| Corpus Refs: | Macalister/1945:516 |
| Site: | KMADR |
| Discovery: | first mentioned, 1810 Todd, W. |
| History: | Craig/1997, 617, notes that this is one of three inscribed stones first recorded in a drawing made in about 1810 by William Todd, parish schoolmaster of Kirkmaiden, not 1822 as stated in Allen/Anderson/1903, 495. Then standing in old burial ground at Kirkmadrine, they were still there in 1839, according to Anderson/1845, 164: `During the incumbency of the Rev. Robert M'Neil, who was minister from 1840 to 1844 the previously unenclosed burial ground was walled in (Robertson/1918, 139) and [KMADR/1 and KMADR/2] were reused as gateposts at the entrance'. Holes were bored in them to hang the gates. The stones were recorded as gate-posts in this position by the Ordnance Survey (1847--8) whIch noted `some antique inscriptions thereon' (OS name Book, Wigtown No.70, p.18). The stones were first published by Mitchell/1872 who reproduced Todd's sketch. Mitchell arranged for casts to be made and these were donated to the NMS in 1861. Craig/1997, 618: `Mitchell's discovery brought the two stones to general attention, and they were scheduled under the Ancient Monuments Protection Act of 1882. However, they remained in use as gateposts until 1890 (Starke/1890, 170)...when an open alcove was built at the end of the restored burial chapel, and all the known stones were placed behind an iron railing...Given the probable expansion at the base of the pillar it is possible, as Baldwin Brown argued in detail (1921, 43--8), that the base of each stone was embedded in a mound, such as a cairn or barrow'. CISP: The above sequence was established in detail only by Craig/1997. Previous authors have suggested that the earliest known position (as gateposts) was not original. In the light of Craig's discoveries, Thomas's assumption that the stones came from the same site as Low Curghie (Thomas/1981a, 284), must be questioned. |
| Geology: | Allen/Anderson/1903, 494: `indurated schist'. |
| Dimensions: | 2.06 x 0.41 x 0.1 (converted from Allen/Anderson/1903/111) |
| Setting: | in display |
| Location: | on site With the other stones, behind an iron railing in an open alcove built at the W. end of the restored burial chapel. |
| Form: | cross-marked Craig/1997, 618, notes that it weighs at least 450kg (1000 lbs); about two metres high and expanding in width at the base. Radford/Donaldson/1953, 45: a roughly squared pillar.
|
| Condition: | incomplete , some Top right corner missing. Some damage to lower left and right arrises. Holes bored into pillar in order to hang gate, one in centre of cross. Mid-nineteenth century cast preserved in NMS shows more detail than has survived on original. |
| Folklore: | none |
| Crosses: | 1: equal-armed; linear; expanded; curved; square; circular; none; none; n/a 2: equal-armed; linear; expanded; curved; square; circular; none; none; n/a |
| Decorations: | no other decoration |
| Thomas, C. (1992): | {A}E/T [{W}] Expansion: A ET [W] Translation: Alpha and Omega. Allen/Anderson/1903 494 illustration of use only Macalister/1945 494 reading only Thomas/1992b 2 concise discussion |
| Orientation: | horizontal |
| Position: | inc ; broad ; above cross ; undivided |
| Incision: | cut Macalister/1945, 494: `inscription cut'. |
| Date: | 400 - 499 (Radford/Donaldson/1957) |
| Language: | Greek (rcaps) |
| Ling. Notes: | none |
| Palaeography: | Thomas/1992b, 2: `A with bar above and semi-ligatured ET...and now missing but recorded, rounded-W letter with bar above'. |
| Legibility: | some Craig/1997, 618: `the abraded `W' of the Alpha and Omega inscription...which is visible on the cast taken in 1861, had already been chipped off by [1890]'. |
| Lines: | 1 |
| Carving errors: | |
| Doubtful: | no |
| Anderson, J. (1881): | HIC IACENT | SCI ET PRAE | CIPVI SACER | DOTES IDEST | VIVENTIVS | ET MAIORIVS Expansion: HIC IACENT S(AN)C(T)I ET PRAECIPVI SACERDOTES ID EST, VIVENTIUS, AND MAIORIUS Translation: Here lie the holy and excellent priests, to wit, Viventius (PN) and Maiorius (PN). Anderson/1881 255 reading only |
| Allen, R. (1903): | HIC IACENT | SC~I ET PRAE | CIPVI SACER | DOTES IDES[--] | VIVENTIVS | ET MAVORIVS Expansion: HIC IACENT S(AN)C(T)I ET PRAECIPVI SACERDOTES IDES(...), VIVENTIUS, AND MAVORIUS Translation: Here lie the holy and excellent priests, Ides[--] (PN), Viventius (PN) and Mavorius (PN). Allen/Anderson/1903 495 reading only |
| Macalister, R. A. S. (1945): | HIC IACENT | S~C~I~ ET PRAE | CIPVI SACER |DOTES ID EST | VIVEN/TIVS | ET M/AVORIVS Expansion: HIC IACENT S(AN)C(T)I ET PRAECIPUI SACERDOTES ID EST VIVENTIUS ET MAVORIUS Macalister/1945 494 reading only |
| Thomas, C. (1992): | HIC IACENT | S~C~I~ ET PRAE | CIPVI SACER |DOTES ID EST | VIVEN/TIVS | ET M/AVORIVS Expansion: HIC IACENT S(AN)C(T)I ET PRAECIPUI SACERDOTES ID EST VIVENTIUS ET MAVORIUS Translation: Here lie the holy and outstanding _sacerdotes_, that is, Viventius (PN) and Mavorius (PN). Thomas/1992b 2 concise discussion |
| CISP (1997): | HICI{A}CEN/T | S~C~I~ETPR{A}E | CIPVIS{A}CER | DOTESID E[ST] | VIVEN/TIVS | E/TM{A}/VORIVS Expansion: HIC IACENT SANCTI ET PRAECIPUI SACERDOTES ID EST VIVENTIUS ET MAVORIUS Translation: Here lie the holy and outstanding _sacerdotes_, that is Viventius (PN) and Mavorius (PN). |
| Orientation: | horizontal |
| Position: | inc ; broad ; below cross ; undecorated |
| Incision: | cut Macalister/1945, 494: `inscription cut'. |
| Date: | 400 - 499 (Radford/Donaldson/1957) |
| Language: | Latin (rcaps) |
| Ling. Notes: | none |
| Palaeography: | Thomas/1992b, 2: `Angular or angle-bar A, lines 1, 2, 3, 6. Superscript contraction-bar over SC, line 2. ST of EST defaced, line 4. ET in line 6 is semi-ligatured, horizontal line of T prolonging the mid-bar of the E'. The inscription is in capitals, with angle-bar As, horizontal bar Rs,ligatures such as `NT' -- twice, `ET', `MAV', and a super-lineate contraction mark over SCI for S(an)C(t)I. The S in the 3rd line leans towards the right, as does the N in the 5th line. |
| Legibility: | inc Thomas/1992b, 2: `ST of EST defaced'. |
| Lines: | 6 |
| Carving errors: | |
| Doubtful: | no |