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

Bellman's Stone

Natural Rock Feature

Folklore

Yet another boulder with a name in the vicinity of Bourtie and its circles. A report from the Boulder Committee of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (1872) mentions it:
Boulder, about 20 tons. Longer axis E. and W. Called "Bell Stane," the church bell having once hung from a post erected in it.
There's a picture on the Canmore website which shows it in 1902, and calls it The Bell Rock. And on a 25" map from 1900 it gets called Bellman's Stone, so it has a variety of similarish names to choose from. Maybe someone should go and tap it to see if it's really called the Bell Stone because it rings. Or, since we're in Scotland, could it even be a Bel stone like Beltane. I mean maybe you would ring a bell from it, though you'd think it'd be better to ring it from the church itself - it seems a bit like a convenient way to Christianise it perhaps. Ah the realms of speculative folklore etymology.
Rhiannon Posted by Rhiannon
31st July 2013ce

Comments (1)

"Ah the realms of speculative folklore etymology."

Niche? You? Never.
thesweetcheat Posted by thesweetcheat
1st August 2013ce
You must be logged in to add a comment