REASK/1

Corpus Refs:Macalister/1949:914
Okasha/Forsyth/2001:Reask 1
Site:REASK
Discovery:first mentioned, 1838 Windele, J.
History:Fanning/1981, 139--140, cites Petrie/1878, as the first notice of the stone, and states that the stone now `stands at the north-east corner of the site'.

Okasha/Forsyth/2001, 175--176: `The stone has been at Reask since at least June 1838 when Windele drew and examined it, describing it as at `Riesk about a quarter of a Mile SE of Ballinrannig ... He returned there in September 1848 .. When du Noyer examined and drew the stone in 1866, he described it at `Valluragh Burial Ground 1 mile East of Ballyferriter Dingle', and `on Dingle Road' .. Macalister stated that the stone had been moved to University College Cork (Macalister/1949, 97), but, as Fanning pointed out, Macalister had confused this sotne with one of the other, uniscribed, stones from Reask'.

Geology:Fanning/1981, 139: `gritty sandstone containing pebbles and flakes'.
Dimensions:1.88 x 0.57 x 0.1 (Okasha/Forsyth/2001)
Setting:in ground
Location:on site
Okasha/Forsyth/2001, 175: `The stone stands, possibly in situ, at the eastern edge of the enclosure, north of the internal dividing wall of the early ecclesiastical site'.
Form:cross-slab
Okasha/Forsyth/2001, 176: `The stone is a tall, thin sandstone slab ... of irregular natural shape'.
Condition:complete , good
Okasha/Forsyth/2001, 176: `it is intact'.
Folklore:none
Crosses:1: equal-armed; outline; expanded; curved; plain; circular; outer curv; other; plain
Decorations:

Fanning/1981, 139--140: `Maltese (equal-armed) cross within a circle. The stem of the cross is decorated with spiral designs and terminates in a pelta-like motif. The cross is recessed into the stone with widely expanded arms, the lower member having two small spirals in slight relief. In the angles are traces of further lightly incised motifs probably representations of a capital omega...The remainder of the ornament is pendant from the encircled cross and is grouped around the vertical stem...and terminates in a spiralled pelta design. Directly above this a horizontal line is placed across the vertical stem so forming a cross the arms of which curl upwards into spirals. These are linked to a further set of S-curves...Finally the circle which encloses the cross curls downwards into two spirals linked with the lower spiralled designs by long attenuated S-curves, the entire curvilinear pattern forming a rough symmetrical frame to the central stem feature'.

Okasha/Forsyth/2001, 176: `The back and sides are plain but the face is decorated with a full-length cross. This takes the form of a cross-of-arcs enclosed in a circle. In each angle of the arms a stem terminates in a double loop and tails, like a stylised ribbon bow. The cross stands on a linear shaft joined to the lower arm with a pair of inwardly disposed scrolls. The shaft terminates in a pelta and is further embellished by an irregularly shaped frame which incorporates three pairs of inwardly disposed scrolls'.

References


Inscriptions


REASK/1/1     Pictures

Readings

Macalister, R.A.S. (1949):DNE
Expansion:
DNE
Macalister/1949 97, Plate XLI reading only
Fanning, T. (1981):DNE
Expansion:
DOMINE
Fanning/1981 140 reading only
Okasha and Forsyth (1999):DNE
Expansion:
DOMINE
Translation:
O Lord.
Okasha/Forsyth/2001 176 reading only

Notes

Orientation:vertical down
Position:n/a ; broad ; beside cross ; undivided
Okasha/Forsyth/2001, 176: `The text is complete and is incised low down and to the left of the cross shaft. It reads vertically downwards in one line with the bottom of the letters to the viewer's left'.
Incision:inc
Date:550 - 699 (Okasha/Forsyth/2001)
Okasha/Forsyth/2001, 177, argues for a date in the later sixth, or seventh century.
Language:Latin (rbook)
Ling. Notes:Okasha/Forsyth/2001, 177: `The text reads dne for D(omi)ne, an abbreviated form of the Latin vocate domine, `O Lord''.
Palaeography:Fanning/1981, 140: `an early form of Irish script'.

Okasha/Forsyth/2001, 176: `half-uncial script'.

CISP: The script of this stone can usefully be compared to that of KMKDR/2. In both cases the ascender of the Ds are vertical, and the bows are open. In the case of Reask the ascender also has a wedge-shaped finial at the top. The Es of both KMKDR/2 and REASK/1 are also similar. Both cases are rounded uncial forms with extended central horizontal strokes. Unlike at Kilmalkedar the N at Reask is angular and of H-like shape.

Legibility:good
Okasha/Forsyth/2001, 176: `The text is legible'.
Lines:1
Carving errors:0
Doubtful:no

Names

References