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The deviation of a church from true east and west is frequently 

 made apparent to the eye by a sun-dial upon its southern wall, 

 when either the face of the dial is set at an angle with the wall to 

 be true east and west, or the "gnomon" or hand is set obliquely 

 so as to correct the erroneous orientation of the wall — this is so 

 with the dial on Penrith Church. 



Closely allied to the orientation of churches is the apphcation 

 of the same idea to the burial of the dead, from the earliest times. 

 Bourne, in his book on "Popular Antiquities," quotes Cassalion, a 

 writer in the fourth century, as saying : "The faithful of old were 

 so observing of this ceremony of looking towards the east, that 

 they not only strictly observed it in their prayers when living, but 

 even when they were dead their bodies were placed with their 

 faces upwards in the sepulchre looking towards the east." 



The "Giant's Grave," in Penrith churchyard, is perhaps as 

 complete an illustration of ancient sepulchral orientation as can be 

 found. It has a high pillar, surmounted by a cross, at each end 

 of the grave ; the crosses, though much defaced, are still unmis- 

 takeably indicated. The grave has an orientation four degrees 

 more northerly than the church ; and, if set to the rising sun, the 

 burial took place either about the end of April or the middle of 

 August. The grave having an orientation distinct to that of the 

 church, appears to indicate a greater antiquity than that of the 

 original church, which, if then built, would have naturally ruled 

 the orientation of the grave. 



Although more remotely connected with our special subject, the 

 discredit attached to the ground on the north side of the church is 

 too curious to remain unnoticed ; our forefathers considered the 

 south side of the church as the only properly sacred ground. That 

 at the east end and at the west end might in case of necessity, 

 arising from over-crowding, be ventured upon ; but the north side 

 was in every way diabolical — the haunt of evil spirits, and the 

 place of burial for the unbaptised, the excommunicated, and the 

 suicide. The history of any old churchyard in a sparsely-populated 

 place will illustrate this ; we may still find instances where the 

 ground on the south side of the church is crowded with graves, 



