Maes Howe |
|||||||||
According to wikipedia this chambered cairn dates from around 2800 BC. On the day of the winter solstice, the sun sets over the top of the Barnhouse Stone, its last rays going on to illuminate the darkness of Maes Howe's inner chamber. Dowth and Newgrange on Ireland also have this function, though at Newgrange it occurs at sunrise instead. You have to bend down a bit when you walk through the passage, but once you're in the chamber, it quite spacious. Vikings broke into the mound in the 12th century, and they carved a whole lot of graffiti on the walls. The custodian is pointing out one of the inscriptions, and a little bit further to the left is another one that is visible : "That which I say will be true, that wealth was brought away. Wealth was brought away three nights before they broke this mound." |
|||||||||
The runic inscription to the left says : |
|||||||||
This photo was taken from the hill just south of Finstown. There you can see Maes Howe and a few other monuments. |