68 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Aeademy. 



' ]\rontes de Leon.' They are visible across the plain, ahove which 

 they rise on the average some 800 feet. Plenty of abandoned mines, 

 ascribed to the Romans, bear witness that in. olden times these hills 

 have been worked extensively for iron and silver ; zinc and lead ores 

 are also found. Justinus speaks of a Mons Sacer within the confines 

 of Galsecia, which mountain was not allowed to be opened with tools, 

 but if one of the frequent lightnings should break the ground, then the 

 people collected the lumps of gold which might thus come to daylight, 

 and they considered them as God's gift. Eisco, in ' Espaiia Sagrada,* 

 and others since, recognize this ^ Mons Sacer' as the present llonte 

 Irago to the south of Fuen Cebadon. It is not very obvious why. On 

 the contrary, there are reasons against it. There is no gold to begin 

 with, at least not in nuggets, and then, what does ' in confinihus 

 Gallcecice' mean? It is true Galsecia comprised originally a much 

 larger part of Spain (than at present). It is probable that j)art of the 

 present province of Spain belonged to it. ^ In confinihus^ on the 

 frontier of Galicia, well and good, and that may possibly do for the 

 Montes de Leon ; but if ' in confinihus^ means ' within' as it ought to, 

 then the * Mons Sacer' has to be looked for somewhere else; where 

 there is gold, where thunderstorms do break o:ff and wash down 

 portions of a mountain, where there is a mountain or hill of striking 

 appearance, and last, not least, one which is situated at a place which 

 can be described but vaguely. Such a hill which fulfils all these 

 requirements of the Mons Sacer, exists between Yillafi'anca and 

 Bui'bia ; of this more anon. But the Monte Irago lies a few miles to 

 the west of Astorga, and so it did when the town was still called 

 Lucis Asturum." 



It maybe remarked that '■'•lions Sacer'" means a moimtain devoted 

 or consecrated to some divinity. Hence to find the ^^ lIo7is Sacer" in 

 question, a name of a hill or mouaitain situated "inconfinibus Galaeciae'' 

 Bhoiild be looked for capable of bearing, or bearing this title. The 

 tradition recounted relatively to the '■'' Oueva de Juan Rata'' or mine 

 so called, near Montefm'ado, already mentioned, furnishes perhaps a 

 solution of this problem, and in the following way : — " Montefui'ado, of 

 which a descriptionhas ali'eady been given fi'om the ' Dicf^ de Geo. Univ.' 

 de Vivien, de S' Martin, may fairly pretend to be a hill or mountain of 

 striking appearance." Moreover, the "Montefm'ado," or "pierced 

 hill" is situated in the valley of the Sil, the principal river of Galicia, 

 and not far from its confines with the province of Leon ; but the chief 

 interest of the question lies in the name '■'■ Jxian Rata" and the door 

 guarded by " Janas" May not the name " Juan Rata " be merely the 



