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| Bearnarey Obelisk |
Over the course of phase IV of the Carmichael Watson Project we were able to link objects from the Carmichael collections to his written work. The following was published in the Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland in 1870 and presents information pertaining to how Carmichael obtained the stone and associated local lore.
The stone of which I send a tracing has been taken from the island of Bernarey,
in the Sound of Harris. It formed the upper end of an obelisk which stood in a
large semicircle facing the east, near the centre of the island, at a place
called Killaisem (Cilleaiseam), St Asaph. Speaking of Bearnarey, Martin, in his
"Western Islands," says, - "There are two chappels in this isle,
to wit, St Asaph and St Columbus's Chappel. There is a stone erected near the
former, which is 8 foot high, and 2 foot thick."
About fifty years ago
this obelisk was broken. Boys were in the habit of mounting to the top and
swaying it to and fro, till ultimately they broke it at the surface of the
ground. When it fell it broke in two pieces near the centre. These were taken away
by two crofters, and placed as lintels over the entrance to a cattle-fold
(cuthaidh) close at hand. After having been there for some years, they were
transferred by the same men to serve a similar purpose in their
dwelling-houses. I traced this piece to the house of one of these crofters, a
MacKillop (MacPhilip), where it was used as a lintel over his kitchen window.
MacKillop was very reluctant to allow the slab to be removed for examination,
although I twice offered to replace it at my own expense. Ultimately, however,
he consented. But before removing it, I thought proper to inform the
proprietor, the Earl of Dunmore, of its existence, and to ask his sanction to
its removal from the island. His Lordship immediately wrote his factor to
secure the slab, and bring it to Rodail. Upon his Lordship's arrival in Harris
he wrote me, expressing his interest in the stone, and giving his permission to
make what use of it I pleased. I got the slab removed from Rodail to Lochmaddy,
where it now lies.
It is dark bluish-gray gneiss, and measures 3 feet 8 inches
long, 19 inches broad, and 3 inches thick. The upper portion of the carving
forming the square is sufficiently distinct to be easily traced, but the lower
portion is more defaced, and in some places the surface of the stone is
entirely broken. How far the carving extended on the other part of the obelisk
there is at present no means of ascertaining. The crofter who had it, feeling
some remorse, restored it to the place where he found it. He alleged that a carlin
of ugly form and features visited him one night, and entreated and commanded
him to return the obelisk of Cillaiseam, St Asaph, otherwise he would suffer
here and hereafter. The man went early the following morning, apparently much
troubled, and entreated MacKillop to restore his part of the stone. MacKillop
replied that his part of the slab was of much use to him; that he had no
vision; and that he would defer returning it till the ugly carlin honoured him
with a visit. The other man returned his part, and shortly thereafter went to
America, where he died. Some other person less scrupulous took away this part
of the stone, which I have hitherto failed to trace.
The old people of
Bernarey have told me that within their memory the base of the obelisk was surrounded
with a heap of small, beautifully white, and variegated pebbles, old coins,
bone pins, and bronze needles, the offerings of pilgrims at the shrine of St
Asaph.
MacKillop, on whose
croft the obelisk stood, told me that in delving the place preparatory to
sowing corn, he was in the habit of turning up a number of bones. There is no
trace now of the "chappel" mentioned by Martin, nor indeed of any
building whatever. The place is in the corner of a field, and has been under
cultivation for some years. Close by the side of the obelisk there stood one of
those old circular duns so common in the Hebrides. I would have inferred that
this was the remains of the "chappel," were it not that MacKillop
told me that it contained wall passages and galleries common to these duns. All
the stones were carried away for building materials.
The slab is currently housed in storage with the National Museums of Scotland.
Reference
Allen, J. R.and Anderson, J. Early Christian Monuments of Scotland (Edinburgh, 1903) pp.113Carmichael, A. 'Notices of Teampull Michael, Keallun, North
Uist, and of Sculptured Stones in Bearnarey, Harris, and in Benbecula;
an "Abrach" Quern and Quarry for Querns, Heisgeir, North Uist, &c', Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, VIII, (Edinburgh, 1870) p.281.
Image
Copyright National Museums of Scotland
In the National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh a handful of objects collected by Carmicahel are on display: a baptismal font, a stone font and a Pictish stone. Carmichael's own notes explain where the stone font was found and the particular curing beliefs associated with it.
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| Stone font |
The small primitive porous looking font is from Christ's Burying Ground (Cladh Chriost) in the Island of Pabbay, Barra.
Like the other islands of Barra, Pabbay is extremely rugged and precipitous and except during settled weather inapproachable on account of the Atlantic surf. On the south east side of the island there is an open bay. Behind this surf-beaten bay and in front of this glaciated hill beyond is a semicircular valley the bottom of which on the north side is composed of deep accumulated sand drift.
This was formerly covered with bent (muran) and other grasses but the surface breaks caused by the winter storms have been inattended to of late years, the winter winds have swept away the sand to a great depth leaving studded over the valley high cone-like mounds as monuments of neglect. Cladh Chriost is one of these cone-like mounds. It is about thirty feet high and composed or built up of many successive and distinctive layers of sand, like so many different pieces of bleached and unbleached cotton on a drapers shelf and pointing to different periods of formation.
Its base has already become considerably hard and solid thus affording us the late and interesting opportunity of examining the slow and silent yet sure and inevitable process by which Time converts the flying particles of sand into hard and solid rock. Had no fortuitous circumstances prevented this sand mound would be converted into sand stone rock, in which would be embedded at various distances from the surface well preserved human remains, some of them surrounded by rows of carefully selected polished pebbles from the strand, and others by irregularly coarse common moor stones from the hill; innumerable bits of cinerary urns, of different manufactures and evidently of different periods with pins and needles, of bone, bronze and brass.
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| Stone font |
And in the event of these hard memorials of man surviving like the tender lady from the process of petrefaction, perchance some future Hugh Miller might arise in the distant ages to draw therefrom lessons of utility instruction and wisdom.
A stream flows from the scariated hill behind which strikes during spates with considerable force against the rear of Cladh Chriost after which it skirts round the base thereof undermining and carrying in its sacrilegious course, the crumbling mound of sand, human remains, and human memorials, in one confused mass, into the continuous and tumbling, toiling, troubles sea below.
Embedded in the grassy sandy summit of this disused and neglected burying ground, this simple font rested for ages. But having been lost to sight of late, a search was made for it two years ago, at my request which resulted in finding it in the bed of the stream beneath, upon which it was obligingly transmitted to me to Lochmaddy.
This font was for centuries an object of credulous belief to the inhabitants of Pabbay and the other southern Isles of Barra. These simple people implicitly believed that the touch of this font like that of another stone in S. Mary’s burying ground (Cladh Naomh Moire) in the neighbouring island of Bearnaray (Barra-Head) was efficacious in preventing and removing many mental and physical disorders incident to themselves and their flocks. The lixivium found in the font was considered doubly consecrated, firstly through contact with the already consecrated font, and secondly through the friendly agency of some invisible and mysterious power that presided over the scene. The virtues of this salinated water were deemed secondary only to those of the water consecrated by the priest.
The people rubbed their bodies and their cattle with the font and sprinkled themselves and their flocks with the water contained therein, for the cure of certain bodily ailments and for the prevention of specific acts of witchcraft. And when this ceremony was duly performed with the necessary amount of formality and with the necessary admixture of pagan and christian rites, the people firmly believed that creative spirits of the air, nor the witches of the earth, nor the mermaids of the deep surrounding sea could infuse or molest them.
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| Pabbay, Barra |
A charm so potent could not be otherwise than an object of deep awe and interest among the hardy, simple and kind hearted people possessing it nor do I doubt but an attempt to remove it eighty or a hundred years ago would have been stoutly resisted and would probably result in serious consequences. But – “Old times are changed, old manners gone, A stranger fills the Stewarts’ throne; The bigots of an iron time, Had called these harmless acts a crime.”
For a number of years past the belief in the virtues of this charm has been falling into abeyance and now only two old men as far as I know can give an intelligible account of the faded glories of the primitive little font.
Now, the next time you visit the museum on Chambers Street keep an eye out for this font!
Reference
GB 237 Coll-97 CW457
Images
Font: © National Museums of Scotland
Pabbay: © RCAHMS
