I went to the Isle of Man in search of Viking rune stones. I’d seen runes in Sweden the previous year, and wanted to explore them further. However it wasn’t long before I realised that the story was much more complicated than I thought. The Manx runes were part of a much bigger picture, encompassing the island’s early Celtic history and the coming of the Norse invaders. It is a story that is told through approximately 200 Manx crosses, or decorated gravemarkers, throughout the island. Some of these have rune markings; others have equally mysterious symbols.
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The Unique Culture Of The Isle Of Man
But, first, there are a few things you need to know about the Isle of Man. For those who are not familiar with it, it is a small island in the Irish Sea with a chequered political history. Subject to invasions and power grabs, it was at various times ruled by the Scottish or the English. And at one point it was the centre of the Kingdom of Mann and the Isles, which also included many of the Scottish islands. Today the Isle of Man has a slightly anomalous status. It has its own government (the Tynwald), but depends on the UK for matters such as defence. However, it is not a part of either the UK or the European Union.
All of this means that the Isle of Man has a unique culture of its own. As you travel around the island you come across plenty of evidence of its earliest inhabitants and of the later Celtic settlers and Norse invaders (read more about the Historic Sites of the Isle of Man).
Early Christianity On The Isle Of Man
Christianity arrived early to the Isle of Man, at some time around the 5th century. It was probably introduced by St Patrick or his followers (you will sometimes hear the island referred to as St Patrick’s Isle). There was a brief hiatus in the 9th century when the Vikings invaded, bringing their pagan beliefs with them. But it wasn’t long before the Vikings adopted the local religion, and Christianity flourished again.
What this means is that there is an abundance of monuments from the early Christian period to be discovered. Not just Manx crosses, but also tiny chapels and gravestones inscribed with runes or oghams.
Manx Crosses And Oghams
Celtic crosses can be found across the British Isles, but there seems to be a particular abundance in the Isle of Man. And what makes the Manx crosses particularly interesting is the juxtaposition of Celtic and Norse traditions. The crosses are part of the early Christian heritage of the Isle of Man.
In the very earliest times there were no churches but numerous keeills (small chapels that could accommodate a handful of worshippers). It was around this time that the tradition of erecting carved stone grave markers arose. The very first cross slabs had simple designs but later ones used the classic Celtic structure of a cross with a ring at the top. If they had inscriptions they would be written with oghams, the ancient Celtic alphabet (oghams may have had their origins in the pagan era, but they remained in use long after the arrival of Christianity).
Norse Runes And Mythology
The crosses changed their appearance when the Vikings arrived. For one thing, inscriptions were carved (often along the narrow sides of the stones) in runic letters. And for another, the stones incorporated pictures from Norse mythology. Although the Viking crosses are very different from the Scandinavian rune stones I encountered in Sweden, they have some of the same characteristic design features.
A particularly interesting stone is Thorwalds’s Cross, at Kirk Andreas, which includes both Christian and pagan traditions. One side shows an image of the god Odin being devoured by a wolf, and the other has Christian symbols including a cross, a fish and a serpent. A runic inscription down the side of the cross reads: “Thorwald raised this cross”.
Where To See Manx Crosses
Most of the crosses have been collected into churches across the island (sometimes they are in the churchyard, more often inside the church itself). Apart from the churches noted below you can also find collections of Manx crosses at Kirk Lonan, Braddan Old Kirk and Andreas. You’ll find both Celtic crosses (inscribed with oghams) and Norse crosses (with runes).
Kirk Maughold Church
An important early Christian site is the church at Maughold, not far from Ramsey. A covered Cross House in the churchyard contains more than 40 crosses. These include the oldest Manx cross slab, a stone with both ogham and runic characters, and a rare representation of a Viking ship. Inside the church is the 14th century Maughold Parish Cross, which bears the earliest known image of the “three legs of Man”, which is still the official symbol of the Isle of Man. And there’s more… the remains of three keeills in the churchyard and, just beyond it, the site of Iron Age hill fort.
The churchyard itself is full of notable Manx citizens (some of them marked with more modern Celtic crosses), bringing its history right up to date.
Kirk Michael
Kirk Michael, on the west coast, is a 19th century building, built on the site of a much older church. It has the largest collection of Norse stone crosses on the island, now moved inside the church to prevent weathering. Look out for the runes around the sides of some of the stones.
A particularly famous stone is Gaut’s Cross with its runic inscription and intricate design including twists and plaits.
Jurby Church Heritage Site
St Patrick’s Church, in the far northwest of the island, has an impressive location with views of the sea and of the hills. Built on the site of an early keeill, it now forms part of the Jurby Church Heritage Site. There is a Viking burial mound in Jurby churchyard, and another a bit further away. And there are a number of crosses in the porch, some collected from other ancient sites in the area.
Manx Museum
You will also find a collection of Manx crosses and information about early Christianity in the Manx Museum in Douglas. And, finally, Manx National Heritage have digitised some of the island’s crosses so that you can view them online.
6 thoughts on “Manx Crosses And Runes: Early Christianity On The Isle Of Man”
We have a soft spot for visiting islands. We have thought about the Isle of Man a few times but never quite got there. Maybe it is time to bump it up the travel todo list.
The Isle of Man is great if you like history and “quirky” places. It’s also good for walking, with lots of countryside and a footpath that runs the whole way around the coast.
Thx for the fascinating post, Karen. I’ve not previously read anything about the Isle of Man. It looks pretty cool!
Both the history and the natural beauty are big draws for me. I’d love to add the Isle of Man to my itinerary next year!
we only had three full days on the Isle of Man,but how interesting and stimulating those days were.I am left with questions however.Why had the croft ,with its earth floor and very basic furniture have a grand dresser with fine china in it?We learnt of the hardships of life there ,the basic diet of oatmeal and herring.Somehow the dresser didn’t fit into this life style.
It would have been interesting to have known more about the three legged symbol of the island.Why and when it acquired the armour on the legs with that link to Scicily.Perhaps through the Scottish crown?There would seem to be a link to the swastica,is that so?
The Manx museum was so well laid out ,we could have spent a day there.Great to see a new Viking hoard.The Viking silver is just beautiful.
Lovely weather enabled us to see across to the lake district and I found the colours of the island itself so rich and satisfying.Nice to see so much of the Victorian development still there in Douglas.
Hi Mary, thanks for your comment. You’re right that there seem to be some unanswered mysteries – I don’t think anyone really knows exactly why the three legged symbol was adopted!