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Chapter III.

LOGAN STONES AND HOLE STONES.

It has been contended by some antiquaries that the Logan, or Rocking Stones are not artificial. Now the question, as to whether they are artificial or not, is perhaps of little consequence in the research, as to the veneration and awe in which they were held by the ancients and the religious uses they consequently applied them to*. Perhaps, however, the truth is that some are natural, and produced or exposed by the gradual disintegration or denudation of rocks, but that others are artificial.

The ancients possibly considered the natural Logan Stones, and also the basaltic columns (such as the Giant's Causeway and Fingal's Cave) as the artificial productions of a prior gigantic race; and in many instances erected similar Logan Stones †, particularly where they found boulders, &c., at hand suited to their purpose.

In later ages, very extraordinary ancient productions, whether natural or artificial, appear to have been frequently attributed to satanic influence, and hence we have the class of places called the Devil's Den, the Devil's Spadeful, the Devil's Leap, and the Devil's Pig-trough ‡.

Not only the ancients held stones in great reverence which had holes through them, or were so placed as to leave a hole be

"The Druids are supposed to have appealed to these stones in their sacred rites, divinations, and judgments."-See "Gentleman's Magazine" for March 1842, p. 287.

+ There is a Rocking Stone in Soyland, in Yorkshire, called the Awse, or Fairies' Hole, with a Carnedh.-See Gough's "Camden," Vol. iii., p. 275, second edition, 1806.

See Stanford, Kidderminster, Dodenham, Martley, and Leigh.

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tween them; but the passing through a cleft or aperture in a rock, is a medical superstition, which has been found in many countries. It is mentioned, in the "Asiatic Researches," as common in the east; and Borlase commemorates it as practised with perforations of Druidical stones in Cornwall*." The peasantry in the country also fancy that a stone, with a hole in it, prevents witches riding horses, and hence it is oftentimes tied to the stable key; and such stones they also hang up behind the cottage door, to preserve the house and its inhabitants from the baneful influence of the "evil eye."

* See "Athenæum," for September 5th, 1846, p. 909; and for September 12th, p. 932.

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FROM the Amber or Sacred Stones of primitive times, we descend to the Hoar Stones of a later age, which mark the period when this country began to be portioned out, and defined by distinct boundaries.

In my account, in the first edition of this work, of the calcareous rock called Hoar Stone, situated on the borders of Sapey Brook, in Tedstone Delamere, Herefordshire*, I suggested that such stones were so called from their being white or hoary; but, upon a subsequent perusal of the late Mr. Hamper's work on the subject, it appears evident that they were so called on account of their being either placed or adopted as boundaries, or marks of division. He says the Hoar Stone is "the stone of memorial, or land mark, describing the boundary of property, whether of a public or a private nature, as it has been used in almost all countries, from the patriarchal era down to the days of the present generation; and that the Greek Horos,' the Latin ✓ 'Ora,' the Celtic and Welsh Or' and 'Oir,' the Armoric Harz,' the Anglo-Saxon Or,' Ord' and Ora;' the German Ort,' the Italian Orlo,' the old French

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Spanish Orla,' the Arabic

the obsolete Irish Ur' and

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Orée,' the French
Ori,' the obsolete British

Or,' the Gaelic or Erse

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Orle,' the

Yoror,' Ear' and

Aird,' with similar words in other languages, have all, to a certain degree, one and the self-same meaning, namely, a bound or limit;" and that "the unaspirated Greek Oros', denoting a moun

* See pp. 48, 49 of that edition.

+ Entitled "Observations on Certain Ancient Pillars of Memorial called Hoar Stones," by William Hamper, Esq., F.S.A., &c., published in 1832.

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tain, one of the natural limitations of vision, its root, and that of all the preceding words, may probably be referred to the Hebrew

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Hor,' or Har,' a mountain, which, in a secondary sense, seems

to be used for a termination." Of this he gives several instances, such as Mount Hor, Hermon, Ar-oer, Ar-non, &c. *

It appears, however, from Mr. Hamper's work, that I was not singular in considering that the name Hoar Stone meant a white or hoary stone, for he, in describing the notions of different authors concerning them, says, in Section I., as follows:

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"The Anglo-Saxon words on thane haren stan,' in a charter relative to the monastery of Wolverhampton, Co. Stafford, are rendered in lapidem mucidum,' under the idea of haren meaning hoary. Monasticon Angl.,' i., p. 989."

The following, from Mr. Hamper's work, also are interesting, as bearing upon our subject:

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"The boundaries of Codeston, now Cutsdean, Co. Worcester, are described in the Anglo-Saxon of Heming's Cartulary,' p. 348, as coming on thæne haran stan, of thane haran stan andlang grenan weyes,' which is translated, in Nash's Worcestershire,' Vol. ii. App., p. 45, on to the grey stone, from the grey stone along the green way.'

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66 Mr. Nichols informed the writer that the translations from Heming, in the above-named history, were by the editor of Camden.'"

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This author, speaking of a Roman station at Birmingham, says, he can find no vestiges remaining, though the most likely place is Wor-ston,' which he interprets Wall-stone,' part of the Ikeneld Street being called Warstone Lane in passing through that neighbourhood. History of Birmingham,' third edition,

p. 221."

"The stone itself is mentioned in deeds as late as A.D. 1676."

Also, see "Gentleman's Magazine" for November 1840, upon the subject.

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In Humberston Field, Co. Leicester, the apex of a rock, rising considerably above the ground, is called Holstone, which Mr. Nichols conjectures to be a corruption of Holy-stone; adding, that in Dorsetshire, and the other western counties, these holy stones are very frequent, and by the common people sometimes called Hell-stones, a name deducible either from helian, to cover or conceal, or rather from heilig, holy.'-' History of Leicestershire,' Vol. iii., Part 2, p. 981, Note 2."

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"DUDLEY.

The Rev. John Dudley, under the signature of J. D., in the 'Gentleman's Magazine' for 1813, Part 1, p. 318, calls the stone mentioned in the last extract, Hoston-stone, or Hoston, mean ing, probably, High-stone *.*

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"WATSON.

In an account of Druidical remains at Halifax, in Yorkshire, by the Rev. John Watson, Archæologia,' Vol. ii., p. 353, it is said, that the Rocking Stone is situated so as to be a boundary mark between the two townships of Golcar and Slaighthwait, and gives the name of Hole-stone Moor to the adjoining grounds, corrupted, as I take it (adds Mr. Watson, p. 356), from Holy-stone, or Holed-stone.'

In Section III., Mr. Hamper gives a list of a great number of Hoar Stones, or places named from them; namely, about seventyfive in England, two in Scotland, and eighteen in Wales. Of those in England, the following fourteen are in Worcestershire :Worcestershire.-The Hore-stone in the Foreign of Kidder

minstert.

Hore-stone Field, in Northfield, so called in a deed, A.D. 1687, though corrupted into the Oar-stone Field, in particulars of Northfield Manor, &c., for sale, A.D. 1820.

* But see pp. 369, 370, as to Mr. Dudley's subsequent opinion.

This stone is noticed in the Ordnance Survey Map. The farm there is called the Hoar-stone Estate, which is situated within one mile of Bewdley and two miles of Kidderminster. Also see "Codex Dip.," No. 415, 415 App., Vol. vi., as to a place called Hore-stán.

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