102 CUP-SHAPED AND OTHER LAPIDARIAN SCULPTURES. 



Part III. — Views concerning the Significcmce of Cup-shaped and other Primitive 



Sculptures. 



The Balder Stone, near Falkoping, Sweden ; first described by Prof. 

 Nilsson, who considers it as a sacrificial altar used in the worship of 

 Baal ; the Willfara slab similarly employed, according to his opinion ; 

 he ascribes the introduction of bronze in the North of Europe to Baal- 

 worshiping Phoenicians, who had established settlements in those parts for 

 the purpose of trading with the natives; the sculptured concentric circles 

 regarded by him as emblematic of sun (or Baal) -worship; their similarity to 

 ornaments seen on weapons and other objects of the bronze age and early 

 iron age ; Sir John Lubbock's review of Professor Nilsson's Phcenician 

 theory, p. 71-74. — Prof Nilsson's visit to Ireland; he believes in a 

 Phcenician origin of the cairns of Dowtli and New Grange ; the lighting 

 of the Midsummer's-night fire in Ireland regarded by him as a survival 

 of former Baal- worship ; the structures of Avebury and Stonehenge 

 in England supposed to be Phoenician temples dedicated to tlie sun- 

 god; discussion of Nilsson's theory by Prof. Simpson, who is inclined 

 to ascribe a Cimbrian origin to the Kivik sculptures; Prof. Nilsson's 

 views not generally accepted ; value of his work on the bronze age ; its 

 translation by Miss Mestorf, p 74-75. — Use of cupped boulders as altars 

 doubtful ; other views concerning stones with cup and ring-sculptures ; 

 regarded as archaic maps; as contrivances for reckoning time; as gambling 

 tables; the sculptures supposed to represent the heavenly bodies; enumera- 

 tions of tribes ; some kind of archaic writing ; served in druidical rites ; 

 indicative of Roman Mithras-worship ; all these theories rejected by Prof 

 Simpson, p. 75-77. — The markings have no bearing on the worship of 

 the reciprocal principles of nature, according to Prof Simpson ; this 

 view refuted by Mr. Rivett-Carnac, p. 77-78. — Cup and ring-cuttings 

 considered by Prof. Simpson as expressive of some religious conception ; 

 the more complicated figures on megalithic monuments in Brittany and 

 Ireland he thinks to be of an ornamental character; he refers the beginning 

 of the practice of cup-cutting to the stone age, but believes in its contin- 

 uance in later times, p. 78-79. — Prof Simpson's observations on the pre- 

 historic races of the British Islands; he thinks the question to which of 



