Manx Crosses

Since the 5th century AD crosses have served in the Isle of Man as grave markers and memorial stones. To date, 204 decorated stones have been found, representing the largest concentration of such stones for this period. The great majority remain in the churches and churchyard ‘cross shelters’ of their parish of origin. Cast copies of all the stones are kept at the Manx Museum, forming an invaluable reference collection. Wherever the stones are housed, they are treated as Ancient Monuments and as such are under the protection and guardianship of Manx National Heritage.

The earliest slabs show Celtic styles, from simple cross designs to the later complicated interlace. Inscriptions in Ogham, Celtic lettering, or very occasionally Latin, commemorate the dead. Most of these Celtic crosses can be seen in the cross shelter at Kirk Maughold, with others at Old Kirk Lonan, Old Kirk Braddan and Onchan Parish Church.

After the Vikings settled on Mann, and later converted to Christianity, Norse sculptors decorated images from their pagan mythology with Celtic interlace. Memorial runes link Norse and Celtic names within families, evidence of intermarriage. Fine examples of Norse crosses can be seen at the parish churches of Maughold, Andreas, Jurby, Michael and Old Kirk Braddan

Maughold

Many of the 44 crosses in the cross shelter at Kirk Maughold Parish Church are Celtic, some revealing the names of priests and bishops of the former monastery. Irneit, probably a bishop, is commemorated on a cross dating from 650-700 AD.

A slab dating from about 1200AD has the runic inscription

Juan priest cut these runes

and another one of three found at the Corony Keeill (Keeill Woirrey) reads

Christ, Malachi, Patrick and Adamnan. But of all the sheep is Juan priest in Corndale.

Norse crosses here include one which shows scenes from the story of Sigurd the Dragon-Slayer

Kirk Michael

In Kirk Michael Parish Church the tenth century Gaut’s cross is outstanding, not only for the quality of its ring-chain pattern but because its runic inscription gives us our only glimpse of the human being behind the carvings - "Gaut made this and all in Mann".

There are also two names of Celtic origin - "Mael Brigde, son of Athakan the Smith, erected this cross for his own soul and that of his brother’s wife" - showing the intermingling of Norse and Celtic blood on the Island. Mael Brigde is an early form of the Manx name Bridson.

Other crosses in this church show figures form both Norse mythology and the Christian story. The Crucifixion slab has Christ with a cockerel, symbolising the resurrection, on one face, and a winged figure on the other.

Standing probably in its original position by Old Kirk Lonan is the impressive Celtic wheel-headed cross-slab known as the "Lonan Cross". Here, decoration consists entirely of Celtic interlacing, knots and plait-work. The remains of other crosses are displayed in the cross shelter.

Calf Of Man Crucifixion

The Calf of Man Crucifixion is the most outstanding of all the Manx Celtic pre-Norse carvings. This fragment of an altar frontal was discovered on the Calf of Man in 1773 and is now displayed in the award winning Archaeological Gallery at the Manx Museum, Douglas.