Theory as to the Origin of the Crosses 303 



THEORY AS TO THE ORIGIN OF THE CROSSES 



OUTLINE 



On the supposition that the Ruthwell and Bewcastle crosses 

 were produced at about the same time, and under the same general 

 influences, the theory of production must take account of three 

 factors : 



I. The power — political, social, or religious — ^which enabled and 

 suggested the production. 



II. The motive or motives — reUgious, social, or political — which 

 actuated the production. 



III. The cultural and artistic antecedents and environment de- 

 manded by the production. 



I. In the case of the Ruthwell and Bewcastle crosses, the power 

 which enabled and suggested the production must have had these 

 characteristics : 



1. It must have been a power extending over the whole region 

 which includes, both Ruthwell and Bewcastle. 



2. It must have been a power which could make itself respected 

 in a rude age ; and, to have been supremely effective, it must have 

 been a power making appeal to all the various nationalities which 

 occupied the region. 



II. The motives actuating such a production, whether religious, 

 social, or political, must have been such as can be reasonably assigned 

 to the individual or organization credited with the production. 

 These motives, considering the territory in which the crosses are 

 found, might conceivably be such as these — some or all : To erect 

 a memorial of the Christian faith ; to establish a station for Christian 

 worship ; to commemorate a historic event or individual ; to con- 

 ciliate the various elements of the population which should viev\- 

 the monument ; incidentally to subserve a political end, by reminding 

 the inhabitants of that region of the sway of the organization or 

 individual at whose instance the crosses were erected. 



III. In considering the cultural and artistic antecedents and en- 

 vironment, we must remember the variety of features which the 

 crosses exhibit. Among these, none is of more importance with 

 reference to the date than the figure-sculpture, pointing to the 12th 

 century, and to analogues existing upon French and Italian soil, 

 or, if upon English soil, due to Continental, and probably to French 



(91) 



