KELLS/3

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.

References


Inscriptions


KELLS/3/1

Readings

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

Notes

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

Names

References