Corpus Refs: | Macalister/1949:887 Okasha/Forsyth/2001:Scattery Island 1 |
Site: | SCATT |
Discovery: | first mentioned, 1855 Windele, J. |
History: | The plate given by Petrie was drawn from the stone in 1872 (Petrie/1878, p. 26, pl. XVIII, fig. 37). Macalister/1949, 88: `I have had no opportunity of personally visiting this island, so take these details from JRSAI, as cited above' [JRSAI 1897, 27: 285]. Okasha/Forsyth/2001, 108--109: `The stone was first recorded and drawn by Windele when he visited the island in July 1855; it was then `a few feet W of Leaba Senan little ch[urch]' ... A drawing of the stone was made by Stokes in 1872 ... The stone was then `in the churchyard', although which churchyard is not specified .. In 1896 Westropp drew the stone, which was lying `near Temple Senan' ... , that is just outside St Senan's church. These descriptions all appear to refer to the slab's current location'. |
Geology: | |
Dimensions: | 1.59 x 0.6 x 0.0 (Okasha/Forsyth/2001) |
Setting: | in ground |
Location: | earliest Okasha/Forsyth/2001, 108: `The stone lies, probably in situ, a short distance beyond the west wall of the enclosure known as Leaba Seanáin, to the west of the ruins of Teampall Seanáin, on Scattery Island'. |
Form: | body-slab Okasha/Forsyth/2001, 109: `The stone is a large recumbent cross-slab of irregular shape'. |
Condition: | complete , good Okasha/Forsyth/2001, 109: `intact and well preserved'. |
Folklore: | none |
Crosses: | none |
Decorations: | Petrie/1878, 26: `It is evident from the position of the letters with relation to the crosses in these two slabs [this one and Killamery] that these crosses belong to the period of the oldest inscription in both instances. There can be no doubt that the ornamental design was first cut upon the stone, and the inscription arranged so as to follow the outline, and it is important to observe this fact as proving the early date of such crosses and ornamental designs in Ireland. The Triquetra knot, which is carved on these stones, and is found also in one of the oldest looking stones at Clonmacnoise, is a design which occurs constantly in the early illuminated MSS. of the Celtic School'. Macalister/1949, 88: `a cross formed of a band, doubled along the arms and linked by triquetras at the terminals'. Okasha/Forsyth/2001, 109: `The slab is incised with a Latin cross formed of two-strand interlace with triquetra knots at each of the terminals. The knot at the base of the shaft is slightly larger than the others'. |
Petrie, G. (1872): | O~R~DOMOINACH Expansion: OROIT DO MOINACH Translation: Pray for Moinach (PN). Petrie/1878 26 reading only |
Macalister, R.A.S. (1949): | O~R~DOMOINACH Expansion: OROIT DO MOINACH Macalister/1949 88 reading only |
Okasha and Forsyth (1997): | O~R~DOMOINACH Expansion: OROIT DO MOINACH Translation: A prayer for Moínach (PN). Okasha/Forsyth/2001 109--110 reading only |
Orientation: | horizontal |
Position: | inc ; broad ; above cross ; undivided Macalister/1949, 88: `Inscription above the head of the cross'. Okasha/Forsyth/2001, 109: `incised in an single horizontal line above the head of the cross'. |
Incision: | inc |
Date: | 866 - 999 (Okasha/Forsyth/2001) Okasha/Forsyth/2001, 111: `likely to belong to the later ninth and tenth centuries'. |
Language: | Goidelic (rbook) |
Ling. Notes: | Petrie/1878, 26: `Here, as in the case of the stone at Kilamery, there are two inscriptions of different dates to persons of the same name.' Macalister/1949, 88: `The double inscription seems to imply an orthographical correction: cf. Killamery (570) and Iona (1071).' |
Palaeography: | Petrie/1878, 26: `the letter of this inscription at the head of the cross has an appearance of much greater antiquity than that below [SCATT/1/2]'. Okasha/Forsyth/2001, 109: `half-uncial script'. CISP: The lettering is half-uncial. The initial O is almost lozenge-shaped, the R has a horizontal bar and the D has an 'ascender' which bends to the left over the bow. The R, I, C and H appear to have wedge-shaped finials. |
Legibility: | good Okasha/Forsyth/2001, 109: `legible although worn in places'. |
Lines: | 1 |
Carving errors: | n |
Doubtful: | no |
Petrie, G. (1872): | O~R~ DO | MOENACH | AITE | MOG || ROIN Expansion: OROIT DO MOENACH AITE MOGROIN Translation: Pray for Moenach (PN), tutor of Mogron (PN). Petrie/1878 26 reading only |
Macalister, R.A.S. (1949): | O~R~ DO | MOENACH | AITE | MOG || ROIN Expansion: OROIT DO MOENACH AITE MOGROIN Translation: A prayer for Moenach (PN), foster of Mogron (PN). Macalister/1949 88 concise discussion |
Okasha and Forsyth (1997): | O~R~DO | MOENACH | AITE | MOG || ROIN Expansion: OROIT DO MOENACH AITE MOGROIN Translation: A prayer for Móenach (PN) tutor of Mogrón (PN). Okasha/Forsyth/2001 109--110 reading only |
Orientation: | horizontal |
Position: | inc ; broad ; mixed ; undivided Macalister/1949, 88: `in two lines below the foot of the cross and inverted with respect to it, and completed with two lines crossing the stem'. Okasha/Forsyth/2001, 109: `incised in four horizontal lines, inverted relative to the cross and to text a [SCATT/1/1] |
Incision: | inc |
Date: | 866 - 999 (Okasha/Forsyth/2001) Okasha/Forsyth/2001, 111: `likely to belong to the later ninth and tenth centuries'. |
Language: | Goidelic (rbook) |
Ling. Notes: | Petrie/1878, 26: `Here, as in the case of the stone at Kilamery, there are two inscriptions of different dates to persons of the same name'. Macalister/1949, 88: `The double inscription seems to imply an orthographical correction: cf. Killamery (570) and Iona (1071)'. |
Palaeography: | Petrie/1878, 26: `the letter of this inscription at the head of the cross [SCATT/1/1] has an appearance of much greater antiquity than that below [this inscription]'. Okasha/Forsyth/2001, 109: `half-uncial script'. CISP: The lettering is half-uncial. The second A is in the 'OC' form, the G is in the classic Insular half-uncial form, and numerous letters, such as N, H, I, and the second R have wedge-shaped finials. The two uncial Es both have extended central horizontal strokes and the D has an 'ascender' which bends to the left over the bow. |
Legibility: | good Okasha/Forsyth/2001, 109: `legible although worn in places'. |
Lines: | 4 |
Carving errors: | n |
Doubtful: | no |