574 MOHUMF.NT1L REMAINS. 



tombs, but that in after times sacrifices were performed upon them 

 to the heroes deposited within. Mr. Keiller preserves an account 

 of King Harold hawing been interred beneath a tomb of this kind 

 in Denmark, and Mr. Wright discovered in Ireland a skeleton 

 deposited under one of them. The great similarity of the monu. 

 ments throughout the north, Mr. Pennant obserfes, evinces the 

 same religion to have been spread in every part, perhaps with 

 some slight deviations. Many of these monuments are both British 

 and Danish ; for we find them where the Danes never penetrated. 

 The cromlech, or cromleh, chiefly differs from the A'/aY-i-ar/i, 

 in not being closed up at the end and sides, that is, in not scrfciuch 

 partaking of the chest. like figure ; it is also generally of larger 

 dimensions, and sometimes consists of a greater number of stones ; 

 the terms cromleh and kist-vaen are however indiscriminately used 

 for the same monument. The term cromlech is by some derived 

 from the Armoric word crum, ** crooked or bowing," and leh 

 " stone," alluding to the reverence which persons paid to them 

 by bowing. Rowland derives it from the Hebrew words carem. 

 luach) signifying a u devoted or consecrated stone." They are 

 called by the vulgar coetrie Arthor y or Arthur 's quoits, it being 

 a custom in Wales as well as Cornwall to ascribe all great or won. 

 tlerfal objects to Prince Arthur, the hero of those countries* 



ROCKING STONES LOGAN ROCKS. 



Of these stone.s the ancients give us some account. Pliny 

 says, that at Harpasa, a town of Asia, there was a rock of such a 

 wonderful nature, that if touched with the finger it would shake, 

 but could not be moved from its place with the whole force of the 

 body. Ptolemy Hephestion mentions a gygonian stone near the 

 ocean, which was agitated when struck by the stalk of an asphodel, 

 but could not be removed by a great exertion of force. The 

 word gygonius seems to be Celtic j for giaingog signifies motitans y 

 the rocking-stone. 



Many rocking stones are to be found in different parts of this 

 island ; some natural, others artificial, or placed in their position 

 by human art. In the parish of St. Leven, Cornwall, there is a 

 promontory called Castle Treryn. On the western side of the 

 middle group, near the top, lies a very large stone, so evenly 

 poised that any hand may move it from one side to another ; yet it 

 is so fixed on its base, that no lever nor any mechanical force can 



