174 Mr. George Tate on Ancient Sculptured Rocks, 8fc, 



recent period, by the herdsmen on the grassy plains of Bnrgh 

 and Rockliff Marshes in Cumberland. But from the descrip- 

 tion of these figures, they appear to have been serpentine 

 and spiral, and more related to the New Grange and Brit- 

 tany sculptures than to the Northumbrian symbols. 



Reference there is, to inscribed stones in the Welsh Triads, 

 which say, that on the Stones of Gwidden-Ganhebon, " one 

 could read the arts and sciences of the world; the astronomer 

 Gwydon-ap Don was buried at Caernarvon under a Stone of 

 Enigmas." 



In Marstrund, a Norwegian and Lapland tale, there is a 

 reference to traditions respecting inscribed rocks in Lapland; 

 and I quote this, as suggestive of a line of research — " Mai- 

 strund sprang upon a high block, and he observed with aston- 

 ishment, that, the circle in which the tent stood was quite 

 regular in appearance. All these pieces of rock appeared to 

 have been hewn square, and they were marked loith curious 

 lines and furrows, which could not be the result of accident. 

 He had often before, heard of magic and sacrificial circles of 

 the Lapps on the mountains, and he doubted not that this 

 was a "Saita, which was dedicated to one of their many 

 deities." 



Following out the idea of the inscriptions being religious 

 symbols, the records of the religion of the Celts and of the 

 character, functions, and influence of the Druids, may help 

 us to a little more definite notion of their meaning. This 

 religion was somewhat in advance of mere Fetichism ; for it 

 recognised superior powers ruling in the world, one being 

 regarded as chief; it is probable too, though the evidence of 

 this is not distinct, that the worship of the sun and the 

 heavenly bodies formed part of its ritual ; it inculcated the 

 immortality of the soul, along with the doctrine of metemp- 

 sychosis, or the passage of the soul at death into another body ; 

 yet it rose not to the sublime truth of one great first cause ; 

 and it was encumbered with some of the remains of Fetichism 

 — magical and necromantic rites. '* In Britain" says Pliny, 

 " the magic arts are cultivated with such astonishing success 

 and so many ceremonies at this day, that the Britons seem 

 capable of instructing even the Persians themselves in these 

 arts." "They pretend" says Mela, "to discover the designs 

 and purposes of the gods." Besides being the priests of this 

 religion, the Druids were legislators, judges, school-masters, 

 and philosophers; they discussed many points concerning 

 the heavenly bodies, the motion and extent of the universe 



