304 Frrevson—On the Kenfig Inscription. 
in the minds of those who have given attention to recent exami- 
nations of the Welsh Bardic pretensions :—First, that if these be the 
symbols of the Barddas, they are here, for the first time, found on a 
monument of high antiquity; secondly, that they are here for the 
first time found engraved on stone; and, thirdly, as regards their 
vocalic elements, for the first time found so expressed in Ogham 
characters. For neither in the Barddas, nor elsewhere, as far as I 
know, is there any Welsh written record of a lapidary use (except on 
stone dice or lettered tesser@ arrangeable by the hand) of what is called 
their Coelbren or Bardic alphabet, or of this triradial symbol on which 
it professes to be founded.’ 
Supposing then that this Ogham inscription contains the name of 
Merlin anmap llevan coupled with the symbols and monogram of the 
Christian Trinity, it, at first sight, will appear to depart from the 
analogy of other monuments of its class, in not affording an echo in 
sound to the associated name Pumprrus Carantorius. This tetulus, 
however, has more the appearance of a name of office than of a name 
of appellation. It seems to express a function and a mode of exercis- 
ing it, and might be rendered ‘‘ Five-wise Warrantor.”? If the allu- 
sion be to the wounds of Our Lord, then it will not be inconceivable 
that some parallelism may beintended. Into this region of mysticism, 
however, it is not my intention to enter. 
I wish a perfect cast in plaster could be procured of the Kenfig 
monument. Unless I have misled myself all along the line of research 
pursued in respect of everything on and about it, it affords proof of a 
continuing Oghamic usage in Wales after—probably long after—the 
sixth century ; of a singular turn for sculptural mysticism; and of a 
high antiquity for expressions and symbols of such ideas amongst the 
Welsh, generally thought, at present, to be the creation of compara- 
tively modern Bardic imposture. 
1 The principal objection to the Coelbren itself is, that it never hasbeen used by 
the people, and it has only been since the discovery of three initials, engraved in 
that character on a medieval bedstead in “‘ the Court’’ at Merthyr Tydvil, that its 
impugners have fully acquitted Edward Williams of being himself the fabricator of 
it (Braddas, 1, 164n.) The allegation is, that when, after the revolt of Owen 
Glendower, in the fifteenth century, the means of obtaining paper and parchment 
were denied to the Welsh, and the bards, for the preservation of their literature, 
had to cast about for a substitute, they revived the use of this method of letter- 
cutting on wood, the memory of which had still been traditionally preserved among 
them. ‘The tract on this subject contains an incidental observation which goes 
some length to show that the framers of the Coelbren had traditions in medieval 
orthography derived from authentic, though probably forgotten, sources. I refer 
to what is said (Barddas, 1, 61, 81) of the fashion which once prevailed of dupli- 
cating and triplicating, and even quadruplicating characters—a feature of old 
writing which, I believe, remained unnoticed until the divulging of Oghamic texts 
containing like duplications in this country. 
2 CarantaRE. Du Cange. 
