I. FOLKLOR ABERDEENSHIRE TH F EO E STONE CIRCLE STANDD SAN - ING-STONES. BY THE LATE JAMES RITCHIE, CORRESPONDING MEMBER, F.E.I.S.

The mysteriou a fascinatio s e humaha th s r nfo n y mindAn . phenomenon beyon e comprehensiodth challengen ma o fin t f n o d m hi s an explanation of it that will satisfy his restless intellect. And as time passes and the once sufficient explanation becomes inadequate, it s replacei y furtheb d r attempt a solutio e problemt a th s f e o n Th . tracing of such folklore has become a recognised branch of the study of human races ;s clea i fo t i rr tha t reveali t s trait f mentalito s y which otherwise fail to leave much mark in human progress. The tracing is t alwayno s easy r beforfo , e writin s inventegwa d memore solth e s ywa repository of these traditions, and many factors, particularly the move- ment f populationso s , militate against their permanence. Nevertheless, a considerable numbe e purposth s ri f thi remaint eo i s d papean , r o gathet r together those whic e stilar h l curren n Aberdeenshiri t e in connection with stone circles and standing-stones, so that they may e altogetheb t no r forgotten traditionaw fe A . l storie e includear s d which, although not strictly belonging to the bounds of Aberdeen- shire, fall withi e samth n e geographical district. They have taken many yeard mucan s h patient inquir o e gathersubject yth s s a i ,t one on which many people are reticent. The tradition s thea s y hav enoticy comm o et e show more variety than might have been expected t ther substratua Ye s .ei f similaritmo y n mani y which permit f theio s r being range a serie n di f group o s s FOLKLORE OF THE ABERDEENSHIRE STONE CIRCLES. 805

each wit a hcommo n motif, althoug t i hmus e admitteb t d thao n t classificatio regardee b n e followin ca ns th har dfasta d n I dan . g pages I grou Aberdeenshire pth e traditions under these heads:— (1) The Influence of Good and Evil Spirits. (2) The Notion of Worship. (3) The Idea of Buried Treasure. (4) Human Associations. (5) Animal Associations. These groups are not of equal import. Of the first three it may be said that they hav generaea l significanc e exceedinglar d an e y common d widespreadan , wherea shav5 Groupd e an rathe 4 s n individuaa r l significance, which tends to be of local instead of general interest.

(1) THE INFLUENCE OP GOOD AND EVIL SPIRITS. The idea thae stonth t e circle d standing-stonean s e undear se th r special care of the spirit-world is widely prevalent, and has had a grea t o wit e d preservatiodea th ho t l f theso n e monuments from destruction at the hands of the utilitarian. Many years ago some of the stones of Mains of Hatton Circle, Auchterless, were remove o fort d m gateposts e spiritsth s i t t i ,bu , said, resented human interferenc s onlewa y witt i e circle th hd an , with great trouble that horses could eve inducee b r paso t d s through farmee gatee th littlo th s S r.e wa prepare encounteo dt e spirituath r l enmity thus clearly indicated, that he decided to replace, on their original site, the stones which had been taken away; but it was remarked that whil o horsetw e s with difficulty dragged each stone downhill to the gate, one only found it easy work to pull a stone uphill from the gate to the circle. A somewhat similar story is told of e Drumeth Nothd l e farOl Ston th f , mo n nea eo r Gartly e stonTh e. was taken to the farm to make a lintel over a doorway in the steading, but thereafter the steading door was so often found open, and the interned animals wandering about the countryside, that at last it was e stonth decide t e pu bac o dt k again. When dons thi e troublswa eth e ceased. Near Auchleven e paristh f Premnayn o i h, , there once stooa d stone circle now completely destroyed. The farmer who removed the stones, shortly afterwards lost s cattlemanhi f yo froms diseaswa d ean ruined. Disease and ruin have visited farmers before and since that time, but nevertheless many of the good man's neighbours considered VOL. LX. 20 306 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, MAY 10, 1926.

e fat f Auchleveth o e judgmena n r destroyint fo upo m n hi e circlegth . The devastation of his cattle herd by disease fell also upon the farmer of-Cairnfauld, in Durris parish, following upon his removal of some of e stonee circlth th f eso near-by. The notion that ill-luck attends the destruction of the circles is not t altogetheye r deads appareni s a , t fro n incidenma t which occurred in recent times at Corrydoun. Some alterations were being made e faroth nm buildingse masoth d n e an wor,employe th ko d o t d reckoned that he could make good use in his building operations of the stones in the stone circle. So he set to work to trim one of them, but, finding the stone harder than he had supposed, made little progresse dinner-houth t A . returnee h re farm th o ,dt s wherwa t i e noticed that he had damaged one of his fingers badly, an injury of whic wase t conscioush no . Someone suggeste s dunluck thawa t i t y to interfere with the stones, and the workman, agreeing, made no further tool-marks attemp theme hi t us bu o ;t t s still remain. The spirit influence was not always exerted to protect the ancient monuments. It was sometimes, though this is a rarer belief, antagonistic to their preservation. Probably this belief pictures a e everlastinphasth f eo g warfare betwee e spirite th nth f gooo sd an d spirits of evil. Thus the Sunken Kirk marks the site of a stone circle on Tofthills e parisfarmstona th t f n Clatti heno ,o t remainsbu ; d an , e absencth e storaccountes ei th yy b tha e spiritr th dfo t s have caused the circle to-sink underground. A similar tale accounts for the name of Chapel o' Sink on the farm of Westerton, Fetternear. In the large and almost complete circle at Cothiemuir, in the parish of Keig, the recumbent stonf peculiao s ei r rounde dnumerous shapeha d an , s hollows upo s surfacenit , cause y weathering b d e outside f thesth o o n eo ,Tw . rather larger than their fellows, are known as the " Devil's Hoof- marks," their shape resembling the mark of a cloven hoof.

NOTIOE (2TH ) WORSHIPF NO . The notio f associatino n g worship wit e stonth h e monuments i s interlinked with the idea of spirit influence, for both meet in the beliesupernaturaa n i f l world e powerth , f whico s h guard thein ow r d mus an e propitiatedb t e belieTh .f thae circleth t s were user fo d purpose f worshio s s veri p y prevalen d veran t y firmly established. Throughout Aberdeenshire thee almosar y t universally knows a n " Druids' Circles" and " Druids' Stones," and by these names are more readily recognise e countrth y db y peopl othey e an tha ry nb nam e eth FOLKLOR E ABERDEENSHIRTH F O E E STONE CIRCLES. 307

inquiring archaeologist may care to use. A word of caution, however, is necessary: "Druid" to the archa?ologist and to the Aberdeenshire countryma e t archaeologismeath no e same o th o nT d n . e terth tm connotes a definite cult, associated with the oak tree and mistletoe, doubtfuis it thi in sif land sens Druidthe e eveconnectiohad sany r n wit e stonhth e countryma th circles t Bu . n use e tera ver th sm n i y wide sense—to mean anything pagan or heathen. Thus a "Druid Circle" means no more than a circle or temple employed in heathen worship lon w e ter s beegth Ho m ha .impossibls common i ni t i e nus e to say. Its origin has been attributed to John Aubrey, who derived s knowledghi t i fro r f JamemD o e s Garden, appointed Professof o r Divinit King'n yi s College, Aberdeen r Garden'D t 1680n i , Bu s. letter o Aubreyt , dated 15th June 1692, showe us s n i thae nam s th t wa e before his time. It is too deeply rooted among a class not given to reading archaeological works to be of modern origin. The circle at Druidstone, Premnay, gives its name to the farm, and pillar-stoneo tw e th s near Montgarrie, Alford e Druidsar , Stones,d an their site Druidsfield. In addition to the names Druids' Circle or Druids' Stones numbea , f theso r e erection e alsar so know s Druidsna ' Temples or simply Temples. The recumbent stone and pillars of what must originally have been a fine e homcirclth n eeo far f Pottertonmo , about five miles nort f Aberdeenho e locallar , y knowe Druidth s a n Temple, and the field in which they stand as the Temple Field. At South Ythsie stands another Druid Temple, again in a Temple Field or Park; e circlth t Castlea e single Temple,Frasee th Th d e s i rstonan t ea Inchmarlo Cottage, Baiichory-Ternan, is a Druids' Temple. The same idea of worship clings about the name " Auld Kirk" which sometimes attache e circlesth e o t sth . n Thui e remaine th s on f o s neighbourhood of Alford are known as the Auld Kirk o Alford; that e far th f Denheao m n e Auldo th s i d Kirk o Tough. e latteTh r almosw circlno s tei destroyed: onlstone yon e remain s originait n o s l sitee otherth , s having been removed man a tenan yy b year to ag s on the farm. He is said to have formed one of the stones into a field-roller, which broke just after havin o guse—t beet apu n just judgment upon his interference, said his neighbours. The name " kirk " appear se Sunken th als n oi Kirk, whico t h referenc s alreadha e y been made. A short distance, some 200 yards, from the Chapel o' Sink lies the k Stone,Ar very likel e recumbenyth t e circlestonth f eo , which would help to account for its unusual name. A numbe f circleo r s used formerl e calleb o t dy "Law Stones," probably becaus courtw la e s were accustome e helb do dt near them. 8 80 PROCEEDING E , SOCIETY192610 TH .Y F O S MA ,

The suggestion receives some suppor t e Standingfro th e cas mf th o e - stone f Rayneo s circla , t whichea 1349n i , a cour , s hel settlo wa dt t e a dispute betwee e Bishonth f Aberdeepo d Willia nan t Michae S f mo l concerning the ownership of certain lands in the neighbourhood. As well as the tradition of pagan worship, the tradition of Christian worship also lingers abou t e earlsomth f yo e stone relic f Aberdeeno s - shire. In such cases, of course, it is simply that a Christian name and memory have superseded an earlier pagan tradition, for it was a policy inculcated by Pope Gregory the Great upon his missionaries that they should utilise as far as possible the sacred places of the heathen; and so it may have happened that the circles became recognised meeting- centres of the new faith. Thus we find that some of the circles are associated with the names of the early saints. The remains of a circle on the farm of Bankhead, near Tillynaught in Banffshire, are known as St Brennan's Stanes, i.e. St Brandaris Stones, after the patron saint of Boyndie. A little further afield, in Banffshire, just beyond the Aberdeenshire boundary standing-stoneo tw , s represen l thaal t t remains oa circlf e whic e presen th he sit f stooth o e tn o dparis h churcf o h Marnoch. The taller of the two is known as St Marnaris Chair, though it bears no resemblance to such an article of furniture in s presenit t state however, As . t seemi , s likel e havo yt th f eo beee non pillar-stones associated with the recumbent stone, its original position may have given some excuse for the designation. St Marnan, or Marnoch a seventh-centur s wa , y missionar s saii o havo t d ywh e died at his church here in 625. Close against the outside of the wall of the old churc f Logie-Coldstono h n uprigha s i e t standing-stone known as St Walloch's Stone, after St Walloch, a southern missionary who is said, though the statement cannot be substantiated, to have laboured in Aberdeenshire about the first quarter of the eighth century. It may als notee ob d tha e paristh t h churc f Midmarho , whic s dedicatehi o t d t NidanS , occupie e a sarestone-circle th f paro af o t e recumbenth , t stone and pillars of which, as well as several of the circumference stones, are still standing.

(3) THE IDEA OP BURIED TREASURE. traditioe Th f burieno d treasur s associateei d wit hnumbea e th f o r ancient stone monuments. Although one is frequently told of a pot of gold bull'a r o , s hide filled with gold, being concealed somewhere under- neat ha stone t mucno , placehw fait no thes n di s i h e stories, notwith- standing that the e stilyar l kep remembrancen i t . Therf courseo , eis , FOLKLORE OF THE ABERDEENSHIRE STONE CIRCLES. little, if any, foundation for such a belief, which may have originated timen i f invasioo s r civino l war, when concealede valuableb o t d ha s, and the sacred vicinity of the monuments afforded as good a place as any. At Sinnahard, Towie, there is a standing-stone near which visity m f a gooso e f dgol o buried e on man b s sait d i n o dpo t O ya . years ago, the farmer announced that he had no faith in the tale: the only gold he hoped to gain from the place was that of the golden grain then ripenin e harvestth r similagfo A . r tal s connecteei d with a large block of quartz, known as the White Cow, near the parish church of Marnoch. The story goes that many years ago some local adventurers mad theip riseu e removinf th kro mindn ru stone o st gth e reaco t treasuree hth .t manag Theno d ycompleto di et tase eth k that evening, and on returning to resume their labours on the following day, they discovered their excavations filled in and the stone back in its former placewore abandoneds Th kwa . . Sometimes the tradition varies a little. At Cortiegraw is a stand- ing-stone of large size, which leans over partly on its side. Tradition relates that once it stood upright, but on an occasion tipped over and f golo t d supposepo s diggine th wa r o crushedgfo wh n deato dt ma ha to lie beside it. e stora bull' Th f yo s hide filled with gol s connectedi d with many stones. At its simplest it is found at the Binghill stone circle on Dee- side, at Lulach's Stone near Kildrummy, at a standing-stone at Glenkindie a brancclos y b e he Muckl th roa t Towieo a dt e d Stanan , ' Clocho e - forbie, near the steading of the farm of that name. The last may be a broken recumbent stone, but there is nowadays no standing-stone near it. In this case also an attempt was once made to remove the treasure greae th t t bu effort, s mad shif o et e ston th t e proved fruitless, and a warning voice having been heard from beneath the depths of the stone to command " Let be!" the advice was taken and the stone has remained undisturbed ever since. fare f CamiestoneTh mo e paristh f n Kintorei ho , , derive s namsit e from a standing-stone similarly named, -where the leader of an invading army of Danes is reputed to have been killed. On the neighbour- g far in f Braesidmo a ston s i e e cist, called Camie's Grave, whice hth farmer opened. At his death he left a considerable fortune, and this was attribute havins hi o dt g found treasur ciste th , n ethougi wealte hth h had a more prosaic origin in farming skill and hard work. The top of the ridge above his farm carries a number of cairns scattered irregularly) f theso e e on als d s saioi an conceao dt l treasure, thoug e difficulthth y of decidin e luckgth y cair s solveni d wit ha touc f Scottisho h humour by designating it the " eastmost wastmost earn." 310 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, MAY 10, 1926.

(4) HUMAN ASSOCIATIONS. Her ehavI e groupe dnumbea f storiero s which have little connection except that they are'associated wit memore hth f personsyo somn I . e traditione oth f s deal tsecone witth n hi d sectio npersonaa l significance attaches to the memorials, but in such cases the individual stood as a symbol of his religion. It is a curious fact, however, that whereas the missionary stone e usuallar s e remainyth f circleso s , thos o whict e h reference is made in the present section are chiefly isolated and single standing-stones almosy ma assumee t b tI . d that namelese manth f yo s standing-stones were erecte s memorialda f individualso s , whose names and deeds are long since forgotten; but how far tradition and truth may be assumed to agree in those cases where the names have been preserved is impossible to decide. Macbeth's Stone t Lumphanaa s saini maro t d e spokth t where th e Scottish king was killed on 15th August 1057, and Macbeth's Cairn, fully a mile further north e placth , e burieds wherwa e eh . Lulach's Stonet a Kildrumm s associateyi f Macbeth'o d n witso ha s wife, namely Lulach, whs slai ot wa Strathbogin a 1058 n ei Luath'sd an ; e hillsid Stoneth n o e some distance north of Whitehouse Station on the Alford railway, is reputed to mark the site of the death of "Luath," said to be a son of Macbeth. Some doubt must attactraditione th o ht , whic repeates hi n di connection with another sit gooea d many miles away; eve e existnth - ence of a son so-called is doubtful. The colour of the stone suggests that the present name may have been derived from the Gaelic word liath, meaning "grey"—the "Grey Stone" and nothing more. The Crichton and Federate Stones, now badly dilapidated, mark the place near Rayne wher eduea foughs wa l t between representative f theso s e families. Noe farr fro th e fa lastf tKnowleym mo th n o , , stand n uprigha s t pillar knowToive th s Stone.na s significancIt s doubtfuli e r StuarD . t thought that it might have been the seat of tax-gathering in far back days (Sculptured Stones of Scotland, vol. ii. p. 44). But Professor Watson suggests to me -that the name may be connected with the Gaelic toll, signifyin hollowa g . Often it is apparent that the names now ia use have no connection wit e monumente origihth th f recene no ar frequentld t an t bu , y trivial additions. Johnnie Kelly s Lass, a large cup-marked standing-stone on the farm of Balhalgardy, near Inverurie, perhaps the sole remnant of a circle, furnishe a goos d exampl e triviath f eo l origie b f whany o ma t curiou puzzlind an s g names name Th juss .ei centura t y old. Johnnie Kelly r lon,fo gfara m servan t Balhalgardya t came , wheag ed uponol n him, too knittingo kt ' stockings commoa , n country occupatio thosn i e FOLKLOR E ABERDEENSHIRTH F O E E STONE CIRCLES1 31 . times tinn O e. day e climbe h sstonee th o dt , resting e againsh s a t i t worked, and scanned the rich plains of Garioch ; the humour of the countryside dubbed his constant companion " Johnnie Kelly's Lass," and e namth e stuck. Perhaps some such petty inciden s responsibli t r fo e name stonea th f eo , very likrecumbene eth t ston circlea f eo , which lies close to the steading of Upperton, Durris—The Sutor's Hither. Professor Watso pointenhas tha Gaelidout the t c for sutomof r indicate tannersa , e tanne th havy o ema r wh bee t nbu legend leave Pipershinte o sn Th . e Bellth Stone d Stone,an both nea e paristh r h churc f Bourtieho , mark respectivel place yth e wher pipe e accompanieo eth rwh d marriage parties tooston e stands th kwhic hi n ed o hand-bele ,an hth churce th f lo h rested, perhaps unde woodera n covering. To the Grinago Stone, near Old Meldrum, attaches one of the some- what obvious and usually absurd tales invented to account for a puzzling name. Afte e e defeaComyn th th e Battlr f th o tt f Barra seo 1308n ai , Bruce pursue e retreatinth d g army towards Buchan, whenc t camei e . Having risen from a sick-bed to fight the battle, exhaustion compelled him to rest against this stone as he passed. To the appeals of his men that he should res whila t "gavo e t grieh t blunea n bu s t hi refusal s wa t i ; an' go," hence Grinago namee Th ! , which Professor Watson regards as likely to be Gaelic, has become too seriously corrupted to be identifiable. A tradition of equal historic worth attaches to the Maiden Stone, an elaborately carved cross-and-symbol stone close to the roadside, half a mile west of Chapel of Garioch. The maiden of Drumdurno, a farm near-by complimentes ,wa r skil he bakinn i l n strangerda o y t gb a o ,wh the same time remarked on her lack of speed. On her remonstrance, he challenged her to bake a firlot of meal while he took in hand the building of a road to the top of Benachie, the stake to be the maiden's freedom. Confident in the impossibility of the task of the would-be road-maker, she accepted the challenge, but just as her last " cakes" were ready for the fire she looked up, to see that the road was finished and the Devil, as she now perceived him to be, was approaching to claim her. She fled, and, r pursuehe s a r lai a dhan d upo r shoulderhe n , uttere a prayed o t r Go r deliverancedfo s turne wa t onc e A d. esh int oe plac stoneth t e bu , wher Evie eth l One's hand touche r shouldedhe markes i rlarge th y edb triangular niche in the Maiden Stone's profile. The origin of the name Maiden Ston s unknown ei possibls i corruptet e i b t y e bu , thama dt i t from St Medan, to whom several Aberdeenshire sites were dedicated. ) ANIMA(5 L ASSOCIATIONS. Animal associations accoun nomenclature th r fo t larga f eo e number of the Aberdeenshire stones; but even here appearances are deceptive, 2 31 PROCEEDING E , SOCIETY192610 TH Y F .O S MA ,

for some names which at first sight recall animals have quite a different origin. There are Ramstones in the parishes of Drumblade and Mony- musk d severaan , l Sarestones e countyth t n thesi bu ; e e b see o mt boundary marks, and it is doubtful if their names have any direct con- nection with animals. Harehill, near Bourtie, on which there stands a pillar-stone at one time connected with a cairn, may possibly have been named from the abundance of its hares before the ground was broken e Whitecoivth d inan ; Stone t Marnoca obviousls hi y so-called fros mit resemblanc distanca t ea whit a restin w o et Crowe fielda eco n Th gi . Stone t Rhynia s saiei o havdt e gaine s namdit e fro e numbermth f o s crows which rested upon it—a somewhat unlikely supposition, since crows prefer the ground to a stone perch. It may be that the name is a cor- ruptio f "crosno s stone, t standi r fiela "fo n si d besid parise eth h church, and, although there is no cross upon it, it bears several of the symbols associated with early Christian worship t Professobu ; r Watson suggests that the word may be that used in the Gaelic Teampull na Crb Naomh at Galson "e Templth , f Holeo y Blood. "e CroTh " " Stone would thee nb the " Stone of Blood." The Wolf Stone lies prostrate at the roadside in a boundar Auchterlesw no s i y d mark e namorigie an sth Th f s e.i n o unknown, though it may well be connected with a time when wolves were abundant in Scotland. The county has several Gowk Stones, generally explained as favourite resting-places of the cuckoo. There is, however, another possibility. North-east (3J miles south-wesd )an t (1£ mile f Strathpeffe)o remaine ar r s of cairns each of which is known as an Clachan Gbrach, or the Foolish Stones. (The second group is more often called Brodie's Graves.) Now gowk in north-east Scotland means a fool as well as a cuckoo, and it may be that, as applied to some of the Aberdeenshire Gowk Stones, it is a translation of an older Gaelic appellation like those at Strathpeffer. r listname Lasou th , n ei t " candle," attache variouo dt s ancient stone monuments, may have an indirect animal association. The Candle Stone is a large pillar-stone which stands at Candle Ridge, Drumwhindle, near Arnage, and there are three Candle Sills, one at Oyne, one in the parish of Rayne, and the other near Insch, within a few miles of each other n eac O f theso h. e Candle Hills ther e remainar e s a ostonf e circle o thal s thes,al t e candle-names e appeab o t r associated with either stone circle a standing-stone r o s e associaTh . - tios giveha n e nide th ris a o t etha t candles were employee th n i d ceremonies performed by the "Druids" at such places; but Professor Watson tells me that the Gaelic word signifies not a diminutive candle t evebu , nhuga e torch tha o e wors , th t d might wel appliee b l d figuratively to a tall stone suggesting the shape of a torch. Another FOLKLOR E ABERDEENSHIRTH F EO E STONE CIRCLES3 31 .

explanatio e nameth f o n, however s possiblei , n formeI . r dayx wa s candles were much used in Church services, and since the wax was derived from bees, whose honey was used for sweetening, it was not over- plentiful, and was accordingly highly valued. Thus gifts of wax fre- quently find mention in old deeds arid charters : two stones of wax were dedicate Eare 123n di th f Bucha o l e Chapey 3 Blessee b th th o f nt o l d Virgi t Rattrayna anothed ,an r gran f 5Jo t pound e referres si th n i o dt confirmatio a charte f no f Joho r n e Isle Lorth 1460n f si do . Grantf so r Churcfo associatee came x b hus wa o t e d with land suitabl r beeefo - keeping : thu e Candlelandsth s t Elloa n werf o ee dedicateus e th o dt the church there, and had to provide twenty-four wax candles three times a year to burn before the high altar of the Church of Ellon. These Candlelands are only some 5 miles distant from the Candlestone and Candle Ridge of Drumwhindle. It may be no more than a coincidence tha Candle tth e Ridge nea threre Elloth ed Candlnan eInsce Hillth hn si district have each a standing-stone or a stone circle. Naturally hill-top monuments would escape destructioe mucth f ho n which visited similar monuments on arable land, so that out of the large numbers of these monuments which must have existed at one time, the hill-top examples stood every chance of survival; further, the very conditions which would accoune preservatioth r fo te stones th f no , rough, rather high ground with abundance of heather and the characteristic vegetation of such places, would be just those best suited for the keeping of the bee-stocks which wer produco et sacree eth d candl esuggestione waxTh . , therefore, is that the ancient stones have only a casual connection with caiidlelands from which beeswa obtaines xwa leviedr do . awarem a I ,s a ther r Sofa e traco appearn Aberdeenshirn e ei b o t s e oa legenf d otherwise rather widespread exemplified an , t Stantoa d n Drew in Somerset, and "Long Meg and her Daughters" near Little Salkeld, Cumberland, where the circles of stones are said to represent person wero wh se turned into stona punishmen s a e r desecratinfo t g e Sabbatdancingy th b y hDa . Th storiesd eol , inconceivably absur eved dan n childis mans ha y seem nowadays, have played their part in past times in satisfying the deep- seated hankering after explanation f originso s t thebu ; y have beef no some service even to the moderns, for the mystery and superstition with which they surrounde circlee d th standing-stoned san s have been factors of no little importance in preserving these relics throughout the dark ages.