The Modern Antiquarian. Stone Circles, Ancient Sites, Neolithic Monuments, Ancient Monuments, Prehistoric Sites, Megalithic MysteriesThe Modern Antiquarian

Folklore Posts by Zeb

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Hare Stone (Standing Stone / Menhir)

I had been wondering if "Hare" and "Harrow" had the same etymology and looked up Harrow in John Field's book 'Place Names of Great Britain and Ireland'. The entry for Harrow-on-the-Hill says it means "Heathen Shrine on the Hill".

The Rollright Stones (Stone Circle)

In the book 'Ghosts and Witches of the Cotswolds' J A Brooks tells how the Stones are supposed to go down to the stream to drink on New Year's Eve. There was no evidence of this the next day when I visited (01/01/2005ce) but an offering of Holly, Ivy and Misletoe had been made to one of the Stones.

J Harvey Bloom's book Folk Lore, Old Customs and Superstitions in Shakespeare's Land recalls how a farmer would shut his gates around the stones and would find them open the next day, even if fastened by padlocks and chains. He also tells of how a farmer tried to move a stone down the hill and how his team of horses became terrified and could only move it a few yards. It only took one horse, however, to pull the stone back up the hill.
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