The herald., 1896-12-30
THE PLIGHTING STANE
An Ancient Scottish Relic Now in Tor
onto, Ontario

famous relic of ancient lore and
love has just been placed in the Cana
dian Institute museum at Toronto. 1t
Is THE Plighting Stane OLairg." Its
history goes farther back than anyone
can remember, far beyond the time when
records were kept. 1t is known, how
ever, to have been used by the mystic
Druids, centuries before Robert Bruce
and his bold clan made Scotland ring
with their shouts and the sound of bat
tie. For it is a Scottish stane, of course.
Its name tells that.
1t is declared by those who know that
thousands of true Scottish hearts have
plghted troth through the hole in this
stone. There is nothing like the "stane"
in all the world, and it IL considered a
matter of very great surprise that the
good folk of Sutherlandshire, it's original
home, ever allowed 1t to be taken from
the place where it stood for centuries.
David Boyle, curator of the Canadian
museum, treasures the stone as he would
the apple of his eye. He is greatly en-
thused over the addition to the museum
This is what he writes concerning it:
What is probably the oldest European
stone relic in America. not excepting
even Cleopatra's Needle in Central park
is the 'Plighting Stane O'Lairg,' now in
the Ontario Archaeological museum in
lbIDulU. IHlS dIlclcllI memorial Oh the
faith and superstition of our ancestors
is supposed to date as far back as the
days of the Druids in Great Britain. For
centuries it was connected with the life
history of the people in the north of
Scotland, where 1t was regarded as ST.
lent witness to the vows and pledges of
young and old in matters of love and
commerce.
Scottish marriage ceremonies have
o1 obo IA. ,,,1 AZ
and those brought about through the
Plightlng Stane O'Lairg are regarded
as peculiarly sacred. Here the lovers
met in the first instance, merely to prom
ise each other faithfulness, and on sub
sequent occasion to renew their VOWS
and accept each other for better or
worse. Disgrace eternal. or even death.
was supposed to follow the violation of
such a pledge and so universal was the
belief in the virtues of an oath or affirm
alton made through this stane that it was
resorted to by all and in the making of
every kind of bargain.
"Sales Of land. exchanges Of cattle, pur-
chascs of all sorts and agreements TO
perform military or domestic service
were ratified in the presence of wit
ness at the Plghting Stane Nor did
the practice cease when better light
dawned on the people Even the refor-
nation did not eradicate q belief in it's
virtues, and up to a very recent date 1t
was the custom of the people to travel
for many miles in order to avail them
selves OF the peculiar sacredness that at
tached itself to promises sanctified by
this medium.
1T is on record tradltionally that nu-
merous attempts have been made by &C.
clesiastical authorities to do away with
the superstitious belief, but in vain
Kirk sessions protested. but the people
believed The schoolmaster. however.
appeared, and faith in the stone began to
wane. Still, it was not urtll the ancient
relic was removed from its old place in
an off-shoot from one Of the church walls
that its glory departed. 1t was present
cd to the Ontario museum through Mr..
Hugh Nichol onetratford by Miss Mary
buchanan Of LAirg. and 1t may interest
the Conor to know that even in the New