One of the most notable features of the hillier parts of the Long
Island are the enormous numbers of loose stones and boulders which are
everywhere scattered about on hill-top, hill-side, and valley-bottom.
Harris is literally peppered with them, and they are hardly less
abundant in the other islands. They are of all shapes and sizes--round,
sub-angular, and angular. One great block in Barra I estimated to
weigh seven hundred and seventy tons. Many measure over three or
four yards across, while myriads are much smaller. These boulders are
sometimes utilised in a singular way. In Harris, there being only one
burial-place, the poor people have often to carry their dead a long
distance, and this of course necessitates resting on the journey. To
mark the spot where they have rested, the mourners are wont to erect
little cairns by the road-side, many of which are neatly built in the
form of cones and pyramids, while others are mere shapeless heaps of
stones thrown loosely together. Instead of raising cairns, however,
they occasionally select some boulder, and make it serve the purpose by
canting it up and inserting one or more stones underneath. Occasionally
I have seen in various parts of the mainland great boulders cocked
up at one end in the same way. Some of these may be in their natural
position, but as they often occupy conspicuous and commanding
situations, I am inclined to think that the cromlech-builders may have
tampered with them for memorial purposes. The present custom of the
Harris men may therefore be a survival from that far-distant period
when Callernish was in its glory.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account