NEVRN/3

The stone was visited on August 15, 1873 by Rhys (Rhys/1873, 6).

Westwood/1879, 100: `This beautifully carved and inscribed cross is equalled only by two other crosses in Wales, namely, that at Carew, in Pembrokeshire, and the Maen Achwynfan, near Newmarket, in Flintshire, all of the three exhibiting the same general form and features.

My first acquaintance with this cross, which stands near the south side of the church, extends back to the incumbency of the Rev. J. Jones (Tegid), my visit to whom recalled scenes of former Oxford days...Partial representations of this cross having only been published[1], its four sides were for the first time given to the public by myself, reduced by the camera from careful rubbings made with the assistance of Tegid himself.

[1] Gentleman's Magazine, vol. iii; Journal of Archaeological Association, vol. i. p. 145; Journal of Archaeological Institute, vol. iii. p. 71'.

Nash-Williams/1950, 200: `Standing in the churchyard near SE. angle of S. transept'.

Macalister/1949, 174: `A sculptured stone cross'.

Nash-Williams/1950, 198--199: `Free-standing composite pillar-cross, comprising a separate quadrangular shaft and a combined neck and wheel-head, joined by a mortise (shaft) and tenon (neck) joint. 156" h. overall. Shaft, 121" h. x 26 1/2" w. (bottom), reduced at a height of 39" (i.e. next above the lateral offsets of the butt) to 24" and diminishing to 21 1/2" (below shoulders) x 18--16" t. Shoulders, 6" h. x 23 1/2" w. Neck, 5 1/2" h. x 10 1/2" w. Head, 23--4" diam. x 7" t....The shaft is reduced in thickness towards the top by a deep chamfered offset, partly recessed, behind. The base of the shaft is increased in thickness by slight lateral offsets forming a butt. The wheel-head is of Anglian type, with expanded arms with moulded edges, plain wheel, and four large round bosses symmetrically disposed in the rounded interspaces. The cross is decorated on all faces with carved patterns in low relief'.

Westwood/1876, 102: `Fenton adds the following notice of a legend respecting this cross :-- `George Owen has a whimsical reference to this stone, when talking of the patron day of this parish, the 7th of April, on which day the cuckoo is said to begin his note, saying--- ``I might well here omit an old report as yet fresh, of this odious bird, that, in the old world, the parish priest of this church would not begin mass until this bird, called the `citizen's ambassador,' had first appeared and began her note on a stone called St. Byrnach's Stone, being curiously wrought with sundry sorts of knots, standing upright in the churchyard of this parish: and one year staying very long, and the priest and the people expecting her accustomed coming (for I account this bird of the feminine gender), came at last, lighting on the said stone, her accustomed preaching-place, and being scarce able once to sound the note, presently fell dead. This vulgar tale, although it concern in some sort church matters, you may either believe or not without peril of damnation.'' ' (p. 542.)'

Westwood/1879, 100--103: `The ornamentation of the four sides of this cross is of that kind to which the term Runic knots and circles has been perpetually misapplied. It is however not of Scandinavian but of Celtic origin, and is found in all the earliest Christian British and Irish monuments, both of stone and metal, as well as in MSS. That it does occur indeed on some stone monuments with Runic inscriptions in the Isle of Man and elsewhere is true, but it nowhere occurs in Scandinavia, nor in Teutonic countries, and therefore, as indeed historic records prove, its occurrence with Runic inscriptions is due to Scandinavian visitors adopting the ornamentation with the religion of the country they resorted to.

It will be seen from the engraving that the shaft of the cross consists on each side of a series of compartments, each containing a differently arranged interlaced ribbon or other characteristic pattern; thus resembling the ornamented shaft of some of the gigantic initial letters in the early MSS. of the Gospels above alluded to, which may indeed be said almost truly to represent the shafts of these great crosses reduced to the size of a miniature, thus proving the identity of the workmanship as well as of the workmen by whom both classes of monuments were executed.

Taking the representations of the Nevern cross as they occur in the accompanying plate, it will be seen that in addition to the endless variety of the interlaced ribbon patterns (each ribbon having an incised line running along its centre), the south side has at its base a raised pattern of classical design resembling the Grecian fret, of which a better specimen occurs at the top of the west side. Above this fret on the south side is a curious diagonal pattern formed of narrow raised and angulated lines, the general effect produced being that of a St. Andrew's cross with the spaces between the arms filled in with four pairs of incised T's placed obliquely, with the tops of each pair placed in opposition to each other. This is also the character of the bottom compartment on the east side, except that here only one-fourth of the pattern is represented, and consequently there is only one pair of T's similarly placed, with raised knobs in the open spaces. It will be seen that if the pattern on the south side were to be doubled or quadrupled the oblique T's would form a series of X's, giving somewhat of the character of the curious pattern in the compartment on the east side above the inscription[1]. These diagonal patterns have very much of a Chinese character about them, as is also especially the case with the compartment above the inscription on the west side, and that at the bottom of the north side, where four T's are so arranged as to form a series of steps in the spaces between the letters. The pattern at the bottom of the west side is another modification of these diagonal designs, and is of common occurrence on the Llantwit and other early decorated stones.

The head of the cross is of elegant proportions, the four arms of equal size, short, widened at the ends, with the spaces between the arms sunk, the depressed parts with a raised boss in the centre of each, as is also the case with the centre of the cross itself, which is ornamented with an interlaced ribbon pattern, as is also the narrowed space at the base of the cross.

[1] A curious error of the sculptor in this pattern will he noticed, the upper fil-fot cross having the angulated end of its left upper arm reversed. The ingenious manner in which the adjoining ornament has been modified will be observed'.

Macalister/1949, 172: `The whole surface is covered with panels containing key-patterns and interlacements, rather clumsily designed and coarsely drawn: they are pocked on the face of the stone and rubbed smooth'.

Nash-Williams/1950, 199--200: `Front. The cross-head is filled with two double-beaded two-cord twists intercrossing in the centre and terminating in double-beaded triquetra-knots filling the arm-ends, a type of decorative treatment found on the later Scandinavian crosses in the I. of Man.[1] The neck below bears a square panel containing a pair of interlinked double-beaded oval rings, flanked by two small opposed quadrant-shaped panels filling the rounded `shoulders'. The decoration of the shaft is in panels disposed vertically: (a) eight-cord double-beaded plait; (b) double vertical band of swastika key-pattern; (c) small transverse panel containing an inscription in two lines reading horizontally (see below); (d) double-beaded loop-pattern (but based on an eight-cord plait), similar to that used on No. 303; (e) large square of diaper key-pattern with interspersed pellets regularly disposed. Right. The arm-end of the cross-head is filled with a short vertical band of square fret. The neck is plain; the shoulder bears a quadruple triangular knot. The decoration of the shaft is in panels disposed vertically: (a) irregular six-cord double-beaded knotwork embodying the Stafford-knot; (b) six-cord double-beaded plait; (c) eight-cord double-beaded plait with irregular breaks; (d) double vertical band of double-beaded swastika T-frets. Back. The cross-head is filled with four double-beaded Stafford-knots in the arm-ends interjoined by open two-cord double-beaded strands around a small central boss, in the manner of the Northumbrian crosses.[2] The decoration of the neck and shoulders is the same as in front. The patterns filling the shaft are in panels disposed vertically: (a) short transverse band of double-beaded square fret; (b) short transverse panel of four-cord double-beaded plait; (c) double vertical band of conjoined double-beaded swastika T-frets (d) transverse panel containing an inscription in one line reading horizontally (see below); (e) large double-beaded double Stafford-knot; (f) double vertical band of diaper key-pattern. Left. The arm-end of the cross-head is filled with a vertical band of double-beaded square fret-pattern or angular twist. The neck below is plain. The shoulder bears a quadruple triangular knot. The decoration of the shaft is in panels disposed vertically: (a) irregular four-cord double-beaded knotwork embodying the Stafford-knot; (b) irregular six-cord double-beaded knotwork embodying the ring-twist; (c) irregular six-cord double-beaded knotwork merging below into vertical twists; (d) double vertical band of diaper key-pattern; (e) short transverse band of square fret...The monument belongs to the same group as Nos. 159, 222, and 303. Its decoration is closely similar in style to that of No. 303, and there is the same clumsiness of form, suggesting that the two are more or less contemporary.

[1] MC, [Kermode/1909] p. 42.

[2] ... The same style appears also in Cornwall. See 0CC, [Langdon/1896] p. 364 (Sancreed, no. 4)'.

Westwood/1879, 100: `It will be seen that each of the two principal faces, east and west, has a narrow space above the two lower ornamental compartments inscribed with letters'.

Macalister/1949, 172: `About the middle of each of the principal faces of the shaft there is a small rectangular panel, containing an inscription in half uncials...On the E face is [this inscription]'.

Nash-Williams/1950, 199: `The meaning of the first word is uncertain' [i.e. this inscription].

Nash-Williams/1950, 199: `The lettering is round half-uncials, in rather clumsy style, with two forms of the N' [In this and NEVRN/3/2].

Westwood/1879, 100: `It will be seen that each of the two principal faces, east and west, has a narrow space above the two lower ornamental compartments inscribed with letters'.

Macalister/1949, 172: `About the middle of each of the principal faces of the shaft there is a small rectangular panel, containing an inscription in half uncials. On the western face is [this inscription]'.

Macalister/1949, 172: `presumably an abbreviation for dominus'.

Nash-Williams/1950, 199: `the second is possibly the abbreviation of Dominus, as found on the Irish and Scottish monuments.[3]

[3] ICI, ii, [Petrie/1878] pls. iii, 6, and iv; ECMS, [Allen/Anderson/1903] iii, fig. 21'.