Precious Stones regarded as Objects of uncommon
Virtue--Extravagance in Jewellery accounted
for--Significance in relation to Gems--Abraham's
Precious Stones--Altars called Living Stones--The Urim
and Thummim--Rod of Moses--Charmed Rings--Sacred Rings
and Belts--Sacred Cairns, etc.--Destiny and Fate--The
Month of one's Nativity has connection with one or
other of the Precious Stones--Examples adduced--Kings
of England hallowing Rings--Ring preserved in
Westminster Abbey--Cramp Rings--Various Stones of
great Virtue--Iona Relics--The Green Stone of Arran--A
Crystal kept by ancient Priests as a Charm--A
Conjuring Beryl--Prophetic Stones--The Coronation
Stone or Stone of Destiny.
From an early period of history man has regarded precious stones as
objects of uncommon virtue. A belief in their excellence has prevailed
among Pagans, Jews, and Christians down to the present period.
Extravagance in jewellery originated not so much from a love of finery
as from a belief that jewels possessed efficacy or power peculiar to
themselves. When we consider that every gem is supposed to be an
amulet, we cannot be surprised at hearing of people in distant lands
wearing jewels on their fingers and toes, on their ankles and arms, in
their noses and ears, and even in their lips; nor can we be astonished
at seeing in modern times the weaker sex loaded with rings, bracelets,
pendants and other such articles, studded with precious stones.
As a language of flowers is known among botanists, so there is a
significance in relation to gems, understood by the credulous. Every
stone has its virtue, at least so we are told, as surely as every
light and shadow produces its own effects. Important events connected
with the lives of great men and memorable circumstances desired to be
kept in remembrance, help to lend importance to sparkling gems and
less ornamental stones. This will be better understood as we proceed.
Descendants of Abraham believed, as will be found under "Rise and
Progress of Superstition," that their great ancestor wore, suspended
from his neck, a precious stone the sight of which cured every
disease. An interesting legend is also given there concerning Abraham
and the stones marching, ready hewn, to find a place in the Kaaba he
was about to build; of the black stone left out, which afterwards
became so famous; and of the stone to which Abraham tied the beast he
rode on when going to sacrifice his son. In that part of our work it
will also be ascertained that altars were called living stones, from a
belief that a portion of divine spirit resided in them.
Josephus and others maintain that the precious stones of Aaron's
breast-plate were the Urim and Thummim, and that they discovered or
predicted the issue of events to those who consulted them; and the
Rabbins held that the rod of Moses consisted partly of sapphire. At
page 27 it will be seen that the Greeks wore charmed rings, and at
pages 7 and 58 we have stated that priests sold charms to credulous
persons. At page 280 we have noticed the custom of negro children
being provided with sacred rings and belts, to protect them from evil
spirits. Again, when treating of magic and astrology, we pointed out
that magicians supplied people with precious stones, supposed to be of
immense value as amulets.
From time immemorial an opinion has obtained that there are sacred
edifices, piles, cairns, and separate stones, which possess peculiar
virtue. Not a few instances of these have been adduced in preceding
pages; but a few more examples, we venture to say, will not be
considered void of interest, more particularly if they can be
connected with the destiny of man.
Every individual is supposed to be born under a particular destiny or
fate (as has been over and over again stated in these pages), which it
is impossible to avoid. The month of his nativity has a mysterious
connection with one or other of the precious stones. This was so well
understood by the ancients, that when one wished to make the object of
his affections an acceptable present, a ring was given, set with the
jewel by which the fate of the receiver was determined and described.
For instance, we are informed by an old author, that the ring of a
woman born in January should have a jacinth or garnet in it, for these
stones belong to that month, and express constancy and fidelity. A
list of the months and stones therewith connected, and their
respective significance, is as follows:--
JANUARY--Jacinth, or Garnet--Constancy and fidelity in
every engagement.
FEBRUARY--Amethyst--This month and stone preserve
mortals from strong passions, and ensure them peace of
mind.
MARCH--Bloodstone--Courage, and success in dangers and
hazardous enterprises.
APRIL--Sapphire or Diamond--Repentance and innocence.
MAY--Emerald--Success in love.
JUNE--Agate--Long life and health.
JULY--Cornelian or Ruby--The forgetfulness or the cure
of evils springing from friendship or love.
AUGUST--Sardonyx--Conjugal fidelity.
SEPTEMBER--Chrysolite--Preserves from or cures folly.
OCTOBER--Aquamarine or Opal--Misfortune and hope.
NOVEMBER--Topaz--Fidelity in friendship.
DECEMBER--Torquoise or Malachite--The most brilliant
success and happiness in every circumstance of life.
The torquoise has also the property of securing
friendly regards, as is verified by the old saying,
"He who possesses a torquoise will always be sure of
friends."
Anciently, the kings of England, on Good Friday, hallowed, with great
ceremony, certain rings the wearing of which was believed to prevent
the falling sickness. The custom originated from a ring, long
preserved in Westminster Abbey, which is reported to have been brought
to King Edward by persons from Jerusalem. The rings consecrated by the
sovereigns were called "cramp rings." Andrew Boorde, speaking of the
cramp, says, "The King's Majesty hath great help in this matter in
hallowing 'cramp rings' without money or petition."
Writing of Fladda Chuan, Martin writes: "There is a chapel in the
isle, dedicated to St. Columbus. It has an altar in the east end, and
therein a blue stone of a round form on it, which is always moist. It
is an ordinary custom, when any of the fishermen are detained in this
isle by contrary winds, to wash the blue stone with water, all round,
expecting thereby to procure a favourable wind. And so great is their
regard for this stone that people swear decisive oaths upon it."
Martin also says it was an ancient custom among the islanders to hang
a he-goat's skin to the boat's mast, in the hope of securing a
favourable wind.
There was a stone in Iona, over which, if a man stretched his arm
three times, he would never err in steering a vessel. In the island of
Bernera there was a stone in the form of a cross, near St. Mary's
Church, about five feet high, which the natives called the water
cross. The old inhabitants were in the practice of erecting it when
they wished rain, and of laying it flat on the ground when they
desired dry weather. Martin further mentions a green stone, about the
size of goose's egg, in the island of Arran, which possessed rare
virtue, and was consequently handed down to posterity for many ages.
By laying it on the side of a person troubled with pains in that part
of his body, the patient immediately recovered, unless doomed to die.
If the latter event were to happen, the stone removed of its own
accord from the side; but if the patient was to recover, it rested
where placed until the cure became complete. Disputed cases between
the islanders were settled by oath at this stone. It possessed another
virtue--causing powerful enemies to run away when it was thrown at
their front. The custody of this valuable relic long remained a
privilege of the Chattans.
In the Highlands of Scotland a large oval crystal--probably a
Cairngorm stone--was kept by the ancient priests by which to work
charms. Water poured upon it was given to the cattle, to preserve them
from disease. Such charms were common in Scotland, England, and
Ireland. Lilly describes a conjuring beryl or crystal. It was, he
tells us, as large as an orange, and set in silver with a cross at the
top, and round about it were engraved the names of the angels Raphael,
Gabriel, and Uriel. A delineation of another charm is engraved in the
frontispiece to Aubrey's _Miscellanies_. A mode of making inquiry by
charms is imputed to Dr. Dee, the celebrated mathematician. The stone
used by him came into the possession of Horace Walpole, and was long,
if not now, in the Strawberry Hill collection. Sorcerers or magicians,
says Grose, did not always employ their art to do mischief, but, on
the contrary, frequently exerted it to cure diseases inflicted by
witches, to discover thieves, recover stolen goods, to foretell future
events, and the state of absent friends. A favourite method of
consultation was this: The conjuror having repeated the necessary
adjuration, and applied the proper charms, with the litany or
invocation peculiar to the spirits or angels whose assistance was to
be asked, the seer looked into a crystal or beryl, wherein he saw, or
pretended he saw, the answers to his interrogatories, represented
either by types or figures. Sometimes the spirits or angels answered
audibly.
This part of our subject would be incomplete without reference to the
Coronation Stone, the history of which is as interesting as it is
curious. We have made mention of a stone or stones, under various
names--Jacob's Pillow, Lia-Fail, Stone of Destiny, Marble Chair,
Coronation Stone, etc. Writers on archaeological subjects are not
agreed as to whether all these are or are not different names for one
and the same relic. On the whole, we are inclined to think that there
was but one coronation stone, but we leave that point to be definitely
settled by others. From the information before us, we assume there was
but one stone, and therefore proceed on this assumption, which is
supported by tradition.
The Stone of Destiny, we are told, formed Jacob's pillow on the plain
of Luz, and consequently was regarded as a sacred relic by the Jews.
It was carried to Egypt, thence to Spain, and from the latter country
it was conveyed by Simon Breck to Ireland, where it became known as
the "Lia-Fail" or "Stone of Destiny" of the Irish kings. Ireland is
often, from this stone, called by the priests Innis-phail. The ancient
Irish supposed that, in whatsoever country this stone remained, there
one of their blood would reign. They pretended to have authentic
memoirs of the stone for a period extending backwards more than two
thousand years. In the practical tales of Ossian we find:
"Though the sun glitters upon the heath, I will not
behold her golden rays; though the stag should start
by me, Ossian will chase him no more. Although Manus
should cross the ocean again to invade Albin, my sword
is not victorious in the slaughter, and my fame is not
celebrated by the bards. I am not invited to a feast.
My kiss is scorned by the virgin. My esteem is not
equal to a king's son; one day is like a year to me.
"It was the reverse in Innis-phail, also in Selma, the
mansions of my mighty father: Ossian was honoured
above the rest: behold the uncertainty of everything
under the sun."
After the enchanted stone--for it was regarded as such--had long been
kept at Tarah, it was sent to Fergus, the first actual king of Scots;
and it remained in Argyle (the original seat of the Scots in Britain)
until about the year 842. Three hundred and thirty years before the
Christian era, Fergus was crowned and seated on the famous chair.
Kenneth, the second son of Alpin, having enlarged his dominions by the
conquest of the Picts, transferred the stone to Scone. As the supreme
kings of Ireland and the kings of the Scots used to be inaugurated by
being seated on the ancient chair before it was carried to Scone, so
were the kings at Perth installed into regal office down to the time
that Edward I. carried to England the sacred relic, highly prized by
every Scotchman. As soon as the news of the loss spread, great concern
was manifested. The death of a beloved monarch, or the loss of many
battles, where brave sons and fathers had fallen, would have been as
nothing compared with the national loss sustained. In fact, many in
the highest circles conceived that the glory of the kingdom had
departed.
It appears from a document found among the records of England, that
King Edward treated the relic with great veneration. With the
intention of using it for the same purposes in England as it had been
used for in Scotland and Ireland, he proposed to make it a part of a
throne or royal seat, and ordered his goldsmith to prepare a copper
case for it. He changed his mind, and gave instructions for a wooden
chair being made, and the stone inserted in the seat. Such was the
estimation in which he held the stone, that he placed it in the most
sacred place in England--close to the altar and shrine of St. Edward.
There are reasons for concluding that Edward had intended to return
the stone to Scotland, and had made arrangements to that effect in a
treaty; but the citizens of London, who were anxious to retain the
stone in England, remonstrated against its being restored to the legal
owners, and the king complied with their wishes. This famous "Stone of
Destiny," long sacred in Ireland, and on which the kings of Scotland
were crowned for more than a thousand years, now forms part of the
coronation chair of the kings and queens of England.
When the supreme kings of Ireland were inaugurated, in the times of
heathenism, on the hill of Tarah, the stone, which was enclosed in a
wooden chair, was supposed to emit a sound under the rightful heir to
the throne, but to be mute under a man seeking power under false
pretences. On Aidanus being elected by universal acclamation, and
solemnly seated in the same chair, he was crowned by St. Columba, who
with his right hand placed the diadem on the king's head, while in his
left he held a trumpet or wooden tube, to announce to the assembled
throng the completion of the joyful event. This tube was long
preserved with great care at Dunkeld. Some suppose that the fatality
long assigned to the stone was fully believed in by Kenneth, by whose
orders the following couplet was carved on the chair:--
"Where'er this marble's placed, there, sure as fate,
Shall be the Scottish monarch's regal seat."
Wintoun tells us that Fergus, the son of Ere,
"Braucht this stane wytht-in Scotland
Fyrst quhen he came and wane that land,
And fyrst it set in Ikkolmkil,
And Skune thare-eftir it was braucht tyle;
And there it wes syne mony day,
Qhyll Edward gert have it away."
Without endorsing the opinion that Scotland and Ireland have lost
their wonted power, or suffered decline through the "Prophetic or
Fatal Stone" being carried away, it is an indisputable fact that in
neither of these countries is there, strictly speaking, a "monarch's
regal seat." The "Enchanted Stone"--the "palladium of Scottish
liberty"--is certainly, as the English well know, one of the most
ancient and valuable relics in Westminster Abbey.
TRIALS BY ORDEAL.