Chapter 1 of 9 · 2756 words · ~14 min read

CHAPTER VIII

CELTIC ART OF THE CHRISTIAN PERIOD 254

INDEX 305

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS IN THE TEXT

PAGE The Hallstatt Sword 8 Ornament on bronze sword-sheath from La Tène 11 Gaulish helmet of bronze from Gorge-Meillet 12 Chevron patterns of the Bronze Age 27-36 Bronze spear-heads ornamented with rows of dots 39 Gold lunula from Killarney 40 Longitudinal section of chamber and passage of Tumulus at Newgrange, Co. Meath 45 Plan of chamber and passage of Tumulus at Newgrange, Co. Meath 47 Spiral ornament at Newgrange, Co. Meath 48 Slab with spiral ornament outside entrance to passage of Tumulus at Newgrange, Co. Meath 49 Spiral ornament on bronze axe-head from Denmark 51 Bronze axe-head with spiral ornament from Sweden 52 Winding-band (curved swastika), sculptured on rock near Ilkley, Yorkshire 58 Cup-and-ring sculptures on rock at Ilkley, Yorkshire 59 Bronze sword-sheaths from Hunsbury 97 Silver-gilt fibulæ found in Northumberland 104 Bronze beaded torque from Lochar Moss, Dumfriesshire 112 Late-Celtic bronze spoon from Brickhill Lane, London 119 Late-Celtic bronze spoon from Crosby Ravensworth, Westmoreland 119 Late-Celtic spoon, one of a pair, from Weston, near Bath 120 Late-Celtic urns from Shoebury, Essex 123 Late-Celtic bronze mirror from Trelan Bahow, Cornwall 131 Bronze sword-sheath from Hunsbury 132 Late-Celtic pottery from the Glastonbury Lake Village 142 Late-Celtic wooden tub found at the Glastonbury Lake Village 147 Handles of pair of Late-Celtic spoons from Weston, near Bath 147 Engraved bone object from Slieve-na-Caillighe, Co. Meath 150 Fibula of bronze-gilt from Æsica 152 Collar from Broighter, Limavady, Co. Londonderry 153 Spiral ornament in illuminated MS copied from repoussé metalwork 154 Shading of parallel lines 156 Cross-hatching placed diagonally 156 Cross-hatching placed diagonally, with dots 157 Cross-hatching of double lines placed diagonally 157 Chequerwork grass-matting shading 157 Engine-turned shading 158 Dotted shading 158 Swastika design on shield from the Thames 159 Engraved ornament found at the Glastonbury Lake village 161 Handles of bronze bowl found at Barlaston, Staffordshire 166 Handle of bronze bowl from Chesterton-on-Fossway, Warwickshire 167 Handle of bronze bowl from Chesterton-on-Fossway, Warwickshire 168 Spiral ornament from the Book of Durrow 169 Cross-slab from Pen-Arthur, Pembrokeshire 181 Erect cross-slab at St. Madoes, Perthshire 183 Cross at Penmon, Anglesey 185 Great wheel-cross of Conbelin at Margam Abbey, Glamorganshire 187 Cross at Neuadd Siarman, near Builth, Brecknockshire 189 Cross at Nevern, Pembrokeshire 191 Pin-brooch from Clonmacnois, King’s Co. 221 Pierced marble screen at Ravenna 245 Regular plaitwork without any break 259 Method of making breaks in plaitwork 259 Regular plaitwork, with one vertical break and one horizontal break 260 Six-cord plait, with horizontal breaks at regular intervals 260 Cross-shaft at Golden Grove, Carmarthenshire 261 Cross-shaft at Llantwit Major, Glamorganshire 261 Eight-cord plaits, with cruciform breaks 262, 263 Six-cord plait, with cruciform breaks 264 Ten-cord plait, with cruciform breaks 264 Knots derived from a three-cord plait 264 Diagrams of knotwork 265, 266 Method of deriving knots Nos. 3 and 6 from a four-cord plait 267 Knots Nos. 4, 5, 7, and 8 derived from a four-cord plait 268 Knot No. 1, derived from either a three-cord or a six-cord plait 268 Knots 3 and 4, derived from a six-cord plait 269 Evolution of knot No. 1 from a six-cord plait 269 Evolution of knot No. 7 from an eight-cord plait 271, 272 Diagrams of knotwork 273 Knotwork from Ramsbury, Wilts, and Nigg, Ross-shire 274 Circular knotwork from Tarbet, Ross-shire 276 Circular knotwork from Monasterboice, Co. Louth 276 Triangular knotwork from Ulbster, Caithness 277 Triangular knotwork from Dunfallandy, Perthshire 278 Key-patterns 280, 282 Shaft of cross of Eiudon at Golden Grove, Carmarthenshire 283 Erect cross-slab at Rosemarkie, Ross-shire 284 Methods of connecting spirals 285 Tree key-pattern, Meigle, Perthshire 286 Key-pattern border from the Book of Kells 287 Method of connecting spirals 288

LIST OF PLATES

------------------------------------------------------ Grave of a Gaulish warrior at Sesto-Calende, I. Italy _To face page_ 8 Bronze fibulæ of La Tène type from the cemeteries of the Marne ------------------------------------------------------ Bronze armlet of the La Tène period from Germany II. Bronze armlet of the La Tène period from ” 10 Longirod (Vaud) Bronze armlet of the La Tène period from the cemeteries of the Marne ------------------------------------------------------ III. Gaulish helmet of bronze from Berru (Marne) ” 12 ------------------------------------------------------ IV. Cinerary urn of Bronze Age from Lake, Wilts, now in the British Museum. Height 1 ft. 3¼ ins. ” 22 ------------------------------------------------------ Bronze Age urn of “Incense-Cup” type from Aldbourne, Wilts, now in the British Museum. Height 3½ ins. V. Bronze Age urn of “Food-Vessel” type from ” 24 Alwinton, Northumberland, now in the British Museum. Height 5 ins. ------------------------------------------------------ VI. Bronze Age urn of “Drinking-Cup” type from Lakenheath, Suffolk, now in the British Museum. Height 7½ ins. ” 26 ------------------------------------------------------ Spiral ornament on stone ball from Towie, Aberdeenshire, now in the Edinburgh Museum. Scale 1/1 linear VII. Winding-band curved swastika on sword-hilt from Denmark ” 58 Bronze sword-hilt with winding-band pattern from Denmark Bronze sword-hilt with spiral ornament from Denmark ------------------------------------------------------- VIII. Bronze mirror from Birdlip, Gloucestershire, now in the Gloucester Museum. R. W. Dugdale, photo ” 68 ------------------------------------------------------- IX. Iron dagger with bronze hilt and sheath from the River Witham ” 92 ----------------------------------------------------------- X. Bronze harness-rings from Polden Hill, Somersetshire, now in the British Museum. Scale ¾ linear ” 94 ----------------------------------------------------------- Late-Celtic bronze fibula from Walmer, Kent, now in the British Museum. Scale ¾ linear Late-Celtic fibula from Ireland, now in the Museum of the Royal Irish Academy, Dublin XI. Enamelled bronze fibula from Risingham, ” 98 Northumberland, now in the Newcastle Museum Bronze fibula from Water Eaton, Oxon, now in the British Museum. Scale ¼ linear ----------------------------------------------------------- Bronze fibula from Clogher, Co. Tyrone, now in the British Museum. Scale 1/1 linear Late-Celtic bronze fibula (locality unknown), now in the British Museum. Scale 1/1 linear XII. S-shaped enamel bronze fibula (locality unknown), ” 100 now in the British Museum. Scale 1/1 linear S-shaped fibula of enamelled bronze from Norton, E. Riding of Yorkshire, now in the British Museum. Scale 1/1 linear ----------------------------------------------------------- Bronze fibula from Polden Hill, Somersetshire, now in the British Museum, side view. Scale ¾ linear Bronze fibula from Polden Hill, Somersetshire, now XIII. in the British Museum, front view. Scale ¾ linear Bronze fibula from River Churn, now in the ” 102 British Museum, front view. Scale 1/1 linear Bronze fibula from River Churn, now in the British Museum, side view. Scale 1/1 linear ----------------------------------------------------------- Bronze hook-and-disc ornament from Ireland, now in the Dublin Museum Bronze pin enamelled from Danes’ Graves near XIV. Driffield, Yorkshire ” 108 Bronze disc fibula with Late-Celtic ornament from Silchester, now at Strathfieldsaye House. S. Victor White, of Reading, photo ----------------------------------------------------------- Bronze beaded torque from Mowroad, near XV. Rochdale. Scale ¾ linear ” 110 Bronze collar from Wraxhall, now in the Bristol Museum ----------------------------------------------------------- XVI. Bronze armlets from the Culbin Sands, now at Altyre, near Forres, N.B. ” 112 ----------------------------------------------------------- XVII. Late-Celtic bronze mirror in the Mayer Museum, Liverpool (locality unknown) ” 114 ----------------------------------------------------------- XVIII. Late-Celtic pottery from Hunsbury, now in the Northampton Museum ” 122 ----------------------------------------------------------- Late-Celtic pottery from Yarnton, Oxfordshire, now in the British Museum. Scale ¾ linear XIX. Late-Celtic pottery from Kent’s Cavern near ” 124 Torquay, Devonshire, now in the British Museum. Scale ¾ linear ----------------------------------------------------------- Granite monolith with Late-Celtic sculpture at Turoe, Co. Galway. Height of stone 4 ft. XX. Reproduced from a photograph by Mr. A. McGoogan ” 128 illustrating Mr. George Coffey’s paper in the _Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy_ ----------------------------------------------------------- Cruciform harness-mounting of bronze enamelled (locality unknown), now in the British Museum. XXI. Scale 1/1 linear ” 136 Bronze enamelled harness-mounting from Polden Hill, Somersetshire, now in the British Museum. Scale ¾ linear ----------------------------------------------------------- Upper part of bronze sword-sheath from Lisnacroghera Co., now in the British Museum XXII. Lower part of bronze sword-sheath from ” 148 Lisnacroghera Co., now in the British Museum ----------------------------------------------------------- Handle of Late-Celtic bronze tankard, Trawsfynydd, Merionethshire, now in the Mayer Museum, Liverpool XXIII. Bridle-bit of bronze enamelled, from Rise near ” 150 Hull, now in the British Museum. Scale ½ linear ----------------------------------------------------------- XXIV. Detail of ornament on Late-Celtic bronze shield from the Thames at Battersea, now in the British Museum ” 152 ----------------------------------------------------------- Circular disc of bronze with repoussé ornament from Ireland, now in the British Museum XXV. Bronze enamelled harness-ring from Westhall, Suffolk, ” 154 now in the British Museum. Scale ¾ linear ----------------------------------------------------------- Cast of metal object (locality unknown) from the Albert Way Collection, now in the Museum of the XXVI. Society of Antiquaries, Burlington House Cover of the Stowe Missal, in the Museum of the ” 170 Royal Irish Academy, Dublin (A.D. 1023 to 1052) ----------------------------------------------------------- XXVII. Erect cross-slab in Aberlemno Churchyard, Forfarshire. John Patrick, of Edinburgh, photo ” 184 ----------------------------------------------------------- XXVIII. Bronze bell with engraved ornament from Lough Lene Castle, Co. Westmeath, in the Museum of the ” 202 Royal Irish Academy ----------------------------------------------------------- XXIX. The shrine of the bell of St. Patrick’s Will, in the Museum of the Royal Irish Academy, Dublin ” 204 (A.D. 1091 to 1105) ----------------------------------------------------------- XXX. Head of the Lismore crozier at Lismore Castle, Co. Waterford (A.D. 1090 to 1113) ” 206 ----------------------------------------------------------- Celtic quadrangular bell of bronze with zoömorphic handles from Llangwynodl Church, Carnarvonshire, now in the possession of Corbet Yale-Jones Parry, Esq., of Madryn Castle, Pwllheli. Mr. Morgan XXXI. Evans, of Pwllheli, photo. ” 210 Bronze reliquary from Lower Lough Erne, now in the possession of T. Plunkett, Esq., of Enniskillen. 7 ins. long by 5⅞ ins. high by 3½ ins. wide. R. Welch, of Belfast, photo. ----------------------------------------------------------- Bronze fibula with plaitwork and Late-Celtic ornament from the Ardakillen Crannog, near Strokestown, Co. Roscommon, now in the Museum of the Royal Irish XXXII. Academy, Dublin ” 216 Detail of ornament on the underside of the foot of the Ardagh chalice, in the Museum of the Royal Irish Academy, Dublin ----------------------------------------------------------- XXXIII. Silver penannular brooch from Ireland, now in the British Museum. Scale ¾ linear ” 222 ----------------------------------------------------------- XXXIV. Biskra woman wearing a pair of penannular brooches, the ends of the pins pointing upwards ” 224 ----------------------------------------------------------- XXXV. Details of ornaments on the Tara brooch ” 226 ----------------------------------------------------------- XXXVI. Details of ornaments on the Tara brooch ” 228 ----------------------------------------------------------- XXXVII. Details of ornament on the Tara brooch, in the Museum of the Royal Irish Academy, Dublin ” 230 ----------------------------------------------------------- Circular knotwork on slab in church of Sta. Sabina, Rome XXXVIII. Doorway of the chapel of S. Zeno in the church ” 244 of S. Prassede, showing broken plaitwork on jambs (A.D. 772 to 795) ----------------------------------------------------------- XXXIX. Key pattern, S. Apollinare Nuovo, Ravenna Vine ” 246 scrolls, S. Apollinare Nuovo, Ravenna ----------------------------------------------------------- Plaitwork of Romano-British pavement at Lydney Park, XL. Gloucestershire ” 258 Plaitwork in ciborium in the church of San Clemente, Rome (fifth century) ----------------------------------------------------------- XLI. Erect cross-slab from Collieburn, Sutherland, now in the Dunrobin Museum ” 274 ----------------------------------------------------------- XLII. Detail of ornament on erect cross-slab at Nigg, Ross-shire ” 276 ----------------------------------------------------------- Four men placed swastika fashion on recumbent pavement at Meigle, Perthshire. Scale ⅛ linear XLIII. Spiral ornament on fragment of sculptured stone ” 288 from Tarbet, Ross-shire, now in the Edinburgh Museum ----------------------------------------------------------- XLIV. Detail of ornament on erect cross-slab at Nigg, ” 292 Ross-shire -----------------------------------------------------------

PREFACE

This work is an attempt—whether successful or not the critic must decide—to give a concise summary of the facts at present available for forming a theory as to the origin and development of Celtic art in Great Britain and Ireland. By Celtic art is meant the art of the peoples in Europe who spoke the Celtic language, but it must always be borne in mind that although linguistically they were Celts, yet racially they were of mixed Celtic and Iberian blood, so that their art was possibly quite as much Iberian as Celtic. It is only since the epoch-making discoveries of Schliemann in Greece, of Flinders Petrie in Egypt, and of Arthur Evans in Crete that it has been possible in a satisfactory manner to connect the culture of Britain in the Bronze Age with the corresponding culture on the Continent. It is now quite clear that certain characteristic decorative motives, such as the divergent spiral, are of foreign origin instead of having been invented in Ireland, as was at one time believed. Other discoveries made in England, more especially those at Aylesford, Glastonbury, Mount Caburn, and Hunsbury, have thrown an entirely new light on the archæology of this country by showing that the Early Iron Age began here two or three centuries at least before the Roman occupation. Lastly, the explorations made by Continental antiquaries at Hallstatt in Austria, La Tène in Switzerland, and in the Gaulish cemeteries of the Marne district in France, point to the sources of the culture to which the late Sir Wollaston Franks gave the name “Late-Celtic.”

Celtic art naturally divides itself into two distinct periods, the Pagan and the Christian. With regard to the latter, the remains have been so fully investigated that it is hardly probable any new facts will be brought to light which will seriously alter the conclusions now arrived at. With regard to the Pagan period the case is altogether different, as most of the finds hitherto made have been due to accident, and until the large number of inhabited and fortified sites belonging to this period are systematically excavated our knowledge must necessarily remain incomplete.

I have endeavoured to give in the footnotes all the sources whence my information has been obtained, but I should like more especially to acknowledge my indebtedness to A. Bertrand and S. Reinach’s _Les Celtes dans les Vallées du Pô et du Danube_; J. Anderson’s _Scotland in Pagan Times_ and _Scotland in Christian Times_; Arthur Evans’ papers on the Aylesford, Æsica, and Limavady finds in the _Archæologia_; and George Coffey’s papers on the ornament of the Bronze Age, Newgrange, etc., in the _Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland_, and in the _Transactions_ and _Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy_.

The theory of the evolution of Celtic knotwork out of plaitwork (as explained on pages 257 to 278) is entirely original, and, simple as it appears when explained, took me quite twenty years to think out whilst classifying the patterns that occur on the early Christian monuments of Scotland, England, Wales, and Ireland, nearly all of which I have examined personally.

No illustrations are given of the pages of the Celtic illuminated MSS. on account of the difficulty of making satisfactory reproductions of them on a small scale. I have thought it better to refer the reader either to the MSS. themselves or to the _Publications of the Palæographical Society_ and Professor J. O. Westwood’s _Miniatures of the Anglo-Saxon and Irish Manuscripts_.

A large number of photographs of Late-Celtic metalwork in the British Museum have been specially taken for this work by Mr. H. Oldland, with the kind permission of Mr. C. H. Read, F.S.A. I am indebted to the Rev. Canon W. Bazeley for obtaining a photograph of the Birdlip mirror in the Gloucester Museum, and to Mr. George for the loan of Sir H. Dryden’s drawings of the Hunsbury sword-sheath in the Northampton Museum. Mr. George Coffey, M.R.I.A., of the Museum of the Royal Irish Academy, has also from time to time been good enough to assist me in various ways. The photographs of the cast of the Nigg cross were taken by Messrs. M. and T. Scott, of Edinburgh, for Mr. D. J. Vallance, the curator of the Museum of Science and Art at Edinburgh.

For the use of electrotypes of blocks I have to give my best thanks to the Society of Antiquaries of London,[1] the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland,[2] the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland,[3] the Royal Irish Academy,[4] the Royal Archæological Institute,[5] the Cambrian Archæological Association,[6] the Somersetshire Archæological Society,[7] and the publishers of the _Antiquary_,[8] the _Reliquary_,[9] and the _Illustrated Archæologist_.[10] Plates XXVI., XXIX., XXXV., XXXVI., and XXXVII. are from the series of photographs taken by Mr. W. G. Moore, of Upper Sackville Street, Dublin, for the Royal Irish Academy.

[1] Blocks on pp. 112, 123, 152, 153, 166, 167, 168.

[2] Blocks on pp. 154, 169, 183, 276 to 278, 274 to 288.

[3] Blocks on pp. 150, 221.

[4] Blocks on pp. 39, 40, 45, 47.

[5] Blocks on pp. 119, 120, 131, 147.

[6] Blocks on pp. 27 to 36, 181, 185, 187, 189, 191, 259 to 269, 271 to 273, 283.

[7] Blocks on p. 142.

[8] Blocks on pp. 147, 161.

[9] Blocks on pp. 104.

[10] Plate XXXIV.

CELTIC ART IN PAGAN AND CHRISTIAN TIMES