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Halloween History, Pagan Beginnings and Stonehenge Sacrifices

28 10 2014

Halloween is a day of tricks, treat, sweets, pumpkin carving, cider drinking and costume wearing; but the holiday has evolved immensely from its pagan beginnings.

Human Sacrifice at Stonehenge by ancient and modern pagans?

It has never been proven that there were human sacrifices by Celtic peoples to celebrate Samhain (sow-en). However, we do know that the Celtic peoples had a great spiritual reverence of Samhain and it was akin to how one views Easter and many of the other “holy days” today.

Stonehenge is a well guarded public monument. Hundreds of Thousands of people visit this incredible site yearly. I have no doubt that it would be impossible to sacrifice anyone or anything at this monument without being caught. Besides, in the last 30 years, I have never heard of any sacrifice being committed at Stonehenge during Halloween, or anytime..

Samhain marks the beginning of the Celtic New Year and the beginning of the agricultural year. The Celtic peoples

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believed that the veil between the world of the living and that of the dead is at its thinnest on this night. In the ancient past, it was commonly believed that certain kinds of knowledge were available at the time of Samhain, a night when the sidhe or faery people would come forth to walk amongst mankind.

Over 2000 years ago, the Celts, a people who lived in what is now the United Kingdom, Ireland, and northern France, celebrated their New Year on November 1st. The New Year was associated with the end of summer and harvest season, and the beginning of cold, destructive winters. The Celts would often kill and eat weak livestock that they believed would not survive through the winter.

The Celts, who worshiped Pagan gods, commemorated this time with a festival called Samhain (sow-en). This time of year was associated with death for the Celts; they believed that the wall between the living and dead was thinnest the night before the New Year, which allowed spirits of all kinds to walk among the living.

Many of today’s Halloween traditions derive from the Pagan practices of the Celts. During their last night of the year, all manner of order was forgotten. Men would dress up as women, and women as men; people would play pranks such as moving livestock to different fields, or moving gates and fences from their proper places.

Since they believed that spirits of the recently deceased were most likely to emerge and cause trouble among the living, such as possessing people and ruining crops, many Celts would leave offerings of food and drink to the spirits, to either aid them to the afterlife, or ward them way. They would also feast and celebrate the lives of the deceased. People extinguished all of the fires in their homes in order to prevent evil spirits from haunting them.

A central aspect of Samhain was the worship by the Druids, or Celtic priests. The Celts brought crops and livestock to the priests who would sacrifice to the Pagan gods in large bonfires, praying for protection during the winter. During these celebrations, Celtics would dress in animal heads and skins and read each other’s fortunes.

One of the main influences of modern day trick-or-treating was the Celtic believe that faeries would roam about dressed as beggars and would go door to door asking for food. The belief was that those who helped the faeries were rewarded while those who didn’t were punished.

Ancient Celtic celebrations

Not only did the Celts believe the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead dissolved on this night, they thought that the presence of the spirits helped their priests to make predictions about the future.

To celebrate Samhain the Druids built huge sacred bonfires. People brought harvest food and sacrificed animals to share a communal dinner in celebration of the festival.

During the celebration the Celts wore costumes – usually animal heads and skins. They would also try and tell each other’s fortunes.

After the festival they re-lit the fires in their homes from the sacred bonfire to help protect them, as well as keep them warm during the winter months.

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Other Spooky events at English Heritage properties

Visit Wiltshire Website for local spooky events
With many a historic building to be seen, it’s no surprise that Wiltshire has its own share of ghosts and spooky goings on. Halloween in Wiltshire can be a lot of fun with some exciting events including Ghost Walks run by the Salisbury City Guides as part of their Spooky Salisbury event, Halloween activities at Longleat with ghost tours, a pumpkin trail and fireworks set to spine-chilling tunes and a Halloween ghost train on the Swindon & Cricklade Railway

Link resources:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/24/halloween-witch-costumes_n_5965920.html
Links: http://www.ibtimes.com/halloween-history-pagan-beginnings-856991
Link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/paganism/holydays/samhain.shtml
Link: http://clonehenge.com/tag/stonehenge-pumpkin/

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Tags: bonfires, Celtic New Year, druids, Ghost Walks, Halloween in Wiltshire, Halloween traditions, Human Sacrifice, October 31st, Pagan gods, Pagans, Pumpkin, Samhain, Stonehenge, Wicca, Witches
Categories : Samhain Stonehenge

Tunneling the A303 at Stonehenge is the sensible option – John Glen

29 04 2014

Salisbury’s MP says he’ll keep pushing for traffic problems on the A303 next to Stonehenge to be sorted out once and for all.

John Glen’s told Spire FM that there’s only one logical solution:

“There will be enormous battles between environmentalists, locals who want a solution to the issue and the National trust who are the land owner around Stonehenge, and a Tunnel will be the safest option to please everyone.”

The Government’s now started a new feasibility study to look into the possible options and are due to make an announcement in the Autumn.

Mr Glen has a message for the Government as they look into what happens next:

“If I was a transport minister, and I wanted to improve transportation links to the South West; which have been particularly important given what we’ve seen happen over this last winter, then I would need to be pretty sure that any measures I put in place, would avoid there being a bottleneck at Stonehenge.”

Meanwhile, ideas to tunnel part of the A303 past Stonehenge have been described as ‘jumping the gun’ by the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE).

Kate Fielden from the Wiltshire branch of the CPRE is also secretary of the Stonehenge Alliance – she says there are mixed views on the issue at the moment:

“At the present time, the Stonehenge Alliance feels that there is insufficient evidence to show that it would be justified. I do know though, and the CPRE recognises, that there are problems at Stonehenge, especially at weekends and at holiday times. That’s becoming intolerable really for local people.”

Kate also says the local habitat is key and therefore a tunnel could work:

“It’s difficult when you live close by something to stand back and realise that this whole site is something that is considered internationally to be of the highest significance. I think we have to take the bull by the horns and do a proper job if that is the job that has to be done. It would be completely unthinkable to dual that road on the surface.”

Link sourc: http://www.spirefm.co.uk/news/local-news/1268711/tunneling-the-a303-at-stonehenge-is-the-sensible-option—john-glen/

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Tags: A303, Stonehenge, Tunnel
Categories : a303 stonehenge, Stonehenge Visitor Centre

Stonehenge Vernal (Spring) Equinox 2014

19 03 2014

An equinox occurs twice a year (around 20th March and 22nd September), when the tilt of the Earth’s axis is inclined neither away from nor towards the Sun, the center of the Sun being in the same plane as the Earth’s equator. The exact time of the Equinox this year is March 20th at 16:57 GMT

The name “equinox” is derived from the Latin aequus (equal) and nox (night), because around the equinox, the night and day have approximately equal length.

The ‘Managed Open Access’ at Stonehenge for the Vernal (Spring) Equinox, will be from approximately 05.45 am until 08.30 on 20th March 2014.

Parking will be limited and cars will have to be moved by 9:00 am.

• Access to Stonehenge for the Spring Equinox will take place on the morning of 20 March 2014.

• Entrance to the monument will commence as soon as ‘light-levels’ are deemed safe enough to permit. For the past couple of years this has occurred around 0545h however EH would ask that people are patient should the morning prove ‘overcast’ and a slight delay occurs.

• Access to Stonehenge will cease at 0830h and the cooperation of all of visitors in ensuring the monument is vacated at this time would be most appreciated. Please note that, in previous years, access for the Equinox ceased earlier at 0800h, however English Heritage has permitted an additional half an hour within the monument for our visitors.

• Temporary toilets (Porta-Loos) will be available at the monument once the site is open for public access. This includes a provision for those with disabilities.

•The Cafe and Shop at the new Visitor Centre at Airmans Cross should be opening for visitors from approximately 0800h on the morning of 20 March. Please note that the toilets at this location will also become available for use at this time. Although the Cafe will be opening only hot and cold drinks will be available for the first hour. Pasties etc will become available after 0900h.

Link source: http://www.sarsen.org/2014/03/spring-or-vernal-equinox-stonehenge-2014.html
Link: http://www.thewhitegoddess.co.uk/the_wheel_of_the_year/solstice_and_equinox_dates_2010_to_2020.asp

Follow Stonehenge Stone Circle on Twitter for live pictures from the Stones: https://twitter.com/ST0NEHENGE
Follow English Heritage on Twitter: https://twitter.com/eh_stonehenge

Have fun and respect the Stones!

Merlin at Stonehenge
Stonehenge Stone Circle Blog

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Tags: managed open access, Spring Equinox 2014, Stonehenge
Categories : Open Access, Vernal Equinox

18th Century William Stukeley book on Stonehenge is now online.

3 02 2014

In 1740, British vicar William Stukeley published Stonehenge, A Temple Restor’d to the British Druids.

In more than 30 illustrations, Stukeley’s book documents the way Stonehenge appeared when he visited it in the early 18th century. The historian was only the second scholarly investigator (after the 17th-century antiquarian John Aubrey) to take an interest in the site, and the first to publish a comprehensive account of what he found on his visits, including images of the way that the monument looked in context of the surrounding farmland.

In maps and vistas, Stukeley tried to capture the layout of the monument’s stones. Much of his sense of urgency in the task came from his belief that the stones’ arrangement needed preservation, as the monument was under constant threat of vandalism and interference. For example, Aubrey found and documented 20 stones in one area of the monument; a century later, Stukeley found only five remaining.

Stonehenge Visitor Centre: English Heritage current ‘Set in Stone’ exhibition includes an oil portrait of William Stukeley: http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/stonehenge/discover/set-in-stone-exhibition

Link: http://tywkiwdbi.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/1740-book-on-stonehenge-now-online.html
Stonehenge area news on twitter: https://twitter.com/ST0NEHENGE

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Tags: Antiquarian, druids, Set in Stone, Stonehenge, Stonehenge Visitor Centre, William Stukely
Categories : stonehenge guide, Stonehenge news

The Path to Stonehenge from Avebury: Walking Guide

24 11 2013

Wiltshire is home to arguably the greatest concentration of prehistoric monuments in Europe, if not the world!

The 45 mile route begins at Windmill Hill before heading south to spend the first day walking amongst the stone circles of Avebury.

DOWNLOAD: The Path to Stonehenge walking guide (PDF 883kb)

The download includes full day by day walking instructions with accompanying history guide.

Discover how the famous monuments of the area are connected and what they can tell us about life, and death, in Neolithic Britain. The walk takes us across some of the most beautiful landscape in the south west, as we uncover the actions of our ancestors here between 4000 and 2000BC.

Day 1

A gentle first day with plenty of time for admiring the monuments encountered along the route.

Windmill Hill to Avebury via Avebury Stone Circle and the Sanctuary

Distance: 6.5 miles

Day 2

We up the pace as we hunt for hard evidence of our elusive ancestors at Silbury Hill and the West Kennet Long Barrow. We skirt the Marlborough Downs and head up and over Milk Hill for some more modern mysteries, like crop circles.

Avebury to Honeystreet, via Silbury Hill, Swallowhead Springs, West Kennet Long Barrow, Field of Sarsen Stones, Milk Hill and the Alton Barnes White Horse, and Adam’s Grave.

Distance: 15.5 miles

Day 3

We follow our ancestors down the River Avon to the greatest prehistoric monument of them all – Stonehenge.

Honeystreet to Stonehenge via: Durrington Walls, West Amesbury Henge and the Avenue

Distance: 23.5 miles

The Map

OS Explorer Maps 157, 130 (1:25k) or OS Landranger 173, 184 (1:50k)

All distances are approximate so allow plenty of time

Link: http://www.channel4.com/programmes/walking-through-history/articles/all/walking-guide-the-path-to-stonehenge

Please share your Stonehenge / Avebury pics on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ST0NEHENGE

Merlin @ Stonehenge
The Stonehenge News Blog

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Tags: avebury, Stonehenge, Wiltshhire Walks, Windmill Hill
Categories : Archaeology, The Great Stones Way, world heritage site

Golden age: Ancient possessions of Stonehenge worshippers go on display

14 10 2013

Golden treasures from prehistoric Britain’s Stonehenge era, most of which have never previously been on public display, are today being unveiled at a small provincial museum.

The exhibition is the largest collection of early Bronze-Age gold ever put on public display in England.

It was impossible to exhibit most of the gold treasures before because of security concerns. Up until now the closest the public got to them was by seeing photographs.

Housed in a new, high-security and humidity-controlled series of galleries inside the Wiltshire Museum in Devizes, 15 miles north of Stonehenge, the gold treasures and other objects are being used to reveal the remarkable cultural story behind the world famous prehistoric stone monument.

The new Stonehenge-era galleries will feature at least 500 Neolithic and Bronze-Age objects from Wiltshire, many of them from the once sacred landscape around the monument itself, including a beautifully decorated golden cloak fastener, a magnificent bronze dagger with a gold-covered hilt, a gold decoration from a dagger sheath, the golden tip of a ceremonial sceptre and gold necklaces, earrings and pendants – as well as other high- status precious objects made of jet, amber and stone.

“These and other spectacular treasures from the age of Stonehenge were unearthed by antiquarians and archaeologists in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, but until now it’s never been possible to give the public permanent access to them,” said the museum’s director, David Dawson.

“Stonehenge is an iconic monument – but this is the first time that such a wide range of high-status objects from the spectacular burials of the people who used it, has ever been put on permanent display”.

They will tell the story of the people who lived in and around the Stonehenge landscape when the monument was one of the great religious centres of Western Europe.

“Many of the items may well have been worn by Bronze-Age priests and chieftains as they worshipped inside Stonehenge,” said Mr Dawson. Axes and daggers on display in the new purpose-built galleries are identical to images of weapons carved into the giant stones of Stonehenge itself.

“We believe the new displays are a major step forward in helping to explain the extraordinary sophistication of the remarkable people who used the world’s most famous prehistoric monument,” said Mr Dawson.

Over the past few years, an unprecedented amount of new research has been carried out on Stonehenge and its ancient culture – and the new galleries reflect that new knowledge, especially an increased understanding of how the different prehistoric artefacts were made and what they were originally used for.

Around 30 gold objects, made by craftsman between the 2200 and 1800BC, will be on permanent display along with hundreds of other Stonehenge-era treasures.

The creation of the new high-security Stonehenge-period galleries puts Devizes’ Wiltshire Museum into a totally different league in terms of exhibits and their interpretation.

The new galleries have cost £750,000 to build – with funding coming from, among others, the Heritage Lottery Fund, English Heritage and Wiltshire Council.

Devizes has its magnificent collection because it is the home of one of Britain’s oldest local archaeology organisations – the Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Society which has been collecting Wiltshire archaeological material since its foundation 160 years ago.

Over that period it has conducted more than 50 excavations which have provided the museum with more than 50,000 archaeological finds. The town itself is located between prehistoric Britain’s two top monuments – Stonehenge and the Avebury stone circles.

The launch of the new permanent display at the town is part of a wider display of Stonehenge-era archaeology. On 18 December, just one and half miles from Stonehenge itself, English Heritage will open its new Stonehenge visitor centre, complete with around 300 Stonehenge-period exhibits – while, next spring, Salisbury Museum will unveil newly redesigned archaeological galleries including material of a similar age.
including material of a similar age.

David Keys: Independent: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/archaeology/news/golden-age-ancient-possessions-of-stonehenge-worshippers-go-on-display-8877704.html

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Tags: avebury, Stonehenge, Wiltshire Archaeological, Wiltshire Museum in Devizes
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Crown jewels of Stonehenge go on dazzling display: new prehistory galleries opening 14th October!

12 10 2013

In September 1808, William Cunnington, who was Britain’s first professional archaeologist, wrote to his patron to tell him that he had discovered what were to become known as the crown jewels of the “King of Stonehenge”.

On Monday, some of the treasures he found will go on permanent public display for the first time.

Gold from the time of Stonehenge: new prehistory galleries at the Wiltshire Museum in Devizes Opening on 14 October, a completely new display over 4 galleries will tell the story of the Stonehenge and Avebury World Heritage Site.

On display for the first time are dozens of gold items dating to the time of Stonehenge. Many were found Bronze Age burial mounds within sight of Stonehenge, and were worn by people who worshipped inside the stone circle. These nationally important objects have never been on permanent display, and are now on show as part of this £750,000 gallery development at the Wiltshire Museum – home of Britain’s richest Bronze Age collection.

The centrepiece of the stunning new displays is Britain’s most important Bronze Age burial. The Bush Barrow chieftain lived almost 4,000 years ago and was buried in a barrow overlooking Stonehenge wearing the objects that showed his power and authority – including a gold lozenge, a ceremonial mace and a gold-decorated dagger. Axes and daggers like those found in the grave are carved onto the Sarsen stones at Stonehenge. The precision and design of the Bush Barrow lozenge proves that the people who built and used Stonehenge had a detailed knowledge of mathematics and geometry. The gold finds from Bush Barrow have never before been on permanent display in Wiltshire.

The image alongside show Sebastian Foxley of the Wiltshire Council Conservation Service and David Dawson, Director, moving the Stonehenge Urn to its new home.

Wiltshire Heritage Museum: http://www.wiltshireheritage.org.uk/news/index.php?Action=8&id=162&page=0

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Merlin @ Stonehenge
The Stonehenge News Blog

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Tags: avebury, Bronze Age, Bush Barrow lozenge, King of Stonehenge, Stonehenge, Wiltshire Heritage Museum, Wiltshire Museum in Devizes, World Heritage Site
Categories : stonehenge history, Stonehenge news, world heritage site

Chairman needed for Stonehenge panel

6 10 2013

A NEW partnership panel set up to coordinate cooperation between the Stonehenge and Avebury is looking for a chairman.

Following a recent review it is hoped managers of the two parts of the World Heritage Site (WHS) will be working more closely together and it has been decided there will be a partnership panel led by an independent chairman.

This panel will also act as a representative for the whole WHS. It will be made up of the three key partners – English Heritage the National Trust and Wiltshire Council – together with the chairmen of the local Stonehenge and Avebury steering committees and a representative from the research community

“The new panel and chair will play a key role in ensuring this continues and that new opportunities to protect and present the World Heritage Site are identified.”

For more information go to jobs.wiltshire.gov.uk.

By Morwenna Blake: Salisbury Journal
http://www.salisburyjournal.co.uk/news/10720098.Chairman_needed_for_Stonehenge_panel/

Merlin @ Stonehenge
The Stonehenge News Blog

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Tags: avebury, english heritage, National Trust, Stonehenge, WHS, World Heritage Site
Categories : Uncategorized

Stonehenge was built on solstice axis, dig confirms

9 09 2013

English Heritage excavations show site has nothing to do with sun worshipping, and find evidence circle was once complete

Archeologists found ridges, formed by Ice Age meltwater, that align Stonehenge with the solstice axis. Photograph: Francis Dean/Rex

English Heritage says it has discovered a “missing piece in the jigsaw” in our understanding of Stonehenge, England’s greatest prehistoric site. Excavations along the ancient processional route to the monument have confirmed the theory that it was built along an ice age landform that happened to be on the solstice axis.

The Avenue was an earthwork route that extended 1.5 miles from the north-eastern entrance to Wiltshire’s standing stones to the River Avon at West Amesbury. Following the closure of the A344 road, which cut across the route, archaeologists have been able to excavate there for the first time.

Just below the tarmac, they have found naturally occurring fissures that once lay between ridges against which prehistoric builders dug ditches to create the Avenue. The ridges were created by Ice Age meltwater that happen to point directly at the mid-winter sunset in one direction and the mid-summer sunrise in the other.

Professor Mike Parker Pearson, a leading expert on Stonehenge, said: “It’s hugely significant because it tells us a lot about why Stonehenge was located where it is and why they [prehistoric people] were so interested in the solstices. It’s not to do with worshipping the sun, some kind of calendar or astronomical observatory; it’s about how this place was special to prehistoric people.

“This natural landform happens to be on the solstice axis, which brings heaven and earth into one. So the reason that Stonehenge is all about the solstices, we think, is because they actually saw this in the land.”

The findings back theories that emerged in 2008 following exploration of a narrow trench across the Avenue. Parker Pearson said: “This is the confirmation. It’s being able to see the big picture.”

Dr Heather Sebire, English Heritage’s Stonehenge curator, said: “The part of the Avenue that was cut through by the road has obviously been destroyed forever, but we were hopeful that archaeology below the road would survive. And here we have it: the missing piece in the jigsaw. It is very exciting to find a piece of physical evidence that officially makes the connection which we were hoping for.”

The excavation was conducted by Wessex Archaeology for English Heritage.

The A344 will be grassed over next year as part of English Heritage’s £27m transformation of the World Heritage Site, which receives more than 1m visitors annually. There will be a new visitor centre, 1.5 miles away out of sight, to allow Stonehenge to reconnect with the surrounding landscape.

Sebire, who likens the Avenue to The Mall leading to Buckingham Palace, said that the latest findings should prompt vigorous academic debate.

The excavations have also uncovered three holes where missing stones would have stood on the outer sarsen circle, evidence, it is believed, that the circle was indeed once complete. Surprisingly, even the most sophisticated surveys failed to spot them. Two members of staff noticed dry areas of grass, or parchmarks.

Susan Greaney, an English Heritage historian, said: “The discovery … has certainly strengthened the case for it being a full circle.”

Asked why no one noticed them until now, Parker Pearson said: “The problem is we’ve not had a decent dry summer in many years. Stonehenge is always regularly watered, and the only reason these have shown up is because – for some reason this year – their hose was too short … So we’re very lucky.”

Article source: Dalya Alberge: The Guardian: http://www.theguardian.com/culture/2013/sep/08/stonehenge-ice-age-solstice-axis

Merlin @ Stonehenge
The Stonehenge News Blog

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Tags: english heritage, Mike Parker Pearson, Solstice, Stonehenge, Wessex Archaeology, World Heritage Site
Categories : Stonehenge news

Stonehenge and the Stars: Perseid Meteor Shower 12th August 2013

27 07 2013

Facilitated by English Heritage and led by an expert local volunteer, the group will enjoy sole access to Stonehenge for two hours. The first hour will be dedicated to a guided tour and Q&A focussing on the astronomical theories surrounding Stonehenge. During the second hour visitors are invited to set up their own telescopes and cameras to star gaze and moon gaze, to share stories and experiences and, weather permitting, to enjoy the Perseid Meteor Shower at its fullest.

Visitors are invited to bring their own telescopes, cameras and binoculars. (Please note: Tripods may not be pressed into the earth and must have rubber/protective feet. We are unable to provide any equipment ourselves). We recommend that visitors also bring red-filter torches. Visitors should wear appropriate clothing and footwear

Meteor showers have always captured peoples interests. In astronomy, there’s nothing quite like a bright meteor streaking across the glittering canopy of a moonless night sky. The unexpected flash of light adds a dash of magic to an ordinary walk under the stars.