Ring of Brodgar
In early September 2000 we reached one of our main targets on our trip to Northern Scotland with my friend Mirek - a great stone cromlech in Orkney Islands.
Twenty seven standing stones remained in the stone circle from the original number of sixty. The structure is known as Ring of Brodgar (sometimes also Brogar) and is situated on the mild eastern slope of the main Orkney island. We could see the stones in the flat landscape from a distance, as if they would welcome us after our long trip from the central Europe. The circle was illuminated by the autumn sun and surrounded by purple heath. No other visitors around... just a height megalithic romantics!
The entrances to the circle are situated on the north-west and south-east parts of it. The perimeter of the ring is 110 m. The tallest stone stands 4,6 m high. The estimated period of construction is the Early Bronze Age, i.e cca 2500 BC.
On four pillars you can find the carvings of rune inscriptions and images. It is the name Bjorn (probably a Viking visitor), a cross, an anvil and the figure nine. However, these were created a long time after the stones erection. Ring of Brodgar used to be known as the Temple of Sun once (and the nearby Stones of Stennes represented the Temple of Luna). The ditch between the circle and the outer bank was broken through the firm sandstone bedrock. Once it used to be at least 3,6 m deep and 9m wide. The deep ditch could had served in a similar way as the walls of later cathedrales - it was creating the feeling of a large bordered space...
In the spirit of Celtic mystics we stood in the centre of the circle peacefully for a while and hoped for its positive influence.
To say goodbye I could not resist the urge and I outlined the drawing of the monument in my diary by the pen and the violet coloured pencil...
©This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.,10.4.2002
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