290 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



subject will be found elaborately worked out. artistically, topographically, 

 and chronologically, in Romilly Allen's Early Vlirislum Mo nv maris of Scotland; 

 but the author of thar magnificent book makes no attempt to explain the 

 symbols— of which, indeed, no satisfactory explanation has as yet been 

 ottered. 



1 have devoted some attention to this problem, taking into account the 



: that the Bymbols are also used in the decoration of metal objects, and 

 sometimes in graffiti 1 have considered the symbols in turn as marks of tribe 

 or of trade : as Christian emblems : and even as the characters of some hiero- 

 idlabic writing. In everj case I have found insuperable 

 objections to the interpretation attempted. 1 find myself at last forced to 

 adopt the conclusion that they are not Christian symbols at all, but Pagan ; 

 thai they arc probably marke ited, in the minds of those who made 



use of them, with different deities, surviving and nourishing side by side with 

 a newly introduced Christianity. They are in fact invocations of the various 

 u gods, just as we may see invocations I I or of Thoron pagan Runic 



riptiona. When Christianity was first introduced among the Picts, they 

 did not see theii way to abandon their ancient gods all at once. For a time 

 thej themselves right with th of their fathers and with 



the lies Faith ; t ii--y carved on their monuments the symbols of the old and 

 the ' the new. 1 The Bret group ol stones, then, are on this theory 



I' \% in monument the missionaries 



could fully enforce that exclusion of all oth< which is a cardinal 



principle of ( Christianity ; the third group belong to a time w hen the old g 



had, and when I had triumphed. 



1 tgham inscriptions, which have taxed in 

 vain the l.i-t resources ol oui mot : philologists — as well at some 



of the others — to interpret. Most of I grave-formula* in 



the Pictish langu . . and its verj 



place in the _ inkuown, \\<- can have very little 



hope [-standing them. Bui others look like something 



. and I - i of pagan Pictish 



rhis - ed an interpretation as il may appear to be, for 



on o 3 y in the thi ashion is 



ied into Christianity, and the only inscription on the stone i- an invoca- 

 tion ol the Christiai We may compare the "ejaculation" l'XK, 



'The famous < Kir »\ a font, which bears i sculptured figure of Tim? incongruously 

 with Christian gyrabo - Profi or George 



cbure, Thunor ti ■ nr (Loudon : Williams & Norgate, 1878). 



