The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-02-03
old BROOCHES AS
AID IN JUDGING
CHARACTERISTICS
Legends and Superstitions
Linked To These
Ornaments.

Ornaments.
No relics of antiquity are more de-
serving of study than personal orna-
ments, and of all personal ornaments
perhaps the brooch is the most i'm
portant as affording an insight into
the character of the people by whom
it was worn.
Practically, a brooch is a contriv-
ance for fastening together any two
points of a garment, development or
the pin, which was the first and
simplest method of fastening, proba-
bly, evolved from the sharp thorn
plucked by our arboreal ancestor to
hold a few leaves or a skin together
First of all, you have a pin
wooden, bone, or metal; then it's head
is thickened to keep it from slipping
through the hole it has made in the
stuff; and then the brooch is evolved,
pin. which bends round to eaten,
thus holding the cloth without the
possibility of it's slipping
/, The Celtic brooch is penannular-a
ring with a break in it's continuity,
and the pin>is longer than the dame
ter of the brooch. The method OF
fastening this in the garment is as
follows, to quote Mr.. Romilly Allen:
''The long pin is inserted in the fabric
at two points close together in such
a manner that the apex goes right
through it, and appears again above
the surface; the pin is then forced
through the break, and the ring is
given a turn through right angle in
the plane of the fabric, thus fixing the
brooch"
The long point was usually worn
upwards to avoid injury from II.
These brooches were most important
parts of the dress. as they are to this
day in the dress of a Highlander, and
a precious brooch is enumerated
among the customary insignia of a
chief.
TheN finest specimen of the orna-
mented brooch of the early Celtic
type in Scotland is the Hunterston
brooch-so called because it was
found at Hunterston, near West Kill
bride, in Ayshire-now kept in the
Antiquarian Museum in Edinburg.
The date ascribed to it is the 10th CEN
fury It is of silverd worked over
with inter1aced patterns in gold fill
gree, and set with amber, and on the
under side has an inscription, in Run1c
characters. Some antiquaries claim it
as the brooch of King Haco himself,
lost at the battle Of Largs!
Another Scottish brooch of some
what the same type is that known as
the. Glenlyon brooch, also silver, and
Iset with stones, on claws and on raised
pyramidal bosses alternately. with a
center bar also inset with stones and
decorated with wire interlaced work.
On the lower side the names of the
three Kings of Cologne are inscribed
in black letter-Caspar, Melchior
BalthazarAv-a favorite talismanic in
scription on medieval amulets. These
two brooches are purely personal or
naments; but some of the. Aother
brooches are purely personal orna-
ments; but some Of the other brooch
es of an early date are known as re-
liquary brooches and bear as their
center ornament a round polished
rock crystal, under which was usual
ly receptacle, under which was US
ually receptacle for a small piece OF
sacred relic. OF these perhaps the
best known. is the Brooch Of Lorn
which sis Of silver, of very curious
form and ancient workmanship" a
round center boss, bearing the crystal
globe, surrounded by round pyramid
al bosses with jewels on their sum-
mits, the whole outlined by.a battle
| mented edge.
The picturesque legend concerning
this brooch, is we'll known; how the
Bruce, close pursued by his enemies
and overpowered by numbers, was
retreating into the fastness of Argyll
shire. Directing the retreat of his
men through a narrow defile where
but one could pass at a time, Bruce
himself, on horseback, guarded the
rear, beating back the desperate at
lacks of the pursuers. Three of the
clansmen Of Macdougall, the Lord
of Lorn, seeing the havoc wrought in
their ranks by the Bruce's mighty
strokes, Vowed they would either kill
him or take him prisoner. All rush
ed on him at once; but by the exer-
iton of almost superhuman strength
the Bruce grappled with and slew all
three assailants. though he could only
free himself from. the tenacious dying
ing the brooch that held his cloak and
leaving it and the cloak behind.
Thus the brooch fell into the hands
of the Lord of Lorr, and is still in the
possession of his DESCENDANT, sMacdou-
gall of Dunolly. y,
It was long treasured at Dunolly;
but in the 17th century, when Dunol-
ly was burned, it disappeared. and was
supposed to have been carried off by
the enemy, About the middle of last
century, however-the story goes-it
was seen and recognized by friend
Of the MacdougalPs in a jewelers. shop
in London He purchased the brooch
and presented it to his friend. and SO,
after all its adventures, it returned
to it's own place again.
NThe Lochbuy brooch is of similar
style, and is now in the British Mu-
scum, though model of it may be
seen in the Antiquarian Museum in
Edinburg. It is said to be made OF
silver found on the Lochbuy estates
in Null, and to have been fashioned
about the beginning of the 18th cen
fury by a travelling tinker or artisan
one of those Cards who wander
ed over the country turning their
hands to any job of metal-working
that came their way.
The Ugada1e brooch is Of the same
type and has been treasured in the
Macneill farnilv since the day that
God King Robert bestowed it up
on their aflcestoe in ACKNOWLEDGEMENT