Menhir of Kerloas
 
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Location of the menhir in Brittany |
The Kerloas menhir stands in the Pays de Léon between the towns of Plouarzel and Saint-Renan - about 200 m west of the farm of the same name - at an altitude of 131 m . Together with the menhir from Champ-Dolent , it is the largest of the standing menhirs in Brittany in France . The approximately 9.50 m high bellied stone has been recognized as a monument historique since 1883 .
description
The granite stone weighing around 150 tons was brought from Aber Ildut, about 3 km away, to its current location. The menhir with two wide and two narrow sides has a circumference of about 6.20 m at the base or almost 7 m at 3.75 m and must once have been well over 10 m high. Its tip broke off centuries ago in a storm - probably triggered by a lightning strike ; For a long time, the rubble was "held sacred" on a neighboring farm. It is perfectly formed and has two distant phallus-like reliefs on the two narrow sides of the base , which were possibly only carved out of the granite rock at a later time.
The in the time around 4000 BC The grand menhir dated to BC is secured with a wedge that was damaged by treasure hunters decades ago. Here came pottery fragments revealed that the older Bronze Age are (around 1700 v. Chr.) Act.
function
The function of all menhirs is unclear - the common ideas range from the center of a meeting place or place of worship to landmarks to phallic fertility symbols and astronomical interpretations. Healing powers have also been attributed to the stones.
The Kerloas menhir has long been the subject of a local superstition : young couples would come to this place at night before their marriage and rub their bodies on the stone in the hope of having beautiful children.
According to some scientists , the large menhirs on the western edge of the Leon, the northern part of the Breton peninsula , are said to have been part of an astronomical system. Their processing and transport are evidence of a high level of craftsmanship and technical skill. Perhaps they are younger than the primeval appearing large menhirs such as the Menhir Men-Marz near Brignogan , one side and base of which are unworked.
Others
The menhir from Kerloas is not completely isolated, but is associated with the two great menhirs from Kergadiou , 8 km west of Plourin-Ploudalmezeau. The two menhirs form a pair of stones facing north-west, which may once have formed a longer row of stones .
See also
literature
- Jacques Briard : Mégalithes de Bretagne. Éditions Gissert, Paris 2000, ISBN 2-87747-065-2 , p. 53.
Web links
- Entry no.PA00090206 in the Base Mérimée of the French Ministry of Culture (French)
- Menhir de Kerloas - photos + information (French)
- Menhir de Kerloas - Photos + Description (French)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Ker or quer is a Breton appellative that is often used as a prefix for place names. It means: "inhabited place".
- ↑ Menhir of Kerloas - map with height information
- ↑ Menhir de Kerloas, Plouarzel in the Base Mérimée of the French Ministry of Culture (French)
Coordinates: 48 ° 25 ′ 35.6 " N , 4 ° 40 ′ 45.6" W.