IONA. ANTIQUITIES. JS 



possessed of navigation. The prow and stern are alike, 

 and protracted into long curves upwards, like many of 

 the galleys of the Romans. The latter is furnished with 

 a well constructed rudder, and the rigging consists of a 

 single square sail, placed a midships, the yard being slung 

 in the centre, and furnished with braces aft. There is no 

 appearance of a provision for rowing, nor is there any 

 bowsprit. As the sail is fastened to the yard by four 

 points only, it is probable that these ships, or rather boats, 

 were but of small dimensions*. The occasional addition 

 of the ship on the grave stone, may perhaps suggest the 

 idea, that the persons whom these stones record were not 

 interred on the spot, but that it signified the tomb to be 

 honorary, like the /%f/oi/ of the Greeks, and erected to 

 the memory of one whose body lay in a foreign land, or 

 was buried in the ocean. The frequent mention in the 

 ancient poetry of this country, of the pleasure which the 

 ghosts of the deceased derived from the contemplation 

 of their own " grey stones," and the " calling on the 

 ghost " to the habitation which was erected for the body, 

 (the ^vxayuyia) present analogies between the Greek and 

 Celtic superstitions on the subject of funerals, which, 

 while they bespeak, like many other circumstances, a 

 common, though distant origin, give a colour to this 

 opinion. Thus also the Romans, 



" Gauderit compositi cineres sua nomina dici " 



and thus jEneas calls on Deiphobus, when he erects his 

 monument on the Rhsetean shore. 



The number of the tombs here is great ; but much 

 disturbance has taken place among them from recent 

 interments; and it is probable,, that many also have 

 disappeared in consequence of the progress of agriculture, 

 and the re-edification of cottages. At this moment, no 

 conjecture can be formed respecting the distinct funereal 

 allotments of the Kings of Scotland, Ireland, and Norway ; 



* PI. 30. Fig. 6. 



