Stonehenge and Other British Stone Monuments Astronomically ConsideredLockyer, Norman, Sir
History
Stonehenge and Other British Stone Monuments Astronomically Considered
Lockyer, Norman, Sir
Druids and Druidism; Great Britain -- Antiquities; Stonehenge (England); Sun worship; Temples
Baring-Gould (p. 21) provides us with a practice in Brittany which would
seem to be a remnant of a pre-clothing age.
Near Carnac is a menhir, at which a singular “ceremony took place till
comparatively recently, and may perhaps still be practised in secret. A
married couple that have no family repair to this stone when the moon is
full, strip themselves stark naked and course one another round it a
prescribed number of times, whilst their relations keep guard against
intrusion at a respectful distance.”
Now it is in connection with this question that I am in hopes that some
help may be got from the astronomical results recorded in the present
volume. The dates revealed by the orientation of the circles and
outstanding stones already dealt with (and there is a large number to
follow) indicate that it is among the records of some people of whom the
civilisation is very ancient that we must look in the first instance
with a view of tracing the origin of our British monuments.
Further, now that we have been able to follow their astronomical
methods, to note how sound they were, and to gather the purposes of
utility they were intended to serve, it is simply common sense to
inquire, in the first instance, if they may have been connected with
these ancient peoples whose astronomical skill is universally
recognised, and whose records and even observations have come down to
us.
Now, while we know nothing of the astronomy of the Aryans generally, or
that of the Celts in particular, the astronomical knowledge of the
Babylonians and Egyptians is one of the wonders of the ancient world.
Hence Babylonia and Egypt are at once suggested, and the suggestion is
not rendered a less probable one when we remember that both these
peoples studied and utilised astronomy at least some 8,000 years ago.
But here we are dealing with two peoples. It is more than probable that
they both were associated more or less near the origin with one race,
the ideas of which permeated both civilisations.
I have it on the highest authority, that of Dr. Budge, that in Babylonia
there were originally the Sumerians and the Semites. The primitive race
which conquered the Egyptians seems to have been connected with the
former as regards civilisation, and with the latter as regards some
aspects of the Egyptian language.
This race was Semitic, and as the pyramids, built some 6,000 years ago,
are a proof of the interaction of the two civilisations at that time,
for the Easter festival celebrated on the banks of the Nile came from
the valleys of the Tigris and Euphrates, we may omit the pre-Semites
from our consideration.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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