Pagan Tombs in Meath
Reilly, A. J.
T RELAND is not generally known to be a hunting••• ground for antiquarians and archaeologists, but it is nevertheless one of the richest countries In the remains of a civilization untouched by...
...The one now at the entrance to New Grange displays beautiful spirals characteristic of the bronze age...
...The mound itself is an enormous cairn built of loose stones heaped within a curbing of larger stones...
...Ancient records assert that the guardian spirit of this valley was one Aengus an Bhrogha, son of a De Dannan king, to whom, after he departed this life, the gods of the De Dannans assigned the duty of watching over this burial place of royalty...
...Is still intact...
...This design can be traced in all the carvings at New Grange, but with unmistakable Gaelic modifications, for these old Gaels were no mere imitators...
...The final engagement between the two rival races was fought in what Is now County Meath, in the valley of the Boyne, and it may be the burial mounds of the three De Dannan kings (who, with their wives, fell in that great battle) that are today known as New Grange, Dowth, and Knowth...
...The funnel-shaped dome which forms the roof of the chamber is built of similar flat stones, overlapping and gradually narrowing until one stone serves to close the opening...
...The three recesses off the main chamber arouse considerable speculation...
...Because of the general similarity of the three structures—which are perhaps the oldest of the kind in the world—the description of New Grange may be applied to the other two...
...In each are found great stone basins, in the largest of which can be traced quite easily two cup depressions...
...The design of the passage is carried on into the circular chamber at the end, giving an architectural completeness to the whole structure...
...What the Danes and succeeding Invaders spared the ruthless hand of time has succeeded in destroying, until today there remains only the unique structure Itself and its strange, primitive stone carvings...
...This curbing turns gradually inward toward the entrance to the tomb, which would seem to Indicate that at all times the entrance was plainly visible to both friend and foe...
...New Grange, in its present condition, reveals at least twenty richly carved stones having all the characteristics of pre-Mycenaen decorative art...
...The De Dannans, it will be recalled, inhabited Ireland in the prehistoric era before the coming of the Milesians...
...Indeed the Milesians continued to fear them even after conquering them, because of their "necromancy...
...The tumulus indeed presents an extremely commonplace and even disappointing appearance to the traveler coming upon it suddenly...
...What disclosures could be made by these stones put in place thousands of years ago...
...A twelfth-century writer, the compiler of the Leabhar na-h-Uidhre, or Book of the Dun Cow, writing at Clonmacnoise, declared in that book that so ancient were the structures in the Boyne valley (which were then in an excellent state of preservation) that at that time all knowledge of their origin had been lost...
...Long before Dane or Norman set foot upon Irish soil, before the great apostle Patrick watched his pagan master's flocks on the lonely hillsides of this strange land, the valley of the Boyne or, as it was then known, Brugh na Bolnne, had an established place in Irish annals...
...Because of circumstances not pertinent to this brief article, the Irish people themselves have generally an extremely limited knowledge of the value of these relics of a pagan world, and it was not an uncommon thing to find in the material being used for road-work invaluable Ogham stones with their still undeciphered record...
...But other authorities aver that the Celtic Druids never offered human sacrifices and that the stone basins are sarcophagi...
...Thus far there has been too little scientific investigation along these lines to determine beyond a doubt the purpose of these basins in the burial mounds...
...Within the enclosure thus formed was a rampart of loose stones which, on the eastern side...
...Because it was originally built upon rising ground, the observer is deceived as to its actual height, and the thick growth of brush and trees which now covers the flat top of the mound still further detracts from Its Impressiveness...
...The first modern account of the tumuli was given by a Welsh antiquarian in 1699...
...They seem to have been a conquering and all-powerful race, their achievements In the realms of the mind as marvelous as their prowess In battle...
...Knowledge of this was probably introduced into Ireland by Scandinavian amber seekers for at this period Scandinavia was the only country in Europe where the design of the lozenge surrounded by eight circles enclosed in the scalloped border was used...
...Later the builders set the stones in place in the structure without regard to the designs, many of which are concealed by the overlapping...
...These are, like many of the other stones In the structure, beautifully carved in spirals and lozenges...
...Only by chance were the ancient tumill, burial mounds of long dead pagan kings, saved from the leveling process of time and man...
...It is contended by some that these must have been used as sacrificial basins under the old Druldlcal rite...
...But there can be no question as to the antiquity of the mounds...
...From these the student may trace the development of decorative art In Ireland, and they remain the finest examples extant of the relief carving of that early period...
...Our scientific journeys have not taken us as yet far enough into the Gaelic past to answer...
...Clearly outlined thereon is the famed ship sign...
...Greatest Interest centers on the carvings still visible on the boundary stones...
...This is unfortunate, for they are, without doubt, among the most remarkable remains of antiquity to be found anywhere, and deserve the serious attention of the scholar and the careful protection of the government to ensure that no further acts of vandalism will be allowed to mar these priceless remains of an almost unknown civilization...
...In later times even the knowledge of their existence was lost until the tumulus at New Grange was accidentally discovered by some workmen...
...Did the artists hope by exhibitions of their skill to win back their freedom...
...In the recess at the right is found one of the most remarkable of the carved stones...
...Perhaps no district of equal area In Europe contains more relics of a long dead past than the historic and beautiful valley of the Boyne, within easy reach of Dublin...
...The passage is walled by large, flat stones, many of them elaborately and delicately carved In the conventional spiral design, though the most precious of the carvings have been removed to the National Museum In Dublin...
...Other evidences of Ogham writing, still to be deciphered, are found on many of the stones to arouse the interest of the antiquarian and the curiosity of the tourist...
...At the entrance one can study what is assuredly the first step in the development of the arch in the huge, carved stone above the opening, the lines on its upper face indicating early efforts at molding...
...From the existing arrangement of twelve large, flat stones can be drawn the inference that the mound was originally enclosed in a circle of similar stones...
...and if this be true, then the tumuli were likewise the scenes of certain Druldlcal acts of worship...
...The carving was done, apparently, when the stones were on the ground...
...The only precaution against unwelcome entry was apparently one excessively large and heavy flat stone which closed the single opening...
...New Grange lies between Slane and Drogheda on the north bank of the Boyne...
...Could they reveal what longforgotten implements were used to effect the delicate tracery or by what strange machinery the great stones were swung into place...
...But an exploration on foot discovers the fact that the mound Is In reality forty feet in height and approximately a thousand feet in circumference...
...At the end of this Is a circular chamber with a conical shaped roof...
...There was evidently but one entrance, which gives upon a passage about three feet wide and fifty feet long...
...The design generally followed is again the spiral, the loose ends grouping together the three principal spirals in the design and the end positions being filled with lozenges...
...Were the mounds built by the sweated labor of weary slaves, captives taken by the king on some of his warlike expeditions...
...This was followed by Governor Pownal's Sepulchral Monument at New Grange, but in more recent times antiquarians seem again to have lost sight of the mounds...
...177s Molyneux, in his Discourse Concerning Danish Mounds, Forts and Towers in Ireland, gives an extended description of the tumuli as they were then...
...Brugh na Boinne is mentioned by the most ancient of Gaelic writers of which there is any record...
...The ease with which invaders could gain access doubtless accounts for the disappearance of such treasures as are usually found in pagan burial places...
...T RELAND is not generally known to be a hunting••• ground for antiquarians and archaeologists, but it is nevertheless one of the richest countries In the remains of a civilization untouched by any Roman influence...
Vol. 6 • June 1927 • No. 7
