The archaeology and prehistoric annals of Scotland . no undue indulgence of fancy, be lookedupon as tlie spousal pledge, and the literal wedding-ring. It seems,indeed, most probable, tliat the little golden ring with which, in thesemodern centuries, we Aved, is none other than the symbolic memorialof the old sacramental ring which witnessed tlie vows of our rudeisland fathers, and was made the pledge of their plighted troth. This,however, is perhaps trespassing beyond the pale of legitimate induc-tion into the seductive regions of fancy, where antiqviaries have toofrequently chosen to wander a
The archaeology and prehistoric annals of Scotland . no undue indulgence of fancy, be lookedupon as tlie spousal pledge, and the literal wedding-ring. It seems,indeed, most probable, tliat the little golden ring with which, in thesemodern centuries, we Aved, is none other than the symbolic memorialof the old sacramental ring which witnessed tlie vows of our rudeisland fathers, and was made the pledge of their plighted troth. This,however, is perhaps trespassing beyond the pale of legitimate induc-tion into the seductive regions of fancy, where antiqviaries have toofrequently chosen to wander at their own sweet will. In some degree akin tothe personal ornamentsof jet and shale are thelarge beads of glass orvitreous paste, and am-ber, so well knowni amongthe contents of Britishtumuli, and associatedeven in our own day,with the same supersti-tious virtues ascribed to them in the writings of tlie philosophic1)ut credulous Pliny. The very same story, in fact, is told of theAdder-stane in the popular legends of the Scottish Lowlands as Pliny. o()4- Till: ARCHAIC (ti; lilioNZK PiUJKtU. records of tlie origin of the Ovum Anguinum. The various names Lywhich these relics are designated all point to their estimation asamulets or superstitious charms, and the fact of their occurrence, mostfrequently singly, in the sepulchral cist or urn, seems to prove thatit was as such, and not merely as personal ornaments, that they weredeposited along with the ashes of the dead. They are variously knownas Adder Beads, Serpent 8toncs, Druidical Beads, and among theWelsh and Irish by the synonymous terms of Gleini na Droedh, andGlaine nan Druidhe, signifying the Magicians or Druids of them are exceedingly beautiful, and are characterized byconsiderable ingenuity in the Aariations of style. Among those inthe Museum of the Scottish Antiquaries there is one of red glass,spotted with white ; another of dark brown glass, streaked withyellow ; others of pale green and blue glass, plain a
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1850, bookidarchaeologyp, bookyear1851
