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Joined: Jul 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 3,467 |
"henge" in OED has nothing to do with hanging circles or the lke. It's the pluck of an animal, as in the part that's plucked out when eviscerating same.
At the definition for stonehenge, there is a reference to the possible connection with stones "hanging" in the air.
It seems like not that long ago, but a quarter of a century ago I toured through that part of England on a bicycle. Went to Stonehenge, Woodhenge, and Avebury. All three were impressive in different ways. Woodhenge has none of the posts left, only the postholes, but I got the impression there was a great deal more precision mapping done in laying out the site originally. Avebury was impressive because the stone circle was of a much larger diameter than that found at Stonehenge. The stones themselves were not as impressive, only a few of them being dressed at all. Just oblong pieces of stone standing on edge, with no or very few smoothed sides or edges. There was an altar stone at a focal point, if I recall correctly, that had on it what was described as a blood groove.
The trioliths or trilithons are more commonly called dolmens, and those are fairly common throughout the area, and also in Ireland.
There was a great fascination with astronomy, apparently because of the power it bestowed upon those who could predict where the sun would come up and go down and when the seasons turned. I was lucky enogh to be in Ireland on Midsummer's day a few years ago, and I went quite a distance in the predawn to be at a cave in Western Ireland where the sun shown directly onto a spectacular carving only on that day. Quite something to watch.
TEd
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Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,146
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,146 |
Thanks to Old Nick and Punman for the heads-up on henge.
When my wife and I went to see Stonehenge some years ago we drove right on by it first, thinking that it was a model of the real thing. Damned sight smaller than we expected! They always photograph it from close to the base and with nothing in the picture to give you a sense of scale.
We felt ripped off, really. I mean, couldn't those neolithic types have shown some fellow-feeling for the tourists who would come from all over the shop to see their masterpiece in the future and dragged a few really big stones in over the downs from 300 miles away? For the sake of posterity, if for nothing else. It's quite clear to me that their druids or whatever just didn't bring 'em up right. Some people just have no consideration for other folk or a sense of destiny, do they? Honestly!
Actually, I do have to say that the neoliths were very considerate, however, in their siting of Stonehenge. It's very conveniently placed where it is, right on the intersection of the A303 and the A344. And it's a great carpark.
The idiot also known as Capfka ...
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Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296 |
Here's a point of interest: Henge: An area of ground that has a bank and ditch structure around it.The area inside was normally used for 'rituals'.http://www.gallica.co.uk/celts/alpha.htm#sectH...it's not the OED, but still something to consider.
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Joined: Apr 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542 |
>still something to consider
yes, while keeping in mind that it could have been derived to cover the ground, as it were.
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Joined: Mar 2000
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old hand
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old hand
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 1,027 |
...you mean, actually begging the question? (haven't heard it for a while)  .
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