Scotland in Pagan Times; The Iron AgeAnderson, Joseph
History
Scotland in Pagan Times; The Iron Age
Anderson, Joseph
Scotland -- Antiquities
The zoomorphic patterns consist mostly of animal forms, which are
treated in a freer manner than is usual in Celtic work. One of these
occupying the reverse of a single bulb with prickly ornament, is shown
in Fig. 74. The irregularity of the design, its want of balance and
symmetry, and the tendency of the interlacements of the intertwisted
members to break off in scroll-like terminations, are all features which
are usually present in Scandinavian work, and as usually absent in the
work of the pure Celtic school. The body of the beast, seen sideways, is
outlined with a double line, as is usual in the Celtic style. Its head
is thrown back, its mouth open and tongue protruding; a single tooth
appears in each jaw. Its feet are furnished with two toes, and its tail
and crest, convoluted with the body and limbs, terminate in irregular
scrolls. The patterns on the bulbous terminations of another brooch
(Figs. 71, 72, 73), have a curious resemblance to this one, while
presenting points of difference. It is the same beast, almost in the
same attitude, but differing in the treatment of the details in both
representations. In Fig. 72 the body of the beast is covered with
scale-like markings, and the same tendency of the convolutions of the
crest to break off in scroll-like terminations is visible in both. The
figure [Illustration: Fig. 77.—On the bulbous head of the pin (actual
size).] on the bulbous head of the pin of this brooch (Fig. 73) differs
from those on the bulbous terminations of its ring in being more
bird-like than beast-like, and its convolutions more broken into
indefinite scrolls and whirls. It is noticeable, however, that the
crest, the eye, and the two-toed foot of this bird-like figure are the
same as those of the beast which appears in the patterns previously
described, and re-appears in conjunction with a more remarkable figure
on another brooch (described pp. 81-82) in the Skaill deposit. The
figures on its [Illustration: Fig. 78.—Axe-head inlaid with silver, from
the Mammen How, Denmark.] bulbous terminations (Figs. 75, 76) are finely
engraved. They represent the same beast which is figured on the others,
with but slight variations of detail, but the bulbous head of the pin
shows quite a remarkable deviation from the general form of these
representations. Instead of the conventional beast, we see here (Fig.
77) a quasi-human figure worked up into a pattern of interlacements. The
treatment of this anthropomorphic form is peculiar. It presents a
bearded face, which is curiously elongated and triangular in outline;
the nose is represented by a curved line, and the eyes are connected by
double lines across the upper part of the nose. The hands are bound with
interlacements, and the body is treated as the bodies of the beasts
commonly used for zoomorphic patterns. This bearded, broad-nosed,
goggle-eyed figure has no Celtic relations, but we meet with the same
typical face in Scandinavia, occasionally placed in association with
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