Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-08

i he DU IN LA i
their coat of arms the bloody hand, the
symbol of the O'Neills.
Each new baronet had this title on
condition that he maintained 80 SOL
diers for years at 8 pence a day each
81 ,095, which represents about 10000
of our money at this time AS the
title was hereditary, 1t was eagerly
sought after. In such cases, however,
there was no honor In it, as it was
bought for money"
This is eloquent testimony to the
great antiquity of Irish heraldry. for it
would be an easy matter for the King
to allow any symbol he might choose
for those baronets, but King and baro-
nets knew the ancient value of the
O'Neill coat of arms.
Most Figures From Tombs.
Among the charges which are seen
in heraldry-outsioe of living things
there are many curious figures which
have appellations known to the student
and it will assist us to get true line
on the subject we are discussing to
realize that almost all of such figures
are found on the tombs of the pagan
Irish. Referring to the work of e. Al
fred Conwell, NJ. r. l. A., who dealt in
ancient nations, Ellis says:
1.-THE foregoing Irish deductions and
examples of the heraldic symbols Of
the early races of mankind may be fitly
closed by an account of an extraordi-
nary number and variety of them lately
brought to light in Ireland" He then
quotes, from the proceedings of the
chronological Society, part of the address
of Conwell which gives the following ref
erence to prehistoric tombstone mark
ings in Ireland:
"TheSe prehistoric inscriptions and
marks were revealed by an examination
of the sepulchral cairns on the Tough
Crew Hills, County West Meath. OF
these. two were partially destroyed and
had hitherto escaped all previous inves-
legations. All we're said to surpass, in
point of magnificence, number and
quaint ornamentation, anything of the
kind yet discovered in Western Europe.
Though the carved stones exceed
100 in number, there are not two deco
rations similar. In all, so far as the
operations have gone, 1898 separate
devices have been laid bare. The de-
vices on the sculptured chamber stones
in Is cairns in the entire range may be
thus summarized" etc.
Here he gives a list which would
take up much space. and I shall con-
tent myself by saying that almost all,
If not in fact all, of those reraldic
figures are found today in books on
heraldry.
"Marshaled Arms"
The accompanying engravings will
give an approximate idea Of some of
them. No. / is picture of book COW
er of Irish workmanship. 1t is taken
from Early Christian Art in Ireland,
by Margaret Stokes. 1t was made about
1850 A. D., at latest. The important
thing about it, so far as our subject is
concerned, is that it shows not alone
heraldic symbols, but also the arrange
ment which is known as "marshaled
arms" According to Abbot's work on
heraldry, this form of marshaling arms
was not known in England until the
time of John Hastings, second Earl
If Pembroke, who died about 1876. Mar
shaled arms divide the shield into sec
tons to show relationship.
The blaZon or description OF this
shield Is, as given in our times: "lst
and 4th, cheeky; I'd and Sd, Barry In
dented." The square figures being at
the top of the shield, at the dexter
side. this is known as the first quarter;
diagonally from it, at the lower side,
called the 4th, the figures are the same.
These 1st and 4th quarters stand for
the mans coat-of-arms. and the I'd and
Sd quarters stand for the arms of his
mother. This would At in with the
theory that it was meant for the arms
of an ecclesiastic and his mother.
AS the book is mass book, this ar
rangement would be probable, as We
view the matter of marshaling arms.
The crystal in the center would seem
to be the forerunner Of what is known
q or fT5
other countries.
Dragon Among Figures.
Figure shows part Of page from
Elvin's heraldry. In almost every in
stance the figures found cut into the
stones of the pagan tombs in Ireland
are seen here. Outside of living things
it would be hard to find one figure in
Elvin that has not been found on those
old Irish tornbs, so far as we can learn
from those impartial and learned men
who have been quoted in this article.
The dragon is here seen.
Bearing in mind the heraldic figures
here shown in the standard book on
heraldry and comparing them with
what has been said about the figures
found on old tombstones in Ireland, we
have no difficulty In accepting Ellis
words that such figures are plainly
heraldic and have been carried down to
our times from the pagan era. Ellis
quotes the English writer, Birch, as fol-
lows:
Each (Irish) tribe or family used
separate type Of shape or ornamental
ton He also says that though some
Of the same symbols are found through
out the monuments, yet the same ar
rangements is almost never repeated"
In the part of the page given from
Elvin here the reader will see the SINH
larity of design, and yet In each in
stance there is a difference, just as
Birch informs us exists in the Irish
tombstones.
With the possible exception Of two
or three examples shown from Elvin,
all Of the figures given here by him,
and In almost every page OF his book
containing almost 5000 engravings of
heraldic figures. are found in abund-
ance on the pagan tombstones OF Ire
land.
Writers on heraldry seem DESTROYS to
discover the first written record of
hereditary heraldry. "Burke's General
Armory" gives it under the heading of
"O'Donnell" The item records the
fact that st. Patrick designed the SYM
bol-a crosS-to be borne by the chief
of6Shat clan and his descendants for
ever This was in the fifth century,
and there is no record of anything
similar for 700 years afterward any,
where. In all likelihood hereditary
heraldry was in vogue in Ireland and
other countries long before the time of
st. Patrick and this would go to con-