Featured: Exploring Avebury: The Essential Guide - New Expanded Edition!

Exploring Avebury: The Essential Guide - New Expanded Edition!

Random Image

Carn Ban (Mull)

Carn Ban (Mull)

Circles of Stone - Max Milligan

Circles of Stone - Max Milligan

Login

Register here - as a registered user you get more features and fewer ads.

Who's Online

There are currently, 404 guests and 5 members online.

Sponsors

Stonehenge Druids 'mark Wrong Solstice' Wiltshire

Submitted by coldrum on Thursday, 23 June 2005  Page Views: 7117

Stonehenge

<< Events >>

Country: England County: Wiltshire
Internal Links:

Stonehenge.
Stonehenge. submitted by wiztwas : Summer Solstice 2005 (Vote or comment on this photo)
Modern-day druids, hippies and revellers who turn up at Stonehenge to celebrate the summer solstice may not be marking an ancient festival as they believe, writes Charles Clover, Environment Editor of the Telegraph

The latest archaeological findings add weight to growing evidence that our ancestors visited Stonehenge to celebrate the WINTER solstice.

Analysis of pigs's teeth found at Durrington Walls, a ceremonial site of wooden post circles near Stonehenge on the River Avon, has shown that most pigs were less than a year old when slaughtered.

Dr Umburto Albarella, an animal bone expert at the University of Sheffield's archaeology department, which is studying monuments around Stonehenge, said pigs in the Neolithic period were born in spring and were an early form of domestic pig that farrowed once a year. The existence of large numbers of bones from pigs slaughtered in December or January supports the view that our Neolithic ancestors took part in a winter solstice festival.

The revellers at Durrington Walls, the largest ceremonial site in the country and even larger than Avebury, are also thought to have feasted on cattle and aurochs - an extinct wild ox - before going to Stonehenge while fires burned on cliffs or hill tops. Prof Mike Parker Pearson of Sheffield university, who leads the project, said: "We have no evidence that anyone was in the landscape in summer.''

Full report here
Contributor Bio for coldrum: Based in Milkyway, contributing since 2002. Favourite site: Avebury.

·
Events
·
Please add your thoughts on this site

Stonehenge Complete

Stonehenge Complete

More on Stonehenge

Sponsors

More Events

See all Events →

"Stonehenge Druids 'mark Wrong Solstice'" | Login/Create an Account | 14 News and Comments
  
Go back to top of page    Comments are owned by the poster. We aren't responsible for their content.
Re: Stonehenge Druids 'mark Wrong Solstice' by Anonymous on Tuesday, 15 July 2008
We Celebrate the Winter Solstice at Stonehenge. Thought I should let you know. There were over 300 of us in 2007.
[ Reply to This ]

Re: Stonehenge Druids 'mark Wrong Solstice' by wiztwas on Wednesday, 31 August 2005
(User Info | Send a Message)
Whilst the summer solstice might not have been celebrated at Stonehenge in the same way as the winter solstice (i.e. feasting on pigs) it would undoubtedly have been celebrated as major event in the pagan "wheel of the year"
[ Reply to This ]

Re: Stonehenge Druids 'mark Wrong Solstice' by mickc on Thursday, 30 June 2005
(User Info | Send a Message)
Surely the layout of the avenue points to Stonehenge being (mostly) aligned on midwinter solstice. It leads from the avon to stonehenge in the right direction to view the sunset through what strikes me as an overgrown chambered cairn. I feel that some reassurance that the dark days are coming to an end would be more important than knowing that midsummer's happening. Also, doesn't Newgrange align on the midwinter sunrise?
[ Reply to This ]

Re: Stonehenge Druids 'mark Wrong Solstice' by Anonymous on Saturday, 25 June 2005
Not exactly news this !
Deluded pseudo-druids are not noted for archaelogical accuracy.
[ Reply to This ]
    Re: Stonehenge Druids 'mark Wrong Solstice' by Anonymous on Tuesday, 09 November 2010
    Just wondering if the "pseudo-druids" now will shift their attentions to the Winter Solstice? Doubt it though, seems more like the comforts of being warm under their sheets would outweigh their pseudo beliefs.
    [ Reply to This ]
      Re: Stonehenge Druids 'mark Wrong Solstice' by Runemage on Tuesday, 09 November 2010
      (User Info | Send a Message)
      Ir seems your information is somewhat out of date, if you look further down the page you'll see this comment from a couple of years ago "by Anonymous on Tuesday, 15 July 2008 (IP: 81.171.218.122) We Celebrate the Winter Solstice at Stonehenge. Thought I should let you know. There were over 300 of us in 2007."
      And if you want to have a pop at what are in your opinion pseudo beliefs, there are many groups other than Druids, why not include them all?
      [ Reply to This ]
    Re: Stonehenge Druids 'mark Wrong Solstice' by Anonymous on Tuesday, 09 November 2010
    Well, Anon, you obviously haven't been there. It's quite amusing seeing all the different sects, each trying to do their own thing in the centre at the Winter Solstice. In 2009 the "Stonehenge Druids" even gatecrashed it on the day before the official English Heritage open access morning.
    [ Reply to This ]

Re: Stonehenge Druids 'mark Wrong Solstice' by Anonymous on Friday, 24 June 2005
I know there is magic in the air at both Solstices - I have seen and felt it. Also it marks the time to harvest honey. Bottom line - whatever anyone else says about celebrating both Solstices, there are clearly many alignments at many sights that set directly onto the Summer Solstice (eg Newgrange). We absolutely rocked at the Nine Ladies with a huge amount of truly inspired drumming, singing, dancing and saxophony. Everyone that was there had an amazing time. I only hope that the site was left as it should be as there were still people there after i had done my tidying up thing. I will be there at the weekend to take care of any litter. Maybe you just can't get in touch with the magic because as I say - it is a truly magical day - try to get more in tune. As for the point about Stonehenge - I feel that most people there have no idea about any ancient ceremonies and are really just there to get drunk and socialise. Fair enough as long as the monument is unharmed. Get yourself to your...

Read the rest of this post...
[ Reply to This ]

Re: Stonehenge Druids 'mark Wrong Solstice' by sem on Thursday, 23 June 2005
(User Info | Send a Message)
Well said Thorgrim, but I think many people misunderstand the idea of the solstice. You used the term yourself when you said "midwinter" and to many people midwinter means the coldest time of the year. Add the word solstice to this this and you have a very emotive idea. In fact it only heralds the onset of the coldest time of the year, from Dec to Mar, just as the midsummer solstice marks the beginning of the warmest time of the year(ask any diver or surfer).
I am over my mate Nick's tomorrow to try some of Tom Bombadil's finest, so maybe Ug (a denizen of the old world) will be up to answering questions on this.
[ Reply to This ]

Re: Stonehenge Druids 'mark Wrong Solstice' by Thorgrim on Thursday, 23 June 2005
(User Info | Send a Message)
Exactly! Why would ancient people celebrate the shortest day anyway? The whole point of midwinter festivals is to feast on the animals that you can't afford to feed during the winter. But most important is to bring the sun back and to mark the turning point when the sun is at its lowest and to stop its death. Today's raves have taken over from the bogus Druidic ceremonies and there's nothing authentic about any of it. It's a party, nothing more and I guess its just too cold to camp out all through the longest night of the year in December. So its off to Durrington Walls then next year for bacon butties and let poor old Stonehenge rest in peace.
[ Reply to This ]
    Re: Stonehenge Druids 'mark Wrong Solstice' by Hengest on Thursday, 23 June 2005
    (User Info | Send a Message)
    I agree with your comments about the rave that the solstice has become at Stonehenge.

    I would disagree with your comment about why ancients would celebrate the shortest day. The reason for celebration at that time would surely be that the winter solstice marks the return of the sun and the beginning of a new cycle.

    I am sure that if we lived without all o fthe conveniences we have, that it is something that people would celebrate today. Many of us still do!

    Regards
    Hengest Thorsson
    Internet Information Officer
    The Odinic Rite
    [ Reply to This ]
      Re: Stonehenge Druids 'mark Wrong Solstice' by Thorgrim on Thursday, 23 June 2005
      (User Info | Send a Message)
      Yes I agree - isn't that what I said? Priests did their mumbo jumbo to save everyone from the sun disappearing. Lo and behold - over the next few days afterthe midwinter cermonies, the sun rises a little higher and the days last a little longer. Hey presto - priests get the credit and lots of goodies including the best cuts from all that roast pork.
      [ Reply to This ]
    Re: Stonehenge Druids 'mark Wrong Solstice' by Anonymous on Saturday, 25 June 2005
    Marks on an ancient stone that was discovered here indicate that sunset was the main feature in time measurment for neolithic/bronze age people here . arthur,burbage,leics.
    [ Reply to This ]

Your Name: Anonymous [ Register Now ]
Subject:


Add your comment or contribution to this page. Spam or offensive posts are deleted immediately, don't even bother

<<< What is five plus one as a number? (Please type the answer to this question in the little box on the left)
You can also embed videos and other things. For Youtube please copy and paste the 'embed code'.
For Google Street View please include Street View in the text.
Create a web link like this: <a href="https://www.megalithic.co.uk">This is a link</a>  

Allowed HTML is:
<p> <b> <i> <a> <img> <em> <br> <strong> <blockquote> <tt> <li> <ol> <ul> <object> <param> <embed> <iframe>
We would like to know more about this location. Please feel free to add a brief description and any relevant information in your own language.
Wir möchten mehr über diese Stätte erfahren. Bitte zögern Sie nicht, eine kurze Beschreibung und relevante Informationen in Deutsch hinzuzufügen.
Nous aimerions en savoir encore un peu sur les lieux. S'il vous plaît n'hesitez pas à ajouter une courte description et tous les renseignements pertinents dans votre propre langue.
Quisieramos informarnos un poco más de las lugares. No dude en añadir una breve descripción y otros datos relevantes en su propio idioma.