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Mother hills and Phallic stones

I borrowed a library map of the Lleyn peninsula lately and noticed that there was about 10 standing stones not yet added to the MA so I added them and have just finished visiting them,
and came to a rather rude conclusion, it's probably best not to read this to small children.

Firstly I was hoping to get up to Tre'r Cieri the city of the giants (if it's name doesn't entice you here nowt will) but low clouds deterred me and I decided to take another look at Bach Wen dolmen, it is a fine construction in a wild area inbetween the sea and the mountains with purportedly more than a hundred cup marks on the top of the capstone but lots of them are so faint I couldn't make out more than fifty, also from here you can see Yr Eifl and Tre'r Ceiri and they did not look like they were going to be free of clouds any time soon so I thought it best to crack on with the stones.

Llwyndyrys — Images

07.07.07ce
<b>Llwyndyrys</b>Posted by postman

The closest was Llwyndyrys menhir so I made for this one. I asked a farmer for permission (which always gives me a good vibe) and found the stone easily enough. It seemed to have a man made quality to it, not shaped but almost like concrete, anyway it was about 7ft tall pointy and in full view of Mynnyd Carnguwch, on top of which is a massive cairn, and was by now free of cloud so it was back to the car .

Mynydd Carnguwch — Images

07.07.07ce
<b>Mynydd Carnguwch</b>Posted by postman

On the way from stone to hilltop cairn I was really struck by it's breast like appearance, the hill on it's own would have made a nun blush but the big cairn at it's summit was just too much and my palms began to sweat.
I parked the car and got a wave from a passing farmer so felt encouraged to make my own way up, it was a long walk up, and I noticed that there wasn't particularly lots of stone around so the ancients must have carried most of it to the top. Upon reaching the top I half expected to find a passage and chamber, but this isn't that kind of cairn, it is really big, but I think it's been built on top of a natural hillock the grass poked through in several places and on top the cairn had been scooped out to provide a shelter from the wind or someone had dug just to have a look either way the natural ground had been exposed . This to me can only mean that there is no burial, it's landscaping of an extreme type, they saw a boob shaped hill with a small nipple on top so they all climbed up and made it bigger to make the perfect mother hill .I defy anyone who does not see a breast when looking at Mynnyd Carnguwch.

Y Ffor Menhir — Images

07.07.07ce
<b>Y Ffor Menhir</b>Posted by postman

Next I went to YFfor menhir, close to the dolmen but easier reached from the village itself, a footpath goes past it so it's not hard to find. The map says down the road is another standing stone but it is recumbent, but when you see this one you wonder if this one is too but the map doesn't say owt, it certainly doesn't stand upright but it does point straight at Mynnyd Carnguwch, I was beginning to get a funny feeling about this place the mother hill and it's many standing stones, Time for one more before I go home.

Tir-Bach — Images

07.07.07ce
<b>Tir-Bach</b>Posted by postman

Tir Bach is named after the farm on which it stands, permission absolutely should be sought,
The couple who own the land were very nice and surprised that someone had come to see their stone (though some old chap had turned up wanting to paint it once).Before returning to hole digging for draining purposes they told me that the stone wasn't "adopted" by anyone but three boffins from CADW had looke dat it and said the stone was in upside down but had been so for millenia, there is also two quartz lumps sticking out and then had rings carved round them. There is loads of graffitti on it from the 19 and 18 century, dates and initials mostly
There is no view to the sacred hill because of high river bank and trees but the stone has one very flat surface on its northern side, aligned perfectly east-west. That can't be a coincidence.

Five days later I was back, Tre'r Ceiri was even more lost in clouds and it rained more or less constantly but the other standing stones I saw only reinforced the naked symbolism I'd began to uncovered.

Moel Gwynus — Images

14.07.07ce
<b>Moel Gwynus</b>Posted by postman<b>Moel Gwynus</b>Posted by postman

Moel Gwynysgwynus standing stone was off the edge of my map so I had to roam around guessing, decked out in wellies and waterproofs I strode all over the hillside safe in the knowledge that it was here somewhere, I could see in the distance a large something by the fence was it a feeding trough or a big stone? I got there and was pleased to find a huge stone somewhat like a recumbent stone from an RSC it was part of a really low stone wall where only the biggest stones were left, was it once standing? I couldnt tell, no stone hole no weathering at one end. It was intriguing, but from here I could see the real stone I'd come to see. As I walked down to it I noticed Myynyd Carnguwch and Yr Eifl hiding in the rain and mist. The stone is about 6ft tall and has two smaller stones at its foot, from one point the three stones look like (I'm trying to be tactful) Penis and testicles, sorry, but they reaaly do I dont know how ancient the two small ones are they're not in the ground just on it, a farmer with a sense of humour perhaps, but then theres that big hill over there, always suggestive.
On the way back down to the car there was another big stone that looked like a stander, by a fence again, was this another standing stone. The possibilities around here never stop.
On the way back to the car I ended up walking round in circles Iv'e no idea why I just felt very disroiented.

Tir Gwyn 2 (south) — Images

14.07.07ce
<b>Tir Gwyn 2 (south)</b>Posted by postman

Tir Gwyn 1 (North) — Images

14.07.07ce
<b>Tir Gwyn 1 (North)</b>Posted by postman

Not far to the south are the Tir Gwyn standing stones permission to view them should be sought at the farm/house of the same name.I didn't though and was forced to walk quite away,
but I did walk straight to the northern stone hidden from the house by a bush covered wall. Tir Bach north is a tall stone shaped like a half moon, located in one corner of a field, from here you can see the southern stone in the other corner of the same field.These two stone almost reminded me of the Piper stones in Landsend. Once again Mynnyd Carnguwch is highly visible not far away.
Tir Bach south is taller than it's distant partner and is kinda twisted in shape and looks like its doing the jive. That big hill can be seen here too.

A bit of a drive to the next one, nearly one kilometre north of Betws Fawr farm, but parking is available just east of the farm near a track that goes north straight to the stone but beware the track is really muddy and cows use it often, mainly as atoilet I think. At the end of the track and through the right hand gate nthe stone is in the middle of the field. This is the tallest and widest stone so far and was a welcome shelter from the wind and the rain.

Betws Fawr — Images

14.07.07ce
<b>Betws Fawr</b>Posted by postman

Tall and smooth and of uniform girth till at the top it gets pointy, I wish there was more you can say about a single stone, hmmmm the grass was wet. Trees hid the horizon for 180 degrees,
but from the corner of the field through the mist
I could see a hill, it was in the right direction but was about 9km away and it wasn't clear enough to definatly say it was "that hill" but I have a sneaky feeling.

Tyddyn Mawr — Images

14.07.07ce
<b>Tyddyn Mawr</b>Posted by postman

Last on todays list was Tyddyn Mawr standing stone , there is no where good to park so just get in anywhere then follow the path keeping trees to your right and the high curving bank to your left when the trees stop jump the fence and follow the telegraph pole. The stone is 6-7 ft tall and has a half buried stone afew feet away (fallen menhir?) and 20 metres away a big rock outcrop. The stone almost looks human as if turning in mid stride. It was far too misty now but I feel sure that my beloved Mynnyd Carnguwch was out htere somewhere. I was getting wet now, waterproofs don't stay that way all day, I walked back to the car.

I don't know if Iv'e discovered something new or unknown but it certainly convinced me, there are 8 standing stones around the hill with a cairn on it,(who knows how many have gone) all tall and pointy, if we were at West kennet they'd be male. Burial chambers abound around the Lleyn pen, but just here with in site of Mynnyd Carngwuch the solitary standing stone is the monument of choice.Theres lots of stones along this coast but there arn't many places with this high concentration of menhirs .They saw a hill that seemed obviosly female and felt the need to balance it out. Maybe the cairn was part of female Goddess worship and a later male society tried to overwelm the area with these tall stones.Or perhaps Ive just been in the field for too long, Either way I'll be back for another attempt at Tre'r Ceiri to see if any further insights come to mind, this crappy weather wont last for ever ........ will it ?
postman Posted by postman
17th July 2007ce
Edited 28th July 2007ce


Comments (2)

Nice blog Chris.
It sounds like you had a crackin' day.
cheers
fitz
fitzcoraldo Posted by fitzcoraldo
18th July 2007ce
Fascinating blog, love to read about Welsh stones ;).
Tyddyn Mawr stone and its nearby outcrop makes me think of Cope's Gorsedd theory..... an assembly place, Gorsedd is Welsh for throne, these small rocky outcrops must have been very striking in the landscape, they would acquire names in prehistory and become focal points like the hills.
moss Posted by moss
20th July 2007ce
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