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Alba ✯ Éire ✯ Mannin ✯ Cy…

Mên-an-tol (for Pam).

by Andy Rodker
Mên-an-tol; simply Cornish for holed stone.
A mysterious monument. The experts have no idea what this was for. All they know is that the allignment of the stones has been altered in fairly recent history. The stones were originally in a triangle formation, again no one knows why, nor why they were re-positioned at some point in the past 300 years.
More recently, babies have been passed through the hole for good luck and "...the ritual of crawling through the hole nine times widdershins was said to cure rickets and scrofula" - Craig Weatherhill in 'Belerion, Ancient Sites of Land's End'.
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19 comments

Peter_Private_Box said:

Hi Andy

Nice pic, but do we know what secrets are held here? Does the sun align with the stones midsummer?? Or the shadow of the big pillar go through the hole to signify some pagan fertility festival..MMM?

Best Wishes
Peter
6 years ago

Andy Rodker replied to Peter_Private_Box:

Hi Peter,
Not sure if you read my notes beneath the shot.
I don't think I can do any more. This isn't the place to go into all the theories. It is a photo sharing website after all and we don't have the space for this here. But, as I mentioned in my notes, I have given some idea of the fact that NOTHING is known. There is more but short of quoting from a whole chapter I can only refer you back to Craig Weatherhill's excellent book, widely available.
Best wishes,
Andy
6 years ago

Andy Rodker said:

Thank you, Andreas!
6 years ago

ColRam said:

Je crois que la pierre ronde servait d'ancre pour des bateaux ! L'ancre était dimensionnée à la taille du bateau.
Il me semble que le national geographic avait fait un documentaire la dessus.
Maintenant je peux me tromper, Ils ont ont retrouvé dans les océans dans des ports très anciens qui ont été abandonnés
6 years ago ( translate )

Andy Rodker replied to ColRam:

LOL!!
Your boat theory made me laugh, Ramon!
6 years ago

William Sutherland said:

Exceptional shot!

Admired in:
www.ipernity.com/group/tolerance
6 years ago ( translate )

Jenny McIntyre said:

Oh this is fascinating Andy - it would be nice to find out why they were positioned like that and why that one stone has a perfect circle cut out. I guess I'm going to have to find Craig Weatherhill's book.
6 years ago

Andy Rodker replied to Jenny McIntyre:

I'm going to have to ask Craig for a share of royalties at this rate!
6 years ago

Pam J said:

OH IF...
6 years ago

Andy Rodker replied to Pam J:

INDEED, PAM!!
MANY THANKS.
6 years ago

Eric Desjours said:

Only one possible explanation and origin: aliens!
Lovely site and shot, Andy.
Have a nice week.
6 years ago

Eunice Perkins said:

Fascinating to see a site with so much history and mystery.
6 years ago

Keith Burton said:

We'll never know why................and that's part of what makes this sort of thing so fascinating!

I do know that they're very photogenic.................nicely taken Andy!
6 years ago

tiabunna said:

This looks very interesting indeed and well worth a visit, Andy. I'll take a guess that the ancient residents of the area invented croquet. :-)
6 years ago

Andy Rodker replied to tiabunna:

I can't remember if I added this to my suggestions for your visit, George. Probably not as I was very aware of your restricted time-frame!
6 years ago
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