SAGA-BOOK - Viking Society Web Publications

Manx Memorial Stones 5
Ira Kolli.
"... (erected) this (cross) after Ofeig his father, but
Gaut son of Bjorn Ira Kolli carved it."
We see that Gaut is the son of a man with a Norse name­
Bjorn." This cross has all the Scandinavian features of
the Kirk Michael cross, save for the ring-chain motif.
Unfortunately, not every Norse cross has an inscription
- some were certainly carved without them, while others
are now either too fragmentary or too worn to reveal any
runes. It is, however, reasonable to suppose that a
number of other crosses found in the Isle of Man were also
carved by Gaut. On stylistic grounds it seems likely
that the crosses at Ballaqueeney, Port St Mary (parish of
Rushen) IOO (76), Kirk Michael 102 (75) and IIO (85),
Keeil Pheric, West Nappin (parish of Jurby) 103 (78),
Andreas 109 (83), and Thorstein's cross at Kirk Braddan
II2 (86) were carved by Gaut. It is quite possible that
he also carved the cross with the indecipherable bindrunes
at Andreas III (84), but Professor Shetelig's
contention-? that this is the work of a younger follower
must be treated with respect. It has been said that
certain other stones were carved by Gaut,l1 notably the
Osruth Cross at St John's (parish of German) 107 (81) and,
more interestingly, the Truian cross, Bride II8 (oz). If
the Truian cross was indeed carved by Gaut, it admits
a new class of monument to Gaut's workshop - a class
which perhaps includes the Sigurd crosses from Malew 120
(94) and Jurby IIg (93), which, like the Truian cross, also
bear representations of mythological scenes as well as
what is almost certainly a purely zoomorphic ornament.
This introduction of decoration other than interlace
• For a discussion of Gaut's home, Koll(r), d. H. R. Ellis Davidson and
B. Megaw 'Gaut the Sculptor', Journal of the Manx Museum V (1941/1946),
135-9; C. ]. Marstrander, 'Sudereyingen Gaut Bjornson', Norsk Tidsshrift for
Sprogvidenskap X (1938), 375-83.
re H. Shetelig, 'Manx crosses relating to Great Britain and Norway',
Saga-Book IX (1925), 6.
11 ibid., 4.