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13 Jun 06 - 05:42 PM (#1759203) Subject: Solstice 2006 Stonehenge From: fiddler Anyone Else going? |
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14 Jun 06 - 07:24 AM (#1759608) Subject: RE: Solstice 2006 Stonehenge From: Daithi More's the pitybut I'll be celebrating with other like mindeds in Hull! Have a great one, anyway! BB Dáithí |
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14 Jun 06 - 09:39 AM (#1759723) Subject: RE: Solstice 2006 Stonehenge From: MBSGeorge When is it exactly? We slept through the one 2 years ago - got there early and thought we'd rest before getting up again later dur big mistake - and we missed last year. George |
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15 Jun 06 - 08:20 AM (#1760538) Subject: RE: Solstice 2006 Stonehenge From: Mr Red Rollright Stones - always have a gathering and the land is owned by a trust that wants parties - nothing too big or rowdy I am told. Legend says an English man is not an Englishman unless he's seen mid summer dawn on Rollright stones. Now - how many stones are there? Good point when is it? Mid-Summer's day, the longest day, the latest sunset or the earliest sunrise? the four are not the same. The day I tried it was foggy. |
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15 Jun 06 - 08:53 AM (#1760557) Subject: RE: Solstice 2006 Stonehenge From: Gwenzilla The Rollright Stones are the most beautiful and lively stone circle I've ever visited. I just love the atmosphere there. Yum. |
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15 Jun 06 - 09:44 AM (#1760598) Subject: RE: Solstice 2006 Stonehenge From: GUEST And the moment of solstice is usually none of the above.... |
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15 Jun 06 - 10:02 AM (#1760619) Subject: RE: Solstice 2006 Stonehenge From: Paul Burke I suspect either the earliest sunrise or the latest sunset would be most useful to late neolithic/ early bronze age people- though I also suspect the winter solstice would be more useful too. And measurement at the equinoxes would be more accurate, as the sun's position is changing faster then. After all, the important thing is to stop the day count/ lunar count getting too far out wrt the seasons, otherwise you'll be celebrating harvest in May or planting too late. Colin Renfrew's excellent book "Before Civilisation" has some cogent things to say about the relationship between early farming and astronomically- aligned megalithic constructions. One interesting possible precursor he cites is the Hopi horizon calendar. By observing where the sun is on the horizon at significant times of the year, you can ensure that the events belonging to those times take place at the same time every year. This assumes a reasonably open horizon, but with distant hills or other features to act as fiducials, and obviously only works for one community- other communities would have to create their own calendar. It would be no great step to mark the events with stones aligned with the horizon features, and once you've done that you have a recipe for a transferrable calendar, perhaps associated with a greater scale of social organisation and the emergence of a priestly/ aristocratic power- caste. |
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15 Jun 06 - 10:24 AM (#1760637) Subject: RE: Solstice 2006 Stonehenge From: GUEST It doesn't have to make sense to be experienced. Blood-thirsty druids. Nice monument. |
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15 Jun 06 - 01:53 PM (#1760820) Subject: RE: Solstice 2006 Stonehenge From: frogprince Will there be a bunch of nubile young things dancing nekkid? |
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15 Jun 06 - 03:36 PM (#1760883) Subject: RE: Solstice 2006 Stonehenge From: Herga Kitty The Druids celebrate the Solstice at Stonehenge at dawn on 21 June, I think George. (At least they did when I was a teenager and went there with the friends who'd introduced me to the folk club). Kitty |
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15 Jun 06 - 04:34 PM (#1760928) Subject: RE: Solstice 2006 Stonehenge From: fiddler Thats about it Kitty. A good night these daysa - organised - not like th old days but last years sunrise was the best yet. For full info check out the English heritage website. |
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16 Jun 06 - 08:01 AM (#1761269) Subject: RE: Solstice 2006 Stonehenge From: pavane Stonehenge does of course pre-date the Druids by some 2000 years or more. In 2700 b.c., there were no Celts there, just the beaker folk, I think. |
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16 Jun 06 - 01:34 PM (#1761590) Subject: RE: Solstice 2006 Stonehenge From: Les in Chorlton Nice one Paul, Renfrew's book is a great one. Lots of interesting factual proto-history that tells us so much more about who we are and what we have been up to for thousands of years, look out though, is that morris bells I hear? |
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19 Jun 06 - 07:43 PM (#1764106) Subject: RE: Solstice 2006 Stonehenge From: GUEST, Topsie http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/nav.9587 with a link to a couple of pages of 'regulations/conditions' Let's hope they turn their "ambient (whatever that means) lighting" off before the actual sunrise this year. |