The Motive or Motives ivhich Actuated the Prodtdction 323 



II: THE MOTIVE OR MOTIVES WHICH ACTUATED 

 THE PRODUCTION 

 The various purposes with which crosses were erected during the 

 earher Middle Ages are to some extent touched upon in the quota- 

 tions that follow. In some cases, other motives than those here 

 specified may perhaps be inferred from the character of the ornamen- 

 tation or inscriptions, the situation where the crosses are found, or 

 the dispositions and aims of those instrumental in the erection. 



The object of the erection of the more important free standing crosses 

 was not as sepulchral memorials, but they were intended to be either 

 dedicatory, commemorative, terminal, churchyard, or wayside crosses, 

 being always placed in a prominent position, so as to attract the attention 

 of the passer-by, and direct his mind to the contemplation of holy things, 

 and more especially the Crucifixion and Resurrection of our Lord.^ 



The inscriptions upon the high crosses of Ireland show that these 

 monuments were not sepulchral, because in cases where names of persons 

 are mentioned they are known to have been buried elsewhere.^ The 

 cross in Kells churchyard is inscribed, ' Patricii et Columbse Crux ' 

 (the Cross of SS. Patrick and Columba) ; and since neither of the saints 

 here mentioned were buried at KeUs, and the character of the orna- 

 mentation of the cross shoAving it to belong to the ninth century, it is 

 clear that the monument is commemorative. We have seen examples of 

 dedicatory inscriptions to St. Peter upon early piUar-stones at Kilna- 

 saggart, in the county of Armagh, and at Whithorne in Wigtonshire ; 

 and Fordun relates that in the year A. D. 1260 a cross of great magni- 

 ficence was dug up at Peebles, upon the base of which was the inscrip- 

 tion, ' Locus Sancti Nicholai Episcopi.' Many of the high crosses appear 

 to have been terminal, marking the Umits of the sanctuary— as, for 

 instance, at Castle Kieran, co. Meath, the eight mile-crosses at Ripon 

 in Yorkshire, and four at Hexham in Northumberland. Most of the earlj^ 

 crosses in Cornwall are situated near the principal doorways of churches, 

 so as to command the attention of worshippers entering the sacred 

 edifice.* 



1 Allen, Early Christ. Symbolism, p. 132. 



^ On the Danish stones, cf. Wimmer, De Danshe Runemindesmoer Jeer 1^.111. 



^ Allen, Early Christ. Symbolism, p. 132-3 ; cf. also his Hon. Hist. Brit. 

 Church, p. 124. With respect to the Irish high crosses, Rivoira has now 

 shown that they belong to the 12th century (see p. 54, note 3) ; but this would 

 only strengthen the argument, since the most important of them would thus 

 be commemorative of persons who had died a couple of centuries earlier. 



(Ill) 



