CROMLECH. 



369 



Cromlech, cavation forms three sides of a square, each of 165 feet, 

 "•"""V""-"' that to the north being open, and the whole forming a kind 

 of court. Three stones placed on the natural rock sup- 

 port a fourth seventeen feet square ; the top of which is 

 about 20 feet from the ground. But those on the con- 

 tinent are not only very numerous in particular places, 

 but far exceed the British and Irish cromlechs in size. 

 Keysler describes many whose contents must be at least 

 double or triple of those that have here come under our 

 notice. 



In considering the structures of antiquity, we find their 

 gradual progression from the most perfect simplicity to a 

 combination of various parts ; first there is a single stone 

 of memorial, an obelisk framed by the hands of Nature; 

 next are two or more at intervals, and after different 

 gradations, they appear in regular arranged circles, either 

 for the consecration of some superstitious piactice, or the 

 oommemoration of some noted event. The cromlech is a 

 rude memorial of antiquity, but it is not the most simple ; 

 and besides those we have named single, and supported 

 by three pillars, some appear resting upon two rows of 

 supporters, and there are more than one cromlech in the 

 same place. These are called double cromlechs ; one of 

 which is always of considerably smaller dimensions than 

 the other; sometimes they are quite close together; and 

 sometimes separated by a certain interval. 



AtPlasNewydd in the isle of Anglesey, there is a crom- 

 lech of this kind of large dimensions, which has originally 

 been deposited on five suoporters, though only three are 

 standing; and close to the lower end is a smaller crom- 

 lech, in which there were originally four supporters, but 

 ene is now thrown down. Mr King has given the exact 

 dimensions of all the stones composing this cromlech, 

 whence we are enabled to collect, that the largest incum- 

 bent stone approaches to a triangular figure, each side 

 being above thirteen feet; that it is five feet seven inches 

 deep in the thickest part, and three feet in the thinnest; 

 and that its total weight exceeds thirty tons. The in- 

 cumbent stone of the smaller cromlech is quadrangular, 

 and towards six feet square. 



In various other places are double cromlechs, such as 

 at Plasgwyn, where the interval is greater than in the 

 former instance; and one in the shire of Merioneth, 

 standing on a vast heap of stones, apparently collected 

 together for this purpose. But here the larger of the 

 two incumbent sloping slabs stretches over the edge of the 

 other. It is supported by five flat upright stones, from 

 five to seven feet high ; and at about the distance of eight 

 yards, is a large flat stone situated to the westward as at 

 Kits-Coty-House. Theie is a great double or triple 

 cromlech called the Hag's Bed, or the Warrior's Bed, 

 near Castle Hyde in the county of Cork, which consists 

 first of a huge stone, seventeen feet long by nine in 

 breadth, and three thick, sloping to the edges, and sup- 

 ported by stones, of which some are six feet high ; next 

 is another lesser cromlech near it, the incumbent stone 

 supported in the same way, its dimensions being eleven 

 feet by seven ; then is a third, the large stone of which 

 is only seven feet square. A fourth stone, which it has 

 been conjectured may have served as a fire hearth, lies 

 to the westward on the ground. The double or triple 

 cromlech is more common on the continent than here; 

 Woimius affirms, that one is seldom to be found single 

 in Denmark, but usually three at the same place, separa- 

 ted by small intervals. 



There are also some cromlechs of a different structure, 

 Supposed to belong to another a?ra; BHch as a Btone of a 



lozenge shape, resting on two pillars, on the top of a hill Cromlech, 

 in the county of Down in Ireland ; one 5 feet high, the ^T~"~ ' 

 other only 3. There is likewise a cromlech in the same 

 county, supported by two rows of seven pillars. 



Such are a few of the cromlechs still extant; frorr* 

 which it appears that there are slight varieties in the 

 structure, but that almost all of them rest on only three 

 supporters, and are in an inclined position. These cir- 

 cumstances are sufficient to prove that they are the work 

 of man, otherwise we might be apt to consider their pre- 

 sent site as produced by some convulsion of the earth, 

 or that by gradual detrition, they have been allowed t» 

 remain incumbent on fragments. 



It is universally maintained, that the cromlech owes its 

 origin to a barbarous people utterly unacquainted with the 

 arts. But difficulties of no easy solution occur respecting 

 the modes which must have been practised to erect them ; 

 more especially when, at this day, the ablest mechanics 

 can scarcely accomplish the conveyance of bodies extreme- 

 ly ponderous by land. Neither is simple conveyance the 

 sole obstacle in the erection of a cromlech ; for some 

 stand on elevated places, and others on the summit of 

 hills. Mr Rowland assumes, that the mode of elevating 

 them was by forming " small aggeres or mounts of firm 

 and solid earth upon an inclined plane, flatted and level- 

 led at top; up the sloping sides of which they might, 

 with great wooden levers upon fixed fulciments, and with 

 balances at the ends of them, to receive them into pro- 

 portionable weights and counterpoises, and with hands 

 enough to guide and manage the engines ; I say, they 

 might that way, by little and little, heave and roll up 

 those stones they intended to erect on the top of the hil- 

 lock, where, laying them along, they might dig holes in 

 that earth at the end of every stone intended for a co- 

 lumn or supporter, the depth of which holes were to be 

 equal to the length of the stones ; and then (which was 

 easily done) to let slip the stones into these holes straight 

 on end ; which stones, so sunk and well closed about 

 with earth, and the tops of them appearing level to the 

 top of the mount, on which other flat stones lay, it 

 was only placing those incumbent flat stones upon the 

 tops of the supporters, duly poised and fastened, and ta- 

 king away the eai th from between them almost to the 

 bottom of the supporters ; then there appeared what we 

 now call our Stonehenge, Rollrick, and our cromlech, and 

 where there are no incumbent stones, our standing co- 

 lumns and pillars." Nearly the same opinions have been 

 adopted by all succeeding authors. 



But an enquiry far more interesting than the mere 

 erection of the structure itself, is the purpose for which 

 it was designed ; and on this subject the greatest diversi- 

 ty of sentiment prevails among the learned. The various 

 theories, however, may chiefly be reduced to two; one 

 contending that the cromlech is an altar for the sacri- 

 fice of human victims ; the other that it is a monument 

 marking the sepulchre of some illustrious personage ; 

 and a third, that they were designed for astronomical 

 purposes. 



The name by which these structures arc presently 

 known, afford little aid to the antiquarian. They are 

 called the Giant's Load, the Hag's Bed, the Warrior's 

 Bed, the Sun's Rock, King Arthur's Quoits, Kit's-Coty- 

 House, and the like ; denominations so dissimilar as not 

 to be referable to any common or certain etymology. 

 But we should wish to see an investigation into the real 

 meaning of the word Cot, or Quoit, from which some- 

 thing might perhaps Le gathered ; for we have observed 



