Druids and Rocking Stones

Two millenia ago, the Druids were so powerful, that wherever they
were or went, they could no be ignored. Ou of their midst came the
Celtic priesthood so adept in magic and their beliefs and practices
have made a lasting mark in the history of religeon and magic.

The oak tree, linking heaven and earth, rooted deeply in the soil, with
its branches reaching out towards heaven, was regarded as sacred to the
Druids and was believed to enshirene a living spirit and to work
wonders. The modern superstition of touching wood for luck is thought
to be drived from the Druid belief that touching the wood of the oad
would ensure good fortune.

The parasitic mistletoe, which fares well amongst the branches of the
oak, was also looked on as a sacred plant, particularly for its healing
powers. The Druids believed the mistletoe was all healing and sprigs
fixed above the doorways of homes were thought to keep away evils of
many kinds. The mistletoe was so revered by them, that Druid priests
and priestesses clad in their white robes, would cut it only with a
golden sickle before distributing it amongst their people.

The training of Druids was so intense and secretive, it was handed down
orally. The tradition in Scotland was that the Kings sent their sons to
the Isle of Man, one of the old strongholds of Druidism, to learn the
secret knowledge. Druids were in great demand in the early days as
councellors and advisors to the royals.

The Druids were renowned for the magic art in foretelling the future,
not only did they do so from the song of a bird, the wren, but from the
babling of a brook, and in the reading of their runes. But the most
infalliable disclosure of future events was the Rocking Stone, and in
Scotland there were many, not so long ago. They were found in dells,
the beds of rivers, but mostly on the tops or sides of hills.

In Glen Esk, Angus, the most famous rocking stone was situated in
Gilfumman, an area of land between Invermark Lodge and the Queen's
Well. It was well known to the locals, apparently accurate in its
predictions, and considered to be the most wonderful of all the
Druidical remains. The huge stone slab, poised three or four feet off
the ground, balanced on lesser stones, could be set in motion by the
touch of a finger or a breath of wind.

Someone removed the Gilfumman Rocking Stone from its magical pivot and
it now lies at the foot of the mountain whose top it once graced.

Not far from Gilfumman, also in Glen Esk, is Colmeallie, site of the
"Stannin Stanes" or Druidical Circles of Colmellie. The outer circle
encloses an area of forty five by thirty six feet and consisted of
twenty stones or more, including three large centre slabs. The largest
stone found at Colmellie is one of nine feet five inches long and seven
feet five inches broad. Many of these huge stones were used as centre
supports for farm buildings and stone dykes nearby. In the Summer of
1849 a bronze celt, ornamented in the herring bone pattern, was found
in the well at Colmeallie. Colmeallie lies between Auchmull and the
Milden Lodge at Sturdy Hill, Glen Esk.

In Scotland the rocking stones were denominated logan stones, to which
the Scottish word "shogin" (shaking backwards and forwards) is a
synonym. Some good specimens of Druid rocking stones were also found at
Kells, Beith, Kirkmichael and Dron.

A farmer in Glenlivet, who was building a steading, took a Druid stone
from its field to use as a lintel to a byre door. Disease fell upon the
cattle and unearthly noises were heard in the night. On the advice of a
friend, the stone was taken from the doorway and thrown into the nearby
river. Still there was no peace. At last, when the stone was returned
to its place in the middle of the field, things returned to normal. The
stone stands in the middle of this field to the present day.

Until the year 1843, two other good examples, in addition to Gilfumman,
were in the parish of Kirriemuir at a place called Hillhead,
unfortunately these were blown to pieces and employed in building dykes
and drains.

After more than a thousand years of being outlawed, the Druids
experienced a revival in 1717, and the Most Ancient Order of Druids was
established. Nowadays, the most publicised celebration is the Summer
solstice at Stonehenge.

Thank you for reading this article, if you have any comments or
questions relating to it, please don't hesitate to email me,
Marilyn.Cameron@btinternet.com