[Illustration: Initial: "The Round Towers"]
Among the ruins spread everywhere over the island, relics of prehistoric
Ireland are common, but wonderful as are many of these monumental remains
of a people as mysterious as their own structures, none are more
remarkable than the round towers, found in almost every locality of note
either for its history or antiquities. The number of these towers was
formerly very great, but from the ravages of time, the convenience of the
structures as quarries of ready hewn stone, and intentional destruction by
intolerant or thoughtless persons, they have gradually disappeared, until,
at present, only eighty-three remain, of which seventeen are nearly
perfect, the remainder being in a more or less advanced stage of
dilapidation.
The round towers vary in height, those remaining perfect or nearly so
being from seventy to two hundred feet, and from eighty to thirty feet in
diameter at the base. The entrance is twelve to eighteen feet from the
ground, the tower being divided into stories about ten feet high, each
story lighted by a single window, the highest compartment having
invariably four lancet windows opening to the cardinal points of the
compass. The roof is conical, made of overlapping stone slabs, and a
circle of grotesquely carved heads and zigzag ornamentation is found
beneath the projecting cornice. The masonry is of hewn stone, but not the
least regularity is observable in the size or shape of the blocks, some
being very large, others small, and every figure known to the geometrician
can be found in the stones of a single tower.
All towers still standing occupy sites noted as historical, and evidence,
sufficient to warrant the belief, can be adduced to show that almost every
historic spot on Irish soil once boasted one or more of these interesting
structures. The existing towers are generally found close by the ruins of
churches, abbeys, or other ecclesiastical buildings, and the effect on the
landscape of the masses of ruins, surmounted by a single tall shaft, is
often picturesque in the extreme. The proximity of the tower to the church
is so common as to lead writers on Irish antiquities to conjecture that
the former was constructed by the monks who built the church; those
advocating the Christian origin of the round tower taking the ground that
it was built, either as a place of safe-keeping for valuable property, as
a belfry for the church, or for the purpose of providing cells for
hermits.
No one of these suppositions is tenable. In the troublous times of
Ireland, and, unhappily, it has had scarcely any other kind, the
monasteries and ecclesiastical buildings of every description were
generally spared, even by the most ruthless marauders; and, had this not
been the case, those possessing sufficient valuable property to attract
the cupidity of the lawless were far more likely to provide an
inconspicuous hiding place for their wealth than to advertise its
possession by erecting a tower which, from every direction, was invariably
the most conspicuous feature of the landscape. That the towers were not
intended for belfries is evident from the fact that, in nearly every case,
the churches close by are provided with bell-towers forming a part of the
sacred edifice, which would not be the case if the round towers had been
designed for the purpose of supporting bells. That they were not built for
hermit-cells is apparent from the fact that hermit-caves and cells are
abundant in Ireland, and, almost without exception, in secluded spots. No
doubt, from time to time, some of the round towers were adapted to each of
these uses, but, in every case, convenience was the motive, the monks and
church-builders altering the existing structure to meet a pressing
necessity. In fact, there is excellent reason for believing that the round
towers were not built by the monks at all, the monastic writers being very
fond of recording, with great particularity, what they built and how they
built it, and in no passage do they mention the construction of a round
tower. Whenever allusion is made to these structures, their existence is
taken for granted, and several church historians who mention the erection
of churches at the foot of a round tower demonstrate that this peculiar
edifice antedates the introduction of Christianity into Ireland.
The round towers are indisputably of pagan origin, and of antiquity so
great as to precede written history. There is no doubt that the early
Irish were sun and fire worshippers, and many excellent reasons may be
given for the belief that the round towers were built by the Druids for
purposes of religion.
Every tower has an extensive view to the East, so as to command an early
sight of the rising sun, the dawn being the favorite hour for celebrating
sun-worship. Every tower contains, at its base, so extraordinary a
quantity of ashes and embers as to compel the conviction that, in each, a
sacred or perpetual fire was kept burning. In every locality where a round
tower stands, there linger among the peasantry traditions pointing to a
use sacred but not Christian. Perhaps the most significant indication of
their former character as places sacred to sun and fire-worship is found
in the names by which, to the present day, they are known among the common
people. The generic Irish name for the round tower is Colcagh, fire-God;
but the proper names designating particular towers are still more
characteristic. Turaghan, the Tower of Fire; Aidhne, the Circle of Fire;
Aghadoe, the Field of Fire; Teghadoe, the Fire House; Arddoe, the Height
of Fire; Kennegh, the Chief Fire; Lusk, the Flame; Fertagh, the Burial
Fire Tower; Fertagh na Guara, the Burial Fire Tower of the Fire
Worshippers; Gall-Ti-mor, the Flame of the Great Circle; Gall-Baal, the
Flame of the Community; Baal-Tinne, the Fire of the Community, and many
similar names, retain the memory and worship of the Druids when written
records are silent or wanting.
In addition to the significance contained in the names of the towers, the
hills, mountains, or islands on which they are situated have, very
frequently, designations conveying an allusion, either to the circle, a
favorite and sacred figure in Druidical holy places, or to the sun or fire
worship. Another curious circumstance, still further identifying the round
tower with the rites of sun worship, is found in the fact that wherever
this form of religion has prevailed, it has been accompanied by well or
spring worship, and, generally, by the veneration of the ox as a sacred
animal. Most of the Irish round towers have near them springs or wells
still regarded as holy, and concerning which many tales of miraculous
cures are told, while in not a few instances there yet linger in the same
neighborhoods legends of sacred cows, usually the property of some famous
local saint or hero.
The round towers of Ireland are, in fact, a portion of a vast system of
towers of identical construction, and by following the geographical course
of these structures, the march of fire worship from the East may be
determined with some accuracy. Pass from Ireland to Brittany, and there,
in the mountainous or hilly districts, several towers are found exactly
like those of Ireland. In the north of Spain several remain; in Portugal,
one; in the south of Spain they are numerous. Opposite the Spanish coast,
in the north of Africa, there are also many, being found in various places
in Morocco, Algeria, Tunis, and Tripoli. In Sardinia, several hundred are
still standing; and written testimony to the purpose for which they were
erected is abundant among the Sardinian records. In Minorca, among many
others, is the famous Tower of Allaior. The mountain districts of south
Italy have numbers of them, and they are also found on several hills in
Sicily. Malta has the Giant's Tower, in every particular of appearance and
construction identical with the Tower of Cashel in Ireland. Cyprus has
them, and they still remain in Candia and on the coast of Asia Minor. In
Palestine none have yet been found, or at least have not been recorded by
travellers or surveyors; a fact that may, perhaps, be fully accounted for
by the zeal of the Hebrews in destroying every vestige of Canaanitish
idolatry; but, with some probability, it is conjectured that the "high
places" broken down may have been towers of the sun, for the Canaanites
were fire worshippers, and the name Baal is found alike in Palestine and
Ireland.
In Syria, north of Palestine, they begin again; are found in Armenia, and
in the Caucasus, so numerously as to crown almost every hill-top. East of
the Caspian Sea they abound, and towards the centre of Asia as far as
records of exploration and travel present reliable accounts of the
country. Returning to the shores of the Mediterranean, their existence on
the northern coast of Africa has been mentioned. In Arabia and on the
Egyptian shore of the Red Sea, they stand in considerable numbers, are
found in Persia, Afghanistan, Beloochistan, India, Ceylon, and Sumatra, in
some places being still used, it is said, for fire worship.
Throughout this vast extent of territory there is no material difference
in the shape, appearance, or construction of the round tower. In Sumatra
and Java, as in Ireland, the door is elevated, the building divided into
stories; the walls are constructed of many sided hewn stones, the upper
story is lighted by four windows looking to the cardinal points, the
cornice has the same kind of zigzag ornamentation, and the roof is
constructed in the same manner, of overlapping stones. Even the names are
nearly the same, for in India and Ireland these buildings are Fire-Towers,
Fire-Circles, or Sun-Houses.
Another bit of circumstantial evidence going to prove that the round
towers of Ireland were erected by a people having the same religion and
similar religious observances as the natives of India is seen in the
legends concerning the Indian towers. In India, the local traditions tell
how each of these towers was built in one night by some notable character
who was afterwards buried in it. In Ireland, the same legend is found; to
the present day, the peasants of the neighborhood telling with gusto the
story of the tower being first seen in the early morning, rising toward
the sky on a spot where, the evening before, no preparations for building
had been visible.
The Tower Tulloherin, for instance, was built in one night by a monk who
came to the neighborhood as a missionary. Finding the people inhospitable,
and unable to obtain lodging for the night, he determined to remain,
believing there could not be found in Ireland a locality more in need of
missionary work. So, on the evening of his arrival, he began to build, and
by morning the tower was finished, and he took up his abode in it,
preaching from its entrance to the crowds attracted by the fame of the
miracle. The story of the Tower of Aghagower is similar, save in one
particular, the saint in this case being aided by angels. Kilmackduagh was
built in one night by angels without human assistance, the work being done
at the solicitation of a saint who watched and prayed while the angels
toiled.
Ballygaddy has a history somewhat less miraculous, the local peasant
historian attributing its origin to a "giont" of the neighborhood. Having
received a belligerent message from another "giont," he took a stand on
Ballygaddy hill to watch for the coming of his antagonist, proposing, as
the humble chronicler stated, "to bate the head aff the braggin' vagabone
if he said as much as Boo." For seven days and nights he stood upon the
hill, and at the end of that time, as may readily be believed, "his legs
wor that tired he thought they'd dhrop aff him." To relieve those valuable
members he put up the tower as a support to lean on. The bellicose
gigantic party who proposed the encounter finally came to time, and lovers
of antiquities will be glad to learn that the tower-building giant "didn't
lave a whole bone in the blaggard's ugly carkidge." After the battle, the
victor "shtarted for to kick the tower down," but, upon second thought,
concluded to put the roof on it and "lave it for a wondher to thim little
mortials that come afther him," for which consideration all honor to his
memory.
The Tower Ardpatrick was, according to tradition, built under the auspices
of Ireland's great saint, while the high tower on the Rock of Cashel is
attributed, by the same authority, to Cormac Macarthy, king and archbishop
of Cashel, who, being once engaged in hostilities with a neighboring
potentate, needed a watch-tower, so summoned all his people, built the
tower in one night, and, at sunrise, was able by its help to ascertain the
location of the opposing army and so give it an overwhelming defeat. The
Glendalough Tower was built by a demon at the command of Saint Kevin. This
saint had conspicuously routed Satan on a previous occasion; so the
arch-fiend and all the well-informed of his subjects kept at a safe
distance from Glendalough, not caring to take any risks with so doughty a
spiritual champion as Saint Kevin had proved himself to be in more than
one encounter.
"But there was wan snakin' vagabone av a divil that come from furrin parts
an' hadn't heard the news about the saint, and the blessed saint caught
him wan avenin' an' set him to work to build that tower. So the black
rogue wint at it as hard as he knew how, an' was workin' away wid all the
hands he had, as busy as a barmaid at a fair, thinkin' that afore sunrise
he'd have it so high it 'ud fall down be itself an' do the blessed saint
not a ha'porth av good. But afther batin' owld Satan himself, Saint Kevin
wasn't to be deludhered be wan av his undershtrappers, an' was watchin'
wid his two eyes every minnit o' the time, so whin the divil had the tower
high enough, he threw his bishop's cap at it, an' it become shtone an'
made the roof, so the omadhawn divil was baten at his own game."
[Illustration: "Crackin' their Haythen Shkulls"]
The round tower is not without a touch of romance, one of the most notable
structures, Monaster-Boice, having been built by a woman under peculiar
circumstances. According to the legend, she was young, beautiful, and
good, but though she ought to have been happy also, she was not, being
persecuted by the attentions of a suitor chieftain, whose reputation must
have been far from irreproachable, since he was characterized by the
narrator of the story either as an "outprobrious ruffin," or "a
sootherin', deludherin', murtherin' villin." Loving another chief who was
a "gintleman entirely," and determined to escape from the obnoxious
attentions of the "ruffin" already mentioned, the lady, having learned
that her disagreeable suitor had resolved to carry her off, employed two
men to aid her the night before the proposed abduction, and, before
morning, built the tower and took up her abode in the topmost chamber. In
due season the chieftain came "wid a gang av thaves," but, disappointed in
his "endayvor fur to stale away her varchew," besieged the tower. Having
taken the precaution to provide a good supply of heavy stones, the lady
pelted her persecutors vigorously, "crackin' their haythen shkulls the
same as they wor egg-shells." Her heroism was rewarded by her deliverance,
for her lover, hearing of her desperate situation, came to her relief and
attacked the besiegers, so that "wid the lady flingin' shtones at the
front o' them, an' the other fellys beltin' 'em behind, they got
disconsarted as not knowin' phat to do next, an' so they up's an' runs
like as tin thousand divils wor parshooin' afther thim. So she was saved
an' brought down, an' was married to the boy av her heart the next Sunday,
Glory be to God, an' that's the way the tower come to be built, an' shows
that thim that thries to marry a lady agin her will always comes to grief,
fur av she cant bate thim wid her tongue she can some other way, fur a
woman can always get phat she's afther, an' bad luck to the lie that's in
that."