The Stars and the Stones: Ancient Art and Astronomy in Ireland

Description

Like the flash of light that Martin Brennan saw deep in the recesses of Cairn T, in the Loughcrew’ Mountains in Ireland, this book brilliantly illuminates part of our prehistoric heritage that has for long been shrouded in darkness and mystery. Built over 5,000 years ago, the megalithic monuments of Ireland with their spectacular art have baffled scientists for generations. Now, through patient and extensive fieldwork, Mr. Brennan sets that ancient tradition in the astronomical and ritual context for which it was intended. What the author and his colleagues discovered was that most if not all the major Irish mounds are orientated to the rising or setting positions of the sun at critical times of the year - solstice, cross-quarter day, equinox. Even more remarkably they found that the beams of light projected into the inner chambers at these times illuminate one after another the images carved on the stones, as if spelling out messages in an archaic code. Analysis of the carvings revealed an ancient preoccupation with solar and lunar symbolism, and true sundials and calendar stones are seen to exist here earlier than anywhere else in the world. In his text and own superb two-color drawings Martin Brennan fully documents these discoveries, as well as describing the researches of others and echoes from the distant past to be found in Gaelic literature. All the major Irish engraved compositions are illustrated, providing not only support for the author’s theories but also a wonderful treasury of Irish megalithic art. With 300 illustrations in one and two colors. Acknowledgments 6 Note on the illustrations 6 Part I. INTRODUCTION 7 The lords of light 10 MEGALITHIC MOUNDS IN ANCIENT IRELAND The caves of the sun 18 MEGALITHIC MOUNDS IN EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY ANTIQUARIAN LITERATURE The coming of the light 25 MEGALITHIC MOUNDS IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY To catch a sunbeam 32 NEOLITHIC ASTRONOMY AND TWENTIETH-CENTURY ARCHAEOLOGY The shadow artists 37 BASIC FUNDAMENTALS OF NEOLITHIC SUNDIALLING Movements in the mountains 46 THE FIRST FORAY AT LOUGHCREW The second light 51 LUNAR OBSERVATIONS DURING THE SUMMER OF 1980 The realms of light 55 SOLAR OBSERVATIONS DURING THE SUMMER OF 1980 AND THE AUTUMNAL EQUINOX AT KNOWTH The triumph of the light 60 SOLAR OBSERVATIONS DURING THE WINTER OF 1980 Part II. MEGALITHIC OBSERVATORIES 67 The Loughcrew complex 68 The Boyne Valley complex 71 The solstice 72 NEWGRANGE 72 DOWTH 82 LOUGHCREW 87 SESS KILGREEN 89 The equinox 90 CAIRN T, LOUGHCREW 90 KNOWTH 101 Between equinox and solstice 109 CAIRN I, LOUGHCREW 109 CAIRN L, LOUGHCREW 110 CAIRNS H AND F, LOUGHCREW 114 CAIRNS S AND U, LOUGHCREW 116 NEWGRANGE II9 TARA 121 North and south alignments 122 MOUND K, NEWGRANGE 122 CAIRN W AND KNOCKMANY 124 Part III. MEGALITHIC ART 127 Rock engraving techniques 128 The essential elements of megalithic art 130 The moon in megalithic art 135 THE CRESCENT AND WAVY LINE I37 CALENDRICAL ENGRAVINGS 144 The sun in megalithic art 158 Megalithic art and cosmology 179 THE CIRCLE 180 THE QUADRANGLE l82 THE SPIRAL 189 Conclusions 204 Select bibliography 206 Index of sites and stones 207