Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-12-29
Old Legend of Meigle.
Scottish American.)


According TO an old gazetteer OF Scot
land. Meigle. on the border or Perrin anu
Angus. is worthy OF visit from the tou
rst on account OF some very UNIQUE
monuments in the cnurchyaru, Wniun' -
has been asserted. denote the grave OF
Queen Vanora, the unworthy Wle Oh
King Arthur. 1t is mentioned that IN
battle between that monarch tWnoss
whole life is fable ana the united
forces Of the Scots and Picts, Nanora W as
taken prisoner and carried along Win
other spois into Angus, where she llved
some time in miserable captivity on barry
Hill. Such Is the doubtful account re-
corded in the ancient annals Oh the couh-
Vanora has been represented as one
who led a Iascivious life, and held an un-
lawful correspondence with Mordred,
Pictish king. who provoked the Jeaiousy
of her husband and excited MN 10 take
IN arms in revenge of the injury. IL Is
mentioned that Vanora, soon alter the
defeat Of her lover, went to hunt IN tne
forest and was attacked and torn IN
nieces nv wild beasts. and that her re-
mains were buried at Meigle. The monu,
ment, which it is supposed was raised
over her grave, seems to nave Deen com,
posed Of many stones. artfuily joined ana ana
decorated with a variety of hieroglyphical
or symbolical characters, most OF winch
are of the monstrous KIND, ana repre-
sent acts of violence on the person Oh a
woman. On one stone are lree sindli
crosses. with many animals above and
below On another Is cross ADORNED
with various flowers, and the rude repre-
sensations of fishes, beasts, and men on
horseback. on third II an open cnalioe
drawn by two horses and some persons
in it; behind Is Wild beast devouring
human form lying PROSTATE on the eartn.
On a fourth is an animal, somewhat re-
sembling an elephant. on another elgh'
feet long by three feet three inches broad,
standing upright in socket there Is a
cross. In the middle are several ngures,
with the bodies OF horses. or cameis, and
the heads Of serpents; on each sue VI
| siderably impaired. On the reverse sue
| Is the figure OF woman, attacked on an
sides by dogs and other furious animals.
| Above are several persons on oss ,,s'
low Is a centaur and a serpent OF enor-
nous size fastened on the mouth OF a
| bull. ~
| Ionged TO this monument, have been car
| ried off or broken in pieces by the IN
| habitants of this place. As several OF
| those which remain have been removed
| from their proper .position-as many OF
| the figures are defaced-and as we are
| i'm a great measure unacquainted with the
art OF deciphering hieroglyphics-the MIS-
| tory delineated on Vanoras monument
is now irrecoverably lost; The antiquary
may amuse himself with the fragments
which remain, but he can scarcely form
| one plausible conjecture with respect 70
| their original meaning and design. The
| fabulous Boece records tradition pre-
vaiIing In this time, that ''if young
/ woman shall walk over the grave OF
| Vsnora she shall entail on herself per-
| petual sterility."
Such is the legend OF Meigie; ana az
| though the writer of the article In tht
zetteer parenthetically remarks tina
| Arthur's ''whole life Is fable the re
suits OF late research render the iehene
not altogether improbable, for they prov.
| hovond Reasonable doubt that underneath
ths mass OF round table romances there
is found a genuine British warrior cor
responding TO the renowned Arsnur' an,
chanaed In the twelfth century from
sonthern Scotland TO Southwestern Eng
land by Godfrey OF Monmouth IN pre-
| ciseiv the same manner as the country
iass ~ Kirkpatrick Irongray was trans
formed into Jesnie Deans OF Edinbmrsl
by Sir Walter Scott. While TO the Eng
| iish Arthur is king" and to the Welsl