Today I take you to the menhirs of Brittany. "maen-hir" literally means "long stone" and refers to the large upright stones from the late Neolithic and (early) Bronze Age in Europe (c. 2800-1800 BC). However, recent research in Brittany suggests a far older origin. So much is still unknown about these long stones.
Brittany has the highest number of menhirs, about 50,000 examples. Yes, you read that right, fifty thousand. Some of them just stand nonchalantly by the side of the road like this one, Menhir de Lannoulouarn.
It looks small from the distance, but when you actually stand next to it, it looks so much taller. Kaefer is 163 cm (5'3") tall, but the menhir is thrice her size.
Like most of these ancient monoliths it was covered with lichen and there was a White-lipped snail clinging to it. I'm always surprised how these small creatures get to these places. Endurance I guess.
Here the menhir plays the fourth part in this family photo.
Some menhirs are a bit further away from those narrow country roads and require a short walk through the countryside.
What a lovely opportunity to look at the wildflowers in the autumn landscape. Red Campion (Silene Dioica) is such a beautiful blotch of color.
The bees were still busy on the Common Hogweed (Heracleum Sphondylium).
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You can already see the menhir.
Getting closer...
And here it is, the Menhir de Kerloas.
The Menhir de Kerloas was erected at this spot over 4000 years ago. With a height of 9.50 meters (c. 31 ft.) it is the tallest of any stone still standing. It has a circumference of 6.20 meters (c. 20.5 ft.) and an estimated mass between 100 and 150 metric tons (100,000 and 150,000 kg; 220,462 and 330,693 lbs.). It had to be transported from the nearest quarry 3 km (1.8 miles) away. How did the people do it? The simple and very unsatisfactory answer is - we don't know.
It is also still a mystery what these menhirs were for. They were definitely cut to last and must have had a very specific symbolism. But which one?
Kaefer next to it, just for proportion.
The last menhirs I'm showing you today are the Menhirs de Kerfland which is actually a megalithic alignment. They are aligned almost perfectly along a north-northwest/south-southeast axis. They remind me of a group of old men.
Even though these menhirs were smaller than the other two in my post, they were still quite impressive.
The faces are for Nicole's Friday Face Off.
On a different note. We're having very typical Northern California weather right now. Last weekend was supposed to be the first warm weekend; instead it was chilly and miserable. Then we had two really warm days with temperatures in the 80s; now we're back to the upper 50s and "light rain" which turned out to be quite heavy. So I turned the chilly into Chili con carne which was delicious and accompanied by a very good Malbec from a local winery. Cheers!
13 comments:
Great photos of the stones. Humans have done some amazing and mysterious things. They still do.
They are definitely impressive. There is so much we don't know and how and why they were erected is just part of that...
A fascinating post, Carola. How wonderful it would be to travel back in time to witness the ceremonies that must have taken place at these sites. Perhaps some Druidic type of cult made use of them. It’s great to see the whole family together enjoying the best of what Europe has to offer. Next time you go there better to use your European passport - or perhaps you already do. America is not endearing itself to the rest of the world (other than Russia). Huge hugs from “Elbows up” Canada! David
...thanks Carola for helping with my continuing education. These Menhirs are amazing. With today's equipment, placing these stones would be difficult, but back in the day, this seems impossible. I appreciate that you took me along to see the sights. Take care and be well.
Those menhirs are fascinating. That's a lot of them in a small area for certain. Menhir is a new word for me too. You've inspired me to go and find them in Brittany. Hope your weather is better soon.hugs-Erika
Lovely photos
This is lovely territory! You don't realize how tall the stones are until you see them with people in the photo too!
I know Brittany has a rich and ancient Celtic history, but I didn't realize it had SO MANY standing stones! Wow, that's impressive. And they're real skyscrapers too.
Ohhh what a great post. That stone (s) are amazing. So many wonderful photos. Thank you for sharing with FFO and have a nice weekend.
Great photographs
You've described and photographed the menhirs so well, Carole. I wonder if we will ever learn what those standing stones were intended for, and how they were transported. It's a mystery!
Carola, wonder of wonders is that I could access your blog again after not being able to earlier from what may have been an internet issue through out home server. These long stones (menhirs) were amazingly beautiful and so nice to see the family posed by them to give an idea of their size.
It’s crazy to think there are 50,000 menhirs in Brittany, and the Menhir de Kerloas is massive! Hard to imagine how they moved these stones. Love the little details too—like the snail hitching a ride. The countryside walk and wildflowers make it even more magical.
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