Calanais Standing Stones

Calanais Standing Stones

Immovable Culture Heritage,Tourism

The Calanais Standing Stones (also known as Callanish Standing Stones) monument is a cruciform shaped stone circle with a central tall stone. It also includes a chambered cairn and rows and avenues of standing stones. It is located near the village of Calanais (also known as Callanish) on the west coast of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. The stone circle and its central stone was erected first around 2900BC. The chambered cairn was added around 500 years later, and it is guessed that the rows and avenues may have been added at the same time as the cairn. The central stone has an impressive height of 4.8 meters. There are numerous theories, legends and stories which attempt to figure out what the purpose of these stones are. In Outlander, a very popular novel series and TV show, the female protagonist is transported back to 18th century Scotland when she touches the central stone in a stone circle. The stone circle is fake (made of props), but it is said to be based on the Calanais Standing Stones. It is not known whether the local people believed that the stones would transport them through time, but it does speak to the impact of the stones. There are accounts from as early as 1680, that show that locals believed that that the stones were the remains of men who had sinned and were punished by the gods by being turned into stone. The stones were sometimes referred to as the “false men”, possibly for this reason. Others claim in their accounts that the site was used as a “heathen” temple where Druids worshipped. Another theory, with a bit more of substantial evidence, is the theory that the site was used as an astronomical observatory. As the stone circle was created first, it is thought that it was built to mark the position of the midwinter sun, as it would have shone through a gap in a nearby hill and the sun rays would hit the central stone. 500 years later, a cairn was built to house the dead and avenues of stones were presumably added around the same time. It is thought that the avenues were added to focus on a special lunar phenomenon which occurs every 18.6 years. Every 18.6 years the moon reaches a point in its long cycle where it rises and sets in its furthest points. When the moon is setting, it appears as if the silhouette of a lying down woman (known locally as “Cailleach na Mointeach” or “the old woman of the moors”) is skimming along the horizon to the south. She then disappears and reappears by lighting up the centre of the circle. It is thought that the local people would have walked southwards along the avenue to watch and celebrate this lunar phenomenon. Patrick Ashmore did excavations of the Calanais standing stones in the 70s and 80s, allowing us to date the stone circle back to 2900BC. He discusses in his work several possible reasons for the original purpose of the standing stones. One idea is that standing stone circles such as Calanais may have been constructed to establish or maintain social rank, almost like “bragging rights”. Another reason could have been territorial, to establish rights to the land and its resources. Within the same vein, its possible that they were constructed to foster a sense of community and identity within the local group of people. He also mentions how they may have been used for religious uses.

standingstones

Estimated 2900BC

lj77

Site

388

12/04/2022

04/26/2022 07:22:25 pm

https://calanais.org/explore/ , https://www.visitscotland.com/info/see-do/calanais-standing-stones-and-visitor-centre-p253191

cm x cm x cm

https://calanais.org/explore/ , https://www.visitscotland.com/info/see-do/calanais-standing-stones-and-visitor-centre-p253191

current,58.19759,-6.74513;

Calanais Standing Stones

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Archaeological

759

lj77@st-andrews.ac.uk