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meiah · Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2009 7:07 am Post subject: Tara

http://www.knowth.com/tara.htm

The Images on the site are well worth looking at.

An incredibly atmospheric place

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The megalithic tomb called the Mound of the Hostages is the oldest monument on the Hill of Tara dating back to between 2500 B.C. and 3000 B.C. The passage, 4m in length and 1m wide, was subdivided by sillstones into three compartments each containing cremated remains.

A wonderfully decorated stone can be viewed from the entrance gate. The engravings may represent the sun, moon or stars as religious symbols or maybe the stone was used as a prehistoric calendar.

The term passage tomb is disliked by those who consider megalithic mounds to be have been primarily astronomical observatories or sacred temples. In the case of Tara evidence of at least 200 individual cremations were found, so the passage tomb description is appropriate.

The hills at Loughcrew can be seen to the west from the top of the mound.

Long after the megalithic mound was constructed Tara became the seat of the High Kings of Celtic Ireland. The most famous of these was Cormac Mac Airt who reigned in the third century AD. One of the ring forts within the large hill fort known as the Royal Enclosure is known as Cormac's House. The other ring fort known as the King's Seat may actually be constructed around a prehistoric tomb.

Ireland's Stonehenge, a 4,500-year-old structure at the Hill of Tara in Co Meath, has been re-created by archaeologists and computer-graphics experts. They have built a representation of a huge, wooden monument that appears to have been used for inauguration ceremonies and pagan burials of Ireland’s high kings. More ...

The standing stone known as the Lia Fáil, though erected on the King's Seat or Forrad around 1824, was originally sufficiently close to the Mound of the Hostages passage tomb that the two were traditionally considered to be an ensemble. This stone may once have stood in front of the entrance to the passage and, like the two pillar-shaped stones that stand in front of both the eastern and western tombs at Knowth, it too may be contemporary with the tomb and belong to a tradition of erecting standing stones around or in passage tombs.

The Lia Fáil or Stone of Destiny which stands about one metre in height is considered by some to have been a fertility symbol.

According to legend on the inauguration of a worthy high king the stone would roar its approval.

Over the years it has been proposed that the carvings on the orthostat in The Mound of the Hostages are art work, celestial representations or even a calendar. However, a regular visitor to this site has theorized that they actually correspond to the monuments on the Hill of Tara.

While this theory has yet to be confirmed, it offers an interesting view of how Tara may have evolved. Read the full paper.

Tlachtga on the Hill of Ward near Athboy is 12 miles from the Hill of Tara. Tlachtga dates from approximately 200 AD and is named after a sorceress who died there giving birth to triplets.

Tlachtga is clearly visable from Tara and the fire lit on the eve of Samhain may have been a prelude to the Samhain Festival at Tara

Raymond · Avatar Joined: 27 Mar 2008 Posts: 5631

The picture of the standing stone caught my attention ( Shut it Hobbs! ) more evidence (as if we needed any more) of fertility cults taking place in these lands.

meiah · Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2009 10:07 am Post subject:

And I thought it was just me thinking that way

meiah · Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2009 10:16 am Post subject:

meiah · Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2009 10:21 am Post subject:

But stonehenge doesn't. I wonder why?

It struck me that maybe the curves and ellipses may be astrological, or magnetic type lines, but then surely stonehenge should have them too?

I wonder how circles fit in with Davids willy theory?

meiah · Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2009 10:22 am Post subject:

OH

Duh.

(I really shouldn't think aloud)

Raymond · Avatar Joined: 27 Mar 2008 Posts: 5631

I had a strange experience once at Avebury. I sat with my back against one the stones and the only way I can decsribe what I felt was as if a party was going on all around me.
Stonehenge has a completely different 'feel'.

I heard a theory a while back that Stonehenge was used as more of a religious/scientific place while Avebury was used more for the piss-up afterwards.

I can go with that.

david hobbs · Avatar Joined: 27 May 2007 Posts: 8156 Location: Essex

Stone Henge is unique and cannot be put in the same bracket as any other neolithic site.

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