OK ... here goes ...
Bullauns are essentially very large cups/basins. In Ireland anything over 5cm in diameter counts as a bullaun and they reach 30cm+.
They are usually hemi-spherical, although there are some flat botomed ones and some conical ones in county Carlow.
They are usually associated with water, usually running water either by rivers or springs. They can be found on lake shores though or by wells. One common link seems to be Brigid or these days St. Brigit.
The accepted date for many is Iron Age to early Christian. I personally believe that many are Neolithic.
Purpose? Nobody really knows. Try some of these:
Domestic querns. Ritual querns. Scrying pools. Fonts. Things to hold the base of a tree trunk for some purpose. Pestles for preparing medicinal herbs. A few others I can't think of right now.
I love them. They're so enigmatic and touchy-feely. There's something oxymoronically organic in their man-made-ness if you know what I mean. For some reason I also think of them as being very feminine - I've always found that idea to be very weird!
Reply | with quote | Posted by FourWinds 28th November 2006ce 21:23 |
He's off again .. well done ryaner (FourWinds, Nov 28, 2006, 13:43)- Re: He's off again .. well done ryaner (ryaner, Nov 28, 2006, 14:00)
- Re: He's off again .. well done ryaner (postman, Nov 28, 2006, 20:20)
- Re: He's off again .. well done ryaner (postman, Nov 29, 2006, 16:56)
- Re: He's off again .. well done ryaner (postman, Nov 29, 2006, 21:17)
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