29-Apr-2023
We visited St Andrew's in Andreas last year. But we weren't able to go in, so we missed out on seeing another collection of the Island's amazing ancient crosses. (The information below comes from this page, and from A Guide to the Archaeological Sites of the Isle of Man, by Andrew Johnson and Allison Fox, Culture Vannin, 2017.)
This is Thorwald's Cross, dating back to the mid-10th or early-11th century
This is interesting in that it depicts pivotal moments in both Norse mythology and Christian belief. Not only do you have a scene from Ragnarok (the end of the world of gods and men), featuring Odin (complete with spear and raven) being devoured by the giant wolf Fenrir, but you also have Christ's victory over evil. The runic inscription reads: "Thorvald raised this cross."
Sigurd's Cross
This one depicts the saga of Sigurd, who killed the dragon Fafnir, and roasted his heart over a fire (see the three bits on the skewer?). Poking the heart to see if it's done, he burns his finger, and sucks it, thus imbibing enough dragon blood to understand the language of the birds and animals, who duly warn him that his foster-father, Regin, does not have his best interests at heart...
Sandulf's Cross
The runes read: "Sandulf the black erected this cross in memory of Arinbjork his wife." The figure on horseback at the base of the cross may be Arinbjork.
There's lots more that's picturesque about this church and its surrounding village:
So that was Thursday 27. Yesterday, Friday 28, we went way, way back in time to Ballafayle, a neolithic burial cairn (originating somewhere around 2000-1500 BC). It's not that far from Cashtal yn Ard, which we visited last year:
Nearby...
Opposite the cairn is a 17th-century Quaker burial ground
We visited St Brigid's in Bride last year, but were disappointed with some of our photos. So today we had another crack.
Details of Thor's Cross, which dates from around 950. According to Johnson and Fox, the two birds could be symbols of the resurrection, or could represent Gold-comb, who crowed the dawn of Ragnarok
Details from the other side of the stone. Maybe from the Ragnarok saga, maybe not...
The Adam and Eve stone, probably dating from the 11th or 12th century
A cast taken in the early 1900s, which gives us a bit more detail. Eve, on the left, is raising the apple to her mouth. Adam is also reaching out towards the tree (which is surprisingly small). Interestingly, there's no serpent...
The graveyard of St Brigid's, with its spring flowers and atmospheric mist, was looking stunning:
This time, we found Sir Norman's grave...
And if you need refreshment after all this history, the Bride Tea Rooms will do you a nice brunch
And finally, Kirk Lezayre, which is also said to house crosses. Except this was a bit of a mystery... The church seems to have closed. The doors are locked, which is unusual here.
But the huge graveyard across the lane is lovely, full of history, atmosphere, and good views:
I grew up on the Isle of Man, but every time I come back, I'm stunned all over again by its rich monumental history. Then again, humans have inhabited this place for nearly 10,000 years, so I guess it's not surprising that they have left a lot behind for us to wonder at.