CHAPTER IX. 1 CROMLECHS -CIRCULAR COLUMNAR FANES. Authorities for this application of the word Cromlech-Erected for Religious Ceremonies-Used as Courts of Justice-For the Assemblies of Elders or Senates For the Inauguration of Rulers-Being found in Groups no proof of their being Sepulchral-Groups of Religious Buildings in many Countries-Instances of Stone Circles still commonly erected in Groups in Western India-Great number of Sepulchral Tumuli around the most remarkable Cromlechs-The only notice of the erection of any of these Primitive Fanes is in Sacred History-Stones marked with Caledonian Hieroglyphics, and Cromlechs found in connection with the Sites of carly Christian Churches-Cromlechs used as Courts for the Administration of Justice-This practice continued in Medieval and up to Modern timesCromlechs, places used for the Assembling of Councils-Cromlechs of Britain-Carnac in Brittany-Avebury-Silbury Hill artificial but not sepuchral-Comparison of Avebury with Stonehenge-Stonehenge contains works of different ages-Stones of Stennis-Stanton Drew-Long Meg and her Daughters-Castle Rig of Keswick-The Roll-Rich Stones -Approaches to Cromlechs-Heppe-Kits Cotty-House-Lambourne— Classernish. IN N any inquiry regarding the primitive Cyclopean monuments the circular areas defined by separate unhewn columns or masses of stone claim the first consideration. By "On nomme Cromlec'h, en terme d'archéologie Celtique, une enceinte, soit circulaire, soit elliptique, formée par des Men-hirs plantés ou par des blocs de pierre plus ou moins volumi neux simplement posés a nu sur le sol. Ce mot vient des deux mots Celtique Crom ou Croum, qui signifie courbure et Lec'h ou Lea'ch, pierre sacrée, litteralement, il veut donc dire pierres 1 CHAPTER IX. CROMLECHS -CIRCULAR COLUMNAR FANES. Authorities for this application of the word Cromlech-Erected for Religious Ceremonies-Used as Courts of Justice-For the Assemblies of Elders or Senates For the Inauguration of Rulers-Being found in Groups no proof of their being Sepulchral-Groups of Religious Buildings in many Countries-Instances of Stone Circles still commonly erected in Groups in Western India-Great number of Sepulchral Tumuli around the most remarkable Cromlechs-The only notice of the erection of any of these Primitive Fanes is in Sacred History-Stones marked with Caledonian Hieroglyphics, and Cromlechs found in connection with the Sites of early Christian Churches-Cromlechs used as Courts for the Administration of Justice-This practice continued in Mediæval and up to Modern timesCromlechs, places used for the Assembling of Councils-Cromlechs of Britain-Carnac in Brittany--Avebury-Silbury Hill artificial but not sepuchral-Comparison of Avebury with Stonehenge-Stonehenge contains works of different ages-Stones of Stennis-Stanton Drew-Long Meg and her Daughters-Castle Rig of Keswick-The Roll-Rich Stones -Approaches to Cromlechs-Heppe-Kits Cotty-House-LambourneClassernish. IN N any inquiry regarding the primitive Cyclopean monuments the circular areas defined by separate unhewn columns or masses of stone claim the first consideration. By "On nomme Cromlec'h, en terme d'archéologie Celtique, une enceinte, soit circulaire, soit elliptique, formée par des Men-hirs plantés ou par des blocs de pierre plus ou moins volumi neux simplement posés a nu sur le sol. Ce mot vient des deux mots Celtique Crom ou Croum, qui signifie courbure et Lec'h ou Lea'ch, pierre sacrée, litteralement, il veut donc dire pierres the people of Brittany, and by Breton archæologists, areas so defined are called Cromlechs, and without doubt it would appear they are correctly so called from two words which, with little variety, are common to all the Celtic dialects1-viz. Crom, a circle, and Lech, which means either a place or a stone. By British antiquaries Cromlech has been generally employed to denote the dolmen or altar which is usually or invariably a component part, either contained in or immediately contiguous to the consecrated circular space. But any one who examines the various explanations by which it has been attempted to reconcile the meaning of the word Cromlech with the form of the monument which in England is known by that name, will be at no loss to discover that, however ingenious, the attempts have been unsuccessful. Some of the authorities in England derive it from a word signifying "a roof or vault;" others from "a suspended stone"-"a bowed stone”—“ an inclining stone;" sacrées en courbe, en circle."-Fremenville's Monumens Anciens de la Bretagne-Finistere, p. 60, Brest 1845. "On appelle Cromlec'hs des cercles Druidiques formés des pierres plantées verticalement en terre."-Souvestre's Derniers Brétons, vol. i. p. 105. From notices in Gibson's Camden, vol. ii. pp. 34, 35, it would appear that the word Cromlech or Gromlech was formerly used in Wales, as in Brittany, to denote circular columnar fanes, althongh it is commonly, but not authoritatively, used in the English language to express the Dolmens or table-stonesDruid altars. - the 1 (Armorican) Creu, round-Cruin, circular-Crom and Croum, curved, circular-Croumm, a circle; (Gaelic) Crom, a circle-Crom-nan-clach, circle of stones; (Welsh) Crwmm, curvus-Crwnn, rotundus-Crwm, a cir cle. In Armorican, Welsh, and Cornish, Lech is both "a flat stone" and " a place." In Gaelic, Clach or Cloch, a stone. See Davies's "Edwd. Lhuyd,” Archeologia Britannica, Oxford, 1707; Highland Society's Gaelic Dictionary; Fremenville's Monumens Anciens Finistere, p. 60; Souvestre's Derniers Brétons, vol. i. p. 105. others make it the people who bowed, and not the stone, etc. The form of the monuments and the simple meaning of the Celtic words are sufficient proofs that the Bretons are correct in calling the circular columnar fanes cromlechs, and the altars taulmens or dolmens-i.e. "table-stones." By circular fanes I mean those areas which are commonly fenced round by rude monoliths, and appear to have been used as places of worship. They may easily be distinguished from circles of stones, somewhat similar, that have formerly surrounded sepulchral tumuli, and, equally with those that were consecrated to religion, are generally known as Druid circles.' As regards these places of worship this name is not inappropriate, for, by whatever people reared, there can be little doubt that in Britain they were occupied by the Druids prior to the introduction of Christianity; and it is certain that thereafter these temples were occasionally or generally used as places of worship for the early Christians. Before entering on a description of these fanes it is necessary to state the objects for which it would appear they were used; and afterwards to give the evidence on which that opinion is formed. An examination of such facts as we possess leads to the conclusion that cromlechs were erected as temples of religion-that they were used as courts of justice-for the inauguration of kings and rulers—and were also occupied by the assemblies of elders in those local or national senates which formed part of the organisation of a Celtic community.2 1 1 Druid is used in Gaelic for circle. 2 Many arguments might be used to prove that the Celts had such asVOL. I. semblies. The most direct is that of Cæsar, who put to death the whole senate of the Veneti; and the senate P |