LTWIT/2

Iolo Morganwg, 1798, reproduced in Allen/1893, 326: `I have already observed that the author of the additions to Camden takes notice only of the monumental stone behind the church erected by Samson to the memory of Iltutus [this stone]. This circumstance proves that the other ancient inscribed stones [including this one] were not then to be seen'.

Rhys/1873, 9: `Aug. 30. -- The rector kindly accompanied me to Llantwit-Major, where we knew there were several inscriptions'.

Westwood/1879, 9: `This is one of the most interesting memorials of the early British Church in existence, commemorating as it does not fewer than four of the holy men, some of whose names are amongst the chief glories of the Principality. It stands in the churchyard of Llantwit, on the north side of the church...This stone was first mentioned by Edward Lhwyd in Gibson's Camden, p. 618. Strange, in the Archaeologia, vol. vi (1782), p. 22, pl. 2, fig. 1--2, gives a very insufficient engraving of it, copied in Gough's Camden, iii. p. 130, pl. 7, fig. 2. In Huebner's work (p. 22) an engraving is given of the inscription of the front of the stone in which the word `anmia' is misprinted `anima,' and with the m of the usual minuscule form'.

Allen/1889, 119: `The earliest notice of the Llantwit crosses occurs in Gibson's edition of Camden's Britannia (1695), the additions to Wales for which work were contributed by Edward Lhwyd, the Keeper of the Ashmolean Museum at Oxford. It is to this eminent antiquary, the pioneer of Welsh archaeology, that we are indebted for the first accurate knowledge of the inscribed stones. The Llantwit crosses have also been described subsequently by Mr. Strange in the Archaeologia, vol.vi (1779), by Donovan in his South Wales (1805), by Mr E Williams, otherwise known as ``Iolo Morganwg'', in the volumes published by the Welsh MSS. Society, and lastly by our old friend and associate, Prof. Westwood, in his standard work on the subject, the Lapidarium Walliae'.

Halliday/1903, 58--64, notes that the stone was eventually moved to its present position in the church in 1903. During this move, the complete outline of the cross was revealed (see form-notes). A cist grave was discovered at the foot of the cross which was considered contemporary with the cross, and as evidence that the cross had been in situ.

RCAHMW/1976, 50: `originally standing in the churchyard N. of St. Illtud's Church, and re-erected in 1903 within the W. nave of the church'.

Nash-Williams/1950, 142: `Local grit, apparently Carboniferous'.

RCAHMW/1976, 50: `local grit'.

Rhys/1873, 9: `Another stone has its inscriptions separated into small compartments'.

Westwood/1879, 9: `It is an oblong block of stone about 6 feet high, its breadth below being about 29 inches, and above about 23 inches, and it is 9 1/2 inches in thickness'.

Allen/1889, 125: `The last points we have to consider are the forms of the crosses and the character of the ornament. The five sculptured monuments at Llantwit exhibit three different types; the wheel-cross, the rectangular cross-shaft, and the cylindrical pillar. The crosses of Samson, Samuel, and Ebisar, and of Houelt, the son of Res, are of the so-called wheel shape, consisting of a tapering shaft of rectangular section, surmounted by a circular head, shaped like a drum. The head of the first of these two crosses is lost, but the mortice-hole by which it was fixed on still remains; and the curve of the top enables us to conjecture that the diameter of the drum must have been about 3ft.6in. The mortice is double, the centre part being sunk 5 1/2in., leaving shoulders 2 in deep at each side (see wood cut, p. 126.). The shaft is 6ft. 6in. high, 2 ft. 7in. by 1 ft at the bottom, tapering to 1ft. 11 in. by 8 1/2 in. at the top. The bottom is left rough, showing that if was fixed in the ground without any socket stone'.

Rhys/1899, 151: `the pedestal of a cross'.

Halliday/1903, 57--58: `The Cross-shaft of Samson, commonly called the Iltyd Stone, measures 6 ft. from the gound-line upwards, and 4 ft. 2 ins. from the ground-line to the extreme base, which tapers from 12 ins. to 7 ins. in thickness (Fig. 5). The worked portion of the stone terminates in a picker-line, about 3/4 in. in breadth, a few inches below the ground line...There are no signs of either tooling or working in any form. It is simply a glacial boulder turned to account: on one side the surface is rubbed quite smooth, and shows very distinct striations'.

Macalister/1949, 156--157: `a slab...a mortice for a cross remains in the present top'.

Nash-Williams/1950, 142: `Splayed shaft (? of a composite slab-cross), formerly with extended rough butt (4 ft. long) below[2] and a rectangular shouldered mortise in the top (? for the attachment of a separate head).[3] 85" h. above butt x 30" w. and 11" t. at bottom, diminishing to 22" w. and 10" t. at top...The shaft is decorated on all faces with carved patterns in low to medium relief (extensively damaged by flaking), and is also inscribed...The stylistic relationship of this monument to Nos. 159, 303, and 360 has already been noted (p. 116).

[2] See AC, 1903, [Halliday/1903] p. 58 (figured).

[3] For the probable form of the head see p. 115, note 3'.

RCAHMW/1976, 50--51: `Shaft of composite cross, probably disc-headed...The exposed part of the stone...with well-squared angles and splayed faces, stands 2.15m high, the total length with the buried lower part being 3.10m. The main faces taper upwards from 79cm to 58cm in width, and the thickness decreases from 29cm to 24cm. It has carved decoration on all faces, varyingly weathered, and both main faces carry inscriptions.

In the top of the shaft a rectangular mortice has been cut 11.4cm deep, countersunk with wide shoulders 6.4 cm deep, for a separate cross-head now lacking. This most probably took the form of a disc-head, for which there is some evidence in the deliberate concavity of the upper surface[1] and in that the decorative patterns on the narrow sides need to be completed by being continued on the sides of a head of similar width (cf. No. 911). Its size may be estimated by comparison with Nos. 903, 907 and 911 rather than from the degree of curvature of the surviving top surface...The form of the shaft and in particular its decorative patterns are very similar to those on the `Cross of Eiudon' (E.C.M.W. 159), and the two stones may have been carved by the same hand'.

Macalister/1949, 157: `the surface is, however, badly scaled'.

Westwood/1879, 10: `Sufficient remains of the upper part of the lower division of the face of the stone to show that it was ornamented with the curious Chinese-like design (with small raised bosses in the open spaces), of which the complete pattern may he seen upon the cross at Neverne and on that of Eiudon.

The back face of the stone (Pl. IV) is more complete than the front, although both the broad interlaced ribbon designs in the upper part have been injured by exposure to the weather; the lower part is filled by a large design of straight interlaced ribbons like basket-work...The two small compartments at the sides of this inscription [second part of LTWIT/2/2] are filled with the double interlaced oval pattern, which is also used along the upper part of one of the edges of the stone (Pl. III), below which is the well-known pattern formed of four T's, with the bottom of the upright strokes directed to the centre of the pattern. The other edge of the stone has thirteen squares filled with a diagonal and square design'.

Allen/1889, 125--126: `The ornament on the Llantwit stones consists of interlaced and key-patterns arranged in panels of the same class as that found in the Irish MSS. of the ninth and tenth centuries. There is none of the spiral decoration which is characteristic of the earlier MSS., sculptured crosses, and ecclesiastical metal work.

Attention should be particularly directed to three peculiar patterns on the crosses of Samson, Samuel, and Ebisar, -- (1), two oval rings interlaced crosswise; (2), four T's placed in the shape of a fylfot or swastica; and (3) a simple key pattern. Similar designs occur on three other crosses in Wales --- at Golden Grove, Caermarthenshire; and at Nevern and Carew, Pembrokeshire'.

Macalister/1949, 157: `The devices were chisel-cut, and so far as they remain are in good condition... For the details of the ornament, see the illustrations'.

Nash-Williams/1950, 142: `Front. The decoration is disposed vertically in panels: (a) diaper key-pattern (?) (vestiges only); (b) double horizontal panel containing parts of a Latin inscription in five and three lines respectively, reading horizontally (see (1) and (2) below), with a four-lobed plain twist (R.A. 501) in the field below the second inscription; (c) four squares of diaper key-pattern (cf. R.A. 1010 and 1012),[4] with pellets symmetrically disposed in the interspaces. Right. Vertical band of fourteen squares of diaper key-pattern variously disposed (R.A. 99, a characteristic S. Wales motif). Back. Panelled decoration as before: (a) remains of twelve-cord double-beaded plaitwork, with irregular vertical and horizontal breaks; (b) double horizontal panel with a Latin inscription in two parts, each of two lines reading horizontally (see (3) and (4) below); (c) twelve-cord double-beaded plait with irregular breaks (as before); (d) quadruple horizontal panel, the inner compartments containing parts of an inscription each in three lines reading horizontally (see (5) and (6) below), the two outer pairs of interlinked oval rings (R.A. 766); (e) coarse sixteen-cord plain ribbon-plait, with one break. Left. Narrow vertical panel filled with seven pairs of interlinked oval rings (R.A. 766) above and three squares of swastika key-pattern (R.A. 921) below.

[4] The pattern is apparently peculiar to S. Wales'.

RCAHMW/1976, 50: `On the E. face (as when in situ and as now re-set) the decoration forms three main panels in vertical order within plain continuous angle-mouldings. The uppermost panel has almost entirely flaked away, leaving weathered traces of diagonal swastika key-patterns probably arranged in six squares. A shorter panel below, framed and divided vertically by plain beading but not sunken, contains two horizontal inscriptions...The lower part of the right-hand panel is cut back to leave in relief a four-lobed plain twist. The lowest main panel, partly defaced, is formed of four squares of diagonal swastika key-pattern with paired pellets in all the outer segments.

The narrow S. side of the shaft forms one vertical panel, its upper two-thirds containing seven knots of double-beaded intertwining oval loops, the remainder filled with three squares of swastika key-patterns.

The W. face has three main panels of carved ornament separated by two bands of demi-panels with inscriptions. The damaged topmost panel contains irregular double-beaded plaitwork incomplete in itself and formerly continued on the missing cross-head. A plain horizontal beading separates this from a pair of rectangular demi-panels below, each framed by similar beading but not sunken...The central main panel is a square containing ten-cord double-beaded loose plaitwork with unsymmetrical breaks. Below it in a horizontal row are four equal rectangular demi-panels, the two outer ones each filled with a knot of double-beaded intertwined oval loops. The inner demi-panels, framed by plain beading but not sunken, have inscriptions...The lower half of the face forms one large panel filled with regular plain sixteen-cord plait, in which there is one break at the top.

The narrow N. side forms one vertical panel filled with fourteen squares of diagonal key-pattern alternating in direction except that the five upper squares are identical. The top square is incomplete, suggesting that the pattern was continued on the head'.

RCAHMW/1976, 50: `A shorter panel below, framed and divided vertically by plain beading but not sunken, contains two horizontal inscriptions. That in the left-hand panel in five unequal lines (Plate 12)...That in the right-hand panel, possibly in four lines originally of which three survive'.

Allen/1889, 121: `The most remarkable letter in the Llantwit inscriptions in the m on the cross of Samson and King Juthael. It consists of three vertical strokes and a transverse bar across the middle -- a peculiarity occurring in the Irish MSS. of the best period, such as the Lindisfarne and St. Chad's Gospels, and on inscribed stones at Jarrow, co. Durham, at Vaenor, Newborough, and Llangadwaladr, in Anglesey'.

Rhys/1899, 151: `On the lettering I have to remark that the S is of the tall or gamma kind, except the rounded one at the beginning of the second line. The m consists of three perpendiculars, with a bar across the middle as in the case of one mentioned in connection with No. 1; and in the last line but one the inscriber made for im four perpendiculars, and carelessly drew a bar across the first three, which makes the word read anmia instead of anima. Lastly, the r of crucem is gone, so that one can only guess its form'.

Nash-Williams/1950, 142: `Round half-uncials throughout, thinly picked in careless style. When first cleaned (about 1893) the inscription showed traces of having been `coloured black at some early period''.

RCAHMW/1976, 50: `The missing line might have read ORATE. The lettering is uniformly in rounded half-uncials, with variant forms of S. As first cut, the minims forming IM in anima were wrongly linked, with horizontal medial bar giving MI, but this was corrected by linking the tops of the last three minims. The initial incised Latin cross with serif-ends exceeds letter height, but the other incised crosses are of simple Latin form within the line'.

Macalister/1949, 157: `in two panels, side by side near the top [the first part of the inscription] and in two other panels, a little below the middle [the remainder of the inscription]'.

RCAHMW/1976, 50: `In the left-hand one [panel] are an incised Latin cross with stepped base and a damaged inscription (Plate 12)...The inscription in the right-hand demi-panel (Plate 12) is in two lines divided medially by incised lines'.

Anon/1928, 407: `Then why were these names recorded? It has occurred to me that they might be explained as those of persons who had earned merit by contributing to the expense of preparing or erecting the cross, whose names had this been inserted on panels left for the purpose. Compare the two panels on the Carew Cross, one of which is blank -- as though the person whose name appears on the other panel had come forward to defray the entire cost'.

RCAHMW/1976, 51: `Of the personal names inscribed...there can be no certainty in attempting to link the others thus commemorated with names in documentary sources'.

Allen/1889, 121: `The most remarkable letter in the Llantwit inscriptions in the m on the cross of Samson and King Juthael. It consists of three vertical strokes and a transverse bar across the middle, -- a peculiarity occurring in the Irish MSS. of the best period, such as the Lindisfarne and St. Chad's Gospels, and on inscribed stones at Jarrow, co. Durham, at Vaenor, Newborough, and Llangadwaladr, in Anglesey'.

Rhys/1899, 151--152: `That is: + Iltuti and Samson Regis. But the first panel, consisting of tall letters, has a breakage which partly affects the U, and leaves none of the final ti now visible; but Westwood found the top of the letter t still there, and he mentions Gibson's Camden, ii, 72, as giving the reading ILTUTI; and in volume ii (p. 171) of Edward Lhuyd's Correspondence in manuscript in Bodley's Library, a certain Thos. Hancorne writes to him, in 1693, that he reads Iltuti on the stone. But what remains of the U looks now as if it might have been an E, though the horizontal indications may be mere portions of the breakage. The position of the word Regis suggests that it was due to an afterthought, when the inscriber had considered that the name Samson was too common. So he may have thought it advisable to distinguish this Samson as Samson the King, and as a different person from the Samson who put up the cross, who was very likely an ecclesiastic. We ought, at all events, to have either Samsonis Regis or Samson Rex. The former is to be preferred, for on being reminded of Iolo Morganwg's facsimile

+ ILTU

TI

I feel convinced that it represents what he saw. I refer to his readings as given by the Editor in a most valuable paper in the Arch. Camb. for 1893, pp. 326-31'.

Nash-Williams/1950, 142: `Round half-uncials throughout, thinly picked in careless style. When first cleaned (about 1893) the inscription showed traces of having been `coloured black at some early period''.

RCAHMW/1976, 50: `the surviving letters read ILTU(?)[, but drawings made about 1693[2] and 1770[3] provide the original reading as ILTU/TI (`Of Illtud')...in half-uncials and with variant forms of S...The inner demi-panels, framed by plain beading but not sunken, have inscriptions in two lines above an incised Greek cross, that on the left reading SAM/UEL and the other reading EBI/SAR, both in rounded half-uncials.

[2] Stowe MS. 2024, fo. 25; Camden, Britannia (ed. Gibson, 2695), p. 628.

[3] Bodleian Lib. MS. Gough, Wales 8, fo. 79V.; Arch. Camb., 1893, p. 327'.