Gents Mag 1742 p.369
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Gentleman's Magazine 1742 p.369
Cross was fixed, which has been demolished long ago, by popular Frenzy and Enthusiasm; and probably its Situation in these unfrequented Desarts has preserved the Remainder from their Fury. In the Bottom and Top Divisions, of the North Side, (see p.318) are cut Vine-Trees with Clusters of Grapes in Demi-relievo, probably the Danish Symbol of Fertility, as Amathea's Horn was amongst the Greeks. In a Fillet above the under Vine are these Characters fairly legible,
 which the learned Bishop Nicolson expounds RYNBURU, and thinks that it intimates the Expulsion of the magical Runae, and their Accession to Christianity. But if I may be allowed to dissent from so great a Name, I had rather believe it to be a Sepulchral Monument of one of the Danish Kings slain in Battle, and the Reading I think will support my Conjecture. For there is no Instance of any Nation using the 1st Character for an R, nor do I remember to have seen it so explained in all the numerous Runic Alphabets of Olaus Wormius, but the Danes about the Sinus Codanus, made Use of it for K. Besides the R is Roman wherever it occurs, in this and other Inscriptions on this Monument. The 2d is the Massagetic U a People about the Tanais. The next two Letters are wrong copy'd by the Bishop, the first is a Q, or Scythian N, the other an I; the 4 following are BURU plain; and the last is K Final, for the Initial and Final K differing in their Form was common in those Nations, as the Initial and Final M to the Hebrews. Upon the whole I read it KUNIBURUK, which in the old Danish Language imports Sepulchrum Regis. And the checquer Work included betwixt the two magical Knots (the Scythian Method of embellishing Funeral Monuments) very much corroborates my Opinion. However I so far agree with the Bp that it may also seem to have been designed for a standing Mounument of Conversion to Christianity, which might have happen'd on the Loss of their King, and each mutually celebrated by it. For Buchanan tells us, that in the Reign of Donaldus (the Sixth of that Name) the Danes having wasted Northumberland, were met and engag'd by the united Troops of England and Scotland, with such Uncertainty of Victory, that both Sides were equally glad of Peace, by which the Danes obliged themselves to embrace Christianity. This, therefore, was a very proper Monument for so great a Change; and the Figure on the West Side greatly contributes to favour this Conjecture, as I shall shew in my next Dissertation on the other three other Sides. This Transaction happened about 850 Years ago, and none believe the Obelisk to be older then 900. That the Monument is Danish appears incontestable from the Characters; Scottish and Pictish Monuments having nothing but Hieroglyphick's, and the Danish both; and, excepting Bride Kirk Font, it appears to be the only Monument of that Nation left in Britain. SIR,. Your very humble Servant, GEO. SMITH. |
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