The Great Stone Circles – How they Work Part 6c Cumbria

Submitted by JACKME on Friday, 22 July 2005 Page Views: 3924

Country: England County: Cumbria Type: Stone Circle

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The Moon Cycles - Swinside Moon Northern Set

As mentioned in the last article there are four sectors where the moon rises or sets between the Moon Major Standstills (MMaS) and Moon Minor Standstills (MMiS), and all of these are marked at Swinside, and indeed in all of the Great Circles that have been visited. Everywhere these annual steps are indicated by the stones, using the same principles but with some variations on the theme. Each sector has the 10th position over an altar shaped stone which is at the southern end of the sector where the moon passes each time. It is next to the Minor Standstill in the northern sectors and the Major Standstill in the southern sectors.

At Swinside the sector showing the northern moon settings (as pictured here) demonstrates admirably how the ancient people marked the position of where the moon could be seen setting from the circle, in relation to the surrounding landscape. This ‘visible moon arc’ was achieved in the sweep of Stones 44 to 49 and at the end of the sector the altar stone is replaced by the Double 42/43, as you will see at Castlerigg next week, with a stone on the skyline.

What is even more incredible is that they also appear to have marked the invisible moonsets (i.e. the position where the moon actually eventually sets on the horizon beyond the surrounding topography, which cannot be seen from the circle, or to put it simply where the moon would be seen setting if the circle were built on a flat plain). At Swinside this ‘invisible moon arc’ is formed by Stone 50 through to Stone 1, with possibly Stone 48 acting as the altar, as seen in this photograph.

At Swinside the arcs do not overlap each other, making it much easier to sort out which stones do what. Stone 52, which has a bevelled right edge, marks the invisible midsummer sunset (i.e. the position where the sun would actually be seen setting if the circle were constructed on a flat plain and the horizon was not obscured by intervening hills etc). This feature is seen at several other sites and I have referred to it as the ‘banana’ shape. It is one of the five traditional shapes seen in the circle of Bluestones at Stonehenge.

As can be seen in this diagram, the Midsummer Sunset (MSSS - i.e. the position where the sun can be seen setting from the circle) runs from the cut in the top of Stone 16, while the line of the Invisible MSSS (i.e. the one where it eventually sets on the flat horizon), runs from the junction of 16/17, this is no mistake. The edge of Stone 17 has both a half round hole and an inverted notch. As yet I have no firm ideas as to what these are for, but I hope the answer will appear as work continues.

Depending on where it is in its cycle, the moon always either rises or sets at night time, so the ancient people would have been able to perform whatever ceremony they did at these times on any night, as the moon passed over these points whilst rising or setting.

I shall continue with Castlerigg for the fourth moon article, the other two sectors at Swinside follow the same simple pattern. In the meantime try to look at the moonrise or set at your favourite site, you will find out how difficult it is.

Contents page for the whole series is here

Note: This is the tenth of a series of previously unpublished articles by retired farmer, Jack Morris-Eyton.

Contributor Bio for JACKME: Based in CUMBRIA, contributing since 2004. Favourite site: SWINSIDE. Occupation: RETIRED.

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