Govan's sculptural stones
The sculptures stones of Govan are in the Govan Old Parish Church of the district of Glasgow in Scotland . Govan ( Scottish Gaelic : 'Baile a' Ghobhainn) is a district and former Burgh in the southwest part of the city. The current church was designed by Robert R. Anderson and built in the 1880s. It stands on a Christian site that dates back to the 9th century and was dedicated to St. Constantine. The modern cemetery wall has probably preserved much of the original early Christian enclosure. Today, however, it is difficult to imagine where the early church was near the Clyde , as the suburb of Glasgow was rural until industrialization began in the 19th century.
The collection
The church houses the largest collection of early medieval Sculptured Stones in Scotland, reflecting Govan's importance in the 9th and 10th centuries. 31 stones survived and another 16 have been buried in the cemetery in the past. The preserved collection includes decorated cross shafts, cross slabs and grave slabs. Five hogbacks and the sides of a sarcophagus are of outstanding quality . Classic in their hunched shape and decoration, the Hogbacks show strong connections with monuments in Cumbria , in north-west England . The stone coffin no longer has a lid, which, like the side plates, was probably richly decorated. The panels have inlays of tendrils and nine animals and a mounted warrior with a sword at his side.
Surroundings
There are several places with early carved stone in the Glasgow area. The weathered, but still impressive cross from the 8th century by Barochan is kept in Paisley Abbey . A 10th century cross stands in the parish churchyard of Hamilton . In Inchinnan , outside the new church, there are three impressive stones. One of them is part of a cross shaft that was later used as a grave slab. All three date from the 10th or 11th century and can be linked to Govan's collection. The oldest stone is a grave slab with corner buttons, as shown by some of Govan's. It is decorated with animals and a representation of Daniel in the lions' den. In Luss , on Loch Lomond, there are two cross slabs and a hogback in the graveyard of St Kessog Church.
See also
literature
- Anne Crone, Fiona Watson: Sufficiency to scarcity: medieval Scotland, 500-1600 , In: Thomas Christopher Smout: People and woods in Scotland: a history Edinburgh 2003
- James T. Lang: Hogback monuments in Scotland , In: Proc Soc Antiq Scot , Vol. 105, pp. 212-215 (1975)
Web links
Coordinates: 55 ° 51 ′ 48.5 " N , 4 ° 18 ′ 51.7" W.