466 The Grave-mounds of Derbyshire, and their Contents. 



" They seemed a boar's form 

 to bear over their cbeeks j 

 twisted with gold 



variegated and hardened in the fire, 

 this kept the guard of life." 



And again, in other parts of the poem, the following allusions 

 occur : — 



" Surrounded with lordly chains, 



even as in days of yore 



the weapon-smith had wrought it, 



had wondrously furnished it 



had set it round with the shapes of swine, 



that never afterwards 



brand or war-knife 



might have power to bite it." 



" Ah, the pile was 

 easy to be seen 



the mail-shirt coloured with gore, 

 the hog of gold 

 the boar hard as iron." 



" Then commanded he to bring in 

 the boar, an ornament to the head, 

 the helmet lofty in war, 

 the grey mail-coat, 

 the ready battle sword."* 



It will be noticed in these extracts that the " mail-coat/' 

 or " mail-shirt " is twice mentioned, as well as the ' ' helmet 

 lofty in war." Thus the passages fully illustrate the extra- 



ordinary discovery in Derbyshire, which embraced a coat of 

 mail along with the helmet and other objects (amongst which 

 was a curious six-pronged instrument of iron). The coat of 

 mail consisted of a mass of chain work, the links of which 

 were attached to each other by small rings. The links were 



* Collectanea Ant qua. 



