MEDIÆVAL RINGS.
The rings worn by the higher class of our Anglo-Saxon ancestors during
the Heptarchy were often very beautiful, and of imposing form. One of
the finest we have seen belonged to the Rev. H. B. Hutchings, of
Appleshaw, Hants,[100-*] and was found in a meadow at Bosington, near
Stockbridge, in the same county, by a labourer who saw it among a heap
of peat. We give a side and front view of this interesting relic; the
whole is of gold, and is of considerable weight and thickness; the gold
threads are all beautifully reeded, and the lettering and head executed
with great care. The inscription reads--NOMEN EHLLA FID IN XPO,
equivalent to its owner saying, “My name is Ella, my faith is in
Christ.”
[Illustration: Fig. 114.]
[Illustration: Fig. 115.]
The beautiful and remarkable collection of rings formed by Edmund
Waterton, Esq., F.S.A., to which allusion has already been made,
includes a ring of South Saxon workmanship, which was found in the
Thames at Chelsea in 1856. The face of this ring (Fig. 116) is an
elongated oval, with a circular centre. Within this circle is the
conventional figure of a dragon, surrounded by convoluted ornament,
reminding us forcibly of the prevailing enrichments so lavishly bestowed
on old Runic monuments, at home and abroad. Four quaintly-formed heads
of dragons occupy the triangular spaces, above and below this centre.
This ring is of silver. The ground between the ornament has been cut
down, probably for the insertion of niello or enamel colours.
[Illustration: Fig. 116.]
[Illustration: Fig. 117.]
Fig. 117 is an historic relic of singular interest, and a remarkable
work of early art. It is the ring of Ethelwulf, King of Wessex (the
father of Alfred the Great), who reigned A.D. 836-838, and bears the
royal name upon it. It was found in the parish of Laverstock, Hants, in
a cart-rut, where it had become much crushed and defaced. The form is
remarkable, the front rising pyramidally. Two birds of conventional form
face each other, a flower ornament dividing them; these decorations,
like those on Mr. Waterton’s ring just described, are relieved by a
ground of glossy bluish-black enamel, cavities having been cut between
the ornament for its infusion. This ring is of gold, weighing 11 dwts.
14 grs.; it is now preserved in the British Museum.
[Illustration: Fig. 118.]
Mr. Waterton is the fortunate possessor of a ring second only in
interest and value to this royal relic. It is the ring of Ahlstan,
Bishop of Sherborne, the friend and counsellor of King Ethelwulf, who
flourished A.D. 817-867. It was discovered in Carnarvonshire, and has
the name of the bishop in divided letters distributed on the circular
rosettes of the design; they are connected by lozenge-shaped floriated
ornaments, having dragons in their centres. Our cut (Fig. 118) gives the
general form and detail of this beautiful ring, which is remarkable for
the elegance of its design. It is of gold, like the preceding ring;
both being admirable illustrations of the _champ-levé_ process of
enamelling as practised in the ninth century.
[Illustration: Fig. 119.]
[Illustration: Fig. 120.]
A remarkable discovery of coins and treasure was made in 1840 by workmen
employed in digging at Cuerdale, near Preston, in Lancashire. It
consisted of a large mass of silver, in the form of ingots or bars of
various sizes, a few armlets and rings, and portions of other ornaments,
cut into pieces as if for remelting. With them were packed nearly seven
thousand coins of various descriptions, consisting of Anglo-Saxon
pennies, others struck by the second race of French kings, a few
Oriental coins, and others which appear to have been coined by some of
the piratical northern chieftains. This treasure was minutely examined
by E. Hawkins, F.R.S., of the British Museum, and he came to the
conclusion that it had been deposited about the year 910, and that the
ornaments must be considered such as were worn about the time of Alfred,
or perhaps somewhat earlier. The rings retain much of the primitive
British form, as will be seen on examining the two selected for
engraving here. Fig. 119 is beaten out into a broad face, which is
covered with an indented ornament produced by a chisel-shaped punch of
triangular form, the points of two conjoined in one pattern, the edge
of the ring on each side further enriched by a series of dots. Fig. 120
has a still broader face, which is decorated by groups of three circles
each, somewhat irregularly distributed over the surface, with indented
lines between them. The open end of this ring has been drawn together
and secured by a coil of wire. Such rings were probably worn by the
middle classes.
The passion for gems and jewellery was excessive among all the Gothic
nations. When Alaric pillaged Rome, his booty in this way was enormous;
and it is recorded that his princess, Placidia, received as a present
from the conqueror’s brother, fifty basins filled with precious stones
of inestimable value. Not only were the persons of these sovereigns and
nobles covered with gems, inserted in girdles, sword-scabbards, on
borders of garments or shoes; but vases, dishes, bowls, drinking-cups,
as well as portable articles of furniture, caskets, &c., were similarly
enriched. The Ostrogoth and Wisigoth kings amassed, in Tolosa and
Narbonne, immense treasures in gems and gold and silver vessels. When
Narbonne was pillaged, the number of ornaments of pure gold enriched
with gems that fell to the conquerors would scarcely be credited, were
the details recorded by less trustworthy authors, or not corroborated by
some few works of the same age which have fortunately descended to us.
The Church shared largely in this wealth; crosses, reliquaries, and
sacred vessels of all kinds, were made of the most costly material, and
encrusted with gems. One of these ancient works may still be seen in
Cologne Cathedral--the _chasse_, or reliquary, containing the reputed
skulls of the three Magi, of whom we shall soon have to speak more
fully. This remarkable work is studded all over with engraved intaglios
of Roman workmanship. Churchmen at this time were clever artificers; and
St. Dunstan, great statesman as he was, in the British, and St. Eloi in
the Gallic, church, both skilled working goldsmiths, have since become
the patron saints of confraternities of their followers.
[Illustration: Fig. 121.]
[Illustration: Fig. 122.]
The higher clergy on all solemn occasions displayed much personal
decoration. A jewelled ring was part of the adornment of a bishop when
arrayed in full pontificals. It indicated his rank, was made for him,
and buried with him. The treasuries of our old cathedrals still possess
a few of these rings. One of the earliest and most curious is kept by
the Dean of Winchester, and is represented in Fig. 121. It was found
during the repair of the choir under the tomb of William Rufus, and is
supposed to have been the pontifical ring of Henry de Blois, Cardinal,
and Bishop of Winchester, A.D. 1129. It is a massive ring of solid gold,
set with an oval irregularly-shaped sapphire, _en cabochon_, polished
only, not cut; held in its heavy socket by four fleur-de-lys, and still
further secured by drilling through its centre a passage for a gold
wire--a reckless way of treating valuable jewels, which is
characteristic of almost all these early works.
Fig. 122 is an ordinary pontifical gold ring of investiture, used in the
Anglican Church about this time. It was found at Winchester, and is
preserved with Fig. 121, described above. It has a very massive setting
for a large blue sapphire, and is very characteristic, though simple in
its design.
[Illustration: Fig. 123.]
[Illustration: Fig. 124.]
Dignity, as exhibited by weight and simplicity, seems to have been
chiefly regarded in the design of these old episcopal insignia. In the
sacristy at York Minster is preserved a very excellent specimen, Fig.
123. This was found in the tomb of Archbishop Sewall, who died in 1256.
With it is kept another fine ring of more elaborate design (Fig. 124),
which was discovered in the tomb of Archbishop Greenfield, who died in
1315. The foliations which curl around the central stone and its
setting, take the prevailing forms adopted in architectural enrichments
of the archbishop’s age. The stones usually chosen for such rings were
ruby, emerald, or crystal, and had a significance usual with all things
connected with the Roman Catholic Church; ruby indicated its glory,
emerald its tranquillity and happiness, and crystal its simplicity and
purity. The diamond typified invulnerable faith; the sapphire, hope; the
onyx, sincerity; the amethyst, humility.
In the old romance of “Sir Degrevant,” we are told that at the marriage
of the hero there came
“Archbishops with rings
More than fifteen.”
In the romance of “King Athelstan” (also a work of the fourteenth
century), the king exclaims to an offending archbishop--
“Lay doun thy cross, and thy staff,
Thy miter, and _thy ring_, that I to thee gaff:
Out of my land thou flee.”
[Illustration: Fig. 125.]
The episcopal ring, being thus necessarily a mark of rank, was worn
about this time over the gloves: sometimes as a thumb-ring, and often of
very large size. The ornaments of the clergy became more massive as the
wealth of the Church increased. As the clergy were during church service
separated from the laity, many of the latter were at a considerable
distance from them. This may be a reason for the size adopted for
episcopal rings. A late Dean of St. Patrick’s had in his collection a
very large ring of this kind, represented in Fig. 125, from a sketch
made by the author when it was in the possession of W. Huxtable,
F.S.A., in 1847. It was of bronze, thickly gilt, and set with a crystal.
This peculiar form was generally adopted for rings at this period. The
Londesborough collection furnishes us with a curious specimen (Fig.
126), formed of gilt copper, and set with a small ruby, which must have
stood forth from the finger in what would now be considered as a most
inconvenient manner. Fig. 127 exhibits the form of the plain hooped
ring, simply decorated with quatrefoils on each side of the stone (in
this instance a small irregularly-shaped sapphire), which is embedded in
a somewhat solid setting projecting from the ring.
[Illustration: Fig. 126.]
[Illustration: Fig. 127.]
In the _Gentleman’s Magazine_ for 1848 is engraved a massive ring, also
of brass, thickly gilt, the hoop chased with the arms of Pope Pius
II.[108-*] (the famed Æneas Sylvius), and his name, _Papa Pio_, between
the tiara and the cross-keys. On each of the four sides of this ring
appears one of the four beasts of the Revelation, typifying the
Evangelists: they are executed in high relief. It is set with a large
topaz. This ring has since passed into Mr. Waterton’s fine collection,
who is the fortunate possessor of others of the same class. One in the
Londesborough collection is here engraved, Fig. 128, as a good specimen
of the general design adopted for such rings. The crossed-keys surmount
a coat of arms on one side of the ring; the keys alone appear on the
opposite side; foliated ornament fills the space above the circlet on
either side. This ring is set with a large crystal.
[Illustration: Fig. 128.]
[Illustration: Fig. 129.]
[Illustration: Fig. 130.]
We close our series of episcopal rings with one found in the cathedral
at Hereford during the repairs of the choir in 1843, which rendered the
removal of the beautifully carved alabaster monument of Bishop Stanbery
unavoidable. This bishop held the See from 1452 until his death in May,
1474. Upon opening the tomb a few fragments of bone were discovered,
very small portions of the mere remains of the silk of the robes in
which the body of the bishop was enveloped, and this beautiful ring, of
which views are given in Figs. 129 and 130. It is of gold, set with a
sapphire; the sides of the ring are decorated with sprays and flowers on
a ground of dark enamel; and inside is the motto “=en bon an=.”
[Illustration: Fig. 131.]
[Illustration: Fig. 132.]
A very large ring, bearing great general resemblance to the episcopal
ring, was occasionally worn as a thumb-ring by the laity. A specimen of
such a one is selected from the Londesborough collection in Fig. 131. It
is somewhat roughly formed of mixed metal, and has upon the circular
face a conventional representation of a monkey looking at himself in a
hand-mirror. This is surrounded by a cable moulding, and on each side is
set two large stones. The outer edge of this ring is also decorated with
a heavy cable moulding: inside, next the finger, is the cross and sacred
monogram, placed on each side of the mystic word _anamzapta_, which we
shall immediately have to explain more fully when speaking of the rings
commonly worn as charms.
These massive thumb-rings were indicative of wealth or importance, when
worn by the middle classes who had obtained any municipal position. When
Falstaff speaks of his slenderness in his youth, he declares that he
could then have “crept through an alderman’s thumb-ring.” Like the
massive gold chains still worn by that honourable fraternity, they told
of a trader’s wealth. The inventories of personal property belonging to
burgesses in the Middle Ages, contain frequent allusions to such rings,
without which they would have felt shorn of an important part of their
head-earned honours. Among the wills and inventories preserved at Bury
St. Edmund’s, published by the Camden Society, is one made by Edward
Lee, of that town, bearing date 1535, in which he bequeaths to a friend,
“my double wreathed ryng of gold, whych I ware on my thumbe.” From this
description it is evident that this ring must have borne great
resemblance to that given in Fig. 131, with its outer cable or double
wreathed pattern. There is a brass in Hastings Church, Sussex, with the
effigy of a gowned citizen wearing such a ring. That such rings became
in the end indicative of that class, and were retained in fashion for
this reason when they had been long discarded from general use, may be
safely inferred from the description of a character introduced in the
Lord Mayor’s Show in the year 1664, who is said to be “habited like a
grave citizen--gold girdle and gloves hung thereon, rings on his
fingers, and a seal ring on his thumb.” Such rings were evidently used
according to the most ancient mode as personal signets, by such as were
not entitled to bear arms; hence originated the quaint inventions known
as “merchant’s marks,” which were impressed on merchandise, painted on
shields instead of armorial bearings, inserted in memorial windows of
stained glass, and worn on the thumb for constant use in sealing. A very
fine ring of this kind is engraved in the Journal of the Archæological
Institute, vol. iii., and is here copied in Fig. 132. It was found in
the bed of the Severn, near Upton, and is probably a work of the
fifteenth century; it is of silver, and has been strongly gilt. The hoop
is spirally grooved, and upon the circular face is a large letter H,
surrounded by branches.
[Illustration: Fig. 133.]
[Illustration: Fig. 134.]
The custom of placing initial letters on rings is a very old one, and
they are sometimes surmounted by crowns or coronets; hence they have
frequently been mistakenly appropriated to royalty. Fig. 133 is a ring
of this kind, with a crowned I upon it; hence it was once called “King
John’s ring.” It is most probably the initial of the Saviour’s name as
King of the Jews, in the same way that the crowned M may indicate the
Virgin Mary as “Queen of Heaven,” a favourite popish designation. Such
rings may have been worn from religious feeling, or from the
superstitious belief in the efficacy of holy names as preservatives from
evil. The baseness of the metal of which they are often made, and their
consequent small value, precludes the possibility of their having
belonged to royalty. The same remark will apply to a ring also engraved
in the Journal of the Archæological Institute, and now in the possession
of the Rev. Walter Sneyd. It is there described as of mixed yellow metal
gilt; on either side of the hoop there is a crown (Fig. 134), of the
form commonly seen on coins of the twelfth century, and on the signet
are the words, ROGERIVS REX, chased in high relief. In the form of the
character they correspond closely with legends upon coins of Roger,
second Duke of Apulia, of that name, crowned King of Sicily A.D. 1129;
he died A.D. 1152. This ring has every appearance of genuine character,
but it is difficult to explain for what purpose it was fabricated, the
inscription not being inverted, and the letters in relief ill suited for
producing an impression. It seems very improbable that King Roger should
have worn a ring of base metal; and the conjecture may deserve
consideration, that it was a signet not intended for the purpose of
sealing, but entrusted in lieu of credentials to some envoy. The popular
literature of the Middle Ages abundantly proves this custom to have been
in general use. The tale of Ipomydon, in Weber’s “Ancient Metrical
Romances,” notes the gift of a ring to the hero from his mother, which
is to be used as a token of recognition to his illegitimate brother, and
which is brought secretly to his notice by being dropped into his
drinking horn. In the “Romance of Florence and Blancheflor,” a ring
serves the purpose of letters of introduction when the hero is on his
travels, and ensures him hospitality when he deserves it.
Rings sometimes bore the name and title of the Saviour in full, as in
Fig. 135 from the Londesborough collection. Two hands are clasped in
front; it was, therefore, most probably a gift, or betrothal ring. It is
silver, somewhat rudely fashioned. The inscription (here engraved below
it) is in uncial characters, and shorn of its somewhat awkward
abbreviation, reads “Jesus Nazareneus Rex.”
[Illustration: Fig. 135.]
[Illustration: Fig. 136.]
[Illustration: Fig. 137.]
The same collection furnishes us with the specimen of a religious ring
(Fig. 136), apparently a work of the fourteenth century. It has a heart
in the centre, from which springs a double flower. On the upper edge of
the ring are five protuberances on each side; they were used to mark a
certain number of prayers said by the wearer, who turned his ring as he
said them, and so completed the series in the darkness of the night.
Such rings are of very common occurrence, and must have been in general
use. They are sometimes furnished with more prominent knobs, as in Fig.
137. They are termed decade rings when furnished with ten bosses, which
were used to count the repetition of ten _aves_, but they are
occasionally seen with one or two additional bosses; when there are
eleven, they notify ten _aves_ and a _paternoster_; the addition of the
twelfth marks the repetition of a creed.
Allusion has already been made to the mystic virtues attributed to
stones during the Middle Ages, and for the fondness for collecting
antique gems. They were coveted not only as works of art, but for their
supposed power over the circumstances of life, or the welfare of
individual wearers. The idea very probably originated with the Gnostics
of the East, who engraved stones with mystic figures believed to impart
good luck or to keep off evil influences. So completely had this belief
gained hold on all classes, that a Gnostic gem set as a ring was found
on the finger of the skeleton of an ecclesiastic, in the Cathedral of
Chichester, “affording indubitable evidence that these relics were
cherished in the Middle Ages by those whose express duty it was to
reprove and check such gross superstition.”[115-*]
This belief was ultimately reduced to a system. An old French
_Lapidaire_, compiled in the thirteenth century, assures us that a stone
engraved with the figure of Pegasus or Bellerophon is good for warriors,
“giving them boldness and swiftness in flight,” very contradictory
qualifications, it must be allowed. One with the figure of Andromeda had
the power of conciliating love between man and woman. “A gem bearing the
figure of Hercules slaying a lion or other monster, was a singular
defence to combatants. The figure of Mercury on a gem rendered the
possessor wise and persuasive. The figure of Jupiter with the body of a
man and the head of a ram, made the man who bore it beloved by
everybody, and he was sure to obtain anything he asked. If you find a
stone bearing the figure of a hare, it will be a defence against the
devil; if you find a dog and a lion on the same stone, it will be a
preservative against dropsy or pestilence. The figure of Orion was
believed to give victory in war. If you find a stone, in which is
Perseus holding in his right hand a sword, and in his left the Gorgon’s
head, it is a preservative against lightning and tempest and against the
assaults of devils. A stone on which is engraved a long-bearded man
sitting on a plough, with a bending in his neck, and four men lying
down, and holding in his hand a fox and a vulture, this, suspended about
the neck, enables you to find treasures. If you find a dove, with a
branch of olive in its mouth, engraved in pyrites, and mount it in a
silver ring, and carry it with you, everybody will invite you to be his
guest, and people will feast you much and frequently. The figure of a
syren, sculptured in a jacinth, rendered the bearer invisible. A fair
head, well combed, with a handsome face, engraved on a gem, gave to the
bearer joy, reverence, and honour. Such were the qualities attached to
ancient gems in the Middle Ages.”[116-*]
Many plain stones were also believed to have magical virtues. Thus, the
amethyst prevented drunkenness, and was consequently often set upon wine
cups. The crystal clouded if evil was about to happen to its wearer.
Amber was good against poison, hence drinking-cups were formed from it.
The topaz cured and prevented lunacy, increased riches, assuaged anger
and sorrow, and averted sudden death. Such was the faith placed in
stones until the end of the sixteenth century. Dr. Donne speaks of
“A compassionate turquoise, that doth tell,
By looking pale, the wearer is not well.”
But the most curious of all these superstitious beliefs attached itself
to the _crapaudine_, or toad-stone. It is most unattractive to sight, of
an opaque dirty-brown tint, and known to mineralogists as a variety of
trap-rock. It was believed to have most sovereign virtues against poison
if pounded and drank, and, like the turquoise, to give warning of its
presence by a change of colour, when simply worn in a ring. It was
believed to exist in the head of the toad. Fenton, writing in 1569,
says, “There is found in the heads of old and great toads a stone which
they call borax or stelon; it is most commonly found in the head of a
he-toad.” It was not easily attained, for the toad “envieth so much that
man should have that stone,” says old Lupton, in his “Thousand Notable
Things.” Hence came a true test for such stones, according to the same
credulous author, who thus enlightens us:--“To know whether the
toad-stone called _crapaudina_ be the right and perfect stone or not,
holde the stone before a toad so that he may see it, and if it be a
right and true stone, the toad will leap toward it, and make as though
he would snatch it from you.” It should be obtained, says a mediæval
author, while the toad is living, and this is to be done by simply
placing him upon a piece of scarlet cloth, “wherewithal they are much
delighted, so that while they stretch out themselves as it were in sport
upon that cloth, they cast out the stone of their head, but instantly
they sup it up again, unless it be taken from them through some secret
hole in the same cloth.”[117-*]
[Illustration: Fig. 138.]
[Illustration: Fig. 139.]
[Illustration: Fig. 140.]
Lupton, whom we have just quoted, tells us of “a rare good way to get
the stone out of the toad,” which has the advantage of greater
simplicity. It is to be done thus:--“Put a great or overgrown toad
(first bruised in divers places) into an earthen pot; put the same into
an ants’ hillocke, and cover the same with earth, which toad at length
the ants will eat, so that the bones of the toad and stone will be left
in the pot.” Boethius relates how he watched a whole night an old toad
he had laid on a red cloth to see him cast forth the stone, but the
tedious watch was not rewarded; the toad retained his jewel, and he had
nothing from thence to “gratify the great pangs of his whole night’s
restlessness.”
The Londesborough collection supplies us with two remarkable specimens
of rings connected with toad superstition. Fig. 138 is of mixed metal
gilt, having upon it the figure of a toad swallowing a serpent. There is
a mediæval story of a necromancer introducing himself to another
professor of magic by showing him a serpent ring, upon which the latter,
who did not desire any one to interfere with his practice, produced his
toad-stone ring, observing that the toad might swallow the serpent,
thereby intimating his power to overcome him. Fig. 139 is curious, not
only as containing the true toad-stone, but also that the stone is
embossed with the figure of a toad, according to the description of
Albertus Magnus, who describes the most valuable variety of this coveted
gem as having “the figure of the reptile imprinted upon it.”
The elder poets have, as usual with them, turned into a moralisation
this fabulous bit of natural history. Lyly, in his “Euphues,” observes,
“the foule toad hath a faire stone in his head.” Shakspere has
immortalised the superstition in the most effective and beautiful
manner, when he declares how
“Sweet are the uses of adversity,
Which, like the toad, ugly and venomous,
Yet wears a precious jewel in its head.”
Superstition did not confine its belief to a few charms; it ranged over
more than we can now record. In the Londesborough collection is the
massive thumb-ring delineated in Fig. 140, having the tooth of some
animal as its principal gem, fondly believed by its original owner to
have mystic power over his well-being. To “make assurance doubly sure,”
it is set all round with precious stones, all believed to have magical
virtues.
[Illustration: Fig. 141.]
[Illustration: Fig. 142.]
Superstition was not confined to the real world of animal life, but
ranged over the fabulous natural history which mixed largely with the
true, in all men’s minds, at this credulous era of the world’s history,
when persons put more faith in false charms for the cure of disease or
the prevention of evil, than in the power of medicine, or the value of
proper preventives. The horn of the unicorn, the claw of the griffin,
and other relics of equal verity and value, were sought eagerly by
those rich enough to procure them, and when obtained were believed to
ensure much good fortune to the possessor. A fear of the “evil
eye”--that bugbear which still disturbs the happiness of the lower class
Italians and of the Eastern nations generally--was carefully provided
against. One great preservative was the wearing of a ring with the
figure of a cockatrice upon it. This imaginary creature was supposed to
be produced from that rarest of all rare things, a cock’s egg, foolishly
believed to be laid on certain occasions under magic influence and
planetary agencies. Sir Thomas Browne, in his “Vulgar Errors,” describes
this imaginary creature “with legs, wings, a serpentine and winding
tail, and a crest or comb somewhat like a cock.” The Londesborough
collection supplies us with a thumb-ring (Fig. 141), having two
cockatrices cut in high relief upon an agate. The eye of the living
cockatrice was believed to be so deadly as to kill by a look, to which
Shakspere alludes in _Twelfth Night_, and again in _Romeo and Juliet_:--
“Say thou but _I_,
And that base vowel _I_ shall poison more
Than the death-darting eye of cockatrice.”
There was, however, a counteraction to the danger, for it was also
believed that if a person saw the creature before it saw him, then the
cockatrice died from the effect of the human eye. To this Dryden
alludes:--
“Mischiefs are like a cockatrice’s eye,
If they see first they kill, if seen they die.”
The figure of this bird merely gave security against the evil eye; it
had no other effect; and for this purpose various engraved stones were
used. Thus, Fig. 142, from the same collection, has set in its centre a
Gnostic gem with cabalistic figures, believed able to avert the dreadful
glance.
Such stones were, of course, “far sought, dear bought;” and rings
believed to possess such covetable power had a high money value. How
then were the poor, still more ignorant and superstitious, to be aided?
Craft came to the aid of faith: demand, as usual, produced supply, and
inscriptions took the place of costly jewels. Rings were fabricated in
silver and baser metals, having cabalistic words upon them, the names of
spirits or of saints. To meet the poorest ring-wearer they were even
cast in lead, and sold on the cheapest terms. They were believed to
prevent cramp and epilepsy. One in the Londesborough collection is
inscribed with the mystic word _Anamzapta_. In a manuscript of the
fourteenth century, in the library at Stockholm, we have this recipe
“for the falling sickness. Say the word _anamzaptus_ in his ear when he
is fallen doun in that evyll, and also in a woman’s ear _anamzapta_, and
they shall never more after feel that evyll.”
[Illustration: Fig. 143.]
In the Journal of the Archæological Institute, vol. iii., is an
engraving of a curious magical ring, copied in Fig. 143. It was found on
the coast of Glamorganshire, near to “the Worm’s Head,” the western
extremity of the county, where numerous objects have been found at
various times on the shifting of the sand, such as firearms, an
astrolabe, and silver dollars. This ring is of gold, much bent and
defaced, and inscribed with mystic words inside and outside the hoop.
Their talismanic character seems to be sufficiently proved by the
English medical manuscript preserved at Stockholm, already alluded to,
in which, among various cabalistic prescriptions, is one “for peynes in
theth.... Boro berto briore + vulnera quinque dei sint medicina mei +
Tahebal + Ghether + + + Othman.” The last word should probably be read
Guthman, and it is succeeded by five crosses, possibly in allusion to
the five wounds of the Saviour.
[Illustration: Fig. 144.]
[Illustration: Fig. 145.]
As a preventive of peril by travel and sudden death, the names of the
three Magi, or the “Kings of Cologne,” as they were more popularly
termed, were believed to be most efficacious. Their bodies travelled
first to Constantinople, thence to Milan, and lastly to Cologne, by
various removals. The faithful may still view the skulls of the Arabian
kings who visited the Saviour in the manger (if they can believe the old
legend), in the richly-jewelled reliquary, guarded so sacredly in the
Cathedral of Cologne. Their possession brought enormous revenues to the
building, and a heavy tax is still imposed on all who would see them. It
was once (and may be still) believed that anything which had touched
these skulls had a protective virtue. Their names acted as a charm, and
were inscribed on such articles of wearing apparel as girdles or
garters, of which many specimens exist in the curious collection of Mr.
C. Roach Smith, and were found at London in excavations or in the
Thames. Upon rings they are most common; two are here selected from the
Londesborough collection. Fig. 144 is a thick gold hoop, inscribed with
their names, Jasper, Melchior, Balthazar, and the abbreviated motto, “in
· god · is · a · r.,” which the late Mr. Crofton Croker, who compiled a
descriptive catalogue of these rings, thought might probably mean “in
God is a remedy.” Fig. 145 furnishes a good example of a fashion of
hoop-ring prevalent in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, flat
inside and angular outside. Each face is inscribed with the same
talismanic names. It is formed of cheap mixed metal, was found in
London, and presented to the collection by Mr. Roach Smith.
[Illustration: Fig. 146.]
[Illustration: Fig. 147.]
Inscriptions on rings became at this time very common, nor were they
confined to mystic or sacred words. Mottoes of love and gallantry were
frequent, as well as moral sentences, and those strictly heraldic. In
the curious inventory of the plate and jewels of the Duke of Anjou,
compiled about 1360, mention is made of a ring with a large square
emerald, surrounded by letters in black enamel. In “Archæologia,” vol.
xxxi., is a fine example of such an engraved ring. The representation is
copied in Fig. 146. It is a weighty ring of fine gold, and was found in
1823 at Thetford, in Suffolk. The device which appears upon this ring is
an eagle displayed; on the inner side is engraved a bird, with the wings
closed, apparently a falcon, with a crown upon its head. The following
poesy, or motto, commencing on the outer side, is continued on the
interior of the ring:--=deus me ouroge de bous senir a gree--com moun
couer desire=--“God work for me to make suit acceptably to you, as my
heart desires.” The devices appear to be heraldic, and the motto that of
a lover, or a suitor to one in power. The eagle is the bearing of
several ancient Suffolk families; it was also a badge of the House of
Lancaster, and Thetford was one portion of the Duchy of Lancaster.
These mottoes, or “reasons,” as they were sometimes termed, were
occasionally engraved in relief. Fig. 147 represents a specimen from the
Londesborough collection. It is of gold, and was found in the Thames.
The inscription upon it is--=sans bilinie=--“without baseness,”--a motto
that may have been adopted by some Bayard of the Middle Ages.
[Illustration: Fig. 148.]
[Illustration: Figs. 149 and 150.]
A very early ring, with an unusual pretty poesy, is in the collection of
J. Evans, Esq., F.S.A., and is engraved (Fig. 148). It is of gold, set
with a small sapphire, and is inscribed--IE. SVI ICI EN LI’V D’AMI--[“I
am here in place of a friend].” It was probably made at the beginning of
the fourteenth century. Fig. 149 is chased with the Nortons’ motto, “God
us ayde;” and Fig. 150 is inscribed withinside with the sentence,
“Mulier, viro subjecta esto.” Both are works of the fifteenth century.
In Bromsgrove Church, Staffordshire, are the fine monumental effigies of
Sir Humphrey Stafford and his wife (1450), remarkable alike for the rich
armour of the knight and the courtly costume of the lady. She wears a
profusion of rings, every finger, except the little finger of the right
hand, being furnished with one. They exhibit great variety of design,
and are valuable as exponents of the fashion of that day. We engrave in
Fig. 151 the hands of the lady, as uplifted in prayer, with four of the
rings, the full size of the originals.
[Illustration: Fig. 151.]
Recurring to the ancient people whose sacred records gave us the
earliest knowledge of the use of rings, we may profitably devote some
attention to the very beautiful rings, formerly used by the Hebrews for
betrothals and weddings. The Londesborough collection furnishes us with
the two fine examples engraved in Figs. 152 and 153. They are often
termed “tower rings,” from the figure of the sacred temple placed on
their summit. In the first specimen it takes the form of a sexagonal
building, with a domed roof of an Eastern character; in the second it is
square, with a deeply pitched roof, having movable vanes at the angles,
and is probably the work of some German goldsmith. Upon the roof of the
first is inscribed in enamelled letters the best wish--“joy be with
you”--that a newly-married couple would command. The same words are
inscribed in more richly-designed letters on the curve of the second
ring. Both are of gold, richly chased, enamelled, and enriched by
filigree work, and are sufficiently stately for the most imposing
ceremonial.
[Illustration: Fig. 152.]
[Illustration: Fig. 153.]
A third Hebrew ring of less striking appearance, but of equal or greater
curiosity, is also engraved from the same rich collection, in Fig. 154.
It bears on its surface a representation (in high relief) of the
temptation of our first parents, who are surrounded by various animals,
real and imaginary, their joint residents in Paradise. The workmanship
of all these rings has been dated to the commencement of the sixteenth
century.
[Illustration: Fig. 154.]
We close our series with a wedding-ring, commemorative of a marriage
which excited the marked attention of the entire Christian community, as
a vigorous protest against monkery by that “solitary monk that moved the
world”--Martin Luther. Renouncing the faith of Rome, he revoked his vow
of celibacy, and completed his total severance from its creed by
marrying a lady who had been once a nun, named Catharine Boren. The
ring, here engraved, is that used on the occasion. It is of elaborate
design and execution; a group of emblems of the Saviour’s Passion, the
pillar, the scourge, the spear, and various other objects, combine with
a representation of the Crucifixion, a small ruby being set in the
centre of the ring above the head of the Saviour. We engrave this most
interesting object of personal decoration as it appears to the eye, and
also the full design _in plano_; beneath it are the names and date
inscribed on the inside of the ring.
[Illustration: Fig. 155.]