Stonehenge

Mythical and beautiful, the stones of Stonehenge stood before me. All I could do was gape. I could barely believe that I was here, in front of such a famous monument. I had stayed in a palace, cavorted through a couple of castles and seen countless cathedrals and historical landmarks in the past couple of weeks, yet some oddly arranged stones--that's what left me at a loss for words.

The sheer stature of the stones stunned me. They were larger than I imagined they would be. And I could be so close to them! I didn't think I'd get closer than a few hundred yards from them, yet at times the path was so close I felt that I could allllllmost touch one if I leaned over the rope.

While gazing at the stones I listened to the audio tour, amused. It told the history, most of which I don't remember, except that the stones and land date back over to 3000 BC. What I do remember are the myths and legends associated with Stonehenge. Nobody knows why the stones are here or arranged as they are. Instead there are numerous theories and stories behind the mytical rocks. One legend tells the tale of Merlin the Wizard who was ordered to retrieve the rocks from Ireland. Another story states that the stones are actually giants who were dancing in the field, celebrating, but they were frozen into rock formations when the sun hit them. (I like this tale because if you look at the rocks, they do look like they could be giants dancing. It's charmingly whimsical.) Yet another myth claims that the stones were set up by Satan. An old Irish woman was owner of the large stones and Satan wanted them, so he disguised himself as an old man in possession of much gold and struck a bargain with her: she could have as much gold as she could count while he transported the stones. Of course she agreed, but before she could begin to count, the devil transformed back into himself and transferred the stones to England, leaving her with no gold and no stones.

I loved hearing all of the stories about this magical place. I'm actually glad that it's a mystery because then it can be whatever people want it to be instead of it just being one concrete thing. It can be whatever it wants to whomever decides it is. If people want it to be an altar to worship the sun, it's that. If some believe it's the resting place for medieval kings, it could be that. If it's just a place of inspiration and reflection, then so it is. Things aren't always one way or another. Seeing Stonehenge and hearing the stories behind it's creation and beliefs have solidified that fact for me.