Fig. 49.—Cresset-stone, Lewannick. From Baring-Gould’sStrange Survivals.
Fig. 49.—Cresset-stone, Lewannick. From Baring-Gould’sStrange Survivals.
Baring-Gould[108]has written on the question of sacrificial and sacred fires in ancient times in Britain, and points out that there still remain in some of our churches (in Cornwall, York and Dorset) the contrivances—now called cresset-stones—used. They areblocks of stone with cups hollowed out precisely as described by Robertson Smith. Some are placed in lamp-niches furnished with flues. On these he remarks (p.122):—
“Now although these lamps and cressets had their religious signification, yet this religious signification was an afterthought. The origin of them lay in the necessity of there being in every place a central light, from which light could at any time be borrowed.”
I have shown that the sacred trees in Britain, whether rowan, thorn or mistletoe, were at their best at the times of the festivals at which they were chiefly worshipped. Mrs. J. H. Philpot, in her valuable book on “the sacred tree,” gives us the names of some used in different countries; it would be interesting to inquire whether the same consideration applies to them in the Semitic and other areas.
There seems to be no doubt that the Semitic Asherah was the precursor of the British Maypole, even to its dressing of many coloured ribands, and from the Maypole customs we may infer something of the Semitic practices which have not come down to us. Even “Jack o’ the Green” may eventually be traced to Al-Khidr (p. 29) of the old May festivals.
Here we find only trifling differences. The chiefone is the use of pins in Britain. If we knew more about the Asherah with its hooks this difference might disappear.
It has been pointed out by several authors that the worship of wells and water would be most likely to arise in a dry and thirsty land.
Here we find beyond all question that the festival times were the same to begin with. May is the chief month both in West Asia and West Europe.
It was not till a subsequent time that June and December were added in Egypt and Britain, and April and September among the Jews.
Here again is precise agreement. The list I gave onp. 205of what can be gathered from British folklore is identical with the statements as to Semitic practices which I quoted from Robertson Smith in the last chapter.
Absolute identity; and from this we can gather that the ancient condition of the high places wherever selected for temple worship was as treeless as it is now; otherwise the observations of sun- and star-rise and -set would be greatly interfered with.
Of course, there may have been “groves” associated with, but away from, sanctuaries in both Semitic and British areas: but it is not impossible that much which has been written on this subject with regard to Britainand the “Druids” may have been suggested in part by the erroneous translation of Asherah to which I have referred. It has also been stated that an early transcriber who, in error, substituted lucus for locus may also be held partly responsible, even if lucus does not mean a clearing in a grove, as some maintain.
The year-gods in Babylonia and Egypt respectively were Baal and Thoth. It is worth while to inquire whether either name has made its appearance as a loan-word in the traditions of Western Europe.
About Baal there can be no question as to the coincidence, whether accidental, as some philologists affirm, or not.
We find Bel or Baal common to the two areas. Mr. Borlase informs us (op. cit., p. 1164) that in Western Europe Bel, Beal, Balor, Balder, and Phol, Fal, Fáil are the equivalents of the Semitic Baal. Balus, indeed, is named as the first king of Orkney. A May worship is connected with all the above. Beltaine and many variants describe the fires lighted at the festival, and it is worthy of note that although this fire worship has been extended to the solstitial ceremonials in June, the name Baltaine has never been applied to it at that time except by writers who think that the term “midsummer” may be applied indiscriminately to the beginning of May and the end of June.
I next deal with the Egyptian year-god Thoth. In Greece he became Hermes, among the Romans Mercury. In this connection I can most usefully refer to Rhys’s Hibbert Lectures and his chapter on the GaulishPantheon. He tells us (p. 5) that “Mercury is the god with whom the monuments lead one to begin.” There is also mention of a god Toutates or Teutates, and a Toutius, who might have been a public official (? priest of Toutates). Only Celtic or other later origins of the words are suggested; it is not said whether the possible Egyptian root has been considered.
We may even, I think, go further and ask whether some of the constellations were not figured as in Egypt, otherwise it is difficult to account for the horror of the black pig (p. 195) at Hallowe’en. The whole Egyptian story is told in myDawn of Astronomy[109]in connection with the worship of Set, that is the stars visible at night, blotted out at dawn by the rising sun, or becoming predominant after sunset.
Here also, as I have shown, is complete agreement. The same astronomical methods have been employed for the same purpose. The chief difference lies in the fact that by lapse of time the precessional movement caused different stars to be observed as clock stars or to herald the sunrise on the chief ceremonial days.
[100]Dolmens of Ireland, p. 426.[101]“France, indeed, furnishes us with a stepping-stone, as it were, between the natural cave and the dolmen in certain artificial caves which offer comparison both with the former and the latter... the natural cave was scooped out into a large chamber or chambers either by the swirling of water pent up in the limestone or other yielding rock and finding its way out through some narrow crevice. The ground plan and section, therefore, is that of anallée couvertewith a vestibule... the artificial cave is modelled on the natural one, and yet bears, as M. Mortillet points out, a close resemblance to the dolmen.”[102]Wandle,Remains of Prehistoric Age in England, p. 147.[103]It is interesting to point out in relation to the fact that different swarms successively introduced the May and solstitial years that the “sleeping rooms” of the May year cairns at New Grange are about 3 feet square, while at the solstitial Maeshowe, built very much later, the dimensions are 6 feet × 41⁄2feet. There were differences of sleeping posture in the old days among different peoples as well as different methods of burial.[104]Borlase, p. 617.[105]“The Builders and the Antiquity of our Cornish Dolmens,” by Rev. D. Gath Whitley (Journal R.I. Cornwall, No. 4).[106]Book of Brittany, p. 21.[107]History of the Semites, p. 364.[108]Strange Survivals, p. 122.[109]Pp. 146, 215, and elsewhere.
[100]Dolmens of Ireland, p. 426.
[101]“France, indeed, furnishes us with a stepping-stone, as it were, between the natural cave and the dolmen in certain artificial caves which offer comparison both with the former and the latter... the natural cave was scooped out into a large chamber or chambers either by the swirling of water pent up in the limestone or other yielding rock and finding its way out through some narrow crevice. The ground plan and section, therefore, is that of anallée couvertewith a vestibule... the artificial cave is modelled on the natural one, and yet bears, as M. Mortillet points out, a close resemblance to the dolmen.”
[102]Wandle,Remains of Prehistoric Age in England, p. 147.
[103]It is interesting to point out in relation to the fact that different swarms successively introduced the May and solstitial years that the “sleeping rooms” of the May year cairns at New Grange are about 3 feet square, while at the solstitial Maeshowe, built very much later, the dimensions are 6 feet × 41⁄2feet. There were differences of sleeping posture in the old days among different peoples as well as different methods of burial.
[104]Borlase, p. 617.
[105]“The Builders and the Antiquity of our Cornish Dolmens,” by Rev. D. Gath Whitley (Journal R.I. Cornwall, No. 4).
[106]Book of Brittany, p. 21.
[107]History of the Semites, p. 364.
[108]Strange Survivals, p. 122.
[109]Pp. 146, 215, and elsewhere.
The previous pages of this volume have apparently dealt with two distinct subjects; the use of the British monuments on the orientation theory, and the folklore and tradition which enable us to get some glimpses into the lives, actions, habits and beliefs of the early inhabitants of these islands, and the region whence these early inhabitants had migrated.
But although these subjects are apparently distinct, I think my readers will agree that the study of each has led to an identical result, namely, that in early times it was a question of the May year, and that the solstitial year was introduced afterwards. This was the chief revelation of the monuments when they were studied from the astronomical point of view.
Without confirmation from some other sources this result might have been considered as doubtful, and the orientation theory might have been thought valueless. It has, however, been seen that folklore and tradition confirm it up to the hilt. I think it may be said, therefore, that the theory I put forward in this book touching the astronomical use of our ancient temples is so far justified.
The British monuments I had considered before this appeal to tradition was made were the circles at Stonehenge,Stenness, The Hurlers and Stanton Drew, and the avenues on Dartmoor. These were studied generally, the main special result being that to which I have referred; we not only found alignments to sunrise and sunset on the critical quarter-days of the May years, but we found alignments to the stars which should have been observed either at rising or setting to control the morning sacrifices.
But this inquiry had left out of account several circles in south-west Cornwall, of which I had vaguely heard but never seen. When I had written the previous chapters showing how fully May-year practices are referred to in the folklore of that part of the country, I determined to visit the circles, dealing with them as test objects in regard to this special branch of orientation. I had not time to make a complete survey; this I must leave to others; but with the help so readily afforded me, which I shall acknowledge in its proper place, I thought it possible in a brief visit to see whether or not there were any May-year alignments. In the following chapters I will give an account of the observations made, but before doing so, in order to prove how solid the evidence afforded by the Cornish monuments is, I will state the details of the local astronomical conditions depending upon the latitude of the Land’s End region, N. 50°. In the chapter containing some astronomical hints to archæologists I referred (p. 122) to the solstice conditions for Stenness beyond John o’ Groat’s, because those conditions afforded a special case, the solstice being determined by the arrival of the sun at its highest or lowest declination, which happens on particular dates which recur each year. But with regard to theMay year, during the first week of May the sun’s declination is changing by over a quarter of a degree daily, so that we must not expect to find the declination of 16° 20′ (seep. 22) rigidly adhered to.
As I have shown (p. 23), the sun’s passage through this declination four times on its annual path on the dates stated accurately divides the year into four equal parts. But this accuracy might have been neglected by the early observers, so that, for instance, the sun’s position on the 4th or 8th of May instead of that on the 6th might have been chosen as being in greater harmony with the agricultural conditions at the place.
The conditions of the sunrise from John o’ Groat’s to Land’s End, 2′ of the sun being visible above the sky-line, can be gathered from the followingdiagram:—
Larger diagramFig. 50.—Place of first appearance of the May sun, in British latitudes.Vertical axis: N. LAT. From bottom: 48-59.Horizontal axis: AZIMUTHS. From left: 55-67.Curves, from left: HORIZON, 0° HILL, 2°HILL.
Larger diagram
Fig. 50.—Place of first appearance of the May sun, in British latitudes.
Vertical axis: N. LAT. From bottom: 48-59.Horizontal axis: AZIMUTHS. From left: 55-67.Curves, from left: HORIZON, 0° HILL, 2°HILL.
Vertical axis: N. LAT. From bottom: 48-59.
Horizontal axis: AZIMUTHS. From left: 55-67.
Curves, from left: HORIZON, 0° HILL, 2°HILL.
The exact azimuths for this sunrise in the Land’s End region (Lat. 50°) in relation to the place of the sunrise when half the sun has risen, with a sea horizon, are shown inFig. 51.
Fig. 51.—Showing the influence of the height of the sky-line on the apparent place of sunrise in May and August. The double circle shows the tabular place of sun’s centre.
Fig. 51.—Showing the influence of the height of the sky-line on the apparent place of sunrise in May and August. The double circle shows the tabular place of sun’s centre.
One of the best preserved circles that I know of is near Penzance. It is called the Merry Maidens[110](Dawns-Maen), and is thus described by Lukis[111](p.1):—
“This very perfect Circle, which is 75 feet 8 inches in diameter, stands in a cultivated field which slopes gently to the south.
“It consists of 19 granite stones placed at tolerably regular distances from each other, but there is a gap on the east side, where another stone was most probably once erected.
“Many of the stones are rectangular in plan at the ground level, vary from 3 feet 3 inches to 4 feet in height, and are separated by a space of from 10 to 12feet. There is a somewhat shorter interval between four of the stones on the south side.
“In the vicinity of this monument are two monoliths called the Pipers; another called Goon-Rith; a holed stone (not long ago there were two others); and several [5] Cairns.”
Lukis thus describes the“Pipers”:—
“Two rude stone pillars of granite stand erect, 317 feet apart, and about 400 yards to the north-east of the Circle of Dawns-Maen. No. 1 is 15 feet high, 4 feet 6 inches in breadth, and has an average thickness of 22 inches, and is 2 feet 9 inches out of the perpendicular. The stone is of a laminated nature, and a thin fragment has flaked off from the upper part. No. 2 is 13 feet 6 inches high, and is much split perpendicularly. At the ground level its plan in section is nearly a square of about 3 feet.”
Goon-Rith is next described:—“No. 3 is naturally of a rectangular form in plan, and is 10 feet 6 inches in height. The land on which it stands is called Goon-Rith, or Red Downs. The upper part of the stone is of irregular shape.”
Borlase, in hisHistory of Cornwall(1769), only mentions the circle, but W. C. Borlase, in hisNænia Cornubiæ(1872), gives a very rough plan including the stones before mentioned and several barrows, some of which have been ploughed up.
At varying distances from the circle and in widely different azimuths are other standing stones, ancient crosses and holed stones, while some of the barrows can still be traced.
The descriptions of the locality given by Borlaseand Lukis, however, do not exhaust the points of interest. Edmonds[112]writes asfollows:—
“A cave still perfect... is on an eminence in the tenement of Boleit (Boleigh) in St. Buryan, and about a furlong south-west of the village of Trewoofe (Trove). It is called the ‘Fowgow,’ and consists of a trench 6 feet deep and 36 long, faced on each side with unhewn and uncemented stones, across which, to serve as a roof, long stone posts or slabs are laid covered with thick turf, planted with furze. The breadth of the cave is about 5 feet. On its north-west side, near the south-west end, a narrow passage leads into a branch cave of considerable extent, constructed in the same manner. At the south-west end is an entrance by a descending path; but this, as well as the cave itself, is so well concealed by the furze that the whole looks like an ordinary furze break without any way into it. The direction of the line of this cave is about north-east and south-west, which line, if continued towards the south-west, would pass close to the two ancient pillars called the Pipers, and the Druidical temple of Dawns Myin, all within half of a mile.”
This fougou is situated on a hill on the other side of the Lamorna Valley, near the village of Castallack, and the site of the Roundago shown in the 1-inch Ordnance map.
Borlase[113]says that many similar caves were to be seen “in these parts” in his time, and others had been destroyed by converting the stones to other uses.
There is evidence that the circle conditions at the Merry Maidens were once similar to those at Stenness,Stanton Drew, the Hurlers, Tregaseal and Botallack, that is that there was more than one, the numbers running from 2 to 7. Mr. Horton Bolitho, without whose aid in local investigations this chapter in all probability would never have been written, in one of his visits came across “the oldest inhabitant,” who remembered a second circle. He said, “It was covered with furze and never shown to antiquarians”; ultimately the field in which it stood was ploughed up and the stones removed. It is to prevent a similar fate happening to the “Merry Maidens” themselves that Lord Falmouth will not allow the field in which they stand to be ploughed, and all antiquarians certainly owe him a debt of gratitude for this and other proofs of his interest in antiquities. Mr. Bolitho carefully marked the site thus indicated on a copy of the 25-inch map. I shall subsequently show that the circle which formerly existed here, like the others named, was located on an important sight-line.
Mr. Horton Bolitho was good enough to make a careful examination of the barrows A and B of Borlase.[114]In A (S. 69° W.) he found a long stone still lying in the barrow, suggesting that the barrow had been built round it, and that the apex of the barrow formed a new alignment. In B there is either another recumbent long stone or the capstone of a dolmen. This suggests work for the local antiquarians.
I should state that there may be some doubt about barrow A, for there are two not far from each other with approximate azimuths S. 69° W. and S. 64° W.The destruction of these and other barrows was probably the accompaniment of the reclamation of waste lands and the consequent interference with antiquities which in Cornwall has mostly taken place since 1800.
Photo. by Lady Lockier.Fig. 52.—The Merry Maidens (looking East).
Photo. by Lady Lockier.
Fig. 52.—The Merry Maidens (looking East).
But it did not begin then, nor has it been confined to barrows. Dr. Borlase, in his parochial memoranda under date September 29, 1752, describes a monolith 20 feet above ground, and planted 4 feet in it, the “Men Peru” (stone of sorrow) in the parish of Constantine. A farmer acknowledged that he had cut it up, and had made twenty gate-posts out of it.
My wife and I visited the Merry Maidens at Easter, 1905, for the purposeof making a reconnaissance. Mr. Horton Bolitho and Mr. Cornish were good enough to accompany us.
On my return to London I began work on the 25-inch Ordnance map, and subsequently Colonel R. C. Hellard, R.E., director of the Ordnance Survey, was kind enough to send me the true azimuths of the Pipers. In October, 1905, Mr. Horton Bolitho and Captain Henderson, whose help at the Hurlers I have already had an opportunity of acknowledging, made a much more complete survey of the adjacent standing stones and barrows.
In this survey they not only made use of the 25-inch map, but of the old plan given by W. C. Borlase dating from about 1870. Although the outstanding stones shown by Borlase remain, some of the barrows indicated by him have disappeared.
In January, 1906, my wife and I paid other visits to the monuments, and Mr. Horton Bolitho was again good enough to accompany us. Thanks to him permission had been obtained to break an opening in the high wall-boundary which prevented any view along the “Pipers” sight-line. I may here add that unfortunately in Cornwall the field boundaries often consist of high stone walls topped by furze, so that the outstanding stones once visible from the circles can now no longer be seen from them; another trouble is that from this cause the angular height of the sky-line along the alignment cannot be measured in many cases.
I will now proceed to refer to the chief sight-lines seriatim. The first is that connecting the circle which still exists with the site of the ancient one. On thisline exactly I found four points, a barrow (L) which Borlase had missed (further from the circle than his barrow A), the site, the present circle, and the fougou; azimuth from centre of circle N. 64° E. and S. 64° W. This is the May-year line found at Stonehenge, Stenness, the Hurlers and Stanton Drew.
In connection with this there is another sight-line which must not be passed over; from the circle the bearing of the church of St. Burian is about N. 64° W.; like the fougou it is situated on a hill, and near it are ancient crosses which I suspect were menhirs first and crosses afterwards.[115]However this may be, we see in this azimuth of 64° three times repeated that the May and August sunrises and sunsets and the February and November sunsets were provided for.
With regard to the other sight-lines I will begin with that of the Pipers, as it is quite obviously connected with the eastern circle only; the stones could not have been seen from the other on account of rising ground. The barrow shown in this direction by Borlase has now entirely disappeared, and the earth has evidently been spread over the surroundingfield; its surface is therefore higher than formerly, so that when the opening was made in the wall the top of the nearest piper could not be seen from the centre of the circle; an elevation of about 2 feet from the ground level was necessary. Walking straight from the circle to the first piper, the second piper was exactly in a line, though at a much lower level. This showed that the Ordnance values were not quite accurate, which was not to be wondered at as no direct observation had been possible. I therefore adopted the mean of the Ordnance values as the trueazimuth:—
The sky-line from the centre of the circle was defined by the site of the vanished barrow, angular elevation 20′, and it is highly probable that the function of the barrow when built was to provide a new sight-line when the star-rise place was no longer exactly pointed out by the piper line.
With these data the star in question was Capella, dec. 29° 58′ N., heralding the February sunrise, 2160B.C.
I next come to the famous menhir Goon-Rith. The conditions are as follows:—from the circle Az. S. 81° 35′ W. Altitude of sky-line 34′.
Concerning this alignment from the circle, it may be stated that it cuts across many ancient stones, including one resembling a rock basin or laver, and another either a holed stone or the socket of a stone cross. I suspectalso the presence in old days of a holy well attached to the circle, for there is a pool of water in a depression which is shown in the 25-inch map.
I regard it as quite possible that we are here in presence of the remains of a cursus, an oldvia sacra, for processions between the circle and the monolith.
I have not been able to find any astronomical use for this stone from the circle or from the site of the old one, but if we suppose it to have been used like the Barnstone at Stenness for observationsoverthe circle its object at once becomes obvious.
From the azimuth given, the declination of the star was 5° 24′ N. Now this was the position of the PleiadesB.C.1960, when they would have warned the rising of the May sun.
So that it is possible that the erection of the Pipers and of Goon-Rith took place at about the same time, and represent the first operations.
The next alignment has an azimuth of S. 69° W. from the circle; it would be the same within a degree from the site of the one which has disappeared; altitude of sky-line 32′; this line is to a stone cross on rising ground,[116]doubtless a re-dressing of an old menhir, and on the line nearer the circle are the remains of a barrow.
With these data the star in question was Antares, dec. S. 13° 18′, heralding the May sunrise 1310B.C.
There is another stone cross defining a line az. N. 11° 45′ E. from the circle, altitude of sky-line about the same as along the Piper azimuth; an intervening house prevents measurement. These values give us N. dec. 38° 46′, referring to Arcturus warning the August sunrise in 1640B.C.
The three alignments already referred to, then, give us the warning stars for three out of the four quarter-days of the May year.
There is still another stone cross, Az. N. 82° 5′ W., hills about 34′. This has no connection with the May year, but may refer to the equinoctial one.
W. C. Borlase refers to several holed stones. The data for two of these, supplied by Capt. Henderson, are asfollows:—
Azimuths near these have been noted before at other circles, and it must not be forgotten that as the holed stones on my view were used for observation, these azimuths must be reversed, since it is probable that the observations were made over the circle. If this were so, then S.E. would be changed into N.W., and we should get N. 50° 33′ W. indicating the solstitial sunset. Similarly, S.W. would become N.E., and we should have N. 79° 25′ E., possibly a Pleiades alignment.
I have brought together in the following table all the sight-lines so far referred to. Where the altitude of the sky-line has been measured it is marked with a *.
Larger mapFig. 53.—25-inch Ordnance Map of Merry Maidens, showing alignments.
Larger map
Fig. 53.—25-inch Ordnance Map of Merry Maidens, showing alignments.
In the map the probable site of the second circle and the barrows have special marks attached to them. The numbers of the alignments in the table are also shown in the map.
TABLE OF ALIGNMENTS.
[110]I may here remark that “9 maidens” is very common as a name for a circle in Cornwall. It is a short title for 19 maidens. Lukis implies that Dawns-Maen once consisted of 20 stones. If all the circles followed suit it would be interesting to note if the present number of 19 is always associated with a gap on the eastern side. The “pipers” are, of course, the musicians who keep the maidens merry, as does the “blind fiddler” at Boscowen-un Circle.[111]Prehistoric Stone Monuments, Cornwall.[112]The Land’s End District, p. 46.[113]Antiquities, p. 274.[114]Nænia, p. 214.[115]InA.D.658 a council assembled at Nantes decreed:—“As in remote places and in woodlands there stand certain stones which the people often worship, and at which vows are made, and to which oblations are presented—we decree that they be all cast down and concealed in such a place that their worshippers may not be able to find them.”“Now the carrying out of their order was left to the country parsons, and partly because they had themselves been brought up to respect these stones, and partly because the execution of the decree would have brought down a storm upon their heads, they contented themselves with putting a cross on top of the stones.”—Book of Brittany, by Baring-Gould, p. 20.[116]With regard to this Mr. Horton Bolitho has sent me the following note:—“The rising ground here is called locally ‘Lanine Hill’ (spelt Lanyon and pronounced Lanine); this is worth noticing, as it is the same name as the dolmen six or seven miles away from Boleit, and in the same district as the Men an Tôl and Boskednan Circle, to say nothing of Lannion in Brittany. Lan signifies something sacred, the place of the saint, or belonging to the saint.”
[110]I may here remark that “9 maidens” is very common as a name for a circle in Cornwall. It is a short title for 19 maidens. Lukis implies that Dawns-Maen once consisted of 20 stones. If all the circles followed suit it would be interesting to note if the present number of 19 is always associated with a gap on the eastern side. The “pipers” are, of course, the musicians who keep the maidens merry, as does the “blind fiddler” at Boscowen-un Circle.
[111]Prehistoric Stone Monuments, Cornwall.
[112]The Land’s End District, p. 46.
[113]Antiquities, p. 274.
[114]Nænia, p. 214.
[115]InA.D.658 a council assembled at Nantes decreed:—“As in remote places and in woodlands there stand certain stones which the people often worship, and at which vows are made, and to which oblations are presented—we decree that they be all cast down and concealed in such a place that their worshippers may not be able to find them.”
“Now the carrying out of their order was left to the country parsons, and partly because they had themselves been brought up to respect these stones, and partly because the execution of the decree would have brought down a storm upon their heads, they contented themselves with putting a cross on top of the stones.”—Book of Brittany, by Baring-Gould, p. 20.
[116]With regard to this Mr. Horton Bolitho has sent me the following note:—“The rising ground here is called locally ‘Lanine Hill’ (spelt Lanyon and pronounced Lanine); this is worth noticing, as it is the same name as the dolmen six or seven miles away from Boleit, and in the same district as the Men an Tôl and Boskednan Circle, to say nothing of Lannion in Brittany. Lan signifies something sacred, the place of the saint, or belonging to the saint.”
There are two circles situated on Truthwall Common near to Tregaseal and not far from St. Just; the one is nearly to the east of the other, and there are outstanding stones, including four holed stones, and several barrows. The eastern temple has a diameter of 69 feet, and includes, at the present time, nine erect and four prostrate stones; the original structure seems to have contained twenty-eight stones according to Lukis.
My wife and I visited the region in January, 1906, but previously to our going Mr. Horton Bolitho, accompanied by Mr. Thomas, whose knowledge of the local antiquities is very great, had explored the region and taught us what to observe.
The chief interest appears to lie on the N.E. quadrant, where, in addition to a famous longstone on a hill about a mile away, the nest of holed stones and several of the barrows are located. Carn Kenidjack, a famous landmark, lies to the north.
Of the two circles, I confined my attention almost exclusively to the eastern one, as the other is in afragmentary condition, though it is still traceable. It is hidden almost entirely from the eastern circle by a modern hedge.
Mr. Horton Bolitho, who accompanied us in January, has again visited the spot, with Mr. Thomas, for the purpose of further exploration, and determining the angular height of the sky-line along the different alignments, which I have plotted from the 6-inch and 25-inch maps. My readers will therefore see that my part of the work has been a small one, and that they are chiefly indebted to those I have named.
No theodolite survey has as yet been made for determining the azimuths and the height of the hills. The following approximate azimuths have been determined by myself from a 25-inch map, and the elevations by Mr. Horton Bolitho by means of a miner’s dial.
The carn referred to in the above table is Carn Kenidjack, called “the hooting cairn.” The rocks on the summit, in which there is a remarkable depression, are still by local superstition supposed to emit evil sounds by night.
Photo. by Lady Lockyer.Fig. 54.—The Eastern Circle at Tregaseal.
Photo. by Lady Lockyer.
Fig. 54.—The Eastern Circle at Tregaseal.
Of the sight-lines studied so far, those to and from the Longstone and the holed stones seem the most important. The Longstone,[117]11⁄2miles to the N.E., is a monolith 10 feet high on the western side of a hill; it is visible from the circle though furze has grown round and partly hidden it.
The meanings of the various alignments seem to be asfollows:—
Regarding the possible solstitial alignments, the declinations obtained may be neglected until the azimuths and angular heights of the hills have been determined with a good theodolite. A change of -10′ in the angular elevation, and hence about that in the resulting declination, would bring the date given by the barrows to about 2000B.C.
The position of the Longstone is well worthy of attention. Several very fine monuments which mark the surrounding horizon are visible from it in azimuths with which other monuments have made us familiar. They are asfollows:—
These values, of which the angular heights of the hills were determined approximately from the contours on the 1-inch Ordnance map, lead us to the followingdeclinations:—