Meayll Circle / Mull Hill

Meayll Circle looking towards Port Erin

Mull Circle (also called Meayll Circle), is the site of a series of chambered cairns' at the southern end of the Island, just outside the village of Cregneash.  The site stands near the summit of Mull Hill (also called Meayll Hill or The Mull), and overlooks the town of Port Erin.  Mull hill has an elevation of about 545 feet, extends from the cliffs which form Spanish Head on the South, to the bay of Port Erin on the North.

Extract from Manx Note Book vol 3:

Fig. i.-Ground Plan indicating original form of the Meayll Monument, supposing it to have been a ring mound.

The Manx name of this structure is "Rhullick-y-lagg- shliggagh," i.e., "the grave-yard of the valley (hollow) of broken slates," or more literally "of slate splinters " or "of shells." Immediately below the knoll on which the monument is placed is a rocky hollow or channel, strewed with loose fragments of slates, whence its name is derived. Though the monument is much dilapidated, its original form and character are indicated. It has a remarkable dissimilarity from other known archaic structures. When entire it was a circle of twelve single kistvaens, but these were arranged in pairs and approached each other longitudinally. Opposite the space,the approaching ends of two separating every pair are rows of stones about two feet apart. projecting in an outward direction to the extent of five feet. These were not chambers. The space between the approaching ends of each pair of kists varied, but, it seems, did not, in any instance, exceed four feet. It is probable that the structure when entire was a ring barrow or mound, with an opening about sixteen feet wide in the N.N.W.

Fig. 2.-Ground Plan indicating original character and arrangement of Kists on Meayll, supposing they were not enclosed in a ring mound.

The projecting rows of stones were six in number, and, when covered, formed radiations from it. (See Fig. i.) The diameter of the area enclosed by the circle was about 46 feet.

The opening may have been intended to admit within the circle the dead bodies about to be burned, and the materials for the funeral piles. It is possible, however, that on the completion of the last pair of kists the space then left may have been found too narrow for another similar pair, and may, therefore, have remained unfilled up.

Supposing the structure not to have been originally a ring barrow, in that case the pairs of kists of which it is composed were, probably, separately covered with earth, and formed separate tumuli, having somewhat of a trefoil character. (See Fig. 2.)

If the structure was a ring barrow each radiation was probably intended to mark or point out a hole cut in the capstone of each chamber and by means of which interments of the ashes of the dead were effected. The imposts or capstones with holes supposed to have been cut in them for this purpose have occasionally been found in Manx tumuli (See Report of Arch. Commissioners, P. 12).

A flag was placed over each hole so as to prevent the earth on the top from falling into the chamber. This flag, with the superincumbent earth, was removed when the insertion of a cinerary urn was necessitated. (See Fig. 3 a a.)

It has been suggested that the bodies were placed entire in the kistvaens on Meayll and were not subjected to cremation. I do not, however, concur in this suggestion. Indeed, I have been informed that charred human bones were, some years ago, discovered in some of the kists. From the forms and arrangement of the chambers, and their elevated position, there can be little doubt that the mode of disposing of the dead on Meayll was cremation. For a long time the burning of the dead was extensively practised in Mann. It was probably generally performed on the tumulus or mound in which the remains were to be placed. After the cineration of the body the partially consumed bones or reliques were enclosed in a rude urn, which was either inserted, with the mouth downwards, in a kistvaen, or in the soil of the tumulus.

From the want of timber the burning of the dead in the island must have been attended with much difficulty. Peat, gorse, ling, and fern, were, for the most part, the materials of which the funeral piles were composed.

The Manx tumull are invariably placed on elevated sites from which the sea is visible. A large number of these ancient depositories of the dead has been destroyed, but many still exist, some retaining very nearly their original forms, and others exhibiting but slight indications of their primary character. There must have been some special reason for the selection of the elevated positions of Manx tumuli. When cremation was practised and wherever it obtained funeral obsequies were probably performed at night. The more elevated the position of the fire and the more open to the sea the greater the distance at which it might be descried, while the darkness of night would give it brilliancy and distinctness. Nocturnal funerals were seemingly common among the Greeks and Romans. In the time of Virgil burying by torchlight was apparently an ancient custom-

. . . . Et de more vetusto
Funereas rapuere faces. Lucet via longo
Ordine dammarum, et late discriminat agros.

AEn. L. xi., 1. 142.

In some parts of Italy funerals still take place at night. A Florentine funeral, attended by a company of priests in white attire and holding aloft blazing torches, has often excited the interest of modern tourists. There is a weirdness about it as it winds in the darkness on the banks of the Arno.

* i.e. " Hill of the watch by day." The name is sometimes written " Cronk ny-irree-laa "-" Hill of the rising day." I believe, however, the correct name is that given in the text.

© Crown Copyright.  Acknowledgement DoLGE