The times., 1897-04-25
ScOtland's Famous "Plighting
Stane 0'Lairg."
COMES TO CANADIAN MUSEUM
Thousands of Fair Maids and Brave
GalIants Have PIighred Tr0th
Through This Odd and Memorable
Work of Nature-NOthing Like 10
in All the World.

Stltute Museum dJ IOrOutO II IL Jho
Pnghting Stane O'Lairg." Its history
goes farther back than anyone can re-
member, far beyond the time when records
were kept 1t is known, however, 10 have
been used by the mystic DIuids- centuries
before Robert Bruce and his hold clan
made Scotland Iing with their shouts and
the sound Of battle. For il is 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 an office well
toward the top that was made by nature
more centuries ago than one likes 70 think
of This remarkable DrudCical relic would
be fit companion to the Blarney stone,
for while by one the tongue gains power
to charm, by the other one is enabled to
win the charfner. There is nothing Ike
the stane in all the world. and il is con
sidered matter Of very great surprise
that the good folk Of SutheI eIlanGshire, the
original home Of the stane, ever allowed
it to tie taken from the place where I mas
stood so long that centuries nave grown
old and gray.
Mi David Boyle, curator or the Canadian
Museum, treasures the stone as he would
the apple OF MS eye. He Is greatly en-
Unused over the addition 70 the museum.
This is what he writes concerning it.
ITO the Editor: What is probably the
ol5est European stone relic ia Amer riea,
not excepting even CIeopatra's Needle in
Central Park, is the Plighting Stane
OLairg, now in the Ontario Arche illogical
Museum in Toronto This ancient memorial
or the faith and superstition OF or ances-
tors is supposed 10 date as far back as
the days OF the Druids in Great Britain
For centuries it was connected with tha
life history OF the people in the north OF
Scotland, where it was regarded as q silens
witness To the vows and pledges of young
and old in matters of love and commerce.
..ScOttis1 marriage ceremonies have al
ways beea characterized by simplicity, and
those brought about through the Pil2lting
stone O'Lairg are regarded as peculiarly
sacred. Here tae lovers meet IN une Iirs5
instance. merely 10 promise each other
faithfunesS, and on subsequent occasion
70 renew their vows and accept each other
for better or worse. Disgrace eternal, or
even death. was supposed "a follow the vio-
| lati0l of such a pledges, s" UNIVERSAL
was the belief IN the virtus, Of an Oath or
affirmation made through this stane. that
IL was reslrteI 10 BY all, and in the ma King
of every kind Of bargain
sales of land, exchanges Of cattle. pru-
chases Of ali sorts aud agreements Jo per-
form military or domestic service were
ratified in the presence Of a witneSs ~ the
Fighting Stane- Nor did the practice cease
when better light dawned on the people.
Even the reformation dId not eradicate a
belief in its virtues, and up 20 very re-
cent date IL was the custom OF the people
.. e. niles n order % avail
themselves of the peculiar saCre,lness thai
attached itself TO promises santtified by
| this medium
| ut is on record traditionally that numer-
Gus attempts have been made by ecclest-
astical authorities To do away with the
superstitious belief, but in vain Kirk
sessions Il. .uteste,l. but the Feei.e hcHeved-
The schoolmaster, however, appeared, and
faith in the stone began To wane- sun.
il was not until the ancient relic was re-
moved from its old place in an offshoo1
from one Of the church walls that its
glory DEPARTED It was presented 10 the
Ontario Museum through Mr.. Hugh NiChOl,
of Stratford. by Miss Mary Buchanan, OF
I,airg, and it may interest the donor 10
know that even in the New World, and
in the light of almost twentieth century
knowledge. some affeCtiOnate couples stfH
stand on opposite sides of the stone and
surreputiously grasp hands.
| DAVID BOYLE"
! II was quite victory for the Canadian
institution to gain this stone, as it had d
very formidable competitor in Oxford nj
versity. the faculty Of which had no
liking for the thought even, Of this
| famous old relic leaving bonnie Scotland
| Ii is told that when the day came for i5
| to be boxed up far away in Sutherland
| shire that there was grOdning and eX-
| ceading IamentatiOn on all sides. Nould The
| luck o. I.airC depart with the Staue. That
| was the equestiOn that was asked, and many
were those who believed that It's gong
| Siguified bad fortune r
| Thus far. however, is has seemed Stan9
| of good fortune. for the clouds of trouble
| have not lowered over Lairg. neither has
| anv ilI-fortune come 10 Toronto because
| the staue was moved. There is an old
| time supers titiOn among the peaSantry All
| through Scotland. England. Ireland and
/ Wales that those ancient stones. which
J mark places Of worship of the Druids 50
| many wears ago, should never he inter-
| fered with. To remove them, says su-
| nerstitiop. is to invite a fierce contest
| with the furies. If you live by q river
| and do ANYTHING of this sort, look out for
| the keIpie that comes in the night and
| brings sore trouble. If you live in moun-
/ famous or hilly dis triCt, the suomes VIII
| s1relv descend upon you with hideOus face
| ard wicked Ieer and brew trouble th3
| whole night long.
| Now. all these things did the people OF
Lairg and the courageous museum officials
| of roront, face If what the story books
tell is true, the kelpie and the gnOme can
cross the Atlantic ocean in about five min
/ utes. if they want TO- There are Unkind
| persons, however, who say that these llttie
peoule never exist outside the story-bOok
| and legend, and among them are numbered
| the persons who have been concerutd IN
the removal of this stane.
| This new importation has become an OO-
| iect of the most decided dintereSttoreSidents
| of and visitors TO Toronto Think OfphEht-
| ing troth with your sweetheart where per
| haps Rohert Bruce himself once performed
| the same action! Doubtless, too, those
unkind persons who are not inclined TO Do
| trusurul may feel that pliEh ting their
| troth to a woman surrounded by uese
| superstitious memories may have suffl-
| cieut Influence over her To make her suck
| to her agreement and not repent in favor
| of some other fellow The ancient Gus
tom regarding the stoncis, as Curator boyi9
| saws. being revived TO a considerable e1-
tent in Toronto
A Toronto genius has suggested "A plight
ine, stane marty. in which the gu uests shall
! each assume. a costume in keeping with
some period during the many centuries
J - n