The Bewcastle Cross 239 



right and left, touching the right border five times, the left one 

 four times. Above each contact it throws off a spiral branch, 

 which curves in the opposite direction to the course of the vine, 

 touching the border in so doing. In each curled branch there rests 

 a bird or animal, devouring the bunch of fruit in which the 

 branch ends. They face alternately right and left. The two 

 creatures at the top closely resemble squirrels with bushy tails over 

 their backs ; the next two are somewhat like crows ; the next 

 two are animals with small ears and no hind legs, only a tail which 

 is curved to resemble an offshoot. The lowest creature is somewhat 

 hard to make out. At the juncture of each spiral branch save the 

 lowest two with the main vine, there issues a small shoot, ending in 

 a leaf or a bunch of fruit, which fills up an empty space at the 

 border. The top of the vine is divided into two shoots, which end 

 in two bunches of fruit, side by side, touching the top border. 



South Face} 



The south face is divided into five panels, three short and two long 

 ones. They contain, beginning at the top : 



1. A pattern of interlaced bands, forming a piece of knotwork 

 just fitting the oblong panel. 



2. A vine-scroll. This, starting at the middle of the base, curves first 

 to the left, then to the right, and ends in a bunch of fruit at the upper 

 right-hand corner. Above each contact it throws off a branch, which 

 curves in the opposite direction to the course of the vine, and forms 

 a spiral ending in a bunch of fruit. Several small shoots from the 

 main vine are interlaced with the two large branches, and two 

 bunches of fruit hang beside the base of the stem. Across the lower 

 half of the oval space formed by the first spiral branch there is a 

 dial-face, resembhng an outstretched fan upside down, reaching from 

 border to border. Lines are drawn to its circumference from a hole 

 near the centre of its upper side. 



3. Another pattern of interlaced bands, filUng a somewhat larger 

 panel than the first. 



4. Two vine-scrolls. These, starting obhquelyfrom the lower corners 

 of the base, form a symmetrical design resembling a figure eight. 

 The left vine, crossing the other, curves first to the right, then, 

 crossing again, bends to the left. Its end is divided into three shoots 

 tipped with fruit, one of which fills the upper right corner, after 

 crossing a similar shoot from the other vine which fiUs the left corner. 



1 See Figs. 18. 30, 31, 32. 



(27) 



