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Megalithic art studies by J. Streit

He writes about crosses, starting with symbols of megalithic buildings and passage mounds/cairns, through the celtic era and ending at the Christian stone crosses.
In this book some ideas about symbolism of megalithic art is discussed (primarily using the symbols found in Cairn T at Loughcrew, Newgrange and Knowth).

Interesting issues

In interesting activity: 'fire drilling'. This would have been done at stones where the cup marks are on the vertical face. Cup marks on the horizon phase were for offerings, etc.

Symbols and motifs

The following symbols are discussed in the book:

(static) sun

rain

rain, lighting

steps to climb to a higher maturity

readiness to become a spiritual receptacle

sun's dynamic path in a year

Newgrange Lintel

three (or two) dates in year cycle

falling asleep, excarnation, breathing out

awaking, incarnation and breathing in

summer sun

winter sun

eight stages of the sun

sun (light/energy) emerging from cosmos

earth (man) is raising itself up towards the cosmos

sun moving from east to west

direction of the sunrise on the horizon

sun-moon symbol

Stone forms

A wedge form pointing to sky

"gives an answer from below to the impact of the wedges from the cosmos. In prayer, worship and gratitude and raises himself towards the heights."

A wedge form pointing into earth:

"expression and an image of those forces which descend from the cosmos to influence the earth; the ripening rays of the sun, the lighting flash that fertilizes the earth, the rays of the moon and stars, the falling rain and dew."

Questions to author

Newgrange guide in 1966 pointed out lozenges that were lighted on winter sosltioce. Which lozenges are this? On L19?
From which reference is the picture of the eight stages coming? It is different than the actual art (O'Kelly [1981]).
A few referances are made to trials in Frence councils (around 452, 577, 658, 681 and 789 CE) concerning 'secret cults at the stones stone', 'fire drilling' and 'stone fires'. Where can I get copies of these documents?

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Major content related changes: January 8, 1997