I came across this video yesterday, let us say it comes from our 'Modern Antiquarians' fascinated by the world of folklore and stones. Anyway it is a long story set against the backdrop of Yorkshire. Stories of giants throwing the stones around, or walking down to the river to drink are part of the folklore of Yorkshire. This seems to be a much later medieval story that has fallen through the centuries. And according to the storyteller has echoes of the Scandinavian history that once existed in Yorkshire when the Vikings roamed and conquered.
Love it.
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed it Pat.
DeleteWhere did you find this?! Amazing that this story has survived the tests of time. Interesting about the "footprint" in the stone, and being used as a truth tester. I can remember going to Dunadd Fort and there is a footprint carved into stone there, which is where the Chiefs of the area placed their foot when being made head of their community. But that was according to an Historian in 1860, not based on local history, which was considered (at that time) to be the mould for an axe head by the locals. Another explanation has it being where Ossian landed on one foot, arms outstretched, after a prodigious leap out hunting. Local legends of that time also had it as the haunt of witches and fairies (of course!)
ReplyDeleteThat is interesting Jennie, my thoughts turned to the Dunadd Fort foot imprint as well. I follow Ironopolis's WP blog - Smell of Water. He does gritty Northern blogs, lots of B/W photo. It is that edge of archaeology people who are so fascinating and he tells a good story. There is also a word I can't spell psychogeographer, which is creeping into the language ;)
ReplyDeleteBlimey - new word to me too! Will go and check out his blog.
DeleteP.S. Just looked up Psychogeography and even the explanation of it is double Dutch to me! Who the heck are the Lettrists and Situationist Internationals?!!! Me - I'm just in touch with the landscape and it seems to work without any title!!
ReplyDeleteThat's funny Jennie, even the archaeologists went the way of obscure terminology, to make the subject more interesting maybe or just to prove how clever they are!
DeleteIt all started here in post processual archaeology. Or the invention of a completely baffling way with words....
ReplyDeletehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post-processual_archaeology