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

[oakmouse]

I wonder what the spirits of the place thought of the American and her singing bowls. :-p We were there shortly after summer solstice one year and they weren't precisely jiggy over the antics that had been carried out over that holiday. I don't know what all had happened, but somebody had left a lot of rubbish and candle ends and wax dribbles. A man from some sort of official organization (Heritage perhaps?) was cleaning it all up. He didn't want help so we stayed out of his way and went in after he'd gone.

West Kennet is such an amazing place. Thank you for the pictures; they bring up a lot of lovely memories.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Those poor spirits- continually vexed by fools.

I saw a lot of tealights while I was there. I think the custodians may have started supplying them in the hope that visiting occultists will use them instead of their own nasty, drippy candles.

[aellia.livejournal.com]

Oh,please read my comment and see how displeased the spirits of place were that day

[oakmouse]

Thank you, I did read it after you pointed me to it. It amazes me sometimes that the ancestors have enough patience not to send lightning bolts...