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Summer Solstice 2015
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tjj
tjj
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Re: Summer Solstice 2015
Jul 05, 2015, 09:52
The Eternal wrote:
tjj wrote:
Now the parties are over, have seen many photos/videos from Avebury and Stonehenge. A few from Castlerigg which were rather lovely in the low cloud.
I am wondering was the midsummer solstice actually celebrated in prehistory or even in the first millennium?
I totally get the Midwinter Solstice celebrations - driving away the darkness and the return of the light.


Hi June,

You have echoed my thoughts exactly. I have banged on about the Midwinter Solstice being more important on TMA numerous times, but most people seem too ready to accept the Summer Solstice version.

My main argument has been, as Parker-Pearson re-iterated during his Durrington/Stonehenge investigations, why enter Stonehenge via the Avenue and then turn around to face the Midsummer Sunrise. It's more logical to enter Stonehenge and face the object of your journey, i.e. the Midwinter Sunset. This also makes more sense, as the sunset at the darkest day would be the most worrying time, in that the community would be hoping for the Sun to return to ensure life for the crops. Also, in Christian religions, the congregation enter the church and face the altar in the same direction.

Just a few thought of mine, but I think we agree.

All the very best,
TE.


Thanks for this TE, sorry to hear about your Dad - hope the situation is improving.
I can't think of a prehistoric site that is specifically aligned to the Summer Solstice sunrise, though I would be happy to accept there is one. I think its generally accepted that Stonehenge is about the Winter Solstice. As is Newgrange and Maeshowe.

To some extent our modern day celebrations are very much a personal thing. People clearly enjoy being outside early on a midsummer's day and watching the some come up. For me, my moment of epiphany was many years ago, in London (Whetstone) of all places when the sun burst up on a frosty morning on the second day of February. Since then, that 'return of the light' (end of January/beginning of February) has always been my 'special' time of the year.

All the best
June
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