The Cat-Stane, Edinburghshire : is it not the tombstone of the grandfather of Hengist and Horsa? / by J. Y. Simpson.

  • Simpson, James Young, 1811-1870.
Date:
1862
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The Cat-Stane, Edinburghshire : is it not the tombstone of the grandfather of Hengist and Horsa? / by J. Y. Simpson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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    scribing it he observes “ The form is an irregular prism, with the fol- lowing inscription on the south-east face, deeply cut in the stone, in a most uncouth manner :— IN OC T VMVLO IACI VETTA D VICTA We are informed,” continues Mr Muckarsie, “ by Buchanan and other historians, that there was a bloody battle fought near this place, on the banks of the Almond, in the year 995, between Kennethus, natural brother and commander of the forces of Malcolm II., King of Scotland, and Constantine, the usurper of that crown, wherein both the generals were killed. About two miles higher up the river, on the Bathgate road, is a circular mound of earth (of great antiquity, surrounded with large unpolished stones, at a considerable distance from each other, evidentlyiutended in memory of some remarkable event). The whole inter- mediate space, from the human bones dug up, and graves of unpolished stones discovered below tbe surface, seems to have been the scene of many battles.” 1 In the discourse which the Earl of Buchan gave in 1780 to a meeting called together for the establishment of the present Society of Scottish Antiquaries, his Lordship took occasion to allude to the Cat-stane when wishing to point out how monuments, rude as they are, “ lead us to cor- rect the uncertain accounts which have been banded down by tbe monkish writers.” “ Accounts, for example, have (he observes) been given of various conflicts which took place toward the close of the tenth century between Constantine IV. and Malcolm, tbe general of the lawful heir ol the Scottish Crown, on the banks of tbe River Almond, and decided towards its confluence to the sea, near Kirkliston. Accordingly, from Mid-Calder, anciently called Calder-comitas, to Kirkliston, the banks of tbe river are filled with the skeletons of human bodies, and the remains of warlike weapons; and opposite to Carlowrie there is a well-known