Cross shaft incised on one side with a shafter? cross and on the other with three interlinking crosses. It was probably carved in the 700s when Northumbrian Angles ruled the area. The shaft bears an inscription in Anglo Saxon runes which urges its readers to pray for Hwitu. Hwitu may have been a woman from Whithorn, whose name derived from its placename hwit-erne. The stone was erected to commemorate her and to ask people to pray for her after her death. The inscription seems to be part of the original design, with the two small crosses flanking the shaft in order to draw attention to the words. The stone is also of the same geological type as 3, suggesting they may have come from the same source. The stone was re-used in the building of the medieval Priory church, and was found during excavations in 1968. On display in the Whithorn Priory Museum, Dumfries and Galloway.

Details

Date Made
8th century
Dimensions
615 x 258 x 36mm
Property Information
Whithorn Priory Museum
Object Number
WHP.EC.36
Access Status
Display

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