Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 3.djvu/255

Rh St. Bride was raised, is visible from the Chapel Lochwyd on Holyhead mountain, from Bardsay Island, and various prominent headlands on which in early times anchorites had fixed their abodes.

It appears that no similar instance of interment in graves formed indiscriminately, as regards the point of the compass towards which the feet of the corpse were laid, has been noticed. The formation of successive tiers of graves in such a tumulus of sand is also a circumstance of unusual and curious nature. It is not easy to determine whether these cists could have been formed in the side of the tumulus, after the sand had become accumulated into a mound, or whether its formation may not have been, in great part, artificial, graves being constructed with flat stones, and sand heaped thereon in successive tiers, so as ultimately, with the assistance of the drifting of sand from the neighbouring shore, to form the mound, which served in after times to support the Chapel of St. Bride. The inhumation without any regard to the position of the corpse towards any particular point of the compass, appears to connect these interments with the usages of primeval tribes. It may be conjectured, that, in later and Christian times, the ancient cemetery of the district, doubtless regarded with some measure of veneration or respect, was still used as a place of burial, as shewn by the numerous human remains found under and around the chapel, deposited without any cist, as customary in earlier ages; and that the spot was hallowed by the erection of a Christian chapel over this remarkable assemblage of heathen sepulchres.

About the middle of the fifth century, indeed, the Island of Anglesea appears to have been ravaged by invasions of the Irish Picts: they were repulsed by Caswallon Llaw hir (long hand), who was sent by his father to oppose the invaders. About A.D. 450 he fortified a post at the spot now occupied by the church of Holyhead. A great slaughter of the inhabitants had occurred at a place called Tyn Dryvel, near Aberfraw, and the spot is still known by the name Cerrig y Gwyddel, (the Irishman's stones.) At this time came Caswallon, who routed the Irish, and pursued them to Holyhead, where their vessels lay; a second conflict took place there, in which Caswallon slew Cerigi their leader, and subsequently fortified Holyhead with a wall, now called Mur-Caswallon. According to tradition, he tied his men together, previously to