168 Danish Cromlechs and Burial Customs, Sfc. 



regarded as the graves or totoba of ancient heroes, and are called 

 " leaba," beds of such an one, or else in general " cloch," the stone 

 of such an one, (See Transactions of the Kilkenny Archaeological 

 Society for 1850.) In the Channel Islands they are called Pou- 

 quelays, Creux-des Fees, Tombeaux, Autels, &c., and never crom- 

 lechs. In France, a cromlech signifies a circle; and stone chambers 

 are called Dolmens,^ but most commonly bear local vernacular 

 names. In England very few, if any, are known by the name, 

 except by antiquaries. I very much doubt if the peasants would 

 know what was meant, if you were to ask them to direct you to a 

 cromlech. The fact is that in most countries the original appellation 

 of many of these structures has been lost through lapse of ages, 

 and new names have been given to them in comparatively modern 

 times, by those who had only known them in their denuded and 

 dilapidated condition or were ignorant of their uses : e.g. in 

 Guernsey, the large cromlech at L'ancresse was not known to exist 

 before the year 1811, yet is now called "The Druid's Altar." 

 That known as " La Roche qui sonne " in the same Island bears a 

 recent name. Again in Brittany the name given to a Dolmen 

 with a gigantic cap-stone " Dol-a-Marchand," is obviously modern ; 

 and so with many others, such as " La butte de Caesar, Kerwen- 

 Tangui " near Auray ; " Kits Cotty House," &c. Many bear 

 no distinctive name at all, and are known as " cromlechs;," only by 

 antiquaries. 



The classification of cromlechs by some antiquaries appears to be 

 as far from being probable as Sir R. C. Hoare's classification of 

 barrows ; and so is the distinction drawn between " cromlechs " 

 and " subterranean chambers," where the former are supposed not 

 to have been covered with a tumulus. This classification is the 

 result of an insufficient acquaintance with the true nature and 

 original construction of this kind of monument. 



I have purposely abstained from applying the term " Druidical" 

 to these remains, because there is no reason for supposing them to 

 have belonged to the period when the so-called religion of the 

 Druids was prevalent. The exceeding rudeness of the clay vessels, 



• The word " Dolmen. " has probably no greater antiquity than " cromlech," 



