The Modern Antiquarian. Stone Circles, Ancient Sites, Neolithic Monuments, Ancient Monuments, Prehistoric Sites, Megalithic MysteriesThe Modern Antiquarian

Bosporthennis Quoit

Dolmen / Quoit / Cromlech

Folklore

Here is the quote from Copeland Borlase that tells the story of the strange round capstone, that 'created consternation in the antiquarian world about 1860'*.
The fame of the discovery quickly spread. The Local Antiquarianism of the whole neighbourhood was awakened immediately, and savants of all shapes, sexes, and ages 'visited and inspected' the stone. The sphere for conjecture was of course unlimited, and ranged from Arthur's round table, to the circular tombs of modern Bengal...

But.. edging his way through the crowd which surrounded the monument, until he had reached the front rank, an old man was heard dispelling the fond illusion in the following cruel words:
"Now what are 'e all tellin' of? I do mind when Uncle Jan, he that was the miller down to Polmeor, cum' up 'long to the croft a speering round for a fitty stoan of es mill. And when he had worked 'pon that theere stoan; says he: 'I'll be jist gone to knack un a bit round like'; so he pitched to work; but 'e wouldn't sarve 'es purpose so theere 'e es still. And lor bless yer all, a fine passel o' pepple has been heere for to look 'pon un, but what they sees en un es more than I can tell 'e."

This was "minding the bigging o't" with a vengeance, and the antiquaries could only console themselves in the reflection that the stone must have been of a rudely circular form to have induced the miller to try his tool upon it at all.

When the author saw it in December, 1871, some of the splintered pieces were lying round, and he is led to imagine that the original shape was oblong.
https://archive.org/stream/naeniacornubiaed00borluoft#page/277/mode/1up
Rhiannon Posted by Rhiannon
20th July 2005ce
Edited 2nd April 2015ce

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