OFF: Stonehenge Who Knows?

[J Strobridge]

Doug Pearson writes:

> I'm surprised that none of the UK listmembers have mentioned this yet ...
>
> Yesterday, the US papers (San Francisco Chronicle, to be precise) reported
> that for the first time since the BlueRinseHaggardRobot ... erm Thatcher
> that is ... administration, the Druids have been permitted to hold Solstice
> rituals at Stonehenge.  Although the article briefly alluded to the reasons

Interestingly some people who were sent invitations, turned down the
offer mainly because this country is dotted with stone circles of
different sizes that you don't need seek permission to go and greet
the solstice sunrise at.   Certainly, as far as the Pagan religions
are concerned, you can perform the appropriate rituals anywhere, back
gardens included.

Also curiously the police outnumbered the Stonehenge worshippers by
about 5 to 1 (or maybe it was more than that!) and watching the TV
presentation at the time (yes - watching TV at 4.30 in the morning...)
I continue to be amazed and intrigued by the strange compulsive force
that draws hundreds and hundreds of policemen, every year to stand
around the Stones on this particular day, where they form a carefully
select group, excluding everyone but themselves - they watch the sun
rise and then they disperse immediately afterwards.

Very strange.   But perhaps not far removed from what may have happened
in the past.   It can't be proven, sadly, but there are suggestions that
the way henges and stone circles are laid out it is possible that
whole sections could have been closed off with curtains to restrict
access to form a kind of labyrinth where only certain authoritarian
figures would have been permitted access to specific areas while
everyone else was kept well away from the action.

Nothing changes!

jill

obQuote> "the England team have the killer instincts of a Telly Tubby"
The England *cricket* team that is.

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J.D.Strobridge at ed.ac.uk                         eset08 at holyrood.ed.ac.uk
                                                ELIJSA at srv0.arts.ed.ac.uk
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