C.G. Jung: “Rough, natural stones were often believed to be the dwelling places of spirits or gods.”
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Poulnabrone dolmen
Photo: Frank Chandler……..WIkimedia Commons
C.G. Jung, On the Dwelling Places of Spirits and Gods
We know that even unhewn stones had a highly symbolic meaning for ancient and primitive societies.
Rough, natural stones were often believed to be the dwelling places of spirits or gods, and were used in primitive cultures as tombstones, boundary stones, or objects of religious veneration.
Man and his Symbols
Page 232
About Poulnabrone Dolmen
- Located in County Clare, Ireland, in the Burren region.
- Known as “Poll na mBrón” in Irish, meaning “hole of sorrows”.
- Built around 4200 BC.
- Capstone measures about 3.5 meters in length and 2 meters in width.
- Poulnabrone Dolmen’s capstone weighs approximately 12 metric tons.
- The dolmen’s orientation aligns with the sunrise on the day of the winter solstice.
- Some researchers propose it may have been covered with a mound of earth originally.
- Although not the largest, it is the best known of the approximately 172 dolmens in Ireland.
- Local folklore includes stories of fairies or mythical beings associated with the dolmen.
- The portal stones are positioned at either side of the lower side of the capstone, marking the tomb’s entrance.
- In most cases, the pathology and physical condition of the remains indicated lives spent in hard physical labour, and a life-span that ended before the age of 30. Only one individual seems to have survived past 40 years.