou  antas  de 


632  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


valleys  of  the  Pyrenees,  and  to  Spain  and  Portugal  in  general. 
A  few  years  ago,  the  materials  for  our  purpose,  as  far  as  Spain  was 
concerned,  would  have  been  far  to  seek.  Some  little  has, 
however,  been  done  of  late  years  to  remedy  this,  but  what  is  still 
required  is  a  searching  archaeological  survey,  undertaken  on  a 
uniform  system,  by  resident  antiquaries,  many  of  whom,  in  the 
papers  they  have  contributed  to  local  journals,  have  already  shown 
themselves  well  qualified  for  such  a  task.  There  are  districts  in 
eastern  Spain  now  supposed  to  be  utterly  destitute  of  megalithic 
remains,  with  regard  to  which  such  a  sweeping  negative  assertion  as 
that  they  do  not  exist,  carries  little  weight,  unless  we  know  that 
they  have  been  thoroughly  explored  by  those  possessing  the 
necessary  qualifications.  As  a  proof  of  what  might  result  from 
such  an  investigation,  it  was  held,  until  a  short  while  since,  that 
not  a  single  dolmen  existed  on  the  east  coast  of  Spain,  including 
the  south-eastern  valleys  of  the  Pyrenees,  whereas  the  information 
collected  in  the  "  Revista  de  Ciencias  Historicas,"  published  at 
Barcelona,  under  the  able  editorship  of  Signor  Sanpere  y  Miguel, 
has  added  the  provinces  both  of  Barcelona  and  Gerona  to  the 
dolmen-bearing  districts  of  Europe. 

The  distribution  of  the  dolmens  in  the  Peninsula  follows  the 
same  rule  observed  elsewhere.  They  belong,  that  is  to  say,  to 
the  sea-coast,  thinning  out  as  they  reach  the  interior.  This  holds 
true  of  three  sides  of  the  Peninsula,  the  N.W.  and  W.,  and  the  S. 
The  eastern  side  affords  an  exception,  since,  from  the  Province  of 
Barcelona  southward,  not  a  single  dolmen  has  been  noticed  until 
the  borders  of  Andalucia  are  reached.     It  is  true,  as  we  have 

Portugal,"  Lisbon,  1868,  by  Signor  F.  A.Pereira  de  Costa  ;  "  Intioduccao  a  Archeologia  da  Peninsula 
Iberica,  Parte  primeira, — Autigiiedades  Prehistoricas,  -Lisbon,  1878,"  by  Signor  A.  F.  Simoes  ; 
"  Revisia  de  Ciencias  Historicas,  Contribution  al  estudio  de  los  monumentos  megaliticos  ibericos,' 
vol.  ii.  1881,  p.  434.  el  scqq.,  edit.  Signor  Sanpere  y  Miguel;  the  works  of  Signor  F.  Martins 
Sarmento  (styled,  and  rightly,  the  Schliemann  of  his  country,  on  account  of  his  memorable 
exploration  of  the  citanias  of  the  Minho),  including  an  account  of  an  arch;^ological  expedition  to 
the  Serra  da  Estrella  in  1881,  and  also  his  "Os  Argonautos,"  Oporto,  1SS7,  and  his  "  Os  Lusitanos;  " 
"  Les  Ages  Prehistoriques  de  I'Espagne  et  du  Portugal,"  by  M.  Emil  Cartailhac,  with  preface  by 
Quatrefages,  Paris,  1886;  also  various  brochures  contained  in  the  journals  lof  the  Scientific 
Societies,  among  which  are  the  "  Memoires  de  I'Acadcmic  Royale  d'Histoire  Portugueze ; " 
"  Boletim  de  Real  Associa9ao  dos  Archeologos  Portuguezes  ;"  "  Museu  espaiiol  de  Antigiiedades  ;" 
"  Congres  International  d'Anthropologie  et  d'Archeologie  Prehistoriques,"  Lisbon,  1880 ;  also 
articles  in  periodicals,  among  which  are  the  "  Seminario  Pintoresco  Espanol;"  the  "  Ilustracion 
Espaniola  y  Americana  ;  "  tlie  "  Arcliivo  Pittoresco  ;"  the  "  Ilustracion  Gallega  y  Asturiana,"  and 
others  ;  lastly,  the  works  of  local  antiquaries  and  historians,  among  which,  for  the  interesting 
))rovince  of  Galicia,  may  be  mentioned,  the  "  Historia  de  Gaiicia,"  by  Siijnor  Martinez  de  Padin 
<vol.  i.  all  published);  the  "Historia  de  Galicia,  Lugo,"  1865,  by  Signor  Manuel  Morguia ; 
"  Antigiiedades  de  Galicia,"  by  Signor  Ramon  Barros  Sivelo  ;  and  "Antigiiedades  Prehistoricas 
y  Celticas  de  Galicia,  Lugo,"  1873,  by  Signor  Jose  Villa-Amil  y  Castro.  In  regard  to  other 
jirovinces  and  towns,  I  might  greatly  amplify  this  list.  It  will  be  sufficient  to  mention  Signor 
Gabriel  Pereira's  "  Antas  dos  arrcdores  de  Evora,"  and  the  account  of  the  monument  at  Antiquera, 
in  a  little  work  specially  devoted  to  the  subject  by  Signor  Raphael  Mitjana  y  Ardison. 


I 


Spain  and  Portugal.  633, 

said,  that  perhaps  sufficiently  careful  observations  have  never 
been  made  here ;  but,  even  so,  they  must  be  of  exceedingly  rare 
occurrence,  or  they  could  not  have  failed  to  attract  some  notice. 

We  now  turn  to  the  classification  of  the  monuments,  the  names 
they  bear,  and  the  folk-lore,  if  any,  attaching  to  them.  Signor 
Martinez  de  Padin,  author  of  the  first  volume  of  a  "  History 
of  Galicia,"  which  he  did  not  live  to  complete,  divides  the  pre- 
historic monuments  of  that  province  into  two  classes — namely,, 
castros,^  and  mamoas.  He  describes  the  former  as  artificial 
mounds,  upwards  of .  six  varas  (yards)  high,  their  ground  plan 
being  circular  or  elliptical,  and  their  diameter  proportioned  to 
their  height.  Two  examples  which  he  cites  near  Brandomil, 
in  the  Parish  of  Castrelo  and  Province  of  Coruna,  are  round 
tumuli,  possessing  a  central  vault  or  dolmen,  which  is  exposed. 
The  walls  of  this  structure  are  formed  of  flat  stones  placed  on 
their  edges,  in  the  form  of  a  circle  (a  characteristic  of  Peninsula 
dolmens),  and  it  Is  covered  in  by  a  large  round  stone,  giving  to 
the  whole  the  appearance  of  a  garita  (sentry-box),  the  name  by 
which  they  are  popularly  known. 

The  inamdas  are  smaller  tumuli,  lower  in  elevation,  and  found! 
in  groups,  in  valleys  or  on  vi\OMX\\.'dXw  plateaux.  The  precise  mean- 
ing of  this  word  mainoa  may  be  worth  working  out.  In  ancient 
charters  the  word  frequently  occurs,  owing  to  the  fact  that  in  Spain, 
as  elsewhere,  tumuli  and  megaliths  were  found  convenient  land- 
marks for  the  boundaries  of  property.  Signor  Simoes  gives  us, 
from  these  sources,  the  forms  mamola,  inamonela,  viamtila,%  and 
they  were  also  called  inamilas,  and  viaimmhas,  the  latter  term 
especially  belonging  to  Portugal.  In  Galicia,  besides  mamoas 
they  were  called  modorras.  Lexicographers,  Including  Viterbo, 
and  antiquaries,  including  Signor  Simoes,  consider  that  this  word 
is  derived  from  the  Latin  mamma,  a  teat,  from  their  appearance. 
One,  near  the  mines  of  Bragal  in  Beira,  bears  a  longer  name, 
mamaller.  Signor  Sarmento  defines  the  "  mamoa,  mamdinha,  or 
mamtmha''  as  "  the  popular  term  for  the  mounds  of  earth  which 
cover  the  sepulchres  of  the  dead."  Signor  Pereira  da  Costa 
states  that  the  name  mamunhas  was  sometimes  applied  to  the 
dolmen   which    the    mound    had    covered,    as    in    the   case    of 


t  These  were  also  called  croas,  a  word  which  was  thought  to  be  connected  with  corona^  front 
their  circular  form. 

X  Another  name  was  colks  inamcfacti. 

VOL.   IL  Y 


634  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 

examples  at  Mamalter,  and  at  Carrazedo  in  Tras-os-Montes, 
where  the  vault  had  been  denuded  of  its  envelope.  In  the  case 
of  the  latter  of  these,  which  stood  on  a  level  spot  on  the  summit  of 
an  oblong  elevation,  he  speaks  of  the  structure  as  being  formed 
of  nine  slabs  of  granite  of  various  length,  but  of  uniform  height, 
which  formed  the  facing  of  a  circular  excavation,  the  earth  from 
which  had  been  thrown  up  in  a  bank  around  it. 

Sienor  Simoes  tells  us   that  some  mamunhas  are  cenotaphs 

o  

containing  no  dolmen  nor  sepulchral  interment  at  all.  They 
are  regarded,  however,  popularly  as  sepulchral,  and  in  many 
instances  they  have  been  found  to  contain  cinerary  urns.  He 
remarks  also  that,  while  in  Galicia  free-standing  dolmens  are 
scarce,  majmirihas  are  common  ;  in  Andaluci'a,  on  the  contrary, 
where  dolmens  are  numerous,  he  finds  no  mention  of  ina7imnhas ; 
in  Portugal,  similarly,  dolmens  are  very  numerous,  especially  in 
Alemteyo,  where  no  7naimtnhas  appear ;  in  the  northern  parts  of 
that  kingdom,  however,  where  it  borders  on  Galicia,  they  are  met 
with  again.  Here  we  recognize  the  same  parallel  phenomena 
which  meet  us  in  Ireland,  Sweden,  and  Germany — namely,  the 
square  cist  formed  of  great  flat  slabs,  buried  in  its  tumulus — 
the  hallkista  or  hUgelgrdber  of  the  north,  and  the  ruder  and 
loftier  dolmen,  with  its  passage,  as  we  shall  presently  see, 
answering  to  such  examples  as  that  of  Yr  Ogof  f  in  Wales. 
Signer  Simoes  does  not  consider  that  all  the  dolmens  in  the 
Peninsula  were  covered  over,  and  in  proof  of  his  contention  he 
instances  those  at  Tisnada  and  Pinheiro,  which  are  built,  like 
some  of  the  Swedish  examples,  on  mounds,  not  in  them. J 

To  return  to  the  name  mamoa,  there  appears  some  reason 
for  thinking  that,  granted  that  it  signifies  a  breast,  there  may 
have  been  a  significance  in  the  term  beyond  and  beside  that 
of  the  appearance  of  the  rounded  hillocks — a  meaning  which, 
in  the  cultus  of  the  dead,  would  have  connected  it  with  the 
great  Earth-Mother,  within  whose  breast  all  mortals  after  life 
will  lie. 

Marmi^  is  the  name  by  which  modern   Basques  designate  a 

t  p.  450,  supra. 

X  In  the  case  of  some  of  the  dolmens  in  the  African  province  of  Constanline,  the  interment  was 
placed  in  the  bottom  of  the  vault,  which  was  then  filled  up  with  earth  to  half  its  height,  and  a 
mound,  raised  around  the  structure  to  the  same  level  outside,  the  effect  being  that  the  upper  portion 
of  the  monument  appeared  like  a  perfect  and  uncovered  dolmen  standing  on  a  tumulus,  and 
not  half  buried  in  it,  as  was  really  the  case.  See  the  Magasin  Pittoresque,  1864,  pp.  79,  80  ; 
also  "  Rcc.  des  notices  et  memoires  de  la  Societc  Archcologique  de  la  Prov.  de  Constantine,  1863." 

§  See  Van  Eys,  "Diet.  Basquc-fran9ais,"  in  voc. 


Spain  and  Portugal.  635 

horrible  mask  which  frightens  children.  It  is  not  improbable, 
therefore,  that  under  this  name  we  have  as  a  secondary  meaning 
that  of  a  discredited  female  pagan  divinity.  In  a  charter  of  the 
thirteenth  century,  a  tumulus  is  called  Mcmda-Negra,  "  Black 
Memoa,"  or  Mamua.f 

This  leads  us  to  consider  the  meaning  of  the  second  name  for 
these  mounds,  namely,  modorra,  which  is  a  synonym  for  ma^jioa. 
As  we  shall  presently  see,  the  dolmens  of  the  Peninsula  were, 
just  as  in  Ireland  and  at  Drenthe,  connected  with  the  idea  of 
a  terrible  female,  an  enchantress  or  witch.  Now,  as  we  learn 
from  Cobarruvias,J  it  was  an  attribute  of  the  Holgina,  or 
Jorgina,  the  name  (originally  Vascon)  for  a  witch,  in  the 
practice  of  her  art  to  induce  drowsiness  or  an  enchanted  sleep. 
This  is  exactly  what  modorra  means. §  It  is  one  of  the  few 
Iberian  ||  words  which  Spanish  has  retained,  and  its  occurrence 
as  an  equivalent  of  mamdci  is  therefore  interesting,  the  two 
terms  seeming  to  present  to  us  the  idea  of  the  dark  mother- 
goddess  of  earth  and  of  death  presiding  over  the  mound  in 
which  her  priestess,  the  witch,  held  the  dead  in  their  en- 
chanted sleep.  Other  meanings  of  modorra  strengthen  this 
view.  They  are  given  by  Pineda  \  as  "  lethargy,"  "  the  dead 
of  night,"  "  the  time  we  are  asleep,"  "  the  period  which 
immediately  precedes  the  dawn." 

In  some  ancient  documents,  according  to  Viterbo.ff  the 
mamdas  are  called  areas.  This  word  area  enters  into  a  very 
large  number  of  names  of  places  in  the  Peninsula.  It  became, 
indeed,  almost  the  general  term  for  boundary,  as  we  find  from 
Lachmann's  "  Gromatici  Veteres."  Q  It  had,  however,  as  Ducange 
points  out,  its  special  meaning.      It  was  a  little  building  "  square 

t  Signor  Jose  Caldas,  "  Archeol.  prehist.  dans  la  Prov.  de  Minho  (Congres  int.  d'Anth.  et 
d'Arch,"),  Lisbon,  1880,  p.  344. 

X  "Tesoro  de  la  lengua  Castellana,"  by  Don.  Sebastian  de  Cobarruvias  Orozeo,  Madrid,  i6ii, 
/;;  voc.  "  Holgin,"  fol.  475  :  "holgina,  parece  ser  lo  mesmo  que  Jorgin,  y  Jorgina  =  Hechizero  y 
Hechizera ; "  also  in  voc.  Jorgina:  "Jorgina,  dizen  ser  nombre  Vascongado  y  que  vale  tanto  como 
la  que  haze  adormecar,  o  quitar  el  sentido,  cosa  que  puede  acontecer,  y  que  con  intervencion  del 
demonio  ecken  sueilo  profundo  en  los  que  ellas  quieren  para  hazer  mejor  sus  mal  dades." 

§  Pineda,  "  Diet."  in  voc. 

II  See  Luchaire,  op.  cit.  supr. 

\  "  Diet."  in  voc. 

tt  "  Diet."  in  voc.  mamoa. 

XX  Berlin,  1848  :  See  also  "  Rei  Agraria:  auctores  legesque  varire,  Wilhelmi  Goesii,  cum  notis 
Rigaltii,"  Amsterdam,  1674 — "  GIossk  Agrimensorise,"  by  Nich.  Rigaltius,  ifi  voc.  area.,  p.  292. 
Also  "De  Agrorum  conditionibus  Hygeni  Gromatici,"  Paris,  1554  (with  illustration  of  an  area), 
p.  155.  An  area,  when  it  was  not  an  ancient  monument  ready  made  on  the  spot,  was  constructed 
in  the  form  of  an  uncovered  cist  or  pound,  a  four-sided  enclosure,  built,  however,  of  masonry,  not  of 
single  slabs.  In  some  cases  the  walls  were  built  round  a  more  ancient  tomb.  See  Lachmann, 
ut  supr.,  p.  364.  Ducange  (jn  voc.)  says:  Aream  representat  {Hygemis)  forma  quadrata,  atqne 
intus  cava,  qiiemadmodum  sunt  area,  sive  cisia:,  jcnde  et  nomen  indittim. 


636 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


in  shape,  and  hollow  within,  as  cists  are,  and  from  this  resem- 
blance it  derived  its  name."  The  picture  of  one,  among  the 
illustrations  which  accompany  the  Cascc  Littcrarum,  looks  like 
a  small  square-walled  pound.  In  other  places  "  aggeres  terrae  " 
are  spoken  of  as  areas,  and  the  word  is  derived  "  ab  arcendo," 
in  the  sense  of  bounding  the  estate. 

In    Galicia,    and    the    north-eastern    provinces    bordering   on 

the  Pyrenees,  the  word  area 
applied   to  dolmens,   and 
tumuli  containing  the  cist 
)sed.    Signor  Villa-Amil 
^s|   y    Castro    gives   plans    and 


-^ 


,         ^> \-.\v,\m;\  jr.; .•.■.■.•■, .::  ■r.'-.i,:/ >;,,..,. 


that  the  original  monuments 
consisted  of  large  cists 
formed  of  slabs  about  4  feet 
6   ins.  in  height,  covered  in 

Fig.  572. — Area  de  Padorno,  Galicia.  Plan  and  section   by  a  sin<^le    roofiuo'-slab    and 
by  Villa  Amil y  Castro.  ^  ^.  ^  ,  ', 

enclosed  m  a  mound.  These 
were  the  true  ajras  in  the  original  acceptation  of  the  word — 
the  ancient  megalithic  four-square  flag  tombs  which  served  for 
the  boundary  points   of   property,  and   from  the    form   of   which 

the  square-walled  enclosures 
were  copied,  in  obedience  to 
"--. /^.'/.    _         custom,  in  the  Middle  Ages. 
^i^%i^^       How    numerous  the   proto- 
types must  have  been,  when 
the  lands  were  being  parcel- 
led    out     by     monks     and 
lawyers,  is  shown  by  the  fact 
that  their  name  became  the 
term     in     general    use     for 
structural     boundary-marks, 
as  distinijuished  from  natural 
ones,   such  as  watercourses, 
mountains,  and  the  littoral. 
In  the  whole  of  the  varied  nomenclature  of  the  dolmens  of 
Europe  there  is  no   more   interesting  name  than   that   which   is 
applied    to    them    in    the    Peninsula,    and    almost    exclusively   in 


Fir,.  573. — Area  de  Sinas,  Galicia.     Plan  and 
section  by  Villa  Aviil  y  Castro. 


Spain  and  Portugal.  637 

Portugal,  namely,  antas.  The  anta  is  the  dolmen  in  its 
uncovered  state.  Much  has  been  written  on  the  meaning 
of  the  term.  Signor  Martinho  Mendouga-de-Pina,  the  first 
writer  w^hose  treatise  on  dolmens  in  Portugal  was  published,! 
thought  the  word  belonged  to  "  the  language  of  ancient 
Portugal."  Servius,  in  his  "  Commentary  on  Virgil,"  connects 
it,  or,  perhaps,  rather  confuses  it  with  the  term  antes,  signifying 
the  buttress-stones  in  the  walls  of  vineyards,  at  the  end  of 
each  vine-row  mentioned  by  the  poet,  and  other  classic  authors. 

Viterbo,  who  gives  the  plural  form  antas,  as  well  as  the 
singular  anta,  finds  in  it,  with  more  reason,  the  Latin 
architectural  term,  used  also  in  Portugal,  for  the  high  square 
columns  which  adorn  the  entrances  to  temples  and  palaces,  or 
the  great  stones  set  up  to  mark  the  entrances  to  certain  well- 
known  estates,  whence,  he  says,  the  word  came  metaphorically 
to  signify  the  atria,  or  entrance-porticoes  to  such  lands.  In  a 
separate  paragraph  this  lexicographer  gives  for  antas  the 
synonym  aras,  altars,  in  which  definition  Moraes  follows  him, 
speaking  of  them  as  "  ancient  altars  distributed  along  the 
roads  to  serve  as  landmarks." 

M.  Roulin  J  wrote  a  treatise  on  the  definition  of  the  word 
antas,  in  which  he  expresses  his  opinion  that  its  occurrence  in 
Portugal  in  connection  with  the  dolmens  is  a  proof  of  the  great 
antiquity  of  those  monuments  in  the  Iberian  Peninsula.  He 
considers  that  the  Romans,  reco^nizinQf  in  these  structures  a 
likeness  to  their  own  miniature  temples,  applied  to  them  the 
name  antcB  (which  in  the  Romance  idiom  of  Portugal  would 
take  the  accusative  form  antas),  and  that,  from  having  simply 
designated  the  pillars  at  the  ends  of  the  walls,  or  at  the 
entrance,  the  term  came  in  time  to  indicate  the  whole  structure. 
Thus  anta,  he  holds,  when  used  in  the  singular,  refers  not  to 
the  supports  of  the  dolmen  only,  but  to  the  entire  erection. 

Basilius  Faber,§  correcting  Servius  as  above  quoted,  says  that 
afitce  are  square  columns,  guarding  either  side  of  an  entrance  or 
mouth,  a  definition  which  he  derived  from  Festus,  who  says : — 
*'  Antse,  i.e.  pilae  sive  columnee  lapidese  in  lateribus  ostiorum." 

All  these  authorities  aofree  in  findingr  for  the  term  a  Latin 
origin,  and,  if  they  are  right  in  this,  the  definition  which  ascribes 

t  "Memoires  de  I'Acad.  Roy.,"  Lisbon,  vol.  xiv.  (1733). 
X  "  Memoires  de  I'Acad.  des  Sciences,"  Paris,  1869,  §  "  Thesaius  Latinus,"  in  voc. 


638 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


it  to  the  likeness  which  the  monuments  bear  to  vestibules  or 
porches  is  most  plausible,  since  wherever  dolmens  occur  the 
resemblance  strikes  us  at  once.  I  cannot  too  strongly  express 
my  acquiescence  in  the  view  of  M.  Roulin,  which  connects  it  with 
the  ant(c  of  the  Roman  temples.  A  dolmen,  wherever  found,  is 
no  mere  tomb  made  to  be  closed  for  ever  on  the  remains  within, 
or  buried  in  a  tumulus  without  an  approach  being  left  to  the 
central  vault,  or  cell ;  it  was  a  temple  as  surely  and  as  truly  as  the 


( 

n     ) 

Fig.  574. — Ground-plan  of  the  Dolmen  FiG.  575.  —  Ground-plan  of  the  Leaba  Mologa, 

de  Gramont  f  (Herault).  Co.  Cork,  for  comparison  with  dolmens  with 

antic.     From  ground- plan  by  J.  W'indelc. 

temple  of  Artemis  at  Eleusis,  or  as  those  of  Teos,  or  Priene,  or  as 
any  of  the  cellcB  memories  of  pagans  first  and  Christians  afterwards. 
It  either  did  contain  the  body,  or  was  believed  at  all  events  to 
contain  the  spirit,  of  some  person  or  persons  who  were  dead, 
whether  they  had  been  merely  famous  as  chieftains  or  priests,  or 
whether  (as  in  the  case  of  the  higher  and  more  abstract  cultus 
attained  by  classic  civilization)  they  had  attained  divine  honours. 
More  than  this,  the  plan  of  the  dolmen  in  several  districts  was  as 
nearly  identical  as  possible  with  that  of  the  classic  shrines,  plans 
of  which  we  have  in  abundance,  and  which  Vitruvius  has  left  us 
instructions  how  to  build  in  the  approved  conventional  style, 
which  had  been  handed  down  from  ages  out  of  mind.  In  Ireland 
it  was  identical  also  in  form  with  the  primitive  leabas  or  Saints' 
Beds  of  the  Christians,  such  as  the  Leaba  Mologa.  The  latter 
were,  in  fact,  pagan  leabas  built  with  masonry  in  place  of  vast  slabs. 


t  The  three  blotches  represent  cavities  sunk  in  the  covering-slab.     For  an  elevation  of  this 
dolmen,  see  p.  626.     The  plan  is  from  "Mat.  pour  I'llist.  de  THomme." 


Spain  and  Portugal. 


639 


The  classic  shrine  was  to  consist  of  two  parts,  an  outer  and 
an  inner.  The  outer  part  was  called  the  antcB  (in  Greek 
Trapaa-TaSe^) ;  the  inner  was  called  the  cel/a  (in  Greek  i/ao?).  The 
an^t^  had  a  double  signification  ;  (a)  portions  of  the  side  walls  of 
the  building  brought  out  beyond  the  terminal  wall  of  the  inner 


000000 


000000 


Fig.  576. — Temple  at  Teos,  showing  the  va6s  (cella) ; 
iTfptffTdSes  (antae),  and  peristyle.  From  IV.  M. 
Leakeys  ''Asia  Minor." 


Fig.  577. — "La  Pierre  Turquaise  "  in  the 
Depart,  of  Seine  et  Oise,  for  comparison 
with  temples  with  antce.  Afat. pour P Hist, 
de  r Homme  ;  see  pp.  627, 631,  supra. 


part,  in  the  centre  of  which  was  the  doorway  ;  (<5)  the  area  or 
space  between  these  projections,  that  is  to  say,  the  pronaos,  or 
portico.  The  cella  was  the  actual  shrine  itself  approached  by  the 
doorway  in  the  inner  terminal  wall  of  the  antce. 


640  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 

The  simplest  form,  and  the  most  ancient,  of  temples  constructed 
in  this  manner,  is  probably  that  at  Teos,  a  ground-plan  of  which 
is  given  by  Mr.  W.  JNI.  Leake,  in  his  "Journal  of  a  Tour  in  Asia 
Minor"  (i824).t  Here  we  have  simply  the  four  walls  of  the  cella 
with  a  narrow  doorway  at  the  western  end,  and  the  two  side  walls 
extended  in  the  same  direction  to  form  the  antcc,  the  entire  struc- 
ture surrounded  by  an  oblong  peristyle.  In  some  cases,  as  in 
that  of  the  temple  at  Priene,  the  side  walls  were  extended  at 
both  ends,  and  there  were  two  entrances.  In  this  latter  example, 
two  free-standing  pillars  are  inserted  to  support  the  roof  of 
the  portico  between  the  projecting  antcu,  and  in  the  same  line 
W4th  them.  The  rules  for  the  respective  proportions  of  cella 
and  antce  given  by  Vitruvius  in  the  case  of  one  of  these  more 
elaborate  shrines,  held  good,  no  doubt,  in  the  simpler  ones.  For  a 
temple  "  in  antis  "  of  the  Doric  order,  the  breadth  should  be  half 
the  length ;  five-eighths  of  the  length  should  be  occupied  by  the 
cella,  including  its  front  walls ;  the  remaining  three-eighths  by  the 
pronaos  or  portico ;  the  anlcs  should  be  of  the  same  thickness  as 
the  columns ;  in  the  intercolumniations  there  should  be  a  marble 
balustrade,  or  some  other  kind  of  railing  with  gates  in  it ;  if  the 
breadth  of  this  portico  exceeded  40  feet,  there  should  be  another 
pair  of  columns  behind  those  between  the  a7il^,  etc. 

The  Greek  temples  generally  faced  west,  but  sometimes  fronted 
a  river,  in  which  case  the  western  aspect  was  not  necessarily 
observed.  The  peristyle  or  range  of  pillars  parallel  with  the  walls, 
at  the  sides  and  ends,  and  supporting  the  overlapping  portions  of 
the  roof,  was  a  characteristic  feature.  In  the  paos  of  a  Greek 
temple  was  a  statue  of  the  divinity ;  but  that  some  shrines  were 
regarded  in  their  true  light  as  tombs  at  which  sacrifices  were  to 
be  offered,  vows  made,  and  the  dead  supplicated  and  consulted  by 
the  pilgrims  and  devotees,  is  made  plain  by  Pausanias,  who  speaks 
of  the  sacrifices  made  by  the  Thebans  at  the  tombs  of  several 
heroes,  as  well  as  at  those  of  the  children  of  ^dipus,  and  at  that 
of  Pionis,  one  of  the  descendants  of  Hercules.J 

In  the  later  days  of  the  Roman  Empire,  the  practice  of 
constructing  cellcs  Diemoricr,  the  direct  successors  of  the  cellcu 
of  the  earlier  temples,  became  a  recognized  institution  in 
connection   with    the   cultus   of  the   dead.     Sometimes  it  was    a 

t  p.  351.  X  "Bfjcotica,"  lib.  ix,  cap.  i8,  3,  4. 


Spain  and  Portugal.  641 

building  large  enough  to  contain  those  who  came  to  celebrate 
an  annual  feast  in  honour  of  the  deceased,  who  was  buried 
either  under  or  near  it.  Sometimes  it  was  a  little  memorial 
chapel  erected  in  the  cemetery,  in  some  cases  large  enough  to 
hold  those  who  came  to  pay  their  devotions  to  their  dead  rela- 
tives. In  others  it  was  a  mere  model  in  miniature  of  the  more 
pretentious  edifice,  of  which  kind  we  find  examples  in  the  curious 
little  structures  carved  out  of  single  blocks  of  stone  in  the  Musee 
de  Lorraine  at  Nancy,  and  which  measure  only  2  feet  to  2  feet  6  ins. 
long,  by  I  foot  to  i  foot  6  ins.  broad,  and  i  foot  to  2  feet  6  ins. 
high.f  l:)\^  fabric(B  which,  as  late  as  the  third  and  fourth  century. 
Pope  Fabricius  was  causing  to  be  erected  in  cemeteries,  though 
large  enough  perhaps  to  hold  the  body  of  a  devotee,  were  doubtless 
genuine  cellcs,  and  so  too  were  those  curious  little  buildings  which 
are  still  to  be  seen  in  several  of  the  graveyards  around  the  sites 
of  the  earlier  Irish  churches,  as  at  Clonmacnoise,  for  example. 
All  were  of  sepulchral  origin,  and  none  were  absolutely  closed, 
but  possessed  at  one  end  an  aperture  of  some  kind,  through 
which  it  may  be  supposed  the  offerings  to  the  dead  were  inserted. 
It  is,  however,  not  of  the  cellcs,  but  of  the  antes,  that,  in  connection 
with  the  Portuguese  term,  I  have  here  to  speak.  To  the  former 
of  these  terms  we  will  return  when  we  come  to  consider  the 
meaning  of  the  word  cille  in  Ireland. 

In  the  districts  in  which  they  are  found,  there  is  a  popular 
belief  in  the  sacredness  of  the  antce.  The  Christians  appear 
to  have  endeavoured  to  divert  the  veneration  they  attracted  to 
their  own  behest,  for  upon  several  a  cross  has  been  carved,  some- 
times in  simplest  form,  sometimes  in  that  known  as  the  Signum 
Vincentii.  There  appears  to  me  to  be  every  reason,  then,  to 
believe  that  this  traditionary  sacredness  has  been  handed  down 
from  times  when  they  were  actually  used  as  little  temples  of  the 
dead,  at  the  antce  of  which  the  sacrificia  DiortiLorttm  were  per- 
formed, and  that  the  name  they  bear  may  be  taken  as  proof  of  the 
resemblance  which  those  who  first  spoke  the  Romance  language 
in  Portugal  saw  in  them  to  the  well-known  temple  type  of  pagan 
and  afterwards  of  Christian  churches. 

The  word  anta,  besides  designating  individual  dolmens,  enters 
into  several  place-names,  as,  for  example,  Anta-de-Rioconejos  in 
Gamora,   Antas-de-Penalva,    Antas-de-Penadono,    and    Santiago- 


t  '*  Ulster  Journal  of  Archaeology,"  vol.  xvii.     Sir  Sam.  Ferguson  on  Cills. 


642 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


d'Antas  in  Portugal,  where  it  is  also  a  surname.  In  France,  in 
the  department  of  Calvados,  a  stream  is  called  A 71k,  and  a  village 
in  that  of  Deux  Sevres  was  formerly  called  An^o'.j 

I  now  proceed  to  notice  in  order  the  megalithic  remains  in 
the  Peninsula  according  to  their  distribution,  commencing  with 
those  in  the  provinces  on  the  north-east,  where  until  recently 
their  presence  was  unrecognized  by  archaeologists.  To  Signor 
Sanpere  y  Miqueljwe  are  indebted  for  the  knowledge  of  the 
existence  of  dolmens  in  no  inconsiderable  numbers,  not  only  on 
the  southern  side  of  the  eastern  extremity  of  the  Pyrenean  range, 
but  also  at  some  distance  from  the  mountains  in  the  provinces 
of  Lerida,  Gerona,  and  Barcelona.  One,  near  Pedro  a  INIoya 
in  Lerida,  he  describes  as  formed  by  three  rough  supporting 
stones   surmounted  by  a  tabular  rock,  the  surface  of  which  has 

a  depression  in  the  centre. 
Another,  in  the  same 
province,  is  constructed  of 
three  large  slabs  forming 
the  sides  and  end  of  a 
chamber,  covered  by  a 
single  slab.  This  latter  is 
called  the  jRoca  Encantada, 
i.e.  "  Enchanted  Stone." 
In  the  Pla  de  Gibrella 
near  Olot  in  Gerona  many 
Vi^,  megalithic  monuments 
^  occur.  One  dolmen,  of 
~  which  I  gave  an  illustra- 
tion, appears  to  be  a  fine 
specimen  of  the  type  of 
those  supported  by  "free-standing"  columns.  It  is  situated  at 
the  head  of  a  gorge  or  glen  called  the  Vail  Gorguina,  i.e.  Vale 
of  the  Enchantress,  Witch,  or  Hag — another  instance  of  her 
association  here,  as  in  Ireland,  and  at  Drenthe,  with  these  monu- 
ments. It  is  formed  of  seven  unhewn  blocks  bearins:  on  their 
summits  a  slab  3-05  m.  long  by  2'46  m.  broad. 

Not  far  from  this  is  the  dolmen  of  Puig  sas  Llosas,  so  called 
from    the    little    hill  on   which  it  stands  in  close  proximity  to  a 

t  See  "  Descrip9ao  de  alguns  dolmins,"  by  F.  A  Pereira  da  Costa,  p.  43,  ct  seqq.  ;  also  Viterbo, 
Moraes,  and  Ducange. 

\  "  Revista  de  Ciencias,"  vol.  ii.  1881,  p.  459,  ct  scqq. 


Fig.  578. — Dolmen  in  the  VaU  Gorguina. 


Spain  and  Portugal.  643 

chapel  dedicated  to  Saint  Jorge,  a  circumstance  to  which  Signor 
Sanpere  points  as  worthy  of  notice  because,  he  says,  it  is  not 
the  only  instance  in  which  the  conjunction  of  Christian  with 
megalithic  monuments  has  been  observed  in  Spain.  The  saint 
selected  seems  to  have  been  the  one  of  all  others  in  the  calendar 
whose  name  Joj^ge  most  nearly  approached  that  of  the  Jorgm  or 
Hag,  who  was  probably  the  ^Aq.x  genius  loci.  From  the  drawing 
and  description  of  this  dolmen,  it  appears  that  it  had  retained  its 
elongated  form.  The  stones  of  which  it  was  composed  were  of 
considerable  size — one  measuring  4*20  m.  long  by  170  m.  high, 
and  serving  as  one  of  the  side  slabs  to  an  enclosed  area  7  m.  long. 
Of  the  roofing-stones  which  once  covered  it  not  one  remained. 

During  a  scientific  excursion  made  in  1880  by  the  members  of 
the  Asociacion  Catalanista  in  the  Provinces  of  Gerona  and  Barce- 
lona, Signor  Conde  de  Belloch  obtained  descriptive  notes  of  dol- 
mens and  other  megalithic  remains  in  those  districts.     Not  far  from 


Fig.  579. — Dolmen  at  Villalba  Saserra. 


the  town  of  Cardeden,  at  the  extremity  of  the  plain  called  Pla  Mar- 
sell,  and  near  the  Roman  road  leading  through  Gerona  from  Tar- 
ragona into  France,  he  found  a  ruined  dolmen  in  the  centre  of  a 
circle  29'86  m.  in  circumference,  consisting  of  seven  stones,  some 
of  which  appeared  to  have  been  roughly  worked.  Another  example 
in  which  the  circle  consisted  of  eleven  stones,  and  measured  31  m. 
in  circumference,  occurred  in  the  territory  of  Villalba  Saserra,  in 
the  district  of  Aremys,  parish  of  Colsabadell,  and  province  of 
Barcelona.  The  dolmen  consists  of  three  stones  on  edge  sup- 
porting a  slab  2*30  m.  long,  by  1*47  m.  broad,  and  0*45  m. 
thick.  As  it  stands,  it  is  apparently  of  the  long  grave-shape  type, 
like  that  of  Pawton,  in  Cornwall, f  and  (in  survival  in  a  Christian 
burial-ground)  that  of  Tumna  in  Roscommon.  It  is  called  the 
Pedra  Area,  and  is  remarkable  for  the  circumstance  that  it  bears 


t  Borlase,  "Ncenia  Cornubice,"  pp.  32,  2Z- 


644 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


Fio.  580. — Dolmen  near  Espolla. 


an  inscription,  the  letters  of  which  look  like  v^AK-  The  practice 
of  erectine  stone-circles  around  dolmens  is  found  to  have  existed 
also  in  Andaluci'a,  and  it  recalls  the  passage  in  Aristotle's  j  Politica, 
where  the  Iberes  are  represented  as  setting  up  circles  around 
tombs,  the  number  of  stones  being  proportionate  to  the  number 
of  enemies  slain  by  the  deceased  hero  there  interred. 

Near  Espolla,  on  the  outskirts  of  the  Pyrenees,  are  several 
dolmens.  One  called  Cabana  Arqueta  is  described  as  having 
a   covering-stone    measuring   2*10  m.    long,    r6o   m.  broad,   and 

0*40  m.  thick.  At  Gutina, 
in  the  same  neighbour- 
hood, is  another  having  a 
coverinof-stone  measurino^ 
3  m.  in  diameter. 


Not  far 
from  these  is  the  dolmen 
of  thei5^rr^;^r<?,  2,^."Glen." 
The  vault  measures  3  m. 
long  by  2*io  m.  broad, 
and  is  covered  at  the 
inner  end  by  a  roofing-stone  2*30  m.  broad.  It  is  open  at  the 
other  end,  and  seems  to  have  been  carried  further  in  that  direc- 
tion. In  this  respect  it  may  be  compared  in  its  present  incomplete 
and  ruined  form  to  a  very  large  number  of  dolmens  in  various 
parts  of  the  world,  as,  for  example,  to  the  "  Sepultura  Grande  "J 
in  Andalucia,§  to  the  dolmen  at  Alemtejo  in  Portugal, ||  to  those 
of  Loughry  (Tyrone)  and  Brenanstown  (Dublin),  in  Ireland,^  to 
a  Syrian  example  given  by  M.  Chantre,ff  and  very  many  others. 
The  upper  surface  of  the  roofing-stone  is  covered  with  scorings, 
among  which  is  the  name  of  a  modern  Iberian  Stubbs,  "  ROCA, 
1750,"  but  among  which  also  are  some  which  may  be  genuinely 
ancient,  since  they  are  of  the  Greek  <\>  type,  a  form  of  rock-marking 
almost  as  universally  distributed  in  the  Bronze  and  Iron  Ages,  as 
is  that  of  the  Svastika.  Examples  of  the  form  occur  on  the  one 
hand  on  a  natural  rock,  at  a  place  called  the  Cividade  in  Galicia,JJ 
and  on  the  other  on  the  so-called  Horseman's  Stone,  also  a 
natural  rock,  near  Clonmacnoise  in  Ireland.§§ 

t  Edit.  Firmin-Didol,  Paris,  1874,  vol.  i.  p.  603,  1.  20, 

\  See  Gongoray,  Martinez,  and  Fergusson,  R.S.M.,  pp.  385,  386. 

§   Vide  ifi/ra.  \\  "  A-^es  prehist.  de  I'Espagnc,"  p.  173. 

1  See  pp.  210,  390,  supra.  ft  "  Kecherches  dans  le  Caucase,"  vol.  i.  p.  61, 

Jt  "  Hist,  de  Galicia,"  by  Signer  Murguia,  vol.  ii.,  pi.  at  end. 

§§  "Trans.  Kilk.  Arch.  Soc,"  vol,  v.,  New  Ser,  (1S64-66),  p.  354,  ct  seqq.     See  pp.  695,  6<)6,supra. 


Spain  and  Portugal. 


645 


Near  this  dolmen  is  a  fine  menhir  called  Murtra,  measuring 
3*25  m.  high,  1-30  m.  broad,  and  0*43  thick.  Near  Espolla,  too, 
is  the  dolmen  of  P^dg  de  la  devcsa  de  Torrent.  In  the  case  of 
this  monument,  as  in  that  of  the  last,  the  side-stones  of  the  vault 
are  continued  beyond  the  portion  covered  by  the  roofing-stone, 
which  latter  measures  3  m.  long,  by  2  m.  broad.  Doubtless  here, 
also,  the  vault  declined  in  height,  and,  perhaps,  also  became 
narrower  towards  the  end  at  present  uncovered. 

There  is  a  dolmen  also  in  the  beautiful  valley  of  Arranyagats 
in  the  upper  ridges  of  the  mountains,  and  another  in  the  same 
district,  but  at  a  lower  level,  the  vault  or  cell  of  which  measures 
I  '50  m.  long.  The  latter  bears  the  name  of  La  Font  de  Ronre,  an 
instance  by  no  means  uncommon  of  the  association  of  the  idea 
of  a  spring-well  with  a  dolmen,  as  we  shall  see  in  the  case  of 
Portuguese  examples,  and,  to  take  an  Irish  instance,  in  that  of 
the  dolmen  of  Maul-na-holtora,  in  Kerry. f 

A  famous  rocking-stone,  as  I  must  not  omit  to  mention, 
measuring  from  8  to  10  m.  in  length,  and  a  purely  natural 
phenomenon,  is  perched  on  the  summit  of  one  of  the  granite  tors 
of  Gerona.  Rocks  possessed  of  this  characteristic  were  held 
in    high   veneration    in   the    Peninsula,  as  they  were    in  all  dis- 


Fig.  581. —  Section  of  the  dolmen  of  Equilaz.     After  a  drazviiig  in  the  Scviijtario  Pintcrcsco. 

tricts  where  the  veneratio  lapidtun  formed  a  part  of  the  cultus- 
of  the  ancient  pagan  races.  They  happen  to  occur  continually 
in  the  same  districts  in  which  dolmens  are  found. 

Passing  westward  along  the  southern  foot-hills  of  the  Pyrenees,, 
we  will  now  extend  our  search  for  megalithic  monuments  to  the 
Provincias  Vascongades,  or  the  Basque  Provinces  of  Spain. 

t    Vide  jupra,  p.  3. 


646  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 

In  1833,  Sio^nor  P.  A.  Zabala  laid  before  the  Academy  of  San 
Fernando  an  account  of  a  remarkable  sepulchral  vault  which  had 
been  discovered  the  year  before  at  Eguilaz  near  Salvatierra,  in  the 
Province  of  Alava.     An  account  of  it,  accompanied  by  a  sectional 
illustration,  is  contained  in  the  Soninario  Pintoresco  Espa7iol.\   To 
the  remarkable  likeness  it  bears  to  examples  in  France,  at  Drenthe 
in  Holland  and  elsewhere,  I  have  already  alluded.     In  the  descrip- 
tion, the  vault  and   the  passage  leading  to  it — that  is,  the  lower 
or  eastern   end  of  the    structure — are   treated  separately.      The 
former,  called  the   "tomb,"  measured   13  feet  (Spanish)  long  by 
15  feet  broad.     The  slab  which  covered  it  was   19  feet  long  by 
15    feet  broad.     The   passage    leading  into  it  was  20  feet  long, 
4  feet  broad,  and  4  feet  high.     From    these   measurements   we 
may   take    it  that    the    whole  structure  measured  33  feet  long, 
and  expanded  internally  from  4  feet  at  the  east  end,  to  15  feet 
at  the  western  and  higher  extremity.     When  opened,  the  interior 
was  found  to  contain  human  bones,  and  lance-heads  of  stone  and 
bronze. 

In  the  same  communication  Signor  Zabala  states  that,  at  a 
place  called  Arreche,  that  is,  in  Basque,  "  Stone-House"  {Casa  de 
Piedra)  was  another  monument  of  the  same  description.  The 
popular  name  for  this  latter  was  So7'guineche,  which,  translated 
from  Basque  into  Spanish,  is  equivalent  to  Casa  de  Brtcj'as, 
that  is  to  say,  the  Hag's  or  Witch's  House,  Sorguin  here  being 
the  same  as  Jorguin,  in  the  Eastern  Pyrenees,  and  the  exact 
equivalent  of  the  Irish  Cailteac,  as  in  Leaba-na-Callighe  (Lab- 
bacalle),  near  Fermoy,  and  "  Calliagh  Dirra's  House,"  near 
Monasterboice,  both  of  which  monuments  resemble  structurally 
these  Vascon  examples  as  closely  as  can  be. 

In  the  dolmen  at  Arreche  the  construction  was  as  follows  : 
six  stones  were  set  up  perpendicularly  in  a  mound,  in  much  the 
same  rude  fashion  as  at  Esfuilaz.  Three  of  these  measured 
9  feet  (Spanish)  from  the  level  of  the  ground,  by  5  feet  broad, 
and  2  feet  thick.  They  supported  a  covering-stone  of  rudely 
circular  form,  10  feet  in  diameter.  The  remaining  three  upright 
stones,  though  they  helped  to  form  the  walls  of  the  vault,  did  not 
support  the  roofing-stone.  The  vault  itself  was  of  circular  form, 
and  measured  6  feet  in  diameter. 

This  must  certainly  be  the  dolmen  of  which  Signor  Simoes 

t  For  1S46-47,  pp.  404-6. 


Spain  and  Portugal.  647 

gives  a  ground-plan  and  two  sections,  and  which  he  places  at 
Eguilaz-na-Chapada.f  The  structure  is  shown  to  be  sym- 
metrically formed,  and  the  nine  stones  of  the  vault,  which  is 
rather  oval  than  circular,  are  disposed  in  threes  along  the  two 
longer  sides,  with  one  at  the  inner  end,  and  two  in  the  position 
of  jambs,  one  on  either  side  the  entrance.  The  plan  is  singularly 
like  that  of  the  vault  at  Cloverhill  (Sligo),  some  of  the  enclosing 
slabs  of  which  were  sculptured.  At  short  distances  to  the  S.  and 
N.  of  this  tumulus  traces  of  others  which  had  been  destroyed 
were  visible. 

This  is,  perhaps,  the  same  monument  as  that  described  as  the 
dolmen  of  Arrizala,  figured  in  "  Espana  los  Monumentos  y  Artes,"  J 
to  which  is  also  given  the  name  Sorgui- 
neche.  In  the  same  work,  Signor  Becerro  § 
mentions  two  mounds  in  this  same  district, 
each  containing  a  dolmen.  One  of  these 
was  popularly  known  by  the  name  of 
Eskalmendi,  that  is  to  say,  the  "  Mound 
of  the  Basques."  It  was  situated,  so 
Siornor    Simoes    states,    above    the    river 

,  ..  -  .  TT-  •  1  F^<^-  5°2. — Plan  of  the  chamber 

Zadorra,||  one  league  irom   Victoria,  also        atEquiiaz.   FromSimoes. 
in  the   Province  of  Alava,  and  was  dis- 
covered when  the  mill  of  Eskalmendi  was  repaired.      It  contained 
skeletons,  arranged    in   three  lines  between   rows  of  small  flag- 
stones, which  reminds  us  of  one  of  the  modes  of  interment  in  the 
Marne  caves. 

The  association  of  the  name  Eskal  with  one  of  these  dolmen- 
mounds  shows  that  in  the  popular  estimation  they  had  been 
set  up  by  the  ancestors  of  the  Basques.  Signor  Simoes  notices 
the  existence  of  another  dolmen  at  Ocariz,  near  Salvatierra.^ 

In  this  same  Province  of  Alava  is  a  monument  the  accounts 
of  which  are  so  various  that  it  is  difficult  to  speak  with  certainty. 
Some  writers,  Signor  Jose  Amador  de  los  Rios,  for  instance, 
regard  it  as  raised  by  human  hands,  while  others  (who  I  think 
must  be  in  the  right)  look  upon  it  as  purely  natural.  Be  this 
as  it  may,  the  extraordinary  situation  in  which  it  is  found  leaves 
no  room  for  doubt  that  it  was  an  object  of  great  veneration  to  the 
stone-worshippers  of  ancient  times.       Signor   Miguel  Rodriguez 

t  "Introduc^ao,"  p.  92. 

X  "  Provuicias  Vascongadas,"  Barcelona,  18S5,  edit,  by  Signor  Antonio  Pirala,  p.  51. 

§  Id.,  p.  52.  II  "Introduccao,"  p.  91.  1  Id.,  p.  92. 


648 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


Ferrer,  in  his  work,  "  Los  Vascongados,"f  speaks  of  it  from  per- 
sonal observation.  About  twenty-five  miles  from  Bilboa  is  the 
church  of  the  hermitage  of  St.  Miguel  de  Arrechiuaga.  Within 
the  nave  of  this,  and  covered  by  the  fabric,  stand  three  stupendous 
monoliths,  grouped  together  in  close  proximity.  The  space  they 
occupy  is  no  less  than  no  feet  (Spanish)  in  circumference.  The 
tallest  measures  29  feet  in  height,  the  next  18  feet,  and  the 
shortest  14  feet.  They  rise  pyramidally,  and,  in  one  account, 
are  said  to  support  each  other.  In  one  of  the  recesses  formed 
by  the  gaps  between  their  bases  is  placed  the   modern  altar  of 


Fig.  583. — Interior  of  the  Erniita  de  San  Miguel  de  Arrechiuaga.     Etched  by  the  Author  from 

an  engraving. 

St.  Miguel,  over  which  is  a  figure  of  the  Archangel,  in  the 
costume  (if  we  can  trust  the  illustration)  J  of  a  Roman  soldier — • 
his  right  arm  raised  and  the  hand  holding  a  spear,  and  on 
his  left  arm  a  round  shield. 

t  Madrid,  1873,  P>  *3  "• 

X  "La  Ilustracion  Espaniolay  Americana,"  1877,  No.  IL,  pp.  27  and  37.  The  illustration  given 
is  exceedingly  rough,  and  the  upper  portion  of  the  plate  is  truncated,  so  that  the  tops  of  the  rocks 
arc  not  seen.  Fergusson  (K.  S.  Monuments,  p.  388)  gives  a  copy  of  it,  with  some  variations,  taken 
from  Frank  Leslie's  Illuslratcd  Navspaper. 


Spain  and  Portugal.  649 

This  singular  monument  is  in  a  country  purely  Basque,  and 
that  it  was  held  sacred  by  the  ancient  Iberes  there  can  be 
little  doubt,  since  the  Christians,  not  being  able  to  destroy 
it,  evidently  appropriated  it  and  the  proceeds  of  the  cultus 
attaching  to  it, — placing  it,  as  was  customary  with  all  the  rock  and 
mountain  deities  of  the  pagans,  under  the  protection  of  their  own 
god  of  rocks  and  high  places,  St.  Michael,  and  bidding  the  votaries 
transfer  their  adoration  to  him. 

Having  already  spoken  of  the  megalithic  monuments  of  the 
French  Basque  Departments,  we  proceed  to  the  Province  of 
Navarre.  Signor  Manuel  de  Assas  mentions  the  existence  of 
menhirs  here.f  Near  the  town  of  Los  Arcos  are  three.  One 
is  called  the  Piedra  Hita,  and  measures  12  feet  high.  The  other 
two,  also  of  large  size,  are  in  the  form  of  irregular  cones,  and 
face  one  another  in  a  field.  They  are  called  by  the  people  Las 
Piedras  Mormas.  The  same  writer,  in  his  article  entitled 
"  Monumentos  Celticos,"  quotes  Signor  Angel  de  los  Rios  for 
the  statement,  which  I  do  not  find  confirmed  elsewhere,  that 
near  Reinosa,  in  the  province  of  Santander,  are  two  menhirs, 
called  respectively  P^/l^';^^  dc  Izara  and  La  Pena-larga,  in  Fresno, 
the  first  of  which  is  60  feet  (Spanish)  high  by  46  feet  in  circum- 
ference ;  the  second  50  feet  high,  by  36  feet  in  circumference.  In 
the  accounts  of  these  writers  it  is  extremely  difficult  to  dis- 
criminate between  what  is  natural  and  what  is  artificial.  It  is 
certain,  however,  that  many  purely  natural  rocks  commanded  the 
veneration  of  the  inhabitants,  and  that  notices  of  them,  therefore, 
are  in  place  in  any  archaeological  conspectus,  which,  like  the 
present,  aims  at  comparing  the  folk-lore  prevalent  in  the  various 
countries  of  Western  Europe,  as  well  as  the  actual  structural 
remains. 

Signor  de  Assas  describes,  and  figures  an  example  of  a  class 
of  pillar-stone  which  occurs  notably  in  Ireland,  namely,  the 
"  Holed-Stone."  The  example  in  question  is  called  La  Piedra 
Horadada^  and  is  described  as  a  rough  pillar,  pierced  with  one  or 
more  slits  or  holes,  half  a  foot  in  diameter.  The  popular  belief 
about  such  monuments  is  that  the  ancient  people  used  them  for 
healing  wounds  or  long-standing  complaints  in  their  arms  and  legs. 
The  drawing  of  one  of  them,  which  Signor  de  Assas  appends, 
shows  that  the  stone  is  not  pierced  through  the  centre,  but  through 

t  Seminario  Pintoresco  Espanol,  1857. 
VOL.  n.  Z 


650  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 

an  angle  or  corner  of  it.  f  In  this  respect  it  resembles  exactly  two 
holed  stones  which  stand  near  the  two  "  Churches  of  the  Men  and 
the  Women"  {Team pidl-na-bhf car  2iXiA  Tea7}2p2ill-na-vibaii),  on  the 
Island  of  Inishmurray,  off  the  Sligo  coast,  figured  by  Col.  Wood- 
Martin.:}:  They  are  sometimes  called  "  Praying  Stones,"  and  that 
near  the  "Church  of  the  Women"  is  still  resorted  to  by  women  desir- 
ing a  favourable  confinement.  The  suppliants  kneel  at  the  stone, 
which  is  pierced  through  each  of  the  angles  of  the  front  which 
faces  them.  They  then  "  pass  the  thumbs  into  the  front  and  their 
fingers  into  the  side  openings,  thus  gaining  a  firm  grasp  of  the 
angles  of  the  stone."  Upon  one  of  the  stones,  as  shown  by 
Col.  Wood-Martin,  a  cross  (of  the  form  which  in  Portugal  would 
be  called  the  signum  Vinccntii)  has  been  cut. 

There  is  a  remarkable  monument,  mentioned 
by  Signor  Manuel  de  Assas,§  which  he  styles  a 
dolmen  complicado,  or  one  of  those  popularly 
known  by  the  name  of  Grtita  dc  Las  Hadas 
(Cave  of  the  Fairies,  Grotte  des  Fdes),  which  was 
discovered  in  a  cairn  on  which  stood  the  little 
church  of  Santa  Cruz  de  Cangas  de  Onis,  by  the 
riverside  near  the  splendid  bridge  for  which  that 
place  is  famous.  ||  It  consists  of  unhewn  flags 
set  on  their  edges,  and  covered  in  by  others  laid 
across  them.  The  circular  vault  to  which  a 
passage  leads  is  formed  by  seven  upright  stones 
slightly  inclining  inwards  so  as  to  give  the 
^'SambtrSef  \^he  structure  a  conical  shape.  It  may  be  compared 
church  of  Santa  Cruz  \^  \^^  arouud-plan  with  that  at  Eoruilaz  la  Cha- 

de  Cansjas  de  Onis.  . 

From  the  Serninario  pada,  and  with  the  dolmen  of  Mont  d'Algeda, 
to  be  noticed  presently.  The  circular  or  horse- 
shoe shape  for  these  dolmen  vaults  is  a  distinguishing  charac- 
teristic of  the  Peninsula  examples,  as  also  is  the  inward  inclination 
of  the  side-stones,  giving  the  section  7\.^  The  passage  ox  galeria 
has  three  flags  on  either  side  placed  obliquely,  and  the  entrance 

t  See  the  holed  stone  at  Lackadarra,  in  the  Co.  of  Cork,  in  the  MSS.  of  J.  Windele,  R.L 
Acad. 

%  "  Rude  Stone  Monuments  of  Ireland,"  p.  102. 

§  "  Sem-Pint.  Esp.,"  1857,  p.  163. 

II  See  picture  in  "  Recuerdos  y  bellezas  de  Espana  "  {Aslttrias y  Leoit),  plate  facing  p.  30. 

•jf  Signor  Simous  remarks  this  feature  as  one  common  to  the  dolmens  of  Alemtejo  and  Galicia. 
Signor  Sarmento  of  GuimaraCs,  in  a  letter  which  he  kindly  wrote  me  on  the  subject  of  the  dolmens 
and  other  antiquities  of  his  district,  informed  me  that  the  characteristic  of  inclined  jambs  was  every- 
where noticeable  in  the  earliest  architectural  remains  in  the  Peninsula,  and  that  all  the  dolmens  he 
had  seen  possessed  it. 


1 


Spain  and  Portugal.  651 

is  provided  with  two  stones  for  jambs.  Tradition  associates  the 
church  with  Favila,  and  Ambrosio  de  Morales  states  that  in  a 
crypt  beneath  it  that  king  was  buried. 

The  fact,  however,  is  that  here,  as  in  so  many  other  instances  in 
other  countries  as  in  this,  a  Paean  tumulus  has  been  surmounted 
by  a  Christian  edifice,  and  with  the  transference  of  veneration  a 
new  legend  was  substituted  for  the  old. 

Signor  Joaquim  Costa  f  has  some  remarks  on  this  transference 
of  cultus,  which  are  worthy  of  attention.  Among  the  pagans,  he 
says,  the  tombs  were  the  temples  of  the  dead.  In  the  mamdas  or 
tombs,  which,  he  adds,  the  Gallegos,  called  also  Lovios,%  dwelt 
the  Manes  in  intimate  and  continual  communication  with  their 
descendants  and  relatives  who  were  still  alive.  To  them  the  latter 
offered  bread,  wine,  and  fruit,  consecrated  in  the  fire  of  the  hearth, 
which  is  the  meaning  of  a  passage  in  St.  Martin  of  Braga 
(6th  centur}'),  "fundere  in  foco  super  truncum  frugem."  On  the 
antas,  or  dolmens,  offerings  were,  according  to  Signor  Costa,  also 
made,  as  well  as  at  the  terminos  [?  areas]  at  the  boundaries  of  the 
estates.  When  Martin  of  Braga  wrote  De  corredione  RiisticortLm,^ 
offerings  of  bread  and  wine  were  made  at  the  Wells  {vimmi  et 
panem  in  fontem  mittere).  This  nature  cultus  of  the  Iberes,|| 
which  must  have  preceded  the  private  family  rites  {sacra)  of  the 
Celtici,^  and  the  subsequent  god-system  of  the  Romans,  was  made 
the  object  of  attack  by  several  Spanish  Councils, ff  and  was  well- 
nigh  suppressed  by  the  process  of  excommunication.  Priests  were 
forbidden  to  tolerate  it,  and  were  further  enjoined  to  engrave 
crosses  on  the  rocks  which  served  as  altars,  or  as  centres  for  assembly, 
to  the  rustic  population.  Examples  of  the  practice  Signor  Costa 
instances  in  the  case  of  the  dolmen-tumulus  of  Fornella  ;  and 
in  that  of  the  natural  altar  of  Gondomil.  Some  sacred  places, 
he  adds,  they  transformed  into  Catholic  churches,  as  that  at 
Cangas  de  Onis,  and  at  Arrechiuaga,  both  of  which  we  have  just 
described.  He  cites  also  the  rocking-stone  in  Galicia  called 
La  Barca  de  Ntiestra  Seiiora,  "  The  Ship  of  Our  Lady,"  to  which 
a  Christian  legend  is  attached,  to  be  noticed  presently. 

In  the  Province  of  Santander  are  several  rocking-stones.     Two 

f  "  Organization  poli'tica,  civil  y  religiosa  de  los  Celtiberos,"  Madrid,  1879,  pp.  12,  22,  etc. 
X  It  has  been  suggested  tliat  this  word  is  tlie  same  as  Ltigovcs,  who  seem  to  have  been  divinities- 
connected  with  tombs,  e.g.  "  Lugovibus  Sacrum"  (HUbn.  C.I.L.,  vol.  ii.  (Hisp.)),  2849. 
§  Cap,  9,  in  "  Espafia  Sacrada,"  tom.  xv. 

II  See  Marrast,  Pref.  to  Humboldt's  "  Prim.  Ilab.  de  Espaua,"  1866. 
i[  "Plin.  Nat.  Hist."  iii.,  3. 
tt  Concil.  Tolet,  xii.,  cap.  xi. ;  xvi.,  cap.  ii.  ;  Concil.  Bracar.  ii.,  cap.  xxii. 


652  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


are  in  the  Sierra  de  Sejos,  one  of  which  is  called  the  Piedra  de 
Concha,  "  Rock  of  the  Shell."  Another  curiously  placed  rock  is 
the  so-called  dolmen  "  de/  Abra!'  Upon  the  flat  surface  of  a  large 
natural  rock  are  three  comparatively  small  stones,  on  which,  in 
table  fashion,  rests  a  square,  flattish  block,  givino^  to  the  whole 
much  the  appearance  of  an  altar,  such  as  one  figured  by  Mr.  Du 
Chaillu  in  his  "Viking  Age,"  which  he  regards  as  sacrificial,  and 
which  is  certainly  artificial.  Near  the  "  dolmen  del  Abra,"  on 
the  same  elevated  ridge,  is  a  hermitage  called  by  the  name  of 
the  Virgin  del  Abra,  a  proof  probably  of  the  pre-Christian  sanctity 
of  the  spot.  In  Santander,  also,  is  a  very  curious  natural  rocking- 
stone,  called  the  Pedra  Baloncante  de  Boariza,  of  which  Signor 
Simoes  gives  an  illustration. 

In  the  Christian  legend-lore  of  Galicia  and  the  Asturias,  the 
Apostle  Saint  James  occupies  a  position  analogous  to  that  of 
Saint  Patrick  in  Ireland.  At  Padron  is  a  monument  consisting  of 
a  rude  flight  of  steps  leading  up  to  a  pillar-stone  on  the  top  of 
great  rocks  dedicated  to  the  saint.  At  the  same  place  a  large 
natural  rock  is  pointed  out,  held  in  great  veneration,  and  called 
the  "  Altar  of  the  Apostle."  f  On  the  top,  a  plain  Latin  cross  has 
been  fixed.  \  Saint  Patrick's  "  stones,"  as  well  as  those  of  other 
saints,  in  addition  to  those  of  Finn  Mac  Cumhail  and  other  giants, 
are  to  be  found  all  over  Ireland. 

Another  class  of  stone  monument,  according  to  Signor  Manuel 
de  Assas,  is  represented  by  the  Piedra  con  Pila — the  stone  with  a 
trough  or  basin.  It  is  a  rough  and  perfectly  natural  block  of 
granite  about  6  feet  high,  having  on  its  upper  surface  a  cavity  from 
which  a  fissure  or  channel  proceeds  to  the  outer  edge  of  the  stone. 
It  is  said  to  be  an  ancient  altar.  A  cross  standing  by  its  side  marks 
the  usual  attempt  to  transfer  the  veneration  paid  it.  Stones  with 
similar  hollows  and  trenches  were  frequently  selected  as  the  roofing- 
stones  of  dolmens  ;  for  example,  at  Haroldstown  (co.  Carlow, 
Ireland),  in  the  Vallee  de  Couria  (Corsica),§  etc.,  etc.  With  such 
natural  cavities  on  the  surface  of  rocks,  about  which  traditions  of 
sacrifice  existed,  we  may  fairly  compare  the  very  curious  and 
evidently  artificial  cavities  and  trenches  on  the  surfaces  of  natural 

t  "  Le  Ilustration  Gallega  y  Asturiana,"  for  June  20th,  1879. 

X  See  "  Recueidos  de  un  viaje  a  Santiago  de  Galicia  per  el.  P.  Fidel  Fita,  y  D.  Aureliano 
Fernandez-Guerra,"  Madrid,  1880,  p.  28.  See  the  same  work  for  the  legend  of  "  Sant-Iago,"  and 
the  "  Dragon  "  given  in  a  note,  infra. 

§  "  Notes  d'un  Voyage  en  Corse,"  by  M.  Prosper  Merimce  ;  plate  facing  p.  26. 


Spain  and  Portugal.  655 


rocks,  used  as  altars  of  sacrifice  in  Roman  times  at  Pannoyas,  on 
the  hill  called  the  Assento,  near  S.  Pedro  de  Valdenogueiras,  in 
the  district  of  Val  Real,f  in  Portugal,  where  it  would  appear  that 
sacrifices  were  offered  by  Romans  on  the  great  natural  rocks, 
which  the  native  Lusitanians  had  previously  consecrated  to  their 
bloody  rites.  A  better  proof  than  is  afforded  by  these  inscribed 
altar-rocks,  that  in  many  cases  the  venerated  natural  blocks  were 
indeed  and  in  reality  the  pagan  altars,  which  a  vague  tradition 
holds  them  to  have  been,  could  not  be  found. 

Signor  Villa  Amil  y  Castro  gives  an  illustration  of  a  huge 
boulder  with  "  rock-basins  "  and  a  trench,  in  Galicia,  called  the 
Peiia  Avaladoira.  Signor  Manuel  de  Morguia  mentions  also,  in 
his  "History  of  Galicia,"  a  "natural  altar  "at  Corme,  which  has 
a  cross  carved  on  the  top,  and  an  irregular  rock-basin  with 
channels  leading  into  it.  On  one  side  it  bears  the  figure  of  a 
dragon  \  well  sculptured.  At  Logrosa  (Negreira)  are  two  stones, 
the  one  placed  on  the  top  of  the  other.  On  the  lower  stone  are 
three  circular  holes  of  unequal  depth.  The  same  writer  gives  an 
illustration  of  a  rough  rock  called  the  Pena  da  Croa  at  Recadieira, 
which  he  calls  a  natural  altar. 

There  are,  at  least,  seven  celebrated  "  rocking-stones "  in 
Galicia,  two  of  which  are  in  the  islands  of  Cies  and  Bayona.  Of 
these,  that  at  Mugia  is  the  more  noteworthy.  It  is  the  one  to 
which  Signor  Joaquim  Costa  alluded  above.  "  It  is  commonly 
called,"  says  Signor  M.  de  Morguia,  "the  Rock  of  the  Virgin  de  la 
Barca ;  "  but  Signor  M.  de  Assas  gives  it  a  more  special  name — the 
Vela  de  la  Barca  de  la  Virgcn — that  is,  the  "  Sail  of  the  Virgin's 
Ship."  Signor  Martinez  de  Padin  speaks  of  the  "immense 
religious  homage  paid  by  the  common  people  to  this  stone,  the 
oscillations  of  which  they  attributed  to  the  miracles  and  marvels  of 
the  neighbouring  sanctuary  and  hermitage  of  Our  Lady  of  the 
Barca."  It  is  situated  on  a  rocky  promontory  at  gun-shot  distance 
from  the  Mugia  Point.     It  measures   103  feet  in  circumference, 

t  "  Memorias  para  Hist.  Eccl.  de  Arcebispado  de  Braga,"  by  D.  Jeronymo  Contador  el 
Argote,  torn,  i.,  \\V>.  ii.,  tit.  i.,  c.  vii.,  p.  325.  See  also  an  account  written  in  1721  by  And. 
Gonsalvez,  padre  of  Valdenogueiras,  sent  to  the  "  Academia  Real"  by  order  of  H.M.  the  King  of 
Portugal ;  also  Hiibner,  C.I.L.,  vol.  ii.  (Hisp.)  2395,  and  "Lusitanian  Sketches,"  vol.  ii.,  p.  349,  et 
seqq.,  by  W.  H.  G.  Kingston.     See  engraving,  p.  663,  infi-a. 

X  I  think  we  can  identify  this  dragon.  In  the  legend  of  "  Sant-Iago,"  an  immense  dragon  had 
acquired  for  himself  the  greater  part  of  the  7nons  vocatiis  Illicimis,  ntaic  vero  Sacer,  breathing  out 
pestilential  breath,  and  killing  all  animal  life.  He  rushed  hissing  at  the  saint  and  his  companions. 
The  saint  made  the  sign  of  the  cross,  however,  and  the  dragon  vanished  as  smoke.  The  Mons 
Illicinus  and  its  legend  answers  exactly  to  that  of  Croagh  Patrick,  in  Mayo.  Patrick  is  Saint-lago 
and  Crom  is  the  serpent  or  dragon. 


654  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 

and  rests  on  another  rock  similar  to  itself.  At  its  base  are 
several  cavities,  the  force  of  the  wind  in  which  causes  the 
oscillatory  movement  to  be  more  or  less  marked.  So  strong  was 
the  local  belief  in  the  Christian  origin  of  the  supposed  miracle,  that 
the  Spanish  writer  (himself  a  native  of  Galicia)  is  constrained  to 
apologize  in  a  note  for  venturing  to  attribute  to  it  a  pagan  one. 
"  We  doubt  not,"  he  says,  "  that  some  will  take  it  amiss  that  we 
have  cited  the  Stone  of  Mugia  as  a  Gentile  monument,  the  common 
people  believing  it  to  be  the  Bark  which  broiigJit  the  image  of  the 
Virgin  to  these  shores.  The  position  of  this  rock  is  very  similar  to 
that  of  the  Logan  Rock  on  Treryn  Point,  near  the  Land's  End 
in  Cornwall.  As  to  the  legend,  we  have  only  to  turn  to  the 
accounts  of  St.  Declan's  Stone  f  on  the  seashore  at  Ardmore 
(co.  Cork),  which  was  believed  to  have  been  wafted  thither  over 
the  sea  from  Rome,  bearing  the  bell  and  the  vestments  of  the 
saint,  and  the  marvellous  veneration  in  which  it  was  held  by  the 
common  people  ;  or  to  the  story  of  the  rock  called  St.  Bodan's 
Boat, J  in  Inishowen,  in  Donegal ;  or  to  that  of  the  "  moor-stone 
trough,"  on  the  banks  of  the  Fal,  in  Cornwall,  in  which  St.  Kea 
made  a  voyage  to  the  Cornish  shore ;  or  to  that  of  St.  Piran's  mill- 
stone ;  or  of  St.  Patrick's  altar,  §  which  similarly  conveyed  those 
several  sacred  personages  to  the  same  coast,  to  comprehend  that  an 
identical  myth,  to  which  all  these  legends  remotely  trace,  was  the 
common  property  of  the  prehistoric  populations  of  the  coasts  of 
Western  Europe. 

In  Galicia,  according  to  Signor  Siveto,  are  many  menhirs. 
There  is  one  in  the  district  of  Lobios,  in  the  Serra  de  Gerez, 
measuring  6  m.  hieh.  In  that  of  Eso^os  Sii^nor  Simoes  mentions 
a  remarkable  one,  1 1  m.  high,  but  formed  of  four  stones  placed  one 
over  the  other,  and  resembling  in  this  respect  a  monument  in 
Portugal.  Signor  M.  de  Murguia  speaks  of  menhirs  near  La 
Puebla,  placed  in  alignments,  and  near  a  dolmen-mound.  A 
genuine  menhir  is  in  this  country  called  Piedra  Fita,  that  is,  Petra 
Fixa,  but  some  of  the  stones  which  are  so  called  may  be  accounted 
for  by  having  been  set  up  for  boundaries.  || 

Of  the  dolmens  in  Galicia,  the  two  of  the  large-cist  type,  of 
which  we  have  spoken  when  referring  to  the  term  area,  and  of 

t  See  "The  Holy  W^ells  of  Ireland,"  by  Philip  Dixon  Hardy,  1836. 
X  ••  Innis-Owen  and  Tirconnel,"  by  W.  J.  Doherty,  p.  55. 

§  See  all  these  folk-lore  stories  collected  in  my  "Age  of  the  Saints,"  2nd  edit.,  1S93,  p.  87, 
£t  seqq. 

II  "  Pctrcc  fixoe,  qucc  ab  antique  pro  terminis  fuerunt  constitutoe." 


Spain  and  Portugal. 


655 


which  Signer  Jose  Villa-Amil  y  Castro  has  given  plans,  are  called 
respectively  the  Area  de  Sinas,  and  the  Ajxa  de  Padorno.  That 
writer  also  mentions  several  others,  as,  for  example,  the  Area  dc 
la  Piosa,  and  one  In  the  Valle  de  Oro.  We  may  suppose  that  the 
Area  qucc  dichir  dc  Sobereira  and  the  Area  de  Montonto  are  of  the 
same  class. 

On  the  hill  of  Recadleira,  near  Mondonedo,  there  is  the  Pefia 
de  Croa,  a  dolmen  figured  by  Signor  M.  Murgula,f  consisting  of 
one  large  covering-stone,  resting  diagonally  on  a  supporter, 
precisely  In  the  position  of  the  Rathkenny  dolmen  (co.  Meath). 
On  the  back  of  the  covering-stone  Is  the  remnant  of  the  mound 
which  doubtless  once  enclosed  it. 

In  the  case  of  some  Galician  dolmens  only  two  stones  support 
the    roofing-slab,    so  that,  were   the  other   side  and   end  stones 


Fig.  5S5. — Near  Mondonedo,  Galicia.     From  Murguia. 

removed,  they  would  form  trilithons.  Signor  SImoes  thinks  that 
dolmens  constructed  in  this  manner  resemble  certain  dolmens  in 
the  province  of  Constantine  in  Argelia  (Africa)  in  which  objects 
of  bronze  and  iron  have  been  found.  Signor  M.  de  Murguia 
speaks  of  a  dolmen-mound  at  La  Puebla,  and  also  others  called 
Pledra  de  Aviso,  Area  de  Ogas,  Area  de  la  Vimlanzo,  the  names 
of  which  are  worth  preserving.  There  was  also  one  at  Erbellido. 
Probably,  if  sought  for,  dolmens  would  be  found  along  the  entire 
northern  coast  of  Galicia.  At  Fecha  in  the  Castro  Grande  is  a 
rock  called  the  Pledra  del  Paraguas,  or  Umbrella  Stone.  It  Is 
surrounded  by  a  ditch  and  counter  ditch  on  an  ancient  fortified 
height,  within  the  circumvallation  of  which  are  numerous  partition 


t  "  Hist,  de  Galicia,"  vol.  li.  plate  at  end. 


6q6 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


walls.  The  rock  is  in  the  form  of  a  mushroom,  flat  and  smooth 
on  its  under  face,  but  rough  on  the  top.  It  rests  on  a  small  stone, 
which,  again,  rests  on  the  natural  rock.  It  seems  to  be  comparable 
to  such  natural  formations  as  the  Cheese-Wring,  in  Cornwall 
(which  is  also  surrounded  by  an  entrenchment),  the  "Cloch  Morhit," 
in  the  county  of  Sligo,  and  the  Carrig-a-Choppeen,  in  that  of  Cork. 
All  these  were  venerated  sites. f 

Between  Fecha  and  Bachado,  near  Santiago,  is  a  monument 
consisting  of  two  stones  set  upright,  with  a  third  crossing  them, 
like  a  table.  The  side-stones  measure  2*90  m.  high  by  6*35  m. 
broad.  The  flagstone  crossing  them  measures  3'30  m.  (N.  to  S.) 
by  3  m.  (E.  to  W.).  It  is  probably  the  remains  of  a  dolmen. 
The  popular  name  it  bears  is  Pena  Cabalada.\  A  legendary 
connection  between  horses  and  horsemen,  and  venerated  rocks 
is  common  in  Ireland. § 

A  stone-circle  in  Galicia,  at  Monte  das  Fachas,  consisting  of  five 
stones,  is  mentioned  by  Signor  Villa  Amil  y  Castro.  It  resembles 
several  in  the  county  of  Cork.  The  hill  of  Faxildre,  between  Noya 
and  Santiago,  is  described  by  Signor  Murguia  as  being  covered  with 


"^•^ 


^^fefc. 


Fig.  586. — Circle  of  Monte  das  Fachas. 

Stones  arranged  in  lines  or  in  segments  of  circles,  "  like  a  miniature 
Carnac  scattered  over  with  tiny  menhirs,"  or,  perhaps,  still  more 
like  the  alignments  and  circles  of  Achill  or  Dartmoor.  On 
the  mountain  of  Corzan,  in  the  district  of  Jallas  de  Porqueira, 
when  the  furze  is  burnt,  it  is  seen  that  the  surface  is 
covered  with  circles  or  portions  of  circles,  some  larger  than 
others,  several  of  considerable  size,  some  entire,  others  broken 
down  in  places,  but  all  alike  formed  by  small  contiguous  stones, 
fixed  in  the  ground  so  as  to  form  rude  enclosures,  the  circuits  of 

t  A  sketch  of  the  first  of  these  was  taken  by  Gabriel  Beranger,  who  calls  it  "  The  Riding  Stone." 
One  of  the  second  is  among  the  MSS.  of  J.  Windele,  in  the  K.I. A. 
X  In  the  Estrada  is  a  dolmen  called  Pena  Caballcirada. 
§  e.g.f  Reen-a-goppul,  Garran-ban,  the  Horseman's  Stone,  etc.,  etc. 


Spain  and  Portugal. 


657 


which  are  here  and  there  interspersed  by  stones  set  on  end,  larger 
than  the  others,  although  only  about  18  inches  high.  Near  them 
is  a  viainoa,  described  as  one  of  the  largest  and  most  curious 
known.  Hundreds  of  similar  circles — the  huts  and  pens  of  a 
primitive  pastoral  population — exist  on  Cornish,  Welsh,  and  Irish 
moors. 

Among  the  ancient  names  for  boundaries  in  Galicia  is  that  of 
Petrcc  Nofce,  used  to  denote  graves  hewn  out  of  a  single  solid 
stone.  Such  sepulchres  were  in  use  amongst  the  ancient  inhabi- 
tants of  the  Serra  da  Estrella  in  Portuo-al.  Sisfnor  Sarmento  ogives 
two  examples  from  that  country,  and  one  from  Galicia  is  figured 
by  Signor  Jose  Villa-Amil,  who  calls  it  a  Piedra  Noffa.  Noffus, 
or  Nauftis,  according  to  Ducange,  was  a  term  usually  applied  to  a 
wooden  sarcophagus.  In  any  case  it  took  its  name  from  its 
resemblance  to  a  ship.f  It  was  the  hollow  keel  in  which  the 
voyage  to  the  islands  of  the  dead  in  the  West  was  to  be  made. 
In  the  Balearic  Isles,  as  we  shall  presently  see,  this  term  navita,  or 
7iaUy  was  applied  both  to  sepulchral  caves  hollowed  out  in  the  form 


Fig.  587. — Portuguese  dolmen.     After  Cariailhac. 


of  vessels,  and  for  buildings  erected  for  tombs,  having  their 
interiors  shaped  like  ships,  and  their  exteriors,  in  conformity  with 
the  same  idea,  presenting  the  appearance  of  inverted  keels.  The 
stone  troughs  in  which  legend  asserted  that  the  saints  made  their 
voyages  were  in  reality  nofce,  or  stone  coffins. 

The  prehistoric  antiquities  of  Portugal  have  received  a  closer 


t  "  Naufo  ;  nostiis  (i.e.  Francis),  Nan,  None  (dicta),"  Fr.  Pithou,  Gloss.  Leg.  Sal.  in  voc. 


658 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


attention  than  those  of  Spain.  In  the  beginning  of  the  eigh- 
teenth century,  when  the  subject  had  scarcely  been  entered  upon 
seriously  by  the  antiquaries  of  France  and  England,  the  Padre 
Affonso-da-Madre-de-Deos  Guerreiro  presented  to  the  Academy 
at  Lisbon  a  brief  report,  noticed  by  the  President  in  the  year 
1734,  on  the  subject  of  the  Antas,  the  number  of  which  then 
existing  in  the  kingdom  the  author  computed  at  no  fewer  than 
three  hundred  and  fifteen.  Unfortunately,  this  valuable  communi- 
cation was  never  published,  and  appears  to  have  been  lost.  In  i  773, 
however,  Don  ]\Iartino  Mendouca-de-Pina  presented  to  the  same 
learned  society  a  paper  upon  the  same  subject,  which  was  printed 
in  the  14th  volume  of  its  "  Memoires."  In  this  it  was  stated  that 
in  the  neicrhbourhood  of  Evora  alone  there  were  then  no  less  than 
sixty-seven  examples  of  dolmens.  In  1868  appeared  a  work  on 
the  Antas  by  Don  F.  A.  Pereira-da-Costa,  which  is  the  principal 
authority  on  the  subject  written  by  a  native  author.      In  this  forty- 


FlG.  588. — Lapa  dos  Mouros,  Portugal.     After  Cartailhac. 

four  stone  monuments,  nearly  all  of  them  dolmens,  are  described, 
and  nearly  one  half  of  them  illustrated  by  plans  and  drawings. 
Other  elevations  of  dolmens  will  be  found  in  Signor  Sarmento's 
communication  to  the  Geographical  Society  of  Lisbon,  giving  the 
results  of  an  expedition  to  the  Serra  da  Estrella.  Pictures  and 
descriptions  of  Antas  will  be  found  also  in  the  work  of  Signor 
Manuel  Simoes,  to  which  reference  has  been  frequently  made. 
More    recently    (in    18S6)    M.    Cartailhac    has    summed    up    the 


Spain  and  Portugal. 


659 


researches  of  earlier  writers,  and  added  new  material  collected  by 
himself  in  his  "  Ages  prehistoriques  de  I'Espagne,"  a  work  in 
which  the  illustrations  of  dolmens  are  of  peculiar  excellence. 

From  all  these  sources  it  may  be  gathered  that  in  type  the 
Antas  do  not  differ  greatly  from  each  other.  The  roofing-stone  is 
usually  supported  on  the  upper  edges  of  two,  three,  or  more  side- 
stones  of  the  vault,  set  on  edge,  and,  as  we  have  said,  slightly 
inclining  inwards  as  they  rise.  Many  of  these  structures  owe 
their  preservation  to  the  use  they  have  so  easily  been  made  to 
serve  as  houses  for  cattle  and  goats,  the  interstices  between  the 
stones  having  been  filled  in  with  masonry  or  plaster.      In  some 


Fig.  5S9. — The  Anta  de  Serranheira,  Alemtejo.     After  Cartailliac. 

instances,  such  as  in  that  of  the  Anta  de  Melri^o,  the  side-stones 
which  did  not  support  the  roof  have  been  removed,  leaving  the 
monument  in  the  condition  of  the  "  Broadstone,"  in  Antrim,  like  a 
three-legged  milking-stool. 

As  in  the  case  of  the  Irish  dolmens,  so  in  that  of  the  Portuguese, 
I  fail  to  be  able  to  draw  any  line  of  distinction  between  those 
monuments  which,  in  their  present  state,  appear  to  be  simply 
vaults  open  on  one  side,  without  any  prolongation  in  that  direction, 
and  those  in  which  the  passage-way  or  galeria  is  still  in  existence. 
To  make  my  meaning  clear,  I  take  in  evidence  three  examples 
from  M.  Cartailhac's  work,f  the  Antas,  namely,  of  Paredes,  near 
Evora,  that  called  Lapa  dos  Moui'os,  near  Ancora  in  the  Minho,  and 
one  in  Alemtejo.  In  each  of  these  cases,  although  broken  down, 
distinct    traces    of   the    continuation    remain.      Beine  lower  and 


t  {a)  Frontispiece;  {b)  fig.  206;  {c)  p.  173. 


66o 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


narrower  than  the  portion  which  formed  the  vault,  these  galerias 
have  been  more  easily  demolished,  and,  where  the  process  of  this 
demolition  has  proceeded  a  stage  further,  nothing  is  left  but  the 
vault  or  cell  itself,  shorn  of  the  approach  which  once  abutted  on 
and  filled  up  its  open  end,  for,  in  these  Antas  one  side  is  invariably 
open. 

The  dolmen  of  Paredes  bears  a  striking  and  unmistakable  resem- 
blance to  three  Irish  dolmens,  that  on  Bear  Island,f  in  the  county 
of  Cork,  and  the  two  terminal  ones  in  the  row  of  six  at  MacKee's 
farm  in  Glenmalin,  in  the  county  of  Donegal.^  With  that  near 
Ancora  (p.  658,  Fig.  588),  I  would  specially  compare  in  point  of 


Fig.  590. — Anta  of  Paredes,  near   Evora.     Etched  J roin  a  photograph  in  Cartailhac  s 
"  Ages preliist.  de  I'Espngne." 

ground-plan  that  at  Brenanstown,  in  the  county  of  Dublin, 
although  the  roofing-stone  is  of  insignificant  size  compared  to 
that  of  the  Irish  example.  The  Alemtejo  monument  finds  its 
counterpart  in  any  dolmen  in  Cork,  Clare,  or  Sligo,  from 
which  all  the  cap-stones,  save  the  largest  terminal  one,  have  been 
removed.  The  smaller  of  two  dolmens  at  Paco  da  Vinha,  near 
Evora,§  is  marvellously  like  that  at  Shanganagh  (co.  Dublin), |[ 
while  the  larger  one  at  the  same  place  ^  resembles  those  in  the 
county  of  Clare,  where  broader  side-slabs  are  employed.  In  the 
case   of  those    Portuguese  monuments  where  the  side-stones  of 


t  At  Ardaragh,  pp.  40-43,  supra. 
II  P-  393'  sitpfc. 


X  pp.  244-248,  supra.  §  Id.,  fig.  201. 

t  Id.,  fig.  253. 


Spain  and  Portugal. 


66 1 


the  lower  end,  that  is  to  say  the  galeria,  still  remain,  the  same 
resemblance  to  Irish  structures  is  noticeable,  but  with  this 
difference,  that,  instead  of  the  vault  gradually  expanding  so  as 
to  show  a  wedge-shaped  ground-plan,  as  in  the  Drenthe  and 
some  Swedish  examples,  the  passage  terminates  in  a  more  or  less 
circular  or  oval  cell,  corresponding  more  closely  with  the  Vester- 
gotlande  type  at  Ottagarden,  given  by  M.  Oscar  Montelius,f  and 
very  closely,  indeed,  to  the  "  passage-dolmen "  of  Yr  Ogof,  in 
Wales.J 

Another  point  in  common  between  the  dolmens  of  Portugal 


Fig.  591. — Small  Anta  of  Paco  de  Vinha,  front  view.     From  Cartailhac. 

and  those  of  Ireland,  Sweden,  Cornwall,  and  elsewhere,  is  to  be 
found  in  the  little  artificial  cup-markings  which  (quite  distinguish- 
able from  the  natural  holes  resulting  from  rain  or  from  the  borings 
of  a  marine  creature)  the  table-stones  of  some  of  them  bear  on 
their  upper  surface.  M.  Cartailhac  figures  two  covering-stones 
thus  marked,  those,  namely,  of  the  Antas  of  Pa90  da  Vinha  and 
of  Paredes,  with  which  may  be  compared  those  of  the  dolmens  of 
Fasmarup,  in  Scania,§  of  Clynnog  Fawr,  in  Carnarvonshire,  || 
of  that  called  the  Three  Brothers  of  Grugith  (a  demi-dolmen),  in 


t  "Congres  int.  d'Anth.  et  d'Arch.,"  Stockholm,  1874,  vol.  i.  p.  164. 

X  "  Archoeol.  Cambr.,"  1869,  p.  140.     See  p.  450,  supra,  and  for  ground-plan  of  the  Pafo  de 
Vinha  dolmen,  see  p.  449,  supra. 
,  §  "  Congres  Int.,"  Stockholm,  1874,  vol.  i.  p.  157  (Fig.  448,  supra). 
II  "Archaic  Sculpturings,"  Sir  J.  Y.  Simpson,  plate  ix.  (Fig.  449,  supra). 


662 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


the  Meneage  district  in  Cornwall.t  and  of  several  in  the  county  of 
Cork,  and  elsewhere  in  Ireland.  The  covering-stone  of  a  cist 
at  Bakerhill  in  Ross-shire  J  bears  similar  cup-markings,  some 
evidently  artificial. 

A    circular   dolmen  from   which   the    roofing-stone   has   been 
removed,  on  Mont  d'Algeda,  situated  at  a  distance  of  1200  m.  to 


h 


fMii^iu^^^S^ss^^ 


Fig.  592. — The  Anta  de  Pa50  de  Vinha,  near  Evora.     J^rom  Cartailhac. 

the  S.W.  of  the  Pyramide  de  Barros,  and  a  plan  of  which  is  given 
by  Signor  Pereira  da  Costa, §  deserves  special  mention  from  the 
fact  that  in  the  surface  of  a  large  stone  to  the  right  of  the  entrance 
a   bowl-shaped    cavity   has   been    sunk.      The   circular   chamber 


Fig.  593.— Dolmen  of  Mont  d'Algeda.     From  Pereira  da  Costa.     A,  basin  in  stone. 

measures  3*97  m.  in  diameter,  and  is  formed  by  eight  stones,  with 
a  ninth  lying  outside,  and  two  jamb-stones  at  the  entrance, 
apparently  the  commencement  of  a  passage  like  that  at  Cangas  de 


t  See  Figs.  446,  447,  supra. 

§  •' Antas,"  plate  ii.,  7rt  and  "jb. 


X  Fig.  438,  supra. 


Spain  and  Portugal. 


663 


Onis.  The  stone  containing  the  basin  measures  2  m.  broad  at 
the  base,  and  3*66  long.  It  is  in  the  inner  face  of  the  stone,  and 
is  o*i8  m.  in  diameter. 

Stones  having  similar  artificial  basins  are  common  in  Ireland, 
where  the  basin  is  called  the  bnlldn.  In  some  districts  the  water 
in  them  is  considered  holy,  and  in  some  cases  possessed  of  cura- 
tive properties.  They  are  often  found  in  proximity  to  Christian 
edifices  of  early  date,  but  they  are  not  unknown  in  connection  with 
circles  and  dolmens.  Two  such  cavities  exist  In  the  upper  face 
of  a  stone  In  the  circle  at  Kippagh,  in  the  county  of  Cork  ;  another 


Fig,  594. — Sacrificial  rock,  with  basins,  at  Pannoyas.     F7-0))i  an  old  steel  eiigraving. 

in  one  of  the  eight  stones  forming  a  circle  in  the  county  of 
Fermanagh,  at  Castle  Archdale  ;  f  and  at  the  entrance  to  the 
dolmen  at  Newgrove,  near  Tulla,  in  the  county  of  Clare.J  is  a  fine 
example. 

In  the  natural  rock  which  forms  one  of  the  two  supports  of  the 
table-stone  of  the  demi-dolmen  called  the  "  Three  Brothers  of 
Gruglth,"  in  Cornwall,§  a  basin  of  this  kind  has  been  scooped  out. 
It  is  placed  just  at  the  entrance  of  the  creep  or  passage  under  the 
roof-stone,  and  my  opinion  is  that  it  was  In  some  way  connected 
with  the  superstitious  practice  of  creeping  under  rocks  set  up  in 
this  manner,  perhaps  intended  to  contain  water  for  purification, 
or  sacrificial  blood. 

In  the  sacrificial  altar-stones  at  Pannoyas,   to  which   I   have 
referred,  circular  basins  have  been  cut,||  which  may  be  taken  as 


t  MSS.   of  J.  Windele,  R.I.  Acad.,  Dublin  ;  Kilk.   Archseol.  Soc.  Journ.,    1874-75,  vol.  iii. 
p.  467. 

X  Fig.  103,  supra.  §  pp.  482,  483,  supra. 

11  "  Argote,  Lisbon,"  1732,  book  iv.  cap.  vii.  sec.  576,  p.  347. 


664 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


evidence  that  in   Portugal,  at  all  events,  they  were   used   in   the 
ceremonies  there  performed  (Fig.  590). 

In  some  few  of  the  antas — the  Anta  da  Tapada,  for  example, 
a  high  stone  stood  at  either  end,  the  plot  between  being  marked 
out  by  side-stones.  In  such  cases  there  were  probably  no  roofing- 
stones,  but  the  monument  resembled  the  ship-graves  of  Denmark. 
Examples  of  circular  dolmen-vaults  are  furnished  by  Signor 
Pereira  da  Costa  in  the  cases  of  the  Anta  de  Murteia-de-Baixo,  in 
Alemtejo,  and  of  that  of  Campo  das  Antas  in  Beira.     The  Anta 


Fig.  595. — Dolmen  at  Fontc  Coberta  on  the  Douro.     rhotographed  by  Lieut  -Col. 

J.  G.  Sandeman. 

of  Monte  Branco  affords  an  instance  of  the  circular  form  with  the 
entrance-stones  of  the  galeria  in  place. 

In  1886  I  accompanied  Lieut.-Col.  J.  G.  Sandeman  in  an  excur- 
sion up  the  river  Douro,  in  search  of  what  proved  to  be  a  remarkably 
fine  anta,  much  further  inland  than  it  is  usual  to  find  them.  It 
lies  about  twelve  miles  from  Pinhao,  in  the  hilly  country  of  Alijo, 
in  the  Province  of  Trasos-Montes.  From  the  hieh  eround  close 
above  the  plateau  on  which  it  stands,  the  ancient  fortification, 
called  the  Castello,  or  Castro,  de  S.  Romao,  can  be  seen  far  to  the 
southward,  and  beyond  it,  again,  the  mountains  of  the  Estrella. 
Closer  at  hand  are  the  rugged  peaks  called  the  Fragas,  while 
to  the  north  lies  the  Serra  de  Morao. 


Spain  and  Portugal. 


665 


The  enclosed  land  in  which  the  dolmen  stands  is  called  the 
Fonte  Coberta.  Although  none  of  the  stones  are  hewn,  the 
dolmen  presents  a  neat  and  square  appearance,  like  a  house  built 
with  cards.  It  is  known  by  the  name  of  the  Casa  dos  Moiros 
("  The  Moors'  House "),  but  another  ancient  name  is,  perhaps, 
preserved  in  the  name  of  the  field  (Fonte  Coberta),  the  associa- 
tion of  springs  of  water  with  dolmens,  stone-circles,  and  primitive 
burying-places  being  found  in  many  other  districts.  In  Portugal 
there  are  two  other  examples  of  its  occurrence  in  the  case  of 
dolmens  called  respectively  Fonte-de-Mouratau  and  Anta  do 
Fontdo,  and  in  the  Pyrenees  we  have  noticed  one  called  La  Fonte 
de  RotLre. 

In  Ireland  some  sepulchral  tumuli  are  popularly  believed  to 
contain  wells.  A  dolmen-like  structure  covering  a  well  in  which 
a  Magics  was  buried  is  mentioned  in  the  "  Life  of  St.  Patrick,"' 


~^^^f^^Jni^>     -^V>4.>"^  'V^^. 


.f^**""ff 


JjM^Sil 


Fig.  596. — Anta  de  Candiera,  Portugal.     Fro/n  Cartailhac. 

and  one  such  is  known  to  exist  at  Ballycroum  in  the  county  Clare, 
while  at  the  dolmen  of  JMaul-na-holtora,  in  Kerry,  a  spring  is  said 
to  have  existed  within  the  vault,  so  that  the  customary  rites  proper 
to  a  holy  well  were  paid  to  it.  To  this  superstition  I  shall  again 
refer. 

The  dolmen  of  which  I  am  speaking,  near  Alijo,  is  formed  of 
eight  stones,  seven  of  which  make  the  enclosing  wall  of  the  vault, 
which,   from    floor   to   roof,   measures   8   feet  high    within.     The 

VOL.  II.  2    A 


666  The  DoL^rENs  of   Ireland. 

covering-stone  is  12  feet  in  diameter,  but  was  at  one  time  larger, 
a  piece  having  been  broken  off  from  its  eastern  end.  It  is  about 
2  feet  thick.  The  structure  stands  in  a  low  mound  or  cairn,  the 
present  diameter  of  which  is  about  50  feet.  On  the  outer  face 
of  one  of  the  southern  side-stones  a  small  plain  cross  X  has  been 
carefully  incised,  most  likely  to  Christianize  it  according  to  the 
injunctions  of  the  ecclesiastics,!  or  to  mark  it  as  a  boundary 
of  lands.  On  the  upper  surface  of  the  covering-stone  there  are 
several  distinctly  marked  artificial  cups.  On  the  N.E.  side  three 
are  traceable,  measuring  respectively  2]:,  2^,  and  3  inches  in 
diameter  at  the  orifice,  and  \,  |,  and  i  inch  deep.  Two  are 
placed  5  inches  apart,  and  the  third  is  2  feet  9  ins.  from  them. 

The  first  writer  who  noticed  the  existence  of  a  holed  dolmen 
in  Portugal  was  Signor  Gabriel  Pereira,  and  since  then  it  has 
been  described  both  by  Don  Pereira  da  Costa  and  M.  Cartailhac.J 
It  is  at  Candieira,  near  Rodondo.  The  hole  is  squarish,  like  that 
in  the  roofing-stone  of  the  dolmen  of  Trethevy  in  Cornwall,  a 
monument  which  closely  resembles  Portuguese  examples.  The 
aji^a,  in  the  end  or  inner  stone  of  which  it  is  placed  rather  high  up, 
was  provided  at  the  other  end,  now  open,  with  a  passage,  and 
from  the  sketch  of  the  structure  it  appears  to  me  that  the  side- 
stones  of  the  inner  end,  protruding  beyond  the  vault,  formed  just 
such  an  open  antechamber,  or  portico,  as  occurs  in  so  many  Irish 
dolmens. § 

Siirnor  Gabriel  Pereira  has  also  recorded  the  fact  that  near 
Vidigueiras  was  a  group  of  three  dolmens  with  a  monolith  occupy- 
ing a  central  position  among  them.  On  the  estate  of  Vidigueiras 
itself  was  another  dolmen  having  a  galeria. 

On  the  beautiful  and  far-famed  Serra  de  Cintra,  near  Lisbon, 
is  a  well-known  monument,  now  commonly  called  the  Dolmen 
of  Andrenunes  (Andre  Nunes).     Signor  Simoes  found   difficulty 

t  Vide  supra,  p.  650.  On  one  of  the  side-stones  of  llie  galcria  of  the  Anta  de  Freixo  a  cross 
is  also  cut. 

X  "Ages  Prchist.,"  figs.  248,  249. 

§  Besides  the  names  of  aulas  which  I  have  specially  mentioned,  I  find  the  following :  Anta  de 
I'ombaes,  Antas  de  Milhar-do-Cabe90,  Anta  do  Porto  des  Pinheiros,  Anta  da  Torre-da-Contada 
<rAlcogulo,  Anta  de  Corleiros,  Anta  da  Casa-dos-Galhardos,  Anta  da  Tajjada  de  Pedro  Alvaro, 
Anta  da  Tapada  dos  Olheiros,  Anta  da  Varzea-dos- Monroes,  Anta  do  Fundo  de  Nave-do-Grou  (at 
Sobral),  Anta  do  Crato,  Anta  de  Panasqueira,  Anta  d'Arrayolos  (a  fine  specimen,  of  wliich  an 
illustration  is  given  by  Mr.  Kinsey  in  his  "Portugal  Illustrated"),  Anta  de  Barrocal,  Anta  de 
Monte-do-Onteiro,  Anta  de  Tisnada,  Anta  de  Mont  d'Ksguerra,  Anta  de  Guilhalfonso,  Anta  de 
Matan^a,  Anta  de  Carapichana,  Anta  de  Consinera,  Anta  de  Serranheira,  Anta  de  Monte  Abrahao, 
Anta  de  Lairinha,  Anta  de  Valle  dc  Moura,  Anta  do  Aljan,  Anta  do  Carvalhal  de  Gouveias  (these 
last  two,  togetlier  with  Anta  do  Fontau,  figured  by  Signor  Sarmento,  in  his  account  of  the  Expe- 
dition to  the  Serra  da  Estrella),  and,  lastly,  ihe  ^a/er/a  of  Portimao. 


Spain  and  Portugal.  667 


in  classifying  it.  A  picture  of  it  will  be  found  in  the  "  Archivo 
Pittoresco."  Signor  Fuschini,  the  departmental  engineer  of 
Lisbon,  considered  it  as  a  galeria.  He  describes  it  as  having 
parallel  lateral  walls,  formed  of  great  flagstones  placed  vertically, 
and  covered  with  horizontal  ones. 

Popular  superstition  in  Portugal  attributes  everything  pre- 
historic and  unexplained  to  the  Moors,  just  as  the  Irish  do  to 
the  Danes.  A  "  Rocking  Stone "  in  the  Minho  has  a  legend 
attached  to  it  connecting  it  with  Moorish  enchantresses.  Two 
great  footprints  sunk  in  the  surface  of  one  of  the  rock  altars 
at  Pannoyas  are  said  to  have  been  made  respectively  by  a  male 
and  female  Moor,  supposed  to  have  been  magicians. 

A  monument  attributed  to  a  Jorgin,  or  Witch,  in  the  Pyrenees 
would  be  attributed  to  a  Moor,  and  especially  to  a  Moorish 
woman  in  the  west  and  south  of  the  Peninsula,  the  idea,  however, 
of  enchantment  being  preserved.  This  name,  in  the  form  of  Moro^ 
does  occur,  as  we  have  seen,  on  the  French  side  of  the  mountains, 
as  in  the  case  of  a  dolmen  in  the  department  of  the  "  Pyrenees 
Orientales,"  called  the  Balma  (flagstone)  del  Moj^o.  This  gives 
rise  to  the  doubt  whether  popular  etymology  has  not  gone  astray, 
and  interpreted,  naturally  enough,  some  name  sounding  like  Moro, 
or  Mora,  by  Moors. 

I  am  the  more  inclined  to  think  that  this  may  be  so  by  finding 
that  in  Corsica,  where  there  are  also  dolmens,  there  is  a  curious 
female  figure  carved  in  stone,  a  monolith,  in  fact,  which  among  the 
natives  is  called  Idolo  del  Mori.\  Like  the  rude  statues  of 
females  which  are  scattered  over  an  area  of  600,000  square  miles 
of  the  Steppe  country  from  the  Crimea  north-eastward  beyond 
the  Caspian,  and  which  are  set  up  on  the  sepulchral  tumuli  of  the 
ancient  inhabitants,  and  called  Babas,  meaning  "old  women,"  or 
"mothers,"  these  Moris  or  Moras  may  have  been  the  old  death- 
deities  who  were  believed  to  haunt  the  tombs  of  the  Iberes,  or 
Ligures  (for  the  latter  inhabited  Corsica),  ages  before  a  Moor  ever 
entered  the  country.  The  mythology  of  the  ancient  Teutonic 
peoples, — and  that  of  the  Irish  people,  too,  if  a  recent  definition 
of  the  name  of  the  Morrigan,  who  was  the  weird  goddess  of 
carnage,  be  right — offer  us  tempting  comparisons  of  this  name 
with  that  of  the  Mai^,  or  evil  female  genius,  whom  folk-lore 
connects  with  the  dark  hours  of  night  and  with  death. 

t  "Notes  d'un  Voyage  en  Corse,"  by  M.  Prosper  Merimee. 


668 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


Near  the  Rockinof  Stone  on  the  Minho  were,  accordinQ:  to  M. 
Schiappe.f  two galcrfas  formed  of  vertical  stones  which  the  natives 
called  Furnas.  They  stood  on  a  hilltop  covered  with  oak  near  the 
mountain  of  Polvoreira,  on  the  road  from  Guimaraes  to  Vizella. 
In  the  district  of  Braga  were  two  alignments  or  avenues  (alas)  of 
stones,  with  a  menhir  between  them,  on  the  road  from  Cepaes  to 
Tafe.  In  Castello  de  Paiva  was  another  curious  monument 
described  as  consisting  of  six  pillars,  each  one  composed  of  three 
stones  set  one  above  the  other  vertically.  There  were  originally 
seven,  but  one  had  fallen.  We  have  mentioned  a  monument, 
similarly  described,  at  Esgos,  in  Galicia.  I  know  not  whether  we 
may  regard  them  as  artificial,  although  they  remind  us  of  the 
stones  which  devotees  turned  on  the  Promontory  of  St.  Vincent, 
which,  according  to  Strabo,  were  placed  in  threes  and  fours,  one 
set  above  the  other.J  and  upon  which  pilgrims  offered  libations. 

Near  Villa- Velha-de-Rodao,    M.    Schiappe    also    noticed    the 


Fig.  597. — La  Sepultura  de  Marcella,  Algarve.    From  a  sketch  hy  Sigiwr  E.  Da  Veiga,  in  Cartailhac. 

remains  of  a  trilithon  (dolmen  ?),  and  heard  of  like  monuments  at 
Fantel  and  Monte  Fidalw. 

One  of  the  most  typical  and   interesting  of  the   Portuguese 
series  is  that  called  the  Sepultura  de  Marcella  in  Algarve,  a  plan 


^"S^T^^ 


:  .C2SS2:  iv/.S  23:^1) 


'"^^iCsjj^Ej-. 


"i^SESBCl'. 


Fig.  59S. — rian  of  La  Sepultura  de  Marcella,  Algarve. 

and  elevation  of  which  M.  Cartailhac  has  reproduced. §     A  circle 
is  formed  by  thirteen  contiguous  slabs  set  on  edge,  a  space  being 

t  Quoted  by  Signer  Pereira  da  Costa. 

X  In  the  Latin  translation,  "Ternos  vel  quaternos  lapidcs  impositos,"  "  Geogr.,"edit.  C.  Miillerr 
Paris,  1853,  p.  114,  1.  12. 

§  "  Ages  prehist.,"  fig.  218  ;  the  originals  are  by  Signor  E.  da  Veiga. 


Spain  and  Portugal. 


669 


left  open  for  the  entrance  which  is  between  two  slabs.  The  floor 
of  the  circle  is  paved,  and  a  portion  of  the  area  is  divided  off  into 
two  (or  three)  compartments  or  cists.  From  the  outer  ends  of 
the  slabs  forming  the  entrance  a  long  wedge-shaped  galeria  is 
extended.  This  is  divided  into  two  sections  by  the  jambs  of  a 
doorway  which  protrude  transversely  into  the  passage,  while  the 
stone  that  probably  formed  the  lintel  lies  in  the  passage.  A 
similarly  formed  doorway  opened  into  the  circular  chamber,  the 


!l;.„  i!'!ii!  ,iii(!i  .iliiluyiLlliiiiiJiiuiUii: 


l,ini.ull(i,,iii,,[iTrnTnTffiT7TiriTifi77T^  ^  m^ 

'  ^'H^TnTTTtT'TrMTrriTrrTnTTnTr'i^^ 


Fig.  599. — Plan  of  the  chamber  of  Monte  Abrahao,  Portugal.     From  "Mai.  pour 
riiist.  dc  r Homme. " 

whole  arrangement  recallinQ^  that  of  the  chambered  cairns  of 
Scotland,  and  that  at  Annacloghmullin  in  Armagh  (p.  303,  supra) 
At  Monte  Abrahao  was  a  dolmen  formed  of  two  rows  of  slabs 
sloping  inwards  exactly  in 
the  fashion  of  that  figured 
by  Mr.  Kinahan,  near 
Louisburgh,  in  the  County 
of  Mayo  (p.  124,  supra.) 
The  inner  vault  is  of  ir- 
regular form,  and  was 
perhaps  provided  with 
supplementary  cells.  A 
number  of  deposits  (esti- 
mated at  eighty)  of  human 
bones  were  found  in  this 
dolmen.     Nine  are  shown 

in  the  ground-plan, f  from  the  representations  of  which  it  appears 
that,  as  in  one  of  the  modes  of  burial  in  the  Marne  caves,  the 


Fig.  600. — Plan  of  a  megalithic  tomb  in  a  tumulus,  Serro 
(le  Castello,  Algarve.     From  Cartailhac. 


t  "Mat.  pour  rHistoire  de  I'Homme,"  l88l,  p.  462.     The  elevation  given  of  this  monument, 
which  I  have  not  added,  is  strikingly  like  that  at  Louisburgh,  for  which  latter  see  p.  124. 


670  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 

skull  surmounted  in  each  case  the  other  portions  of  the  skeleton, 
but  whether  this  was  so  here  I  am  not  certain.  In  addition  to 
the  human  bones,  numerous  objects  of  stone  and  bone  were 
discovered  in  this  dolmen.  The  diameter  of  the  vault  was  3  m., 
and  the  passage  or  elongated  narrow  portion  8  m.  long  by  2  m. 
broad. 

In  the  Province  of  Algarve  and  Serro  de  Castello,  not  far 
from  Almada,  is  a  dolmen  of  a  type  well  known  in  Germany,  the 
South  of  France,  and  Ireland.  The  ground-plan  is  that  of  a  long 
isosceles  triangle  having  its  base  at  the  \V.  end,  and  its  apex  at 
the  E.  The  inner  vault  is  formed  of  two  side-slabs  and  the 
end  one,  and  the  remaining  portion,  which  answers  to  the  passage 
in  other  dolmens,  of  three  smaller  slabs  on  either  side,  culminating 
almost  in  a  point.  The  interior  measures  2*50  m.  long  by  i  m. 
broad  and  high.  In  one  corner  was  a  vessel  of  rough,  ill-baked 
potter}',  of  a  globular  form  narrowing  at  the  mouth. 

In  Alemtejo,  S.  of  Cape  de  Sines,  are  a  number  of  these 
wedge-shaped  tombs.     They  are,  says  M.  Cartailhac,  in  the  form 

of  stone  boxes  made  in  this  fashion,      |  \  and  measuring 

2  m.  in  length.  One  end  is  always  broader  than  the  other.  The 
human  bones  found  in  them  are  in  a  condition  which  shows  they 
have  been  broken  up  (brises),  with  the  exception  of  the  jawsf  and 
teeth.  Small  portions  of  charcoal  are  found  with  them.  This 
eminent  French  archaeologist  J  attributes  them,  in  common  with 
many  of  the  dolmens  of  the  Cevennes,  to  a  transition  period 
between  those  of  Stone  and  Bronze.  It  is  noteworthy  that  copper 
objects  are  found  not  uncommonly  in  the  dolmens  and  caves  of 
the  Peninsula,  as  they  are  also  in  those  of  the  Cevennes.  The 
Museum  of  the  Royal  Irish  Academy  in  Dublin  contains  also  a 
large  number  of  copper  celts  found  in  Ireland.  It  will  be 
observed  that  in  form  the  wedge-shaped  vaults  of  Alemtejo 
are,  as  it  were,  representations  (on  a  less  scale)  of  the  dolmens 
of  Clare. 

The  discoveries  in  the  a7i^as  of  Portugal  are  referable  mainly 
to  the  Neolithic  Period,  but  for  the  most  part  to  that  portion  of  it 
when  copper  implements  and  weapons  begin  to  appear.  Some  of 
the  flint  arrow-heads,  such  as  those  from  the  dolmens  of  Portimao 
in  the  South  of  Portugal,  explored  by  Signor  Estacio  de  Veiga, 

t  See  p.  471,  sup7-a.  %  "Ages  prehist.  de  I'Espagne,"  p.  212. 


Spain  and  Portugal. 


671 


and  of  Freixo,  display  a  beauty  of  workmanship  not  surpassed  by 
those  of  Denmark,  as  figured  in  Madsen's  work,  and  to  which 
they  have  been  compared.  Other  types  closely  resemble  those  of 
the  Cevennes,  and  are  comparable  to  Irish  examples.f  The 
dolmen  at  Mont  Abrahao  contained  stone  axes  of  trap  and  diorite, 
knives,  scrapers,  large  and  beautiful  lance-heads,  and  arrow-heads 
of  flint,  bone  objects  sharpened  to  a  point,  bone  buttons  {precisely 
similar  to  ones  previously  referred  to  found  in  Cornwall  with 
cinerary  urns,  vitrified  beads,  etc.,  and  to  others  found  in 
Ireland  and  elsewhere),  J  rouleaux  of  chalk,  plaques  of  slate, 
beads  of  a  green-stone  [ealla'i's),^  and  various  other  pendants,  some 
bowl-shaped  vessels  entire,  and  a  quantity  of  broken  pottery. 
The  human  remains  were  covered  with  pebbles  brought  from 
a  distance. 

In  the  Anta  d'Estria,  which,  like  that  of  Abrahao,  lay  E.  and 
W.,  and  was  open  at  the  E.  end,  Signor  Ribeiro  found,  besides 
flint  implements  and  urns,  an  object  of  slate  of  peculiar  form 
covered  with  diagonal  scorings  arranged  in  lines,  like  the  orna- 
mentation on  sepulchral  pottery,  and  having  a  hole  pierced  in  one 
end  which  was  rounded  ;  || 
an  adze-shaped  implement 
of  white  marble,  and  a 
plaque  of  chalk  perforated 
and  shaped  like  a  wrist- 
"•uard  which  M.  Cartailhac 
compares  with  objects  found 
in  Skye  and  Ross-shire. 

In  the  Anta  de  Bellas 
were  found  a  cylindrical  p 
fragment  of  bone  with  carv- 
ings, part  of  a  bone  cup,  and 
some  plaques  of  slate  scored 
over  with  a  chevron  pattern 
Pavia. 

Portugal,  like  France,  possesses  sepulchral  caverns  both 
natural  and  artificial,  to  which  I  will  very  briefly  refer.  Of 
the  former  class  those  at  Cesareda,  called  the   Casa  da  Mozcra, 

t  For   examples,    see    "Wilde's   Catalogue   of    the    R.I. A.    Museum,    Stone    Mat.,"  p.    20; 
Cartailhac,  "Ages  Prehist.,"  p.  215,  and  fig.  85  ;  and  see  figs.  634,  636,  and  637,  infra. 
X  See  p.  164,  supra. 

§  Landais  gives  this  as  "  pierre  gemme  fragile  ;   turquoise  verte." 
II  p.  677,  infra  ;  fig.  617. 


Fig.  601. — Plan  and  section  of  a  cave  at  Palmella 
in  Portugal. 

Similar  ones  occurred  in  that  of 


672 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


and  the  Lapa-Furada,  are  specially  noteworthy.  Among  the 
human  remains  in  the  first  of  these  evidences  of  the  practice  of 
trepanning  were  found,  to  which  allusion  has  been  made.j  The 
objects  discovered  were  many  of  them  identical  with  those  found 
in  the  antas.  The  lance  heads  of  flint  were  of  exceedingly 
fine  workmanship.  Plaques  of  slate,  scored  over  Avith  chevron 
patterns  like  those  on  gold  lunulae  and  other  ornaments,  and 
on  sepulchral  pottery  and  of  forms  similar  to  those  taken  from 
antas,  were  found  here  also,  a  fact  which  connects  the  periods  at 
which  the  respective  interments  were  made. 

Of  the  caves  artificially  hollowed  out  of  the  rock  the  ones  that 
have  afforded  the  most  interesting  results  to  the  explorer  are  those 
at  Palmella  (Fig.  601).  They  are,  as  nearly  as  can  be,  identical 
in  plan  with  those  found  in  Sicily  and  the  He  Pianosa.  The 
vault  or  chamber  is  circular,  and  it  possesses  an  anti-gi'otte  like 
those  of  the  Marne.      In  one  case,  this  vestibule  is  itself  reached 

by  a  passage  which  narrows  before 
expanding  into  it,  just  as  the  vestibule 
itself  narrows  at  the  entrance  of  the  cir- 
cular chamber,  the  ground-plan  therefore 
Fig.  602.— Section  of  a  little  urn  Corresponding  with  that  of  the  Sepultura 
rom   ame    .  ^^    Marcclla,    and    the    dolmens  which 

retain  their  passage  in  general.  Sometimes  the  anti-grotte  has  a 
bell-shaped  mouth,  and  its  floor  is  on  a  slope  descending  to  the 
level  of  the  floor  of  the  inner  vault. 

Of  the  boat-shaped  caves  of  Minorca  I  shall  speak  later  on. 


Fig.  603. — Little  urn  for  suspension,  from 
Leland,  in  Mus.  K.I. A. 


Fig.  604. — Little  urn  for  suspension,  from 
a  sepulchral  cave  at  Palmella,  Portugal. 
From  CarUiii/iac. 


Among  the  sepulchral  pottery  found  in  the  caves  of  Palmella, 
some  specimens  of  which,  both  in  symmetry  and  decoration,  equal, 
if  they  do  not  surpass,  any  in  Europe,  was  a  little  vessel  pierced  with 


t  p.  469,  supra. 


Spain  and  Portugal. 


673 


holes  for  suspension  which  is  absolutely  identical  with  examples 
found  in  Ireland,  several  of  which  are  in  the  collections  of  the 
Royal  Irish  Academy,  and  the  Royal  Dublin  Society  in  Dublin. 
This  being  so,  it  is  remarkable  that  the  correspondence  between 
the  objects  found  in  these  caves  and  in  Ireland  ceases.  M.  Car- 
tailhac,  who  had  noticed  what  he  regarded  as  an  affinity  between 
the  archaeological  remains  of  the  Neolithic  Period  in  Portugal, 
the  Morbihan,  and  Ireland  respectively,  remarks  on  the  fact  that 
in  the  latter  country  not  one  single  bead  has  been  found,  formed  of 
a  peculiar  green-stone  (callais),  which  material  served  for  hundreds 
of  beads  found  in  the  dolmens  of  Vannes,  Ossun,  Aries,  and 
Lisbon  (Palmella).  The  fact  that  these  little  articles  of  commerce 
are  not  found  even  in  the  islands  off  the  coast  of  France  points, 
perhaps,  to  trade  having  been  carried  on  only  overland. 

That  during  the  best  portion   of  the   Bronze   Age.f   Ireland 
and  the  west  coasts  of  Britain  were  in  communication  with  the 


Fio.  605. — Bronze  celt  from 
West  Buckland,  Devon. 


Fig.  606. — Bronze  celt  from 
Penvores,  Cornwall. 


Fig.  607. — Bronze  celt  from 
Ireland.  From  Wilde's  Cata- 
logue. 

west  coast  of  the  Peninsula  there  is  good  reason  for  knowing, 
since  types  of  bronze  implements  not  found  elsewhere  are  common 
to  these  countries. 

As  examples,  to  render  my  meaning  clear,  I  take  the  two- 
looped  paalstabs  of  Portugal — those,  for  instance,  found  at  Gran- 
dolo  (Alemtejo),  and  at  Crasto  de  Medeiro  (Montalegre)  (Figs.  608, 
609),  measuring  respectively  9I  and  8  inches  long,l  and  compare 


t  See  pp.  523,  524,  supra. 

X  Those  found  at  Ferreira  d'Aves,  in  the  Beira  Atta,  are  sliU  larger.^    Tw 
are  figured  by  J.  P.  da  Silva  in  the  Lisbon  volume  of  the  "  Congres  Int.  d'Anth 


Two,   out  of  the  find, 
ct  d'Arch." 


674 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


them  with  those  from  West  Buckland  in  Devon,   from  Penvores 


1 


iiii! 


m 


Fig.  608. — Bronze  celt  fiom  Montalegre, 
Portugal.     Frovi  Cartailliac. 


Fig.  609. — Bronze  celt  from  Alemtejo. 
Cartailliac. 


near  Helston,  Cornwall,  and   from  Ireland  (Fio^s.   605,  606,  607), 


Fig,  610. — Bronze  celt  (i) 
from  S.E.  Spain.  From 
Siret. 


Fig.  611.— Bronze  celt  (2)  from     Fig.   612.— Bronze  celt  (3) 
S.E.  Spain.     From  Sirct.  from    S.E.  Spain.     From 

Siret, 


measuring  respectively  t\  61,  and  7!;]  inches  long,  and,  excepting 


Spain  and  Portugal. 


675 


that  the  latter  ones  are  slightly  smaller,  it  will  be  seen  that  the 
specimens  are  identical.f  In  the  Peninsula  and  the  South  of 
France,  the  type  extends  Itself  with  variations  and  developments 
into  Andalucia  on  the  one  hand,  and  Tarbes  in  the  Hautes 
Pyrenees,  and  Langoiran  in  Gironde  on  the  other. 

Another  type  which  finds  its  representatives  both  in  Spain 
and  in  Ireland,  is  that  of  the  paalslab,  figured  by  Sir  John 
EvansJ  from  Ireland,  and  by  M.  Cartailhac,§  from  Granada. 

The  MM.  Siret  discovered  in  the  tombs  of  El  Algar,  in  South- 


FlG.  613. — Bronze  celt  found  in  Yorkshire.     In 
the  Brit.  Mus.     From  Evans's  '''■Bronze  A s;e." 


"**Hii|^(|E|i^ 


Fig.  614. — Bronze  celt  from 
Connor,  Co.  Antrim. 


East  Spain,  many  examples  of  the  plain  flat  celt  expanding  towards 
the  cutting  edge,  which  is  curved  back  at  the  extremities.  This 
would  be  assignable,  according  to  Montelius,  to  the  first  period  of 
the  Bronze  Age  in  the  North.  For  the  sake  of  illustration,  we 
take  three  examples  from  the  work  of  the  explorers  just  men- 
tioned (Figs.  610-612),  and  compare  them  with  one  from  Connor, 


t  Another  Cornish  example  and  another  Irish  one  have  been  recorded. 

X  "Bronze  Implements,"  fig.  108.  §  "Ages  prehist.,"  fig.  329. 


676 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


in  Antrim  (Fig.  614),  and  with  an  English  example  from  York- 
shire (Fig.  613).  This  original  type  of  bronze  celt  received  great 
developments  both  in  shape  and  decoration,  the  sides  being  raised 
and  the  stop-ridge  inserted  so  as   to  form  the  paalslab,  while  the 


Fig.  615. — Bronze  celt  from  the  Museum  of  the  Ecole  de  Soreze,  Dep.  of  Tarn,  supposed  by 
M.  Cartailhac  to  be  of  Irish  origin. 

crescent-shaped  blade  retained  its  form.  M.  Cartailhac  has  figured 
a  very  elaborate  one  from  the  museum  of  the  Ecole  de  Soreze,  in 
the  department  of  Tarn,  in  the  Pyrenees,f  which  he  considers  of 
Irish  origin  (Fig.  615).  An  intermediate  example  is  in  the  Royal 
Irish  Academy's  collection,  and  is  figured  in  Wilde's  Catalogue, 


Fig.  616. — Bronze  celt  in  the  RJ.A,  Museum. 

the  ornamentation  on  which  has  been  very  justly  compared 
by  Mr.  Coffey  with  some  of  the  carvings  on  the  stones  of  New 
Grange.J  I  insert  a  photograph  of  another  example,  the  orna- 
mentation on  which  is  singularly  like  that  in  the  Ecole  de  Soreze 
(Fig.  616).    It  is  also   in  the  Royal  Irish   Academy's    museum. 


t  It  measures  SJ,  inches  long. 

X  For  other  English,  Scotch,  and  Irish  examples  see  Evans,  "Bronze  Implements,"  figs.  9,  13, 
14,  21,  24,  pp.  65  and  66,  ligs.  35,  37,  44,  46,  51. 


Spain  and  Portugal. 


677 


Fig.  617. — Ornamented  plaque  from  the 
Anta  d'Estria.     After  Cartailhac. 


Fig.  618. — Mould  for  bronze  celt  from  Ballymena. 
From  Evans. 


Fig.  619.  —  Bronze 
celt  from  the  Serra 
de  Estrella,  Sar- 
mento. 


Fig.  620. — Bronze  celt  from 
Oldbury  Hill,  Hertford- 
shire. From  Evans's 
'■'■  Bronze  Implements^''' 


Fig.  621.— Bronze  celt,  Danish. 
From  Engelhardt,  JMusee  des 
Ant.  dti  Nord  a  Copenhaguc, 
p.  14. 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


M.  Cartailhac  says :  "  L 'ornementation  de  ces  objets  est  compos^e 
de  chevrons  ou  dents  de  loup,  de  bandes  minces  brisees  en  zigzag, 


Fig.  622. — Uin  from  a  stone  cist  in  the  Alps. 
From  Cartailliac. 


Fig.  623. — Bronze  plaque  from  Swit- 
zerland. From  Knise's  ^^  DeiUscIu 
Altcrthiimer." 


Fit;.  624. — Lunula  111  the  Aiuscuni  1\,LA. 

et  appartiendrait  plutot  a  1  age  du  bronze  qu'a  lage  de  la  pierre." 


Spain  and  Portugal. 


679 


Fig,  625. — Gold  armlet,  West  Cornwall.     In  Brit.  Museum. 


uim:i-tm 


Fig.  626. — Detail  of  armlet  from  Cornwall. 


TIT 


Fig.  627. — Details  of  lunula  from  West  Cornwall. 


Tr'^:^^^ 


Fig.  628. — Details  of  gold  arm- 
let found  in  Cornwall. 


Fig.  629. — Gold  ring  from  I'enella,  Estremadura. 
From  Cai-tailltac, 


6So 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


Decoration  of  precisely  similar  character  occurs  on  the  plaques 
found  in  the  Casa  da  JNIoura  and  the  Anta  d'Estria  (Fig.  617), 
on  the  gold  lunula,-  of  the  British  Isles — Cornwall  and  Ireland 
especially  (Figs.   624,   627) — on   bronze    plaques    in   Switzerland 


t 


m 


Fig.  630. — Irish  halbeit-blades  in  the  Museum  R.LA. 

(Fig.  623),  on  gold  ornaments  of  more  elaborate  workmanship 
found  alike  in  Spain  f  (Fig.  629),  Brittany,  Cornwall  J  (Figs.  625, 
626,  628),  and  Ireland  ;  on  rude  sepulchral  pottery  from  the  Alps 
(Fig.  622) ;  on  a  celt  from  Denmark  (Fig.  621),  etc.,  etc. 

The    common     types   of    paalslab    and    flat  celt,    the   latter 


Fig.  631.  —  Ilalbert-bladc  from  Sheve  Kielta,  Co.  Wexford,  in  the  Brit.  Museum. 

belonging  to  the  first,  the  former  to  second  periods  of  Montelius, 
are  represented  both  in  Spain  and  Ireland.  A  single-looped 
paalslab  from  Azevo  (Fig.  619),  in  the  Serra  da  Estrella,  is  as 
nearly  similar  as  can  be  to  one  from  Oldbury  Hill  (Fig.  620),  in 
Herefordshire,  figured  by  Evans  (p.   90).  Again,  there  is  in   the 

t  Cartailhac,  "Ages  prehist.,"  fig.  421. 

X  Gold  armlets  in  the  British  Museum,  found  in  the  Land's  End  district.  There  were  also 
among  this  find  some  plain  ijold  specimens,  which  resemble  those  found  in  the  Serra  da  Estrella, 
and  figured  by  Signor  Sarmento. 


Spain  and  Portugal. 


68i 


British  Museum  a  mould  for  a  flat  celt  from  Spain  which  is 
identical  with  one  from  Ballymenaf  (Fig.  6i8,  supra),  and  either 
of  which  would  have  produced  an  example  of  the  same  shape 
as  that  from  Kilcrea  Castle  in  the  County  of  Cork, J  or  of  a  copper 
one  from   Portugal,   slightly  curved,   figured   by  M.    Cartailhac.§ 


Fig.  632. — Halbert-blade  from  S.E.  Spain.     From  Siret. 

A  pure  copper  one    of  this  shape,  6    inches  long,  found   in  the 
county  of  Waterford,  is  figured  by  Wilde. 

Bronze  celts  of  the  looped  socketed  type  are  found  both  in 
Portugal  and  Ireland,  but  with  this  difference,  that  in  the  examples 
from  the  former  country  they  are  provided  with  two  loops, 
whereas  in  the  latter  and  in  Britain  they  are  only  provided  with 
one.  That  the  two-looped  type  was  not  only  known  in  these 
islands,  but  actually  manufactured  there,  is  proved,  however,  by 
the  discovery  of  a  stone  mould  for  them  near  Salisbury. |[     Another 


v^_ 


.(CKN, 


.^>f^r 


Fig.  633. — Riveted  dagger-blade  from  S.E.  Spain.     From  Siret. 

has  been  found  in  Ireland.  The  two-looped  type  is  also  found  in 
the  Haute  Garonne,  in  Alsace,  in  Sweden,  and  much  further  east. 
A  specimen  from  Kertch  is  wonderfully  like  a  Portuguese  example. 
One  of  peculiarly  large  size,  measuring  9?,  inches  long,  found  in 
Estremadura,^  is,  with  the  exception  of  its  second  loop,  more  like 
the  British,  and  some  few  of  the  Irish  examples.  One  found  at 
Alfriston,  in  Sussex,  and  another  found  near  Belfast,  resemble  it 
in  form,  though  they  fall  far  short  of  it  in  size.  The  squarish 
socket-hole  which  these  three  specimens  possess  is,  however,  less 

t  See  Evans,  "  Bronze  Age,"  Fig.  515.  J  Wilde's  "Catalogue,"  p.  364. 

§  "  Ages  prehist.,"  Fig.  323.  |1  Evans,  "  Bronze  Age,"  p.  143. 

^  "Congrcs  Int.  d'Anth,  ct  d'Arch.,"  1869  (Copenhagen),  p.  352. 


VOL.  II. 


2    B 


682 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


common  in  Ireland,  the  general  shape  being  oval  or  roundish,  in 
which  respect  they  agree  more  closely  with  an  example  from 
North  Brabant,  figured  by  Prosper  Cuypers.f  The  type  with  the 
square  socket  is  very  common  in  North-Western  France.  A 
hoard  of  them  was  found  at  Moussaye,  in  the  Cotes  du  Nord, 
which  fact  induces  Sir  John  Evans  to  regard  the  type  as  Gaulish. 
A  specimen  found  in  Sardinia  is  figured  by  De  la  Marmora. 

Another  type  of  bronze  weapon  which  is  common  to  the 
Peninsula  and  to  Ireland  is  what  is  termed  the  "  halbert-blade." 
Of  Irish  examples  I  annex  four  illustrations  (Figs.  630,  631). 
The  MM.  Siret  discovered  specimens  of  this  type  during  their 
explorations  in  South-Eastern  Spain  (Fig.  632).  Sir  John  Evans 
had  also  seen  one  found  near  Ciudad  Real.     He  describes  it  as 


\'-;' 


Fig,  634.  —  Flint  arrow-heads 
from  Ireland.  From  Wildc^s 
Catalogue. 


Fig.  635. — Irish  halbert-blade  in  the  Museum  of 
the  R.I.A. 


"about  84  inches  long,  and  more  y-shaped  at  the  base  than  any 
British  specimen,  the  blade  suddenly  expanding  from  2  inches  in 
width  to  5  inches.  In  this  expanded  part  are  the  usual  rivets, 
each  about  6  inches  in  length."  He  does  not  figure  this  Spanish 
halbert-blade,  but  from  the  description  it  would  seem  to  resemble 
perfectly  one  which  he  does  figure  from  the  county  of  Cavan,  and 
also  one  in  the  Museum  of  the  Royal  Irish  Academy,  an  illustra- 
tion of  which  I  annex  (Fig.  635). 


t  '•  Nijhoff-Bijdragen,"  vol.  i.  pi.  iii.  p.  75. 


Spain  and  Portugal. 


683 


The  best  examples  of  these  weapons  are  said  to  occur  in 
Ireland  and  Scotland,  but  they  are  also  found  in  Scandinavia  and 
North  Germany.  The  author  of  the  "Bronze  Implements  of 
Great  Britain  "  makes  the  following  interesting  remark  with  regard 
to  their  presence  in  Spain  : — "  The  discovery,"  he  says,  "  of  a 
weapon  of  this  type  in  Spain  seems  to  lend  support  to  those  who 
maintain  that  there  was  some  connection  between  the  Iberians 
and  the  early  inhabitants  of  Ireland.  The  curious  similarity,"  he 
adds,  "  of  some  of  the  Portuguese  forms  of  flint  arrow-heads  and 
javelin-heads  to  those  of  Ireland  is  also  worthy  of  notice."  A 
similar  likeness  exists  between  these  and  those  of  the  dolmens  of 


Fig.    636.  —  Flint   arrow-head 
from  the  Casa  de  Moura. 


Fig.  637. — Flint  arrow-heads  from  the  dolmens 
in  the  Cevennes. 


the  Cevennes  (Figs.  634,  636,  637).  The  jagged  pattern  is,  how- 
ever, rare  in  Ireland,  but  common  in  Scandinavia.  Of  the  simple 
dagger-blades  with  rivets,  and  of  the  elongated  type  of  halbert- 
head,  the  MM.  Siret  found  examples  in  South-East  Spain  which,, 
though  of  plainer  type,  are  comparable  to  Irish  and  West-British 
examples  (Fig.  633). 

One  distinguishing  characteristic  of  the  bronze  celts  of  the 
Peninsula  is  their  great  size,  a  feature  occasionally  reproduced 
in  Irish  examples,  as  in  the  case  of  a  flat  celt  of  a  type  already 
referred  to,  which  is  in  the  British  Museum,  and  measured  when 
perfect  7J  inches  across  the  blade. 

With  respect  to  an  elongated  type  of  leaf-shaped  spear-head, 
it  appears  that  while  in  Ireland  and  Denmark  it  occurs  in  bronze, 
in  the  Peninsula  it  is  reproduced  in  ironf  (Figs.  638-640).  Types 
of  bronze  daggers  found  in  France  and  Ireland  especially  are 
also  repeated  in  the  Peninsula,  and  were  also  in  some  instances  { 

t  See  "Bronze  Impl.,"  fig.  384;   Madsen,  "Atlas  d' Arched.,"  1857,  plates  i,  2,  fig.  17;  and 
"Ages  prehist.  de  I'Espagne,"  figs.  361,  362. 
X  "  Ages  prehist.,"  fig.  357. 


684 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


found  in  iron.  Of  the  distribution  of  bronze  swords  in  Europe 
this  is  not  the  place  to  speak  at  length.  It  will  be  sufficient  to 
say  that  in  respect  both  of  hilts  and  blades,  examples  are  found 


Fig.  638, — Bronze  lance-heads. 
From  Madsen^s  Atlas  d^Archi- 
ologie  de  jVordy  Copenhagen, 
1837. 


i\   1 


Fig.  639. — Bronze  Fig.  640. — Iron  spear- 
spear-head,  N.  of  head,  in  form  like  the 
Ireland.  From  bronze  ones,  from 
Evanses  "  Bronze  Almedinilla.  From 
Ace."  Cartailhac. 


in  Portugal  and  Spain  corresponding  as  closely  as  do  the  Irish 
ones  to  those  found  in  France,  Denmark,  Germany,  and  Britain. 

With  the  exception  of  an  occasional  dagger-blade  of  the  plain 
riveted  type,  it  has  been  rarely  in  Britain  or  Ireland  that  a 
bronze  weapon  or  implement  has  been  found  in  association  with 
the  dead  ;  and  where  this  has  been   the  case,  it  has   been  with 


Spain  and  Portugal. 


685 


cinerary  urns  in  cisted  tumuli,  and  not  in  dolmens  that  they 
have  been  found.  Still  in  some  districts  most  certainly  the 
practice  of  dolmen  building  survived  in  and  through  the  Bronze 
Age,  so  that  the  absence  of  these   objects    must  be  attributed 


Fig.  641. — Irish  urn  in  the  British  Museum. 


to  the  fact  that  it  was  not  customary  to  throw  into  the  vault,  and 
thus  lose  for  ever,  articles  of  such  practical  use  and  value. 

The   pottery   from  the  caves  and  dolmens  of  the  Peninsula, 


"'^^' 


Fig.  642. — Spanish  urn  in  the  British  Museum,  from  a  drawing  by  Mrs.  Furnivall. 

so  far  as  I  am  acquainted  with  it,  does  not  bear  so  close  a 
resemblance  to  that  found  in  Ireland  as  might  have  been 
expected.  The  decoration  on  that  from  the  Palmella  caves 
affords  points  for  comparison  ;  but  the  form  of  the  vessels,  not 
bulging,  but  depressed  in  the  centre,  resembles  more  closely 
specimens  from  the  Hautes  Pyrenees,  Sicily,  Aries,  and  Brittany, 


6S6  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 

and  through  them  seems  to  be  related  to  the  type  so  common  in 
England,  but  so  very  rare  in  Ireland,  known  as  the  "  Drinking 
Cup."  One  little  Spanish  urn  in  the  British  Museum  forms, 
perhaps,  an  exception  to  this  rule,  although  a  difference  in 
workmanship  may  be  detected  (Fig.  642).  In  the  case  of  Irish 
pottery,  the  finest  examples  are  also  the  earliest,  such  as  that 
found  in  a  cist  near  the  dolmen  of  Loughry  in  Tyrone  f  (Fig.  199), 
and  the  covered  urns  found  in  the  chambers  in  Cairn  Thierna  and 
at  Danesfort  (Figs.  9  and  545).  The  pottery  in  cists  with  unburnt 
bodies  is  of  better  quality  than  that  in  those  where  cremation  had 
been  employed,  in  which  latter  it  is  often  extremely  coarse.  The 
majority  of  the  examples  are,  as  can  be  shown  by  the  patterns  upon 
them,  contemporaneous  with  the  decorated  bronze  paalslabsX 

Enouo-h  will  have  been  said  to  show  that  Ireland  and  the 
Peninsula  were  brought  into  relation  in  the  Bronze  Age,  as  they 
had  been  in  the  Neolithic ;  the  evidence  of  the  former  fact  resting 
on  the  similarity  of  implements  and  weapons,  and  that  of  the 
latter  on  the  similarity  of  detail  in  the  construction  of  the 
dolmens.  How  far  such  intercourse  was  in  either  case  direct, 
or  how  far  it  may  have  been  opened  up,  in  the  case  of  the  bronze 
implements  especially,  through  the  media  of  the  populations  of 
other  districts,  or  of  independent  traffic,  are  questions  which  must 
remain  unsolved. 

Between  the  dolmens  of  Andalucia  and  those  of  Portugal  and 
the  north-west  of  the  Peninsula,  Signor  Simoes  remarks  a 
distinction.  The  Andalucian  structures  are,  he  says,  formed  of 
stones  not  so  rough  nor  so  irregular  as  those  in  the  Portuguese 
examples.  Indeed,  some  of  them  seem  to  have  been  formed  in 
part  of  cut  stones  (see  Fig.  644,  p.  688,  infra),  if  we  may  judge 
from  a  drawing  of  one  in  the  Canada  del  Herradero  given  by 
Signor  Manuel  de  Gongora  y  Martinez,  but  which  (in  common 
with  his  other  examples)  is  represented  in  a  very  rude  style. 
The  Portuguese  ones,  again,  have,  generally  speaking,  circular  or 
oval  chambers  unpaved,  while  those  of  Andalucia  are  quadrangular 
and  paved  throughout  with  large  stones.  In  common  with  the 
dolmens  of  Portugal,  however,  those  of  Andalucia  have  covered 
passages,  ot  galerias,  as  an  essential  part  of  the  structure. 

t  I  have  been  recently  informed  that  this  urn  was  not  found  in  the  dolmen  itself  as  before  stated. 

X  Of  this  fact  I  have  given  some  few  indications  in  this  worl<,  but  I  hope  more  fully  to  demon- 
strate its  truth  on  a  future  occasion  in  another  work  on  the  Bronze  Age  in  Leland,  for  which 
ample  materials  exist  which  cannot  be  included  here. 


Spain  and  Portugal. 


687 


The  principal  authority  for  the  megalithic  remains  of  this 
Province  is  the  writer  I  have  just  quoted. f  They  were  attri- 
buted, he  tells  us,  by  the  common  people  to  the  agency  of  giants 
and  to  enchantment.  At  Dilar,  near  Granada,  there  was  formerly 
a  dolmen  of  large  proportions  (Fig.  643).  It  was  enclosed  in 
a  tumulus  measuring  23  m.  in  diameter,  surrounded  by  a  circle 
of  stones  set  up  on  end,  each  stone  measuring  about  80  cm.  high. 
The  vault  itself  was  9  m.  long.  From  a  drawing  made  of  the 
structure,  when  the  mound  had  been  only  partially  removed  from 


Fig.  643. — Dolmen  at  Di'lar.     /'rom  an  engraving  tn  '''Antigiiedades  Prehistoricas  dc  Andaliicta,'" 

by  Sr.  Gbiigora  y  Martinez. 

it,  it  appears  that  either  at  the  entrance  or  at  some  point  further 
inside  the  passage,  was  a  kind  of  door-case,  formed  of  two  stones 
set  upright  on  their  edges  side  by  side,  from  each  of  which  a 
portion  having  been  cut  away,  an  aperture  was  formed  circular  at 
the  top,  and  expanding  at  the  bottom,  something  in  the  manner  of 
a  rude  Moorish  archway,  and  similar  in  construction  to  the 
apertures  we  have  noticed  in  the  dolmen-chambers  of  Rodmarton, 
Kerlescant,  Des  Alanduits,  Saker  Planina  in  Bulgaria,  and  else- 
where. 


t  Author  of  "  Antigiiedades  Prehistoricas  de  Andalucia." 


688 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


At  a  distance  of  50  m.  to  the  S.E.  was  another  similar 
tumulus  measuring  15*60  m.  in  diameter;  and  again,  60  m.  beyond 
this,  was  a  third,  both  surrounded  by  stone-circles  like  the  first. 

Near  Illora,  on  the  road  to  Alcala  la  Real,  is  a  group  of 
megalithic  remains  occupying  an  area  of  more  than  three 
kilometres.       In   the   Canada  del    Hoyon  is   the  dolmen  of  that 


Fig.  644. — Dolmen  de  la  Canada  del  Herradero.     From  Sr.  Gongoray  Martinez. 

name,  a  squarely  built  vault.  A  second,  very  similarly  constructed, 
stands  at  no  great  distance  in  the  Majadas  (sheep-folds)  del 
Herradero  (Fig.  644).  A  third  is  at  the  end  of  the  Canada. 
There  is  also  a  megalithic  enclosure,  the  diameter  of  which  is 
from  1770  to  12  m. 

In  this  part  of  the  Peninsula,  natural  rocks  of  peculiar  form 
are  regarded  with  reverence.  One  such  is  the  Mortcro  CortadOy 
a  curious  mass  supported  on  a  narrow  base.  There  is  also  the 
Rocking- Stone  of  Liiqiie,  on  the  top  of  a  rocky  eminence,  and 
the  Roca  del  Enjambre,  signifying  the  "  Stone  of  the  Multitude," 
or  "  Assembly." 

On  the  farm  of  Las  Virgencs,  between  Baena  and  Bujalance, 
is  a  famous  menhir  of  that  name.  It  is  12  feet  high,  and  is  the 
object  of  much  superstitious  veneration. f 


t  A  stanza  is  repeated  with  regard  to  it : — 
"Jilica  jilando, 
puso  aqui  este  tango, 
y  Menga  Mengal 
lo  volvio  a  quitar." 


"  Jiiica  Jilando 
Put  this  stone  here. 
And  sent  Menga  Mecgal 
To  take  it  away." 


Spain  and  Portugal. 


689 


In  the  Province  of  Jaen  is  a  fine  monolith  to  which  numerous 
traditions  attach.  It  is  called  the  Piedra  dc  los  Enamorados, 
a  name  which  connects  it  with  erotic  superstitions,  such  as  in 
Brittany  attach  to  certain  menhirs,  and  in  some  parts  of  Ireland 
to  dolmens. 

Near  Fonelas,  in  the  same  Province,  is  a  dolmen  consisting 
of  eleven  stones,  three  on  either  side,  two  at  the  E.  end,  one  at 
the  W.  end,  and  two  covering-stones.  At  Toyo  de  las  Viiias  is 
another  and  very  similar  one.  It  is  also  covered  in  by  two  large 
flag-s,  one  of  which  has  a  crroove  in  it,  in  which  the  stone  which 


Fig.  645. — Dolmen  de  la  Cruz  del  tio  Cogollero.     From  Sr.  Gongora  y  Martinez. 

closes  the  entrance  rests.  At  30  m.  distant  is  another  buried  in  a 
mound.  In  the  same  vicinity  is  a  dolmen  of  oblong  form,  its 
longer  axis  being  E.  and  W.  It  is  situated  in  a  plot  of  ground 
called  Ci'iLZ  del  tio  Cogollero.  The  sides  are  formed  of  eleven 
stones  arranged  in  two  rows,  one  above  the  other,  in  order  to 
bring  the  height  up  to  the  level  of  the  tops  of  two  high  pillars 
(one  of  which  measures  3*40  m.),  which  support  the  roof. 

Near  Tajo  de  los  Castillones  is  the  plain  of  Los  Eriales  which 
is  described  as  "a  vast  necropolis  of  the  ancient  race."  In  five 
dolmens  which  were  opened  by  labourers  copper  arrow-heads 
and  pottery  were  found.  The  stone  vaults  were  oblong,  having 
two  stones  at  either  end,  and  two  or  three  on  either  side.  The 
whole  country  near  Las  Majadas  del  Conejo  is  stated  to  be 
covered  with  dolmens.  One  is  called  the  Dolmen  "  de  las  hazas 
de  la  Coscoja." 


690 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


"  Stone  graves"  containing  human  remains  are  found  among  the 
Peiias  de  los  Castillejos  to  the  W.  of  the  Barranco  de  los  Pilones. 
About  three  leagues  from  Los  OHvares  is  a  place  called  Hoyo  de 
las   Cuevas  del   Conquil,  where  there  are  several  dolmens  called 


Fig.  646. — Dolmen  de  las  Ascencias.     From  Sr.  GSngora y  Martinez. 

locally  Scptiltiiras  de  los  Gciitiles.  One  called  the  "  Dolmen  de 
las  Ascensias"  (Fig.  646)  stands  on  steeply  sloping  ground. f 

A  second  at  the  same  place  is  called  La  Septdttira  Grande. 
In  its  present  condition  it  affords  an  excellent  example  of  those 
monuments,  such  as  that  at  Brenanstown  (County  of  Dublin), 
to  which  I  have  so  often  referred  as  illustratinor  the  fact  that 
no  distinction  can  be  drawn  between  the  square  dolmen  vaults 
and  the  passage-dolmens,  alleges  convertcs,  galerias,  or  gang-gri/ter, 
the  former  being  merely  the  megalithic  inner  portions  shorn  of 
their  approaches.  In  this  example  the  side  walls  of  the  lower 
portion  still  remain,  the  covering-stones  having  been  removed. 
The  dolmen  is  a  fine  one,  one  of  the  side-stones  measuring  3*80  m. 
long,  a  second  2*20  m.,  and  a  third  170  m.  The  roofing-stone 
measures  3*80  m.  long  on  each  of  its  four  sides.  Inside  the  vault 
a  well-chipped  flint  arrow  head  was  found  of  the  tanged  type 
common  to  Spain,  Cornwall,  and  Ireland. 

Another   dolmen    of   this   group  is  called    Llano  de  Gorafe. 


t  The  peasants  repeat  the  following  stanza  about  it : — 
"  Entre  yo  y  mi  hemiano  Lucas  "  Between  us  I  and  my  hrotlicr  Lucas 

arrimamos  este  canto  ;  Turned  this  stone  aside  ; 

y  no  lo  arrime  yo  solo  And  I  did  not  do  it  alone 

por  csta  un  poco  manco."  Because  I  am  slightly  maimed  in  the  hand." 


Spain  and  Portugal.  691 


Signer  Simoes  has  remarked  that  the  dohnens  of  Andalucia  share 
with  the  Portuguese  examples  the  characteristic  of  being  pro- 
vided with  approaches  consisting  of  narrow  passages  formed 
of  large  flag-stones.  The  name  applied  to  dolmens  both  here  and 
in  Estremadura  is  simply  o-ari^as  (sentry-boxes). 

Two  very  important  monuments,  both  in  Andalucia,  now 
deserve  notice.  They  are  the  CiLcva  de  Castillcjo  de  G2LZinan, 
also  called  the  Ctieva  de  la  Pastora,  on  the  Guadalquiber,  and  the 
Cueva  de  Menga,^  near  Antequera,  in  the  Province  of  Malaga. 

Of  the  former  Signor  Simoes  quotes  an  account  by  Signor 
F.  M.  Tubino,  and  it  has  also  been  described  by  Signor  Manuel 
de  Gongora  y  Martinez,  by  Lord  Talbot  de  Malahide,  and  by 
M.  Cartailhac.  The  English  archaeologist  likens  it  to  New  Grange, 
only  in  miniature,  a  comparison  which  holds  good  both  in  regard 
to  the  passage-way  by  which  the  chamber  is  approached,  and  to 
the  construction  of  the  roof.  The  structural  portion  is  buried  in 
a  tumulus,  and  was  only  discovered,  in  planting  a  vine,  in  1868. 
A  galeria,  measuring  27  m.  long,  i  m.  broad,  and  2  m.  high,  leads 
to  the  central  vault.  At  a  distance  of  1 1  m.  from  the  entrance 
a  trilithon  is  encountered  forming  a  doorway  into  the  second 
compartment  of  the  passage  which  is  continued  in  a  straight  line 
through  another  antechamber  or  vestibule  16  m.  long,  to  a  second 
trilithon  which  forms  the  entrance  to  the  innermost  chamber. 
This  latter  is  semicircular  in  form,  and  the  level  of  its  floor  is 
lower  than  that  of  the  passage.  It  measures  2 '60  m.  in  diameter, 
and  3  m.  high.  On  the  upper  edges  of  the  slabs  which  form  the 
sides  other  stones  are  placed  in  such  a  manner  as  to  overlap  and 
form  a  cornice-like  projection  on  which  rests  the  roofing-stone 
which  consists  of  one  single  immense  slab.  Thirty  bronze  arrow- 
heads were  found  in  the  earth  which  was  removed  in  order  to 
effect  an  entrance. 

Signor  Simoes  compares  this  "galeria"  with  the  so-called 
Furnas,  of  which  we  have  spoken,  at  the  Monte  da  Polvoreira,  in 
Portugal.  He  also  expresses  his  opinion  that  in  the  structural 
features  of  this  chamber  and  its  approach  there  are  traces  of 
a  fusion  of  the  cyclopean  architecture,  such  as  is  found  in  the  lower 
portions  of  the  walls  of  Tarragona  (Fig.  647),  the  Castello  de  Ibros, 
the  Corralejos  (stone  enclosures  in  Andalucia),   and  the  talayots 

t  Compare  Mengue,  "the  Devil"  (as  perhaps  in  the  verses  in  the  note,  p.  687),  "  Diet.  Acad. 
Esp.,"  in  voc. 


692 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


and  mapalias  or  viagalias   of  the  Balearic   Isles,  with   the  rude 
style  of  building  employed  by  the  dolmen-builders.     Consequently 


Fig.  647.— La  Portella  Rosario,  Tarragona.     From  Bunnell  Laids's  "  Antiquities  of  Tarragona.''^ 

he  concludes  that,  in  prehistoric  times,  two  distinct  races  existed 
side  by  side  in  the  Peninsula,  whose  meeting-ground  was  that 
portion  of  the  country  in  which  remains  such  as  this  cueva  occur. 
Certainly  a  problem  here  exists   very  similar  to    that  presented 


Fig.  648. — Section  of  the  dolmen  of  Antcquera.     From  Cartailhac. 

by  the  two  classes  of  megalithic  structures  in  Ireland — the  slightly 
covered  dolmen  on  the  one  hand,  and  mound-entombed  chamber 
of  New  Grange  on  the  other.  The  passage-dolmen  at  Anna- 
clochmullin  (Co.  Armagh)  affords  an  example  of  fusion  in  structural 
detail  similar  to  that  noticed  in  the  Cucva  de  la  Pastora. 

The  grandest  of  all  the  megalithic  remains  of  the  Peninsula, 
as,  indeed,  it  is  also  of  Europe,  is  the  Ctieva  de  Mcnga  (Cave  of 
the  Devil  ?),  near  Antequera.  It  has  been  described  by  Signor 
Raphael  Mitjana  in  a  monograph  devoted  to  it,  by  Signor  Manuel 


Spain  and  Portugal. 


69; 


de  Assas  in  a  communication  to  the  Setninario  Pintoresco  Espafiol, 
as  well  as  by  Signor  Simoes,  Lord  Talbot  de  Malahide,  and 
M.  Cartailhac.  It  is  as  truly  representative  of  the  class  of  long 
dolmens  only  slightly  covered,  as  the  cueva  on  the  Guadalquiber, 
just  described,  is  of  that  of  the  chambers  embedded  in  the  larger 


Fig,  649. — Interior  of  the  dolmen  of  Antequera,  Andalucia.     From  Cartailhac. 

mounds — the    former   corresponding   in    Ireland    to    the    Labba 
Callighe,  the  latter  to  New  Grange. 

It  consists  of  a  vast  megalithic  vault  formed  of  immense  slabs 


Fig.  650. — Ground-plan  of  the  dohnen  of  Antequera,  Andalucia,     After  Lord  Talbot  de  Malahide. 

enveloped  in  a  thin  covering  of  earth.  Internally  it  measures 
865-  feet  (Spanish)  in  length,  with  a  maximum  width  of  22  feet,  and 
a  height  of  10  feet  iOt  ins.     Its  long  axis  is  E.  and  W.     Five 


694  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 

"  colossal "  slabs  suffice  to  roof  it  in.  The  largest  of  them  measures 
23  feet  wide,  27  feet  long,  and  4^-  feet  thick,  representing  2794 
cubic  feet  of  stone.  The  material  is  undressed  limestone.  Three 
upright  blocks  in  the  centre  divide  the  area  into  chambers  or  cells 
— an  arrangement,  says  Lord  Talbot  de  Malahide,  similar  to  that 
found  in  megalithic  structures  in  Brittany  and  Touraine.  No 
mortar  has  been  used  in  the  structure.  The  walls  are  formed 
by  monoliths,  ten  on  either  side,  and  a  single  one  of  immense 
proportions  forms  the  inner  end.  Through  the  centre  of  this 
terminal  stone,  as  shown  in  a  section,  a  laree  hole  has  been 
pierced.  The  ground-plan  shows  that  the  monument  consists 
of  two  portions,  the  vault  proper,  and  a  narrow  passage,  which 
forms  the  entrance,  at  the  end  opposite  the  terminal  stone.  On 
a  stone  near  the  entrance  three  crosses,  one  of  them  being  of 
peculiar  form,  have  been  cut.  The  pillars,  which  are  arranged 
in  line  down  the  centre  of  the  main  chamber,  do  not  appear  to 
reach  the  roofing-stones. 

The  shape  of  the  monument,  looked  at  in  ground-plan, 
resembles  in  some  points  that  of  a  ship,  which,  considering  that 
in  the  Balearic  Isles,  both  artificial  caves,  and  stone  buildings 
called  nans  and  naviias,  were  formed  on  the  plan  of  vessels,  it 
is  not  improbable  was  intentional  on  the  part  of  the  constructors. 
Signor  Rafael  Mitjana  regarded  the  Ctceva  dc  Menga  as  a  temple, 
which,  combining  an  original  sepulchral  purpose,  it  may  well 
have  been. 

Before  we  quit  the  subject  of  the  prehistoric  antiquities  of 
the  Iberian  Peninsula  it  will  be  well  to  notice  some  points 
of  folk-lore  and  superstition  which  offer  comparisons  with  those 
found  in  Ireland. 

In  Portugal  Saint  John's  Eve  is  the  occasion  for  boisterous 
mirth.  Young  fellows  play  practical  jokes.  The  spirits  of  the 
dead  are  supposed  to  be  abroad,  and  to  be  wandering  about  their 
ancient  haunts.  Every  year,  says  Signor  Joaquin  Costa,f  were 
celebrated  with  great  solemnity  the  rites  connected  with  the 
summer  solstice.  The  ceremonies  which  were  supposed  to  point 
to  purification  by  fire  were  still  kept  up,  the  fires  being  lighted  on 
the  tops  of  the  mountains. 

The  last  day  of  April  was  also  a  time  set  apart  for  the  cultus 
of  the  dead.     At  a  short  distance  to  the  eastward  of  the  entrance 

t   "Organ,  prolit.  tic  los  Celliberos, "  p.  l6. 


Spain  and  Portugal.  695 

into  the  passage  at  the  dolmen  of  Eguilaz,  the  ground  shows 
signs  of  having  been  subjected  to  the  action  of  fires.  This  fact 
is  accounted  for,  says  Signor  Antonio  Pirala,f  in  the  locahty,  by 
the  bonfires  which  used  to  be  hghted  on  the  last  day  of  April 
at  the  tombs  in  honour  of  the  dead. 

We  have  noticed  the  prohibition  of  the  worship  of  certain 
goddesses  in  the  Diocese  of  Conserans,  and  the  belief  in  night- 
riding  by  witches  in  Ireland  which  is  akin  to  it.  There  can  be 
no  question  that  a  similar  superstition  existed  in  the  western 
portions  of  the  Peninsula. 

A  most  terrible  female  supernatural  being  among  the 
Portuguese  was  the  Bruxa,  or  Bruja  (pronounced  Broocha).  "  No 
one,"  says  Mr.  Kingston,  "  knows  who  are  Bruxas  and  who  are 
not.  She  may  be  like  any  other  woman.  They  keep  it  secret. 
They  are  a  Heaven-accursed  sisterhood — their  souls  pledged 
to  the  Prince  of  Darkness,  a  compact  renewed  every  night. 
Sometimes  their  daughters  become  Bruxas.  From  sunset  to 
sunrise  the  demoniacal  power  possesses  them.  When  darkness 
has  overspread  the  world,  they  rise  from  their  couches  and  fly 
to  their  demon  paramours."  They  are  transformed  into  "  noxious 
birds  of  night — owls  and  bats  of  immense  size."  J 

That  birds  were  actually  in  ancient  times  regarded  as 
divinities,  whence  auguries  were  taken  from  their  flight,  is 
shown  in  a  document  which  Count  Berenguer,  of  Barcelona, 
addressed  to  the  Cid :  Videmus  etiam  ct  cognoscimiis  quia 
montes  et  corvi  et  corvelce  et  nisi  et  aquilcE  ct  fei'e  omne  geniis 
avium  sunt  dii  tui,  quia  plus  confidis  in  atiguriis  ecruin  qziain 
in  Deo.\ 

With  these  we  naturally  compare  the  Irish  Macha,  daughter 
of  Ernmas,  whose  name  means  the  scald-crow,  and  whose 
characteristic  it  was  to  "  rejoice  in  rending  the  slain."  "  The 
Bruxas,"  continues  Mr.  Kingston,  "allure  poor  wretches  away. 
They  enter  cottages  and  deprive  sleeping  infants  of  life. 
They  are  devoutly  believed  in  and  dreaded." 

There  is  another  class — the  Lobishome — a  person  born  under 
an  ill-star.  "  By  day  they  are  free  from  the  spell,  but  wear  sad 
faces.      They  sit   by  themselves  without  speaking.      These  are 

t  "Espana,  Prov.  Vase,"  1885,  Barcelona,  p.  51. 
X  See  note,  p.  689. 

§  "  Gesta  Roderici,"  por  Risco,    xxxvi.     See   also    "Hist.    Compost.,"  lib.    i.,    cap.    64; — 
"  Auguriis  confidens  et  divinationibus  corvos  et  cornices  posse  nocere  irrationliter  arbitratus," 


696  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 

transformed  into  horses,  rushing  over  hill  and  dale.  If  wounded 
in  the  chest,  while  in  mad  career,  they  are  cured.  Like  the 
Bruxas,  they  return  home  in  the  morning."  In  these  equine 
affinities  of  the  Bruxa  and  the  Lobishome,  we  have  reason  to 
trace  a  resemblance  to  the  goddesses  whose  cult  was  forbidden 
by  the  Bishop  of  Conserans,  to  the  Irish  Macha,  who  outran 
the  horses  of  Cormac,  to  the  Water- Horses  in  the  folk-lore  of 
the  islands  of  Harris  and  Lewis,  and  to  the  poor  wretched 
woman,  who  after  having  been  brutally  burnt  to  death  only  last 
year,  was  believed  to  be  riding  around  a  rath  on  a  hill  in  Tipperary, 

In  Portugal,  in  addition  to  the  Bruxas,  are  female  sooth- 
sayers, called  Feiticiras.  Like  the  former,  they  belong  to 
sisterhoods,  and  are  believed  to  have  sold  their  souls  to  the 
Devil — the  compact  having  been  signed  by  a  drop  of  blood 
drawn  from  the  little  fmger.  The  male  Feiticiro  is  a  different 
class  of  being — a  sort  of  hobgoblin — a  little  old  man  with  apish, 
mischievous  propensities,  who  sits  in  a  tree  by  the  roadside 
at  night  and  throws  stones  at  those  who  pass  below. 

The  Feiticira  aids  the  peasant  to  recover  stolen  property  ;  she 
assists  lovers  ;  and  effects  cures  in  cattle  by  her  incantations  ;  or,  if 
the  owners  are  her  enemies,  afflicts  their  beasts  with  murrain.  She 
possesses  a  magical  ball  of  thread,  and  is,  Mr.  Kingston  f  thinks, 
"  a  mixture  of  the  Roman  Sibyl  and  the  more  fantastical  Witch 
of  the  North." 

It  is  interesting  to  notice  that  the  pre-Christian  custom  called 
the  dessil,  or  circuit,  around  a  venerated  spot,  which  is  practised 
in  Ireland  in  the  case  of  one  dolmen  at  least,J  as  well  as  at  wells  and 
churches  innumerable,  is  found  also  in  Portugal.  Cattle,  in  order 
that  they  may  escape  the  murrain,  are  taken  ro7ind  some  favourite 
shrine.  The  peasantry,  too,  in  performing  their  penances,  make 
a  progress  rotmci  a  church,  and  go  barefooted  to  the  shrine. 
Farmers  offer,  by  way  of  penance,  their  own  weight  in  corn 
or  wax.  Sailors  carry  their  sail  with  them  to  the  church,  and, 
having  done  penance,  reclaim  it  after  Mass.  Merchants  insure 
their  ships  at  the  shrine  of  Matozinhos.  "  Each  saint,"  says  Mr. 
Kingston,  "has  a  cure  for  something.  The  religion  of  the  people 
is  pure  saintism." 

In   the   Asturias    there    is   a   current    superstition    that    the 

t  "  Lusitanian  Sketches,"  pp.  348-350. 

X  Maulnaholtora  in  Kerry,  described  at  p.  3,  supra,  and  to  the  superstition  practised  at  whicli 
reference  will  be  made  in  Part  IIL,  infra. 


Spain  and  Portugal. 


697 


waters  of  certain  wells  are  inhabited  by  white  ladies,  who  are 
called    Xanas.f      Evidences    of    the   worship    of    wells    in    the 


Fig.  651. — Rock  sculptures  in  Galicia.     From  Signor  Miirguia's  '■^  Hist,  of  Galicia  " 
{jivith  others  not  given) . 


^■^■■^^^SS- 


''^T 


^■' 


f..  '■> , 


^Uh 


w;  '/ 


-T"^    J' 


^X- 


>f:^ 


fr  '*^ 


'■-feAf*: 


?f^ 


:^^: 


■^^V(; 


T^^ 


-"^1 


Lv^ru'i!:' 


-^ 


c^^^ 

'''r,,  1  J 


-^T^ 


^^  ZT-^'-:  ,r '' 


'>^tf--^ 


.^ 


Fig.  652. — "The  Horseman's  Stone  "  (Clonmacnoise).     From  drawing  by  the  Rev.Jas.  Graves. 

Roman  period  are  found  in   inscriptions,  as,  for  example,  Fons 
Amewcniay  Fons   Sagince,   and   others.     Pliny    mentions   a   well 


t  "Hist,  de  Galicia,"  por  Manuel  Morguia,  vol.  i.  p.  535. 


VOL.  II. 


2  C 


698 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


at  Gades  f  which  had  the  miraculous  property  of  rising  and  falHng 
with  the  tide. 

Lastly,  it  may  be  mentioned  that  some  of  the  rock  sculptur- 
ings  which  have  been  found  in  the  Spanish  peninsula,  resemble 
a  certain  class  of  markings  which  occur  in  Ireland.  In  Signer 
Murguia's  *' History  of  Galicia,"  a  group  is  given  (Fig.  651), 
some  of  the  figures  in  which  closely  resemble  those  on  the 
Horseman's  Stone  near  Clonmacnoise  (Fig.  652),  while  others, 
again,  appear  to  be  equally  like  some  of  the  carvings  on  a  stone 
from  the  tumulus  of  Renougat  in  Finisterre  (Fig.  536). 


Islands  of  the  Western  Mediterranean. 

From  the  coast  of  Spain  we  pass  naturally  to  the  Islands  of 
the  Mediterranean,  and  first  to  the  Balearic  group,  and  here 
too  we  find  caves  artificially  hollowed  out  of  the  rock,  as  in 
Sicily,  the  He  Pianosa,  and  at  Palmella,  near  Lisbon.  We  are 
at  once  reminded  of  the  passage  in  "  Diodoms  Siculus,"J  where 


Fig.  653.— Plan  and  section  of  an  artificial  cave  at  Saint  Vincent,  Island  of  Minorca. 

From  Cartailhac. 

it  is  said  of  the  Balearic  people  that  "  they  live  in  caves  hewn  in 
the  rocks,  and  spend  all  their  days  in  these  holes  dug  up  and 
down  in  the  steepest  parts  of  the  stony  mountains,  by  which 
means  they  provide  for  themselves  both  shelter  and  security." 
That  some  of  those  which  have  been  discovered  may  have 
served  this  purpose  is  likely  enough.  In  the  case  of  others, 
however,  investigation  has  placed  beyond  question  their  sepul- 
chral origin.     M.   Cartailhac    notices    that   similar  ones  exist  in 

+  "Nat.  Hist.,"  ii.  loo  :  Gadibus  qui  delubro  Ilerculis  proximus,  fons  inchisus  ad  putei 
modum,  alias  simul  cum  Oceano  augetur  minuiturque,  alias  vero  utrumque  contrariis  lemporilnis. 
See  also  "  Strabo,"  iii.  5,  7  :  There  was  a  well  with  similar  properiies  in  Perigord,  as  sec  Uelph. 
not.  on  Pliny,  loc.  cit.     1  have  found  a  like  superstition  both  in  Cornwall  and  Ireland. 

X  Lib.  V.  c.  I.  See  also  Signor  Francisco  Martorell  y  Pena,  "  Apuntes  arqucologicas," 
Barcelona,  1879,  P-  221. 


Islands  of  the  Western  Mediterranean. 


699 


the  vicinity  of  Alcudia,  and  he  compares  them  in  respect  of 
their  structural  details  with  the  partly  natural,  partly  artificial, 
"  allees  couvertes,"  in  the  hills  at  Aries. 


Fig.  654. — Plan  of  one  cave  and  section  of  another  at  Saint  Vincente. 

Near  San  Vicente,  in  Minorca,  is  a  group  of  forty  of  these 
caves.  Some  are  provided  with  "  anti-grottes,"  or  vestibules, 
and  some  open  directly  on  the  hillside.  A  characteristic 
feature  is  that  they  possess  little  oval  side-chambers,  which 
gives  them,  in  their  ground-plan,  a  resemblance  to  the  "burghs" 


Fig.  655. — The  "  Nao  dels  Tudons"  (ground-plan  and  section).     From  Cartailhac. 

of  Scotland.  Most  remarkable  among  them  are  those  which 
are  in  the  form  of  a  ship.  One  such,  having  a  double  vestibule 
and  two  small  circular  side-chambers,  is  noticed  by  M.  Cartailhac. 
A  striking  development  of  this  form  is  found  in  certain  primitive 
buildings,  constructed  on  the  surface,  and  called  Naos,  Naus,\  or 
Navetas,  that  is,   "  ships."      The  ground-plans  of  some  of  these 

■f  See  note  on  Nau,  p.  657,  supra. 


■oo 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


are  identical  with  those  of  the  ship-caves,  but  their  shape  varies 
in  different  districts. 

The    most   striking   of    these    structures    is    situated    in    the 
northern    part    of    Minorca,     not    far    from    Cuitadela,    in    the 


Fig.  656.— The  "  Nao  dels  Tudons."     After  Cartailhac. 

district  "dels  Tudons,"  whence  the  building  is  called  the  Nao 
dels  Tiidons.  Externally  its  form  is  that  of  a  somewhat  deep- 
keeled  vessel,  lying  bottom-upward,  square  at  the  stern,  where 
the  entrance  is,  and  pointed  at  the  bow.  The  masonry  is 
Cyclopean,  and  there  is  no  trace  of  cement.  Nine  courses  of 
stones,  with  one  block  resting  on  the  top,  form  the  stern,  whence 
the  structure  diminishes  in  heisfht  to  six  courses  at  the  bow. 
As  the  upper  portion,  however,  is  broken  down,  it  is  difficult 
to  say  how  far  this  was  intentional  in  the  original  design. 

The  interior  measures  io"5o  m.  long,  and  is  divided  into 
a  vestibule  and  a  principal  chamber,  the  inner  end  of  which 
latter  has  a  sort  of  dais,  or  raised  portion  of  the  floor,  about 
4  feet  broad.  This  portion  is  roofed,  according  to  the  section, 
by  a  single  slab  about  1 1  feet  long.f  A  low,  cyclopean  door- 
way gives  ingress  to  the  vestibule  from  without,  and  one  of 
similar  height  forms  the  means  of  communication  between  it 
and  the  main  chamber. 

The  outer  doorway  measures  0*57  m.  wide,  and  075  m.  high. 
The  vestibule  is  the  "castle,"  puppis,  or  Trpvixva  of  the  ship,| 
and    the  doorway  communicating  from  it  into  the  other  portion 

t  Compare  section  of  Mane  Lud.,  p.  6l2,  supra. 

\  It  was  the  highest  portion  of  the  vessel,    /Kschylus  uses  the  term  irplfiva  Tr6\(os  metaphorically 
for  the  Acropolis  at  Athens. 


Islands  of  the  Western  Mediterranean.  701 

may  be  seen  in  terra-cotta  models  of  ships  found  in  Cyprus* 
several  of  which  are  in  the  British  Museum.  The  great 
height  of  this  "  castle  "  or  stern  is  also  seen  in  these  models.  If 
we  compare  this  structure  to  a  Greek  or  Roman  temple,  the 
vestibule  would  answer  to  the  TreptcrraSe?,  or  antcB,  and  the 
body  of  the  building  to  the  i^ao's,  or  cella. 

In  Minorca,  although  there  are  navetas  of  ruder  form  with 
central  supports  representing  masts,  there  seems  to  be  no  inter- 
mediate form  between  the  cave  hollowed  out  like  a  ship,  and 
the  well-built  naveta  which  shows  considerable  architectural  know- 
ledge. In  Sardinia,  however,  where  neither  ship-cave  nor  naveta 
are  found,  we  have  in  the  "  Tombes  des  Geants "  a  type  of 
structure  to  which  we  might  assign  a  middle  place,  as  we  shall 
presently  see.f 

It  is,  however,  strange  to  say,  in  the  rude  dolmens  of  Ireland, 
that  what  seems  to  me  to  be  the  closest  approach  to  the  design 
of  the  7tavetas  is  to  be  found.  I  take  as  examples  two  of  the 
best-preserved  and  most  typical  structures,  namely,  the  Labbacalle, 
near  Fermoy  (Cork),  J  and  the  largest  of  the  monuments  at  Burren, 
near  Blacklion  {Cavan).§  In  the  ground-plan  of  the  former  the 
ship-shape  is  very  noticeable.  In  the  latter,  the  feature  of  the 
vestibule  is  distinctly  present,  with  a  creep  beneath  the  partitional 
stone  communicating  with  the  main  inner  chamber. ||  In  both  these 
monuments,  and  in  the  dolmens  of  Ireland  generally,  one  end  is 
higher  than  the  other,  and  that  end  is  also,  in  cases  where  there 
is  a  partition  forming  the  vestibule,  the  end  where  the  entrance  is 
found.  Not  only  is  that  end  higher,  but  it  is  broader  than  the 
rest  of  the  structure,  which  is  almost  invariably  wedge-shaped,  and 
sometimes  narrows  off  to  a  point  at  the  further  end,  which,  if  the 
analogy  holds  good,  would  represent  the  bow  of  the  vessel. 

But  in  connection  with  Irish  antiquities,  I  have  a  second,  and 
even  still  more  curious  comparison  to  make.  No  structure  known 
to  architecture  resembles  so  precisely  in  external  form,  in  the 
laying  of  the  courses  of  its  masonry,  and  in  other  details  of  its 
construction,  the  little  boat-shaped  stone  structures  found  on  the 

t  See  "Ant.  Celt,  de  la  Isla  de  Minorca,"  por  el  Dr.  Dn.  Juan  Ramis  y  Ramis,  Mahon,  1818, 
p,  136  ;  "  Voyage  en  Sardaigne,"  par  M.  le  Cte  G.  A.  Ferrero  della  Marmora,  2,  edit.,  Paris,  1839, 
p,  542,  and  pi.  xxxix.  ;  "  Apuntes  arqueol,"  Signer  Francisco  Martorell  y  Pena,  p.  221  ;  "Ages 
prehist.  de  I'Espagne,"  M.  li.  Cartailhac,  pp.  142,  143. 

%  P-  3»  s^ipra. 

§  p.  204,  supra.     To  these  add  that  at  Gortakeeran  in  Sligo,  p.  180,  supra. 

11  Compare  the  dolmen  called  "  La  Pierre  Turquaise,"  pp.  627,  639. 


702 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


south-western  coasts  of  Ireland,  and  traditionally  attributed  to 
Christian  hermits,  whose  tombs  they  were  in  some  cases  said  to 
contain,  as  does  this  Nao  dels  Tiidons.  I  adduce  three  examples, 
the  first  from  I\Ir.  Wilkinson's  work  on  Irish  architecture  (Fig. 
658),  the  second  Kilmalkedar,  on  the  coast  of  Kerry  {Fig.  659), 
and  the  third  the  interior  of  the  structure  at  Gallerus  (Fig.  660) ,f 


Fig.  657. — The  "  Nao  dels  Tudons."     From  Carlailhac. 

the  exterior  of  which  is,  by  the  way,  as  nearly  identical  as  can  be 
with  the  Nao  dels  Tudons,  as  shown  in  the  above  photograph. 
That  the  Irish  structures  are  cemented,  and    that  their  interior 

chamber  is  oblong,  are 

merely  details  of  de- 
velopment. The  in- 
verted boat-shape  is 
retained,  and  in  some 
cases  there  are  traces 
that  a  vestibule  once 
existed.  To  the  feature 
of  the  presence  of  antce 
in  some  of  them,  such  as  in  the  Leaba  Mologa,  I  have  already 
called  attention.  J     This  very  word  Lcaba,  or  "  Bed  "  (of  the  dead), 

t  The  photograph  of  the  structure  at  Gallerus  in  Lord  Dunraven's  "Notes  of  Irish  Eccl. 
Architecture,"  edit.  Miss  M.  Stokes,  is  even  more  like  the  Nao  dels  Tudons  than  is  either  of  the 
little  buildings  here  represented. 

X  See  plan,  p.  638. 


"-v,^ 


Fig.  658. — Boat-shaped  buildiiij;,  such  as  are  found  on  the 
coasts  of  Cork,  Kerry,  and  Clare.  An  example  from 
G.  Wilkinson, 


Islands  of  the  Western  Mediterranean. 


703 


they  share  to  this  day  with  the  dolmens  in  Ireland,  of  which  they 
are  the  extant  representatives  as  surely  as  the  present  Bedawin 
tombs  of  the  Jaulan  are,  as  Dr.  Schumacher  f  has  pointed  out, 
the  representatives  of  the  dolmens  of  that  district  (see  Fig.  661, 


Fig.  659.  —  Kilmalkedar,  Co.  Kerry.     Froiii  a  sketch  by  Pelrie. 

infra,  p.  704).  In  either  case,  the  structure  was  formed  for  the 
cultus  of  the  dead,  whether  the  development  of  that  cultus  was  to 
be  continued   under  Pagan  auspices,  or  under  Mahommedan  or 


Fig.  660. — View  of  the  interior,  and  of  the  arrangement  for  door  in  the  structure  at  Gallerus, 

Co.  Kerry.     After  Fetri'e. 

Christian,  and  in  either  case  its  type  was  to  be  traced  back  to  that 
which  had  been  adopted  in  Pagan  times  for  the  ancestral  tombs. 
I  may  say  that,  long  before  the  caves  and  navetas  of  Minorca 


t  "The Jaulan,"  1888,  p.  129. 


704 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


were  known  to  me,  I  had  formed  the  opinion  that  what  I  have  so 
frequently  spoken  of  as  the  "  wedge-shape,"  observable  so  univer- 
sally in  the  ground-plans  of  dolmens,  was  due  to  an  orio-inal 
conception  of  a  ship.  From  sepulchral  tumuli  in  Scandinavia,  as 
we  know,  actual  vessels  have  on  several  occasions  been  disinterred. 
In  cemeteries  of  the  Iron  Age,  in  the  same  country,  as  well  as 
on  the  more  southern  Baltic  coasts,  the  ship  was  a  recoo^nized 
form  of  sepulchral  cnclosure.f 

Of  another  class  of  monument  found  in  the  Balearic  Isles,  and 

called    Talayots,    a    diminu- 
S.W.  tive,  it    is   said,    from    Ata- 

laya,  meaning  the  "  Giant's 
Burrow,"  J  it  is  not  neces- 
sary to  speak  at  length, 
^T-^Y.  since  they  offer  no  points  of 
comparison  with  existing 
monuments  in  the  north. 
They  probably  belong  to  the 
Bronze  Age,  and  a  one- 
looped  bronze  celt,  with 
from  square  socket,  was  found  in 
one  of  them.§ 
We  take  next  in  order  the  megalithic  remains  of  Sardinia. 
Of  the  so-called  "Giant's  Graves"  of  that  island,  Mr.  Thomas 
Forester  speaks  thus:  "The  structures  to  which  the  popular 
traditions  ascribe  the  name  of  the  ScpoUiire  de  is  Gigantcs,  the 
'  Tombs  of  the  Giants,'  may  be  described  as  series  of  large  stones 
placed  together,  without  any  cement,  inclosing  a  foss,  or  hollow, 
from  1 5  feet  to  36  feet  long,  and  from  3  feet  to  6  feet  wide,  and  the 
same  in  depth,  with  immense  flat  stones  resting  on  them  as  a 
covering.  Though  the  latter  are  not  always  found,  it  is  evident 
by  a  comparison  with  the  more  perfect  Scpolttu^e,  that  they  have 
once  existed,  and  have  been  destroyed  or  removed.  The  foss 
invariably  runs  N.W.  and  S.E.,  and  at  the  latter  point  there  is 
a  large  upright  headstone,  averaging  from  10  feet  to  15  feet  high, 

t  Dwellings  formed  like  inverted  ships  in  use  in  Africa,  are  mentioned  by  Saliust  (c.viii.  x. 
edit.  Nisard,  Paris,  1861) :  "  Ceterum  adhuc  adificia  Numidarum  agrestium,  qucc  Mapalia  illi 
vocant,  oblonga,  in  curvis  lateribus  lexta,  qua"  navium  carina-  sunt."  The  tents  of  the  Arabs  in 
Western  Barbary  are  described  in  Sir  John  Drumniond  May's  work  (p.  25)  as  resembling  boats 
with  their  keels  upward.  Some  gipsies  form  very  similar  temporary  structures.  See  also  Ducangc, 
"  Gloss.  Lat."  in  voc.  navis. 

X  "  Rambles  in  Corsica  and  Sardinia,"  by  Thomas  Forester,  London,  1858,  p.  3S4. 

§  "  Voyage  en  Sardaigne,"  Delia  Marmora,  pi,  xxxix. 


Fig.  661. 


-Bedawin  tomb  Kfdat  el-Husn. 
Schumacher. 


Islands  of  the  Western  Mediterranean. 


705 


varying  in  its  form  from  the  square  elliptical  and  conical  to  that 
of  three-fourths  of  an  egg,  and  having  in  many  instances  an 
aperture  of  about  18  inches  at  its  base. 

"  On  each  side  of  this  s^e/e,  or  headstone,  commences  a  series 
of  separate  stones,  irregular  in  size  and  shape,  but  forming  an 
arc,  the  chord  of  which  varies  from  20  feet  to  26  feet,  so  that 
the  whole  fio;ure  somewhat  resembles  the  bow  and  shank  of 
a  spur." 

An  excellent  and  tolerably  perfect  example  of  one  of  these 
monuments  is  that  at  Abbasante.  An  oval  enclosure,  or  peristyle, 
comprising  forty  stones  on  edge,  surrounds  a  long  passage-vault, 
which  does  not,  however,  extend  the  entire  length  of  its  long 
diameter.  This  vault  is  composed  of  thirteen  stones  on  edge,  on 
the  one  side,  and  eleven  on  the  other.  Each  end  is  closed  by  a 
large  stone,  and  that  at  the  outer  end  is  the  centre  stone  of  a 
semicircle  formed  of  five  stones  which  form,  as  it  were,  a  pair  of 
horns   thrown    out  from  the  end   of  the  structure.      Ten    slabs 


Fig.  662. — Elevation  of  one  of  the  "Tombes  des  Geants  "  at  Abbasante,  Sardinia. 

compose  the  roof  of  the  vault,  which  slightly  expands  in  the  usual 
wedge-shape  towards   its   inner  end.      The  writer  who    describes 

^jijjg^-3  eH3SB>  cua.  tarn  ssma  .^^he» 


'  EBziOT  e2ffi3>eS!»»a£3l»'«2;3»  <a2Z2?»  5^3 '^-^ 


Fig.  663.— Plan  of  one  of  the  "Tombes  des  Geants  "  at  Abbasante,  Sardinia.     From 
"Mat,  pour  VHist.  de  P Homme." 

it  expresses  his  opinion  that  the  outer  environment  of  stones 
formed  at  one  time  the  base  of  a  mound  which  covered  the 
whole.  7 

t  "Mat.  pour  I'Histoire  de  I'Homme,"  1884,  pp.  200,  201. 


7o6 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


Another  typical  example  is  at  Pauli-Latino  (Fig.  664).  In 
this  case  the  chamber  is  covered  by  five  flagstones.  The  inner 
end  is  semicircular.  The  vault  appears  to  be  incased  in  a  low 
wall,  or  walls  of  dry  masonry  laid  in  three  ranges  contiguously. 
The  feature  of  the  semicircle  outside  the  end  of  the  vault  is 
very  marked.  These  horns  are  here  formed  not  of  single  blocks, 
but  of  courses  of  stones. f 

The  Count  Ferrero  Delia  Marmora  gives  J  an  excellent  idea 
of  one  of  these  semicircles  with  its  central  pillar,  and  aperture 
from  a  Tombe  dcs  Gdants^  at  Borore  (Fig.  665),  near  the  nuragh 


Fig.  664. — "  The  Giant's  Grave  "  at  Pauli-Lalino,  Sardinia.     From  Dc  la  Marviora. 

hnberti.  The  monolith,  as  will  be  seen,  is  carved  into  the  shape 
described  as  truncated  ovate,  and  exhibits  two  sunk  panels  above 
the  orifice.  It  stands  at  the  N.W.  end  of  the  vault.  Such 
examples  have  been  justly  compared  to  a  monument  in  Alsace,  the 
antiquities  of  which  district  have  in  a  more  general  way  been 
compared  to  those  of  Sardinia.§ 

It  will  have  been  observed  how  exactly  the  structure  at 
Abbasantc  corresponds  to  lL>?i\\\'s\\  Jccttcstiie,  and  to  those  of  North 
Germany,  which  have  oval  peristyles.  With  British  Long  Barrows 
the  similarity  is  no  less  striking.  In  Ireland  an  almost  exact 
counterpart  may   be  said   to  exist  in  the   case  of  the  entombed 


t  General  le  Compte  Delia  Marmora,  in  "Bull,  dell'  Inst.,"  1833,  p.  121  ;  copied  also  by 
Abeken. 

X  hi.  aitct.,  "Voyage  en  Sardaigne,"  pi.  iv.,  and  "  Antiqq.,"  p.  23. 

§  Id.  p.  32  ;  and  "  Recherches  Archeologiques,"  par  M.  15aulicii,  ]).  289.  For  other  notices  of 
the  '•  Sepolturas  of  Sardinia,"  see  Antonio  Biesciani,  "  Dei  Coslunii  dell'  isola  di  Sardegna  com- 
jiarati  cogli  antichissimi  popoli  orientali,"  Napoli,  1850;  also  J.  W.  'I'yndaie,  "The  Island  of 
Sardinia  "  (London,  1849),  vol.  i.  pp.  109,  140,  141  ;  vol.  ii.  pp.  61,  62. 


Islands  of  the  Western  Mediterranean. 


707 


chamber  at  Annacloghmullen,  in  Armagh  (p.  303,  supra).  There 
is,  it  is  true,  in  that  case,  no  central  pillar-stone  with  an  orifice, 
but  there  is  a  small  low  opening  into  the  vault  in  the  middle 
of  the  arc  of  a  semicircle,  on  each  side  of  which,  corresponding 
to  the  so-called  aistodes  of  the  German  Himenbeddcn,  stood  a 
tall  pillar-stone  (Figs.  276,  278,  S2ipra,  and  p.  528). 


Fig.  665. — X.W.  end  of  "Giant's  Grave,"  near  Borore  in  Sardinia.     Aflcr  De  la  Marmora. 


With  equal  distinctness  we  have  the  characteristic  feature 
of  the  semicircle  before  the  entrance,  marked  in  the  plan  of  the 
structure  near  Newbliss  in  Monaghan  (Fig.  269).  The  cairn  at 
Doohat  in  Fermanagh  (Fig.  219)  presents  a  similar  feature  at 
each  end,  as  do  also  several  Scottish  examples  of  chambered  tumuli. 
That  called  the  Cairn  of  Get,  near  Garrywhin,  in  Caithness  (Fig. 
429),  is  an  instance  in  point,  as  is  that  also  at  Yarhouse,  in  the 
same  district  (Fig.  428).  In  these  two  latter,  and  in  that  near 
Newbliss,  the  semicircle,  as  at 
Pauli-Latino,  is  formed  of  courses 
of  stone,  and  not  of  single  blocks. 

We  have  seen  that  the  termi- 
nal stone  with  its  orifice,  which 
is  a  characteristic  of  the  Sardinian 
structures,  has  been  compared 
to  a  type  found  in  Alsace.  I 
am  inclined  to  think  that  it  may 
be  compared  also  to  a  celebrated 
stone  in  Portugal,  which  has 
hitherto   been  a  puzzle    to    archaeologists.     This  is  the  "  Piedra 


Fig.  666. — In  Alsace.     I-ro>n  Baiiliai's 
"  Recherches  Arc/Uotogiqucs." 


7o8 


The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 


Formosa"  in  the  Citania  of  Briteiros,  in  the  province  of  the  Minho, 
It  is  an  elaborately  sculptured  block,  rough  at  the  upper  edges,  as 
if  once  built  into  a  wall  or  tumulus,  perhaps.  At  the  bottom,  in  the 
centre,  is  a  semicircular  orifice  f  corresponding  to  those    in   the 


Fio.  667. — The  "  Piedra  Formosa"  at  Briteiros.     I-rom  Sarincnio. 

Pauli-Latino  and  Alsatian  stones,  and  (to  carry  the  comparison 
further)  to  those  in  the  dolmens  of  Dilar  in  Andalucia  (Fig.  639), 
of  Gramont  in  Herault  (Fig.  557),  of  the  Sakar  Planina  in 
Bulgaria  (Fig.  484),  of  Tzarskaya  in  the  Caucasus  (Fig.  668),  of 
Karlsgarden  (Fig.  463)  in  Vestergotlande,  of  Burren  in  Cavan 
(p.  205),  of  Cartronplank  in   Sligo  (Fig.    133),  all  of  which  are 


Fig.  66S.— Dolmen  of  Tzarskaya  (Caucasus).     From  "  Mat.  pour  Nlist.  dc  rilommc.'" 

examples  of  artificially  formed  semicircular  apertures  at  the  bases 
of  the  terminal  stones  of  the  respective  tombs,  not  to  mention  the 

t  In  addition  to  the  orifice  at  the  bottom  there  is  a  V-'^i'iI'ed  channel  cut  out  in  the  interior  of 
the  stone.  One  of  the  elaborately  carved  stones  in  the  chamber  at  Gavr-Inis  in  IJrittany  h.is 
channels  similarly  hollowed  out  in  it.  See  M.  Alex.  Bertrand,  "Diet.  Archeol.,"  in  voc,  and 
Fig.  544  (centre  in  lower  row),  supra. 


Islands  of  the  Western  Mediterranean. 


709 


innumerable  instances  of  holed  dolmens,  or  dolmens  with  some 
aperture,  however  rudely  formed,  which  afford  means  of  access  to 
the  inner  vault,  in  whatsoever  countries  structures  of  this  class  are 
found. 

Perhaps  the  little  aperture  formed  in  the  end  of  the  structure 
known  as  the  tomb  of  the  founder  of  the  Church  of  Boveragh  in 
Londonderry,  and  which  is  late  medieval,  is  referable  to  the 
survival  of  a  custom  begun  in  the  dolmen  days  (Fig.  669). 


Fig,  669. — Tomb  of  the  reputed  founder  of  the  church  of  Boveragh,  Co.  Londonderry. 

After  Petrie. 

It  is  beyond  a  doubt  that  the  purpose  of  the  semicircle  at  the 
end  of  the  tomb  was  to  afford  means  for  those  devotees  who  came 
to  worship  the  spirit  of  the  dead  either  to  enter  the  tomb-temple, 
if  the  aperture  was  large  enough,  or  to  insert  offerings  and  await 
responses,  perhaps,  if  it  were  not. 

The  Irish  peasants  in  the  early  part  of  this  century,  and  still 
perhaps  in  some  places,  crawl  on  their  hands  and  knees  into  the 
little  shrines,  such  as  that  of  Saint  Declan,  and  after  having  lain 
on  the  bare  ground,  carry  away  some  of  the  "  blessed  clay  "  which 
is  supposed  to  contain  the  relics  of  the  dead,  f 

In  the  neighbourhood  of  Canton  I  have  seen  very  similar 
semicircular  arrangements,  some  of  them  of  quite  recent  date, 
thoueh  constructed  in  obedience  to  ancient  custom,  made  at  the 


t  The  Lapp  wizards  used  the  clay  in  cemeteries  for  necromantic  purposes.  Herodotus  speaks 
of  an  African  tribe,  the  Nasamonians,  who  for  divination,  betook  themselves  to  the  tombs  of 
their  ancestors,  and,  after  praying,  lay  down  to  sleep  by  their  graves  (Lib.  iv.,  cap.  73). 


/lo  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 

entrances  to  the  caves  in  the  hillsides  which  served  as  the  tombs 
of  the  Mongols.  The  semicircle  was  sometimes  constructed  of 
slabs  on  edge,  and  was  paved — the  little  doorway  into  the  vault 
occupying  the  centre  of  the  arc.  On  this  platform  devotions  were 
paid  to  the  dead  ancestors  within. 

Sardinia  also  possesses  monoliths  called  Pidra  or  Perda- 
Fitta  and  Perda  Lunga.  Sometimes  these  are  unhewn,  but  are 
"generally  rounded  by  the  hammer,  but  irregularly,  in  a  conical 
form  tapering  to  the  top,  but  with  a  gradual  swell  in  the  middle. 
Their  height  varies  from  6  to  i8  feet.  Often  there  are  three 
together,  two  lesser  ones  and  a  long  one."f 

Father  Bresciani  |  mentions  some  exceedingly  curious  customs 
in  existence  in  this  island,  in  connection  with  the  summer  solstice. 
A  great  fire  is  lighted  on  the  piazza,  around  which  young  men 
and  maidens  dance.  Of  these  one  couple  have  previously  agreed 
together  to  act  the  parts  of  godfather  and  godmother  of  St.  John. 
They  had  made,  early  in  April,  a  little  pot  out  of  cork-bark  in  which 
they  had  grown  a  plant  of  corn.  This  vase  with  its  contents  was 
called  Su  Ncnnerc,\  and  on  St.  John's  Eve,  decorated  with 
ribbons,  it  was  placed  on  a  balcony,  hung  round  with  wreaths  and 
flags.  In  old  times,  a  little  doll  (corresponding  apparently  to  the 
sitsa  of  the  Basques),  dressed  as  a  female,  or  sometimes  phallic 
emblems  moulded  in  clay,  were  placed  on  the  corn  plant,  but  the 
priests  denounced  this  practice,  and  it  was  discontinued.  Over  the 
fire  above  mentioned,  the  curious  compact  between  godfather  and 
godmother  was  completed.  The  man  stood  on  one  side  of  the 
fire,  and  the  woman  on  the  other.  They  held  a  stick  at  opposite 
ends,  and,  stretching  it  over  the  embers,  passed  it  rapidly  to  and 
fro  ;  this  was  repeated  three  times,  so  that  the  hand  of  each  passed 
three  times  through  the  fire.  In  some  places  the  couple  went  in 
procession  to  a  church  ;  here  they  dashed  the  pot  of  corn  against 
the  door  and  broke  it.  The  company  then  sat  in  a  circle  on  the 
greensward,  and  feasted  on  eggs,  while  gay  tunes  were  played  on 
a  pipe  ;  a  cup  of  wine  was  passed  round,  and,  forming  a  circle,  they 
danced  for  hours. 

t  Thomjis  Forester,  "Rambles  in  Corsica  and  Sardinia,"  p.  389.  Compare  that  at  Odry, 
fig.  481,  supra. 

X  Op.  cit. 

§  Father  Bresciani  says  that  the  name  of  Ilermcs  is  also  p;iven  to  this.  He  compares  these  vases 
to  the  "gardens  of  Adonis"  in  rhrunician  mythology.  With  the  fuc,  compare  the  Ncdfri  oi  the 
Germans,  sec  Lindenbrog,  Gloss,  in  Cart.  Reg.  Franc,  in  voc. 


Islands  of  the  Western  Mediterranean. 


711 


Of  the  nuraghes  of  Sardinia,  akin  probably  to  the  talayots  of 
the  Balearic  Isles,  though  differing  from  them  in  details  of  con- 
struction, there  is  no  occasion  here  to  speak,  since  they  seem  to 
bear  no  relation  to  dolmens.  There  are,  however,  some  three 
thousand  examples  of  them  in  the  island  ; — truncated  cyclopean 
structures  of  from  30  to  60  feet  in  height,  and  from  100  to  300 
feet  in  circumference  at  the  base.  One  which  Mr.  Forester  has 
described  seems  to  have  resembled  very  closely  Maiden  Castle  in 
Cumberland,  as  described  by  Leland. 

We  have  seen  that  Sardinia  has  its  Sepolturas  de  is  Gigantes, 
and  Minorca  its  Navetas,  each  allied  more  or  less  closely  to  the 
dolmens  of  other  countries.  We  have  now  to  notice  that  Corsica 
has  her  dolmens  too.  M.  Merimee  describes  one  of  these,  situated 
in  the  Vallee  de  Cauria,  or  Gavuria.f  The  vault  measures  internally 
3' 1 5  m.  by  2*05  m.     The  height  under  the  cap- stone  is   r65  m. 


FXG.  670. — Elevation,  plan,  and  top  of  covering-stone  of  the  dolmen  de  la  Vallee  de  Cauria 

(Corsica).     After  Merimee. 

The  cap-stone  itself  measures  3-50  m.  by  2*30  m.  On  its  upper 
surface,  near  the  centre,  is  a  shallow  cavity  from  which  a  trench 
runs  to  the  edge  of  the  stone,  "  evidently,"  says  M.  Merimee,  "  the 
work  of  man."  On  the  S.E.  side  of  the  stone  is  a  second  trench, 
quite  straight,  leading  into  an  elliptical  cavity,  and  on  the  opposite 


t  '•  Notes  d'un  Voyage  en   Corse,"   by  Isl.   Prosper   Merimee,   Inspector   of  the   Historical 
Monuments  of  France,  pi.  facing  p.  26. 


712  The  Dolmens  of  Ireland. 

side  is  a  third.  With  these  cavities  and  trenches  in  the  coverings- 
stone  of  a  dolmen  may  be  compared  many  other  examples,  whether 
natural  or  artificial.  I  have  noticed  those  on  the  dolmen  of 
Haroldstown  in  Carlowj  and  have  stated  my  belief  that,  where 
not  wholly  or  partially  artificial,  rocks  containing  such  cavities 
were  purposely  chosen  by  those  engaged  in  rearing  the  monument. 
One  remarkable  example  which  I  may  mention  here  is  that  of  the 
covering-stone  of  a  cist,  i"30  m.  in  diameter,  and  containing  a 
cinerary  urn,  in  a  tumulus  at  Treogat  in  Finisterre,J  another  is  the 
covering-stone  of  a  cist  at  Bakerhill  in  Ross-shire.§  The  vault  in 
this  Corsican  dolmen  is  composed  of  three  slabs  on  one  side,  two 
on  the  other,  and  one  at  either  end.  Neither  of  the  terminal  slabs 
reaches  the  roof,  one  of  them  having  space  enough  between  it  and 
the  upper  stone  to  thrust  in  an  arm,  and  the  other  being  a  mere 
threshold  stone,  the  structure  having  probably  extended  further 
in  that  direction. 

M.  Merimee  speaks  of  another  dolmen  at  Tavaro,||  in  a 
ruinous  condition.  Several  menhirs  are  also  mentioned,  some- 
times placed  singly,  sometimes  in  pairs,  and  there  is  also  the 
singular  statue  of  a  female  (2*12  m.  in  height)  called  the  Idolo  dei 
Mori^  and  to  which  I  have  already  alluded.^ 

t  P"  397>  supra.  %  See  fig.  548,  supra.  §  See  fig.  438,  supra. 

II   Op.  ciL,  plates  facing  pp.  16  and  25.  1  See  p.  666. 


^ 


END    OF   VOL.    IL 


PRINTED  BY   WILLIAM   CLOWES  AND  SO.NS,  LIMITED,   LONDON  AND   BECCLES. 


The  Dolmens  ^ 


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