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Moderated by : Andy B , TimPrevett , coldrum , Klingon , MickM , TheCaptain , bat400 , davidmorgan , Runemage , SolarMegalith , sem
The Megalithic Portal and Megalith Map : Index >>
Stones Forum >> I would like to ask a question please about anglesey
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I would like to ask a question please about anglesey |
Anonymous
User not Registered |  Posted 07-01-2005 at 22:44
Hi.
It says people are welcome to ask questions here..
So, here is one of my many questions that I have.
I havent yet had a good search in the forum, or read much "in depth" or specialist materiel about stones.
But I do have a general basic education and self-reading about britains history, and am expanding my knowledge as best I can, in the areas Id like to learn about.
What I am interested in is The differentiation between the Druids and megalithic stones.
I read a lot of work that suggests anglesy was the centre of the druids teaching, even for europe too.
And I read the romans attacked the druid stronghold there, and wiped out all of the druids there.
Now Im wondering.... If the Druids really did have anything to do with the stones and their original builders.. Why is there not some large stonehenge-like stones at anglesey? Unless they were destroyed.
And if the druids were linked with the stones.... And the druid cenrte was anglesey... Why was Stonehenge (the biggest set of stones) situated in wiltshire? why there and why stones from wales? (I know this last question has probably been covered quite a lot sorry)
So.
Im just thinking that "really", all I ever read for shure is that "no-one" really knows "anything" for shure... As celtic and pre-celtic peoples didnt record anything or write it down.
And we know even less about the pre-celtic megalithic peoples.
Thanks
Am interested what anyone has to say.
Richard.
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ocifant
Joined:
13-10-2002
Messages: 186
from London
 OFF-Line
| Posted 08-01-2005 at 09:10
Interesting questions. I'll try to give me perspective on some of them, but as you say, no-one will ever really know.
First off, Anglesey. Yes, the Romans are supposed to have 'wiped out' the Druids there, *after they retreated* to the safety of the island. Have you been? There are a lot of remains on Anglesey. Din Lligwy Ancient Village is most impresssive.
Stonehenge is made primarily from local sarsen from the Marlborough Downs, and predates the Romans (and probably the druids!) by a significant amount, a conservative guess would be a couple of thousand years. The 'Welsh' Bluestones are amongst the smaller stones of Stonehenge. Was there a link? I've no idea, but even if stones were bought from Wales, it's a much easier trip to take smaller stones from Preseli to Wiltshire rather than trying to take the much larger sarcens from Wiltshire to Anglesey!!
My 2p worth...
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Anonymous
User not Registered | Posted 08-01-2005 at 16:15
What you say is true and makes sense of itself.
I guess then My only questions would now centre around "before" the celts and well established druids.
And focus on why that spot in wiltshire was contributed with the most work, and if "at that time" that area was some kind of capilat or centre for the country (of megalithic peoples).
Then I guess...In its time.. Hadrians wall was no capital, but a lot of work was put into it.... same as all the walled citys.
Hehe time seems to have no centres or capitals... just more movement.
Macchu pichu in south america comes to mind too.
Old places of importance..Long abandoned.
Then I guess wars can do that to places.
Or was it something else?
Hehe.
Anyways Thanks for the reply.
I will enjoy taking A look around now & sign onboard.
Peace.
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coldrum
Joined:
17-09-2002
Messages: 780
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| Posted 08-01-2005 at 17:16
Druids came after the building of the megaliths.
Most stone circles and megaliths were built during the neolithic and early bronze age.
Celtic temples have been excavated but were nothing compared the neolithic monuments.
Natural places have always been used as places of worship.The celts did also but dont seem to have had major monuments such as Stonehenge.
Celtic temples have been excavated though.
If Druids and celts did use the old monuments to worship at they dont seem to have left much evidence.Not to say they didnt use them,but might have been in a way that hasnt shown up in the archaeological record.
Being an island Anglesey might have always been considered a mystical place.In celtic myth there are magical islands mentioned.
Anglesey has quite a number of ancient remains that predate the iron age.
Bryn Celli Ddu being a neolithic chambered long barrow.
There are numerous standing stones and cromlechs (the remains of tombs) and ancient settlements.
http://www.anima.demon.co.uk/overview/anglesey.html
So being an island converred some special status to it which could be the reason why it was an important place to the Druids.
You might be interested in reading about Llyn Cerrig Bach.
Found there was a ritual deposit of Iron age items.
http://www.bath.ac.uk/lispring/sourcearchive/ns1/ns1mg1.htm
http://freespace.virgin.net/eflyn.owen/
As for Stonehenge,not sure.There is water nearby which always seems to have been important ritually.
Theres evidence that something that might be of a ritual nature was taking place there in the mesolithic.
There are a lot of other early neolithic monuments in the stonehenge area that predate stonehenge so the whole area seems to have something special about it.
I remember someone saying that maybe a meteorite had landed there so that was why it was important.
Who knows.
Perhaps just something to do with the landscape,something important to them but which we have overlooked.
http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/default.asp?wci=MainFrame&URL1=http%3A//www.english-heritage.org.uk/default.asp%3FWCI%3DNode%26WCE%3D8587
http://freespace.virgin.net/ancient.ways/stonehen.htm
An interesting book to read about British prehistory is Britain BC by Francis Pryor.
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sem
Joined:
12-11-2003
Messages: 1709
from Bridgend,S.Wales
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| Posted 08-01-2005 at 19:42
Richard talks here about the difference between the Druids and magalith builders.In all probibility one was a continuation of the other,just as in later years Christians incorporated earlier sites into their religion.
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templar
Joined:
20-07-2004
Messages: 31
from Cardiff
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| Posted 09-01-2005 at 11:28
Imagine that you are an embattled sect facing the might of the Roman army and being forced into smalle and smaller enclaves by a new religion. Odds are you're concentrating on surviving rather than building great new works. That's my take on it anyway!
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AngieLake
Joined:
12-03-2004
Messages: 550
from Newton Abbot, Devon
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|  Posted 10-01-2005 at 02:28
Hi Richard
Regarding the question on Why was Stonehenge built there, on Salisbury Plain?
I think you would find the book 'Uriel's Machine', by Christopher Knight and Robert Lomas interesting, as they had some fascinating theories about why some of these monuments were built as, and where, they were.
One reason for Stonehenge's placing could be its latitude, which would cause different views (angles) of sun, moon, and stars at certain times of the year through its many 'portals'.
The authors had a theory about the lozenge shaped patterns found on ancient monuments representing different latitudes of sites by the individual angles of their diamond shapes.
Another example of how something can be built in a special place, is Callanish, in the Isle of Lewis: - Because that circle is built at that latitude, and in that position, from it, the moon can be seen skimming along the southern horizon, (whose hills resemble the outline of the sleeping body of a woman) once every 18.6 years. Gerald Ponting, who made more discoveries at this site than most people, has written a handy little book about Callanish in the 'Wooden Books Ltd' series, and illustrates the latitude aspect there, and the moon's movements.
I hope I've made sense. I still struggle with all these theories. Those ancient people were real geniuses!
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Anonymous
User not Registered | Posted 11-01-2005 at 09:15
Anglesey was only the last stronghold of the Druids in Great Britain. The Druids still had power in Ireland into the 6th Century and possibly later.
Many of the Anglesey Druids would have fled to Ireland along well established trade routes to join their contemporaries when the Romans came knocking.
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Anonymous
User not Registered | Posted 11-01-2005 at 11:00
There are the remains of an impressive stone circle named Bryn-Gwyn Tre'r Dryw (SH462669). There are now only two stones left, both made up from different types of stone.
They are Avebury style huge. One is a tall block and the other is more blade shaped.
They are not signposted, but are within a field boundary less than two minutes from a convenient layby.
Unusual for Wales, in that the circle wouldn't have been out of place if ranked with the "super henges" of Wessex. Sadly apart from the two stones it has now been swept away and as the other posts above say most stone circles in Wales are small with low stones.
It's worth finding as it takes your breath away that anything that large could be so unknown.
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