The vale of Lyvennet : $b its picturesque peeps and legendary loreBland, John Salkeld
History
The vale of Lyvennet : $b its picturesque peeps and legendary lore
Bland, John Salkeld
Cumbria (England) -- Description and travel
Other entrenchments are still to be found more or less obliterated by
the advance of agriculture; some of a strategic character which will be
afterwards noticed, and others again that will forever puzzle enquiry
for what purpose they were raised and by what people.
To the most ancient inhabitants many authors ascribe the origin of the
various stone circles to be found in different parts of the country.
There are two remarkable ones in this district, one in Gunnerskeld
bottom, and another near Odindale Head. The former is situated on a
level area elevated a little above the bed of the stream. It is a
circle of large granite boulders eighteen in number, some of which are
still standing upright seven feet high, while many have fallen one way
or the other. The circle is thirty-eight yards in diameter; and within
it is another formed by thirty-one stones much smaller in size and
eighteen yards in diameter; within this has been apparently a mound,
most of which is removed for the sake of the stones and the earth has
been thrown into a heap outside; there are still some large stones left
and three in the centre are situated as though they may have formed
part of a cromlech. There is no record of anything having been found,
and the word Gunnerskeld is of too modern a character to throw any
light on the matter.
The one near Odindale Head is similar, at first sight inspires a truly
Ossianic feeling. It is situated on a hill of "dark brown heath," it
is formed of an outer circle of thirty stones not so large as those at
Gunnerskeld, twenty-five yards in diameter, within which is another
circle of twenty-one stones closely packed to each other seven yards
in diameter; within this are a number of other stones irregularly laid,
similar to Gunnerskeld. It was opened in presence of Rev. J. Simpson,
but nothing was found excepting a small portion of black carbonaceous
matter. A peculiar feature is that there is an upright stone placed
outside the inner and within the outer circle on the south-east side.
On the north side about seven yards distant is the remains of another
circle, fourteen yards in diameter, having another within of four
yards, but many of the stones have been removed.
Respecting the origin of these circles authors differ considerably,
some considering them to be the temples of the Druids, within whose
mystic bounds sacrificial rites were performed; while others attribute
them to a later people, the Pagan Saxons, Angles or Danes.
Odindale, like Gunnerskeld, is a name significant of the latter people.
Odin was the one great god of the Gothic nations, from whom they all
claimed descent, and to whom, of course, their greatest honours were
paid.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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