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Neolithic Carved Stone Balls
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Branwen
824 posts

Edited Feb 17, 2010, 13:15
Re: Neolithic Carved Stone Balls
Feb 15, 2010, 19:09
Quite a few of the balls look as if they would be useless for rolling. Maybe they would in a limited way the way a dice rolls, taking a turn or two then stopping one face up. As for the smooth round ones - One of the links given says that the way the balls were made was to make a smooth sphere first of all, then begin the carving into it. So the smooth round ones with no design might be blanks ready to have designs cut into them. (Because you cant date the uncarved ones, there's a theory they date to the 1500's and were ballista).

I dont say the uses of those stones are exactly the same as the neolithic stones, but you can see they might have occupied the same mental niche filled by later ones; as healing or battle standard stones. In both cases the more elaboratly decorated ones were a status symbol, both in power and in the amount of money/time spent on them by an artist to enhance their appearance. Stories like to be told, and if stones go missing, the stories all attach themselves to the stones that survive - as in the case of the Stone of Destiny. Nowadays most people think it is the Lia Fail, but in times past no one would make that mistake, and in even more ancient times, people would know there was a chief making stone for every tribe. I don't want to be guilty of doing that, and so will keep an open mind and say the balls use is unknown, but I have in mind the cultural niche that exists for them in Scotland.

The point about water worn stone is a good one - and one that was important throughout different eras, obviously. I grew up a pagan. It never occurred to me to find a stone then make it shaped like a pregnant woman. It was the case that I would see shapes in the stones on the banks of rivers or the shore, and when I found the stone posted the picture of, it was already shaped like the sex and pregnant stomach of a woman. I added the spirals a couple of years later.

I think the point about the stone lore being confined to the gealtacht is valid for the fancier stones - the very powerful or ornamented - the gaels being known for boasting. But stone lore of the common people occurs Scotland wide. Holey stones, hagstones ect... the customs relating to stones and water... all occur all over Scotland, particularly in areas where the nine maidens cult was prevalent in the case of stones and well worship. Church records are a good source; many is the minister that smashed such stones in front of the congregation, or ordered punishments for people resorting to the vulgar healing customs of their ancestors.
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Neolithic Carved Stone Balls (Branwen)
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