Millumkum Cross No. 130

Millumkum Cross (no. 130)

A large slab carved in low relief on one face, showing a shafted cross with limbs connected by a circular ring. Shaft and circle have a cable border evening below in the head and tail of a serpent. In the centre is a ring of chain cable. The limbs contain triquetras in continuous bands. Below are plaits of nine and seven.

To the left of the shaft is a hart sized by a hound and a robed Ecclesiastic with left arm raised in prayer and the right hand resting on a crutch shaped staff. At the other side, a hart and hound and man seated playing on a harp and robed figure holding a drinking horn. This must be one of the Valkyriur making an offering to Bragi, god of poetry and inspiration. Below the harper is another Ecclesiastic with arms uplifted in blessing with his right hand holding up a crutch headed staff. Below the cross and to the right has been scored the Ogam alphabet, related to the faint inscription on the middle, back of the stone, but it cannot be deciphered.

Runes running up one side of the back translate as, Mal, Lumkun, krus, thena, efrer, Mal, Muru, fustra, sine, totir Tufkals, kona, is, athisl, ati. Meaning Mael Loncheu raised this cross to the memory of Mal Mura his foster (mother) daughter of Dugal the wife whom Athisl had. On the left the following reading has been done in the same hand, Betra, es, laifa, fustra, kuthan, than, son, ilan. Meaning Better is it to leave a good foster son than a bad son.