Archaic Sculpturings. 



159 



variants. The simplest form of the trinity symbol is a group 

 of three dots placed as if at the corners of an equilateral 

 triangle. This \ariant repeated four times occurs on the 

 cross-slab from Sinniness (Fig. 20), in the space on either side 



Fig. 20 — Cross-slab from Sinniness. 



of the upper limb of the cross. It also occurs seven times on 

 the stone from Craignarget. One of the groups there is 

 merged in another variant of the same symbol, namely, three 

 parallel lines running upwards. The three dot variant occurs 

 in British pre-Christian coins and on the stone ball from 

 Towie, .Aberdeenshire. Its occurrence on stones outside of 

 Scotland is rare. A plain equal-armed cross with triple pellets 

 in each quarter is incised on an organ inscribed stone at Pen y 

 Mynnid, Brecknockshire. ■^2 ij also occurs on the ancient 

 silver chain from Parkhill, .Aberdeenshire. The illumina- 

 tors of the ancient British and Irish MSS., such as the Book 

 of Kells, seem to ha\e been obsessed by this variant of the 



32 Gough's Camden, iii.. p. 100; Hiibner, Tnscriptiones 

 Britanniae Christ ianae, 1876, p. 18, No. 51. 



