Most everyone has heard of Stonehenge, the stone circle in England that has been portrayed as an astronomers’ tool, a grave yard, a druidic sacrificial altar, and even in some movies and television programs as a portal to other dimensions and other worlds. It’s not the only stone circle in the world, however. The world is full of other similar circles, some with one astronomy henge stone, others with many. In fact the word henge is an old English word that’s part of the Stonehenge name. Henge doesn’t mean circle or stone or earthwork, it means hang. To create Stonehenge special stones were hung on top of vertical pillars. Over time the hanging part of the concept was lost, so any such stone circle was referred to as a henge. However the term henge necessitates an earthen circle. If there’s no earthen circle there’s no henge. It’s just a stone circle.

While they did serve as altars and cemeteries, all of these stone henges, including the well known Stonehenge, had some link to celestial objects and phenomenon. It doesn’t matter if they were built only as observatories or not, let others argue it. There was some real building skill and astronomy knowledge used to erect them. The elements that have to do with astronomy include the markings of important dates, such as the summer or winter solstice, when the sun would rise at a point marked exactly by a stone placement. This could include an opening, like a lens, coinciding with the sun’s position. There are many exact ratios and aspects built into Stonehenge. It’s not important if they were the design for the site or an afterthought. They still represent a great skill and knowledge.

A lesser known but no less spectacular henge is the Avebury Henge located in Wiltshire. The henge neighbors a number of other smaller stone circles, and encompasses the entire town of Avebury. Because so many of the now downed stones were in precise locations, it’s well known the henge was used for astronomy. In addition there were elements of ancestry and gender concerns in the design, because it had male and female looking stones. Some experts claim stone selection was purely for aesthetic purposes, however.

It may be a compelling idea to grab an authentic astronomy henge stone to set up in your living room. Not only would you never be able to lift them, they aren’t really important when taken away from their setting. Make a replica instead.

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