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Gentleman's Magazine 1843 part 2 p.362
the parish of Millum, in the same county, there
did exist the remains of a Druidical temple, which
the country people called sunken kirk, i.e. a church
sunk into the earth. It is nearly a circle of very
large stones, pretty entire, only a few fallen upon sloping
ground in a swampy meadow. At the entrance there are four
large stones, two on each side, at the distance of six feet.
Through these you enter into a circular area,
twenty-nine yards by thirty. The entrance is nearly
south-east. It seems probable that the altar stood in the
middle, as there are some stones still to be seen there,
though sunk deep in the earth. The situation and aspect of
the Druidical temple near Keswick is in every respect
similar to this, except the rectangular recess, formed by
ten large stones, which is peculiar to Keswick.
And I am informed that there are other remains of stone
circles in these northern districts, where there yet exist
so many popular superstitions and customs. Indeed, we find
in Camden's account of Westmoreland allusion made to the
ruins of one ancient round structure, which has always been
considered to have been a temple dedicated to Diana, but
which is now known by the name of Kirkshead. Many
such instances will be found in the ancient monuments of
Scotland. Sometimes there are two circles of stones, at
others three circles, having the same common centre.
From the general arrangement of the stones, one of the
largest having a cavity, at the bottom of which there is a
passage for any liquid sacrifice to run down the side of it,
nothing can be more evident than that the triple circle of
stones was intended as an heathen temple, where Pagan
priests performed their idolatrous ceremonies; and what is
most remarkable is, that most of these singular structures
are still known by the name of chapels or temple
stones; and one of them, we are told, in the parish of
Enesallen, is full of groves, and was formerly
an ordinary place of burial, and continues to be so, for
children who die without baptism and for strangers. There is
mention made of one* in the shire of Inverness, which
consists of two circles of stones, and was formerly known by
the name of Chapel Piglag, from a lady of that name
who used to repair thither for the exercise of her devotion,
before a church was built in that part of the country. What
adds to the interest of this account, which I have extracted
from Camden, is the extraordinary sanctity in which a
neighbouring grove of trees was held. So sacred
indeed was it reputed, that no one would cut a branch out of
it, and the women who dwelt near it, when they recovered out
of childbed, were wont to repair thither, to return their
thanks to God, as in other places of the kingdom they attend
churches for the same purpose. In the midst of this grove
there is a well or fountain, called the well of the chapel,
which is also held sacred; and Dr. Jamieson, in his
Historical Accountof the Culdees, relates a singular
instance of an old man in the North of Scotland, who, though
very regular in his devotions, never addressed the Supreme
Being by any other title than that of arch druid,
accounting every other derogatory to the divine Majesty.
It is clear that, for many ages after the introduction of
Christianity into Britain, the firm hold which Druidism had
upon the mind of her inhabitants was a source of much
annoyance to the first missionaries to this country. Some
pagan monuments were overthrown, but others were maintained
inviolable for ages. But, in order to render the transition
from a false to a true worship less difficult, it was no
uncommon practice with the early missionaries, not merely in
Britain but in other parts of the world, to convert the
temples dedicated to idolatrous uses into Christian
churches. This circumstance will account for the situation
of many of our churches, which actually occupy the ancient
sites of Druid temples. It is probable that in many
instances stone circles existed on the site of some of these
churches, and were the scene of religious worship of the
first converts to Christianity: of all figures the Druids
most affected the circular. The druidical Kir-rock,
or circle of stones, gradually was contracted into
kirk, which is now pronounced church. A kirk, church, or
place of worship in dru-
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