164 Danish Cromlechs and Burial Customs, fyc. 



Syria and Egypt, the northern coast of Africa, across the pillars of 

 Hercules, through Spain to Gaul, where it divided itself into three 

 branches, the northern of which terminated in Great Britain and 

 Ireland, — the southern in Italy, — and the eastern, running along 

 the Alps and the Danube, terminated near the Black Sea, not far 

 from the point where the whole stream is likely to have originated. 

 The other stream, passing through European Scythia, thence partly 

 through Scandinavia, partly along the Baltic, through Prussia and 

 through Northern Germany, reached England across the German 

 ocean. Of these two streams the former seems to be the more 

 ancient, and to have reached this country several centuries before 

 the other. 



Now this, in respect of the route of the earliest stream, seems a 

 very circuitous way of getting from east to west, and would 

 have occupied a vast period of time. But this view supports the 

 opinion I have expressed with regard to the Celtic settlements in 

 Gaul and Britain having taken place before Denmark was peopled, 

 and at the same time asserts the Teutonic origin of the Danish 

 people. 



I trust I have succeeded in making it plain that there is a 

 difference between the Danish and the British and Gaulish crom- 

 lechs, and that there is good reason to believe that the former are 

 not so ancient as the latter; and also that cromlechs of all kinds 

 are the chambers of barrows either round or long. But before I 

 close I wish to say a word upon the nomenclature of these sepul- 

 chral remains. It would be very desirable either to get rid of the 

 word " cromlech," or instead of limiting it, as has been usual, to 

 the stone chamber, to apply it to the whole monument, including 

 the tumulus and the surrounding circle of stones. This would 

 tend to remove some of the confusion which has arisen from the 

 French and English opposite use of the word, — the French applying 

 it only to the outer circle, and the English to the inner chamber. 

 If the word cromlech were got rid of, it would then be better to 

 classify tumuli or barrows, and to describe them as either circular 

 or long, and each of these again as either chambered or unchambered, 

 which I think would include all sorts and kinds. But if it should 



