170 



The Bishop of Bristol 



[May 19, 



among the trees. On the edge the inscription is found, in Scandi- 

 navian runes beautifully cut, Kona let lekia stin therm auk Tula, 

 " Kona and Tuki caused lay this stone." Tuki was the minister of 

 King Canute. The body stone bore on its edges the name of the 

 deceased ; portions of this stone are in the British Museum. 



These runes have not digressed so widely from the Anglian type 

 as is the case with the runes in the Isle of Mann (Fig. 4), where 

 are about as many runic inscriptions as in England. At Kirk Braddan 

 there are no less than five in the churchyard. I select (Fig. 5) the 

 inscription which occupies one edge of the shaft whose other sides 

 are covered with skilfully designed dragons. The runes run thus : 

 Thurlahr Neaki risti Jerus thono aft Fialc sun sin bruthur sun Eabrs, 

 "Thurlabr Neaki erected this cross in memory of Fiak his son, 

 Eabr's nephew," probably but not certainly meaning that Thurlabr 

 was nephew to Eabr or Eab. 



Fig. 4. 



Kirkmichael is still more rich in runes ; there are six in and near 

 the churchyard. I select (Fig. 6) the great cross which stands on a 

 pedestal of several courses outside the gate. The ornamentation is 

 curious, having something in common with the Pictish stones of 

 the east of Scotland. The inscription is Iualfir sunr Thurulfs hins 

 rautlia risti Jcrus thono aft Frithu muthur sino, " Iualfir son of Thorolf 

 the Bed erected this cross in memory of Fritha his mother." Another 

 of the Kirkmichael Kunic inscriptions is the most interesting on the 

 island (Fig. 7). The cross is cut in relief on an erect flat tombstone, 

 as is usual in Mann and in Scotland, and has the specially Manx 

 pattern, which is so near akin to patterns on tesselated pavements, 

 and is so very seldom seen on sculptured stones out of Mann. The in- 

 scription runs up the front of the slab, on one side of the cross : — 

 Mail Brikti sunr Athakans Smith raisti krus thano fur salu sina sin 

 brukuin kaut kirthi thano auk ala i Maim, " Mael Brikti, son of Athakan, 

 Smith, erected this cross for his soul. His — Gaut carved this and 

 all in Maun." The meaning of brukuin is uncertain ; surety, tenant, 

 friend, kinsman, and other interpretations, have been assigned to 

 the word. Gaut was clearly a great sculptor of crosses or incisor 

 of runes. He had wrought all that up to that time had been 

 wrought in Mann. Where he learned his art is a difficult question, 

 if the sculpture of the whole cross is meant, less difficult if the 

 runes only are meant. One ingenious writer remarks acutely that 

 the statement cannot be true that Gaut carved all the crosses in 

 Mann, for some of them are much later than his time. 



