10 Ancient Monument Story Posts

Stonehenge

Exclusive Photos Of The Stonehenge Mystery
Explanations as to why Stonehenge was erected are numerous, from the ridiculous (an ancient racecourse, a war memorial, the tomb of Boadicea, erected over a corn circle etc.) to the possible (energy centers, as astronomical alignments, for religious rituals etc.). The 'official' line is that it is ... Read full story

The Mystery Of The Three Hurlers Stone Circles
The Hurlers are three stone circles in a line and are said to be dated from around 1500-2100 BC, which makes them 3500 to 4000 years old. Some experts date them from the late Neolithic ... Read full story

The Ancients Secret Transmitters Of Energy
The modern idea of ley lines is usually attributed to Alfred Watkins who, in 1926, realised that standing stones, stone circles, earthworks and prehistoric mounds are found in straight lines. All Watkins was really doing, however, was ... Read full story

The Cornish Mystery Of Trevethy Quoit Stones
Part of the mystery of this ancient monument is the fact that even the experts can't be absolutely sure as to why the stones were erected in this particular way. The debate takes place because of their age. Estimates put this at around 3500BC ... Read full story

The Mystery Of The Cornish Roche Rock And Hermitage
As the shadows fall on Roche Rock, and it's tiny chapel, the wind howls over the heathland. It's not a place for the faint hearted. The ghost of an old tin miner casts his shadow with no earthly presence to be seen ... Read full story

Roche Rock

Woodhenge The Stonehenge Made Of Wood
Woodhenge is so called, as the name suggests, because it was a wooden structure similar to Stonehenge and is believed to have been set up during the Bronze age, maybe for religious rituals. The wood posts ... Read full story

The Secret London Stone The Stone Of Brutus
"So long as the stone of Brutus is safe, so long shall London flourish", so says an ancient legend. London Stone or the Stone of Brutus, as it is sometimes called, is one of the lesser known secrets of London ... Read full story

The Giants Of Somerset
The moors of Somerset and the south-west of England were once inhabited by giants - yes really, if you believe in magic that is. But there is proof. Look at the photo of Porlock church ... Read full story

The Curse Of The Pharaohs
While in the employ of the 5th Earl of Carnarvon, Howard Carter was excavating in the Egyptian Valley of the Kings. On the 4th of November, 1922 he came across a flight of stairs leading down to a blocked door covered in ancient ... Read full story

The Tristan Stone And King Arthur And His Knights
There are several stories about this stone and a probable link with King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. The one thing that is certain is that it dates back to the year 550. On the north side ... Read full story

The Tristan Stone

Other 10 Stories:
10 Ghost Story Posts
10 UFO And Alien Stories
10 Stories About Reincarnation
10 Story Posts Featuring Dreams
10 Mystery Posts About Cornwall
Top 10 Coincidence and Synchronicity Stories
10 White Feather Story Posts As Examples Of Messages From The Dead

Today: The Beginning Of The End Of Our Civilisation

Is today the beginning of apocalyptic happenings that will see the end of our civilisation?

I've previously published posts about Orion and how the constellation's belt has been replicated on earth by ancient civilisations at places such as the Hurlers Stone Circles and Thornborough Henge in Yorkshire England.

Why did these ancient civilisations respect Orion? Surely not simply as a calendar, this doesn't ring true.

When digging deeper into the mystery of Orion I came across the theory that the Transit of Venus, as it passes over the constellation of Orion, will signify 'the coming of the end of times'. The book the Orion Prophecy by Patrick Geryl and Gino Ratinckx, for example, believes this to be the case.

June 5th/6th 2012 are therefore significant days as there will be a Transit of Venus. Will this bring about catastrophic earthquakes and tidal waves as predicted by some?

I'm not an astronomer or even an astrologist but this is what was said in the Daily Mail about the Transit of Venus:

"June 5/6 is a significant date because there will be a Transit of Venus.

Although the Sun, Venus and Earth roughly line up every 584 days, the orbits of the Earth and Venus are tilted with respect to one another so Venus usually passes above or below the Sun with respect to the Earth.

A transit takes place only when the three bodies are in line, and this is rare. Transit of Venus occur only in 'pair of pairs' patterns, repeated every 243 years. Two transits take place in December (around the 8th of the month), eight years apart. One hundred and 21 years and six months later two June Transits occur (around June 7th), again eight years apart. After 105 years six months the pattern is repeated.

The first transit in the current 'pair' took place on June 8, 2004, the previous event having been December 6, 1882. The latest transit will take place over June 5th and 6th (2012).

The transit is an exciting time for astrologers, especially as Venus will be transiting the Sun in what is called a retrograde motion - it will appear to be going in the opposite direction of our planet.

Venus began its retrograde on May 15, 2012 and completes it on June 27, 2012."

Okay, but where does that lead us?

Firstly one date to notice in the above is the first transit of June 8, 2004. Six months following this was the dreadful 2004 tsunami and earthquake in the Indian Ocean. Think of this as you will.

Now we move on to what The Orion Prophecy suggests. The authors say an equivalent transit was in 9792BC which was the culmination of a cycle of the Mayan calendar - this, it is claimed, was when Atlantis was destroyed.

The book goes on to say that June 5/6 transit heralds a similar catastrophe which will occur on December 21, 2012 which is when the Mayan calendar completes its current cycle. This is why today June 5th 2012 is the beginning of the 2012 Phenomenon which, some would say, will lead to the end of our civilisation.

Personally I'm more positive. No one can deny that there are changes happening in 2012 already, think simply of the worldwide financial crisis and the uprisings in various countries.

Yes, change is on it's way, but life is change. Nothing stays the same. I'd like to think that 2012 heralds not disaster but a shift or transformation in mankind's outlook both spiritually and physically. The so called time capsule that is the 'Hall of Records' may not be some physical record but something we sense and feel inside.

There could be exciting times ahead. Perhaps that's why the ancients replicated Orion's belt on the ground, they knew something we have forgotten. 2012 may be our wake-up call.

Other Posts:
The Mystery Of The Three Hurlers Stone Circles
Mysterious Links Of The Ancients To Orion And The Afterlife
The Orion Bug Lets The Imagination Take Flight

The Ancient King Doniert's Stone Of Cornwall

The day we went to visit the Hurlers Stone Circles we also passed other Cornish ancient monuments. These included King Doniert's Stone or Men Myghtern Doniert - if you speak the Cornish language.

These stones are recent compared to the Hurlers. They only date back to the 9th Century whereas the Hurlers Stone Circles go way back to about 3000 BC.

It is believed the two granite stones are actually bases for Celtic Crosses. Each stone has a rectangular socket in the top, which would have held a wooden cross.

The shortest stone carries a Latin inscription: 'Doniert Progavit Pro Anima' which translates as 'Doniert ordered (this cross) for (the good of) his soul'.

Doniert was probably Durngarth a King of Cornwall who was drowned in the year 875.

In the the 17th century local miners, prospecting close to the crosses, broke into an underground chamber beneath the stones. Since then there have been various theories suggesting that the chamber might represent a chapel or vault associated with the stones. Or there again it could be simply remnants of the old mining industry. As with lots of ancient things in Cornwall there is often a mystery attached to them.

The stones are near St.Cleer, about a three miles north of Liskeard, by the side of a narrow road that also leads to the Hurlers Stone Circle and the Cheeswring.

Further Reading:
The Mystery Of The Three Hurlers Stone Circles
Hugging Hurlers Stone Circle Stones
Mysterious Links Of The Ancients To Orion And The Afterlife

Mysterious Links Of The Ancients To Orion And The Afterlife

In my recent post The Mystery Of The Three Hurlers Stone Circles I mentioned that there is a theory that the three circles mirror the belt of the constellation of Orion.

By coincidence I have just come across details of the three Henges at Thornborough, which is something I haven't seen for myself. The photo above is from Geograph.org.uk and is © Tony Newbould.

It is also claimed that Thornborough Henge, Yorkshire, has also been deliberately laid out to mirror Orion’s Belt. See how the middle circle is slightly off centre as is Orion's Belt.

From what I have researched the circles of Hornborugh Henge were constructed around 3000 BC so this would make them older than the Hurlers on Bodmin Moor, Cornwall.

Dr Harding an expert on this sort of thing is quoted as saying, "Thornborough was a sacred landscape, a place of religious worship, and we should try to interpret these astronomical orientations within that context.

This astronomical association was emphasised by the banks of the Henges being coated in brilliant white gypsum. Neolithic people surely felt they were at the centre of the very cosmos as they worshipped the heavens above."

It has also been theorised that the Egyptian pyramids have an alignment with Orion. In the Great Pyramid there are two shafts running from the burial chamber. These are aligned with various stars including the constellation of Orion - which was personified by the Egyptians as the god Sah.

Going back to Hornborough Henge this was an important ritual centre, going back as far as 4000 BC, for the Neolithic residents before the Henges were constructed.

So did different ancient groups of people pick on Orion purely as a calender or is there something much deeper associated with the alignments?  For example, the Egyptians associated the god Osiris with Orion.

Osiris is/was god of the dead and the Afterlife - and also of rebirth and fertility. Is this a possible connection?

And just to throw in one more thing, this time about the Hurlers, these just happen to be on what it known as St. Michael's Ley Line.

I have no real answers as yet! But I feel there is something that the experts are missing. Perhaps a Time Machine would help!

Further Reading: The Mystery Of The Three Hurlers Stone Circles

Hugging Hurlers Stone Circle Stones

This is really a P.S. for my previous post The Mystery Of The Three Hurlers Stone Circles on Bodmin Moor, Cornwall.

While we were walking over the moorland it was especially pleasant, despite the overcast sky, because there was no one else about. Being March the holidaymakers and tourists hadn't arrived. This meant we could wander round the Hurlers Stone Circles without any interruptions, even the wild ponies had moved on.

This may now sound silly to some readers but Karin and I chose our favourite stones.

The photo above is the one I picked and Karin's was two along from mine, more rounded at the top. I unfortunately forgot to take a photo of hers.

"Let's give them a hug," I suggested.

"You what?" said my wife.

There was no one about, other than a few sheep, so we did, despite Karin's lack of enthusiasm.

As I was next to my stone I could feel my heart almost glowing as it lay against the granite surface. There was a definite tingle - okay might just have been imagination, but the stones must have stored something over 3,000+ years. Ghosts are thought, by some, to be strong emotions locked into the buildings or rooms. That's why the some ghosts do the same thing over and over - a little bit of the past has been locked in the walls. The same could be said about stone circles.

We both left our respective stones and Karin said words to the effect of, "That's odd, my fingers started to tingle as I held the stones. Probably my imagination."

Okay, we didn't get any great meaningful insights, or see scenes from the past but the stones did seem to hold a power. If you are ever in the area go hug a stone!

The Mystery Of The Three Hurlers Stone Circles

As I said in yesterday's post my wife, Karin, and I have been walking on Bodmin Moor in Cornwall with the prime aim of visiting the ancient Hurlers stone circles. Unfortunately it was an overcast day so the photos aren't too special but the sun did break through on occasions, as in the above picture.

The Hurlers are three stone circles in a line and are said to be dated from around 1500-2100 BC, which makes them 3500 to 4000 years old. Some experts date them from the late Neolithic period and others to the early Bronze Age. There are also two other monoliths, The Pipers, which are situated about 100m south-west of the center circle.

The Hurlers stone circles bring forth many questions such as : Why three of them, when one was enough for the likes of Stonehenge? What were they used for? Why would people want to create them? And so on, and so on.

The oldest answer comes from the late 1500s when a historian, William Camden, wrote in olde English: "The neighbouring inhabitants terme them Hurlers, as being by devout and godly error perswaded that they had been men sometime transformed into stones, for profaning the Lord's Day with hurling the ball."

There were always simplistic religious answers back in the 1500s and 1600s: The Hurlers are men turned into stone because they dared to play the Cornish game of Hurlers on a Sunday! The two other stones were the Pipers who played music at the same time. I guess not many people will accept this as being true nowadays! Oh, and there is one other legend about how it is impossible to count the number of stones in the circles.

Today we have other ideas as to what the Hurlers were all about but the truth is that no one really knows. They may have been for some form of ceremonies or perhaps they defined a meeting place for nearby inhabitants. There is also a new(ish) theory that the stones are aligned to the constellation of Orion, but more on this later.

Since the three thousand years or so of their erection some of the stones have fallen and some have become buried. The following is a diagram showing the stones formations and the position of the Pipers - which could be for astronomical purposes or perhaps simply as an entrance or boundary markers.

The two outer circles are just that: circles. But the middle is more elliptical. This is something I have seen with other such formations - at Woodhenge, for example.

As I've already said no one is sure as to the purpose of the stone circles. One theory put forward by Brian Sheen, a retired research chemist and astronomer of the Roseland Observatory, links the Hurlers to the constellation of Orion and that they are a primitive calender.

Mr Sheen explains: "As far as I can tell these Hurlers, a series of three stone circles, actually mirror the belt of Orion. Just once a year at the winter solstice Orion passes due south at midnight.

What happened is that this allowed the ancient people to tell the half way point between the autumnal equinox and the vernal equinox. This was important because they were starting to grow things and look after animals. They were becoming farmers instead of hunter-gatherers.

It confirms that the people that built the Hurlers around 1500 BC were fully aware of day length and season and had more knowledge of astronomy than we thought."

Bodmin Moor can be an inhospitable place when the weather is bad. There is about 80 square miles (208 sq km) of granite moorland, some parts with strange names as Brown Willy (the highest point in Cornwall), Rough Tor and Stowe's Hill, with it's Cheesewring - the high ground in the photo below.

The Cheesewring has strange rock formations but they are all natural. The name is taken from it's resemblance to the piled slabs of a 'cheesewring', which was a press-like device that was once used to make cheese.

And, of course, being Cornwall there has to be a legend to the Cheesewring! This is how it is described on Wikipedia:

"The Cheesewring is the result of a contest between a man and a giant. When Christianity had just been introduced to the British Islands, the giants who lived at the top of the mountains were not happy about this. The Saints had invaded their land and were declaring their wells as sacred. One of the larger giants, Uther, was given the task of ridding their land of the Saints.

He confronted the frail St Tue, who proposed a rock throwing contest. If Uther won, the Saints would leave Cornwall. If St Tue won, then the giants would convert to Christianity. Uther took his turn first and easily threw a small rock to the top of nearby Stowe's Hill.

St Tue prayed for assistance, and picking up a huge slab found it was very light. One after the other, they threw their rocks, stacking them up in perfect piles. When the score was twelve stones each, Uther threw a thirteenth stone, but it rolled down the hill. St Tue picked up this fallen stone, and as he lifted it, an angel appeared to carry it to the top of the pile of rocks. Seeing this, Uther conceded, and most of the giants decided to follow Christianity after that."

This was our walk on Bodmin Moor completed for the day: Ancient Stone Rings, wild ponies and horses, strange natural rock formations, open spaces and, of course those legends and myths.

Other Cornwall Posts:
The Holy Well Of St Sampson At Golant In Cornwall
The Magic Of Fowey Cornwall
In Search Of Celtic Crosses At St.Winnow In Cornwall

Cornwall Photos & Posts on Mike's Cornwall blog