to the nature of the Barnan Coulawn. I had not previously seen any other ancient bell. It is now quite clear to me that the iron portion of this relic was the veritable bell of St. Culanus. It will be easy to induce the observer, who looks at the little semicircular aperture in the base of the bronze curbing environing this bell, to agree with me in thinking that the appellation, Barnan Coulawn, means, simply, "little gap of Culanus." Dr. Petrie, if I mistake not, thinks it means "the gapped bell of Culanus." Notwithstanding my great respect for the opinion of this excellent antiquary, I much regret that I cannot at all agree with him on this point. Banan is the Irish for a little gap, and this little gap, evidently, was that left in the protecting curbing for the person swearing upon the bell to introduce his thumb or finger by. It was from this gap, rather than from any fortuitous injury to the original bell, that the term "Barnan" was used in reference to it. No matter how gapped or injured the ancient bells of Irish saints may have been, I believe that the term "Barnan" was not applied to them except when they were ornamented and preserved as relics to be sworn on. The bell of St. Evin, who was brother to St. Culanus, was called Barnan Evin. It was deposited in the care of the MacEgans, hereditary justices of Munster, for them to administer oaths

on.

Colgan, writing of St. Evin, says of his bell :-" Fertur et ibi post ejus mortem extitisse cymbalum, sive nola hujus Sancti BernanEmhin appellata, et in tanta veneratione habita, ut per eam tanquam inviolabilis sacramenti genus, posteri præsertim ex semine Eugenii patris ejus oriundi, consueverint jurare, et motas controversias juramenti Sacramento concludere." The Barnan Coulawn and Barnan Evin are the only two bells to which I can at this moment recollect that the term "Barnan" has been applied.

St. Culanus died about the beginning of the tenth century, as I suppose, for his brother Cormac, the celebrated scholar, king, and bishop of Cashel, was killed in the year 908. The bell of Culanus was given to me more than forty years ago by the Rev. Michael Bohun, then parish priest of Glenkeen, county of Tipperary. He died on Christmas day, A.D. 1815.

St. Cuana of Kill-chuana, alias Killshanny, in the west of the county of Clare, is supposed to have died about A.D. 650. The bell of this saint was given to me by the late Rev. Mr. Nowlan, then parish priest of New Quay, county of Clare.

St. Ruadhan of Lorrha, or Lothra, was of noble extraction. Dr. Lanigan assigns his death to A.D. 584, and his festival to the 15th of April. The bell of St. Ruadhan was presented to me, some years ago, by the Rev. Mr. O'Brien, Roman Catholic incumbent of Lorrha, in which parish this relic was preserved.

In addition to the seven Christian bells already dwelt on, I send also for inspection a few specimens of Pagan crotals. On this subject I content myself by referring to two papers in the fourth volume of the "Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy." At p. 239

will be found the observations of the reverend, learned, and respected president of that society; and at pp. 428, 430-433, are some humble opinions of mine on the same subject.

In order that this "bell" subject should be complete in every variety for the members of the Kilkenny Archæological Society, I further send for inspection some sheep bells of the sixteenth century, and also some other bells. One of these latter is a curious little bell, presented to me by a late lamented and excellent friend, the Rev. Paul Holmes, then rector of Gallen, in the King's County. It was found on his land at Corbeg, in the same county. A modern sheep bell accompanies the others. A comparison of it with one of the ancient crotals, is decisive in favour of the art of bell-casting in our own day.

ON THE CROSS-LEGGED EFFIGIES OF THE COUNTY OF KILKENNY.

BY THE REV. JAMES GRAVES.

NOTHING is, perhaps, so interesting to the student of antiquity as the investigation of customs connected with the dead, and the universal desire evinced by all races, at every period of the history of man, to keep the departed in honourable remembrance after they had passed away from the busy scenes of life. In this universal custom there is shown an instinctive feeling of the great truth of a future existence for the body, even amongst the most debased tribes of mankind. The rough pillar-stone, the rude mound of earth, the piled up carn, the ponderous pyramid, the rugged cromleac, and the richly-sculptured Christian monument, though widely different in age and execution, all have the same end in view, the commemoration of the dead. If we take any of the classes of sepulchral monuments here enumerated, we shall find that, although the purpose may be the same, certain peculiarities distinguish the class into subordinate sections; for example, amongst the Christian monuments of Ireland, how diverse will be found their distinguishing features; the monumental cross, the cross-inscribed slab, the effigial tomb, all have their varieties, and would amply repay investigation. It is, however, but to one variety of the latter subdivision, as confined to one locality, that I mean at present to call attention. I allude to the cross-legged effigies existing in the county of Kilkenny. Most persons are familiar with the numerous examples of this class of monument in England, and those who have visited the Temple Church in London, cannot fail to remember the mail-clad knightly figures of this kind, which form one of the greatest attractions of that beautiful building. Per

haps, indeed, from the existence of this class of monument in the famed church of the Templars, the opinion may have become prevalent, that by the crossing of the legs was indicated the fact of the individual commemorated having taken upon himself the cross, and joined in the crusades, or at least being under vow to do so at the time of his death. The discovery, at Cashel, on the site of the Franciscan abbey, of three female effigies of the thirteenth century, sculptured in the cross-legged position, as described and figured in the interesting memoir by Mr. Du Noyer (Archeological Journal, vol. ii. p. 121), appears to show the unsoundness of this assumption; and the opinion which seems least open to objection is, that the position of the limbs was a conventional mode of sculpture prevailing at the period, perhaps designed to be symbolical of the Christian faith of the deceased.

I have observed that such figures are common in England. In Ireland they are very uncommon; in a note to the paper already alluded to, Mr. Du Noyer states that, in addition to four monumental figures at Cashel, "one other effigy only has been described as existing in Ireland," namely, that on the south side of the nave in Christ Church, Dublin, supposed to represent Richard de Clare, earl of Pembroke and Strigul, surnamed Strongbow. This statement is, I believe, correct. No others had up to that period been described; but some exist, like too many of Ireland's antiquities, unknown and undescribed. In the county of Kilkenny two examples are found, a notice of which cannot fail to be acceptable to the student of monumental antiquities.

The first of these interesting monuments, hitherto unnoticed, is a cross-legged effigy, sculptured in high relief, on a slab which has

Details of sword belt and scab

bard. Effigy at Graigue-na-managh, eounty of Kilkenny.

are not visible to assist in

been inserted in one of the walls of the ancient abbey of Graigue-na-managh, now used as the Roman Catholic place of worship of that parish. The figure, which is very rudely executed, is larger than life, and represents a knight clad in a complete suit of mail, over which a surcoat fitting closely round the throat is worn; the right hand grasps the sword-hilt, while the scabbard is held by the left; the left leg is thrown over the right, and the entire attitude gives the idea of one starting forward prompt for action, and in the act of drawing the sword. A broad belt, attached by curiously contrived straps to the scabbard, and buckled in front over the hips, sustains the sword. A fracture extends across the waist of the figure, and from the deficiency of the lower portion of the slab towards the feet, the spurs fixing the date. The effigy has not been