Reference

Date 2001

Event ID 922827

Category Documentary Reference

Type Reference

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/922827

RCAHMS; Early Medieval Sculpture in the West Highlands and Islands

ST MOLAISE'S CAVE

The 'cave' is a rock-shelter about 10m above high-water mark, formed by wave-action in bands of red and yellow sandstone, and the lower part of its inner wall is rounded and smoothed. In front of it there is an accumulation of soil, some of it spoil from Balfour's excavation in 1909, contained by a rebuilt revetment-wall 1m high, and at its S end a rough flight of steps leads down to the interior. The cave is roughly D-shaped, measuring 12m from NNW to SSE by 4m in maximum width, and the roof rises steadily from near floor-level at the E to a height of 3m at the front. Balfour cleared the N part down to a paved floor, which was renewed in 1992, and at the S end he found midden-material and a hearth, of uncertain date (1). The level at which many of the crosses and inscriptions are cut suggests that the ground-level outside the cave had risen considerably since the period of original occupation.

The carvings described here fall into two groups: (a) a large number of simple crosses, some perhaps associated with hermit use and others with pilgrim devotion, and (b), a series of Norse runic inscriptions, principally personal names, of which at least one was associated with the Norwegian expedition of 1263. However the two groups are not exclusive since some of the crosses appear to be contemporary with this inscription, and it may be that the Norse visitors themselves came as pilgrims. With the exception of an isolated cross (A) on the cliff-face S of the cave, and a few on the vertical face overhanging its mouth, most of the carvings now identifiable are on the sloping roof. They occur mainly towards the N end, or on ledges related to the varying consistency of the bands of sandstone. Some parts are heavily eroded, and in the area of densest carving damage may have been caused by a large inscription containing the date 1877.

The isolated cross (A) is carved on the cliff-face above a steep slope rising from the S end of the cave and immediately N of a modern retaining-wall. It is a pecked Latin cross, 0.26m high and 0.24m in span, with large triangular terminals which in the top arm and shaft are D-shaped. The centre of the head is enclosed by a ring 85mm in diameter. Most of the carvings, including all of those on the overhang outside the cave (D, E, F), are small incised or sunken crosses, of both equal-armed and Latin type. On the roof at the centre of the cave, and 2m above the paving-level, there is a shallow sunken Latin cross (B) with expanded arms, 0.28m high and 0.22m in span, itself having a linear cross cut on the shaft. Three other crosses (C, H, I), of similar character but with shorter shafts, are carved on a vertical face at the N end, 2.5m above the paving. The lower edge of this face bears several small thinly-incised crosses, mostly equal-armed or with the arms at mid-height, and many more have been cut on the roof-slope below this overhang, which at the N end appears to have been cut back to give a smooth surface.

The same surface bears the highest and most prominent of the group of runic inscriptions (VIII), at a height of about 2.2m above present floor-level. Some at least of the small crosses appear to be incised with a tool similar to that used for this inscription and may be contemporary with it. The other inscriptions are on a fairly vertical rock-face, at heights ranging from 1.5m to 1.75m. Several other 'rune-like symbols' in the same area are affected by weathering and later graffiti. The following readings have been provided by Professors M F Barnes and R I Page. The reference-numbers to be used in their forthcoming Corpus are given after Olsen's standard numbering of 1912, which begins at the lowest level.

(I; SC 3) The most boldly-cut of the inscriptions, 0.34m long and with letters up to 54mm high. It was severely damaged, apparently deliberately, in or before 1882, and subsequent readings depend heavily on Wilson's illustration.

(+n)[ik]ul[os][*][ahaeni]+raeist

Nikolas a Haeni reist

'Nikolas from Haen carved'

There are several farms in Norway with the name Haen. Some of the rune-forms suggest a date no earlier than the 12th century.

(II; SC 4) A shallow inscription, 63mm long and with letters from 19mm to 90mm high.

suaein

This represents the personal name Sveinn. The rune-form used for 'ae' suggests a date no earlier than the 12th century.

(III; SC 5) A thinly-cut inscription, 80mm long and with letters from 20mm to 30mm high.

ono(n)tr:r(a)*st:ru

'Onundr carved runes'

(IV; SC 6) A firmly-cut inscription, 35mm long with letters from 24mm to 40mm high.

(a)mutar

This probably represents the name Amundr, and the form used for 't' suggests a date no earlier than the end of the 12th century.

(V; SC 12) An inscription 40mm long, whose characters diminish in height and firmness from 49mm at the left to 21mm at the right. It probably represents the name Olafr, although the fourth character is ambiguous.

ola(b)r

(VI; SC 9) An inscription 35mm long with characters from 31mm to 48mm high.

ioan

This probably represents the name Joan ('John'), and the significance of the additional markings recorded in the damaged area to the right by Roger in 1859 (2) is uncertain.

(VII; SC 13) A single character 57mm high, possibly the runic letter m.

(VIII; SC 7) The highest inscription, carved on the sloping roof of the cave with the lower parts of several letters extending round a change in its angle. It is 0.61m long and the characters vary from 96mm to 245mm in height, but are thinly incised. Some show signs of double cutting, perhaps because of the difficulty of access to the surface.

uiklaeikr s*allariraeiss(t)

Vigleikr stallari reist

'Vigleikr the marshal carved'

The carver was presumably the Vigleikr prestsson who was one of the leaders of Hakon Hakonarson's expedition of 1263 (3), and may possibly be identified with the Vigleikr stallari who was a prominent Norwegian royal official in the following decade. The runes are closely associated with a large group of simple crosses which may have been carved at the same time, and it is possible that some of the other inscriptions may also date from the visit of the Norwegian fleet to the adjacent anchorage.

Footnotes:

(1) Balfour 1910, 1, 255-7 and pl.46.

(2) Roger 1885, 379, fig.1; drawing dated 1859 in Stephens collection, Lund University, Sweden (information from Professor R I Page).

(3) Anderson 1922, 2, 617, 625.

Wilson 1863, 2, 279-81; Roger 1885, 378-80; Olsen, M, in Videnskapsselskapets Skrifter, 2 (1912); Balfour 1910, 1, 261-7 and 2, 23-4; Olsen, M, in Shetelig 1940-54, 6, 169; Liestol, 'Runes', 237; Fisher 2001, 62-3.