06/02/2017
“Beltany Standing Stone Circle”
Beltany Hill, Raphoe, County Donegal, Ireland
This is my latest Milky Way image, recently captured over Beltany standing stone circle. This ancient monument dates back 800 – 1400 BC. The stone circle comprises of 64 standing stones but it is thought that there may have been originally 80 stones. For thousands of years the landscape around Raphoe has been an important centre of ritual practise, a place of worship to where pre christian ancestors came to pay homage to their spiritual rulers such as the Sun & Moon.
It's easy to understand why our ancestors spent decades of pain and work to transport & erect these enormous standing stones, all before the wheel was even invented! The alignment of these stones with the heavens were so important to them to act as a calendar to track the seasons. The sheer enormity of the universe with our Milky Way & billions of stars led way to beliefs in their Gods & Myths. Standing under the Milky Way & staring up at the heavens from this special place of worship even today makes me marvel in wonder & awe....
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