Magazine, Part II, 1799, Vol. 79, page 833). » On the .column which was destroyed were two indistinct figures " of horses and men.« (Jeffersons Allerdale above Derwent, page 303). D These columns probably stood east and west, the existing one being the most easterly. D D Almost due south of the existing cross (which stands in a square socket of 3 steps facing east and west) is a plain square socket, measuring 2ft 7 by 2ft 9 and quite 2ft thick The corners of this stone point nearly north, south, east and west. In the centre of the upper surface is a square hole, each side of which is 1ft 11 in. long, the hole going about half way through the stone stocket. In this hole stands the sundial, which is an octagonal pillar a little over 3ft in length, measuring 8 inches in diameter at the top and 2ft 81/2 inches round; at the level of the upper surface of the socket it is only 2ft 5 in circumference, being much too small for the square hole in which it stands. » The distance between the shaft of the cross and the sundial is within an inch or two of 15 feet, which coincides with the space between the two pillars at Penrith. In the churchyard are preserved two cross heads, both imperfect. The first has apparently been a gable cross, having a tongue on its lower limb which fits roughly into the socket hole of a ridge stone, preserved alongside of it. It is ornamented with rude interlaced work. One of the horizontal limbs and half of the glory are broken off. It measures perpendicularly 2112 inches without the tongue, which is 51/2 inches in length. The base of lower limb is 61/2 in. broad. The second is more massive and is also ornamented with interlaced work of varying patterns, and on the only remaining part of the circle or glory has a beautiful sort of chain-cable pattern. This latter is, I think, the head of the missing column. It measures 23 inches across; the upper limb is gone, the lower limb which is the broadest of the three is 10 inches broad at the base. "I am told that the "horizontal stone on which was »rudely sculptured the figure of a large and antique sword is now in use as the lintel of the door of a house, in the village called Gosforth Gate. If so, the carved side is hidden. » Whilst measuring the distance between the cross and dial, I noticed a flat stone, much worn by heedless feet, which lay as a sort of step on the northeast side of the socket of the dial, the upper surface being just level with the ground. Seeing that it was a separate stone I proposed to move it away, in order to examine that side of the socket by which it lay. With considerable difficulty my servant and I heaved it up and turned it over. It was 51/2 inches thick 271⁄2 inches long and 131/2 inches broad. To my great delight the under surface was sculptured in high relief. Some mortar adhered to the middle of the carved surface, but on examining the hole I found a sort of foundation had been made for it with slates and mortar, which probably accounted for it. I at once removed this stone to my house, for present safety and study of it. This stone has been lying as a step to the dial for many years. The oldest people in the village say it has been there all their lives, but no one of them ever heard of carving upon it. Possibly it was placed there in 1789, church was enlarged and nearly all marks of antiquity destroyed." The Gentlemans Magazine of 1799 says, memory &c. in which year the >> This stone has been removed within »In olden days the village Stocks stood quite near the now famous perfect Cross, and the last time it was used was in punishment of a boy who had climbed to the top of the Cross on a Sunday morning. « When Dr. Parker obligingly sent me a photograph of this stone, I at once recognized in its carvings another Scandinavian heathen myth, THOR'S ANGLING FOR JORMUNGAND, THE MIDGARTH-WORM, and determined to examine it for myself. This I did in July 1882, accompanied by Dr. Charles A, Parker, C. B., himself and the Rev. Ch. Dowding. These two gentlemen took a rubbing in my presence, and Dr. Parker made separate rubbings of the Axe of Ymer (or Hyme) and of Thor's Hammer. As these helps were so important, I did not wish to do this work myself. No one can say, that my imagination has in any way influenced the sun-pictures (2 different ones, given me by Dr. Parker) and the rubbings the materials here used by my accomplisht artist, Prof. Magnus Petersen. - Of course there have been many local variations of the olden tale about THUNOR'S FISHING FOR THE WORLD-SNAKE. But most of them have perisht. Only 2, both from Norway-Iceland, have come down to us; one is in the older or Poetical Edda, the other in the Prose Edda. The version found on this stone agrees in all essentials with that in the latter, which I give here, from Sir G. W. Dasent's translation1). 1) Thor goes out alone, and without his car and he-goats. >>He went out of Midgard in the guise of a young man, and came one even at dusk to a certain giant who is called Ymir: Þórr tarried there as a guest the night over, but at dawn Ymir stood up and made ready to row out to sea to fish; now Þórr sprang up and was soon dressed, and begged that Ymir would let him row out to sea with him; but Ymir says, that little help was to be had from him as he was so little and but a lad, »and (quoth he) thou wilt get a chill, if I sit so long and so far out as I am wont. « But Porr said he could row from the land for all that, and that it was not sure whether he would be the first to pray to row back and Pórr was so wrath with the giant that it was nigh then that he had let the hammer ring on his pate straitway; but he bore with him, because he thought soon to try his strength somewhere else. He asked Ymir Now, as we see from the engraving, the top part of this block is injured. But fortunately, exactly the same what they should have for bait, but Ymir bade him get bait for himself; then turned Þórr away thither where he saw an herd of oxen, which belonged to Ymir: he took the biggest ox hight Himinbriótr [= Heaven-tosser], and cut off the head, and went with it to the seashore; Ymir had then shoved off the skiff, Þórr went on board and sat down in the afterroom, (and) took two oars and pulls, and Ymir thought they went along fast from his rowing: Ymir pulls in the bow forward, and the rowing was soon ended; Then said Ymir, that they were come to those waters, where he was wont to sit and draw up flat fish: but Þórr says he will row much farther; and then they took again a swift row; Now Ymir said, that they were come so far out, that it was perilous to sit out for the Midgards worm, but Þórr says he will row (yet) a bit, and so he did, but Ymir was then very sad. Now when porr laid up his oars, he got ready a line very strong, nor was the angle less nor weaker; then put Þórr on the angle the oxhead, and cast it overboard, and the angle went to the ground: and so, sooth it is to say, that Þórr beguiled not a whit less then Midgardsworm, than Utgard's Loki had mocked Pórr when he heaved up the worm in his hand. Midgards worm gaped wide over the oxhead, but the angle stuck in the worm's gum: Now when the worm knew this, he tugged so hard that both Þórr's fists were dashed against the gunwale, but then was Þórr wrath, and he took on him his Asmight [ God-strength], and so spurned against (the worm), that he dashed both his feet through the ship and spurned the ground, and then drew the worm up on board. And it may be said, that no one hath seen ugly sights who might not see that, when Þórr whet his eyes on the worm, but the worm stared at him from beneath and blew venom. Then is it said that the giant Ymir changed hue, paled, and quaked, when he saw the worm, and that the sea ran out and in the skiff; and just as Þórr grasped his hammer and brought it aloft, then the giant fumbled at his fishingknife, and cut off Þórr's line at the board, but the worm sank in the sea, and Pórr cast the hammer after him; and men say he took the head off him at the ground, but I think it were true to tell thee that Midgards worm lives yet, and lies in the sea. But Þórr |