This weekend I made the trip to Stonehenge. i had never managed to make time to visit before even though i only live a little over a hundred miles away.
All the pictures on this post where taken by myself on my trip. as i approached the Henge i could not help but notice the lack of respect the visitors had for the monolith.
there where people from all over the world who had made the journey for whatever reason to visit this wonderful place and not to pay tribute of just to bask in its history but to take amusing pictures and run and shout. i was horrified at the way people conducted themselves in the presence of suck an historical and epic place.
its not entirley the fault of the visitors though, on the way into the field that houses the stones you are given a digital audio tour machine, its like a little custom build MP3 player with a man telling you all about supposed official history.
I can’t help but wonder if the flooding of such a site with the electronics and power inside the recorders is intentional. imagine the power you would be able to feel from such an old and important site without it being tainted by our technology and disrespectful tourists.
While looking at the Henge i failed at first to be moved and then as i found a quiet patch of the path i looked on and for a moment i imagined the thousands of years that they have stood there, looking on at the world, i remembered the story's i have heard about the place. earthquake predictions, tombs time travel devices, transportation circles and so many more ideas have developed from standing where i stood wondering why they where put there.
That’s when just for a moment in my mind, i was alone looking at an enigma that would outlast myself and even the silly little gift shop that was just a few meters away.
The stones are thought to outdate the great pyramids and be among the oldest man made (maybe) monuments on the world. i was standing in the oldest place my species has ever created. for that moment i understood how i was supposed to feel. then a loud tourist took an amusing photo of her friend acting like she was leaning against the stone (ah the joy of perspective)
I know that things can not be looked upon as sacred forever and i know that eventually the tourists will flock to anything interesting but i think the vision of stonehenge in my mind was the majestic ideal. the enigma that i barely felt and in my mind i will remember my visit as that.
Its a shame though, while i was down in the area i also took a visit to the Tor in Glastonbury and was moved far more by an old church on a hill than i was by ancient stones of mystery.
i think i enjoyed my hour at the Tor far more because there where no loud tourists or gift shops and i was able to focus on the sound in the air (and a very quiet place it is) and look at this strange ‘thing’ standing next to me on a hilltop.
both experiences where worth having and very different, i know that the thing that draws people to stonehenge is its fame more than its history. people don’t visit the Tor so much because its lacks the fame and the hill its really a long hard trek but it really it worth it as much as the henge at least.
anyway, i have things to do and a trip to reflect on. (podcast coming soon incase your wondering)
