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Callanish: Heel Stone. One
of the stones of the array at The Stone at the end of the northern avenue of the Callanish array. This is one of the largest and most impressive of megalithic sites in the British Isles. It consists of 13 stones in a central ring with a tall central pillar, from which radiate five avenues of stones, one of which points due north, and has alignments with the spring and autumn equinoxes. When you consider there was no pole star in megalithic times you realise that this was a highly developed culture. Besides the usual petrification legend of pagan elders being turned to stone this time by St. Kieran, there is also the remarkable story that the stones were brought there by a King who arrived in a large fleet with a retinue of priests and Africans. The Africans set up the stones, those who died within the process being buried within the circle. When the king departed he left behind the high priest and others, and they invited locals to assist in their rituals. The priests wore robes made of skin and feathers, that of the chief priest being white with a girdle made of the neck feathers of mallard drakes and the other priests wore feather cloaks of many colours. The chief priest never appeared without wrens flying about him. |
