Druidic links with the ancient stones | Forum

Ancient sites in literature

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BrigantesNation Jan 7, 2004 11:51:20

Replying to Mr Hamhead

Thanks for that, you have reminded me of another angle I'm persuing.

Our Victorian forebears had some pretty interesting ideas about the use of the stones by Druids, I'm also looking for good references to some early interpretations of the megaliths.

Kozmik_Ken Jan 7, 2004 12:10:44

Replying to BrigantesNation

Geoffrey of Monmouth wrote of Merlin building Stonehenge and transporting the stones from a circle at Killaraus in Ireland named the 'Giant's Dance' in his 12th C book, 'History of the Kings of Britain'. Which I think is one of (or maybe the) eariest written reference to Stonehenge.

You can find passages on-line here...

http://www.lib.rochester.edu/camelot/geofhkb.htm

BOOK VIII.

CHAP. X.--Aurelius is advised by Merlin to remove the Giant's Dance from the mountain Killaraus.

CHAP. XI.--Uther Pendragon is appointed with Merlin to bring over the Giant's Dance.

CHAP. XII.--Gillomanius being routed by Uther, the Britons bring over the Giant's dance into Britain.

Andy

Spaceship mark Jan 7, 2004 12:12:44

Replying to BrigantesNation

John Michell's Megalithomania is a good start if you don't already have it. Basically an illustrated history of antiquarianism with lots of engravings and things.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0500272352/ref=sr_aps_books_1_2/026-6711411-9571641

Mr Hamhead Jan 7, 2004 15:16:12

Replying to BrigantesNation

I don't know if you will be able to get a copy but John Harris wrote a poem called "Luda - A lay of the Druids" published in 1868. Part of it is produced in the book "Voices from West Barbary - an anthology of Anglo-Cornish poetry 1549-1928" ISBN 0 9532388 8 1

I will include a few lines here to give you some idea of the "Victoriana" way of looking at the subject...

Adown the glen on palfrey white
And aged druid comes into sight
His long beard on his brest is spread
And oaken leaves adorn his head
A sash does round his body meet
And shoes of wood are on his feet
......
And figures on his vest appear
A serpent's head and crescent clear
Six different badges mark his store
The King could only wear one more

...and so on.

Anybody got any idea about the 6 badges?

He also wrote a poem called "Destruction of a Cornish Tolmen" about the Constantine Tolmen or Maen Rock. This was blown up by miners in 1869 but before then Borlase had done a drawing of it which shows a large egg shaped stone sitting atop 2 stone supports. It is said the stone was over 30ft in lenght but weather man made or not is not known.

I think it was Borlase that said that the Cheesewring rock formation on Bodmin Moor was the work of the Druids, so....

moss Jan 7, 2004 16:15:09

Replying to BrigantesNation

Try Geoffrey Ashe - Mythology of the British Isle
Lucan- roman poet; "You, ye druids,.. you who dwell in deep woods in sequestered woods; your teaching is that the shades of the dead do not make their way to the silent abode of Erebus or the lightless realm of Dis below, but that the same soul animates the limbs in another sphere. If you sing of certainties, death is the centre of continuous life. Truly the peoples on whom the Pole star shines are happy in their error, for they are not harassed by the greatest of terrors, the fear of death"... 1st century ad. the book just magically opened on that. And surely, all those that did thesises, or whatever, remember that Tess slept on the altar stone at Stonehenge guarded by her lover before the local constables arrived early in the dawn light to take her to prison.
Moss

Cursuswalker Jan 7, 2004 17:27:33

Replying to BrigantesNation

Bless 'em.

Revivalist Druidry wouldn't be the way it is without such notions having been thought of. The journey from fanciful, though well-intentioned, bullshit to new traditions is an interesting one.

At that time ANYONE who practised religion prior to Christianity was a Druid.