Aubrey Burl RIP

tjj Apr 15, 2020 19:55:40

It was posted on Facebook earlier today on The Prehistoric Society page (also by Geoff Watson aka Harestonedown) that Aubrey Burl died on 8th April. He was either 93 or 94, according to different sources, and I understand his death was not related to Covid 19.

This resonated with me as earlier this year (seems like light years ago) got hold of a pristine hardback copy of his book The Stone Circles of the British Isles for £10 in a secondhand book shop. Had been reading up on the stone circles of the South-West Peninsula of Britain as planned to head back there at the end of May. All cancelled now of course but the book remains, as do the stone circles, hopefully to be visited again next year.

I was late coming to Aubrey Burl as my big influences were Julian Cope and The Modern Antiquarian along various contributors to this forum, one or two of whom have also died. Life is transient but the stone circles stand on silently with their secrets - maybe that was the point of them.

GLADMAN Apr 15, 2020 20:40:08

Replying to tjj

Sad to hear of his death, but guess he had a great innings. So one can only celebrate the life of such a, well, celebrated archaeologist. His books were the first I came across that seemed to possess a sardonic wit in lieu of the standard, dusty academic reporting of statistics, damned statistics.... he seemed to be explaining things to you, as opposed to talking down to you. I'd be surprised if there is a serious megalithic punter out there who hasn't used his seminal stone circle guide at some point or other in their life. Mine is quite literally falling apart. Enough said. And, of course, he gave Cope his seal of approval. Always willing to pass on the baton.

thesweetcheat Apr 15, 2020 21:17:47

Replying to tjj

Oh no. Author of my very favourite non-fiction book (sorry JC, you're number 2). An absolute inspiration, RIP indeed.

Zariadris Apr 15, 2020 21:54:39

Replying to tjj

The world seems much emptier all of a sudden, and the stones more silent.

What a wonderful researcher, writer, thinker, and indeed, poet. I love the way he respected the megalithomaniac's intrinsic need to speculate; to imagine. To bring these stones back to life. He was intrepid in bringing ethnography into the mix, notably his observations of American Indian ritual in Prehistoric Avebury which were thought provoking and fascinating, and that wonderful bit of speculation on the moon being the house of the dead in his slender 'Prehistoric Astronomy & Ritual', and so many wonderful, provocative ideas in Stone Circles of Britain and of course, Rites of the Gods. Indeed, his imagination was all the more compelling as it was so firmly grounded in science. I love this quote from Rites of the Gods:

"Archaeologists can tell from which mountain source a stone axe came, what minerals there are in a bronze bracelet, how old a dug-out canoe is. They can work out the probable cereal-yield from the fields of a Late Bronze Age farm. These are objective matters. But the language, laws, morals, religion of dead societies are different. They belong to the minds of man. Unless they were written down, and even then only if they were recorded accurately, we shall find it hard to recapture them."

Indeed.

texlahoma Apr 16, 2020 10:33:15

Replying to tjj

He is a great inspiration. I first read Aubrey because of The Modern antiquarioan, and so books by Aubrey Burl began to multiply on my bookshelf. They travelled well and are in still pretty good shape, despite various car boot and rucksack wear and exposure all manner of weather conditions. a great writer that has left us numerous gifts.

ryaner Apr 16, 2020 12:13:25

Replying to tjj

Another hero gone. Very sad.

A lot of the authors on our shelves are passing: https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/acclaimed-connemara-writer-tim-robinson-dies-at-85-from-coronavirus-1.4220154

moss Apr 22, 2020 09:11:22

Replying to tjj

Again on F/B through The Prehistory Guys, Michael Bott and Rupert Soskin have made a tribute to Aubrey Burl - A Short Appreciation of Aubrey Burl .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tP3u1aUzM2Q

I think what comes out of this video is the fact that Burl was meticulous in his recordings of the stone circles. I always remembering him writing about the wild purple aquilegia he found on one of the sites in Ireland. Also the story that the Ash tree was the Yggdasil Tree of Odin fame and from which he hung for nine days. If you counted the buds opening in spring, there should be nine, not true sadly I have counted 11 or 13.

Zariadris Apr 23, 2020 09:51:57

Replying to tjj

This just in from Andy B. of the Megalithic Portal:

RIP Dr Aubrey Burl, Exclusive Video Talk Premier from Year 2000, 7pm Thursday
Country: Topic: Events

As you may have heard, Dr Aubrey Burl sadly passed away a couple of weeks ago. To celebrate and commomorate his life we are proud to present an Exclusive Talk and Q&A with Dr Burl that I recorded in the year 2000 when he gave a talk to ASLaN and the Rollrights Trust in Long Compton Village Hall. To my knowledge this is the only video available of a talk by Dr Burl online anywhere. I've decided to run it as a Premiere Video Presentation at 7pm tomorrow (Thursday 23rd) so please do watch it with me and take part in the live chat alongside where I'll try to answer questions.

http://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=2146414485

thesweetcheat Apr 23, 2020 11:17:45

Replying to tjj

Lovely tribute in The Quietus, with music from various TMA contributors:

https://thequietus.com/articles/28150-aubrey-burl-obituary

Daniel Apr 23, 2020 11:18:15

Replying to tjj

https://thequietus.com/articles/28150-aubrey-burl-obituary

konaman Jun 22, 2020 21:58:28

Replying to tjj

been a while since I popped in here, & just saw this sad news. I had the pleasure of meeting Aubrey, & him signing some books in a curiously childish hand. Completely without guile, a lovely man, a true scholar, RIP.

moss Jun 23, 2020 09:37:39

Replying to tjj

There was an obituary in the end by Mike Pitts on the 12th June, it appeared in the Guardian........ I'm glad he was remembered.

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2020/jun/12/aubrey-burl-obituary

The Eternal Jul 15, 2020 17:24:18

Replying to tjj

His book "The Stonehenge People" (1987) finally brought life to monuments in that landscape, which was something that had been lacking. The final paragraph is particularly moving. One of my favourite books and very well written.
RIP Aubrey.