Turned to Stone for Partying at the Weekend
What Makes Stonehenge so Special?
Theories abound as to how monuments such as those at Stonehenge were formed, but does the truth lie in Neo-Pagan folklore? As crowds of revellers once again flock to Stonehenge this weekend to celebrate the summer solstice, what is it about the ancient site that leads so many to choose the location for their ritualistic celebrations?
Megalithic sites have long been used to hold Neo-Pagan ceremonies and perform rituals - and not just because they are seen as symbols of pre-Christian religions or ‘dead relics of extinct societies’. In research just published in the academic journal Folklore, author Ethan Doyle White investigates the widespread belief that the stones are alive. Folklore suggests megaliths were once humans turned to stone either for ‘revelling on Sundays’ or as a result of encountering a witch (as was allegedly the case for a king and his knights on the hillside of the Rollright Stones). Folktales that megaliths have human qualities propose that nearby trees ‘bleed’ human blood when cut and that stones will travel to local streams for an evening drink.
Ethan Doyle White also unearths the differing choices of megalithic sites for Wiccans and Druids. He emphasises that Druids generally choose ‘larger, better-known sites’ such as Stonehenge because they attract larger audiences for their public religion with its celebratory rituals. Meanwhile, Wiccans typically choose ‘smaller, lesser-known, and more shielded sites’ and perform their rituals naked at midnight when there are fewer people around as theirs is a more secretive religion, with the ‘controversial banner of witchcraft’.
Ultimately, megalithic sites are chosen because of the ‘archaeological and folkloric connections to ancient paganism’ that they represent: factors of great importance to Neo-Pagans worldwide.
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When referencing ‘Devil's Stones and Midnight Rites: Megaliths, Folklore, and Contemporary Pagan Witchcraft’, Please include the text: ‘Folklore, published by Taylor & Francis’ and the following statement:
* Find out more about ‘Devil's Stones and Midnight Rites: Megaliths, Folklore, and Contemporary Pagan Witchcraft’ at http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/0015587X.2013.860766
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