West Kennet

[poliphilo]

 







It was probably always a ritual site, not a tomb, but who knows? I suppose the one doesn't exclude the other. It is oriented East-West- just like a Christian church. 17th century treasure hunters messed up the archaeological evidence. Digs in the 19th and 20th centuries uncovered the remains or approximately 50 disarticulated bodies.  The individuals were of both sexes and all ages.

A jolly American woman had established herself in the furthest chamber with a set of singing bowls. You can see the flames of her candles in picture #3. The bowls were humming away and members of other parties were harmonising from the side chambers. The woman had a tray of sand from Ayers Rock in Australia and was inviting us to help ourselves to a handful.

Local folklore holds that the tomb is visited on Midsummer morning by a ghostly figure in white, accompanied by a white hound with red ears.

I asked the big stone at the mouth of the tomb what it was there for- and it told me it was there for the sunrise.

Comments

[aellia.livejournal.com]

That's quite a striking face on the right of the entrance.
The ancestors were displeased last time I went there.
All to do with feathers and candles.
I'll find where I wrote of it
x

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I believe I see the face. It looks a bit like the Sutton Hoo helmet.

All sorts of groups seem to use West Kennet- from the fluffy to the gross.

I'd very much like to see what you wrote.

[aellia.livejournal.com]

I can't find what I wrote at the time so I'll tell you here.
John and I were walking up the path to it and in front were a group of women chanting that goddess chant with all the names. We were about halfway when I picked up a beautiful black feather. The day was still,and the wheat,on either side of the path was still. A strong whirling wind came from nowhere,strong enough to blow ears from the crop and make them stick,like darts,in my hair and my jumper. John was a bit taken aback when I uttered some quick words of appeasement to the spririts of place and threw the feather back down.
All was quiet again,and when we went in,a bunch of similar feathers was being waved around and chanted to,or something.
They must have dropped the one that I picked up.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Isis, Astate, Diana
Hecate, Demeter, Kali......

That one?

That's a marvellous story, Penny. Thanks for telling it.