Ossian's Grave
Ossian's Grave , (also Cloghbrack, Irish An Chloch Bhreac ) or Lubitavish Court Tomb, is a court tomb in the townland Lubitavish ( Irish Lúb an tSámhais ), northwest of Cushendall in County Antrim in Northern Ireland . It lies on the northeast slope of Tievebulliagh above Glenaan , one of the nine Glens of Antrim . Ossian's Grave is named after the mythical warrior and poet Ossian , a son of Finn MacCool , who, according to legend, was buried here. Ossian's Grave is designated as a Scheduled Monument and is a listed building.
description
The remains of this megalithic complex, built from comparatively small stones, were set in a low oval stone mound , which is now defaced. Only two of its curbs remained on the north side. The semicircular, southeast-facing forecourt is in front of the narrow gallery, which consists of two chambers lying one behind the other. Ossian's grave has not been excavated.
Court Tombs belong to the megalithic chamber tombs ( English chambered tombs ) in Ireland and Great Britain . There are around 400 specimens in Ireland. These are found almost exclusively in the north. At least 17 other court tombs are located in County Antrim. The plants are also known as horned ( English horned ) Cairns or lobster - ( English lobster tombs ). They were made in the early Neolithic from 3500 BC. Built in BC.
On the edge of the complex is a memorial erected in 1989 in honor of the Northern Irish poet John Hewitt (1907–1987), who is considered the Poet of the Glens and who wrote a poem about Ossian's Grave in which he explores the scientific and folkloric interpretation of the place juxtaposes.
poem
We stood and pondered on the stones
whose plan displays their pattern still;
the small blunt arc, and, sill by sill,
the pockets stripped of shards and bones.
The legend has it, Oisin lies
beneath this landmark on the hill,
asleep till Fionn and Oscar rise
to summon his old bardic skill
in hosting their last enterprise.
This, stricter scholarship denies,
declares this megalithic form
millenniums older than his time -
if such lived ever, out of rime -
…
I cannot tell; would ask no proof;
Let either story stand for true,
as heart or head shall rule.
See also
Individual evidence
- ^ Peter Harbinson: Guide to National and Historic Monuments of Ireland. Gill and Macmillan Dublin 1992. page 40
literature
- Rodney Castleden: The Stonehenge people. An exploration of life in Neolithic Britain 4700-2000 BC. Routledge, London et al. 1987, ISBN 0-7102-0968-1 .
- Elizabeth Shee Twohig: Irish Megalithic Tombs (= Shire Archeology. 63). Shire Publications, Princes Risborough 1990, ISBN 0-7478-0094-4 .
Web links
- Entry of Ossian's Grave in the Northern Ireland Sites and Monuments Record on the Northern Ireland Environment Agency website
- John Hewitt's poem on a website about Cushendall
- Video
Coordinates: 55 ° 5 ′ 19.6 ″ N , 6 ° 6 ′ 4.7 ″ W.