Orkney - 5,000-year-old temple complex

More or less 5 months ago I read on a National Geographic magazine, about the Orkney excavation side and the archaeological works held there. It's a really interesting subject that I would like to share with you. Our ancestors never cease to surprise me.

The excavation of the prehistoric temple complex on the Scottish island of Orkney, has revealed that the Neolithic inhabitants of that same island were far more advanced than initially realised. It was also found a large collection of ancient artifacts that reflect a complex and culturally rich society, archaeologists also discovered that the three major monumental structures on the island  (the Ring of Brodgar, the Stones of Stennes, and the Maes Howe tomb) were linked in a way, connected for the same purpose.

The archaeological site, known as the Ness of Brodgar, covers an area of over six acres and consists of the remains of housing, remnants of slate roofs, paved walkways, coloured facades, decorated stone slabs, a massive stone wall with foundations, and a large building described as a Neolithic "cathedra" or "palace", inhabited from at least 3,500 BC to the close of the Neolithic period more than a millennium and a half later.

The workmanship of these people was impeccable. The imposing walls they built would have done credit to the Roman centurions who, some 30 centuries later, would erect Hadrian’s Wall in another part of Britain. Cloistered within those walls were dozens of buildings, among them one of the largest roofed structures built in prehistoric northern Europe. It was more than eighty feet long and sixty feet wide, with walls of thirteen feet thick.

The archaeological excavation, which has so far only unearthed around 10% of the original site, has yielded thousands of incredible artifacts including a few ceremonial mace heads, polished stone axes, flint knives, a human figurine, miniature thumb pots, beautifully crafted stone spatulas, highly-refined coloured pottery, and more than six hundred and fifty (650) pieces of Neolithic art. It is by far the largest collection ever found in Britain.

The three monumental sites mentioned before, Ring of Brodgar, the Stones of Stenness and the Maes Howe tomb, are all located within several miles of the Ness, used to be seen as isolated monuments with separate histories but as the excavations at the Ness have progressed, archaeologists have come to believe that the megalithic sites in the surrounding region were all connected in some way with the Ness of Brodgar, although its purpose remains unknown. What the Ness is telling us is that this was a much more integrated landscape than anyone ever suspected. The people who built all those monuments were a far more complex and capable society than has usually been portrayed.

William Wallace - 5th of August

Today marks the day when the Scottish hero William Wallace was captured by the English and sentenced to death. 
On the 5th of August of the year 1305, Sir William Wallace who led the Scottish resistance against England, was captured by the English, near Glasgow, and transported to London where he was put on trial and executed. Along with Andrew Moray, Wallace defeated an English army at the Battle of Stirling Bridge in September 1297, and was appointed Guardian of Scotland, serving until his defeat at the Battle of Falkirk in July 1298. 
When Wallace was captured and handed over to King Edward I of England, the brutal king had him hanged, drawn, and quartered for high treason. Since his death, Wallace has obtained an iconic status far beyond his homeland. To the Scots, William Wallace is a national hero and an exemplar of unbending commitment to Scotland’s independence.

The Yule Log

The Yule Log is a tradition that is still alive in few places all over Europe.
Traditionally this trunk was of oak or ash tree, but in the British islands it could be also from apple tree, and it was picked by the children during the 24th day of December.
Other British tradicions refer to a group of men, that would go out on Christmas Eve, and they would appoint one of them as the King of Yule - that person was in charge to carry the great trunk to its destination.
In ancient times, it was required to the men, to bow or take off their hat, as i sign of respect, everytime they pass near the trunk.
When the trunk was transported to home, it should be decorated and a bit of cider was spilled on it.

There are two kinds of trunks: The Family Trunks and the Community Trunks, both of which should have a sizeable dimension, enough to burn for several hours - at least twelve hours and, if it is large enough, it should be lit every night during the twelve holy nights.

In ancient times, the ashes were saved, so later, to be sprayed on the fields. One final piece of the trunk was purposely spared;  this fragment was not to be burned and was kept the all year. It was belived that this little trunk was a powerful talisman that should be kept under the bed to protect agaisnt all kind of natural disasters like fire, thunder and lightning.
Throughout Europe, the population have a need to burn the Community Trunk, saying goodbye to the old year and at the same time, attracting the coming sunlight. This costum is a trace of the ancient pagan tradicions of the winter solstice that were sacred to the Celtic and Nordic people, that by lighting huge bonfires, they embraced the rebirth of the light replacing the missing sun. It is quite plausible that this tradition had a start out of Belgium, for the records indicate that this costum did not exist in England until the XVII century.

This costum is also associated to the Scottish ritual of "Burning of the Cailleach" in the night of 24 of December. In a branch was carved the figure of an old woman - the personification of the female spirit in winter - and so it was burned. This Tradictions also occur in Portugal in many places.