One would never imagine there to be such a place hidden among the trees so far off the beaten track here in the west of Ireland. I had often heard of this place, but as there were no signs to illuminate the way, it was difficult to find. In the end it was simply a case of being drawn to it, through waist deep briars and thick copses of young trees. I entered the sacred space as if entering into another world...and there it was! Portal tombs were often referred to as Druid's Altars in the 19th century. The oak trees standing guard by the tomb are about four-hundred-years-old. The Bronze Age tomb is named Cloch an Draoi ('Druid's Altar') on The Druid's Hill between two loughs here in North West Ireland. The Portal Tomb can be dated between 1900BC and 300BC. This megalithic monument, sometimes referred to as a cist-grave, cromlech or dolmen, has been hidden away and perhaps rather forgotten due to it’s location on private land. The standing stone measures 2.2 metres (7 foot 2 inches) high, 1.3 metres (3 feet 8 inches) across and about 0.30 metres (nearly 1 foot) in depth; the top of the stone is curved or rounded. Druids were the most revered clan members and possessed the capacity to recite hundreds of tales, keep the knowledge of the lineages of the kings and had immense ability to harness the power of the Otherworld. Thus the Druid often demanded, and received, enormous payments. Druids were feared for their powers and honoured for their high social status, they were shamans, magi and seers, as well as the official historians, royal genealogists and judges. So, I believe this to be the resting place of such a high status figure, one who perhaps held sway over the inhabitants of this part of Ireland and was interred according to the status given.
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8 окт 2018
