Cross of Cong
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The ''Cross of Cong'' ( ga, Cros Chonga, "the yellow
baculum The baculum (also penis bone, penile bone, or ''os penis'', ''os genitale'' or ''os priapi'') is a bone found in the penis of many placental mammals. It is absent from the human penis, but present in the penises of some primates, such as the ...
") is an early 12th-century Irish Christian ornamented cusped
processional cross A processional cross is a crucifix or cross which is carried in Christian processions. Such crosses have a long history: the Gregorian mission of Saint Augustine of Canterbury to England carried one before them "like a standard", according to ...
, which was, as an inscription says, made for Tairrdelbach Ua Conchobair (d. 1156), King of Connacht and
High King of Ireland High King of Ireland ( ga, Ardrí na hÉireann ) was a royal title in Gaelic Ireland held by those who had, or who are claimed to have had, lordship over all of Ireland. The title was held by historical kings and later sometimes assigned ana ...
to donate to the Cathedral church of the period that was located at Tuam, County Galway, Ireland. The cross was subsequently moved to Cong Abbey at Cong, County Mayo, from which it takes its name. It was designed to be placed on top of a staff and is also a
reliquary A reliquary (also referred to as a ''shrine'', by the French term ''châsse'', and historically including ''wikt:phylactery, phylacteries'') is a container for relics. A portable reliquary may be called a ''fereter'', and a chapel in which it i ...
, designed to hold a purported piece of the
True Cross The True Cross is the cross upon which Jesus was said to have been crucified, particularly as an object of religious veneration. There are no early accounts that the apostles or early Christians preserved the physical cross themselves, althoug ...
. This gave it additional importance as an object of reverence and was undoubtedly the reason for the object's elaborate beauty. The cross is displayed at the
National Museum of Ireland The National Museum of Ireland ( ga, Ard-Mhúsaem na hÉireann) is Ireland's leading museum institution, with a strong emphasis on national and some international archaeology, Irish history, Irish art, culture, and natural history. It has thre ...
, Dublin, having previously been in the Museum of the
Royal Irish Academy The Royal Irish Academy (RIA; ga, Acadamh Ríoga na hÉireann), based in Dublin, is an academic body that promotes study in the sciences, humanities and social sciences. It is Ireland's premier List of Irish learned societies, learned socie ...
, Dublin. It is considered one of finest examples of metalwork and decorative art of its period in Western Europe.


Description

The Cross of Cong consists of an oak cross, covered in gold, silver, niello, copper,
bronze Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals, such as phosphorus, or metalloids such ...
,
brass Brass is an alloy of copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn), in proportions which can be varied to achieve different mechanical, electrical, and chemical properties. It is a substitutional alloy: atoms of the two constituents may replace each other with ...
, enamel, coloured glass, and other ornamentation. In addition to traditional Irish design features from
Insular art Insular art, also known as Hiberno-Saxon art, was produced in the post-Roman era of Great Britain and Ireland. The term derives from ''insula'', the Latin term for "island"; in this period Britain and Ireland shared a largely common style dif ...
, the cross also displays some
Viking Vikings ; non, víkingr is the modern name given to seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded and se ...
and Romanesque influences, including ' strapwork' decoration in the
Urnes style Viking art, also known commonly as Norse art, is a term widely accepted for the art of Scandinavian Norsemen and Viking settlements further afield—particularly in the British Isles and Iceland—during the Viking Age of the 8th-11th centuries ...
. It has been suggested that the older Insular stylistic elements may be deliberate revivalism. The decoration includes minute golden
filigree Filigree (also less commonly spelled ''filagree'', and formerly written ''filigrann'' or ''filigrene'') is a form of intricate metalwork used in jewellery and other small forms of metalwork. In jewellery, it is usually of gold and silver, ma ...
work in an intertwined pattern called on front and back. From the base heads of beasts on each side grip the cross in their mouth, a feature also found in German crosses. The overall shape of the cross was thought to be Romanesque, but recent discoveries have shown very similar shapes in much earlier Irish pieces. Some of the original precious stones and glass pieces that studded the cross are now missing. There is a large polished piece of rock crystal in the centre of the cross. Under this was placed the relic (sent from Rome around the year A.D. 1123) of what at the time was believed to be the True Cross. The relic is since lost, and was a small fragment of wood only. The crystal is semi-transparent, once enabling the relic to be partially seen by the viewer. The cross is high and the arms are in breadth. As a processional cross, the cross was carried mounted on its staff at the head of a religious procession by one of the officiating clergy or
altar-server An altar server is a lay assistant to a member of the clergy during a Christian liturgy. An altar server attends to supporting tasks at the altar such as fetching and carrying, ringing the altar bell, helps bring up the gifts, brings up the book ...
s. Often such crosses were then removed from their staff and placed on the altar during the ceremony. The reincarnation of centuries-old Irish metalworking techniques, such as the juxtaposition of red and yellow enamel, is seen on the and Manchan shrine. File:Croce di cong, da cong, contea di mayo, 1100-1125 ca. 08.jpg, Upper panels File:Croce di cong, da cong, contea di mayo, 1100-1125 ca. 07.jpg, Central rock crystal File:Croce di cong, da cong, contea di mayo, 1100-1125 ca. 04.jpg, Detail of the reverse File:Croce di cong, da cong, contea di mayo, 1100-1125 ca. 05 testa di felino.jpg, Knope at base of the cross


Inscriptions

The cross has inscriptions on it, — all of which are in the Irish language, with the exception of one which is in
Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
. The translated Irish language inscriptions read as follows: "A prayer for Tairrdelbach Ua Conchobair, for the King of Ireland, for whom this shrine was made. Pray for
Muireadhach Ua Dubhthaigh Muireadhach Ua Dubhthaigh (fl. c. 1075–1150) was an Archbishop of Connacht, in Ireland. Background A member of a Connacht ecclesiastical family, Ua Dubhthaigh was born during the reign of King Áed Ua Ruairc (r. 1067–1087). His family were n ...
, the Senior of Erin. Pray for Domnall mac Flannacáin Ua Dubthaig, Bishop of Connacht and Comarb uccessorof aintsComman and Ciaran, under whose superintendence the shrine was made. Pray for Mael Isu mac Bratdan O Echan, who made this shrine". The Latin inscription occurs twice – once on each side of the shaft – in one case the letters of the sixth word are PAHUS, and in the other, PASUS; it should read PASSUS. A
facsimile A facsimile (from Latin ''fac simile'', "to make alike") is a copy or reproduction of an old book, manuscript, map, Old master print, art print, or other item of historical value that is as true to the original source as possible. It differs from ...
engraving (taken from a rubbing) of one of these inscriptions is shown to the right. In standard Latin this is rendered as "Hāc cruce crux tegitur quā pas s conditor orbis", which has been translated as "With this cross is covered the cross on which suffered the Maker of the World." or, with similar meaning, as "In this cross is preserved r conservedthe cross on which the Founder of the world suffered."


Creation and dating

The technical and stylistic similarities to the "Cross of Cong group", confirms without doubt the ''Cross of Cong'' was crafted in twelfth century
county Roscommon "Steadfast Irish heart" , image_map = Island of Ireland location map Roscommon.svg , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Ireland , subdivision_type1 = Province , subdivision_name1 = Connacht , subdi ...
. The cross was likely commissioned by Bishop "''Domnall mac Flannacain Ui Dubthaig''", of
Elphin Elphin may refer to: Places Canada * Elphin, Ontario, a hamlet in North Sherbrooke, Lanark County Ireland * Elphin, County Roscommon, Ireland * Diocese of Elphin, a diocese in Ireland * Roman Catholic Diocese of Elphin Scotland * Elphin, Highl ...
, one of the richest
episcopal see An episcopal see is, in a practical use of the phrase, the area of a bishop's ecclesiastical jurisdiction. Phrases concerning actions occurring within or outside an episcopal see are indicative of the geographical significance of the term, mak ...
's in
Medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the Post-classical, post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with t ...
Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
, and created by the master
gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile met ...
-craftsman named ga, Mael Isu Bratain Ui Echach ("Mailisa MacEgan"), whom
O'Donovan The O'Donovans are an Irish family. Their patronymic surname derives from Irish ''Ó Donnabháin'', meaning the grandsons or descendants of Donnubán, referring to the 10th century ruler of the Uí Fidgenti, Donnubán mac Cathail. During the ...
says was ''Abbot of Cloncraff'', in county Roscommon, though firm evidence for this identification is lacking. The founder and patron Saint of this workshop might have been St. Assicus of Elphin.


Origin and provenance

According to
Irish annals A number of Irish annals, of which the earliest was the Chronicle of Ireland, were compiled up to and shortly after the end of the 17th century. Annals were originally a means by which monks determined the yearly chronology of feast days. Over t ...
, supported by the inscriptions on the cross itself (which refer to known historical personages), the cross was made in
County Roscommon "Steadfast Irish heart" , image_map = Island of Ireland location map Roscommon.svg , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Ireland , subdivision_type1 = Province , subdivision_name1 = Connacht , subdi ...
. In the annals, the cross is sometimes called in the
Irish language Irish ( Standard Irish: ), also known as Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Insular Celtic branch of the Celtic language family, which is a part of the Indo-European language family. Irish is indigenous to the island of Ireland and was ...
''"an Bacall Buidhe"'', which translates as "the yellow staff" — a reference to its golden colour. The cross was commissioned by King Tairrdelbach Ua Conchobair. According to the Irish annals, a small piece of the purported True Cross arrived in Ireland in 1123 and was enshrined at Roscommon.The Annals of Tigernach note the arrival of "Christ's Cross," from which Toirdhealbhach Ó Conchobhair requested a piece. Historians, however, almost universally dismiss such claims that pieces of the True Cross were ever found. Most Medieval relics are considered not to be genuine, though many Medieval chroniclers doubtless considered them to be so. The cross then appears to have moved to Tuam. At an early date, probably in the mid-12th century, the cross was moved from Tuam to Cong Abbey, an abbey founded by the
Augustinians Augustinians are members of Christian religious orders that follow the Rule of Saint Augustine, written in about 400 AD by Augustine of Hippo. There are two distinct types of Augustinians in Catholic religious orders dating back to the 12th–13 ...
on a much earlier Christian site. In later centuries, the exact location of the cross in the Cong area is uncertain but it appears to have been hidden by locals and ecclesiastics in their homes because of religious persecution against Catholics, which reached its peak in Ireland under the penal laws. In 1680,
Ruaidhrí Ó Flaithbheartaigh Roderick O'Flaherty ( ga, Ruaidhrí Ó Flaithbheartaigh; 1629–1718 or 1716) was an Irish historian. Biography He was born in County Galway and inherited Moycullen Castle and estate. O'Flaherty was the last ''de jure'' Lord of Iar Connacht, a ...
, the historian from County Galway, saw the cross (which he referred to as the ''"Abbot of Cong's Cross"'') and copied inscriptions from it. Edward Lhuyd of
Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...
, mistakenly calls him Humphrey Lloyd and incorrectly gives the publication date as 1709. Petrie stated that he thought that the cross must have been seen by Lloyd (meaning Lhuyd) on a tour he made of
Connacht Connacht ( ; ga, Connachta or ), is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms (Uí Fiachrach, Uí Briúin, Uí Maine, Conmhaícne, and Delbhn ...
at the beginning of the 18th century. However, it appears that it was Ruaidhrí Ó Flaithbheartaigh who supplied Lhuyd with the details for his book by sending him copies of his own notes that he had made in 1680.
Ó Flaithbheartaigh's friend, recorded this fact in his ''"Archaeologia Britannica"'', published in 1707. In the 19th century, George Petrie, the Irish
antiquarian An antiquarian or antiquary () is an fan (person), aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient artifact (archaeology), artifac ...
, was aware that Lhuyd's book mentioned the cross, though he partly misinterpreted the details. In 1822, Petrie had seen the cross himself when he passed through Cong on a tour he made of Connacht. Petrie told his friend, Professor
James MacCullagh James MacCullagh (1809 – 24 October 1847) was an Irish mathematician. Early Life MacCullagh was born in Landahaussy, near Plumbridge, County Tyrone, Ireland, but the family moved to Curly Hill, Strabane when James was about 10. He was the eld ...
(of
Trinity College, Dublin , name_Latin = Collegium Sanctae et Individuae Trinitatis Reginae Elizabethae juxta Dublin , motto = ''Perpetuis futuris temporibus duraturam'' (Latin) , motto_lang = la , motto_English = It will last i ...
), about the cross and of its historical value. MacCullagh, using his own money, though not a rich man, afterwards purchased the cross from the Parish Priest of Cong – Fr. Michael Waldron.He paid 100 guineas for it. Fr. Waldron had succeeded Fr. Patrick Prendergast as Parish Priest of Cong, when Fr. Prendergast died in 1829, and discovered the cross amongst his belongings. Fr. Patrick Prendergast, an Augustinian, was also considered to be the last Abbot of Cong Abbey. Fr. Prendergast had discovered the cross hidden in an old oak chest kept in a house in the village, where it was said to have been kept since about the mid-17th century (the time of the
Cromwellian conquest of Ireland The Cromwellian conquest of Ireland or Cromwellian war in Ireland (1649–1653) was the re-conquest of Ireland by the forces of the English Parliament, led by Oliver Cromwell, during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. Cromwell invaded Ireland wi ...
). Fr. Prendergast then kept the cross in his house, named 'Abbotstown', located on a farm in the townland of Ballymagibbon (or Ballymacgibbon), which is close to Cong.
William Wilde Sir William Robert Wills Wilde FRCSI (March 1815 – 19 April 1876) was an Irish oto-ophthalmologic surgeon and the author of significant works on medicine, archaeology and folklore, particularly concerning his native Ireland. He was the fath ...
, who was from this part of Ireland, had seen the cross in his childhood in Fr. Prendergast's possession and stated that at that time (the early 19th century) the cross was used at Cong chapel at the festivals of Christmas and Easter, when it was placed on the altar during mass. MacCullagh presented the cross in 1839 to the
Royal Irish Academy The Royal Irish Academy (RIA; ga, Acadamh Ríoga na hÉireann), based in Dublin, is an academic body that promotes study in the sciences, humanities and social sciences. It is Ireland's premier List of Irish learned societies, learned socie ...
, where it was for a long period one of its most treasured artefacts. About 1890, the cross was transferred to the newly opened National Museum of Science and Art, Dublin, which was the predecessor of the National Museum of Ireland, and remained in the same building when the National Museum of Ireland was founded in 1925. Today, the cross remains in the National Museum of Ireland, although it was on display in the
National Museum of Ireland – Country Life The National Museum of Ireland – Country Life is located in Turlough village, northeast of Castlebar, County Mayo, Ireland. Established in 2001, the museum is part of the National Museum of Ireland and is the only national museum outside Du ...
, Turlough Park, Castlebar, from 31 March 2010 for one year, while the Dublin museum was being renovated. This was the first time the cross had left Dublin since the 1830s.


Notes


References


Primary sources

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Secondary sources

* * * * * * * * * *


External links


Page from the National Museum of Ireland

Treasures of early Irish art, 1500 B.C. to 1500 A.D.
an exhibition catalogue from The Metropolitan Museum of Art (fully available online as PDF), which contains material on the Cross of Cong (cat. no. 63) {{DEFAULTSORT:Cross Of Cong 12th-century sculptures 12th-century inscriptions Cong, County Mayo Processional crosses Medieval European metalwork objects 12th century in Ireland Christianity in medieval Ireland Religion in County Mayo History of County Roscommon Reliquaries of the True Cross Crux gemmata O'Conor dynasty Collection of the National Museum of Ireland Viking art Reliquary crosses Romanesque sculptures