Mên Scryfa (or ''Mên Scrifa'', literally "stone with writing") is an inscribed standing stone in

Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

(). The inscription, dating to the

early medieval The Early Middle Ages (or early medieval period), sometimes controversially referred to as the Dark Ages, is typically regarded by historians as lasting from the late 5th or early 6th century to the 10th century. They marked the start of the Mi ...

period, commemorates "Rialobranus son of Cunovalus."

Location

Mên Scryfa stands near the

Madron Madron ( kw, Eglos Madern) is a civil parish and village in west Cornwall, Great Britain. Madron is named after Saint Madern's Church. Its annual Trafalgar Service commemorating the death of Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson was started on 27 Oct ...

Morvah Morvah is a civil parish and village on the Penwith peninsula in west Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. Geography The village is centred approximately eight miles (13 km) west-southwest of St Ives and north-west of Penzance.Ordnance S ...

road in

. It stands in the middle of a field.Bernard Deacon, (2010), ''Exploring Cornwall's Past'', page 56. The prehistoric

Mên-an-Tol The Mên-an-Tol ( Cornish: ''Men an Toll'') is a small formation of standing stones in Cornwall, UK (). It is about three miles northwest of Madron. It is also known locally as the "Crick Stone". Location The Mên-an-Tol stands near the Madron ...

standing stones lie about 300 metres to the south.

Description

The stone is 1.7 metres high and roughly rectangular in section, with sides of 0.4 metres by 0.5 metres.MEN SCRYFA
Pastscape, retrieved 9 November 2013 The inscription is on the northern face, although the bottom of the inscription is buried in the ground. At one time two plain crosses were said to be viewable at the upper end of the stone. The horizontal axis of the lower cross, is clearly visible but the vertical stroke is very indistinct. The smaller cross above this can no longer be distinguished.

The inscription

The inscription, in debased Roman capitals, reads "Rialobrani Cunovali fili", which translates as "Rialobranus son of Cunovalus." Rialobran is not known elsewhere, but he may have been a Cornish petty king or tribal leader. ''Rialobran'' (or ''Ryalvran'') may be Cornish for "royal raven", whereas ''Cunovallos'' may be

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

for "famous leader" (being cognate to the second element in the surname McConnell), thus the inscription would read "royal raven son of famous leader". Antiquarians, at one time, used to identify Cunovalus with the pre-Roman British king

Cunobeline Cunobeline (or Cunobelin, from Latin , derived from Common Brittonic ''*Cunobelinos'' "Strong as a Dog", "Strong Dog") was a king in pre-Roman Britain from about AD 9 until about AD 40.Malcolm Todd (2004)"Cunobelinus_[Cymbeline/nowiki>_(d._''c'' ...

Dating

The inscription has been dated on stylistic grounds to the 5th to 8th century AD. It is thought, however, that the stone itself could be a prehistoric standing stone.

History

The antiquarian William Borlase described the stone in 1769: at that time it was lying prostrate on the ground. It was erected in 1825 only to be toppled again in 1849 by treasure hunters. It was lying face down when

John Thomas Blight : ''For the Australian poet, see John Blight.'' John Thomas Blight FSA (27 October 1835 – 23 January 1911) was a Cornish archaeological artist born near Redruth in Cornwall, England, UK. His father, Robert, a teacher, moved the family to ...

described it in 1861.John Thomas Blight, (1861), ''A Week at the Land's End'', pages 19–21 It was however re-erected in its current position around 1862, the last word of the inscription being buried.

In folklore

A popular tradition stated that a battle was fought nearby, and that Riolbranus was slain and buried at the spot. It was further claimed that the length of the stone (about 9 feet) was the exact height of the warrior.

Possible identification

The genealogist

Peter Bartrum Peter Clement Bartrum (1907 in Hampstead, London, England — 14 August 2008) was a researcher and genealogist who, from the 1930s onwards, specialised in the genealogy of the Welsh nobility of the Middle Ages. Educated at Queen's College, Oxfor ...

records two men with a connection to the area who bear the name "Cynwal", the Brittonic rendering of "Cunovalus": both occur within the same genealogy; one being Cynwal Garnwch, son of Amlawdd Wledig; the other being Amlawdd's father, Cynwal son of Ffrwdwr. As such, Rialobrani (modernised as Rialfran or Rialbran) could either be a cousin to King Arthur as son of Cynwal Garnwch, or his great uncle as son of Cynwal son of Ffrwdwr.

References

External links

https://www.library.wales/discover/digital-gallery/printed-material/a-welsh-classical-dictionary/ {{DEFAULTSORT:Men Scryfa Megalithic monuments in England Monuments and memorials in Cornwall Penwith Sub-Roman Britain Tourist attractions in Cornwall