NEVRN/2

Corpus Refs:Huebner/1876:102
Macalister/1945:445
Nash-Williams/1950:354
Rhys/1905:44
Site:NEVRN
Discovery:first mentioned, 1695 Gibson
History:Westwood/1860, 51--52, mentions that this stone was recorded in Camden, but he was unable to find it.

Rhys/1873, 6, recounts how he rediscovered this stone whilst on his epigraphic tour of the region.

Rhys/1873a, 387: `Mr. Jones and I have rediscovered the stone of Vitalianus in the neighbourhood of Nevern'.

Rhys/1874, 20: `Acting on a suggestion of Professor Westwood's...we made inquiries at Cwm Glöyn, near Nevern, and accidentally discovered the stone of Vitalianus used as a gate-post as you turn from Cardigan road to go to Cwm Glöyn Farm...This is about two miles from Nevern, and I doubt very much that the stone has ever stood in Nevern churchyard. Its exact position seems to have been unknown since the date of Gough's Camden'.

Westwood/1879, 103--104: `In Gibson's Camden, p. 638 (Gough's Camden, ii. p. 521; ed. 2. vol. iii. p. 151), a stone is described as standing on the north side of the church of Nevern...Tegid and I searched in vain for this stone as stated in the Archaeologia Cambrensis (1860, p. 52), where it was added that some years previously a cross (possibly one of two described above) had been moved from Nevern to Cwm Glöyn, a farm two miles distant, by Mr. Owen. Here ten years later it was discovered by Prof. Rhys, who has placed in my hands the rubbing from which my figure is drawn...The stone is now used a gate-post as you turn from the Cardigan road to go to Cwm Glöyn farm, and I respectfully submit that it ought to be restored to Nevern churchyard, from which it had been sacrilegiously stolen, notwithstanding Prof. Rhys's doubt that the stone had ever stood in Nevern churchyard'.

Westwood/1884, 50--52, discusses the history and location of the stone at length, but does not provide additional information.

Allen/1896, 291: `Used as a gate-post on the south side of high road from Cardigan to Nevern at entrance to Cwmgloyn Farm; taken from Nevern'.

Rhys/1905, 72: `where it was discovered by me, and whence it has since been restored to the churchyard'.

RCAHMW/1925, 263: `This stone is now placed in the porch of the church; it originally stood on the north side of the churchyard...Amongst the Lhuyd sketches (c. 1698) in the British Musuem is the following, which would appear to show that no change has taken place in the size of the stone or legibility of the inscription since that date'.

Macalister/1945, 423: `In Gibson's time this stone stood in the churchyard on the north side of the Parish Church. It had disappeared in Gough's time, presumably because it had already been removed to the farm called Cwm Gloyn, about two miles away, where it served as a gatepost. It was then lost to sight, and in 1860 its whereabouts was apparently unknown. It was re-discovered by Rhys, and deciphered by him; and has now been restored to the churchyard where it now stands on the south side, just to the east of the porch'.

Geology:
Dimensions:1.93 x 0.61 x 0.51 (converted from Nash-Williams/1950)
Setting:in ground
Location:on site
Nash-Williams/1950, 197: `Standing outside church against S. wall of nave on E. side of porch'.
Form:plain
Westwood/1879, 103: `2 yards high, triquetrous in form'.

Nash-Williams/1950, 197: `Rough pillar-stone. 76+" h. x 24" w. x 20" t. Ogam and Latin inscriptions'.

Condition:complete , good
Folklore:none
Crosses:none
Decorations:no other decoration

References


Inscriptions


NEVRN/2/1     Pictures

Readings

Rhys, J. (1873):VITALIANI
Expansion:
VITALIANI
Rhys/1873 387 reading only
Rhys/1874 20 reading only
Anonymous (1922):VITALIANI
Expansion:
VITALIANI
Translation:
(The monument) of Vitalianus (PN).
Anon/1922 499 reading only
Macalister, R.A.S. (1945):VITALIANI
Expansion:
VITALIANI
Macalister/1945 423 reading only
Nash-Williams, V.E. (1950):VITALIANI
Expansion:
VITALIANI
Translation:
(The stone) of Vitalianus (PN).
Nash-Williams/1950 197 reading only

Notes

Orientation:vertical up
Position:ind ; arris ; n/a ; undecorated
Macalister/1945, 423: `an Ogham high up on the dexter angle'.

Nash-Williams/1950, 197: `The Ogam inscription is incised along the l. angle of the face reading upwards'.

Incision:cut
Macalister/1945, 423: `cut, not pocked'.
Date:400 - 533 (Nash-Williams/1950)

400 - 499 (Jackson/1953)
Jackson/1953, 290.
466 - 533 (Thomas/1994)
Thomas/1994, 74.
Language:name only (ogham)
Ling. Notes:none
Palaeography:Westwood/1879, 104: `[Rhys] adds that an Ogham inscription most accurately cut and spaced, reading VITALIANI, exists on the angle on the right, near the top of the stone.

Dr. Ferguson, who had also visited the stone, states that the Vitaliani of the Latin text is certainly echoed by an Oghamic Fitaliani, from which he had obtained a cast (Arch. Camb., 1874, p. 331).

Prof. Rhys's rubbing, from which my figure was made, showed no traces of these Ogham letters'.

Westwood/1884, 51--52: `Along the upper angle of the stone runs an ogham inscription, for the first time represented in the accompanying Plate...The inscription occupies 21 inches, and is composed as follows, reading from below, as usual. First are three short strokes to the right (T), then four dots on the angle of the stone (E), then three short strokes to the left (F), then an obscure dot on the angle (A), and two straight strokes to the right (D), then five marginal dots with about three-quarters of an inch between them (I), followed at a little distance (1 1/4) by a single dot (A), then five straight strokes to the right (Q), and at the top are five dots (I) on the angle of the stone, which is somewhat obliquely truncated. The three terminal letters, AQI, would seem to imply the previous M to make the word (M)AQ(U)I=MAC of the usual formula; but although there is a space between the last of the five dots=I, and the dot representing the second A (which should be a single oblique stroke crossing the angle of the stone, and extending on both the right and left sides of the angle), yet our various rubbings and drawings, as well as in Mr. Brash's notice, there is no trace of such a stroke. The oblique fracture at the top of the stone may have possibly broken off some more of the ogham characters, which might have been the letters of the father's name'.

Rhys/1918, 188, criticises Westwood's reporting of the Ogham in as a `marvellous muddle' and stating that Mr. Allen's sketch (now lost) is better and more correct.

Macalister/1945, 423: `The scribe has, with apparent perversity, chosen the roughest part of the angle to receive the Ogham scores: was this in the hope that these would escape the attention of possible destroyers -- or if they should be noticed by them, that the Roman inscription might be at a safe distance away?'.

Legibility:some
Lines:1
Carving errors:0
Doubtful:no

Names

References


NEVRN/2/2     Pictures

Readings

Gough, R. (1806):VITA/LIA{N}I | EMERET{I}
Expansion:
VITALIANI EMERETI
Westwood/1860 52 reading only
Rhys, J. (1873):VITA/LIA{N}I | EMERETO
Expansion:
VITALIANI EMERETO
Rhys/1873 387 reading only
Rhys/1874 20 reading only
Westwood, J.O. (1879):VITA/LI{N}I | EMERITO
Expansion:
VITALIANI EMERITO
Westwood/1876 103 reading only
Westwood, J.O. (1884):VITA/LIA{N}I | EMERETO
Expansion:
VITALIANI EMERETO
Westwood/1884 51 reading only
Anonymous (1922):VITA/LIA{N}I | EMERETO
Expansion:
VITALIANI EMERETO
Translation:
To the well-earned honour of Vitalianus (PN).
Anon/1922 499 reading only
Macalister, R.A.S. (1945):VITA/LIA{N}I | EMERETO
Expansion:
VITALIANI EMERETO
Macalister/1945 423 and Fig. reading only
Nash-Williams, V.E. (1950):VITA/LIA{N}I | EMERETO
Expansion:
VITALIANI EMERETO
Translation:
(The stone) of Vitalianus (PN) Emereto(s) (PN).
Nash-Williams/1950 197 reading only

Notes

Orientation:horizontal
Position:ind ; broad ; n/a ; undecorated
Nash-Williams/1950, 197: `The Latin inscription (Fig. 224) is in two lines reading horizontally'.
Incision:cut
Macalister/1945, 423: `cut, not pocked'.
Nash-Williams/1950, 197: `neatly incised'.
Date:400 - 533 (Nash-Williams/1950)

400 - 499 (Jackson/1953)
Jackson/1953, 290.
466 - 533 (Thomas/1994)
Thomas/1994, 74.
Language:Incomplete Information (rcaps)
Ling. Notes:Macalister/1945, 423: `the second word...[is] unexplained. We may compare Ilvveto (342) at Trallwng; it is possibly a territorial adjective, like Saliciduni at Llywell (341)'.

Nash-Williams/1950, 197, note 1 is unsure whether EMERETO is a name or an epithet.

Jackson/1953, 191--192: `For example, Latin i and u are commonly writtem e and o in Continental Christian inscriptions, because the sounds had actually become e and o, though apparently it did not happen in Britain. This appears very rarely in Britain. Example are NOMENA for nomina in no. 448 [SDAV1/1], EMERETO for emeritus in no. 445 [this stone], R(O)STECE for Rusticae in no. 421 [LNFYL/1], all fifth century .. Final -s was dropped early in some parts, and is commonly omitted in Continental monuments. It is true that it continued to be pronounced in Spain and Gaul, or perhaps was revived, but in any case second declension -us spelt -u and -o is by no means unknown in Gallic inscriptions. Examples of this in Latin words in Britain are: no. 445, fifth century, EMERETO; no. 394 [PMCH1/3], end of the fifth century (C)ONSOBRINO'.

Thomas/1994, 74: `The name [VITALIANI] is continuing-Roman, probably of an early sixth-century cleric, emeritus implying 'having deserved (his eternal reward)'.[18]'

[18] Latin emeritus, used secularly of a time-expired military man; this single-name epitaph, suggestive of a priest and from a very early Christian location - Nevern (in Welsh, Nyfer) - uses it here deliberately (for Insular inscriptions, uniquely) in this sense.'

Palaeography:Westwood/1879, 103--104: `inscribed in Roman capital letters

VITALIANI

EMERET...

the A and L in the upper line being conjoined and the N reversed...the letters being between 3 and 4 inches high and occupying 17 inches along the front of the stone.

From the rubbing it appears that the second name should be read EMERITO rather than EMERETO as given by Prof. Rhys (Arch. Camb., 1873, p. 387, and 1874, p. 20).

Westwood/1884, 51: `It will be seen that the inscription is cut in tall, narrow Roman capital letters, the first A in the top line being united at bottom to the bottom cross-stroke of the L, which extends also to the bottom of the first stroke of the second A. Between these two letters there is a tall, straight, upright stroke, which I presume is part of the letter I. Possibly, however, the L may have formed by the conjunction of the bottom of the second stroke of the first A and the bottom horizontal bar; in which case the tall, upright stroke would be an I, and the little obscure mark an accidental flaw in the stone. The N is reversed. The fifth letter in the second line is clearly an E, and the T is followed by a large clear O, three inches in diameter'.

Macalister/1945, 423: `The AL being ligatured'.

Nash-Williams/1950, 197: `Roman capitals of uneven height, ... in fairly good style with one ligature. The N is reversed'.

Legibility:some
Macalister/1945, 423: `rather worn'.
Lines:2
Carving errors:0
Doubtful:no

Names

References