| Corpus Refs: | Macalister/1945:325 Nash-Williams/1950:33 |
| Site: | CBRNW |
| Discovery: | first mentioned, 1792 Mechain, G. |
| History: | Mechain/1792, cited in Edwards/1986, 22, states that the inscription was `found near the place at the ruins of a building called Cappel Bronwen', in the parish of Llantrisant. Skinner/1908, 54, [first written 1802] observes the stone at Tyn Rhosydd, near Chwaen Ddu, Llantrisant. The apex was already broken away and two holes made for use as gate post. Stanley/1870, 158, notes that it had been moved to Trescawen House some years before 1870. Williams/1937b, cix, suggests that the general appearance of the stone today is much as it was in Skinner's drawing (/1802, fig.41) `but the face has been further pitted and abraded since his drawing was made'. Skinner's drawing is reproduced by Williams (1937b, cx) Macalister/1945, 311: `Formerly on the farm of Ty'n Rossydd, whither it had been carried from a ruined and now apparently vanished structure called Capel Bronwen... There it served successively the purpose of a cattle rubbing-post, a gate-post, and a wood-chopping block, with very detrimental consequences for the inscription...Sometime before 1870 it was removed to Trescawen House, Llangwyllog, the residence of the proprietor of the site and now stands at the side of a wooded pathway in the demesne'. Some time after 1950 the stone was brought to Museum of Welsh Antiquities, Bangor, Gwynedd. |
| Geology: | |
| Dimensions: | 1.47 x 0.71 x 0.23 (converted from Nash-Williams/1950) |
| Setting: | in display |
| Location: | Museum of Welsh Antiquities Museum of Welsh Antiquities, Bangor, Gwynedd. |
| Form: | plain Macalister/1945, 311: `It measures 4' 7 1/2" x 3' 0" x 0'9 1/4": the breadth given is the maximum, at a height of about 8" from the ground; it tapers slightly downward, and upward almost to a point'. |
| Condition: | incomplete , some Nash-Williams/1950, 63, notes that the stone has two gate-hanger holes in the face and that the top is 'partly fractured away'. |
| Folklore: | none |
| Crosses: | none |
| Decorations: | no other decoration |
| Macalister, R.A.S. (1945): | -]IV/A | SA/NCTISSI | MAMVLIER | [H]ICIACITQVE | FVITAMA/TI | [S]SCONIVXBI | VOTISIFAM/VL Expansion: [--]IVA SANCTISSIMA MULIER HIC IACIT QU[A]E FUIT AMATISSI[MA] CONIU[N]X BIVOTIS FAMULUS D[E]I SACERDOS ET VASSO PAULINI ANDOCO GNATIONE ET OMNIUM CIVIUM ADQUAE PARENTUM EXEMPL[A]R ET MORIBUS DISCIPLINA AC SAPIENTIAE [MELIOR FUIT] AVRO ET LAPIDIBUS. Macalister/1945 311--313 substantial discussion Nash-Williams, V.E. (1950): | -]I[V^N]/A | SA/NCTISSI | MAMVLIER | [H]ICIACITQVE | FVITAMA/TI | [S]SICONIVXBI | VATI[G^S]I[F]AM/VL | Expansion: --]INA SANCTISSIMA MULIER HIC IACIT QU(A)E FUIT AMA(N)TISSI(MA) CONIU(N)X BIVATIGI(RNI) FAMULUS D(E)I SACERDOS ET VASSO PAULINI ANDOCOG NATIONE ET OMNIUM CIVIUM ADQUAE PARENTUM EXEMPL[UM] ET MORIBUS DISCIPLINA AC SAPIENTIAE AURO E[T] LAPIDIBUS Translation: --)iva (PN), a most holy woman, lies here, who was the very loving wife of Bivatig(irnus) (PN), servant of God, bishop (?priest), and disciple of Paulinus (PN), by race a (-)docian, and an example to all his fellow citizens and relatives both in character (and) in rule of life, (as also) of wisdom (which is better) than gold and gems (or gold from gems). Expansion: [-]IVA SANCTISSIMA MULIER HIC IACIT QU(A)E FUIT AMA(N)TISSI(MA) CONIU(N)X BIVATISI(RNI) FAMULUS D(E)I SACERDOS ET VASSO PAULINI AUDOCOS NATIONE ET OMNIUM CIVIUM ADQUAE PARENTUM EXEMPL[UM] ET MORIBUS DISCIPLINA AC SAPIENTIAE AVRO E[T] LAPIDIBUS. Translation: -)iva (PN), a most holy woman, lies here, who was the very loving wife of Bivatig(irnus) (PN), servant of God, bishop (?priest), and disciple of Paulinus, by race a (-)docian, and an example to all his fellow citizens and relatives both in character (and) in rule of life, (as also) of wisdom (which is better) than gold and gems (or gold from gems). Nash-Williams/1950 63 concise discussion |
| Orientation: | horizontal |
| Position: | inc ; both ; inc ; undecorated Macalister/1945, 311: `15 lines....on the face of the stone...3 lines near the top of the sinister edge'. |
| Incision: | pocked Macalister/1945, 311: `...pocked'. |
| Date: | 550 - 599 (Nash-Williams/1950) Nash-Williams/1950, 63: `Paulinus is probably the saint of that name whose epitaph appears on no. 139...to which, as Sir Ifor Williams points out, the present inscription bears stylistic similarities. Paulinus died c. 550, which would fix the date of the present stone in the middle or later 6th century'. |
| Language: | Latin (rbook) |
| Ling. Notes: | Nash-Williams/1950, 63: `Vasso is the Gaulish word for `servant', used here in the sense of `disciple'. Paulinus is probably the saint of that name whose epitaph appears on No. 139 ...The language of the inscriptions is generally akin to that of contemporary continental and African Christian-Roman inscriptions'. Parallels are cited at 63 n.9. |
| Palaeography: | Nash-Williams/1950, 63: `Mixed Roman capitals (mainly) and half-uncials (Q and some D's)'. |
| Legibility: | poor Macalister/1945, 311: `...legible only with the greatest difficulty'. Edwards/1986, 22: `...only legible with the eye of faith'. |
| Lines: | 15 |
| Carving errors: | 0 |
| Doubtful: | no |
Edwards/1986, 22: `perhaps the Paulinus commemorated on the stone from Cynwyl Gaeo, Carmathenshire'.