C is for Carnac Stones, Plus [M]WW, IWSG, Links

You can find my A-to-Z History's Mysteries post, my weekly links, and my IWSG entry below, as well.

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Today's [Mostly] Wordless Wednesday, in keeping with the A-to-Z theme, is the Cave of the Winds, in Manitou Springs. Rather, a bit above Manitou Springs.

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Now...

is for...

Carnac Stones









The Carnac stones are megaliths (large standing rocks) arranged in patterns near the village of Carnac in France. Thought to have been put up during the Neolithic period (9000 BCE to 3000 BCE, though the oldest stone is dated to about 4500 BCE, and the main body of the formations is dated to about 3300 BCE), the stones were cut, moved and arranged for this area. It should be noted that the Neolithic period is considered the New Stone Age, and the tools available were made of stone that was shaped and polished. No metal tools existed at this time.

Carnac Stones, Carnac, Brittany, France. Photograph by Mike Peel (www.mikepeel.net).Creative Commons CC-BY-SA-2.5. 29 June 2004.

There are several general alignments within the Carnac area: the Menec, Petit Menec, Kermario, and Kerlescan. These are made up of menhir, or standing stones. There are also tumuli, which are mounds of earth (thought to be burial mounds), and dolmens, structures made with standing rocks with a capstone or roof, also thought to be burial chambers. It is felt that the acidic soil would have destroyed any bones within.

Some of the stones are arranged in a linear fashion, while others are circular. Some claim to feel an energy around the stones. What is known is that there are over 3000 stones, making this the largest grouping of megaliths (the more famous Stonehenge is also considered a megalith, and is arranged in a circular fashion with capstones over the standing stones).

Now we come to our mystery. What were these for? Why are they here? How did they move these massive rocks?

Theories as to the reasoning behind the Carnac stones abound:

By Marek.69 talk (Own work)
[CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)
or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)],
via Wikimedia Commons

1. Some claim the stones are astronomically aligned, though research is ongoing as to whether this is true.
2. Aliens. They're everywhere. Some think they came down and educated the ancient peoples as to ways to use these rock formations to keep track of the stars, the solstices, or to control gravity.
3. As this area was seismically active, it is thought these were a warning of seismic activity. The dolmens, anyway, as the capstone could tumble if there were major activity. The menhirs are said to be arranged over fault lines. There is no proof of this, at this time.
4. Druids. Those bastards were everywhere, just like the aliens, putting up stones all over Europe. They knew a lot we didn't.
5. One article claimed the stones were in the order of the Pythagorean Theorem. This was the only article to say this, though, and it had a lot of incorrect information, so take that one with a grain of salt. Pythagorus was not yet alive when these stones were put up.
6. The neat arrangement is similar to that of modern day gravestones over burial plots, so perhaps they were giant tombstones.
7. They were signposts or a map.

What do you think is the reason behind the Carnac stones? Ever heard of them? How did they move those gigantic stones?

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IWSG

Last month I had the most wonderful, supportive comments on my IWSG post, so instead of talking about my insecurities I wanted to make today a day of support for my fellow IWSG'ers. Whatever insecurity you hold, examine it, ponder it, and then let it go. Don't give it power over you unless that power is the inspiration you need to overcome it. What you can dream, you can do. And I hope we can all make those dreams a reality together.

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Links

Accepting Submissions:

The University of Derby is holding their Buxton Poetry Competition. Deadline is April 8, so you have to hurry! Winners will be displayed at the Devonshire Dome during the Buxton Festival. There are some cash prizes.

Magination Press is accepting proposals for children's fiction and nonfiction books, including workbooks. They're also seeking illustrators.

Atomic Avarice is a new online Lit Mag looking for work inspired by civil disobedience and revolutionary ideology. All genres of fiction, as well as non-fiction, welcome. Different lengths and poetry also welcome. Pays $.01 per word. Pays $15 for art/photos.

Flash Fiction Online is open for submissions year-round. 500-1000 words. Pays $50 per story. Genre is whatever you like it to be.

Blog Stuff:

We've got some prizes being offered during the A-to-Z Challenge...

DL Hammons is offering a $75 Amazon Gift Card, to be awarded at the end of the A-to-Z. Each comment on his A-to-Z posts earns you an entry. Referring bloggers are entered to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card, so if you heard it here first, do me a favor and put a plug in for me!

Donna Shields will hold a drawing at the end of the A-to-Z for anyone who signed up for her newsletter during that time. $15 Gift Card for either Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

Two lucky commenters on Alex J. Cavanaugh's A-to Z posts will win a copy of CassaStorm.

Other:

Project 387 is a 2-week residency for artists of all stripes: visual artists, performers, filmmakers, writers and art professionals. Living space, studio space and $800 stipend provided. Program will run August 4 to 18th, with five winners. Proposal due April 15.

May you find your Muse.

Letter C image is from clker.com, courtesy of Ted Gehring