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Votive offerings
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thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat
6218 posts

Re: Votive offerings
Sep 09, 2009, 12:53
Pilgrim wrote:
megadread wrote:
Very emotive subject this innit and there will never be a suitable solution in my opinion.


Hi megadread,

Aye - and I probably get over-emotive on it. But to let it exist as an "approved" practice is to give it credence through non-action (apathy).

It may be of interest that down here in deepest darkest Devon, the practice of "votive offering" is largely unknown - and thus I am MUCH more relaxed when I'm out and about on Dartmoor than I am when visiting the "chart topper" sites like Avebury and WKLB.

I find it interesting that a high percentage of these occurrences take place in VERY public (and VERY accessible) sites, only a short step from the car. I haven't been into the middle of Dartmoor for a while, but I'm betting that the half a dozen rivers that rise on the northern Moor are not suffering the same attachments of arrogance that the trees around Swallowhead have to suffer. And as for the strange folk who turned a bush on the Ridgeway by the Sanctuary carpark into a "shrine" complete with LIMPETS....

Peace

Pilgrim

X


You're quite right Pilgrim, although not directly about offerings, I've come across the same sort of thing at Boscawen-Un, which is quite near a road if you drive a car/bus. We walked from St Buryan last June, the day after summer solstice. It took probably an hour to get there on foot, due to some "interesting" mud/stiles, etc. Anyway, when we got there some kind of overlong ritual involving finger cymbals was occuring in the centre of the circle, making it impossible for anyone else to get to the stones.

Not wishing to annoy anyone/interfere with their beliefs, etc, we sat away from the stones in another bit of the small field, munched some food, and waited. And waited. And waited. Several other people, either alone or couples came and went while we were there, obviously disappointed to not be able to enjoy the circle themselves. Eventually the ritual finished and we were still sitting in the field. However, rather than acknowledging that we had waited (almost an hour by this point) and letting us get into the circle now that the ritual element was over, the group convened in the centre of the circle and started to chat about, well, whatever. We gave up at this point and continued on our way, as we were walking on to St Just and had a fair way to go. As we left the circle to the north, we passed the bus that they had come in, obviously big respecters of the environment there.

I realise I'm ranting, but would like to make a couple of points about this rambling anecdote:

1. It wasn't the "solstice" (note to StoneGloves, I'm not suggesting that exact dates are relevant!) it was the day after. The previous day it had been raining, so obviously a bit of bad weather means you can shift your rituals to another day to suit your fairweather needs.

2. We had come a fair way to get to the circle, on foot. Whilst the group weren't to know that (why should they?), we had made a bit of an effort to come to the site. We also waited so as not to interfere with the "ritual". The fact that even after their long ritual finished they made no effort to let anyone else near the stones shows a lack of courtesy in my opinion, whatever their beliefs.

3. They came in a bloody bus. And parked no more than 100 yards from the site. Really showing an understanding of the ancient landscape there.

4. I realise that this bit may be viewed poorly by some TMAers, but what basis exactly is there for the lengthy "ritual" that we waited patiently through? Seemed like a load a made-up finger cymbal ringing rubbish from where I was sitting.

Anyway, rant over. Not even a mention of votive offerings either, sorry for going OT!

:-)

Alken
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Re: Votive offerings (Pilgrim)		 Replies:
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