1921.] 



LIST OF DOLMENS, MENHIRS, ETC. 59 



La Roque qui Sonne. — The remains of this dolmen are in the 

 playground of the Vale Parish Schools, which stands on the top of 

 the hill to the east of La Longue Roque, and the Vale Rectory, on 

 what was formerly called tc La Hougue de la Roque qui Sonne." 

 It is said to have been the largest dolmen in the island, and accord- 

 ing to tradition one of its capstones, when struck, gave out so loud 

 a sound that it could be heard all over the Clos du Valle. It was 

 nearly entirely destroyed by its owner at the beginning of the nine- 

 teenth century, with, according to the story, disastrous rtsults. He used 

 seme of the stones to build his new house at Beuval, close to the dol- 

 men, and just when it was completed it was burnt to the ground and 

 two maidservants perished in the names. It is also related that the 

 ship that leaded the remainder of the stones was never heard of 

 again. (1) Since then no one has been daring enough to meddle with 

 the few remaining " Pierres Saintes " of "La Roque qui Sonne." 

 Its site was excavated in 1837 by Mr. F. C. Lukis, who found several 

 vases and a quantity of fragments of pottery, etc. These are now 

 in the Lukis Museum. (113.) 



LeS Roqyes Barrees. — This estate lies to the north of the Vale 

 Castle. It is probable that a megalithic monument once stood 

 somewhere on it, as the name is suggestive of the appearance of the 

 capstones of a dolmen resting on their props or of some megalithic 

 structure similar to cc Le Gibet des Faies." (114.) 



La Roque a&J Varouf. — Livre de Perchage Clos du Valle, 1836 : 

 " La Vavassourie Marais. Le Sr. David Henry en son courtil a 

 Test de la Rcque au Varouf." This rock was near Les Hougues 

 Perre, and La Hougue Jambiin. As the name " Varou '" is so often 

 associated with the neighbourhood of megalithic monuments in 

 Guernsey this rock may have been a menhir. If on the other hand 

 it was a natural rock it had. evidently been an object of cult. (115.) 

 La Rocgue Chardo. — It steed en La Hougue Juasse not far from 



La Croix du Bois, on Le Bordage Becrel. 

 Pierres Saintes. — In a field opposite the house of Sohier was a 

 natural rock shaped like a menhir which was looked upon as " une 

 Pierre Sainte," and consequently certain to bring misfortune upon 

 its destroyer, so it was carefully preserved till about two years ago, 

 when the property was sold and the rock destroyed. For the same 

 reason a similarly shaped rock which stood on the top of a hill near 

 La Ville es Pies was left untouched, though the. hill was quarried 

 away nearly all round it. 

 Le Chien Bodu.- The Dog of Death which haunted the neighbour- 

 hood of La Ville Bodu. Its name is derived from the Gaulish "Bodu," 

 which means the Abyss, and the mythological dog of Hades is our 

 Chien Bodu. (2) The localities haunted by the Dog of Death in 

 Guernsey are nearly all in the neighbourhood of dolmens, so it is 

 possible that one may have once existed at or near La Ville Bodu. 



ST. SAMPSON'S. 



La Chaise au Pretre- or La Chaire Saint Bon it* was 



a natural pointed reck shaped like a menhir which stood on the top 

 of La Grosse Hougue, not far from the site of the old chapel of St. 

 Claire. At its foot was a projection of the rock exactly like a flat 

 seat. It was undoubtedly worshipped in prehistoric days for several 

 stone celts were found in the ground around it, two of them lying 

 close together at its base being suggestive of a votive offering. The 

 lands around the rock were called "Les Terres de Dis," — "Dis," in 

 Celtic, meaning " the earth." La Chaise au Pretre " was unfortu- 



(1) Folk Lore, p. 114. 



(2) Folk Lere, p. 237. 



