ROUGH STONE MONUMENTS 



Pyrenees, in Spain, and in Africa there are " graves 

 of the Gentiles " or " tombs of idolaters " ; in 

 Aries (France) the allees couvertes are called 

 " prisons " or " shops of the Saracens," and the 

 dolmens of the Eastern Pyrenees are locally 

 known as " huts of the Moors." Dolmens in 

 India are often " stones of the monkeys," and in 

 France there are " wolves' altars," " wolves' 

 houses," and " wolves' tables." 



Passing now to more definite beliefs connected 

 with megalithic monuments, we may notice that 

 from quite early times they have been — as indeed 

 they often are still — regarded with fear and 

 respect, and even worshipped. In certain parts 

 of France peasants are afraid to shelter under the 

 dolmens, and never think of approaching them by 

 night. In early Christian days there must have 

 been a cult of the menhir, for the councils of 

 Aries (a.d. 452), of Tours (a.d. 567), and of 

 Nantes (a.d. 658) all condemn the cult of trees, 

 springs, and stones. In a.d. 789 Charlemagne 

 attempted to suppress stone-worship, and to 

 destroy the stones themselves. In Spain, where, 

 as in France, megalithic monuments are common, 

 the councils of Toledo in a.d. 681 and 682 con- 

 demned the " Worshippers of Stones." Moreover 

 there are many cases in which a monument itself 

 bears traces of having been the centre of a cult 

 in early or medieval times. The best example is 

 perhaps the dolmen of Saint-Germain-sur-Vienne, 



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