Gents Mag 1858 part 1 p.424
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Gentleman's Magazine 1858 part 1 p.424
religion that no tool should be lifted up on such sacred sepulchral edifices? Nothing more is certainly known respecting the cromlech-builders, than that they did not practise cremation: the urns that are found in the cromlechs only contain food, as limpets, or bones of fowls and sheep; but as much cannot always be said of the so-called Giants' graves; indeed the state of these tumuli is so altered from successive openings, that it is impossible to say positively what they did contain. As early as the ninth century, the Charters speak of the tumuli "that had been dug into." Many of the early British barrows contain both stone and bronze weapons. It is though that the stones of one of the largest stone circles in Cumberland, on Black Combe, a mountain near the coast, shew signs of morticing for the reception of horizontal slabs. The Finns are described as making arrows with bone points as late as the time of Tacitus, - and they were not very distant from workers in metal. About the same time as the arrival of the tribes from the north of Denmark, a Teutonic tribe from the south of Jutland, who were probably Celts, arrived in Scotland, and left their name to the river Tweed. The arrival of this tribe is referred to in ancient Irish history. They were said to be a tribe of enchanters, called the Tuads, or Tueds, from the Dan country, (Denmark). The ancient name of the land of Ditmarschen at the south of Jutland, was Thiat-mares-gaha,a Gothic form for the people (Goth. theod) of the marshy gau, or province. Mr. Sullivan says that the arrival of these Tuads would account for the original name of Britain. We are not sure that we gather his meaning. We may remark that the old chronicler Nescorus, referring to the heathen practices of these people, mentions amongst others their "Hochzeitfeierlichkeiten auf brut-kampen," their marriage festivities at the field of gathering. It is curious to remark this national custom of gathering leading to political results. Independently of the Danish migration, and probably a little earlier, a part of the Celtic tribe from the Sequana, in Gaul, left the continent, and missing England, arrived at the west of Ireland, in that part now known as Connaught. They were subsequently called the Senones by their neighbours on the east, from the river Shannon, Senus. As a proof of the identity of the earliest British and Irish colonists, our author adduces the fact of the names of the five great headlands on the east of Britain having been formed from the word Kent, modern Irish, cean, head; the lands of the Cantii, Iceni, and Cantae, with Canty-bay and the Pentland Hills, in Haddingtonshire, both of which last, as well as Pembroke in Wales, were formerly Kentland and Kentbroke. Possibly the headland of the Cangani, in North Wales, might be added to the list. An immigration of a people whom Mr. Sullivan designates as Cambro-Celts took place some two centuries later than the arrival of the Tuads. These landed on the south and west of Britain. We do not think this immigration is placed sufficiently early, for Gaulic coins which are known to have been struck soon after the reign of Macedon, have been found in Berkshire, and Herodotus speaks of the tin-works as being in operation in his time. "During the European transit of the Celts, the Cambrian division fell under an influence that altered the initial c of a number of words into p; Irish cean, Welsh pen. The Greek dialects have suffered under a similar mixture or influence."All North Wales was colonised by this division, as well as Cumberland, and a part of Scotland, although the Irish Celts had arrived in Cumberland before them. Many Irish names of places are certainly found in Cumberland, - for instance, Caermot and Moutay, as well as those that Mr. Sullivan has given; but we cannot pronounce that they are not, at least in part, English celtic also. The Cumberland word arles, the earnest of a servant's wages, Mr. Sullivan derives from the Irish iarlas, earnest; but as the southern French have the word arrhes with a similar meaning, it is probable there was some Celtic root common to both words. "South Wales was peopled by the Gwythelians, (Irish,) according to a tradition which still exists. The unaccountable antiquities are called Cytian y Gwyzelod, Irish cots. the name of the heroic and ill-used Queen of the Iceni is reducible to modern Irish, Bean-duci, the woman-leader; Vortigern, to Fear tigherna, vir tyrannus; and his son Vortimer to Fear timthere, his minister or lieutenant." We merely remark en passant that the letters on the coins attributed to Boadicea are BODUOC. The Christmas carol commencing - "As I sat anonder yon green tree," given as a Cumberland song, was to our knowledge popular in Cork forty years ago, with a variation in the second verse which seems the better reading, - "I saw three ships a-sailing by;" in which there appear to be a mystical allusion to the Trinity. |
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