PHENOMENICAL ORIENTATION
OF MEGALITHS
By Constantinos Maritsas,
MA in Philosophy, kmar@abv.bg
Abstract
The paper examines the assignment of the visual
experience in the context of interrelation between human-animal and human civilized.
Civilization is defined as “the survival of the weak”. It is stressed that this
definition can be applied to man, animal and every living being. In the paper the
concept of “orientation” is not applicable to the megaliths. The ones that are
next to mountains are not so much oriented to as similar to them. The need to
create megaliths appeared in the transition from natural selection to civilization,
from human-animal to human civilized. For his own survival man gave up violent
battles, replacing them with the dance battle, during which the woman chose the
man winner. For the more authentic reproduction of fights they used stones
symbolising hunters, animals, mountains, caves, etc. Thus dolmens, cromlechs
and menhirs appeared, becoming the stage or decoration of the first theatrical
performances, where nature served as a model. The conclusion is, that the issue
of a particular orientation of megaliths is eliminated: they were built to face
the surrounding mountains, caves, animals inhabiting particular areas
(zoomorphic dolmens), etc.
Keywords: civilization, natural selection, megaliths,
orientation, imitation.
Introduction
Being the weakest and most
defenseless living creature on the planet, man at the same time has the biggest
brain. “Biological vulnerability of man appeared as the most important
prerequisite for civilization” (Fromm, 48). Likewise, a great number of animals and
plants are biologically vulnerable. 99% of living beings disappeared in
their own time (Leakey, 1996: 106). And it was man who
created civilization and still survived! How did he do it? To explain this phenomenon, I will try to present the
millennial history of mankind in a few lines.
Man
(referring primarily to male), the weak and helpless against natural forces,
was subject to destruction for two reasons: first, he was an easy prey to
predators, and, secondly, males died in the inner species battle. Consequently,
man (talking about male again) like the vast majority of species was doomed to
extinction. The only solution was to end the violent inner
species struggle for supremacy and replace it with other selection criteria.
The rejection of violent struggle – the main
reason for the disappearance of man (male) – was done completely deliberately.
The
criteria for selection are as follows: in the field of nature – adaptability,
in the area of civilization – sounds, beauty and gifts, in other words –
everything that man copied from nature. In nature, the fittest survives, in
civilization – the more melodic, more beautiful and richer.
The
denial of violent struggle led to the origin of society. A man needed something
with which to replace violent struggle, and he found this substitution in
dance, during which the woman chose the man who was the winner, guided by
criteria of civilization (sounds, colors, gifts) (Maritsas, 2006; 2007). The
first stage of transition was accompanied by the replacement of natural objects
with objects-symbols. For the mock battle between man
and beast to look real, the dancers were supposed to imitate wild animals. At
the same time, their actions had to be understood by the audience –
women, choosing the male winners who took the roles of hunters as well as
animals. To this end, men put on the skins of wild animals (bears, wolves,
deer, etc.) and bellowed, imitating them. In addition, they had to choose a
suitable place for the performance: the audience (women) needed to have a good
view of the dance; the place had to be protected from wild animals. The most
suitable places were found in the fields and meadows far from the mountains,
that is flat places with low vegetation (e.g. such as the ones in Fig.1). Thus, female viewers could watch the skirmishes,
without putting themselves at risk of attack by wild animals.
Fig. 1. The scene of the first dramatic performances:
stone constructions on meadows and glades far from woods.
|
In
reality, these fights did not take place in the fields and meadows but in the
mountains and forests. Hence, male dancers in animal skins alone and
simulated roar of wild animals were insufficient to plausibly reproduce the
fights. They needed “bear dens”, “hunting
shelters”, reproduced forests and mountains, etc. This was possible to achieve
using stones, replacing the real objects by symbolic ones, so that one stone
signified a wild animal, another – a bear’s den, still other – a
hunting shelter and the rest – forests and mountains. This was exactly how
dolmens, cromlechs, menhirs and various combinations thereof came into existence.
As
already noted, the roles of animals and hunters were performed by men, with
women as spectators. The use of animal skins in theatrical performances showed
men their other functions: protection from adverse weather conditions and the
quality to preserve heat (this was how clothes were discovered). Clothing for
dance performances was the reason why people lost hair coverage.
Megaliths and performances
Megalithic structures were
essentially the first scene of “theatrical” performances, dances-fights during
which men symbolically reproduced the processes of natural selection, demonstrated
their strength, agility and skill in order to be elected by women. This is confirmed by the fact that the dolmens, as a
rule, are not found in isolation but in different combinations, as noted above,
denoting the mountain, cave, forest, hunter, animal, etc/ In India, according
to Dr. R. Nagaswami, dolmens are found mostly grouped together (See Fig. 2).
Fig. 2. Combination of dolmens in Tamilnad (South India - Ινδία). From: http://www.tamilnation.org/ |
Most likely, the first theatrical
performances did not have a script, a director, rigid rules and a predetermined
pre-finale. This is reflected
in the Natyasastra, an Indian book on
theatrical arts, attributed to the semi-legendary sage Bharata, which notes that
the playwright, actors and audience are an indivisible whole, which will always
be unpredictable and explosive at the same time (Bharata Muni, 2005: 122).
It was only the lot of the winner
which was known and invariable: he (the man-animal or man-hunter) was obliged
to copulate with women (Fig. 3 and Fig. 4).
Fig. 3. Men-animal. |
Fig. 4. Men-hunters. |
The source of sexual excitement was
not the woman as an object of desire, but the fact of the victory over the
rival. A woman’s sexual desire and her desire to reproduce were not triggered
by the appearance and physical qualities of the winner, but by the scene of
virtual death and violence witnessed by her. In present-day conditions the dance-battle has evolved
into a love game. (Maritsas,
2007). Even today, violence continues to be a
source of excitation and accompanies the sexual intercourse. The man wants to see the defeated rival whose role is
played by the woman. As noted by D. Morris, a long look in the eyes is
observed not only in romantic situations, but also in situations of threat (Morris, 73).
Back to the subject of ancient theatrical
performances, it should be noted that spectators gradually began to identify
the actors with their roles. Animals acquired
the language and characteristics of men, and vice versa, the qualities of men
were identified with the characteristics of animals. Even today people say: as
fast as a hare, as strong as an ox, as fat as a boar, etc. The next
generations, unaware of the origins of this phenomenon, extended the
identification to the family, relations, and so up to the state.
The origins of such rituals connected with the victory of man-animal
over man-hunter can be traced in theatrical action. The audience felt that
women had to copulate with an animal, not with a man. Initially, this was
perceived literally, but the next generations turned it into a ritual. The famous
Lion of Babylon was traditionally regarded as a symbol of the power of this
ancient kingdom (Fig. 5). In my opinion, the story of this sculptured image is identical to the
well-known Greek myth of Pasiphae’s copulation with the bull (Fig. 6).
Fig. 5. The Lion of Babylon (Βαβυλώνα). |
Fig.
6. Pablo Picasso “Suite vollard”.
A woman and a lion, Pasiphae and the bull – in fact, these are
traditional couples, formed as a result of ancient theatrical performances.
The version of astronomical structures
This hypothesis, particularly popular in
recent decades, pronounces dolmens ancient
observatories. It is based on a number of
interesting observations: the situation of stars and planets, taken into
account while building dolmens, the orientation of megaliths to the astronomically
significant directions (sunrise and sunset at the time of winter and summer
solstices, vernal and autumnal equinoxes, north and south (north magnetic
line); the prevalence of solar signs among dolmens.
Some of researchers “saw” the image of the galaxy on the Korean dolmens (Fig. 7), and on the stone structures at Gobekli Tepe – a
reflection of well-known constellations (Fig. 8).
Fig. 7. Such image of a galaxy – a result of someone's imagination.
|
Fig. 8. If we connect other points (stars), then we get another picture.
|
In my view, the merit of this theory lies in its good scientific name,
but again not in its explanation. There are millions of stars in the sky, and
depending on which of them we focus on in accordance with the images in our
minds, such figures we get as a result.
Since in most cases these are anthropomorphic or zoomorphic images, then
naturally individual dolmens, or their combinations are quite comparable with
them. As we remember, it was namely people, animals, mountains, etc. that the
stones in the ancient theater symbolized.
Scientists, who do not support this hypothesis, note the absence of a
canonical, unified location (the studies of the dolmens of West Caucasus showed
that in 333 out of 644 dolmens the portal faced South, in 93 – Southeast, in 21
– South-West, in 152 – East , in 20 – West, in 7 – North, in 13 – North-East
and in 5 – North-West) (Марковин, 1978).
Data for the different groups of dolmens in Bulgaria also show a great
diversity in their orientation (Fig. 9 and Fig. 10). Thus, the majority of dolmens
in Sakar and Strandzha face south and south-west. Dolmens in the eastern
Rhodopes have a more uniform distribution of orientation: roughly the same
number face all directions.
Fig. 10. The histogram of dolmens’ orientation. |
The Fig. 10
shows the orientation of the majority of dolmens on the tops of nearby
mountains (Марицас, Цонев, 2009: 72–74).
Megaliths – imitation of environment
In my opinion, the concept of
“orientation” is not applicable to the megaliths. The ones that are next to mountains are not so much oriented to as similar to them. This leads us to believe that it is the
mountains that served as examples for the construction of dolmen structures. This is what prominent British art
historian and critic Waldemar
Januszczak stressed upon in his film “The Sculpture Diaries, 2008” . Fragments of the film (Fig. 11a, b, c.) and one of the views of Machu Picchu
Fig. 11. Machu Picchu (Περού). The shots from the film. Waldemar Januszczak, «Sculptural diaries» (2008). |
Korean
mounds (bulk structures of
stone or earth) are similar to the nearby
mountains (Fig.
12).
Fig. 12. Korean mounds (Κορέα). From: http://home.tiscali.nl/ |
So, I come to the conclusion that the issue of a particular orientation
of megaliths is eliminated: they were built to face the surrounding mountains,
caves, animals inhabiting particular areas (zoomorphic dolmens), etc. We should
bear in mind that different combinations of megaliths used in theatrical
performances, contained stones marking people, animals, mountains, caves, etc.
Illustration of the conception “imitation”
So let us consider the pictures provided in tables and grouped, in my
view, in accordance with the images represented by the different stone
structures. In addition, I have shown some correspondences of megaliths and
those phenomena that have occurred from them.
Zoomorphic
megaliths
The bear (Table
1) was one of the main
characters of ancient theatrical performances.
Compare
the pictures of a bear and stone structures.
Bear and Kilclooney Dolmen (Ireland / Ιρλανδία). From: http://static.panoramio.com.
And an example of a Korean (Κορέα) dolmen. From: http://knol.google.com
Table 1. Dolmens resembling a
bear.
Bull/Bison (Table
2) is yet another character
of ancient theatrical performances.
Compare photos of
animals and objects made of stone.
Herd of bisons. |
Dolmens in Gochang (South Korea).
And Hwasun Dolmen (South Korea) - στην Κορέα.
|
It reminds herd of bisons.
Table 2. Dolmens resembling a bull.
Anthropomorphic megaliths
and
megaliths imitating caves
and hunters’ shelters
Some
megaliths reproduce a human figure, as well as those structures (caves,
shelters), which man created first in real life, and then in the dance-battle
in order to achieve greater authenticity (Table 3).
Hunters’ shelters and caves
Dolmen in Spain / Ισπανία. |
Corsican dolmen (France) - Κορσική, Γαλλία. |
Sa Caveccada Dolmen in Sardinia (Σαρδηνία, Ιταλία). From: http://static.panoramio.com |
Dolmen in Ireland / Ιρλανδία. |
Taula, Menorca (Spain / Ισπανία). A man. |
Menhirs in Gobekli-Tepe (Τουρκία). Hunters. |
Table
3. Anthropomorphic
megaliths and megaliths imitating caves and hunters’ shelters.
Mountains
We should therefore separately identify those megaliths, which reproduce natural
objects near the places where ancient theatrical performances took place. In most cases
these are mountains (Table 4).
Dolmen in England / Αγγλία. |
Kyongju Dolmen (South Korea) / Κορέα. |
Cairn in Colorado (USA) / ΗΠΑ. |
Zhukrimri Dolmen (South Korea) - Κορέα. |
Tumulus (Golan, Israel) - Ισραήλ. |
Dolmen near Douarnenez (France) - Γαλλία. |
Table 5. Mountains.
Combinations of different
types of megaliths
The
most interesting and spectacular are the combinations of megaliths, bringing
together people, animals, mountains, caves and other facilities necessary when
performing theatrical actions (Table 6.).
Kilclooney Dolmen (Ireland) - Ιρλανδία.
|
Dolmens in the Golan Heights (Israel) - Ισραήλ. |
Poulnabrone dolmens (Burren, Ireland) - Ιρλανδία. |
Table 7. Combinations of different types of megaliths.
Conclusion
In my concept, I
proceed from the fact that there is no fundamental difference between man and
animals. Man, due to the peculiarities of his brain, moved first from nature to
civilization, replacing the criteria of natural selection by civilizational
criteria. This prompted him to create a new
visual reality, imitating nature for women with the purpose of reproduction.
Many animals and
birds also followed the same line.
Megaliths, being the first creation of civilized man,
were already being created at the dawn of civilization (more than a hundred
thousand years ago). The need to create megaliths appeared in the transition from
human-animal to civilized man. For his own survival man gave up violent
battles, replacing them with the dance battle, during which the woman chose the
man winner. For the more authentic reproduction of fights they used stones
symbolising hunters, animals, mountains, caves, etc. Thus dolmens, cromlechs
and menhirs appeared, becoming the stage or decoration of the first theatrical performances, where nature served as a
model.
So, I come to the conclusion that the issue of a
particular orientation of megaliths is eliminated: they were built to face the
surrounding mountains, caves, animals inhabiting particular areas (zoomorphic
dolmens), etc.
References
1. Бхарата Муни (2005), Натяшастра, trans. Славчо
Маленов, София: Национална академия за театрално и филмово изкуство Кръстьо
Сарафов.
2. Fromm E., Ο φόβος μπροστά στην ελευθερία, Αθήνα, Μπουκουμάνη.
3. Leakey R. (1996), Η απαρχή του ανθρώπινου είδους, Αθήνα, Κάτοπτρο.
4. Morris D. J., Ανθρωποπαρατήρηση – Η ανθρώπινη συμπεριφορά, Αθήνα, Αρσενίδη.
5. Maritsas K. (2003), Πολιτισμός και φυσική επιλογή, Αθήνα,
Αρσενίδης.
6. Maritsas K. (2007) Μαρίτσας Κ., Πολιτισμός και φυσική επιλογή 2, София,
7. Марицас К. / Цонев Л. (2009), Мегалитите на Балканите, София,
Университетско издателство «Св. Климент Охридски».
8. Марковин В. И. (1978), Дольмены
Западного Кавказа, М.
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