Sacred Landscapes

close
more_vert
BrigantesNation B
BrigantesNation Jul 31, 2003 10:53:32
Replying to nigelswift

Yes, but there must have been symbolism - a component structure.

The job of a causeway is to provide a link, a causeway lined with stones or totems becomes a symbolic one - the totems representing the ancestors perhaps.

For a symbolic causeway to work it must have things to link, the most powerful things will have symbolised power and religion.

Could it not be, that the burial mounds were the sybolism of power and the vehicle for the transfer of power? that the ritual involved visiting your dead leader during his transition to god-state and thus having their worldly power passed on to you? After that period of transfer, a procession was required - to show all who was in charge and to have that fact acknoweldged by the religious leaders.

I quite like this idea of barrows = power.

N nigelswift
nigelswift Jul 31, 2003 11:38:28
Replying to BrigantesNation

In your scenario the causeway itself might be regarded as a highly potent symbol of power in itself. What more significant exercise of your power could there be than to decree the very route people must walk (or perhaps mustn’t walk, unless specially authorized) and you can order all this from your grave.

I can’t remember whether Machiavelli, in his instruction manual to Princes on how to hang on to power by any foul means they could, discussed post-death tactics, but he should have. I do remember a Trades Unionist discussing his philosophy of effective leadership, which was “If you get ‘em by the balls their hearts and minds will follow shortly…” It’s pretty clear that any leader would have a vested interest in extending his hold over his people to beyond the grave- both to preserve his dynasty and also, in life, to leave no room for dangerous democratic thoughts to take root.

Barrows = Power? Why not. Why else have them raised rather than flat?…

B baza
baza Jul 31, 2003 12:08:16
Replying to BrigantesNation

>I quite like this idea of barrows = power.

I do, too. But.......

there`s no evidence to point to the barrows being used for the burial of the powerful people.

The Amesbury Archer (sometimes called `King of Stonehenge`) was buried in a grave. There was no barrow associated with his burial, in a landscape littered with contemporary barrows!


baz