The Holestone
Close to my mother's house in County Antrim, N. Ireland is an odd Bronze Age standing stone. It's been there for thousands of years. Standing stones aren't that unusual in Ireland, but this one is really special in that it has a man made hole piercing it that's just big enough for a small human hand to pass through. No one knows what purpose the Holestone served, but it was obvious of some significance to the people who created it. It sits on top of a natural rocky promontory with sheer vertical walls about 3 metres high all round and seems to have a causeway leading up to it The stone itself is 1.5 metres high (roughly shoulder height), with a 10cm diameter hole cut into it.
'Recent' tradition in the last few hundred years holds that it is a betrothing stone where lovers would hold hands through the hole and pledge their love to each other. The magical power of the stone was then supposed to bond that love pledge until death.
The hole aligns with Donegore Hill another site with significant Bronze Age connections and the moon is said to follow the curved surface down the horizon at certain times of year. Also 4000 years ago, Orion would have set over Donegore Hill as viewed through the hole in the stone, could that have been significant to the builders of the sit?. Alternatively, could it have been a site where local kings met to sign peace treaties, or as a commemoration of a long forgotten battle, or an alignment pointing to buried treasure?
The rock that the Holestone sits on is fascinating too. It is the highest point for several kms in each direction and looks like a natural outcrop, but at the same time there seems to be an access ramp up to the flat top.
The stone is hidden amongst the gorse on the top of its platform. Given the Bronze Age tools that were available, cutting the perfectly circular hole in the stone would have required significant effort.
In plan view the platform is roughly oval in shape, not circular
The stone causeway onto the top (on the right of this picture) is probably natural, but interesting none the less.
Very interesting, and great photos to go with it! Upvoted, Resteemed and shared on twitter. Thanks for a great post @maxbullion
Hi @sallykwitt, I'm really glad you liked it. I think you are the first to share one of my Steemit posts on Twitter. I really appreciate it!
Really cool post. I love history and being outdoors. This looks like a little of both. It's amazing to consider the time the hole would have taken in the bronze age.
I'm sure it could be calculated how long it took, but I'm sure it would be months. The rocks on the Antrim plateau are volcanic igneous and hard and with nothing harder than bronze or another rock, you would really have had to set your mind to making it.
It's pretty amazing to consider that amount of time.
Thanks for the cool information.
Fascinating.... there's just something about standing stones... and other megaliths that draws me into their magic. Thanks for sharing!
Agreed @tinajordan. I love them too.
The first recorded glory hole. glorious.
Really amazing story and I love the stone, so different with the hole in it 😊 not like anything else I've ever seen.
Beautiful environment, have heard about Ireland being beautiful and it seems so.. Lol
Thank you for sharing, really cool.
Have a great evening 😊
Thanks @saffisara.
We have lots of history here in Ireland as I guess you have too in Sweden. We even have quite a bit of Viking history. Specially for you, I might cover some of our Viking history. I'm writing this quite near an inlet called Strangford. A corruption of 'Strong Fjord' the home of King Magnus (bare legs) Olafson almost 1000 years ago. Also did you know towns like Dublin, Cork, Wexford, Waterford, Wicklow and Limerick were all founded by the Vikings.
Yes we do and Vikings is always great history 😊 love that. I didn't know about this history at all, so interesting. So we're kind of connected.. Lol
Thank you so much for your comment and I love to hear more. Have a great evening.
Irland is on my wish list of places to visit sence before but I guess nr one is it now
Very cool shots! I love this kinds of stuff. I love Ancient stuff. Thanks for sharing with us. Upvoted and resteemed :)
Much appreciated, thanks for the reSteem!!
Interesting, so close to home yet I have never visited, will visit when I come back home :)
I must visit your Rostrevor one too.
Many things to see here. Come around July when we have our week long traditional Irish Music and Cultural festival, the Fiddler's Green Festival. :)
I can remember staying at Cabra castle in Cavan once. When I asked the receptionist if there was anything she recommended doing she suggested Warrenpoint and Rostrevor were very nice. That might have just been a measure of how rubbish Cavan is that she was prepared to send me 2 counties away. Of course it could be just a measure of how awesome Rostrevor and Warrenpoint are.
Wow, that's amazing they were able to do that all the way back then.
Gorgeous scenery too!
Thanks @goofygrapes. I'd imagine it would take a while to cut with a diamond tipped drill never mind with a bronze, stone or copper chisel.
This is very beautiful and atmspheric. I expect there are lots of standing stones with holes in them (I'm not an expert) but this one reminded me of one I'd seen in Malta....wonder what they were about and whether it was all related.
Not that many in Ireland. I don't think that there are more than 5 or 6. Arguably this is the best example in these islands, but I believe that there examples throughout Europe even some as far afield as India.
It was here - it was one of the Hagar Qim temples stones. I remember seeing that and the Hypogeum and being jolted by how much we do not know (or are not told) about the past. Bet your mum gets some good vibes living in that locality :)
http://heritagemalta.org/museums-sites/hagar-qim-temples/
Very interesting. They are about the same age probably, as is Stonehenge. They certainly built to last in those days.
Cheers - that raised a smile :)
Thanks for the reSteem too @healingherb!
Your article was well worth it, although the resteem probably not worth much :)
You never know, I've picked up 13 new followers in the last day. At least one might have come from your resteem.
beautiful place very magical to imagine them all standing around there thousands of years ago :)
Indeed @owenwat. It was cold enough yesterday up there when I was taking the pictures. I'm sure it would have been even colder in Bronze Age get up.