Open [36.0 MB]

SCANDINAVIAN ANTIQUITIES OF DUBLIN. 167
the Statute for the Encouragement of Archery," 1
says
"That the butts erected for archery may have been the
occasion of so me of those round hills of earth near towns
which have often amused and puzzled antiquaries."
Harrington's observation coupled with Harris's reference
to archery butts might lead to the supposition
that the mount here described had been raised for
archery practice, and particularly as there is an Irish
statute of 5th Edward IV., which ordains that in
every English town in this land of Ireland there shall
be " one pair of butts for shooting, within the town or
near it, and every man of the same town between the
ages
of 60 and 16 shall muster at said butts and shoot
up and down three times every feast day " between
Marchand July. 2 There is also the curious coincidence
that one of what are proved to be tumuli at Stein-
ness is also said to have been raised for archers to
shoot at " for while Edward was encouraging archery
in Ireland, James I. of Scotland was similarly em-
ployed in his dominions, the Scotch Act of 1425 re-
quiring every man from 16 to 60 years of age, to
shoot up and down three times every holyday at bow
marks erected near the parish churches."
It is, however, manifest that Harris did not mean
that the mount which he calls Hoggen butt had been
used for a target. His words clearly imply the re-
verse. He says that at Hoggen butt the citizens Tib and Tom.
had butts for archery and that near them (that is
the archery butts) was a place called Tib and Tom
where possibly the citizens amused themselves at
'Observations on the most *5th Edward IV., cap. 4, A.D.
ancient Statutes, p. 426, 4to, Lou- 1465.
don, 1775.