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A Wicked Witch….
(David Gosling’s sculpture of the witch who turned the King into the King Stone)
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A Musical Witch
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…. and a lurking Wedding Witch (maybe!)
By their very distance in time, the origins and motivations of the builders of the various ancient monuments littering our landscapes can only ever be guessed at. But over the years various explanations and stories behind the origins of many ancient stone monuments have become enshrined in folklore. So we thought we’d take a brief look at some of the stories behind 5 of the most common Folklore Motifs.
Rocks thrown by Giants or the Devil
Crousa Common Stones © Chris Brooks
There are many instances of this story. Typically, standing stones have been set in place after an argument or competition between giants, (e.g. the Crousa Common Stones on the Lizard, see our earlier article for this story ) or as the result of a pact with the Devil, such as at the Devil’s Arrows near Ripon.
Their name, as the Devil’s Arrows, seems to have originated from the following story, which we had related to us by an hoary headed individual living in Boroughbridge, when soliciting information as to their history:
“There lived a very pious old man {a Druid should we imagine} who was reckoned an excellent cultivator of the soil.
However, during each season at the time his crops had come to maturity they were woefully pillaged by his surrounding neighbours; so that at this, he being provokingly grieved, the Devil appeared, telling the old man if he would only recant and throw away his holiness he should never more be disturbed in his mind, or have whatever he grew stolen or demolished.
The old man, like Eve in the garden, yielded to temptation, and at once obeyed the impulse of Satan for the benefit of worldly gain. So when the old man’s crops were again being pillaged, the Devil threw from the infernal regions some ponderous arrows, which so frightened the plunderers by shaking the earth that never more was he harassed in that way. Hence the name of the ‘Devil’s Arrows.’”
From the notes and queries section of ‘The Geologist’ for October 1860.
Entrances to the Underworld
The Piskey Hall at Trewardreva © Alan S
Several Cornish fogous, such as that at Trewardreva have legends of strange sounds emanating from them, as do several barrows e.g. Nempnett Thrubwell, which are considered to be possible entrances to a supernatural world of fairies or goblins.
At Glastonbury Tor, Geoffrey Ashe in his The Landscape of King Arthur mentions the local legends:
To this day you can hear local tales of a chamber below the summit, or a well sinking far into the depths, or a tunnel running all the way to the Abbey, a distance of more than half a mile. Rash explorers are supposed to have found a way in and to have come out insane.
Buried Kings and their Treasure
King Zil's Sepulchre © Jane Tomlinson
The archetypical example for this story is that of King Zil, supposedly buried upright beneath Silbury Hill on the back of his charger, with his chariot of gold. Of course, we now know, thanks to the recent excavation work to stabilise Silbury, that no such tomb exists, although Stukeley claims that the remains of a horse and rider were indeed discovered there in 1723:
In the month of March, 1723, Mr. Halford order’d some trees to be planted on this hill, in the middle of the noble plain or area at top, which is 60 cubits diameter. The workmen dug up the body of the great king there buried in the center, very little below the surface. The bones extremely rotten, so that they crumbled them in pieces with their fingers. The soil was altogether chalk, dug from the side of the hill below, of which the whole barrow is made. Six weeks after, I came luckily to rescue a great curiosity which they took up there; an iron chain, as they called it, which I bought of John Fowler, one of the workmen; it was the bridle buried along with this monarch, being only a solid body of rust . I immerg’d it in limner’s drying oil, and dry’d it carefully, keeping it ever since very dry. it is now as fair and entire as when the workmen took it up… There were deers horns, an iron knife with a bone handle too, all excessively rotten, taken up along with it.
There are several other similar legends, none of which have been proved, though the existence of Dark Age golden treasures such as at Prittlewell and Sutton Hoo provide some possible basis in historical fact for these stories.
Petrification
The Rollright Stones © Jane Tomlinson
Possibly the most common piece of folklore associated with ancient sites is that of petrification. Many stone circles are known as the Maidens or Ladies, supposedly young women turned to stone for dancing on the sabbath, eg the Merry Maidens or the Nine Ladies of Stanton Moor who were petrified dancing to the Devil’s fiddle playing. Alternatively, the stones were men, either sportsmen as at the Hurlers. In many of these cases, the stories may have originated in Puritanical times, when church attendance on the Sabbath was strictly enforced. The Rollright Stones which includes a circle, a standing stone and a burial chamber, takes a different angle on the petrification legend, claiming that a King, his men and a group of Knights were victims of a witch’s trick. The knowledge that the burial chamber is much earlier that the other stones at the site gives the lie to this particular legend, entertaining though it is.
Walking or Moving Stones
Minchinghampton, hot to trot? © Chris Brooks
The Tinglestone and Minchinghampton Longstone, both in Gloucestershire, are said to run around their fields when the clock strikes twelve.
The Whittlestone in Oxfordshire has a legend that when the clock strikes twelve it goes down to the nearby Lady Well to drink. Tom McGowen in Giant Stones and Earth Mounds hypothesises that “legends of stones that drink water may indicate that water was once poured over them – perhaps an effort to cause rain to fall?” We’ll reserve judgement on that one!
But it does seem that many sites have stones which either suffer from midnight thirst, or are said to dance around at certain times – the Rollrights previously mentioned do both!
Are there any legends or stories you’re aware of that don’t fit into one of the broad categories above? Tell us your stories in the comments!
A recent edition of Meyn Mamvro magazine included an article about this stone near to Coverack on the Lizard. Having previously documented many of the ancient sites on the Lizard, it seemed only right that I visit this latest addition to the list and report on it here.
The stone is quite easily found by heading SW from the junction near the Crousa Common stones. Continue down the lane for about half a mile. If you come to a small collection of houses on the left, you’ve passed the stone!
The Tide Stone sits in a small piece of rough ground and is accessed via a small wooden garden gate set into the hedge. The stone can be seen from the road, though I imagine it would be quite hidden in high summer.
Tide Stone gate
Tide Stone approach
On approaching the stone, it appears as an earth-fast triangular lump, and up close, on the rear left hidden from the approach view is the reason for the name of the stone.
Tide Stone
A depression contains a quantity of water. It is said that the level of the water rises and lowers with the tides. On my visit it looked as if the water was lower by about an inch from it’s highest mark within the depression, indicating a falling tide at the coast a mile or so away.
Tide Stone basin
There is apparently a perfectly sound geological reason for this phenomenon, to do with water tables and underground pressure, as documented in the original article, and the strange behaviour is not unique to this stone or indeed to this area.
It would be interesting to speculate on whether ancient man in prehistory would have been aware of such tidal stones, and if so, what use would have been made of them.
If you are aware of any similar stones, please let us know in the comments.
(All photos © Alan S.)
This stone at Fiddler’s Hill, close to Winterbourne Bassett and overlooked by The Ridgeway and the Marlborough Downs is probably a boundary marker. It doesn’t truly qualify for featuring here as it can’t be shown to have been of significance in prehistoric times.
Nevertheless it has a certain charm and commands attention, partly stemming perhaps from the fact it is the only upstanding feature for some distance in these flat fields, a fact not lost on the locals who leave liberal marks of their visits…
There’s something else about it. It was on that very part of the downs in the background, Hackpen Hill, that in 1645 John Aubrey, “discoverer” of Avebury was told of sightings of fairies. All nonsense of course. Although… upon examining our photographs we could almost believe a ghostly creature was dancing across the top of the stone!
The Lizard is a Cornish peninsular, ending in the southernmost part of mainland Britain – Lizard Point. The peninsular proper stretches south from the A394 between Helston and Falmouth, but for the purposes of this brief tour, we’ll concentrate on the area south of a rough E-W line along the Helford River to Helston. We’ll visit several prehistoric sites, and mention some other sites that may be of interest. Our journey however starts just north of this line, a short distance from Gweek, a small village that lies on the river. Gweek is famous for its Seal Sanctuary, signposted from the major junction by the river. To begin our journey, take the minor road heading directly north from the village, from opposite the local pub the Gweek Arms, to Tolvan Cross.
The Tolvan Stone (SW706277)
Tolvan Stone, Gweek. © Alan S.
This unique granite menhir stands in the back garden of a cottage at Tolvan Cross, and is over 7 foot tall. The stone is spectacularly close to the wall of the cottage (mere inches!), and permission must be sought to view the stone from the cottage owners. I’m told they’re friendly toward visitors, but on the few occasions I’ve personally been there no-one has been home. Towards the base of the stone, a large round hole measures 17 inches in diameter. This was used in fertility rites – the couple wanting a baby had to pass through the hole, or it could have been used for healing purposes.
In 1862, JT Blight in a journal for the Royal Institute of Cornwall described it thus: ”formerly a conspicuous object by the way-side. In the past 12 or 14 years a house has been built betwixt it and the road. It now forms part of a garden hedge“. Blight also wrote of a low barrow about 20 yards in diameter in a field adjoining the stone. Beside this was a cist which he referred to as a cradle used to place children in after they had been passed through the Tolvan. The site of the barrow is also Scheduled, and can just be made out as a slight rise in ground level in the field to the NE of the crossroads.
Slightly further north, and to the west is the Merther Euny Holy Well (a Cornish Cross marks the footpath to the well), but on this occasion we’ll return south to Gweek, and continue on to Mawgan-in-Meneage.
Mawgan Cross (SW707248)
Mawgan Stone © Alan S.
An inscribed stone on the village green at Mawgan in Meneage on the Lizard, standing at just under 7 feet high, this granite stone is placed on an ancient boundary line. The inscription is in Latin, and reads `CNEGUMI FILI GENAIUS’ which translates as `(the stone) of Cnegumus, son of Genaius’. The style of the lettering and the phrasing of the inscription have been considered to indicate a seventh-tenth century date. Above the inscription is a row of three incised stylised letters, written across the face and arranged one above the other. The upper and lower letters are versions of the religiously symbolic Greek letters ‘Alpha’ and ‘Omega’ respectively. The central letter is the letter ‘M’, which has been considered to represent ‘Maria’. The upper end-face of the memorial stone bears a square-section mortice to receive a missing cross head. Early Christian memorial stones were free-standing slabs lacking a distinct or separate carved head. The insertion of the mortice for the head on this slab reflects a later adaptation of the stone for a wayside cross. (Extracted from English Heritage’s Record of Scheduled Monuments)
Just east of Mawgan is an area investigated by Channel 4′s Time Team, the twin settlements of Gear and Caervallack. But we’ll head SW toward Garras then SE on the B3293.
Halligye Fogou (SW714239)
Halligye Fogou Entrance. © Alan S.
This fogou sits within a ‘Round’ in the Trelowarren Estate, and is home to hibernating bats. As such, access is restricted between October and May, and the site may now only be visisted between June and September. There is a good description of the Round and Fogou in English Heritage’s Record of Scheduled Monuments.
Driving past the Trelowarren Estate signs, after a mile or so we come to the Goonhilly Earth Station/BT Goonhilly, recognised by the enormous satellite dishes on the site. Just past this is a sign ‘National Nature Reserve’. Turn right and park in the small car park here. Walk from the car park via the pathway, turning right at the junction. Follow the path across to the fence of the compound. Turn left, and keep the fence on your right. The path swings round to the right, then round to the left again. After a short distance, the Dry Tree menhir can be seen on the right. Watch out for adders in season, apparently!
Dry Tree Menhir (SW725211)
Dry Tree Menhir. © Alan S.
This stone was re-erected in the 20th century, having been removed during the war when this area was part of RAF Dry Tree Station, one of a chain of secret radar stations built along Britain’s coast to provide early warning of an aerial attack. There is a barrow here too, just further on from the menhir, topped by an OS triangulation pillar! The menhir itself gives ample opportunities for comparative photographs – a standing stone with a massive satellite dish in the background!
Back onto the B3293 and continuing SE, those with a fondness for minor lumps and bumps can take the first turn on the left at Traboe Cross to see the Traboe Barrows. These have recently been the subject of a site cleanup by LAN (Lizard Ancient Sites Network). I may have been looking in the wrong place, but there wasn’t much to see on my recent visit.
Continuing down the B3293, after passing a couple of farm houses a garage appears on the right. Turn right after this garage (Zoar Garage) and park immediately. Walk along the lane until you reach the open ground on the right. Tucked away behind the garage is the first of three sites that may be related to the legend of St Keverne and St Just.
The gist of the legend is that St Just was visiting St Keverne, and enjoying the hospitality, having been given a fine chalice to drink from. When he left to make his way back to Penwith, St Keverne noticed the chalice was missing. This angered him, so he gave chase, picking up some boulders on his way. Seeing St Just, he called, and threw a stone, which landed close. St Just dropped the chalice and ran, whilst St Keverne threw two more stones after him before discarding the rest. We’ll visit the sites in reverse order:
The Three Brothers of Grugwith (SW761198)
Three Brothers of Grugwith. © Alan S.
This site is somewhat enigmatic – even the name is uncertain: Gugrith, Grugoth, Grugith, Crugith are all alternative names for this cist site that may be a collapsed dolmen, or may even be natural. It can be difficult to reach when the gorse and heather is in growth, and this is another site where adders may be found, so watch your footing! Telephone wires run overhead near the stones.
As far as the legend is concerned, are these the stones that St Keverne threw, or are they the ones he discarded after retrieving his chalice?
Continuing toward St Keverne, a cross roads has a pull in on the left. Park here and walk up the lane to the left.
Crousa Common Stones (SW776200)
Crousa Common Stones. © Alan S.
These stones are in the field on the left. The entrance to the field is in the NE corner of the field. There are usually four horses in the field. They can be very friendly/curious – I had two nuzzling my shoulders all the way to the stones on my last visit. Two stones, one standing, one fallen, about 15 feet apart, close to telephone wires again. What is it with telephone/electricity companies running wires close to prehistoric sites?
And the legend connection – were these the stones thrown after the departing St Just?
Leaving the field the way you came, and returning to the car, you pass a lane on the left. This lane is the next destination. Follow the lane for about 3/4 of a mile, to a sharp righthand bend. There is just room to briefly pull off the road here to follow a footpath to the left.
Tremenhere Menhir (SW778210)
Tremenheere Menhir. © Alan S.
This 10 feet high stone stood surrounded by thick deep mud on my recent visit, but provides totally different profiles dependent upon the angle it’s viewed from. Again, three or four horses often occupy the field, but these ones seemed content to leave me alone when last visited.
Was this the stone that convinced St Just to drop the chalice?
Our brief tour ends here, but Roskilly’s Farm is not too far away to indulge in an ice cream or other refreshments.
In addition to the above sites, the coastline of the Lizard area is blessed with a multitude of cliff castles and forts, and the major area of downs around Goonhilly is scattered with tumuli, barrows and settlement remains. But beware, as several of the ‘barrows’ are disguised buildings left over from WWII.
A Google map of the sites listed above is available.
First, there’s this superb footage taken on the ground
and second, there’s this aerial shot, a world exclusive for Heritage Action!
"I don't think it was made by an intelligent life form"
Amendment; Not quite the first crop circle in Wiltshire to appear, apparently oilseed rape crops comes up quicker than barley!… a farmer’s opinion
A guest feature by Albert Resonox
The Devil’s Stane looking north-east
The high wall surrounding The Swallow Hotel (formerly The Greystanes Hotel) Invergowrie, has a break in the north-eastern corner where a spiked iron railing is set around a paddock stone, known locally as The Devil’s Stane. This stone was said to be cursed, a cynical yet effective ploy by the then owners to stop children from climbing through the railings and playing on the stone, though I recall there were some brave souls who did not believe the curse (whether ill-fate was theirs… I’m afraid I can’t say!). The use of this stone pre-dates Christianity but the name alludes to a Christian legend, first mooted by Archbishop John Spottiswoode (1565 – 1639). The general gist of the legend is as follows…
In 697 AD, Saint Boniface was erecting, what is rumoured to have been the first Christian chapel north of the Tay, the devil however was walking by the river on the Fife shore when he spotted this activity, seeking to destroy the building he plucked an enormous boulder and flung it across the mighty river. God decided to protect his beloved saint and his works, and caused the stone to fly over half a mile beyond its target where it landed at its present site. This enraged his satanic majesty even more, so plucking an even larger boulder he flung again at the holy target, but this time the almighty stayed the flight of this projectile causing it to land in the waters of the Tay. The ensuing waves splashed the river’s waters against the devil’s legs causing immense pain and he fled back to his domain leaving Saint Boniface to finish his sacred works unhindered.
At low tide there is a large mound of rock visible in the river which is affectionately known as Whale Rock because of its resemblance to said mammal. There were also two other large stones by what was asserted to be the ruins of the ancient chapel which were known as The Goors Of Gowrie, and they were the subject of a prophecy by self-styled seer Thomas of Ercildoune (aka Tam The Rhymer).
“When The Goors O’ Gowrie come to land,
The Day Of Judgement is at hand.”
The construction of the railway to Perth did indeed bring the stones “to land”, but the predicted final trump never occurred.
The Devil’s Stane looking north-east
