BAUi COMMENTS BY TATE. 83 



"As the functions of the Druids were varied", he observes, "so might 

 these sacred stones be used for several purposes. On them, as altars, sacri- 

 fices may have been slain to avert either personal or state calamities ; some 

 of the figures may be the hieroglyphics of the gods to whom they were 

 dedicated ; the philosophical views of the Druids may be symbolically rep- 

 resented in the circles combined with circles on the Routing Linn Stone,* 

 which, situated in a wild district and probably in the midst of forests, would 

 be such a place as the Druids would choose, wherein to teach their occult 

 doctrines and practise their superstitious rites. Some of the groups of the 

 concentric circles may show their idea of the motion of the heavenly bodies; 

 and the radial lines might set forth the 'influence and ability of the immor- 

 tal gods,' as extending through and beyond the orbits of the heavenly 

 bodies; the plant-like figures might enable them to expound 'the nature of 

 things,' as seen in vegetation ; possibly the grooves passing from the centre 

 of one system of circles to another might symbolize the passage of a soul 

 from one state of being into another and a higher state. And in addition, 

 I cannot but think that one of the chief uses of those sacred stones was for 

 magic and necromancy. The religious and philosophical significancy of 

 the figures would add to their impressiveness on the popular mind, when 

 used for this purpose, and magnify the mysterious power of the Druid 

 priest or magician when he cast a horoscope, or endeavored by incantations 

 to avert personal or public calamities." 



These passages, I repeat, contain Mr. Tate's suggestions as to what the 

 significance of the sculptures possibly might be, being by no means intended 

 to convey a matured opinion ; and in order to show how far he is from con- 

 sidering the problem as solved, I quote here the concluding paragraph of 

 his work : — 



"Those who are not content unless every mystery is fully explained 

 may feel dissatisfied, that after all the labor and research bestowed on the 

 inscribed rocks, we cannot read them off" as from a lettered book. Before, 

 however, more definite results can be arrived at, further investigations must 

 be made in other parts of the world. Two lines of research may yield 

 information ; one among the Laps in the far North, and the other, with 



* Represented on Plate I of his worli. 



