Meyn Mamvro - No 014 - Spring 1991

Magazine Overview

Title: Meyn Mamvro
Issue: 14
Date: Spring 1991
Price: £1.35
Publisher: Meyn Mamvro
Country: United Kingdom
Language: English

This issue of Meyn Mamvro, a magazine dedicated to ancient stones and sacred sites in Cornwall, delves into various aspects of local earth mysteries, folklore, and prehistoric monuments. The cover features a striking illustration and highlights key articles on stone rows, crop circles, fogous, strange lights, and book reviews.

Contents

The issue includes an editorial, 'Moot 90', news on crop circles, megalithic lights, and a Scilly maze plaque controversy. It also features articles on 'Into Alignment', 'Lost and Found' (including Men-an-Tol and Bosporthennis well), 'Cornish fogous as ritual centres' by Ian Cooke, a 'Guide to Cornish stone rows', 'Cornish giants in the landscape' by Tony Roberts, 'Dor Dama' by Jenny Croxford, book reviews, a noticeboard, and 'The Pipers Tune'.

Key Articles and Features

Earth Energies Group Meetings

The Cornish Earth Mysteries Group held indoor meetings at the Green Centre in Penzance. The season began with Craig Weatherhill discussing ancient sites of West Penwith, followed by Hamish Miller on 'Dowsing at Ancient Sites'. A November discussion with County archaeologist Nick Johnson and West Penwith E.S.A Project Officer Robin Meneer focused on 'The Future of Cornwall's Past', addressing the preservation of ancient sites and the challenges faced.

Moot 90

The 'Moot 90' event, jointly organised by 'The Ley Hunter' and 'Meyn Mamvro', took place at Rosemerryn near Lamorna. This gathering featured presentations on Earth Mysteries research by Cheryl Straffon, the meaning of the Goddess by Monica Sjöö, sites, lights, and phenomena at Rumbolds Moor by Paul Bennett, and the Celtic head-cult by Andy Roberts & Dave Clarke. Nigel Pennick discussed alignments, Paul Devereux presented on Beltane sunrise phenomena, and Helen Woodley shared site shape correspondences. The event also included a Celtic music concert by Bob Stewart and Heather Brown, and a ley trip around West Penwith sites.

News

First Crop Circles Appear in Cornwall: The first authentic crop circles in Cornwall were reported near Kit Hill. One circle was precisely-formed, oval, and had a strong energy field. Notably, another similar circle appeared in a neighbouring field the very next day, suggesting an ordered intelligence behind their creation.

Megalithic Lights: Craig Weatherhill photographed parallel shafts of light at the Treen Common stone circle in West Penwith. Similar phenomena have been observed at other ancient sites. Don Rowe also photographed an anomalous light emanating from the NE Piper menhir.

Scilly Christians in a-mazing Plaque Row: A controversial stone maze on St Agnes, Isles of Scilly, led to an argument when a plaque explaining its history was removed from a local church by members of the congregation who deemed it inappropriate.

Into Alignment

This section details several interesting stones in West Penwith that lie on existing leys. It describes Michell's 3-point ley alignments and a new alignment discovered by Tony and Su Bayfield, including a previously unrecorded stone.

The St. Michael Line Rally 1991

A weekend rally was organised for May Day Bank Holiday 1991 to celebrate the St. Michael line ley. Alex Langstone and Paul Weston were organising the event, which aimed to visit prominent sites along the ley.

Lost and Found

Stone Circle at the Men-an-Tol?: The Men-an-Tol monument in West Penwith is being made safe. Preliminary surveys suggest that the holed stone and surrounding upright and recumbent stones may form part of an original stone circle, approximately 20ft in diameter.

Bosporthennis Well Rediscovered: An ancient healing well in West Penwith, previously mentioned by William Bottrell, has been rediscovered. The well, located near the Bosporthennis stream, is still in place and contains water, though its efficacy is yet to be tested.

Cornish Fogous as Ritual Centres

By Ian Cooke, this article elaborates on the theory that Cornish fogous served a ritualistic purpose. Cooke highlights features such as restrictive entrances, the curvature of passages aligned with the midsummer sun, and 'false doorways' as evidence. He argues that the significant effort involved in their construction points to their importance as socially significant structures, distinct from dwellings. The article contrasts the use of natural sites with man-made sanctuaries like fogous, linking them to ancient Celtic beliefs and the concept of the underworld as a place of both death and rebirth.

The article further discusses how the shape and orientation of prehistoric ritual monuments were determined by religious beliefs and ritual requirements, often aligning with lunar or solar events. The common NW to SE or NE to SW orientation of fogous, aligning with the midsummer and midwinter sun positions, is emphasized as a continuation of a prehistoric tradition across Europe. The text explains the significance of the solstices as turning points of the solar year and the interplay of male (sun) and female (earth) energies.

It is suggested that midsummer bonfires may have included the ritual burning of the 'Corn Spirit' as a sacrifice to enhance the corn's growth, forming a ceremonial partnership with subterranean rituals in fogous. The burnt remains might have been symbolically returned to the earth to be resurrected as new life.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine consistently promotes an interest in earth mysteries, ancient sites, paganism, and folklore, particularly within Cornwall. There is a strong emphasis on the spiritual and ritualistic significance of prehistoric monuments and natural landscapes. The editorial stance appears to be one of exploration, preservation, and appreciation of these ancient traditions and sites, encouraging contributions and community involvement through events and subscriptions. The magazine also highlights local businesses and groups involved in related fields.

Title: MEYN MAMVRO
Issue: 14
Volume: 14
Date: Spring 1991

This issue of MEYN MAMVRO delves into the ancient landscape and mythology of Cornwall, focusing on the enigmatic 'fogous', the extensive network of stone rows, and the rich tapestry of giant myths. The publication explores the potential ritualistic and symbolic meanings embedded within these ancient sites, highlighting the interplay between pagan beliefs, the natural world, and the eventual influence of Christianity.

Fogous: Ritual and Symbolism

The article "There are no common orientations..." examines the structure and potential purpose of fogous, underground stone-lined chambers found in Cornwall. It notes that while common orientations are scarce, some fogous exhibit alignments with the sun and moon, particularly the full moon. The text suggests that the entrances might have been symbolically linked to the moon. Three fogous are highlighted as having inner chambers, with Halliggye's being stone-built and having an approximate summer sunset-winter sunrise orientation. Treveneague and Pendeen's fogous, however, are tunnelled from subsoil and show definite links to other fogou directions, with axes aligning with entrances to other sites.

A key feature discussed is the curvature of the main passage in 'normal' fogous, which consistently curves in the same direction (NE to SW). This curvature is interpreted as potentially having a ritualistic function, possibly linked to sexual symbolism, representing male solar energy piercing Mother Earth's womb. The passage's orientation towards the SW at midwinter sunset and its easterly curve towards Life and Rebirth are also discussed.

The positioning of the northern end of the passage pointing uphill is seen as accentuating the symbolism of the Sun God thrusting into Mother Earth. The article contrasts this with Pendeen Vau, where the passage points towards the dying sun in the NW, not the rising sun. The phallic symbolism is further explored, suggesting the sun was viewed as a male god moving around the earth, at its most virile at midsummer sunrise.

Cornish Stone Rows: A Guide

"Guide to Cornish Stone Rows" provides a comprehensive survey of these ancient structures across Britain, with a particular focus on Cornwall. It notes that while previously thought to have only one stone row, recent surveys have revealed more. These early Bronze Age features are described as "obscure" and "enigmatic," with interpretations ranging from processional avenues to spirit paths for the dead or shamans.

The article details several specific stone rows:

• St Breock Downs (The Nine Maidens): Cornwall's most famous stone row, consisting of nine stones, with one lying down. It pointed to a now-destroyed menhir called 'The Fiddler'. The orientation is discussed in relation to ley lines.
• Bodmin Moor (Trehudreth Downs): Features a setting of a few stones and a separate stone row running SW-NE, possibly connected with rites of the dead.
• Colvannick Tor: Described as the best-preserved and most impressive stone row on Bodmin Moor, with four standing stones and eight lying down. Its name is linked to the meaning "erect penis," suggesting fertility rites.
• Tolborough Tor: A miniature row of five small stones, again linked with a burial site.
• Leskernick: A row of 27+ earthfast stones on Hendra Downs, near a settlement and ruined stone circle.
• Buttern Hill: A disturbed row of 21 stones, including upright slabs and fallen stones.
• Carneglos: A very small row running E-W, with most stones barely visible, pointing to a cove-like feature.
• Fox Tor: A setting of upright stones near a hut circle settlement, overlooking the Nine Stones circle.
• East Moor: A row of 21 or so stones, aligned to a prominent blocking stone, cairns, and a ritual enclosure.
• Langstone Downs: A possible stone row of 15 small stones, considered a doubtful site.
• Craddock Moor: A well-defined row of 85 stones, forming a major alignment feature with other stone circles and marking the Beltane/Lughnasad sunset.
• West Penwith (Treveglos): A newly discovered row with a large standing stone at its east end, pointing to Sperris Hill. Other sites in West Penwith, like Chyenhal and Trewern, are also mentioned.
• Kenidjack Common: An enigmatic line of holed stones.
• Isles of Scilly (Higher Town, St Martins): A recently identified row of three stones on a beach, pointing towards a Bronze Age burial settlement, possibly linked to a discovered stone idol.

Cornish Giants in the Landscape

"Cornish giants in the landscape" by Tony Roberts (Part 2) continues the exploration of giants in Cornish folklore. This part focuses on Giant Bolster and the giants of Trencrom Hill and Carn Galva.

The Myth of Giant Bolster

The myth of Giant Bolster involves his love for a Christian saint, St Agnes. The story is interpreted as symbolizing the triumph of Christianity over older pagan practices. Bolster's attempt to prove his love by bleeding into a small hole, which leads to his death, is seen as a ritualistic sacrifice. The tale highlights the Christian overthrow of earlier religious practices and the romanticized martyrdom of the giant.

Geomancy, Ley Lines, and Giant Strides

The article discusses the concept of 'giant's stride' as a geomantic ley alignment. The myth of Bolster stepping between St Agnes Beacon and Carn Brea, both conical hills, is presented as a representation of a ley line. The rediscovery of ley lines by Alfred Watkins in 1922 is mentioned, emphasizing their role as energizing frameworks for geomancy. The earthwork at the foot of St Agnes Beacon, known as 'The Bolster', is linked to the giant's wife carrying stones to form cairns.

Carn Brea and Trencrom Hill

Carn Brea is described as a hill rich in local legendry, associated with pagan and Christian rituals, and a geomantic fact complementing the Bolster tale. It was a significant cult centre with evidence of early occupation and agricultural activity. Carn Brea was also a celebrated beacon hill, used for signaling sacred festivals, including the Midsummer bonfire rite.

The myth of the giant of Trencrom Hill involves his work as a builder and his association with Cormoran. The legend of their shared hammer and Cormoran's wife's death is interpreted as a crude euphemism for a ley line. Prehistoric earthworks around Trencrom Hill are linked to giants playing a game of bowls with enormous stones, marking territory. The hill is also associated with giants ritually sacrificing captured victims on altars and burying treasures secured by spells.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

This issue consistently emphasizes the deep connection between the Cornish landscape, its ancient structures (fogous and stone rows), and the myths and beliefs of its past inhabitants. There is a clear focus on interpreting these sites and stories through the lens of geomancy, solar and lunar symbolism, and the transition from paganism to Christianity. The editorial stance appears to be one of archaeological and folkloric investigation, seeking to uncover the ritualistic and symbolic meanings behind these ancient phenomena. The magazine highlights how these ancient practices and beliefs have shaped the understanding and interpretation of the Cornish landscape, often through the enduring power of myth and legend.

MEYN MAMVRO | 14 | Spring 1991

This issue of Meyn Mamvro, a magazine focused on earth mysteries, folklore, and paganism, explores the deep connection between Cornish standing stones, myths of giants, and the spiritual energies of the land. The publication features articles on ancient sites, personal experiences with sacred places, book reviews, and a noticeboard for related groups and events.

The Persistent Power of Cornish Standing Stones

The issue opens by discussing the enduring paraphysical power of Cornish standing stones, which are consistently depicted in myths as sacred and linked to the activities of giants. These stones are associated with numerous fertilizing characteristics, not only for human beings but for the entire ecological structure. The giants are believed to have tuned into the 'live energies' pulsing through the landscape, generated by the animistic spirit of place. Beyond fertility, megaliths have always been credited with healing properties. An example is the Twelve O'Clock Stone near Nancledra, also known as the Giant's Child, which legend states can cure children of rickets if touched on auspicious days. The oral tradition in Cornwall consistently links giants, religion, and stones, representing a practical mythical reality rooted in occult power derived from the stones themselves.

Giants and Megalithic Monuments in Cornwall

In Cornwall, giants and stones are presented as inseparable. Monuments bearing giant names are highlighted as the most impressive in the county. Heriocally built, ley-oriented megaliths like Trethevy Quoit and Zennor Quoit, along with Lanyon Quoit (also known as the Giant's Table), are examples of this connection. The article notes that even scattered standing stones (menhirs) are sometimes attributed to giants, such as the Giant of Carn Gulva who supposedly used them for games of quoits. The significance of ley lines is also mentioned in relation to these stones. The presence of logan stones, or rocking stones, is also noted, with many situated along ancient ley alignments. Psychometrists and dowsers have reported strong geodetic energy radiations at these focal points. It is suggested that Druids practiced rituals at logan rocks, and these 'metaphysical instruments' are remembered for their powers to cure diseases, similar to other megalithic monuments. The issue posits that prehistoric monuments offer clues to the 'giants' being the first founders of British history, with Cornwall being their favored habitat.

Personal Experiences with Holy Wells and Ancient Sites

The magazine introduces a new occasional column titled "Dor Dama" (Cornish for 'Earth Mother'), featuring personal experiences with the spirituality of the Cornish land. The first entry is by artist Jenny Croxford, who shares her experiences with a holy well near her home on the Lizard peninsula. She recounts how, after moving to Cornwall and engaging in new-age consciousness groups and primal therapy, her artistic work began to change. She started drawing ancient places, and her drawings, often described as 'elaborate doodles,' seemed to channel the energy of these locations. One notable drawing is of a face at Ruan Well, created on Samhain. Upon turning the paper, she realized it depicted a dreamy, sleepy face with cowrie shell eyes and a seed-pod mouth. Later, she found a picture of a Neolithic skull from Jericho (8000 BC) with embedded cowrie shells, which bore a striking resemblance. Subsequently, at Grade Church, she drew another face, an enlargement of the Ruan Well face, described as strong, black, and white, and primitive.

Chaco Canyon and Echoes of Imagination

The narrative continues with a visit to America in 1988, specifically to Chaco Canyon, a significant center for the Anasazi Indians (ancestors of modern Pueblo Indians) in the 10th-12th centuries. The article describes the canyon's large, round, semi-underground kivas used for ceremonies and mentions the evidence of ancient roads radiating from Chaco. A sun calendar on a butte features carved spirals intersected by a dagger-shaped shadow at the solstices, formed by specially constructed rock slabs. During a visit in December, the author and her companions observed a face on a canyon wall formed by deep hollows. This face felt familiar, and upon closer inspection, it was recognized as similar to the drawing made at Grade Church years earlier. The author muses whether these similarities are coincidences or a way of accessing another reality through imagination.

Book Reviews

The issue includes several book reviews:

• "MONSTRUM - A WIZARD'S TALE" by Tony 'Doc' Shiels: Described as a 'gallimaufry' of Cornish dragonlore, pagan magic, surrealism, and monster-hunting, the book delves into the author's involvement with phenomena like the Morgawr monster and the Owlman. It explores the interplay of reality and illusion, occultism, shamanism, and witchcraft, with a focus on the 'old religion' and its hereditary followers.
• "ATLAS OF MAGICAL BRITAIN" by Janet & Colin Bord: This regional guide covers the magic, folklore, legend, and mysterious phenomena of the British Isles, with 25 entries for Cornwall alone, including well-known sites like Tintagel and lesser-known ones like fairies at Carn Gluze.
• "LEGENDARY BRITAIN" by Bob Stewart and John Matthews: This book journeys through the magical and mythical sites of Britain, interpreting 12 legends, including Arthurian Cornwall and the West Country. It explores themes of the otherworld, the Goddess of the Land, and kingship.
• "CELTIC GODS AND GODDESSES" by Bob Stewart: This work offers a deeper insight into the meaning and mythopeoic significance of Celtic gods and goddesses, drawing from legend and folksong, with illustrations by Miranda Grey and Courtney Davis.
• HUNT'S "POPULAR ROMANCES OF THE WEST OF ENGLAND" (reprint): Originally published in 1871, this is a classic repository of old Cornish legends and folklore.

The Pipers Tune: Dowsing Developments at St Merryn

Eddie Prynn, owner of the megalithic complex at St Merryn near Padstow, has transformed the site into a dowsing centre. Visitors are invited to try dowsing the energy line running through the site and receive a certificate of prowess. Prynn views the site as a potential database for dowsing information, as it involves a random selection of people. He observes that less than 50% of visitors have the capacity for successful dowsing, and contrary to expectation, very young children do not show marked ability, with the most successful group being 11-12 year olds. Dowsing ability appears to vary with the time of day, being stronger in the evening, and possibly affected by tides and the moon.

Energy Currents and Stone Circles

Further confirmation for the influence of lunar cycles on energy currents comes from energy dowser Hamish Miller. He reported that energy currents at sites like the Blind Fiddler near Catchall reverse at certain moon phases, spiraling clockwise during the waxing moon and counter-clockwise during the waning moon. At the Merry Maidens stone circle, the energy currents swirl, creating an illusion that the stones are 'dancing,' potentially explaining the legend of the dancing maidens. Similar spiraling patterns have been dowsed at other sites, such as inside Chûn Quoit.

Noticeboard and Publications

The "Noticeboard" section provides information on various groups and events related to earth mysteries and paganism. These include the Cornish Earth Mysteries Group, West Penwith Pagan Group, Mid-Cornwall Pagan Network, Wellbeing Centre, Harmony Pottery, and Research & Enlightenment Centre. Details are provided for guided walks, workshops, and regular meetings. The issue also lists numerous "Exchange Magazines," categorizing them by theme such as Earth Mysteries & Sacred Sites, and Paganism, along with subscription details. Meyn Mamvro itself is available via annual subscription, with a special Arthurian Cornwall edition planned for Summer 1991. Back numbers are available as photocopies.

Barry Millard's Celtic Calendar & Almanack

A promotional item for Barry Millard's "Celtic Calendar & Almanack 1991" is featured. This circular calendar is based on the Celtic/Druidic tree alphabet and incorporates seasons, moon phases, Celtic months, astrological signs, ruling aspects, gods/goddesses, and major festivals. It is described as being full of information, dates, and illustrations. The calendar and almanac cost £5.00, and a series of pagan/goddess-related cards and posters are also available.

The House of Astarot

Another advertisement is for "The House of Astarot," offering tarot readings, spells, rituals, and courses on witchcraft.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue of Meyn Mamvro revolve around the deep spiritual and energetic connection between the landscape, ancient sites (particularly megaliths and standing stones), and mythological traditions, especially those involving giants in Cornwall. There is a strong emphasis on personal experience, intuition, and the exploration of 'earth energies' and 'ley lines.' The magazine also promotes a sense of community among those interested in paganism, earth mysteries, and folklore, as evidenced by the extensive noticeboard and exchange magazine listings. The editorial stance appears to be one of open inquiry into these subjects, encouraging readers to explore their own experiences and connect with the ancient wisdom and energies of the British Isles, particularly Cornwall.