White-washing stones

close
more_vert
Paulus P
Paulus Oct 24, 2007 10:59:47
Replying to bawn79

bawn79 wrote:
Anyone know anything about the reasoning behind white-washing stones in Ireland?
Also do you think it damages the stone at all?
Must be very impressive when done, would really make the stones stand out.
Not in Ireland - but we've one in Yorkshire where they're annually white-washed. In traditional societies, this was done to 're-clothe' the spirit of the ancestor in the stone. Similarities to this mythic theme occur where cloth is wrapped round certain monoliths (one on South Uist springs to mind, but I can't remember it's name - though it's on TMA somewhere!), dressing the spirit who inhabits the said monolith.

S StoneGloves
StoneGloves Oct 24, 2007 12:20:36
Replying to Paulus

Burnt ochre slip paint. It was used 'in living memory' in the North Pennines on drystone wall. Just the north facing walls and the body of the walls, not the caps or throughs. There's a good example beside the road at Halton-Lea-Gate, leaving the village, toward Alston, from Carlisle. And there's one or more railway bridges - just the north sides though. Why not? Must have looked great. My late friend remembered painting one and showed it me. 'Oral tradition'.