La Hougue Bie
The Dolmen La Hougue Bie, excavated in 1924, is located on the Channel Island of Jersey in the municipality of Grouville between the ferry ports of Gorey and Saint Helier . Along with La Varde, it is one of the largest passage tombs in the British Isles . Until the discovery of Les Fouaillages (on Guernsey ) it was considered the oldest megalithic complex in the archipelago .
The dolmen was built between 3100 and 2600 BC. It lies under a 14 m high cairn on which the chapels "Notre Dame de la Clarté" from the 12th century and the "Jerusalem Chapel" added in 1520 are located.
The approximately eleven meter long corridor leads into the three meter wide and nine meter long chamber, some of which are 1.9 m high. The two side chambers and the head area, which continues in a coaxial niche, are separated from the chamber by rows of plates. The system is 22 m long and has about 20 bowls . The largest of their total of 70 megalithic elements are some of the 16 cap stones.
The first part of the name Hougue is similar to the Cotentin form Hougue , elsewhere in Normandy only the form Hogue was used. It's an Old Norman word that could have multiple meanings, such as: B. "Pile, elevation, hill, tumulus" and it was derived from the Old Norse haugr "pile, elevation, hill, tumulus". The second component of the name, Bie , can also be found in several hamlets of La Bie in the motherland of Normandy. It was probably derived from the Old Norse býr "foundation, settlement, construction". So La Hougue Bie means "construction on the cairn" and refers to a building on the dolmen.
On the other hand, there is a legend that probably has the beginnings of the Christianization of the islands in the 6th century as the background. According to her, a "Lord of Hambye" (the place Hambye in Normandy housed a monastery ) is said to have killed a dragon (the symbol for the pagan cult) that had terrified the island. This gentleman is said to have been slain by his servant (a symbol for the religious conflicts during this time).
See also
literature
- Heather Sebire: The Archeology and Early History of the Channel Islands . 2005; ISBN 0-7524-3449-7 .
Web links
Coordinates: 49 ° 12 ′ 1.2 ″ N , 2 ° 3 ′ 50 ″ W.