Symbol stone by Glamis Manse
The symbol stone of Glamis Manse (or Cross-Slab ) is also known as "King Malcolms Gravestone" or Glamis 2. It is on the one hand a Pictish symbol stone and on the other hand a cross plate that stands in the front garden of the former Glamis rectory. Glamis is a village in the Scottish Unitary Authority Angus and the traditional Scottish county of Forfarshire . It is located about 35 km northeast of Perth and 17 km north of Dundee in Scotland .
The probably offset stone is 2.8 m high, 1.5 m wide and 24 cm thick and is said to commemorate the murder of the Scottish King Malcolm II in Glamis in 1034.
The Glamis Manse stone has been decorated at different times. The rear or eastern side is considered a Pictish "Class I" stone after John Romilly Allen (1847–1907) and Joseph Anderson (1832–1916) with carvings that were probably made in the early Pictish times. A few centuries later someone put a relief of a cross on the back. The west side is typical of a "Class II" cross plate. Only a few symbol stones have been reused in this way. The Hunters Hill symbol stone is about 800 m away.
The west side bears a cross that extends over its full height and width and is shaped by various knot patterns on the cross arms. The quadrants around the cross are impressive. A four-legged, long-tailed animal is shown at the top left, while a centaur is holding an ax in each hand at the top right. The lower right quadrant bears the image of an antlerless deer head above three rings. The lower left quadrant shows two warriors apparently fighting with axes. Above them is a cauldron from which two human legs protrude.
The reverse side of the stone shows three clearly carved symbols that have been carved into the uneven surface of the natural rock. At the top is a snake, identical to one carved on the nearby Hunters Hill stone. Including a leaping salmon. The lowest symbol is a mirror, sometimes viewed as an indicator of a woman's grave.
Two fragments of symbol stones were discovered in the rock garden of the rectory in 1967 and 1984.
literature
- Robert BK Stevenson: Pictish art. In: Frederick T. Wainwright (Ed.): The Problem of the Picts. 2nd edition. Melven Press, Perth 1980, ISBN 0-906664-07-1 , pp. 97-128.
Web links
- Description and pictures (English)
Coordinates: 56 ° 36 '34.5 " N , 3 ° 0' 7.7" W.