To return to Scottish stones.
In Mr. Graham Callander’s essay on perforated stones, [82b] he publishes an uninscribed triangular stone, with a perforation, apparently for suspension. This is one of several such Scottish stones, and though we cannot prove it, may have had a superstitious purpose. Happily Sir Walter Scott discovered and describes the magical use to which this kind of charm stone was put in 1814. When a person was unwell, in the Orkney Isles, the people, like many savages, supposed that a wizard had stolen his heart. “The parties’ friends resort to a cunning man or woman, who hangs about the [patient’s] neck a triangular stone in the shape of a heart.” [82c] This is a thoroughly well-known savage superstition, the stealing of the heart, or vital spirit, and its restoration by magic.
This use of triangular or heart-shaped perforated stones was not inconsistent with the civilisation of the nineteenth century, and, of course, was not inconsistent with the civilisation
of the Picts. A stone may have magical purpose, though it bears no markings. Meanwhile most churinga, and many of the disputed objects, have archaic markings, which also occur on rock faces.
XXI—QUALITY OF ART ON THE STONES
Dr. Munro next reproduces two wooden churinga (churinga irula), as being very unlike the Clydesdale objects in stone [84a] (figures 5, 6). They are: but I was speaking of Australian churinga nanja, of stone. A stone churinga [84b] presented, I think, by Mr. Spencer through me to the Scottish Society of Antiquaries (also reproduced by Dr. Munro), is a much better piece of work, as I saw when it reached me, than most of the Clyde things. “The Clyde amulets are,” says Dr. Munro, “neither strictly oval,” (nor are very many Australian samples,) “nor well finished, nor symmetrical, being generally water-worn fragments of shale or clay slate. . . .” They thus resemble ancient Red Indian pendants.
As to the art of the patterns, the Australians have a considerable artistic gift; as Grosse
remarks, [85a] while either the Clyde folk had less, or the modern artists had not “some practical artistic skill.” But Dr. Munro has said that any one with “some practical artistic skill” could whittle the Clyde objects. [85b] He also thinks that in one case they “disclose the hand of one not altogether ignorant of art” (p. 231).
Let me put a crucial question. Are the archaic markings on the disputed objects better, or worse, or much on a level with the general run of such undisputably ancient markings on large rocks, cists, and cairns in Scotland? I think the art in both cases is on the same low level. When the art on the disputed objects is more formal and precise, as on some shivered stones at Dunbuie, “the stiffness of the lines and figures reminds one more of rule and compass than of the free-hand work of prehistoric artists.” [85c] The modern faker sometimes drew his marks “free-hand,” and carelessly; sometimes his regularities suggest line and compass.
Now, as to the use of compasses, a small pair were found with Late Celtic remains, at Lough Crew, and plaques of bone decorated by aid of such compasses, were also found, [85d] in a cairn of a