Untitled Essay, Research Paper

Stonehenge, one of the great Seven Wonders of the World, but what do we really

know about it. What was its purpose, how was it built and by whom. Many different

answers come up when asking the question “What was the purpose of Stonehenge”,

some say that it was a horrid place, which the Druids used for religious

sacrifice, but most others have a more positive idea. A temple of the sun,

a Pagan Cathedral, or a holy sanctuary in the midst of blessed ground, or

maybe a clock or even a place to Predict Eclipses. No one really knows what

it was used for; this is due to a great number of facts surrounding all of

these ideas. Many ideas come up when talking about why this great structure

was built along with an equal amount on who built it. The Druids is the most

common response because the Druids inhabited most of the area in which Stonehenge

is built. The Pagans are another common answer to this age old question because

of the building structure of Stonehenge how it resem!

bles a Pagan Cathedral. Whoever built Stonehenge, they were an extremely

advanced society either on purpose or by complete fluke. Many say that because

of Stonehenge’s exact solar and lunar alignment. That is was the most common

thought is that it was built to predict eclipses for worshiping. The following

essay is going to state the facts and myths about the great Stonehenge. By

the end of this essay, hopefully a solid conclusion will be found to be the

most plausible answer for Stonehenges construction.

The moon, it has been a sight for all over time. Back long ago little was

none of the reasons for an eclipses, it was thought to be a sing from the

gods. In a society which worshiped gods for all the mysteries of the world,

the eclipse must have been very special. The builders of Stonehenge must

have been marveled at the sight of this holy event, which happened every

four years. Most likely the great Stonehenge was built to be a prediction

device for the eclipse. Many people have studied Stonehenge and many have

found that the stones are mathematically placed to show when and eclipse

might occur. “In favor of this solution – that the Aubrey holes were used

as a computer – are these facts: the number 56 is the smallest number that

measures the swing of the moon with an over-all accuracy of better than 3

days, and lunar cycles provide the only method of long-range eclipse prediction

related to the seasons of the year.”

So taking in to account that Stonehenge could predict eclipses another thought

is that it was just used for predicting the full moon. The full moon meant

new life, so perhaps they used Stonehenge for ceremonies to worship new life.

Seasons changed, and the people of British Isles had no idea why all of a

sudden the weather would begin to change and the day’s length increase or

decrease. That is why experts say that it was used to predict the winter

and summer solstice and the spring and fall equinox. ” The earth moves around

the sun in an orbit that is nearly a circle, and the axis of rotation of

the earth maintains an effectively fixed direction. The orientation of the

sun to the two hemispheres of the Earth changes during the year, and this

change causes the seasons.”

Stonehenge was not only, many other sites of similar age or older are linked

to Stonehenge. There was the Cursus, and Woodhenge. Cursus “meaning Course

in Latin” has similar features, which shows that Stonehenge was not by accident.

“Archaeologists think that the inner Woodhenge structure erected after the

outlying ditch and bank were placed, probably by the same Secondary Neolithic

people who started Stonehenge.” Woodhenge, some say it was like a rough draft

of the monument, built to exact proportions from which builders could use

while constructing the stone version. Another reason for Woodhenge is that

it was used for housing for the men who built Stonehenge. With that in mind,

you can draw the conclusion that the constructors cared for the people building

their structure. To support that theory, objects like pottery and household

odds and ends have been found showing us that a few people did live there

at one point in time.

Back when Stonehenge was built people had no way of telling the time. Perhaps

the Druids wished to keep records of events. Stonehenge is said by some to

be one widespread sundial, a clock used in ancient times. When the sun rises

it casts a shadow though an opening in the one side of Stonehenge, the day

passes and the shadow move across the middle showing the druids the time

of day.

Of course when researching anything you come across facts and fiction. Stories

say that Stonehenge was associated with Merlin and King Arthur.

“In the realm of purer myth, there may be more than engineering connection

between Merlin and Stonehenge. Some mythographers have thought that the name

“Merlin” is a corruption of the name of the ancient Celtic sky god “Myrddin,”

who might have been worshiped at stone monuments.” There is a story, which

credits Merlin for creating Stonehenge by transporting the stones from Ireland

by magic, and that he and King Arthur are both buried under the great stones.

Although many stories say this to be true, that is all they are.. Stories.

Merlin was a character made up in a time when the British needed a reason

to believe in their importance, Stonehenge has nothing to do with the make

believe wizard.

And finally, the idea that it was used for ancient sacrifice by the druids

to there gods. This is a logical idea, do to the facts presented by the

construction of Stonehenge. The Alter Stone is the stone in the middle of

the circle of stones this would have been ideal for a sacrifice of any kind,

and the alignment of the stones look like pillars in a temple which means

this could just as well been a temple.

Stonehenge really boggles the mind when you look at all the possibilities

it holds. Where the people back then so intelligent that they knew how to

predict seasons and eclipses, or were they religious cult members using it

as a horrid sacrificial temple. For all we know Merlin did just make it appear

out of nowhere, this is all very vague. But this essay was to give an educated

guess about “What was the purpose of Stonehenge?” From the information I

found there are many ways I could go. The two most realistic were the temple

and eclipse prediction theories. I’m going to go with the eclipse theory,

there are two many coincidences for it to have just been an accident, they

must have been an advanced civilization which understood the most complicated

mathematics and building techniques. It is not so unrealistic to assume this,

we know so little about the culture back then who says that they couldn’t

have figured it out. So in conclusion, I believe the purpose of Stoneh!

enge was to predict the appearance of eclipses, do to their beliefs an eclipse

was a sign from the gods that perhaps they had done something wrong and by

worshiping it they could make it right. Stonehenge is truly the greatest

mystery in the world, I hope they find out what it was truly for someday.