The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1914-07-25
Moreover. num-

bers of placenames incorporated in
the word Dallan-evidence that for
merly the monument was even more
common than it is today. Sometimes
it is difficult to distinguish modern
COW stone, the true pillar stone,
which, perhaps, has stood since
thousand years before Fionn Mac
Cumhal. Generally, however, the
pillar stone is more massive and
rough and less symmetrical than the
cow-stone. The Menhir, or pillar
stone, is not peculiar to Ireland, or
the Celtic countries. Its erection we
may almost characterize as embodi-
ment of an instinct which is as old
as humanity itself-to perpetuate in
a simple, rough, but permanent way,
some notable event, as a battle, a
meeting, a treaty, or death of war
rior. Sometimes the Dallan marks
tribal boundary, sometimes the last
resting place of the illustrieus dead.
There is good reason, too, for the
conjecture, that sometimes the pillar
stone was some sort of idol. In this
connection, we may recall the pillar
stone which Jacob set up to mark
the place where vision of glory had
been vouchsafed to him, and another
stone set up in a certain Irish city
to commemorate a treaty, broken
'ere the ink wherewith twas writ
could dry" Memorials of mail-clad
knight or medieval bishop of Dan
ish dominion and Norman conquest
has disappeared, but the rude, I'M
sculptured pillar stone. which was
hoary with age centuries before the
advent of knight or bishop or Dane
or Norman outlasts them all. The
fact that the pillar stone takes up so
little space makes for it's preserva-
ton as does the further fact that it
serves a certain utilitarian purpose
as cow-stone. Doubtless, how
ever, the most potent factor in favor
of the pillar stones preservation has
been an indefinite dread of meddling
with it.
Pillar stones vary widely in ap-
pearance and character; they are of
all sizes and shapes and of all classes
of rock. Some are quite diminutive
not rising more than two or three
feet above the ground; others are
twenty feet high and proportionately
massive. A few specimens are extra
ordinarily tall and slender; a speci-
men from Doonfeeny, County Mayo,
resembles a stunted telegraph post.
Some pillar stones bear inscriptions
in ogham and some are cross in
scribed. The ogham inscribed pillars
will be treated under a separate
heading; a word or two on the cross
inscribed examples may not be out
of place. 1t has been suggested, and
there is considerable verisimilitude
in the suggestion, that the cross in
scribed pillars had some connection
with heather worship-that, in fact,
perhaps, they were idols and that
the early Christian missionaries, to
turn the peoples hearts from pagan
ism, had the pagan monuments con-
verted into Christian memorials.
Something of the same kind appears
to have been done in the case of the
ogham stones, which, though of
Christian times, were evidently
erected by men of paganizing ten
denotes.
The surviving ogham inscriptions
are, with a couple of exceptions, all
on stone. In the days of ogham writ
ing wood was the material ordinarily
employed; as was to be expected,
however, from the perishable char
acter of their materials the ogham
inscriptions and literature on wood
have entirely persisted. The ogham-
inscribed stone is generally Dallan.
and, more often than not, it will be
found in eileen or near the site of
one. In few instances inscriptions
have been found on large rounded
pebbles, etc. The inscription ap-
pears in the shape of parallel strokes
and notches along the angles of the
stone. The strokes are consonants
and the notches vowels. Occasion
ally the inscription is not on the
edge. but on slightly raised arris.
or ridge, along or across the face of
the stone. AS rule the legend or
inscription runs up the pillar from
the left hand and down at the right.
but there are many exceptions, and
deviations from the rule render
reading of the inscription very diff
cult. Indeed many of the inscrip-
lions have been read only tentatively
and a few have not been read at all.
The distribution of ogham inscrip-
lions affords strong presumptive evil
dence that the script (and let it be
remembered the ogham is an alpha
bet only. not a language). originated
In Ireland. Why? Because the vast
majority of the Inscriptions have
1 T.