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REVIEWS AND BOOK NOTICES. 



We have recently received a number of interesting archaeological 

 publications. Mr. W. Paley Baildon favours us with a copy of his paper 

 -on ' Cup and Ring Markings,' reprinted from Vol. LXI. of ' Archa^ologia.' 

 These curious primitive carvings found upon rock surfaces not uncom- 

 monly in Yorkshire, are carefully classified by the author. As regards 

 their import, there seems to be as many theories as there are monographs 

 on the subject. Many of these are quoted. Mr. Baildon, however, has a 

 new theory. He considers them to be ' ghost-houses.' Each cup represents 

 a hut, whilst the rings would be stockades or banks around them. Like 

 ■every other writer, Mr. Baildon points out that his theory explains most 

 of the difficulties with regard to the carvings. There is much to be said 

 in favour of the recent theory, but who can say whether it is correct ? 

 The Viking Club has just issued part 2 of Vol. VI. of its Saga Book. It 

 contains a valuable abstract of a paper on ' Danish Antitiuities in York,* 

 by Dr. G. A. Auden, which has several illustrations. Dr. Olrik gives a 

 ' Viking Saga of the Danes in England ' ; Mr. A. W. Johnson writes on 

 ' Grotta Songr and the Orkney and Shetland Quern,' and there are other 

 papers of interest. The Saga Book is published at the King's Weigh 

 House, Thomas Street, Grosvenor Square, W. 



The Norse Influence on Celtic Scotland, by George Henderson. 1910. 

 Glasgow : James MacLchose. 385 pp., 10/- net. 



In this scholarly and remarkably cheap volume, Mr. Henderson makes 

 out an excellent case for the necessity of taking greater cognisance of the 

 Norse element in Scotland than has hitherto been the case. The author's 

 special studies have convinced him that the Norse have had much more 

 influence upon the history, folk-lore and speech of northern Britain than 

 has usually been supposed. When the late Dr. Alexander MacBain 

 published his ' Etymological Dictionary of the Gaelic Language,' it was 

 ■complained that he had derived too many words from the Norse. Mr. 

 Henderson will not have this ; in fact he considers that MacBain did not 

 go far enough. The ' Norse linguistic influence ' is the main feature of the 

 book, and in a variety of chapters, dealing witii the Household, Dress and 

 Armour, Agriculture, Carpentry, Fishing, Scenery, etc., the frequent 

 occurrence of Norse words and roots is pointed out. To the archaeologist, 

 perhaps the most interesting chapter deals with ' Relics of Scots-Norse 

 Art.' This is illustrated, but is a trifle disappointing in its brevity. For 

 example we expected to find rather full reference to the extraordinary 

 wooden image found in the peat at Ballachulish in 1880, which is unques- 

 tionably one of the earliest relics of the Northmen that occurs in Britain. 

 Yet it is dismissed in a few words, and is not even referred to in the index. 

 The author is to be congratulated upon his fine piece of work, and especially 

 upon the fact that his thorough acquaintance with current literature enables 

 him to bring the book thoroughly up-to-date. 



The Danes in Lancashire and Yorkshire, by S. W. Partington. Sherratt 

 & Hughes. 246 pp., 5/- net. 



This deals with a similar subject, but in rather a different way, and for a 

 different area. Mr. Partington has taken up the study of our Scandinavian 

 ancestors as a hobby, and during his visits from place to place has made 

 ■every enquiry as to the papers, etc., thereon that have been published. 

 He has also read the articles written b}' Collingwood, Boyle, Wagner and 

 others. This has enabled him to prepare the chapters on Invasion and 

 Conquest, Settlements, Place-names, etc., etc., forming this book. It is 

 admittedly prepared to endeavour to create an interest in the study of 

 the early Danish occupants of Lancashire and Yorkshire. It is written in 

 simple language — even amateurish at times — and bears evidence of careless 

 proof-readmg. The words ' and Yorkshire ' have evidently been added at 

 a later stage, as the author is obviously more at home in Lancashire, and 

 deals very largely with that county. There is a portrait of Canute as 

 frontispiece. At a crown, the volume is cheap. 



1910 July I. 



