Celtic Mythology and Religion

THE DRUID CIRCLES. 201
protested against the proceedings, " standing outside
the circle." A remarkable reference to stone idols
occurs in a very old Irish manuscript as an incident
in the life of St. Patrick. When the Saint came to
Magh Stecht, the plain of adoration, there he found
Cenn or Crom Cruaich, the chief idol of Ireland,
covered with gold and silver,
and twelve other idols
covered with brass. Patrick aimed at it with his
crozier, which caused it to " bow " to one side, and
the mark of the crozier was still to be seen on it when
the pious Middle Age scribe was writing, and the
earth also swallowed up the twelve idols as far as
their head, and there they were as a proof of the
miracle some six centuries later.
This story may be
merely a mythical explanation of a circle of stones,
existent at Magh Slecht. The building of Stone-
doubtless referred to by Geoffrey of Mon-
henge is
mouth, who says that Merlin transferred the stones
from Ireland and set up the circles in England as a
monument over " the consuls and princes whom the
wicked Hengist had treacherously slain,"
as Scotch
legend represents the Cumrnings to have slain
the
Mackintoshes or Shaws at the feast. Stonehenge
attracted attention after the revival of learning
set in with the Reformation. King James I. interested
himself in its origin and history, and got
plans made of it by his architect, Inigo Jones.
Jones
ascribed it to the Romans, and immediately another
set it down as of Danish origin. Aubrey and
Stukeley afterwards started the theory that it was a
o