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Monuments: R

1. Ruthwell

Image
RecordAuthor Orla Murphy
ISODate 2002-06-10
Date 12 June 2002
PictureCredit Jane Hawkes
County Dumfriesshire
Townland Ruthwell
OSMapRef NV 103681 (310330, 568180)
Area Scotland
GeneralContext Left side of shaft, close-up.
Location Church of Ruthwell
GeneralContext Stone type: Red Sandstone
Dimensions 17' high, shaft is 1'9'' wide at bottom and 1'1'' at the top, the head of the cross is 3'1'' wide, and the top arm is 9'' wide, the thickness is 1'6'' at the bottom to 9'' at the top.
GeneralDescription The Ruthwell Cross has sculpture on its four faces and incised capitals and runes around the panels on the four faces.
GeneralDescription Left side: the shaft is divided into two panels. These contain scroll foliage with birds and beasts involved in the scrolls and eating the fruit. Around these two panels are runes. The runis inscription for the entire left hand side reads:
GeneralDescription Sententia 3 (top and right border)
GeneralDescription [+] KRIS[T] WÆS ON RODI
GeneralDescription Christ was on the Cross
GeneralDescription HWEÞRÆ ÞER FUS[Æ] FEARRAN KW[O]MU
GeneralDescription But eager ones came thither from afar
GeneralDescription [Æ]ÞÞILÆ TIL ANUM IC ÞÆT AL BI[HEALD]
GeneralDescription noble ones came thither, I beheld all that
GeneralDescription SA[RÆ ]IC W[Æ]S MI[Þ] S[OR]GU[M] GIDROE[FI]D H[N]AG
GeneralDescription I was terribly afflicted with sorrows. I bowed to the hands of men.
GeneralDescription Sententia 4 (left border of the south (now west) side of the cross).
GeneralDescription [M]IÞ S[T]RE[L]UM GEWUNDAD
GeneralDescription Wounded with arrows
GeneralDescription ALEGDUN HIÆ HINÆ LIMWOERIGNÆ GISTODDU[N] HIM [ÆT HIS LI]CÆS [HEA]F[DU]M
GeneralDescription they laid him down, limbspent; they stood themselves at the shoulders of his corpse
GeneralDescription [BIH]EA[LD]U[N H]I[Æ Þ]E[R] heafunes Dryctin
GeneralDescription The they looked upon the lord of heaven

  1. Stuart, J., The Sculptured Stones of Scotland1, Spalding Club, Aberdeen and Edinburgh (1856-1867) Stone, Sculpture, Scotland, History, Archaeology.
  2. Allen, J. R., Anderson, J., The Early Christian Monuments of Scotland1st, Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, Edinburgh (1903) Descriptions, Stone, Sculpture, Monuments, Scotland.