56 STONE CIRCLES. 



There is not, as yet, any satisfactory evidence either as to 

 the age or origin of the great stone-circles. They are con- 

 sidered by most antiquaries to have been originally temples : 

 some, however, are rather disposed to regard them as courts of 

 law, or battle-rings. Dr. Wilson* tells us that Mr. George 

 Petrie has called his attention to several cases, in which the 

 Orkney circles have been thus used, in comparatively modern 

 times. In 1349, William de Saint Michael was summoned 

 to attend a court held " apud stantes lapides de Eane en le 

 Garniach," to answer for his forcible detention of certain 

 ecclesiastical property ; and in 1380, Alexander, Lord of 

 Regality of Badenoch, and son of Robert II., held a court 

 "apud le standand stanys de la Rathe de Kyngucy Estir," 

 to enquire into the titles, by which the Bishop of Moray 

 held certain of his lands. Even so late as the year 1438, we 

 find a notice, that " John off Erwyne and Will. Bernardson 

 swor on the Hirdmane Stein before oure Lorde ye Erie off 

 Orknay and the gentiless off the euntre." Opinions, how- 

 ever, will differ, as to how far this comparatively recent 

 use of the stone circles justifies us in forming an opinion, 

 \\ibh regard to the purpose for which they were originally 

 intended. Megalithic erections, resembling those which are 

 generally, but hastily, ascribed to the Druids, are found 

 in very different countries. Mr. Maurice f was, I believe, 

 the first to point out, that in some parts of India, there 

 are various monuments of stone, which "recal strongly 

 those mysterious, solitary, or clustered monuments of un- 

 known origin, so long the puzzle and delight of antiquaries, 

 which abound in our native country, and are seen here and 

 there in all parts of Europe and Western Asia." 



Mr. Fergusson goes farther, and argues with great in- 

 genuity that the "Buddhist architecture in India, as prac- 



* Pre-historic Annals of Scotland, second edition, vol. i. p. 164. 

 f India Antiqua. 



