Quern

A quern stone (a round stone with a flattened top and bottom, used for grinding corn) had been resting on a trough in the garden ever since I came. It is the best-preserved relic of the old settlement. One night I brought it indoors and sat with it for a while. This is what it 'said':

We left because our culture was decaying, because many were leaving to the great places across the water. Our men wished to leave. They wanted the power and the glory of the great places with the stones. We were not happy to go.

Yes, it was difficult here, and getting more so, and there was much to be done. Over there we could see that we would be lost in that great world, a world of men. Here we were still strong, but the men would have it so and so we left.

A group of us women performed the ceremony here to guard the circle. I was the last to leave. We did it at twilight on the night before we were due to leave.

The men were in the main hut, although they joined us before going. There was much to do, much equipment to gather to load in the boats down in the cove. We used carts.

It was very sad to leave this place, but we women had no choice, our arguments were not sufficiently strong. We said this was a place of power. Why leave it and go where we would be among many?

They said that it would be harder to stay here. There were too many outside influences now, and many also wished to leave.

We women felt something was dying that should not die, but we could not argue. What they said was true.

The day we left, several of the women kept a vigil at the place, those who were strongest against going - there were three of them. I joined them only to drag them away.

The fogou looked beautiful, many flowers and reeds and gifts. Yes there were offerings in pots, urns, and a beautiful vase containing sacred meat and bones and herbs. There was also fine jewellery - an amulet of bronze, delicately carved. Filga left that. She felt strongest about the place and not wanting to leave it. She left it at the last moment.

There was also the priest who agreed with us in a way, but also agreed with the men that we should go. The men just wanted to go, the decision having been made.

The night before we left, as I said, there was last minute packing of tools and small items. Large items like the livestock oxen were sold. We could not take them. We took gold for them from our neighbours.

We women also participated that night, but later gathered to do our ceremony. We gathered in the fogou and prayed to the earth mother to keep the place, the circle, sacred. Then we went outside and gathered in the centre of the circle, chanting. Then we walked slowly around the whole circle calling to the spirits, touching the stones, and weeping.

There were many presences with us. It was the last of the times when we would be together, us and the spirits of this place who knew and understood each other so well. We walked around. I talked to the plants and the trees. We sang to the birds. It was like a wake. Much crying and saying of goodbyes.

We asked for remembrance to stay here. We asked that all the stones, plants, animals, water, and all the 'elementals' and spirits remember the place and keep it sacred from outside intruders. To keep the circle and repel invaders, those who would not be part of the Great Mother, or who had forgotten Her. They would work on the people who might come here to test them to see if they were living in truth with themselves and with the Mother. They would be very busy. They thought this was a good task.

And so we left it so.

My name was not Rhia. It was Gaila. I worked the quern. You may call on me again if you wish.

From "Fogou - A Journey into the Underworld", by Jo May, published by Gothic Image.

Back to Articles