Hilton of Cadboll Stone

The Hilton of Cadboll Stone, especially in older publications only Hilton Stone, a Pictish stone monument, which was found in Hilton of Cadboll on the Scottish peninsula Tarbat in Easter Ross near a chapel. It shows both a cross and other Christian and pre-Christian motifs. The larger upper part of the stone is now in the National Museum of Scotland, the foot in the Seaboard Memorial Hall in Bali gates. At the original location a replica was erected in 2001. The existing chapel where she was formerly registered as a soil monument since 1962 in the list of Scheduled Monuments ..

Location

The place where the stone is located in the immediate vicinity of the remains of one of the Virgin Mary 's Chapel, which was first mentioned in 1610, but certainly is older. Both are located within an area which has been used in the past as a cemetery. The entire system is like a natural amphitheater on three sides protected by overhangs and only open to the sea side, raised above Hilton of Cadboll, the northernmost of three now grown together, fishing villages, which are collectively referred to as Seaboard Villages. About three kilometers south-west, south of the southernmost of the three places, is the Shandwick Stone, a similar stone of class II in the immediate vicinity of almost 10 km away St. Colman 's Church, Portmahomack excavations laid a monastery of the 6th century free, also there similar stones were found. Another is in place Nigg, about eight kilometers southwest of Hilton of Cadboll.

History

Comparisons of the artistic representations with those of other stones can be a time of origin at the end of the 8th century suggest. Whether the stone was originally erected at the site of the locality is unknown. At least from the 12th century he was there present, as it was found due to archaeological studies indicate that the stone that lay overturned at this time, has been re-erected. Presumably, during a storm in 1674 the stone to fell again, breaking from the bottom. The remaining upper part was two years later reused as grave plate for a local dignitary named Alexander Duff and his three wives. For the cross side of the stone was chipped and replaced by a contemporary inscription as well as the representation of a coat of arms. For unknown reasons, possibly because it was too heavy for transportation, he has not spent at Duff's grave in the three kilometers west location Fearn Abbey, but remained in place.

In June 1776, the stone was rediscovered. Charles Cordiner, a cleric from Banff, who was also active as a landscape painter, illustrator and local historian, had come on a tour of the north of Scotland on the Tarbat Peninsula. The landowners of the area from the Clan Macleod of the castle and the castle Cadboll Geanies led around Cordiner and showed him various historical artifacts, including the grave plate. The stone that with the grave stone site was still up, reminded him in nature to the one he had received shortly before in Shandwick to face. The stone was erected thereupon, whereupon Cordiners conjecture on the stone Pictish drawings could also be seen confirmed.

Cordiner published in the same year his travelogue in the form of letters to his fellow researchers Thomas Pennant, describing in short the stone. He pointed to stories, the stones of the area had been set up as memories of victories against forces of the Danes, but already noticed that the illustrations would not quite fit on the events. He suggested instead that the stones should remember the glorious deeds of those chiefs who had been converted unto the first in the region to Christianity. Three years later, a translation in German language. In a later work Cordiner 1788 went a bit more detail on the stone. He put him in time in the room 1000-1200 and evaluated him as undifferentiated memorial stone for people and events of that time. The book also prepared by him and engraved by Peter Mazell drawing was attached.

Hugh Miller offered in 1835, although only a brief description, but referred also to the probable connection of the three stones and offered with another legend on. Thereafter, the Mormaer of Ross was married to a daughter of the Danish king. However, he has proven to be a cruel husband, and as her father had three of her brothers with a fleet of ships sent out to punish him. The ships were but perished on the coast or crocheted randed and drowned the three brothers there. Buried at three different places, her father had let up at these locations in memory of his sons later, the three monuments. Otherwise, he speculated, the stones could mark the locations of the chapels Culdeer.

1856 the stone was mentioned again, this time he stood on the site in a shed parked. In addition, a re- drawing was made by Andrew Gibb, which showed, in contrast to that of Cordiner, the damage. Early 1860s brought him the family of the Macleods to her castle in Invergordon, where he was placed together with another, which had been found in Portmahomack as an ornamental piece in the landscape garden. 1921 castle and estate were sold. The stone came to the British Museum, where he was immediately transferred to an outcry of public indignation in the Scottish National Museum.

Excavations

In 1994, local matching a push to return the stone back in its original place. Although this was not successful, but led to the first archaeological excavations in 1998. Here, a sufficiently large potential for further investigation, it was found also a proposal was made to set up a replica instead of the original. Two further excavations in the course of 2001 provided rich pickings. So the lost lower part was rediscovered and excavated. In addition, over 10,000 stone fragments could be ensured could be attributed to of which about 1500 of the original surface of the cross section. In addition, further insights into the history of the stone, the chapel and the cemetery could be collected.

Also in 2001, a document created by the sculptor Barry Grove replica of the stone was, as suggested, built. Originally bearing only the surviving side, this later reconstructed due to the excavation results cross page was added.

Description

The stone shows both a Christian cross and Pictish symbolism and thus falls under the scientific classification of these stones in Category II It can therefore, like all the stones of this class, to be addressed both as a Pictish symbol stone as well as Cross Stone. The stone is 140 centimeters wide. The upper part has a height of 266 and a thickness of 4, the foot piece has a height of 85 and a thickness of 21 centimeters. The material, as well as that of the other stones of Old Red Sandstone, a rock that is prevalent in much of the area as a base. It is likely that the material of all stones coming from the same quarry.

Both sides are richly decorated. Among the Pictish symbols of the crescent, the V- rod and the double glazing is a hunting scene. This is the extremely rare view of a galloping rider with a great ring brooch sitting in the saddle. In front of her is a mirror and comb icon. She seems to hold something in her left arm. Two riders, two horns blowing hunters on foot, dogs and deer form the rest of the hunting scene. The lower panel portion includes spiral pattern. The complicated framework has the tree of life with birds as a motif.

On the cross side, three scenic views can be seen next to the central Christian symbol and ornamental decorations. Two of them each show a angels and men, the third man fighting with a lion- like predator.

Classification

These assignments are also based on the results of the begun in 1991, 1994 intensified and completed in 2007, excavations at Portmahomack, as outdated: the stones are clearly attributable to the culture of the Picts. However, it still lacks a satisfactory justification for both the importance of stones in itself and for its striking accumulation in this region. They may have been part of a ritual landscape design, marked the outer limits of the holy monastery district, cemeteries or boat landing sites, served as a landmark, or told, almost as stony hagiography, the, life and revival history of saints in one place, who stood with her life in connection about because there was their hermitage. In this case it would be an event that has occurred on a hunt. However, not be excluded is that it is in the core secular, not religious representations about socially prominent events that were given to people from the then ruling class in order, and in which the representation of the cross and the rest of the Christian symbolism only as common sign of their faith acts. After all, both putting up stone monuments such as the use of the typical Pictish symbols have a tradition that is older than the use of Christian motifs.

When considering may also be noted that none of the stones is secured, where he was originally placed. For the Hilton of Cadboll area a lost settlement called precursor Cadboll Fischer is assumed basis of archival sources that may lay around the chapel.

The excavation results of Portmahomack suggest the existence of a number of early medieval portages, where boats were transported over short distances over land to shorten distances or to bypass dangerous stretches of coastline. If the stones in this or any other seafaring context should have played a role, it is important to note that their time of preparation was the sea a few meters higher, the visibility of the sea-side so a markedly different than today was.