(From Ladies’ Realm Magazine.)

The Great Druidical Temple, or (as some hold) Phoenician Observatory, composed of gigantic, beautifully-coloured, hewn stones, stands in the middle of Salisbury Plain. These stones have been measured, counted, defaced, praised, depreciated, commented upon, by numerous authorities on countless occasions, but (to my knowledge) no account of their poetical and picturesque aspects, at different seasons of the year, has been attempted. I shall feel satisfied if I succeed in conveying feebly in words what David Cox (the artist) did ably in colours, with his glowing brush. I do not propose to enter into any statistics, as to the “Market value of Stonehenge to the nation,” or to tell you the number of miles that lie between it and the town of Salisbury, the goodness or inferiority of the roads to it, the number of visiting tourists, &c.; I only wish to place before you some impressions I have felt of its grandeur and charm, through many seasons, in all sorts of weather, and varying moods.

There is always a constant surprise and delight to me in the manner in which Stonehenge bursts upon one, approach it as one may, from various points across the undulating Plain which surrounds it. Starting upon one’s “Pilgrim’s Path” to visit it, from any side, at first there is nothing to be seen but the crisp crackling grass underfoot, and the white glittering roads; then, as one advances nearer, unexpectedly, dark, mysterious forms seem to start up, which gradually shape themselves into the incompleted circle we call “Stonehenge.”

The late spring, and early summer, are enchanting periods; myriads of starry white flowers, and gorgeous yellow and blue ones, wave together with a glowing harmony of colour, as they are swayed by soft breezes, whilst a “Hallelujah Chorus” of skylarks sing overhead, making the air full of scent and sound. In this setting, the old stones seem all yellow and grey in the brilliant sunshine. Picturesque shepherds, wrapped in their great dark-blue cloaks, appear upon the horizon; tinkling sheep bells are heard, reminding one of the Roman Campagna; evening falling, brings a sense of peace and stillness, chimes from the old Church at Amesbury float across the valley. The light comes and goes, and the world seems far away.

Stonehenge and a Great Trilithon

* * * * *

To my mind the magic of Stonehenge is never more powerfully felt than during the wild, tempestuous autumnal gales, that usually sweep across the Plain in October. Great clouds roll above, enfolding the circle in a shadowy purple mantle, sometimes tipped with gold. Thoughts rise up suddenly, of the many tragedies, feasts, sacrifices, mysterious rites that must have been enacted here in far-off bygone days. One wonders if beautiful golden-haired Guinevere passed this way, on her flight to safety, at the Convent at “Ambresbury” (the Land of Ambrosius), or if sad King Arthur tarried there on his lonely homeward journey?I prefer to picture to myself, Stonehenge, in happy, thoughtless Pagan days, Druid priests and priestesses forming grand processions; crossing the “rushing Avon” and winding up from the valley to Stonehenge, clothed in pure white, and holding gleaming sickles in their hands, chanting hymns on their way to perform the sacred rite of cutting the mistletoe. Perhaps they sang and chanted through the short summer night, waiting for the sun to rise (over the pointed outlying stone) on the day which marks the solar half-year (June 21st), and which bathes the altar-stone in golden light. Probably this was the signal for sacrifice, the death of the victim, and the appeasing of wrathful gods. In mid-winter the stones appear like black masses, in the midst of driving snows. The least interesting time of year, in this enchanted place, is the bright, clear, commonplace summer, when no mysteries abound (except by moonlight). The old gods are sleeping, everything is orderly, agriculture and its implements surround us, and Romance seems dead for the moment. Farewell.

Florence Caroline Mathilde Antrobus.

In approaching’ the momentous and deeply interesting subject of Stonehenge, I considered it best and wisest to collect the thoughts and opinions of several learned authors on this subject, and submit them to the reader, who thus will have an opportunity of comparing for himself the truth and merits of the different theories presented to him for judgment.

Various explanations of the name “Stonehenge” have been forthcoming; but the true etymological significance seems to be: A.S. “StÀn,” used as an adjective, and “henge,” from A.S. “hÒn” i.e., stone hanging-places, from the groups of stones resembling a gallows. This was long ago suggested by Wace, the Anglo-Norman poet, who writes:—

“Stanhengues ont nom en Englois
Pierres pendues en FranÇois.”

As to the date of Stonehenge, opinions vary. It is supposed HecatÆus (500 B.C.) mentioned it as the “Round Temple” (Translation of Extract from Diodorus Siculus, about B.C. 8).

HecatÆus, the Milesian, and others, have handed down to us the following story:—“Over against Gaul, in the great ocean stream, is an island not less in extent than Sicily, stretching towards the north. The inhabitants are called Hyperboreans, because their abode is more remote from us than that wind we call Boreas. It is said that the soil is very rich and fruitful, and the climate so favourable that there are two harvests in every year. Their fables say that Latona was born in this island, and on that account they worship Apollo (Apollo would signify the sun to the Latins) before all other divinities, and celebrate his praise in daily hymns, conferring the highest honours upon their bards, as being his priests. There is in this island a magnificent temple to this god, circular in form, and adorned with many splendid offerings. And there is also a city sacred to Apollo, inhabited principally by harpers, who in his temple sing sacred verses to the god, accompanied by the harp, in honour of his deeds.

“The language of the Hyperboreans is peculiar, and they are singularly well affected towards the Greeks, and have been so from the most remote times, especially to those of Athens and Delos. It is even said that some Greeks have travelled thither, and presented offerings at their temple inscribed with Grecian characters. They also say that Abaris in former times went thence to Greece, to renew their ancient friendship with the Delians. It is related, moreover, that in this island the moon appears but a short way from the earth, and to have little hills upon it. Once in nineteen years (and this period is what we call the Great Year) they say that their god visits the island; and from the Vernal Equinox to the rising of the Pleiades, all the night through, expresses his satisfaction at his own exploits by dances and by playing on the harp.

“Both the City and the Temple are presided over by the Boreadoe, the descendants of Boreas, and they hand down the power in regular succession in their family.”

The first author who is considered to make unmistakable mention of Stonehenge is Henry of Huntingdon (twelfth century). In his Chronicle he speaks of it as the second wonder of England, and calls it Stanenges. Geoffrey of Monmouth (1138) wrote of it about the same time; he believed it to have been erected by Aurelius Ambrosius, King of Britain, and called it Hengist’s Stones. Giraldus Cambrensis, a contemporary of Geoffrey, also makes mention of it.

Among more modern authors, may be quoted Sir Philip Sidney’s lines:—

“Near Wilton sweet, huge heaps of stones are found,
But so confused that neither any eye
Can count them first, nor reason try
What force them brought to so unlikely ground.”

Then Wharton’s sonnet:—

“Thou noblest monument of Albion’s isle!
Whether by Merlin’s aid from Scythia’s shore
To Amber’s fatal plain Pendragon bore,
Huge frame of giant hands, the mighty pile,
To entomb his Britain’s slain by Hengist’s guile;
Or Druid priests, sprinkled with human gore,
Taught ’mid thy massy maze their mystic lore;
Or Danish chiefs, enriched with savage spoil,
To victory’s idle vast, an unhewn shrine,
Reared the rude heap; or in thy hallowed round
Repose the kings of Brutus’ genuine line;
Or here those kings in solemn state were crowned
Studious to trace thy wondrous origin,
We muse on many an ancient tale renowned.”

To descend to prose. Langtoft, in his Chronicle, says:—“A wander wit of Wiltshire, rambling to Rome, to gaze at antiquities, and there screwing himself into the company of antiquarians, they entreated him to illustrate unto them that famous monument in his country called Stonage. His answer was that he had never seen it. Whereupon they kicked him out of doors, and bade him go home and see Stonage.”

The immortal Pepys says the stones are “as prodigious as any tales I have ever heard of them, and worth going this journey to see.”

The archÆologist, Mr. Edmund Story Maskelyne, fixes the date of Stonehenge at 900 or 1000 B.C. I quote what he says from a lecture, read 1897, “On the Age and Purpose of Stonehenge”:—

“It is of consequence that we should recognize that Stonehenge was built about nine or ten hundred years B.C., and not 700 A.D., as many writers would have us believe. For instance, Dr. W. M. Flinders Petrie, in his book, ‘Stonehenge, 1880,’ states his opinion that it was erected A.D. 700±200, that is, between A.D. 500 and 900. The date of Stonehenge will be of great interest if there is found at Avebury remains sufficiently perfect to determine astronomically the date when that monument was erected. For it cannot be but interesting to ascertain when the two cults—that of the sun, pure and simple, as exemplified in the original Temple at Stonehenge; and the cult of the sun in connexion with the serpent, as exhibited at Avebury—respectively prevailed in this country.”

Mr. Story Maskelyne’s reasons for his theory that Stonehenge was built by the Phoenicians are as follows:—

“I should like to add some reasons for my belief that Stonehenge was built by the Phoenicians. In the first place, I cannot think of any other people that could have either designed or executed such a monument, which required both science for its conception and skill for its erection. The Phoenicians, with their perfect familiarity with masts, and cordage, and pulleys, could easily lift the imposts, of which the largest—being about 11 ft. long, 4 or 6 wide, and 3 ft. thick—would weigh less than ten tons; and the Phoenicians must have known how the Egyptians raised masses of stone many times heavier.

“The trilithon [24] standing clear seems to have had some fascination for these people. They are found still standing in Tripoli in Libya, as described in ‘The Hill of the Graces,’ a record of investigation among the Trilithons and Megalithic sites of Tripoli by Mr. Cowper, F.S.A., 1897, and specimens exist on the Continent of Europe, in Normandy and in Brittany. One may be seen in the Island of Ushant, and another in St. Nazaire on the probable route they adopted for the passage of tin.

Great Circle and Leaning Stone, as it was—now upright

“Another peculiarity can be seen to this day by any one at Stonehenge in the large trilithon impost, namely, that the under surfaces of the imposts which rested on the uprights are smoothly cut and slightly bevelled, so as to throw the principal weight of the mass of the impost on its outside edge, thus excluding rain, &c., and this very contrivance was employed by the Egyptians in the pyramids, and it is certain that the Phoenicians had free intercourse with Egypt. Finally, the Phoenicians had founded Cadiz, their Gadir in the eleventh century B.C., more than two centuries before the date which, from astronomical considerations, I assign for the building of Stonehenge. We know that they sailed along the shores of Spain and Gaul and to the Baltic, and though they preferred coasting as a rule, the straight cut across from Cherbourg to Poole or Christchurch in fine weather would not be a long voyage; and as they certainly did trade with Britain, and it must have been hazardous for British coracles to sail across the open sea, laden with tin, we may conclude that Phoenician ships did cross the Channel. We know also that the Phoenicians made, more or less, homes for themselves wherever they landed; and it is probable that they did so at Poole or Christchurch, also that they would build them a temple where they found it convenient to stay.”

Mr. Story Maskelyne considers the Greeks reformed the Temple later on. “Within 500 years of the latest of the above-mentioned dates the Phoenician or Tyrian Empire had ceased to exist, and her numerous colonies had been absorbed by the nationalities surrounding them. About B.C. 400 the Greeks supplanted the Phoenicians in their trade with Britain, and probably for some time continued to use the same mart and sea route the latter had used—we may assume from Cherbourg to Poole or Christchurch, whence they bore away the tin in their coracles from Cornwall. Now commenced a new era for Stonehenge. It must have been a noted Temple, and I cannot doubt that HecatÆus did allude to it as cited by Strabo, when he wrote, in the sixth century B.C., of the Round Temple to Apollo in the land of the Hyperboreans. Now the festivals of the Greeks were more connected with the months than with the year, and their calendar months were alternate, full and hollow, where the thirty pillars were doubtless used by them for the daily sacrifice in the months of thirty days and the spaces between them, omitting the entrance, for the hollow months, of twenty-nine days. Owing to the precession of the stars, Stonehenge no longer answered some of the purposes for which it has been founded. The Greeks had adopted with ardour the Metonic Cycle discovered by them B.C. 430, and they reformed the old Sun Temple by the addition of the inner horseshoe of blue stones which represented that Cycle, for they were in number nineteen. As to how, or why, the blue stones came to be imported, I imagine they are native to Brittany or Normandy, whence they might easily have been brought as ballast in Greek ships, which took back tin in their stead from Poole or Christchurch, and from the latter port they might easily have been taken in rafts to Amesbury.”

The stone and flint implements discovered at Stonehenge during the excavations in 1902

Hele Stone