99 
The first of these “ labours ” refers to what is now called 
Arthurstone, or Arthurs Quoit, on Cefn Bryn, near Swansea. 
This is described in Camden s Britannia * It is also called 
Maen Ketti , the stone of Ceridwen. “ When complete it 
must have weighed between 35 and 40 tons/’ Motley, in his 
Tales of the Cymri , tells us that, “ A species of divination is 
still practised at Arthurstone, by the neighbouring rustic 
maidens, who have little idea that they are perpetuating (per- 
verted indeed in its object) the rites of Druidism and the 
mysteries of Eleusis in their propitiatory offering. At mid- 
night of the full moon, if a maiden deposit in the sacred well 
beneath a cake of milk, honey, and barley-meal, and then on 
hands and knees crawl three times round the cromlech, she 
will see, if ‘ fancy free/ the vision of her future lord ; if her 
affections are engaged, the form of the favoured youth will 
^ stand before her, fearfully bound to answer truly her questions 
as to his sincerity.'” 
We may suppose all this vain curiosity to be now banished, 
but in a.d. 1848 it was existing. More extraordinary still are 
the superstitions extant in Brittany about the remedial virtue 
of the stones. 
Further information on this subject may be found in SmitlFs 
Dictionary of Geography, &c., under the head “Baetylus.” 
Certain incantations brought more of divinity into stones, so 
that they really were worshipped. The Loganf stones were 
appealed to in judicial cases, to manifest the right by a divine 
decision. Other stones were supposed to speak and to utter 
oracular sayings (which notion the Druids no doubt had means 
of confirming and turning to their own benefit). Keysler, in 
his celebrated work,J instructs us on these subjects, proving 
from the Acts of different councils the worship paid by our 
ancestors; thus the “ Concilium Nannetensis” decreed: — 
“ Lapides quoque, quod in ruinosis locis et silvestribus dsemonium ludifi- 
cationibus decepti venerantur, ubi et vota vovent et deferunt, funditus 
effodiantur atque in tali loco projiciantur ubi nunquam a cultoribus suis 
inveniri possint.’ 5 
I have been informed that certain perforated stones in 
Brittany are still used for the purpose of two parties cove- 
nanting together by joining hands through the stone, § which 
is thus called to be a (divine) witness of the transaction, 
* Gibson’s Camden’s Brit., col. 741. t Llogi, to covenant. 
I Antiquitates selectee Septentrionales et Celticce. Hanover, a.d. 1720. 
§ See Fergusson, p. 255. 
