Corpus Refs: | Macalister/1949:587 |
Site: | KELLS |
Discovery: | recognised, 1853 |
History: | Petrie/1878, 65: `The inscription lay long hidden till the base was cleared of the accumulated earth previous to its temporary removal to Dublin for the Great Exhibition of 1853'. |
Geology: | |
Dimensions: | 2.7 x 1.25 x 0.29 (Harbison/1992) |
Setting: | in ground |
Location: | on site Harbison/1992, 108: `Situated in the churchyard of the Round tower'. |
Form: | Cramp sh. A, head 10a, r1 |
Condition: | complete , good Harbison/1992, 108, speaks of worn parts of the cross. |
Folklore: | none |
Crosses: | none |
Decorations: | figural; geometric ribbon interlace; geometric key pattern Harbison/1992, 108--111: East face - Base: Hunting scene; Shaft - Adam and eve knowing their nakedness; Cain slays Abel, the three children in the fiery furnace, Daniel in the Lion's den; Head - The sacrifice of Isaac, Saints Paul and Anthony breaking bread in the desert, David plays before Saul. South Side - Base: interlace; Shaft: fretwork; Head: animals intertwined; David slays the Lion; Centaur and quadruped. West Face - Base: chariot procession; Shaft: human interlace, the crucifixion; Head: majestas domini. North Side - Base: interlace; Shaft: fretwork and vinescroll; Head: David slays the Lion; Saints Patrick and Columba. |
Petrie, G. (1878): | PATRICII{ET}COLUMBE[CRUX] Expansion: PATRICII ET COLUMBE [CRUX] Translation: The cross of Patrick(PN) and Columba(PN) Petrie/1878 65 reading only |
Macalister, R.A.S. (1949): | PATRICII{ET}COLUMBECRUX | DORIGNEMUIREDACH Expansion: PATRICII ET COLUMBE CRUX DO RIGNE MUIREDACH Translation: The cross of Patrick(PN) and Columba(PN) which Muiredach(PN) made. Macalister/1949 37 reading only |
Harbison, P. (1992): | PATRICII{ET}COLUMBECR[UX] Expansion: PATRICII ET COLUMBE CRUX Translation: The cross of Patrick(PN) and Columba(PN). Harbison/1992 362 reading only |
Orientation: | horizontal |
Position: | E ; base ; n/a ; separated Macalister/1949, 36: `The inscription is on two lines of moulding on the top of the base of the ... cross'. |
Incision: | inc |
Date: | None published |
Language: | Latin (rbook) |
Ling. Notes: | none |
Palaeography: | CISP: The lettering of the first line of this inscription is half-uncial. The T is half-uncial with a curved ascender and a flat top stroke and the Rs are also half-uncial. The L is curved and the B has a closed bow and a slightly curved ascender. The U's are flat-bottomed, with the right ascender continuing below the horizontal stroke. The M is minuscule with curved ascenders and the A is also minuscule with an extended stroke from the bottom right of the bow. The G is majuscule and there is an E/T ligature, where the central stroke of an open uncial E doubles as the flat top-stroke of the T. |
Legibility: | poor Harbison/1992, 109, is extremely sceptical about the existence of the second line of the inscription. Macalister/1949, 36--37, says that he could see it only under certain `solar conditions'. |
Lines: | 2 |
Carving errors: | 0 |
Doubtful: | no |