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East Dunbartonshire: Latest Posts

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The Auld Wifes Lifts (Natural Rock Feature) — Images (click to view fullsize)

<b>The Auld Wifes Lifts</b>Posted by Blackdrop<b>The Auld Wifes Lifts</b>Posted by Blackdrop<b>The Auld Wifes Lifts</b>Posted by Blackdrop Blackdrop Posted by Blackdrop
24th July 2007ce

The Auld Wifes Lifts (Natural Rock Feature) — Folklore

Apparently not just for fertility:
On Craigmaddie Muir stnads the Cromlech, or Sepulchral-Trilith, popularly called "The Auld Wives' Lift," and ivested with some curious traditions and customs. It consists of three huge stones, two of which support the third. The uppermost is an enormous block of basalt, measuring rather more than 18 feet in length, by 11 feet in breadth and 7 in depth. A small triangular space occurs between the stones, and through this, tradition recommends all visitors to pass, desirous not to be childless, and to be safe from the pranks of the Evil One.
In 'Glasgow Past and Present' by James Pagan (1856). Online at Google Books.
Rhiannon Posted by Rhiannon
24th February 2007ce

The Auld Wifes Lifts (Natural Rock Feature) — Miscellaneous

This correspondent in Notes and Queries is using the 'Philosophical Survey of the South of Ireland, in a Series of Letters to John Watkinson, M.D., 8vo., Dublin, 1778.' as his source.
About ten miles north of Glasgow, near the village of Strathblane, were to be seen till lately (as I am informed, some sordid Goth having broken them up to build walls) three immense blocks of freestone in a remote field, reputed to be Druidical, which went under the name of the " Auld Wives' Lifts."

Two of the stones lay together, and the third transversal on the top, with an aperture to creep through, by the doing or not doing of which strange rewards and penalties were the consequence. There is no similar kind of rock near the place. The surrounding ground is generally cold and infertile, and could not be said to be favourable for the growth of oaks or other trees ; but there are evidences from the extensive peat mosses and beams of black oak dug up, that in ancient times, in the neighbourhood of these stones, there had existed large forests of oak, supposed by some to bave been destroyed by the Romans who had possession of the spot, or by the Caledonians in their struggles with that power. G. N.
N&Q April 9th 1859. 'Some sordid Goth' - now that's a great turn of phrase.
Rhiannon Posted by Rhiannon
3rd September 2006ce
Edited 25th July 2007ce

The Auld Wifes Lifts (Natural Rock Feature) — Folklore

Peter Underwood's version of affairs here, in line with what Fitz has said (below), tells the following:

"The legend of the Auld Wives' Lifts tells of three weird sisters, one from Baldernock, one from Strathblane and one from Campsie, who decided on a trial of strength to prove that if they were not beautiful at least they were strong. The first hoisted a great boulder onto her shoulders, walked with it far out over the moor and there dropped it to the ground; the second did just as well and placed her boulder at the side of the first one; while the third womanpicked up one as alrge as the other other two put together and ran with it over the moors, putting it atop of her rivals' pair." Sounds distinctly like cailleach lore, perhaps with this centre-point being an omphalos.

Underwood also tells that us that the hole through the stones was also used "for superstitious young couples to crawl through to ensure that they marry."

Reference:
Underwood, P., Gazetteer of Scottish Ghosts, Fontana 1974.
Paulus Posted by Paulus
13th February 2006ce

Whitehill (Cup and Ring Marks / Rock Art) — Images

<b>Whitehill</b>Posted by rockartwolf<b>Whitehill</b>Posted by rockartwolf<b>Whitehill</b>Posted by rockartwolf rockartwolf Posted by rockartwolf
17th January 2006ce

The Auld Wifes Lifts (Natural Rock Feature) — Miscellaneous

In J.H. Dixon's essay on this site in the Glasgow Archaeological Journal, he tells that the archaeologist Leslie Alcock found "ancient carvings on the eastern and northern sides of the stones" and related them to the Celtic head cult.

Refs:
Alcock, L., 'The Auld Wives' Lifts,' Antiquity 51, pp.117-123, 1977.
Dixon, J.H., 'Pollen Diagram from the Auld Wives' Lifts,' GAJ, 8, pp.13-18, 1981.
Paulus Posted by Paulus
30th December 2005ce
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