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Apparently witches were dragged to the site and a chain would be looped through the eye hole and the witch chained to the site and burned....
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The Capstone of St. Lythans Cromlech will spin round three times on Midsummer's Eve. Wishes made at the site on Hallowe'en are guaranteed to come true, apparently. Guess where I'll be in late October...asking for a million pounds.
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There is more to the story of the White Cow associated with the Callanish Stone Circle. It is said that a woman was on the point of throwing herself into the see and drowning at a time of famine in the area when a beautiful white cow appeared from the sea. It ordered her to take her milking pail to Callanish, where she and her neighbours were able to milk it each night.
Everyone was able to milk a single pail until a witch came and milked the cow into a sieve until she was dry. The cow vanished from Lewis and never returned. (Source; Secret Britain, Guild Publishing, London).
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In 'Secret Britain', (published by Guild Publishing, London), it was said 'that in lean times, a beautiful white cow appeared at Mitchell's fold. No matter how many came to milk her, so long as each person filled just one pail, she would never run dry. But when an old witch called Mitchell milked her dry by milking her into a sieve she vanished, never to return.'
In some versions the cow is said to have transformed into the rampaging Dun Cow of Dunchurch, Warks, which was eventually killed by Guy of Warwick.
The story of the Witch and the White Cow is said to have been attached to the circle in the 18th Century. At around the same time, another story told of 'Medgel's Fold', a place where a giant kept his cows. The name is a suggestion that the circle was a 'pound' or 'fold' of a giant.
The story of the magic white cow is also associated with the stone circle at Callanish, Lewis.
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There is a story that tells of how the henge was given its name.
In the book 'Oxfordshire Folklore', by Christine Bloxham (tempus 2005), it is said that the Devil was playing a game of quoits and was told off by God, because it was a Sunday and there was to be no recreation.
In a petulant fit of anger the Devil threw the quoits as far as he could and where they landed became the site we now know.
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A Farrier from Hook Norton tells of how the King Stone got its unusual shape by saying an immoral king tricked Wayland Smithy into making enchanted armour for him, but upon wearing it he was twisted and deformed and turned to stone, for only the faeries could don that armour without risk of harm.
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In Christine Bloxham's book 'Folklore of Oxfordshire' (published by Tempus 2005), There is another version of the witch's rhyme, associated with the King Stone at the Rollright site, involving a Danish General and goes thus:Said the Danish General
If Long Compton I cou'd see
Then King of England I shou'd be
But replied the British General,
Then rise up hill and stand fast Stone
for Kind of England thou'lt be none
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In Christine Bloxham's book 'Folklore of Oxfordshire' (published by Tempus 2005), There is another version of the witche's rhyme, associated with the Rollright stones involving a Danish General and goes thus:Said the Danish General
If Long Compton I cou'd see
Then King of England I shou'd be
But replied the British General,
Then rise up hill and stand fast Stone
for Kind of England thou'lt be none Bloxham's book also tells that the stones can never be counted. A victorian baker, determined to count them accurately, brought a basket containing a pre counted number of loaves and put down one in front of each stone. But he either had not included enough loaves or they mysteriously vanished because he failed in his task.
Another legend says that if anyone can count the same amount of stones three times in a row, they shall have any wish granted.
The witch is said to have changed herself into an Elder tree. A festival of cakes and ale used to be held on Midsummer's Eve, when the Elder was in bloom. People stood in a circle around the tree and as they cut the trunk it would weep red sap, resembling the witch's blood, (blooding a witch is said to rid her of her magical powers) and the King Stone would move his head and watch the spectacle.
The last tale retold in Bloxham's book tells of the Dowser Enid Smithett, who when dowsing at the site of the Rollrights, felt faint and dropped her pendulum in the long grass. Instead of flopping to the ground, it stood rigidly, for some time....
A Farrier from Hook Norton tells of how the King Stone got its unusual shape by saying an immoral king tricked Wayland Smithy into making enchanted armour for him, but upon wearing it he was twisted and deformed and turned to stone, for only the faeries could don that armour without risk of harm.
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Jacksprat is an Oxfordshire bilbob. Now sadly abroad in East Sussex which, while very bracing on the downs, seems devoid of the stone circles he loves.
He is particularly fascinated in the folklore & fairy tales associated with ancient sites and how it is that these wonderful stones and locations have obviously enthralled and captivated us down the centuries.
Favourite sites: The Hawkstone and Rollrights.
Other interests include: speaking of himself in the third person, playing guitar, mandolin, cross running, rugby, playing bad chess.
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