The Parochial History of Cornwall, Volume 1 (of 4)
History
The Parochial History of Cornwall, Volume 1 (of 4)
Cornwall (England : County) -- History; Geology -- England -- Cornwall (County)
“This monument formerly went by the name of ‘the other half
stone.’ Some translate the inscription, ‘Pray for the soul
of Dungerth,’ others ‘Doniert asked for his soul;’ and there
seems to be great controversy for what purpose this monument
was erected. High stones might originally, in the early ages
of Christianity, have been erected near roads in desolate
situations, and at short distances from each other, to
direct travellers in their journies; and crosses might have
been placed on them as a memento for thanksgiving, when the
traveller had effected this part of his journey in safety.
Now if the inscription on the above monument is meant for
‘Pray for the soul of Dungerth,’ may we not suppose that it
was meant as a request to those who should happen to be
praying for themselves, to offer up a prayer also for
Dungerth, who probably caused that monument to be erected,
or who was buried near the same, perhaps in the chapel
before mentioned to have been discovered by the tinners. Or
if the inscription is to be read, ‘Doniert asked for his
soul,’ which seems the proper translation; may we not
suppose that Doniert (who by all accounts was a very pious
prince) erected this stone, and prayed or asked for mercy
thereat. Perhaps originally these stones might have been
called Ave stones, from the Latin word ‘Ave,’ all hail! God
speed you; God save you, &c. a very appropriate expression
in a desolate situation to a wanderer or traveller. And the
reference to another Ave stone might signify the one which
is a little to the eastward of it, bearing a cross, and by
its appearance formerly a legend underneath. This word Ave
(pronounced in the same manner it is in Ave-Mary-Lane,
London) might be corrupted into Half; so that Ave stone and
Half stone might mean one and the same thing. And in
Cornwall the F is very frequently pronounced as a V, and the
V as an F, at this present time.[28] If this does not meet
approbation, I will add another conjecture. As the circle of
stones called the Hurlers, are at a short distance from this
monument and the cross before-mentioned, might not the
monument and the cross be called the ‘one heave stone,’ and
the other, ‘the other or outer heave stone,’ places from
whence the ball during the game of hurling was thrown. The
traditionary story of the stones called the hurlers, being
once men turned into stone for profaning the Sabbath, will
give some slight sanction to this conjecture; and in
addition, even at this time the high-cross is vulgarly
believed to have been the man who ran off with the ball.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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