TNTGL/1

Corpus Refs:Macalister/1949:1059
Okasha/1993:64(i)
Site:TNTGL
Discovery:first mentioned, 1879 Maclean, J.
History:Okasha/1993, 291: `The stone was first recorded in 1879 by Maclean who stated that: `About four years ago Mr. J. J. E. Venning, the Steward for Lord Wharncliffe's proprty in Tintagel, caused to be brought from Trevillet, where it was being used as a gate post, an ancient cross, and had it set up in front of the Wharncliffe Arms Hotel, in the village of Trevena'. It is possible, but not certain, that a cross recorded by Blight in 1858, was the inscribed cross. Blight described the cross then, `used as a post to the garden-gate at Trevillet'. Blight did not show a text and illustrated his stone standing among grass, not as a gatepost, its height being given as approximately one half that of the inscribed stone; on the other hand, his description and figure (except for the lack of text) suggests that the stones, if not identical, were at least very similar.'

The stone was visited by Okasha in 1965 and 1984.

Geology:Langdon/1896, 366: `The cross is made of grey elvan, a hard local stone resembling a very fine granite'.

Macalister/1949, 187: `granite'.

Dimensions:1.09 x 0.41 x 0.18 (Okasha/1993)
Setting:in ground
Location:other
Okasha/1993, 291: `The stone is now in the front garden of the Wharncliffe Arms Hotel, Tintagel'.
Form:otherwise unclassified
Langdon/1896, 366: `[The cross] is inscribed and ornamented on front and back, and originally was round headed...In general design it is quite different from any other monument in the county'.

Okasha/1993, 291: `The stone is a cross...It is cemented into a modern base...Comparison with Langdon's measurements suggests that some 9 cm. of shaft are inside the base'.

Condition:incomplete , some
Langdon/1896, 366: `it had done duty for a gatepost, as is shown by the holes for the lugs, or iron hooks, used in supporting the gate; while the mutilated condition of the stone testifies to the treatment it received while in that position...originally round headed, but the portions which projected beyond the shaft have been roughly hacked off in a line with it'.

Okasha/1993, 291: `incomplete'.

Folklore:none
Crosses:1: equal-armed; outline; expanded; curved; circular; none; none; none; plain
2: equal-armed; outline; expanded; curved; circular; none; none; none; plain
Decorations:figural

Langdon/1896, 367--368: `On the front and back of the head is an equal armed cross with expanded limbs. The outline of the arms is formed by double beads at the sides, radiating from the central boss, and stopped at the ends on a raised cable moulding, the convex line of which is, no doubt, a continuation of the outline of the head. Between the extremities of the limbs is a flat fillet in place of the cable moulding, but the latter now only remains on the lower limb of each cross. Traces of a larger cable moulding on the angles of the shaft are still to be seen here and there. The surfaces of the shaft are entirely taken up with the inscriptions, which were bordered on either side by a long, incised cross with expanded limbs, the head being at the bottom; but only two of these crosses and part of a third are distinct...The ornament and inscriptions are as follow:--

Front. -- On the head is a central boss, and in each of the spaces between the limbs was a little boss, three of which remain. On the shaft is the inscription...

`Back. -- On the head is a central boss, enriched with a kind of quatrefoil deeply sunk in the middle. Between the limbs, and in the position one would expect to find triquetra knots, as on many other crosses in Cornwall, some remains of curious sculpture. It is impossible to say with absolute certainty what they really are, but both Mr. J. Romilly Allen F.S.A. (Scot.), and the Rev. W. Iago, of Bodmin, are of the opinion that they bear a distinct resemblance to little human heads with two little holes for the eyes'.

Macalister/1949, 187: `On each of the broad faces there is a cross...On the present SE face there is a cross pattee, with a bearded head in each of the cantons...On the present NW face a cross pattee, with pellets in the cantons'.

References


Inscriptions


TNTGL/1/1     Pictures

Readings

Langdon, A. (1896):A/ELN | {A}T+ | FECIT | N{A}~C~CRV | CEM{P}{A} | [NI]MASU~
Expansion:
AELNAT + FECIT HA[N]C CRUCEM P[RO] A[N]IMA SU[A]
Translation:
Aelnat made this cross for the benefit of his soul.
Langdon/1896 367 concise discussion
Macalister, R.A.S. (1949):A/ELRI | {A}T: | FECIT | H{A}~C CRU | CEM{P}{A}[.] | IM{A}SU | {A}
Expansion:
AELRIAT : FECIT HANC CRUCEM PRO ANIMA SUA
Macalister/1949 187, Plate LXI reading only
Okasha, E. (1984):[A/EGR] | [A]T | [F]ECIT | [--]
Expansion:
[AELNA]T + FECIT HANC CRUCEM PRO ANIMA SUA
Translation:
Aelnat (PN) + made this cross for his own soul.
Okasha/1993 293--294 reading only

Notes

Orientation:horizontal
Position:n/a ; broad ; below cross ; separated
Macalister/1949, 187, argues for seven lines of text, while Okasha/1993, 291, states that there are now four lines: `though originally there may have been more'.

Langdon/1896, 367, shows 6 lines of text.

Incision:inc
Date:800 - 1099 (Okasha/1993)
Okasha/1993, 294: `The stone belongs to Category 2a, inscribed cross-shafts. Category 2 stones date from the ninth century to the eleventh century; if the name is English this would be in accordance with such a date'.
Language:Latin (rcaps)
Ling. Notes:none
Palaeography:Langdon/1896, 367: `On the shaft is the inscription, in rudely formed Anglo-Saxon capitals and minuscules, cut in six horizontal lines. It is quite clear, except the first two letters of the bottom line. The first letter -- probably an n -- is chipped off, and only part of the second -- an I -- is left. The last two are somewhat indistinct, but have been read by the Rev. W. Iago as SU~'.

Okasha/1993, 291: `predominantly capital script'.

Okasha/1993, 293--94: `Text (i) now appears to read [A/EGRA]T [F]ECIT [--], although in 1965 I read it as [.]ELNAT + FECIT [A]C C[--]. Maclean read A/ELNAT + FECIT HANC PRO ANIMA SUA, with the abbreviations expanded, a reading to some extent supported by Iago's drawing which accompanies it. Langdon's drawing of the stone, published several times, does to some extent support Langdon and Allen's reading of text (i) as A/ELNAT + FECIT HA~C CRVCEM P A[N]IMA SU~. Elsewhere Langdon admitted that the N and part of the I of A[N]IMA had disappeared, while the letters SU~ were `somewhat indistinct'. Macalister read substantially the same text except for the name which he read as A/ELRIAT. Using the two early drawings, my 1965 drawing, and the traces remaining today, a text can be reconstructed: [A/ELNA]T + FECIT HA~C CRVCEM P A[N]IMA SU~'.

Legibility:poor
Langdon/1896, 367: `It is quite clear'.

Okasha/1993, 291--92: `incomplete at the end and rather deteriorated ... The texts are more deteriorated now than they were in 1965'.

Macalister/1949, 187: `fairly good condition'.

Lines:6
Carving errors:n
Doubtful:no

Names

References


TNTGL/1/2     Pictures

Readings

Langdon, A. (1896):M{A}T | HEUS ||| M{A}R | CUS ||| LUC{A} | SIOH~
Expansion:
MATHEUS MARCVS LUCAS IOH[ANNES]
Translation:
Matthew (PN), Mark (PN), Luke (PN), John (PN).
Langdon/1896 368 and Fig. concise discussion
Macalister, R.A.S. (1949):MAT | HEUS ||| MAR | CUS ||| LUCA ||| SIOHA~
Expansion:
MATHEUS MARCUS LUCAS IOHA
Macalister/1949 187, Plate LXI reading only
Okasha, E. (1984):[MAT] | [.]US | [--] | SIO[T.]
Expansion:
[MATHEUS MARCVS LUCA]S IO[H~]
Okasha/1993 293--294 reading only

Notes

Orientation:mixed directions
Position:n/a ; broad ; below cross ; panel
Langdon/1896, 368, shows two horizontal lines, followed by three vertical lines, followed by a fourth upside-down horizontal line.

Okasha/1993, 291--292: `Traces of three lines can be made out, two reading horizontally and the third reading upwards...within traces of a panel'.

Macalister/1949, Plate LXI (1060), shows three horizontal lines and three vertical lines.

Incision:inc
Date:800 - 1099 (Okasha/1993)
Okasha/1993, 294: `The stone belongs to Category 2a, inscribed cross-shafts. Category 2 stones date from the ninth century to the eleventh century; if the name is English this would be in accordance with such a date'.
Language:name only (rcaps)
Ling. Notes:none
Palaeography:Langdon/1896, 368: `On the shaft is an inscription, in rudely formed Anglo-Saxon capitals and minuscules, which records the names of the four Evangelists...The fourth name is abbreviated thus: IOH~ for JOHANNES'.

Okasha/1993, 291: `predominantly capital script'.

Legibility:poor
Okasha.1993, 291--292: `incomplete and rather deteriorated...The texts are more deteriorated now than they were in 1965'.

Macalister/1949, 187: `fairly good condition'.

Lines:3
Carving errors:n
Doubtful:no

Names

References