An gaidheal - National Library of Scotland

Afay, 1873.THE GAEL.by any artificial process of galvanizedvitality. All I say is that, where itlives, and so long- as it lives, it shouldbe used, and used wisely; and thatthe idea of violently stamping out amother tongue is barbarous and contraryto all sound principles of populareducation. If these matters weremanaged with any regard to natui-alpropriety and educational principle,it ought to be accounted as great apractical absurdity to plant a schoolmasterin a Highland glen who doesnot know Gaelic, as to appoint a manto teach Latin in a university whodoes not know English.RUINS AT lONA—CELTICART.At the usual monthly meeting ofthe Society of Antiquai-ies in Edinburgh,a paper was read on the historyof the ruins at lona, by W. F. Skene,LL. D. The chapel of St. Oran mayreach back to the twelfth centiuy;but the monastery was founded byReginald, Lord of the Isles, who ruledfrom 1166 to 1207, and who is saidin the Book of Clanranald to havefounded three monastries—viz., amonastery of black monks in lona,in honour of God and Icolrakill; amonastery of black nuns in the sameplace ; and a monastery of grey friarsat Sagadul or Saddle, in Kintyre.The confirmation by the Pope of thefoundation of this Benedictine monasteryis dated 9th December, 1203;and there is an inscription on one ofthe pillars of the church itself, whichshows that part of it was built by aprior who died in 1202. Mr. Skenefound strong reasons for concludingthat the monastery belonged to theorder of Benedictines called Tyronenses,who were first introduced intoScotland by King David I. Themonastery was under the see of Drontheim,in Norway, until it was joinedto Dunkeld, on the cession of theIsles to Scotland. Between 1492 and1498, John, Abbot of lona, waselected Bishop of the Isles, and in1506 the Abbey Church of St. Mary'sbecame the Cathedral of the Isles.Mr. Skene showed, from the drawingsexhibited by Mr. Drummond,that several of the sculptui'ed monumentshad been identified as those ofcertain Chiefs and Lords of the Isles,whose burials are described in theBook of Clanranald.Mr. Drummond, R.S.A., followedwith a paper on the symbolism of thesculptured Celtic art of the WestHighlands. The sculpture on thesemonuments was too generally lookedupon as merely of an ornamentalcharacter, whereas in reality it embodieda deep and earnest symbolism.The most common emblem on themwas the cross, figured in every varietyof form, and often with the most inti'icatetracery. The sword and galley,emblems of chieftainship, came nextin number, and there were also huntingscenes indicated by dogs pursuingdeer or hares; fishing and falconrywere also portrayed. The emblemsdenoting the commemoration of afemale are the shears, the mirror andcomb, and the harp. The clergy areknown by the chalice and the ecclesiasticalbell. The mystical creatures,the grifiin and the dragon, alsoapjieared on many of the stones—thelatter being more frequently foundin heraldry. Mi-. Di'ummond alsoshowed how the style of Celtic ornamenthad been disused for monumental])urposes at the time of theReformation, but has been continuedto our own time on the weapons ofthe Highlanders, their targets, dirks,and powder-horns, as also on theirbrooches.The pajier was illustrated by uj)-wards of 1 1 00 beautiful drawings ofthe monuments of lona and the