On an Ogham-Inscribed Stone from Mount Music, Co. Cork. A Letter Addressed to theSecretary of the AcademyAuthor(s): Samuel FergusonSource: Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. Polite Literature and Antiquities, Vol. 1(1879), pp. 192-195Published by: Royal Irish AcademyStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/20489951 .

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192 Proceedings of the Royal Iri8h Acadenmy.

XXX.-ON AN OGHAM-INSCRIIED STONE FROM MOIUNT MUSIC, Co. CORK. A letter addressed to the Secretary of the Academy by SAMUEL FERGUSON, LL. D., Q. C., Vice-President.

[Read 23rd February, 1874.]

20, NORTHE GREAT GEORGE'S-STREET, -Dublin, 2nd Fob. 1874.

DEAR SIt, -My friend Mr. Brash has sent me the enelosed paper on an Ogham-inscribed stone from Knockauran, now in the possession of Mrs. Windele at Cork, which I wish you to be kind enough to pro cure Council's permission to read at the next meeting of the Academy.

It is possible I may not be able myself to attend the meeting, and, as the inscription is one on which I am able to add something that seems to me to be of interest, to what Mr. Brash communicates, I will so far trespass on your goodness as to ask you, after reading Mr. Brash's remarks, to read also the following from me:

I agree that the principal name is Annaccanni, although to some eyes it might appear as Annaccasni, the difference being due to the obscurity of one digit in the antepenultimate group. Supposing it to be the representative of the Aenagan and JEigneghan of the manuscripts it will be for philologists to say whether the Oghamic form, according to their conceptions, betokens an earlier or a later date. On this sub ject I may observe that, within the range of my own observation, I have nowhere met a distinct example of the letter h in any lapidary Ogham text; and that if the vocalic change of ae or ei into a should be held to tell a tale of modern innovation, the absence of the h woUld seem to point the other way. I invite the consideration of philolo gists to this topic, because in the Ogham text last submitted by Mr. Brash to the Academy [ante, p. 188], the form -Deelenn drew attenition, from its apparently evidencing a change posterior to the use of the name as found in manuscripts, that is in the form Deglan; and I would wish to ask is it true that a in the one case or c in the other can be Shown, on any settled phonetic principles, to be more modern respectively than a, ei, and g? for, if so, we ought, in these characteristics, to have a pretty certain guide to the dates of the objects.

More difficulty attends the group of characters which Mr. Brash takes to be the patronymic. I conceive that what is taken for the two distinct groups u and a (three notches and one notch separably) is the single vowel of five consecutive notches, i, and think I discere all the

members of the group on the paper cast to which I refer. This would yield so far the combination Aillitt-and it seems not improbable to me that what remains is the termination of some form ofA iliter- seemingly spelled Aillittar, " a pilgrim." Certainly, I would find excessive diffi

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FERGUSON-Oygham-in.scribed Stonefromn Mount Music. 193

culty in accepting it as the supposed proper name Ailluattan. I agree that the penultimate a is indistinct, but I think I see it also, and that the penultimate group itself in its terminal digits looks more like a than r; but I observe-what makes it impossible that it should be n, that its initial digits extend far across the arris, and that so definitely as to force the conclusion that these are either the rudera of an original r, or some combination of g with three following digits not capable of any rational assimilation (unless possibly they be meant, collectively, for gal); and I think there are examples of the terminal r elsewhere, inscribed in its initial parts distinctly across the stem-line and running off in its terminal parts to one side of it.

If this be a form of Ailiter, we shall be under no necessity to tax our powers of imagination to account for the accompanying cross. It is only necessary for me, on this part of the subject, after what I have already put forward, here and elsewhere, to say that I do not concur in the theory, that this cross-or the cross in general, on such monu

ments -is otherwise than of contemporaneouis origin with the associated inscription; and that I do not conceive that any evidence has been ad duced to showthat this particular monumentwas designed to stand other wise than it appears to have been standing when first found. As a pillar, one end or the other must have been buried in the earth to such a depth as to conceal some of the characters; and that this should be so need excite no surprise when we remember that the Ogham on the pillar-stone of Eochaid Argthach was inscribed on the end of the pillar that was fo talamh, " under the ground."'

The Maltese Cross appears to be associated with other commemora tions of pilgrims. Two such crosses are appendedto the Maumanorigh inscription near Dingle, the concluding characters of which seem to read Nalilter; and a cross of the same character occupies the field of the circle representing the terrestrial globe over which the pilgrim paces, with his staff in his hand, in the curious design copied by Mr. Du Noyer from a sculptured stone at St. Gobinet's, in Cork.

I have as yet said nothing of the intermediate group, read Miaqi, but take this occasion to indicate something observable in it, which, if my eyes do not deceive me, is also observable in the group which has been read maqi on the "F Furuddran"' Tina hally pillar. [Ante, p. 186]. I refer to the apparent protrac tion, in finer lines, of the digits which, if not prolonged across the arris but confined to its upper margin, would sound q; but which, if carried over and extended beyond it, would have the force of r. In the Tinahally example the prolongations are more definite than in the case before us, and that half of the composition which would yield q being boldly and distinctly cut, suggests very persuasively that some double or alternative reading is intended. Here the distinction is not

* Another example of a buried reading is found in the Breastagh monument. See

post, page 201.

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194 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy.

so marked. The protractions are sufficiently visible at the commence ment of the group, but become less distinct at its termination. Still they are there; so that, in at least one course of reading, the group bears the appearance of having been intended to sound Mari, a sound that may have more signification if we associate with it the vowels immediately following, Miariai. But, in doing so, we should trench on the commencement of Aillittar (or whatever other sound the last com bination of digits may represent), unless it be that in this, as in other kinds of sepulchral and titular writing, the use of "<iterates" has been practised, that is of letters serving the double purpose of terminating one word and beginning the next, as, in numismatics, Edgarex = Edgar Rex. Then, whether Jtari alone should serve to express the name, or whether a double reading be intended, the tenor of the whole, assuming, that some form of Ajiliter is before us, would go to com

memorate some "Pilgrim of Mary," or " Pilgrim of the Son of Mlary," viz:

Annacanni Maqi Hari Aillittar = Annaecann[us] FiliiAlariwe Peregribwils.

This interpretation will disclose more clearly the sense in which I some time ago-although to an audience who did not seem to appre hend its relevancy-suggested the Maqi to be used, in the equally significant legend

Togittacc Maqi Sagarettos, [ogitacsss8 P1li Sacerdos.t

I submit a cast, and a photogram from the cast, of the original, that the Academy may judge with its own eyes whether the peculiar fea tures I have described really exist or not; and I invite such of the

members as may be willing to venture into the crypt at this season, to make a carefuil inspection of the group of digits on the Tinabally stone, which I conceive exhibits the same singularity of arrangement. The Tinahally pillar will be found rested on the further trestles in the first bay on the right. It will also be proper to compare the reproductions

* This name, Togittacc, appears inagreat variety of Oghamic forms, the study of which

might possibly givegrounds for determining whether these or the MS. forms, Toictheg and Toicthuic are the earlier. See observations on the name, in a letter addressed by the writer in 1872 to Mr. Prim, and published in the Journal of the Royal Hist, and Archaeol. Assoc. of Ireland, 4th ser., Vol. IL, p. 229, to which I would add a further example of its

application to a female, furnished by the acuteness of Mr. Rhys, who, in his recent

inspection of inscribed stone monuments in Wales (including no less than fifteen Oghamic hiliterals), clears up the old Tune Cetaee vxsor Daari hie jacit, at St. Nicholas, near

Fishguard, by observing :?" The stone reads Tunccetace uxsor Daari hie jacit. This

lady's name would now be Tynghedog. . . . The attempt to reduce tune, taken to be the Latin adverb, to a compatibility of tense with jacit, is quite uncalled for." I cite the

reprint from the Carnarvon and Denbigh Herald of November 29th, and December 6th

1873, and take this occasion of expressing my respect for the great learning and zeal exhibited in this valuable contribution to British pal ographjr.

f If Sagarettos be a genitive, the foundation of this speculation fails, so far as it rests on the Cahiruagatlegend. Are these os terminations, genitives or nominatives?

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FERGUSON-Ogfham -inscribed Stone from Mount Music. 195

of the inscription more immediately under our notice with the drawing which accompanies Mr. Brash's paper. I can assure the Academy that this drawing is as close a representation as any hand-drawn copy they are ever likely to receive can well be expected to be. Yet they will, if they see with my eyes, observe how very differently the digits look in the conventionalized form given them in the one, and in their genuine shapes, degrees of distinctness, and relations to the stem-line, as disclosed in the other. Were it not that a criterion so indlisputable lies before us, I would not venture to question a line of the drawing

without the profoundest self-distrust; for, if I have learned anything in these investigations, it is the knowledg,e, ever present to my mind, of my own fallibility, and a high respect for the impressions of other and more experienced observers.

I say "it," because, whilethe reading I suggest is reconcilable with the appearances, it may be erroneous. All that I venture positively to affirm respecting the inscription is that, to my eye, the q of the sup posed Afaqi appears like an abraded r; that the vowel before tt seems distinctly enough to be i; and that the final group is not reconcilable with the reading which would make it represent n.

I may add as a curious pendant to this communication that the reason why this Knockauran in scription isnot now among the Academy's collection is, that the late Mr. Windele, in his lifetime, expressed a

wish that it should be erected over his own grave. His family design ing, at some time, to comply with that desire, have consequently retained it out of the general collection which they disposed of to the

Academy. Mr. Windele does not appear him self to have regarded the, inscription as at all decypherable; but his imagination was taken with the appositeness of the cross associated with the written mystery; and if the accompanying inscription really bear the meaning which I have ventured to suggest, it will not be doubted that a more appropriate monument could hardly have been found for this earnest and pious heartedl antiquary.

I am, my dear Sir,

Very faithfully yours, SAMUEL FERGUSON.

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