262 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



were not intended for use, but were for some religious or ceremonial purpose. 

 Whether this was so or not, it seems probable that the peculiar positions of 

 the handles would be copied from those of real shields if such existed. 



" ISTo such difficulties exist in regard to the remarkable leather shield from 

 Clonbrin. The handle forms a good practical hand-grip, like the handle on 

 the circular bronze shield (Plate XIV., fig. 5) ; but, like the bronze oval shields, 

 it is placed transversely across the oval, at right angles to the way we should 

 expect if the indentations of the ribs were at the side. Even allowing for the 

 unlikely conjecture that the shield has lost somewhat of its shape from lying 

 in the bog, and was originally somewhat rounder, it does not affect the direction 

 of the handle, which, assuming the natural position was upright, as the most 

 convenient for the hand-grasp, places the indentation of the ribs symmetrically 

 in the middle of the margin above or below, and not at either side. 



" Now, turning back to the oval bronze shields, whatever may be thought 

 of their use, the direction -of the handles, which agrees with the leather 

 shield, assumes a new importance, and opens up a fresh field for speculation 

 as regards the meaning of the indentation. It may be noted that the inner 

 circle of the three bronze shields, as well as that of the leather shield, is 

 unclosed or gapped at a similar point, immediately opposite the indentation 

 of the other ribs, thus conveying the idea of a channel of entry to the 

 boss at that point. This perhaps furnishes a clue to the meaning of the 

 indentation, possibly of magical import connected with the solar associations 

 of these shields. We do not at all realize the important part various kinds 

 of sympathetic magic played in the affairs of war and life. The early 

 literature of Ireland is quite full of references to it, and these are mostly 

 survivals. 



" The wooden shield (Plate XIV., fig. 4) may be left out of the discussion 

 at present, as there is some doubt that the flattening and indentation 

 may not be due to shrinkage, and not originally intended ; moreover the 

 inner circle is complete. Sir William Wilde, describing this shield shortly 

 after its presentation, stated : ' A very remarkable and equable indentation 

 exists along one side of the boss in the line of the lateral diameter of the 

 shield, which can only be accounted for in three ways : by the tool of the 

 artist, by pressure while in the bog, or by greater shrinking of the fibrous 

 texture of the wood at this particular point from a knot or such other 

 circumstance.'^ Sir William Wilde added that he had had a cast of the 

 shield made soon after it came into his possession, and that ' during the 

 drying process it shrunk about three inches in the lateral, but only a quarter 

 of an inch in the long diameter.'" 



1 Proceedings R. I. A., vol. viii., 1861-64, p. 489. 



