154 JOURNAL AND PROCEEDINGS 



castings of a like material as well as of clay, sand and mixed metal 

 have been more recently obtained. 



The palstave, or winged celt of Scandinavian antiquaries, is fre- 

 quently found in Ireland, as also the rude plain one and the socketed 

 variety. 



A bronze celt now in Berlin, Germany, was discovered in a 

 tomb in Etruria. I have not seen a representation of it. 



The sculptured stones of the great pyramid and catacombs of 

 New Grange, County Meath, already referred to as the burial place 

 of the Danann kings, bear a marked resemblance to the incised 

 ornaments of some celts. While their use is as yet considered a 

 matter of uncertainty and conjecture, I hold the circumstance of 

 finding them so frequently in river fords is strong proof of their 

 use as battle axes. 



I think only three bronze mace heads have been discovered. 

 I may be mistaken, but I am under the impression that it has been 

 stated this was a weapon peculiar to the Franks, and another writer 

 is of opinion it was borrowed from the Saracens in the time of the 

 Crusades. Anyway, mention is made of a church dignitary, who was 

 averse to shedding blood with such a carnal weapon as the sword. 

 After a desperate resistance he was made prisoner on the battle- 

 field, and confined in the tower. The Sovereign Pontiff demanded 

 his immediate release, as one of the church's children. The Plan- 

 tagenet king in reply forwarded to Rome the battered coat of mail 

 his captors had found under the prelate's ecclesiastical habit, with the 

 query, " Is this your son's coat or no ? Does your HoUness recog- 

 nize in this implement (the mace), with which he brained two of our 

 trusty knights, any resemblance to a bishop's pastoral staff?" History 

 does not inform us regarding the result. We may hope the warlike 

 prelate ultimately obtained his liberty, and that his Majesty was sat- 

 isfied with the joke at the church's expense. The steel spike mace, 

 so common in the middle ages, is alluded to by Scott in the encounter 

 between Richard Coeur de Lion and the Saracen, Emir Saladin. I 

 understand it is represented also in battle scenes from the Assyrian 

 palaces. 



Pillar and Ogham Sto7ies. — These have been for many years 

 the cause of some little discussion and controversy among Irish an- 

 tiquarians. Although bracketed as above, perhaps it were better to 

 separate them into plain or pierced and inscribed pillars. One 



