Stonehenge - Steeped in History and Legend
Magical, Mystical and Mysterious.
The
megalithic ruin known as Stonehenge stands on the open downland of Salisbury Plain in
Wiltshire, Southern England.
Stonehenge is surely Britain's greatest national icon, symbolizing mystery, power and
endurance. Its original purpose is unclear to us, Pagans believe that it was a temple made
for the worship of ancient earth deities.
The question of who built Stonehenge is largely unanswered The
monument's construction has been attributed to many ancient peoples throughout the years,
but the most captivating and enduring attribution has been to the Druids.
Stonehenge itself remains a steadfast observer of the world, watching the
seasons change from summer to fall to winter to spring and back again thousands of times
over. But it also bears witness to movements in the heavens, observing the rhythm of the
Moon and, more noticeably, the Sun.
For most parts of the year, the sunrise can't even be seen from the centre of the
monument. But on the longest day of the year, the June 21st summer solstice, the rising
sun appears behind one of the main stones, creating the illusion that it is balancing on
the stone.
This stone, called the "Heel Stone", sits along a wide laneway, known as the
Avenue, that extends from the northeast corner of the main monument. The rising Sun creeps
up the length of the rock, creating a shadow that extends deep into the heart of five
pairs of sarsen stone trilithons -- two pillar stones with one laid across the top -- in
the shape of a horseshoe that opens up towards the rising sun.
Just as the Sun clears the horizon, it appears to hover momentarily on the tip of the Heel
Stone. A few days later, on midsummer's day, the sun will appear once again, but this
time, it will begin to move to the right of the heel stone. The same phenomenon happens
again during the winter solstice, only it's in the opposite direction and a sunset. But
both indicate a change of season.
From
behind the heel stone, this is what the rising sun would see. (photo courtesy and
copyright Cliff Wassmann)
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the middle of the 20th century, a new theory was born, one that suggests that Stonehenge
could have been used as an astronomical calendar, marking lunar and solar alignments. If
this is true, it would have held great power for the people who controlled the megalithic
monument.
Aside from the sarsen horseshoe trilithons
that open in the direction of the sunrise, there are four stones, called "Station
Stones" that may have played an astronomical role. These were placed in a rectangle
around the main monument, within the ditch and bank that surrounds the circle of stones.
These are believed to point out the moonrise, moonset, sunrise and sunset. Only two stand
today.
A side
view of the trilithon horseshoes.
(photo courtesy and copyright Cliff Wassmann)
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The legend of King Arthur provides another
story of the construction of Stonehenge. It is told by the twelfth century writer,
Geoffrey of Monmouth, in his History of the Kings of Britain that Merlin brought the
stones to the Salisbury Plain from Ireland. Sometime in the fifth century, there had been
a massacre of 300 British noblemen by the treacherous Saxon leader, Hengest. Geoffrey
tells us that the high king, Aurelius Ambrosius, wanted to create a fitting memorial to
the slain men. Merlin suggested an expedition to Ireland for the purpose of transplanting
the Giant's Ring stone circle to Britain. According to Geoffrey of Monmouth, the stones of
the Giant's Ring were originally brought from Africa to Ireland by giants. The stones were
located on "Mount Killaraus" and were used as a site for performing rituals and
for healing. Led by King Uther and Merlin, the expedition arrived at the spot in Ireland.
The Britons, apparently, were unsuccessful in their attempts to move the great
stones. At this point, Merlin realized that only his magic arts would turn the trick. So,
they were dismantled and shipped back to Britain where they were set up as they had
been before, in a great circle, around the mass grave of the murdered noblemen. The story
goes on to tell that Aurelius, Uther and Arthur's successor, Constantine were also buried
there in their time*.
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Evil powers have also been associated with
Stonehenge. One myth tells the story of the devil who buys magical stones from an Irish
woman. He transports them through the air to Salisbury Plain and then dares the entire
village to count the stones in a bizarre-type of riddle. The friar of the village tells
him there are too many to tell, which is based on another myth that says it is impossible
to count all the stones. The devil gets so angry that he throws one of the stones at him
and it hits the friar on his heel. Although the friar is unhurt, the stone is dented and
has ever since been known as the Heel Stone.
Stonehenge at night
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It has long ben a tradition
for spiritual groups to meet at Stonehenge for Solstice and Equinox celebations. It is
also the setting for the Glastonbury Festival, although the sacred site has been fenced
off. What is less well known is that Stonehenge has given rise to many replicas and
"metaphorms" in the United States of America. Some British subscribers have
commented on how "tacky" such replicas are, or how they cannot possibly contain
or transmit the "spiritual" energy of a long-hallowed sacred site. Be that as it
may, Stonehenge and other megalithic facsimilies, parodies, clones, and metaphorms are the
subject of sincere sacred site tourism in the United States. Four of these places -- the
Maryhill Stonehenge in Washington, Stonehenge II in Texas, Carhenge in Nebraska, and the
Georgia Guidestones in Georgia are reputably said to be used as sites for pagan gatherings
and ceremonies.
I hope you have enjoyed this brief look at this sacred site. I leave you with these
beautiful photos of Stonehenge druing the summer solstice |
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