The Ladies of Stone

⊙By Luke Philips

Rocky Neighbours 與巖石為鄰

Avebury[埃夫伯里石陣]is near the far more famous Stonehenge[巨石陣]. What is interesting about it is that a village has grown up around the stones, unlike Stonehenge, which stands alone. Avebury and Stonehenge are just two of about 1,300 stone circles all over the UK.Many of them are in fantastic locations, like Castlerigg[卡斯爾里格石圈]in Cumbria, from which you can see England’s highest mountain; and the Ring of Brogdar[布羅德蓋石圈]in the beautiful Orkney Islands, off Scotland’s northern coast.

Stone Circles Through History穿越歷史的石圈

Some of them are UNESCO World Heritage sites, and several have local stories connected to them. For example, the Merry Maidens[少女]in West Cornwall is a group of nineteen stones. According to the story, they were young women—maidens—who were turned into stone for dancing on a Sunday.This story shows some of the effects of Christianity[基督教]on the UK’s earlier religions in the fourth and fifth centuries AD.

When and Why? 時間和緣由

Early historians thought that the stone circles were temples for the Druids注, the priests of people who arrived in the UK in about 500 BC. Later research has shown that they are far older than that, at least 4,000 years old. Stonehenge could have been built 5,000 years ago, but it’s still nowhere near as old as the wooden circle built nearby about 10,000 years ago. Some experts believe they acted like calendars and have shown that some stones line up with sunrise or sunset on the longest and shortest days of the year.Others believe they were places for the dead bodies of the local rich and powerful.

Can I See One? 游覽之地

We may never know their original purpose, but each one leaves the visitor with a strong sense of the shortness of our existence in the sea of history. There are groups of stone circles and other prehistoric monuments[遺跡]throughout the British Isles,so wherever you are staying, you should definitely include at least one in your tour.

注：德魯伊（Druid）原意為“熟悉橡樹的人，橡樹賢者”。在歐洲傳說中，德魯伊教徒被視為自然和中立的擁護者，他們將荒原當作自己的家園，使用特殊力量保護大自然，讓整個世界獲得平衡。

Activity 1

Before you read, match the word or phrase with a definition.

1. location 2. coast 3. religion 4. temple 5. priest 6. prehistoric

a. organised belief in God or gods

b. before written history began

c. a person whose job is part of a religion

d. land next to the sea

e. a place where people pray together

f. place

Activity 2

Find the answers to these questions in the text.

1. What has developed around the stones in Avebury?

2. Which three stone circles aren’t near Stonehenge?

3. What crime did the Merry Maidens commit?

4. What cultural problem could the Merry Maidens’ story be connected with?

5. Were the Druids part of a culture that began in the UK?

6. Which days of the year seem to have been important to the builders of the circles?

Activity 3

Rewrite these comparative sentences[比較句], using the words in brackets.

Eg: The wooden circle built nearby is far older than Stonehenge. （nowhere near as）→Stonehenge is nowhere near as old as the wooden circle built nearby.

1. Stonehenge is far more famous than the Ring of Brogdar. （less）→The Ring of Brogdar is…

2. Christianity was newer than the religions it replaced. （old）→The religions it replaced were…

3. There are other stone circles in Britain, but Stonehenge is by far the most famous. （a lot）→Stonehenge is…

4. The stone circles are far older than we thought. （as…as…）→The stone circles are nowhere near…

5. Stonehenge is impressive, and the wooden monument was too.（as…as…）→The wooden monument was…

Activity 4

Discussion: What are the advantages and disadvantages of Avebury village being built around its stone circle? What amazing buildings and other monuments are there in your area or country? What can be done to look after those things for the future?