“Stories of Stonehenge”

PodcastHistoryTravel
Written By Jessica Howe

Episode 2

sunset stonehenge.jpg

“The trembling peasant, lost in legends wild

Of stranger crags by Merlin’s spell-work pil’d,

Breathless admires--then turns with hurried glance,

Nor counts the shapes that leads ‘The Giant’s Dance.’

--Frederick Bowman--Stonehenge, A Poem: 1823, pg. 4

This poem, written by Frederick Bowman in 1832, encapsulates the mysterious string of legends attributed to the origin of the ancient megalithic monument we know today as Stonehenge.  Standing tall and magnificent above the sweeping expanse of the Salisbury Plain in Southern England, Stonehenge has captivated the imagination for centuries.  The mystery of its construction continues to baffle historians and scientists alike, though many colorful and fascinating theories have flourished from the question of its origin. 

On today’s episode of The Enchanted Path, we travel deeper into Wiltshire--and explore one of the most recognized and admired ancient wonders of the world-- Stonehenge.  

An 1829 engraving by Robert Wallis, depicting the painting by Joseph William Mallord Turner

An 1829 engraving by Robert Wallis, depicting the painting by Joseph William Mallord Turner

First Impressions

It is said that as one approaches Stonehenge from a distance, it first appears small.  The open breadth of land surrounding it allows for a clear view from miles away.  Just as one would approach the zenith peaks of mountains across the plains, as Stonehenge comes closer into view, the sheer size and scale of the monument begins to come into perspective.  And in the immediate presence of the stones, their towering height humbles the observer.  In centuries past, it was believed that the stones had to have been natural--that they could not possibly have been built by man.  

Dancing Giants 

One of the earliest legends tells of giants to explain the origin of the standing stones.  Legend describes that the stones were once the bodies of giants, who turned into stone while dancing in a circle and holding hands.  And it isn’t much of a stretch to see why our ancestors might have believed that.  From their perspective on the ground gazing upward, the presence and height of the stones would have been giant-sized--and the connecting stones might have resembled a chain of arms in a dancing circle.  To stand in the center of such a place and look around, to take in the magnitude of it all--what else could have possibly created such a thing?

The Origin

Today, we have innumerable scientific methods and theories to rationalize how and why Stonehenge was built.  But they are still just that--theories.  Some are more practical and thoroughly explored than others, and yet--the mystery prevails to elude and captivate us.  Just as it has compelled people to visit the site and develop their own ideas for centuries.  

Early Construction

The construction of Stonehenge is estimated to have begun around 5,000 years ago, on an open plain of chalk bedrock in modern-day Wiltshire.  This natural clearing would have been unusual at the time, back when the majority of the country was heavily forested.  The earliest efforts of the build began in 3000 BC, when antler picks were used to carve into the earth and dig a large, circular ditch.  The white chalk would have been piled high to create an inner and outer bank--and the completed circle was about 100 meters in diameter, with two breaks for entrances.  Fifty-six open pits were originally located along the inner bank.  They may have once held stones, or timber posts, and it’s likely that there were timber structures enveloping the site between the outer and inner bank. Researchers have excavated the remains of 150 individuals, from an estimated 64 cremations--indicating that Stonehenge was a massive burial site in its earliest stage. This was but one phase of many in the megalithic site’s development.  


The Standing Stones

The next phase of the build involved sourcing and moving the massive stones that we recognize today.  Work began in 2500 BC, and researchers believe that the construction would have spanned over a thousand years.  Generations of people would have continued the painstaking work of dragging, transporting, and raising these enormous stones.  The central structure of Stonehenge consists of two kinds: The large sarsen stones, and the smaller bluestones.  Sarsen is a form of silcrete rock found across southern England.  It’s likely that the ones used to build Stonehenge were pulled from an area known as the West Woods near Marlborough Downs, about 20 miles away.  On average, the sarsen stones weigh about 25 tons each, with the Heel Stone being the largest at 30 tons.  The origin of the Bluestones are more enshrouded in mystery, though it is now believed that they came from the Preseli Hills in Southwest Wales.  These stones would have travelled over 150 miles to the site, and weigh between 2 and 5 tons each.  They are named “bluestones” for the bluish tinge they take on when freshly broken or wet.  Some believe that the bluestones were relocated from other existing stone circles, at the time.  The final variation found at Stonehenge is the Altar Stone, which is made from a form of sandstone native to the Black Mountains of Southeast Wales.


Methods and Techniques

Some of the more curious aspects of Stonehenge involve its construction methods, and carvings.  Woodworking techniques were used to join the lintels and upright standing stones.  Meticulously carved mortise and tenon joints connect the horizontal lintels to the upright stones, and they are slotted together with tongue-and-groove joints.  The lintels are actually cut wider at the top and narrower at the bottom, to account for the distorted perspective of a grounds-eye-view, gazing upward.  The large doorways of the Trilithons are framed like portals, and the span of lintels give Stonehenge its name--which roughly translates to “hanging stones.”  Towards the base of the megaliths are rough carvings of axe blades, all of which are positioned upward.  They may have once been painted.  

Every facet of this monument seems sharply deliberate, including the orientation of east to west.  Stonehenge was built to face the rising sun--just as the West Kennett Longbarrow, and other ancient burial sites across Wiltshire from this time.

A Fixed Point

The creation of Stonehenge bridges the Neolithic Period into the Bronze Age, marking a period in history where human beings developed farming, and began to settle into communities.  Building Stonehenge would have established a fixed point in the landscape, where they could gather together and track the movement of the stars above.  The people who built this did not yet have the technology of the wheel, and yet--stones weighing several tons a piece were somehow transported across miles of distance to the monument’s location.  One question pervades all of the centuries since--How?  How did they move these stones into place?  And furthermore...Why?

How?

Let’s begin with the “how” of it all.  There are many intriguing theories as to how the stones were transported and placed.  Some are rooted in legend, and others in modern scientific methods.  

The earliest and most colorful explanations are delivered to us through lore.

Merlin’s Story

The battle was ferocious.  Blood-stained and weary, King Aurelius Ambrosias’ army gathered their wounded survivors from the red tide that now soaked the once-emerald grass.  Slowly, determined, they lifted themselves-- scarred soldiers marred with the exhaustion and expense of a long fight against the Saxons. And now, this new conflict with the Irish.  The army had been sent on a mission across the Irish Sea to retrieve stones.  Great, extraordinary ones fabled to be eternal, said to have been carried there by the giants onto Irish soil long ago, from the far reaches of Africa.  Magical stones, that turned blue with the touch of the rain.  The king had ordered that these stones be transported back to England, to build an indestructible monument honoring the 460 Briton nobles who had fallen at the hands of Hengist the Saxon, in wars past.

Wiping the blood from his face and chest, one soldier glanced towards the dying sun and watched, as a figure gracefully stood atop a small hill and gazed across the field.  His blue eyes were creased in threads of gray, sharply focused, and the silver streaks of his beard glinted in the fading light.  He was Merlin--the greatest magician of the age, a prophet and advisor to the King--and their leader in this quest for the stones.  With a smooth and steady gesture, he beckoned for the men to follow him.  They passed through quiet acres of field and forest. Day turned to night, then night into day.  After travelling some distance, the men reached their destination.  At the height of the mountain Killdare, there it was.  The damp of the morning mist had saturated the stones to a deep blue color.  They stood, tall and still, encircled upon the silent landscape in waiting.  The men had found what they came for--The Giant’s Ring.

With all their might, the men tried to move the stones.  They used every tool, every muscle, and every scrap of will remaining from their long journey.  But, their immense effort  was to no avail.  These bluestones would not budge.  At the precipice of complete despair, the wizard approached.  He closed his eyes, and raised his hands, slowly.  The sky felt electric, as though charged by the approach of a lightning strike.  A faint buzzing sound reverberated in the air, and the men could feel it in the tips of their fingers, their toes...the hairs on their arms stood upright.  As though by magic, an unseen force began to levitate the stones.  One by one, their great mass lifted from the earth, floating across the emerald hills, away from the setting sun, and towards the eastern sea.  The wizard stood completely still, entranced, in a deep meditative state.  The intensity was palpable.  Men crossed themselves for fear, cowered low to the ground, and gazed in awe as the stones moved through the air.  The site of this was extraordinary, hypnotic, and unbelievable--somehow this was happening, right there before them.  They stared on in amazement.

When the task was done and the last stone lifted across the sea, the men began their long journey back to the Salisbury plain.  The bluestones lay in waiting for them, to be lifted upright and set into a very specific alignment.  They worked diligently under the expert direction of the wizard.  Each one had the sense that they were a part of something of greatness--though they could not understand the full spectrum as to why.  The build of Stonehenge continued across lifetimes, generations--and even beyond the remarkably long tenure of the wizard Merlin.  It is said that his magic had initiated the creation of the great stone circle.  His guidance had seen it through to completion.  And to this very day, the force that raised the stones continues to inspire and confound all who visit this ancient site.  

In the Time of Arthur

This is the legend of the wizard Merlin, and his role in creating the great stone circle.  The story first surfaced in a 12th century account by writer Geoffrey of Monmouth, in his book History of the Kings of Britain, c. 1136.  Across the 5th century, the Britons were battling the Saxons.  Their remains were buried on the Salisbury plain in southern England--the modern day location of Stonehenge.  This account connects to the Arthurian legends of the time, which were widely believed to be factual history.  King Aurelius Ambrosias was the brother of Uther Pendragon, King Arthur’s father.  It was Uther who led an army of 15,000 across the Irish Sea, under the guidance of Merlin to retrieve the stones.  One considerable snag in this timeline, however, is that the lives of Merlin and King Arthur would have begun many long centuries after the construction of Stonehenge.

The Devil as an Architect

Another more sinister story suggests that the Devil himself was the architect of Stonehenge.  In this tale, an old Irish woman was the owner of the bluestones.  The Devil disguised himself as a traveller, in an effort to trick the woman.  He promised that if she would allow him to take the stones, she could keep as many golden coins as she could count while he moved them.  The woman enthusiastically agreed, assuming that it would take ages to move the stones, if they could be moved at all.  With the dark flash of a smile, the stones were moved in an instant--and the woman was cheated from receiving any money.  From Ireland, the Devil transported the stones to Salisbury plain and arranged them in such a way that they could never be accurately counted.  However, it is said that one particularly bright friar managed to count the correct number of stones, and thwart the devil’s design.  In bitter retaliation, the devil threw one of the stones at the friar, which struck him on the heel and left a permanent dent in the stone.  This story became an explanation for the Heel Stone, which sits outside of the circle.  

Ancient Aliens

One theory credits ancient aliens with the stone circle’s construction.  Just as aliens have been accredited with the creation of the great Egyptian Pyramids, it is suspected they may have lent a hand in raising the monumental Stonehenge.  The arrangement of the stones is thought to be an early model of the solar system, and extraterrestrial knowledge could have helped broaden the understanding of the Earth’s place in a vast, evolving universe.  Some visitors have described seeing beams of light beckoning through the portals formed by the great trilithons, as though passing through would transport one to another dimension entirely.  In a place as remote as the Salisbury plain, an open view of the sky and the deep darkening of the night would illuminate one’s curiosity, as to what might lie beyond the heavens.  The clarity of the night would have presented a map of the stars above, and the fixed point of the stones an anchor for tracking their path.  The concept of Stonehenge as a prehistoric astronomical model is the prevailing idea that makes some suspect this initial nudge could have come from another realm entirely.

Science + Theories

Many practical, scientific theories have surfaced across the years as to how Stonehenge came to be, and the most fascinating part is that we are still discovering new information to this day.  One explanation suggests that large basket-like cages could have been woven from alder and willow saplings to drag the stones across the land, and perhaps floated them across water passages.  Another idea stems from mysterious stone spheres found near stone circles across Scotland.  Could the people who created this have moved the stones using ball bearings and grooved planks, similar to the spheres found today?  If they were to employ teams of oxen with this method, some researchers suspect they could have moved the stones about ten miles per day.  Perhaps they used large rollers fashioned from tree trunks to guide the stones across the land, and built rafts to float them across waterways.  But, would a wooden raft be capable of supporting the multi-ton weight of each bluestone?  In dissecting the practical possibilities and confronted by what an insurmountable task this was, theories supporting magical wizards and ancient aliens almost begin to seem more reasonable.  

An interesting account of possibility is demonstrated by the discoveries of a retired construction worker named Wally Wallington.  Wally resides in Michigan, and is known for recreating a full scale replica of Stonehenge in his yard.  Wally was able to spin large concrete slabs into place using walnut-sized rocks as pivots, and erected multi-ton stones by using beam levers.  Reportedly, he has successfully moved whole structures using this method--including an entire barn.  Wally’s monumental ambition may have proven that momentum, balance, and gravity were, in fact, the most powerful tools in the construction of Stonehenge.

A final thought on how the stones may have been moved leans on the idea of Glacial Erratics: Large stones that were carried great distances by moving ice floes.  There is no specific proof to be found that can confirm these massive ice sheets reached the south of England with monumental rocks.  And it cannot explain how the specific number of stones were arranged, or stacked.  The earth transforms across time, and the true story of how these stones came to this single location may forever remain a mystery.

And now…Why?

And now, for the deepest question--why?  Why was so much effort and care given across generations of time to create this?  Some believe that Stonehenge was built to be a solar calendar, that allowed people to track the movements of celestial bodies and mark the turn of the seasons.  Their year was 364 days, divided on the 365th day by the summer solstice.  On the summer solstice, the largest stone--the heel stone--splits the sunlight evenly across the rest of the circle.  The winter solstice is also believed to have been of paramount importance, to the creators of Stonehenge.  As a burial site, it’s possible that this was a place of gathering to honor and bury the dead.  Or, to make sacrifices, in the darkest time of year between death and rebirth in the natural world.  There is one stone known as “the slaughter stone,” said to turn  water red when the rain falls.  Some believe this occurs because the stone was steeped with the blood of countless animal sacrifices.  Others insist it happens because of a specific kind of algae that grows on the stone and dyes the water red upon contact.

Tales of the Druids

In the 17th and 18th centuries, a popular belief grew that Stonehenge was a sacred temple built for religious worship by the ancient Druids.  This idea is controversial today, as many historians point out that the presence of the Druids in the British Isles did not occur until at least 2000 years after the construction of Stonehenge.   “Druid” translates roughly to “One who knows the Oak Tree.”  Although very little evidence has survived from their time, Druids were strongly associated with oak forests and nature worship.  Whether Stonehenge was a temple, a burial ground, or a site of deep religious significance is impossible to know--especially because ancient societies like the Druids did not believe in recording their knowledge.  They faithfully preserved their culture through oral tradition, as they felt that writing things down weakened the memory.  Meetings and rituals were held in the shelter of great trees, because it was believed that the tree would hold memory of the event long past their ephemeral human existence. 

Perhaps the creation of Stonehenge was a way to establish a more permanent site for spiritual practices, where surrounding communities would know to gather together--with the belief that the stones would eternally hold the memory of their time.  Light scrapings on some of the megaliths indicate that the stones may have been carved to resemble wood.  Was Stonehenge built in memory of an old grove, or circle of trees that had once stood in that place?  Or, to mimic other sacred forested sites?  What is it about this specific location that was so significant that it required the strenuous relocation of mammoth stones?  

Moreso than any other ancient site in this part of the world, the circle at Stonehenge has captivated our sense of wonder for centuries.  The enigma of its origin and purpose is one that can never be fully answered.  Stonehenge will continue to eternally captivate us, and hold the secrets of the ages it has witnessed.  And we will continue to journey there, and stand in awe of its mysteries.  For we are enthralled by the things we cannot know.  

A view of Silbury Hill; Wiltshire, England

A view of Silbury Hill; Wiltshire, England

Personal Travels: Silbury Hill

I have not personally been to Stonehenge yet, but hope to travel there soon!  There is so much to see in Wiltshire, that it really needed a second episode.  Another site that I’ve experienced in  this area is Silbury Hill, which is located at the Avebury world heritage site and within walking distance of the West Kennet Longbarrow.  

Silbury Hill is another mysterious location, where--much like Stonehenge--we have no true idea why it was created.  At over 5 acres high, It’s the largest prehistoric mound in Europe--a completely manmade hill that was built around 2400 BC, raised in solid layers similar to a very large birthday cake.  Discs of chalk rubble were stacked, in a process where turf was allowed to grow between each section. Today the hill is covered in grass, but at the time of construction, it would have been a brilliant white color--the color of the natural chalk.  When you walk by it, it seems like a part of the landscape and also, completely out of place.  It’s just--really odd.  And intriguing.  

Throughout history, the hill has been excavated as archaeologists and treasure hunters alike have searched for new discoveries at the center.  One legend suggests that this may have been the final resting place of the mythic warrior knight, King Sil.  Some stories describe that he was buried here with his horse, and had turned to solid gold in death.  However, no buried treasure or ancient burial sites have been discovered--just the remnants of decaying moss and turf.  These shafts and tunnels had to be backfilled, as they were causing Silbury Hill to begin to collapse.  Efforts have been made to stabilize the site and preserve its structural integrity since the excavations.  

Another interesting aspect of Silbury Hill is its location--it’s positioned on a meridian line that connects it to the Avebury church, which stands on a ley line between Winterbourne Abbas and Stonehenge.  Whatever the original intention, the site on which Silbury hill stands seems to be deliberate, and significant.  

Closing

Thank you, everyone,  for listening in to this week’s journey on “The Enchanted Path!”  I wanted to share a couple of highly recommended museums for your travels, should you find yourself hanging about near Stonehenge.  The Salisbury Museum at The King’s House in Wiltshire, and the Wiltshire Museum in Devises are both excellent resources for learning more detailed info about the history.  I’ll include my research and links to these places in the show notes, for you all to explore further.  Having a rich context about the places you’re travelling to brings them to life, and I hope you’ve enjoyed hearing these stories today.  

This episode was written and produced by me, Jessie Howe!  You can find all resources and episode transcripts for The Enchanted Path Podcast on my website, The Adventures of Jessie and the Grumpy Gnome, at jessie.and.grumpygnome.com.  Our podcast is streaming on platforms including Spotify, Anchor, and Apple Podcast.  If you enjoyed this episode, please consider supporting the show by joining our Patreon--The Enchanted Path Podcast.  Memberships start at just $1, and give you exclusive access to early releases, bonus episodes, artwork, music, custom merch, and monthly gift boxes!  

Thank you for listening, and until next time--happy adventures!

Jessica Howe
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