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is called carn, and carn-nedh, either from its circular form, or from 
going round it in the act of prayer, cirna meaning to go round, or 
to form a circle. These mounts, like the Hermaia or Mercurial 
mounts of the Greeks, were generally erected on emimences. 
They are of various sizes, and composed of loose stones, at present 
covered with earth and sod. At top is the large burning stone, or 
altar of sacrifice. They are easily distinguished from the sepul, 
chral barrows of the Gothic nations, which were generally made of 
earth. They differ also from the small heaps, which the Irish call 
leach-da, and which they raised in memory of the dead, by throw- 
ing on the heap the first stone that came in the way. In the sacred 
carns were frequently deposited the remains of persons of rank, 
with the favourite hunting dog, breast plates, military trappings, 
&c. Such ornaments, together with human bones and urns, being 
often dug up from beneath the altar stone, or not far from the gul- 
lan, or lofty and lone obelisk. The latter was erected for religious 
purposes, like “ the great stone under the oak,” mentioned in the 
sacred writings; or asa testimony of some memorable event and 
federal regulation, as in the case of Jacob and Laban; or, most 
generally, in memory of the dead, as in the case of Rachel, 
(Gen. xxxv. 20.) of Abraham, (2 Samuel, xviii. 18.) and of King 
David, alluded to in Acts ii. 29. and mentioned by St. Hierom in 
his epistle to Marcella. It appears, from the book of Joshua, that 
the custom was common among the Israelites. Among the Gentiles, 
when the patriarchal theolozy was lost, these rude columns were 
supposed to be animated by the spirits of the distinguished persons, 
whose memory they were intended to preserve ;* and hence the ido- 
latrous homage they universally received. With these pillars, a 
' * Clemens Alexan. fol. ii. p. 6. 
