Publication Account
Date 1933
Event ID 1099228
Category Descriptive Accounts
Type Publication Account
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1099228
Symbol Slab.
This stone was originally found in the old parish churchyard of Scoonie, about a quarter of a mile to the north of the Burgh of Leven, but is now preserved in the National Museum of Antiquities in Edinburgh, having been gifted to the Society of Antiquaries by the Heritors and Kirk-Session of Scoonie in April 1866. It is an upright cross-slab of sandstone of nearly rectangular form, measuring 3 feet 6 inches by 2 feet 4 inches by 4 inches, and is sculptured on its two broad faces. On the obverse it bears the figure of the cross, of the Celtic form, hollowed into semicircles at the intersections of the arms with the shaft and summit. The cross, which extends the whole length of the stone, is ornamented with inter-laced work and fretwork, now partially defaced. The stone is broken at the top, and the upperpart of the figure of a beast with a scroll-like ending is broken away. On the reverse of the stone are figure-subjects and a symbolic subject. The upper part shows the symbolic beast with the long jaws and scroll-like feet. Below it is the chase of a stag, very spiritedly rendered. The wounded animal, with head thrown back, and a javelin sticking in its side, is followed by two dogs and three horsemen. Down the edge of the stone, and crossing the muzzle and the forefoot of the stag, is incised an inscription, the strokes or digits of which are arranged upon a stem-line. The characters, though rudely cut, are well marked, but not separated from each other by spaces, or divided into groups which might seem to represent words. Hence the reading is doubtful, though the marks are clear. There may be eight or ten characters, but with so small a number of letters, which are themselves indeterminable with certainty, it is manifestly impossible to extract an intelligible result from the inscription.
RCAHMS 1933
(1) Anderson's Scotland in Early Christian Times (2nd Ser.), pp. 201-2; Cf. also Proc. Soc. Ant. Scot., vol. vi, Pt. ii (1864-66), p. 401 and vol. xviii (1883-4) pp. 183-5; Early Christian Monuments, p. 347; Stuart's Sculptured Stones of Scotland, ii, pl. 12.
