 |
| Section of the Dolmen Chapel of the Seven Sleepers near Plouaret |
"The earliest British shrines were merely stones, or caves, or holy wells, or
sacred trees, or tumuli, preferably on a hill-top or in a wood. The next type is
found in the monastery of St. Bride, which was simply a circular palisade
encircling a sacred fire. This was in all probability similar to the earliest
known form of the Egyptian temple, a wicker hut with tall poles forming the
sides of the door; in front of this extended an enclosure which had two poles
with flags on either side of the entrance. In the middle of the enclosure or
court was a staff bearing the emblem of the God.
Later came stone circles and megalithic monuments in various forms, whence
the connection is direct to cathedrals such as Chartres, which is said to be
built largely from the remains of the prehistoric megaliths which originally stood there. There are chapels in
Brittany and elsewhere built over pagan monoliths; indeed no new faith can ever
do more than superimpose itself upon an older one, and statements about the wise
and tender treatment of the old nature worship by the Church are euphemisms for
the bald fact that Christianity, finding it impracticable to wean the heathen
from their obdurate beliefs, made the best of the situation by decreeing its
feasts to coincide with pre-existing festivals."
Title: Archaic England
An Essay in Deciphering Prehistory from Megalithic
Monuments, Earthworks, Customs, Coins, Place-names, and
Faerie Superstitions
Author: Harold Bayley
