SNIPPET: In the 9th century, figures began to appear along with decorative designs on Irish crosses. This stylistic change was probably based on cultural influences, per "British Heritage" periodical. The movement for reform within the Church put a new emphasis on biblical events as models for behavior. Also, the frequency of Viking raids on Ireland evoked appeals to God, which was reflected on the crosses in portrayals as God's assistance to His chosen people. Clonmacnois, in County Offaly, was one of the most famous monasteries of the pre-Norman era. Today, its peaceful setting is littered with remnants of monastic churches, round towers, grave slabs (one of the best collections in Ireland) and high crosses. The South Cross is part of the transitional period; there are bosses and mouldings and remains of what may once have been cap, it is also covered with spirals, protuberances and interlacings and has a crucifixion panel on the western side. Two crosses at Castledermot in County Kildare exhibit transitional features that include on the South Cross, rich decorative design on one face while the opposite face has a crucifixion in a central position within a ring of a wide range of biblical scenes. The North Cross is similar except that scenes cover both sides. The fall of man occupies the central ring position on one side and the crucifixion on the other. The South Cross at Kells in County Meath probably predates both the Clonmacnois South Cross and the Castledermot crosses and can be classified as a transitional cross, combining biblical scenes with large areas of decorative designs. Known as the cross of Saints Patrick and Columba, this cross is one of the four remaining at Kells. The site is probably best remembered for the "Books of Kells," one of the most beautifully illuminated manuscripts ever produced and now housed in Trinity College Library, in Dublin. This particular Kells high cross seems to echo the ornamentation of the "Book of Kells": abstract designs as well as interlaced and intertwined birds and animals. Even the biblical scenes seem to be more ornamentation than portrayals of events. Carved in low relief with abstract designs in between, they seem to run into each other in the same continuous way the interlacings do. The high cross at Moone in County Kildare is unique. Possessing none of the flowing, continuous lines of the Kells Cross of Saints Patrick and Columba, the Moone cross is one of flat relief and stripped-down detail. The charm, humor, and originality of this particular cross sets it apart from others of the same period. On the base of the cross beneath the scene of the crucifixion are pictured the 12 apostles: armless, geometric figures standing in three rows of four, one row above the other, looking like acrobats on each other's shoulders. The other scenes all show the same originality of design: a bulbous-nosed, dour Abraham sacrifices his son, Isaac, while the calf that will be substituted for Isaac hovers just above him; a goggle-eyed, somewhat bewildered-looking Daniel stands armless in the midst of seven lions who look more like kittens than fierce lions. Spanning the period from the mid-9th century into the 10th century are the masterpiece crosses that represent the fullest development of the high cross. They are distinguished by having the ornamentation confined to the ring and sides of the cross, and their biblical scenes are highly organized into a logical sequence. Usually, the crucifixion occupies the center of the ring on one side with New Testament scenes presented in the panels. Christ in judgment typically occupies the center of the ring's reverse side and is surrounded by panels of Old Testament scenes. The high cross at Durrow in County Offaly is a good example of this. Christ's crucifixion is portrayed in the center of the cross's west side. On the other side we see Christ in majesty looking very much like the Egyptian god of the dead, Osiris. The sides of the Durrow cross carry scenes as well as designs. There is a particularly lovely illustration of the flight into Egypt, showing a worried Joseph holding his chin. Walking in front of him is Mary, holding the Christ child on her back. Kells boast two high cross that fall into the masterpiece category; the West Cross and the Market Cross. Standing in the churchyard close to the earlier cross of Saints Patrick and Columba, all that remains of the West Cross is the bottom half of what once must have been one of the most magnificent of the high crosses. What is left is enough to show the quality of the carving. There is an interesting depiction of Noah's ark with Noah and his sons peering through the windows. There is also a panel of Christ's baptism in the river Jordan: John the Baptist pours water from a spoon over Christ's head while two spectators witness the event. Kells Market Cross stands a short distance from the churchyard where the other three Kells high crosses are situated. It may once have marked the limits of the sanctuary of the Kells monastery. The upper part of this cross is damaged and there is a legend that it once served as the town gallows. The carving covering the entire cross, including the base, is remarkable. Monasterboice in County Louth is rich in reminders of the early days of the Church in Ireland. The site, one of the foremost monastic establishments in pre-Norman Ireland, boasts two churches, several early tombstones, a round tower and what many consider to be the finest surviving example of a high cross. The carving of Muirdach's Cross, both the scenes on the east and west faces as well as the abstract interlacing and vine scrolls, is remarkable. The sculptor was a master in perfect control of his medium. He knew both how to organize his scenes for effect and how to execute them with skill. But it is the amount of detail in each panel that make the cross such a masterpiece. One example is the Christ in Judgment depicted in the ring. Assembled on Christ's right are the blessed praising him to the accompaniment of David's harp. On Christ's left the damned troop off to hell, prodded along by Satan's trident and the kick of an energetic assistant devil. Below Christ's feet the archangel Michael weighs a soul while a demon attempts to tip the scale in Satan's favor. The period of the masterpiece crosses was followed by a century in which the quality of the carving declined. Biblical scenes disappeared to be replaced by high-relief carvings of Christ, often accompanied by a bishop or abbot. Most characteristic of these late crosses is the general absence of the carving that distinguished the crosses of preceding centuries. One of the latest high crosses Dysert O'Dea, in County Clare, is also one of the most unusual. Though it has the characteristic 12th century high-relief carving of the crucifixion and an abbot (perhaps St. Tola), it is completely ringless. The carving is so sparse and free of decoration that the cross appears modern. The low-relief carving covering the reverse side barely emerges from the stone. In a way, the high crosses had come full circle, from the stark simplicity of an early pillar with a cross design to the simplicity of a monumental piece of stone, bearing one or two high-relief carvings. The era of the Irish high cross ended with the high-relief crosses. Although the Irish landscape was once profusely dotted with these stone monuments, today perhaps less than 100 remain and may of these are in fragments. But the few survivors bear noble witness to the era that produced them