1850.] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURl^AL. 



77 



said that three circles have been found in America. Cfesar in- 

 forms us that the Druids in Gaul sat in a consecrated place at 

 certain times of the year, when people flocked together from all 

 parts of the country. Here judgment was passed upon criminals, 

 rights of inheritance and boundaries of land established, and dis- 

 putes, public and private, settled by a decree to which all submitted. 

 In Iceland these circles are called " clotnr ringr" that is, " doom 

 rings," or circles of judgment. In an ancient Welsh poem we find 

 the following allusion to these consecrated inclosures : " Bards 

 were constituted the judges of excellence, and bards will praise 

 thee, even Druids of the circle;" and in another passage the poet 

 says, " It is my right to be master of song, being in a direct line 

 of the true tribe, a bard of the inclosure." 



Of these sacred circles, Stonehenge is the largest and most per- 

 fect and has from time immemorial been considered one of the 

 wonders of the world. The name is derived from the Saxon st(m, 

 "stone," and henge, "hanging," or as some translate it, the "stone 

 gibbet," in allusion, I suppose, to the huge trilithons forming so 

 conspicuous a part of the ruins. This temple (for so it may be 

 called) consisted originally of two circles and two ovals, which 

 latter formed the sanctuary; the outer circle was about 300 feet in 

 circumference, and was composed of lofty upright stones, with 

 others placed across to form a kind of architrave. This circle 

 consisted formerly of 30 stones, of which 17 remain standing. 

 Within this is another circle, composed of small unhewn stones. 

 The largest oval was formed by five pair of trilithons; the highest 

 one now standing is 22 ft. 6 in.J but one that has fallen and broken 

 measures 26 ft. 3 in. The horiiontal stones are attached to the 

 uprights by joggles. According to Dr. Stiikeley, the inner oval 

 was composed of )9 stones. The altar stone is 16 feet in length, 

 but is almost covered by the fall of one of the great trilithons. 

 The whole structure was surrounded by a "vallum," 369 yards in 

 circumference; and here we find an instance of the distinction 

 made in ancient earthwork between the military and civil or reli- 

 gious structures— in the former the ditch is outside the rampart, 

 and in the latter invariably within. There is many a tradition 

 connected with Stonehenge, but no positive history. Hecatfeus of 

 Abdera, an officer in the army of Alexander the Great, in his 

 history of the Hyperborean nations, speaks of a "temple of the 

 sun," 'in evident allusion to Stonehenge. It is also mentioned by 

 the Welsh Bards: in one of their songs, the "stone cell of the 

 sacred fire" is celebrated, and is considered as the great sanctuary 

 of the dominion. It is curious to meet with these constant allu- 

 sions to sun and fire worship— another proof of the prevalence of 

 some primitive and universal faith. In Ireland, there is a rock 

 with a basin scooped out of its upper surface, that goes by the 

 name of Carig-Cmitli, the "rock of the sun." Sacred stones, such 

 as those of Stonehenge, were distinguished by the ancients by the 

 name of "amber," signifying anything solar or__divine: hence, 

 Stonehenge was sometimes called "Maen-amber," and gave the 

 name of Ambresbury, now Amesbury, to the nearest town. Giral- 

 dus Cambrensis, who lived in the middle of the twelfth century, 

 calls these stones "the Giants' Dance," and says they were brought 

 by giants from Africa, and set up in Kildare; they were afterwards 

 removed from Ireland to Salisbury Plain by the power of the en- 

 chanter Merlin. Jeffrey of Monmouth, who wrote in the same 

 century, also relates the'tradition, as follows:— "Aurelius, wishing 

 to commemorate those who had fallen in battle [speaking of a 

 battle between the British and Saxons], and who were buried la 

 the convent of Ambresbury, thought fit to send tor Merlin the 

 prophet, a man of the brightest genius, either in predicting future 

 events or in mechanical contrivances, to consult him on the proper 

 monument to be erected to the memory of the slain. On being 

 interrogated, the prophet replied, 'If you are desirous to honour 

 the burying-place of these men with an everlasting monument, 

 send for the Giants' Dance, which is in Killaroeus [Kildare], a 

 mountain in Ireland; for there is a structure of stones there, 

 which none of this age could raise without a profound knowledge 

 of the mechanical arts. They are stones of a vast magnitude and 

 wonderful quality; and if they can be placed here, as they are 

 there, quite round this spot of ground, they will stand for ever. 

 At these words, Aurelius burst into laughter, and said, 'How is it 

 possible to remove such vast stones from so distant a country? as 

 if Britain was not furnished with stones fit for the work!' Merlin 

 having replied that they were mystical stones, and of a medicinal 

 virtue, the Britons resolved to setul for the stones, and to make 

 war upon the people of Ireland if they should otter to detain them. 

 Uther Pendragon, attended by fifteen thousand men, was made 

 choice of as the leader, and the direction of the whole aff'air was 

 to be managed by Merlin, On their lauding in Ireland, the re- 



moval of the stones was violently opposed by one Gillomanius, a 

 youth of ivonderful valour, who, at the head of a vast army, cried, 

 'To arms, soldiers! and defend your country: while I have life, 

 they shall not take from us the least stone of the Giants' Dance!' 

 A battle ensued, and victory having decided in favour of the 

 Britons, they proceeded to the mountain of Killaroeus, and arrived 

 at the structure of stones, the sight of which filled them with both 

 joy and and admiration. And while they were all standing round 

 them, Merlin came up to them, and said, 'Now try your forces, 

 young men, and see whether strength or art can do more towards 

 the taking; down these stones.' At this word, they all set to their 

 engines with one accord, and attempted the removing of the 

 Giants' Dance. Some prepared cables, others small ropes, others 

 ladders for the work,— but all to no purpose. Merlin laughed at 

 their vain efi'orts, and then began his own contrivances. At last, 

 when he had placed in order the engines that were necessary, he 

 took down the stones with an incredible facility, and withal gave 

 directions for carrying them to the ships, and placing them therein. 

 This done, they with joy set sail again to return to Britain, where 

 they arrived with a fair gale, and repaired to the burial-place with 

 the stones. When Aurelius had notice of it, he sent out messen- 

 gers to all the parts of Britain, to summon the clergy and the 

 people together to the mount of Ambrius [Ambresbury], in order 

 to celebrate with joy and honour the erecting of the monument. 

 A great solemnity w'as held for three successive days; after which, 

 Aurelius ordered Merlin to set up the stones brought over from 

 Ireland, about the sepulchre, which he accordingly did, and placed 

 them in the same manner as they had been in the mountain of 

 Killaroeus; and thereby gave a manifest proof of the prevalence 

 of art above strength." 



Aurelius Ambrosius succeeded Vortigern in the year 465 a.d. 

 Aylett Sammes, who wrote in 1676, refers Stonehenge to a Phoeni- 

 cian origin, thus explaining the legend of the African Giants; and 

 it is singular that the stones of which Stonehenge is principally 

 composed are called "sarsen-stones," sarsen being the Phoenician 

 word for "rock:" it is a common saying amongst the Wiltshire 

 peasantry, "As hard as a sarsen." Numerous stones of the same 

 formatio'n are scattered over this part of the county, and on Marl- 

 borough downs are strewed about so thickly, as to gain for the 

 place the appellation of "Grey wethers," the stones in the dusk of 

 the evening appearing like an immense flock of sheep. According 

 to Dr. Stukeley, a tablet of tin was found at Stonehenge in the 

 reign of Henry Vlll., inscribed with strange characters that none 

 of the antiquarians of that age could decipher. James I., in 162U, 

 employed tlie celebrated arciiitect, Inigo Jones, to collect informa- 

 tion concerning Stonehenge; who came to the extraordinary con- 

 clusion that it was of Roman origin, — but this singular opinion 

 does not need refutation. From all these authorities, it will be 

 seen how very little is known respecting this wonderful structure: 

 in fact, all the information we possess respecting it amounts to 

 this — that such a pile was erected near Amesbury, and that it was 

 considered a marvellous work by our most ancient authors. 



Another extraordinary temple stood 19 miles distant, at Abury, 

 of the form of a serpent transmitted through a circle— according 

 to Dr. Stukeley, a hieroglyphic of the highest note and antiquity. 

 The serpent was greatly venerated amongst the ancients, being 

 considered a symbol of renovation or immortality, on account of 

 its annually shedding its skin. When temples were built in this 

 form, they were called Dracontia. Serpents were constantly in- 

 troduced on antique altars and coins. The temple of Abury was 

 constructed of huge unhewn stones; the great circle was inclosed 

 within a vallum of 1400 feet in diameter. The two serpentine 

 avenues of upright stones, called the Kennet and Beckhampton 

 avenues, forming the neck and tail of the snake, were each a mile 

 in length; the Kennet avenue ended in a small circle of stones on 

 Overton-hill, formerly called Hackpen, from the Saxon words for 

 snake-head. The whole construction is supposed originally to have 

 consisted of 650 stones. Mr. Aubrey, who lived in the reign of 

 Charles II. was enabled to make out 'the whole plan of the temple 

 from existing remains; he has left a description of it in manu- 

 script, which he refers to the following source : dated 1663 a.d. 

 "King Charles II. discoursing one morning with my lord Broun- 

 ker and Dr. Charlton concerning Stonehenge, they told his Majestie 

 what they had heard me say concerning Aubrey (or Abury), for 

 that it did as much excel Stonehenge as a cathedral does a parish 

 church. His Majestie admired that none of our chorographers 

 had taken notice of it, and commanded Dr. Charlton to bring me 

 to him the next morning. I brought with me a draught of i^ "one 

 by memorie only, but well enough resembling it, with which his 

 :Majestie was pleased, gave me his hand to kisse, and commanded 



