The Manx Crosses
In 1988, MRS. MAUREEN COSTAIN RICHARDS R.B.V. published her book "THE MANX CROSSES ILLUMINATED". Mrs Richards was an accomplished artist who had studied the Manx cross-slabs over a period of many years.
Her work might be thought unusual in that her drawings of the crosses are coloured. However, Mrs Richards wrote that -
"My main purpose in colouring the crosses is to bring them to life and to show the intricate designs to their fullest extent. By so doing, I believe the complex interlacing can be more fully appreciated. There is good reason to believe that the originals were in many cases coloured as stated by Prof. Sven B.F. Jansson on page 152 of his book ‘The Runes of Sweden’ (1962) and also on page 254 of Richard N. Bailey's ‘Viking Age Sculpture’ (1980)".
It is a fact that some Scandinavian rune stones were coloured. This is known because traces of paint have been found on several of them. A Swedish monument, the Olsta stone, near the village of that name, was painted in 1991 by the Department of Runes to show how a rune stone might have originally appeared.
Where Mrs Richards' text is quoted, this is shown in italics. The reference numbers given are in standard form, showing the Manx Museum Cross Register number followed, in brackets, by the number shown in P.M.C. Kermode's book ‘Manx Crosses’ of 1907 (reprinted 1994).
The Isle of Man has a rich heritage from the Celtic and Norse periods consisting of more than 200 carved cross-slabs and other stones. The carving usually included a simple representation of the Christian cross and the slabs were normally memorials to the dead.
The earliest written records on the Isle of Man are to be found inscribed on these stones and cross-slabs. About five examples bearing the Ogham form of writing have been discovered. Ogham script is thought to have originated in southern Ireland in about the 5th Century but one of the Manx Ogham stones dates from as late as about the 11th or 12th Centuries.
Runes were a Germanic form of script adapted from the Latin alphabet and much used on Scandinavian memorial stones. Their purpose was to eliminate curved lines and so simplify the carving of inscriptions. Runes were in use from about the 3rd Century until mediaeval times and are found on many Manx cross-slabs.
The Manx crosses were usually erected in the vicinity of the Celtic keeills, which were simple little chapels. In later centuries, many cross-slabs were appropriated, without regard to their antiquity or to the fact that they were memorials to the dead, and were used in building works – for instance, as lintels or field gateposts; built into the stone churches which replaced the keeills; or otherwise desecrated.
The Manx Museum and Ancient Monuments Act of 1886 was a step towards the preservation of the Manx cross-slabs. They are now usually collected together in groups throughout the Island and exhibited in or near the parish church with which they are associated.
In 1988, MRS. MAUREEN COSTAIN RICHARDS, R.B.V., of BALLABRARA ARTS at Port St. Mary, Isle of Man, published her book "THE MANX CROSSES ILLUMINATED". Mrs. Richards is an accomplished artist who has studied the Manx cross-slabs over a period of many years.
Her work might be thought unusual in that her drawings of the crosses are coloured. However, Mrs Richards wrote that -
"My main purpose in colouring the crosses is to bring them to life and to show the intricate designs to their fullest extent. By so doing, I believe the complex interlacing can be more fully appreciated. There is good reason to believe that the originals were in many cases coloured as stated by Prof. Sven B.F. Jansson on page 152 of his book "The Runes of Sweden" (1962) and also on page 254 of Richard N. Bailey's "Viking Age Sculpture" (1980)".
It is a fact that some Scandinavian rune stones were coloured. This is known because traces of paint have been found on several of them. A Swedish monument, the Olsta stone near the village of that name, was painted in 1991 by the Department of Runes to show how a rune stone might have originally appeared.
Mrs Richards produces individually hand crafted miniature replicas of the Manx crosses at her Port St Mary studio both on carved slate and in hammered pewter.
CCS and ASSOCIATES wish to acknowledge the kind permission given by MAUREEN COSTAIN RICHARDS, R.B.V., of BALLABRARA ARTS, to reproduce illustrations and extracts from her book "THE MANX CROSSES ILLUMINATED".
Where Mrs Richards' text is quoted this is shown in italics. The reference numbers given are in standard form, firstly, the Manx Museum Cross Register number, followed in brackets by the number shown in P.M.C. Kermode's book "Manx Crosses" of 1907 (reprinted 1994).
The Isle of Man has a rich heritage from the Celtic and Norse periods consisting of more than 200 carved cross-slabs and other stones. The carving usually included a simple representation of the Christian cross and the slabs were normally memorials to the dead.
The earliest written records on the Isle of Man are to be found inscribed on these stones and cross-slabs. About five examples bearing the Ogham form of writing have been discovered. Ogham script is thought to have originated in southern Ireland in about the 5th century but one of the Manx Ogham stones dates from as late as about the 11th or 12th centuries.
Runes were a Germanic form of script adapted from the Latin alphabet and much used on Scandinavian memorial stones. Their purpose was to eliminate curved lines and so simplify the carving of inscriptions. Runes were in use from about the 3rd century until mediaeval times and are found on many Manx cross-slabs.
The Manx crosses were usually erected in the vicinity of the Celtic keeills which were simple little chapels. In later centuries many cross-slabs were appropriated, without regard to their antiquity or to the fact that they were memorials to the dead, and were used in building works, as lintels, as field gate posts, or were built into the stone churches which replaced the keeills, or were otherwise desecrated.
The Manx Museum and Ancient Monuments Act of 1886 was a step towards the preservation of the Manx cross-slabs. They are now usually collected together in groups throughout the Island and exhibited in or near the parish church with which they are associated.