Stonehenge: Who and Why?

Image via Wikipedia

The ancient times have posed many mysteries for the modern world and experts are still marvelling over the feats of engineering. One of these is Stonehenge, England where gigantic stones have been placed on top of each other. Even in the Middle Ages, this was a marvel and many theories have been put forward over the years as a way of explaining their existence.

The Merlin Myth

In the 12th century, Geoffrey of Monmouth put forward the theory that Stonehenge was one of the accomplishments of Merlin the magician. He suggested that the stones were brought from Africa to Ireland by giants to form the Giants’ Circle on the mythical Mount Killarus. He suggested that the stones had healing properties known to these giants. When the Roman king of the Britons wished to erect a monument to warriors slain in battle, Merlin suggested using these stones but in order to get them, the king had to wage war on the giants. When they were defeated in battle, Merlin magically transported the stones to their present location.

The Site of an Ancient Temple

The theory that Stonehenge was an elaborate temple built by the Romans in the 1st century was proposed by an English architect, Inigo Jones, who was commissioned by King James I to investigate the origins of the stones in the 1500’s. He concluded that the stones were the ruins of a Roman temple, but this theory was attacked by Dr. Walter Charleton, who concluded that it was actually a temple built by Danish invaders who tried to copy the Roman style of architecture.

Religious Site of the Druids

The Druids were an ancient people living in Britain at the time of the Roman invasion. Dr. William Stuckley formulated the theory that this was one of the religious sites of these people and stated that these people had knowledge of the magnetic North, which enabled the stones to stay in place.  However, later researchers proved that Stonehenge actually pre-dated the Druids.

Bronze Age Structure

The inventor of the terms “Paleolithic” and “Neolithic”, Sir John Lubbock claimed that Stonehenge was a structure created during the Bronze Age of civilization. He compared the structure to those similar to it in other parts of the world and concluded that it was created over a long period of time.

Alignment with the Sun

It is no secret that ancient peoples dabbled in astronomy and used the position of the Sun to direct their lives. The theory put forth by Sir Joseph Normal Lockyer is that this site corresponded with the alignment of the sun in the Summer Solstice and that it was a place of healing. He said there were 165 points on the stones that were aligned with the sun and the moon, but not with the stars or planets. He suggested it was a method used by the ancient people to predict the occurrence of solar and lunar eclipses.

Alien Creation

The stones found in Stonehenge came from the local area, but those who believed in the existence of aliens and UFO’s believe that this structure was created by people from outer space who brought these stones with them. They base this belief on the fact that the ability to place the stones in the various positions would have been beyond the capabilities of ancient peoples.

What are your views on the creation of Stonhenge?