Consecration stone, Kirkmadrine Church

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This sculpture showcases an extraordinary hammer-headed cross slab adorned with a panel featuring a saltire cross and four crosses in a prominent display. The stone was discovered alongside other early Christian carved stones at the historic Kirkmadrine Church, situated in Dumfries and Galloway. The five intersecting crosses may symbolize the ancient ritual of establishing or consecrating a new altar prevalent among early medieval Irish churches. As part of this sacred ceremony, a bishop would painstakingly inscribe the alphabet across the floor from corner to corner, creating a saltire or the early Christian emblem known as a 'chi-cross'. This cross served as a representation of the spreading of the word to all four corners of the earth. To learn more about visiting Kirkmadrine Church, please visit our website at this time.