28th Oct 2008
Marks in the landscape around stone circles.

The very large wooden frame that lies inside the circle of stone were all different due to the different materials used, but they all functioned roughly the same. When the stampeding herd hit the wooden frame the combined weight of the animals would open and close the trap.

A web of trunks crisscrossing the circle would form large triangles that could move to absorb the stampede. This movement would split the herd in to groups and send it charging in to pens either side of the circle which would then also open and close the doors.

Due to the weaving of the trunks the stones/posts in the stone circles would not be seen when the structure was completed. However, these stones/posts acted as the vital cogs and teeth to hold the wooden frame together. The trunks would lay over the circle with the ends of the trunks tied together in a very carefully formed pattern, so allowing the structure to move in an orderly fashion. It is these movements that changed and evolved over the centuries.

Whole valleys would be taken up in the construction of these traps. Many circles were constructed in the same area; at the same time they would all be linked and enable each one to work correctly. Some circles were used to open and close over wooden frames like cranks or to move giant expandable wooden traps that in some cases did not need a circle of stone to hold it down.

Some of the pens that the animals would run into were expandable. This explains the large number of marks around the circles made by the repeated movement of the trunks and the expandable fences.

The trap could hold as many animals as was needed. The movement of the trap would cause the stampede to slow down. This would protect the first animals that entered the trap from the force and weight of the animals entering from behind.

We should look outside the circle to see the function from within.

Beaghmore, Co. Tyrone
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Stone Henge

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Moordivock

Stone circle theory

It is my belief that the primary purpose of stone circles was to act as markets, and they were used to crush, grade and separate animals. Most stone circle theories concentrate on the celestial and the spiritual, hypothesizing about calendars, planetary worship and the alignment of the stars and the coming and going of the seasons. I believe they had a much more basic, practical function.

These circles were sophisticated enough to aid the collective herding and sharing out of different numbers of animals, in differing amounts, to different numbers of people. Here in Britain there seems to be a relationship between the division of old money, length, weight and the measure of stone circles.

However, I am also convinced that the use of circles as market-places is a form of human activity that we can see throughout the world. While the divisions and materials may vary, the functions remain the same – namely to share out livestock. As an example of this, the stone circles in Ker Batch in Gambia under careful scrutiny appear to be divided up in a similar manner as the stone circles at Cong, Co. Mayo, so as to perform a similar task.

Allied to this it is my belief that it also makes sense of as to why you often get two, three of four circles close by to each other. Instead of looking skywards to explain these patterns we should look to the ground, and early man’s practical needs.

I have collated material using diagrams and pictures to support this premise and related theories – for example, kite enclosures – and can forward these on request. Like so many others I would of course be grateful for any feedback, help, assistance or criticism, and I would be interested in any forum that was prepared to explore these ideas further – so please don’t hesitate to email me! mail@simonhedger.com  Thanks!

The straight pole inside the circle of stone

Using the excavation drawings of Woodhenge completed by Maud Cunnington, which show individual postholes,that held the upright timbers. A law or pattern is formed to explain each posts position and its sculpted shape. The pattern of upright trunks is to hold horizontal poles of about 12 foot long. These poles move through the upright trunks forming a fence or corral.(figure 1 ) A fence that can be expanded and contracted when needed, the poles form a crisscross pattern as they ratchet around the upright trunks(figure 2 ) the poles move to enclose each of the six circles of Woodhenge. The poles move like a kaleidoscopic spiral
(figure 3) while man, safe on the outer circle, encloses the panicked animals/deer trapped inside. Woodhenge is a stock crush for very careful manipulation of spaces and it would suggest crushing stock for its weight and height of back, which to this day is called grading. Woodhenges six concentric ellipsoids having perimeters of Megalithic yards dividing a measured area. The length of a pole / trunk or hurdle is a dominant force in all stone and woodhenges. Avebury woodhenge is under this same law of length of pole. The poles wrap around the uprights of the centre circle like a wicker basket, (figure 4) the circles at a later date were replaced with stone. The length of pole in Avebury stones is about 16ft long (figure 5) due to the length being such an important factor, two to four lengths can be added tip to toe. Overlaps occur forming quarters and halves, in fact various lengths can be found but all of them are multiplications of the same length. Therefore a length could be measured out by the builders of the henge, for example a length of 64ft is present in many places, this is four hurdles long. (figure 6). This repeated use of a fixed unit of length shows very prominently in Stonehenge. The space between the station stone on the outer circle, and the distance between the heel stones to the entrance to Stonehenge are the same, (figure 7) and the measure of hurdle to length is very similar to Avebury. This henge was measured out using triangles laid over themselves in a set pattern marking points that would plot the diameter of the circle. All sides of the triangles used are simple multiplications of the same length (figure 8 ). In Stonehenge, the triangles form star patterns, an eight pointed star with a six pointed star within. This same rule can be used for many stone circles, the earlier circles tend to produce eight pointed stars whilst later circles are six pointed. This would suggest that Stonehenge was modified at some stage. The pattern of the star shares out a measured space, the ‘star sides’ can be measured lengths of hurdles or poles and can mark crucial points from the stone circles construction (figure 7). An excellent example of an eight pointed star being used to plot out a circle is in Woodhenge (figure 9).

Hurdles or poles would be moved up the enclosed corridors of the outer stone rings of Stonehenge to force the animals into the measured spaces of the lintel covered circle inside, (figure 10) where man stood on top or on the five large columns or trilithons raising and lowering hurdles when needed. To observe stone circles differently is to look at the stones partners on the other side of the alley or three or more stones further around the same circle, this is the important measured space to allow pole or hurdle to slot in forming a fence or a crush wall. It is the common denominators of length between stones that show in a high percentage of circles that will help us understand their use. It would suggest that the pole or trunk in early circles were replaced by a hurdle and there use changed from the centre of a trap to an enclosed market place similar to the cattle markets of today. And there seems to be a relationship between the division of old money, length, weight and the measure of stone circles. It was the farming of trees and different animals captured which gave the movement and change of shape. The question of why were stones used from the Preselli mountains in Wales? Because that was where farming began.

The Labyrinth in Woodhenge.

The following is an attempt to prove a relationship between the labyrinth in Rocky Valley at Bossiney (figure 1) and Woodhenge, this will be illustrated using the excavation drawings of Maud Cunnington of Woodhenge (figure 2). Woodhenge as it stands today is not an accurate interpretation of the original excavation so this will not be used in this example.

Laying the patterns of Woodhenges excavation drawings over the labyrinth shows the post holes and ditch of Woodhenge fit perfectly with the lines of the labyrinth (figure 3). The labyrinth which has a shepherd’s crook shape for the centre and a cross of lines (figure 1) and if including the ditch it has the same number of rings/spaces as Woodhenge .The ditch of Woodhenge also has a wider and thinner side to its shape as does the labyrinth. The pattern of the labyrinth is also shown in Stonehenge (figure 4).

The labyrinth shows or represents the pathway of use or in the case of the coin of Minoan Knossos (figure 5) a measure of trade. The coin has a length stamped in to the side which fits eight times across its width. If you then divide the width of Woodhenge from the outside edge of the bank by eight you find the same length .A length that you can then fit into the labyrinth of polls of Woodhenge to form walls and/or a length that also fits eight times around the large posts of the main ring.