One of the commonest, easily recognisable, decorative features found on Scottish and Irish Crosses, is the figuration of St Paul and St Antony breaking bread at their first meeting in the desert. Commonly this features the ravens, who were said to deliver the bread, or less commonly the hand of God, directly delivering it! As one of the most southern examples of such Irish influence, I show here the cross found during the restoration of York Minster after it's disastrous fire.
Here, in this 10th Century tomb stone, God's hands bless the saints, whilst his body appears to emanate from the bread being broken by the two seated figures. This picture is highly contrasting, as it was illegally snapped under the strong cross lighting found in the York Minster Undercroft!
Detail from the cross shaft at St James' Church, Nunburnholme, Yorkshire. The similarity in iconography is obvious, the only difference being the reduction to the two arms coming out of the clouds to bless their heads. That be said, but it is possible that the fragments have been re-assembled in the incorrect order, or, more likely, something is missing from the image along the line of cement!. The former explanation has been confirmed by the Corpus of Anglo-Saxon Stone Sculpture (Lang,1991, p. 189), which are refigured in the correct orientation (op. cit. illustrations 713-20).
The cross shaft at St. Oswald's Church, Crowle, Lincolnshire, has had a chequered history. Re-worked as a lintel in the 12th century, it has now been been extracted and now stands on a modern plinth in the north arcade of the nave. Again recently redescribed by the Corpus (Everson & Stocker, 1999, pp. 147-152, illustrations 144-50), who go for a secular, scandanavian explanation of the iconography, (op. cit. p. 151). Although Paul & Anthony get a dissmissive mention (loc. cit.) to my mind the combination of the birds delivering a round object (loaf of bread) and two opposing figures, match perfectly the Irish model of the meeting of Paul & Antony (see Kells crosses below). Viking ravens don't deliver bread! Such is the preservation of this part of the cross, it has been reworked across the lower surface, as witnessed by the strong cross-hatching, that any fine detail has been removed. Even so, it looks to me that both figures could be pulling on a central round object (a loaf), rather than one of them resting both hands on top of a non-existant sword. The flexed left and right legs could suggest that they were squatting on rocks in a cave, rather than indicating any other action. If this explanation of the iconography is accepted, then it suggests a more direct Irish connection, rather than to the more northerly York and Nunburnholme one. This, together with the primativness of the figure sculpture suggests an earlier date than the suggested early to mid Tenth Century, (loc. cit.).
Detail of the Ruthwell cross, Ruthwell Church, Dumfries, showing a beautifully carved, although subsequently damaged, breaking of the bread. A Celtic theme in an otherwise Saxon milieu, with it's unique inscription of The Dream of the Rood, round its edges. Along the top of the current picture can plainly be seen the word Paulus. Described previously by Romilley Allen & Anderson (1903, v. 2, p. 442-8. figs.467-8) and more recently Cassidy (ed.) 1992. It has been dated to some time between 731 & 750 (Maclean in Cassidy (ed.) 1992, p. 69). There is a long discussion of this particular carving in the latter work (Meyvaert in Cassidy (ed.) 1992, pp. 131-135), which ends with this with this question: "it's Celtic elements, once again raises the question of what particular monastic milieu helped to shape the design of the Ruthwell cross", (op cit, p. 135), following on from the discussion of The Flight out of Egypt, (pp. 138-9), with it's Celtic context.
Ruthwell cross
By way of contrast a picture of the back of cross 1 from Kirriemuir and now in Forfar Museum, showing Paul and Antony breaking bread, whilst unusually in a standing position. The pictish symbolism, seen in the lower part is also of interest. Cross recorded by Romilley Allen & Anderson (1903, v2, p. 227, figs.239 A & B).
Front of above Kirriemuir cross.
This a closeup of a portion of the whole cross, shown below.
It was reading about this cross (Stone 7, St Vigeans Museum), in William Dalrymple's book
From the Holy Mountain (1997, p. 421), which prompted my research on this topic. I was particularly intrigued by William Dalrymple's discussion of the parallels between Coptic and Celtic christianity (op.cit. pp. 418-422). Back in the early 1970's I too had visited St Vigeans and seen this cross. Incidentally the then Min. of Works, printed catalog of the stones, a copy of which I still have, is still the only published catalog of this collection (Cruden, 1964). Short sightedly, it is now long out of print!
This fragment of a cross, number 27 from Meigle museum, shows an individual leaning back in a chair. The fragmentary evidence of an another chair closely opposite him, suggesting that this too is a Paul and Antony representation, both men pulling in opposite directions on a loaf, (Cruden, 1964, p. 18).
Cross in the Maughold cross shelter, Isle .of .Man. Shows two seated figures opposite one another ,possibly Paul and Antony separated by the shaft of the cross. Cross recorded by Kermode,(1907, p.138=9, pl. 26, fig. 67) and by Romilley Allen & Anderson (1903, v2, p.10, fig.5), who described the figures as two "enthroned ecclesiastics, wearing peaked hoods".
Detail; of the right arm of the east face of the Cross of Patrick & Columba, Kells, County Meath, Republic of Ireland. The raven delivering the bread to Paul and Antony seated in cave.
The full top part of the Cross of Patrick & Columba, Kells.
My final example of a cross, detail of the end of the cross arm, of the The Market Cross, Kells, County Meath, Republic of Ireland. Standing figures of Paul and Antony breaking bread, with what looks like a highly weathered raven delivering the loaf!
The full Market Cross, Kells, now under a protective canopy and not before time, as the photos in Richardson & Scarry 1990 (pl. 119) show a lot more detail.
The above pictures give a good summary of the range of iconography as well as the geographic distribution of the figuration of Saint Paul and St. Antony in the British Isles. Such images are common on many of the Irish High Crosses, as well illustrated in Richardson & Scarry 1990, An Introduction to Irish High Crosses, Mercier Press, Dublin. In this work, figuration of Paul & Antony, is second only to scenes of the Crucifixion, in it's popularity as a theme. This is something which supports the argument that Irish Christianity has its origins in Egyptian contacts. These first contacts probably came before 313 and the Edict of Milan, by Constantine, in the period of maximum persecution, between 249-312 CE. Ireland was an attractive place for the evangelical monk, looking for martydom, as it was one of the easiest places to reach, outside of the control of the Roman Empire. Ireland at the time was an active slave economy, thanks to extensive tribal based warfare. Alexandrine traders would not slow to take advantage of such a source of european slaves, as witnessed by Augustine's meeting with Angle slaves, probably sourced from Irish slaving trips. Such activity would have continued until the capture of both sides of the straits of Gibralter in 711, by the forces of Islam. The maritime history of this period is well covered by Barry Cunliffe, 2001, Facing the Ocean, where the mainly untraceable evidence of the slave trade is virtually ignored, although it must have been of major economic importance to the Roman and post-Roman economies. Until this closure, paying to be a supercargo on an Alexandrine slave trader ship, was an easy way to get to Ireland and the West coast of Scotland. By such a path Christianity, spread into this area of the world, well before the arrival of the Augustinian mission. The Irish missionaries were subsequently to spread their word throughout Scotland, Northern England and into central Europe. I think that the evidence of the presence of Paul & Antony on crosses, together with round enclosures, found surrounding churches, such as at Escombe and Kilpeck (see this site!), are together strong evidence of the spread of the Irish form of Christianity. The coptic, post & pre-nicean origins of it's rituals, going some way to explain the doctrinal differences only settled in Britain, by the Synod of Whitby in 664 CE
A transcript of The Life of Paulus the First Hermit - by St. Jerome, as an RTF file, right click to download..
The other line in iconography, is the symbols, commonly described as Chi-Rho by J Romilly-Allen & J Anderson, (1903, pp. 494-6). These forms are some of the most debased forms of the Chi-Rho which are better known as Coptic crosses. The majority of these records are based on material from Whithorn and Kirkmadrine.
Stone 1, Kirkmadrine, Dumfries & Galloway, described by Romilly-Allen & Anderson, (1903, v. 2, pp. 494-5, Fig. 534 ). who translated the Latin text as follows: Here lies the holy and excellent priests, Ides . . . , Viventius and Mavorius. This interpretation has been significantly modified by Charles Thomas (1998, p. 115) to read: 516, Here lie the holy and excellent Bishops, that is, Viventius and Mavorius.
Stone 2, Kirkmadrine, Dumfries & Galloway, described by Romilly-Allen & Anderson, (1903, v. 2, pp. 495, Fig. 535 ). The Latin inscription was too damaged to interpret, by the latter, although refigured. by Charles Thomas (1998, p. 115), who suggests the following interpretation: 517, Titus and Florentius.
Stone 3, Kirkmadrine, Dumfries & Galloway, described by Romilly-Allen & Anderson, (1903, v. 2, pp. 495 ), although then lost, refigured by Charles Thomas (1998, p. 119, fig.41), who suggests the following interpretation: 518, Alpha & Omega or Beginning & End
The Kirkmadrine Cross Shelter.
Kirkmadrine general site.
Finally a couple of images of stones in the new Whithorn Visitor Centre.
The famous Latinus or Whithorn Stone from Whithorn Priory, now in the new Visitor centre. This was found 'shortly before 1888, during William Galloway's excavations at a point just north-east of the medieval Priory church' (Thomas, 1998, p. 104). This was described by Romilly-Allen & Anderson, (1903, v. 2, pp. 497, fig. 538-9), We praise thee Lord. Latinus aged 35 years and his daughter of 5. Here the descendants of Barrovad made the monument. Later refigured by Thomas (1998, pp. 104-114, fig. 35), who re-discovered the constantinian Chi-Rho, which dates it to c. 420-50, and revised the inscription's interpretation: 520, Thee Lord we praise. Latinus , of years 35, and his daughter, of 4 years, here a sinus made. Descendant of Barrowvad(us) . Sinus here means refuge or in this context a christian building or church (op cit, p. 106 ). This then was a church dedication stone.
Whithorn stone 2 in the new Visitor Centre. A classic latinate cross, with the Coptic 'ear' turning it into a figurative Chi-Rho. Previously described by Romilly-Allen & Anderson, (1903, v. 2, p. 497, fig. 537), who interpreted the inscription as: The place of St, Peter the Apostle. This stone originally stood on the high ground on the South. of the town, by the side of the road leading to the Isle of Whithorn (Op. Cit. p. 496).
