Menhir

A menhir (/ˈmɛnhɪər/;[1] from Brittonic languages: maen or men, "stone" and hir or hîr, "long"[2]), standing stone, orthostat, or lith is a large upright stone, emplaced in the ground by humans, typically dating from the European middle Bronze Age. They can be found individually as monoliths, or as part of a group of similar stones. Menhirs' size can vary considerably, but they often taper toward the top.

Menhirs are found across Europe, Africa, and Asia, with a concentration in Western Europe, notably in Ireland, Great Britain, and Brittany. Theories concerning their purpose remain speculative, with hypotheses ranging from druidic rituals to territorial markers or elements of an ideological system. Some menhirs feature engravings, including anthropomorphic figures and symbols, and are often associated with ancient religious ceremonies and burial chambers.

## Contents

* 1 Etymology
* 2 History
* 3 Geographical distribution
* 4 In popular culture
* 5 See also
* 6 Notes
* 7 Further reading
* 8 External links

## Etymology

The word menhir was adopted from French by 19th-century archaeologists. The introduction of the word into general archaeological usage has been attributed to the 18th-century French military officer Théophile Corret de la Tour d'Auvergne.[3] It is a combination of two words of the Breton language: maen and hir. In modern Welsh, they are described as maen hir, or "long stone". In modern Breton, the word peulvan is used, with peul meaning "stake" or "post" and van which is a soft mutation of the word maen which means "stone". In Germany and Scandinavia the word Bauta is used (German: Bautastein; Norwegian: bautastein) and this occasionally makes its way into English with the term "bauta stone".

The Géant du Manio, a menhir in Carnac, Brittany

## History

Almost nothing is known of the social organization or religious beliefs of the people who erected the menhirs. Their language is also unknown. It is known, however, that they buried their dead and had the skills to grow crops, farm and make pottery, stone tools and jewelry. Identifying the purpose or use of menhirs remains speculative. Until recently, standing stones were associated with the Beaker people, who inhabited Europe during the European late Neolithic and early Bronze Age[4]—later third millennium BC, c. 2800–1800 BC. However, recent research into the age of megaliths in Brittany strongly suggests a far older origin, perhaps back to six to seven thousand years ago.[5]

During the European Middle Ages, standing stones were believed to have been built by the giants who lived before the biblical flood. Many of the megaliths were destroyed or defaced by early Christians; it is estimated that some 50,000 megaliths once stood in Northern Europe, where almost 10,000 now remain.[6] Menhirs have also been found in many other parts of the world.

Many menhirs are engraved with megalithic art, some with anthropomorphic features. Other common carvings are identified as images of stone axes, ploughs, shepherds' crooks, and yokes; and are named after these motifs. However, these identifications are not secure except for those of the stone axe images, and the names used to describe them are largely a matter of convenience. Some menhirs were broken up and incorporated into later passage graves, where they had new megalithic art carved with little regard for the previous pictures. It is not known if this re-use was deliberate or if the passage grave builders just saw menhirs as a convenient source of stone.[7]

Where menhirs appear in groups, often in a circular, oval, henge, or horseshoe formation, they are sometimes called megalithic monuments. These are sites of ancient religious ceremonies, sometimes containing burial chambers.[8] The exact function of menhirs has provoked more debate than practically any other issue in European prehistory. Over the centuries, they have variously been thought to have been used by druids for human sacrifice, used as territorial markers, or elements of a complex ideological system, used as mnemonic systems for oral cultures,[9] or functioning as early calendars.[10] Until the nineteenth century, antiquarians did not have substantial knowledge of prehistory, and their only reference points were provided by classical literature. The developments of radiocarbon dating and dendrochronology have significantly advanced scientific knowledge in this area.

## Geographical distribution

Main article: Unsolved:List of menhirs

Menhirs are widely distributed across Europe, Africa, and Asia, but are most numerous in Western Europe; particularly in Ireland, Great Britain, and Brittany, where there are about 50,000 examples,[11] and northwestern France, where there are some 1,200 further examples.[12] Standing stones are usually difficult to date. They were constructed during many different periods across prehistory as part of the larger megalithic cultures in Europe and near areas. Some menhirs stand next to buildings that have an early or current religious significance. One example is the South Zeal Menhir in Devon, which formed the basis for a 12th-century monastery built by lay monks. The monastery later became the Oxenham Arms hotel, at South Zeal, and the standing stone remains in place in the snug bar at the hotel.[13][14]

It is believed that practitioners of megalithic religions travelled via the sea, as the mass majority of menhirs are located on coasts, islands, and peninsulas.[15]

## In popular culture

The French comic book series Asterix features the character Obelix, who is known for carrying menhirs, as a sculptor and deliveryman.[16]

## See also

* Unsolved:Baetyl
* Astronomy:Carnac stones
* Religion:Ceremonial pole - Stake or post used in ritual practice
* Cromlech - Ring of standing stones
* Unsolved:Deer stone - Megalith
* Unsolved:Dolmen
* Earth:Gowk stane - Standing stones and glacial erratics in Scotland
* Religion:High place - 1st-millennium BCE Canaanite shrine
* Unsolved:Inuksuk
* Earth:Kigilyakh
* Unsolved:Ley line - Straight alignments between historic structures and landmarks
* Unsolved:List of largest monoliths - None
* Unsolved:Megalith
* Software:Moai - Free game development engine
* Unsolved:Nature worship - Worship of the nature spirits
* Engineering:Obelisk
* Engineering:Orthostates - Man-made large stone slabs set in upright position
* Unsolved:Matzevah - Sacred pillar (in the Bible) or Jewish headstone. Also matzeva/mazzeva/maseba/masseba/massebah.
* Unsolved:Statue menhir - Standing stone carved into a human shape
* Stele
* Unsolved:Stone circle - Ring of standing stones
* Unsolved:Stone row - Linear row of standing stones. Also stone alignment.
* Astronomy:Stone ship - Stones set in the shape of a boat in north European burials. Also ship setting.

## Notes

1. ↑ menhir (3rd ed.), Oxford University Press, September 2005, http://oed.com/search?searchType=dictionary&q=menhir, retrieved 2023-09-25 (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
2. ↑ Anon. "Menhir". The Free Dictionary. Farlex, Inc.. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/menhir.
3. ↑ Landru, Philippe (2008-08-23). "La Tour d'Auvergne (Théophile Malo Corret de la Tour d'Auvergne : 1743–1800)". https://www.landrucimetieres.fr/spip/spip.php?article1598.
4. ↑ De Breffny, Brian (1983). Ireland: A Cultural Encyclopedia. London: Thames and Hudson. p. 229.
5. ↑ Aviva, Elyn; White, Gary (October 1998). "Mysterious Megaliths: The Standing Stones of Carnac, Brittany, France". World and I 13.
6. ↑ Olsen, Brad (February 2004). "Carbnac". Sacred Places Around the World: 108 Destinations By Brad Olsen. Consortium of Collective Consciousness. p. 232. ISBN 1-888729-10-4. https://books.google.com/books?id=7FS40w2nrqQC&q=menhirs+destroyed+by+christians&pg=PA232. Retrieved 21 February 2010.
7. ↑ Le Roux, C. T. (1992). "The Art of Gavrinis Presented in its Armorican Context and in Comparison with Ireland". Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 122: 79–108.
8. ↑ Roberts, Chris (2006). Heavy Words Lightly Thrown: The Reason Behind Rhyme. Thorndike Press. ISBN 0-7862-8517-6.
9. ↑ Kelly, Lynne (2015). Knowledge and Power in Prehistoric Societies: Orality, Memory, and the Transmission of Culture. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1107059375. OCLC 910935575.
10. ↑ Patton, Mark. (1993). Statements in Stone: Monuments and Society in Neolithic Brittany. New York: Routledge. p. 4.
11. ↑ Greene, Janice (2006). Strange But True Stories. Saddleback Pub. ISBN 1-59905-010-2. https://books.google.com/books?id=8Nic-eFE2LAC&q="50,000+megaliths"&pg=PA43. Retrieved 25 August 2011.
12. ↑ Oliphant, Margaret (1992). The Atlas Of The Ancient World. p. 81.
13. ↑ "Oxenham Arms—Standing Stone (Menhir)". https://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=8401.
14. ↑ "Dartmoor Site: The Oxenham Arms standing stones". http://www.dartmoorwalks.org.uk/site/oxenham.php.
15. ↑ Carrington, Dorothy (2015) (in en). Granite Island: Portrait of Corsica. Penguin UK. ISBN 978-0-14-191819-8. https://books.google.com/books?id=T15aBgAAQBAJ. Retrieved 26 December 2020.
16. ↑ "Reach for the sky with Astérix". 17 October 2023. https://www.thetimes.com/travel/destinations/europe-travel/france/paris/reach-for-the-sky-with-asterix-mnhg2dxsnwz.

## Further reading

* Mohen, Jean-Pierre (2000). Standing Stones: Stonehenge, Carnac and the World of Megaliths. New Horizons series. London: Thames & Hudson. ISBN 0-500-30090-9.

## External links

* "The mystery of France's 'Stonehenge'". 20 September 2022. https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20220914-carnac-alignments-brittanys-mysterious-standing-stones.
* Rows of menhirs in Russia, South Ural
* List of menhirs and their related stories in Czech Republic
* Ancient Europe Placemarks Google Earth file downloads.

* v
* t
* e

Neolithic Europe (including the Chalcolithic)

↑ Mesolithic Europe ↑

Horizons|

* Cardium pottery
* Corded Ware culture
* First Temperate Neolithic
* Linear Pottery culture (LBK)

Cultures|

* Baden
* Beaker
* Boian
* Butmir
* Cernavodă
* Cerny
* Chasséen
* Cortaillod
* Coțofeni
* Cucuteni–Trypillia
* Decea Mureşului
* Dudești
* Funnelbeaker
* Gaudo
* Globular Amphora
* Gorneşti
* Gumelnița–Karanovo
* Hamangia
* Horgen
* Kakanj
* Karanovo
* Lengyel
* Narva
* Petreşti
* Pit–Comb Ware
* Pitted Ware
* Pfyn
* Rössen
* Seine–Oise–Marne
* Sesklo
* Sredny Stog
* Starčevo–Kőrös–Criș

* Starčevo
* Körös
* Criş

* Tisza
* Tiszapolgár
* Varna
* Vinča
* Vučedol
* Wartberg
* Windmill Hill

Monumental
architecture|

* Bank barrow
* Causewayed enclosure
* Cist
* Cursus
* Dolmen
* Great dolmen
* Guardian stones
* Henge
* Long barrow
* Megalith
* Megalithic entrance
* Menhir
* Passage grave
* Polygonal dolmen
* Rectangular dolmen
* Rondel
* Round barrow
* Simple dolmen
* Statue menhir
* Stone circle
* Stone row
* Timber circle
* Tor enclosure
* Unchambered long barrow

Technology|

* Grooved ware
* Lithic industries
* Metallurgy
* Neolithic long house
* Unstan ware

Concepts|

* Danubian culture
* Secondary products revolution
* Old Europe
* Proto-Indo-Europeans

↓ Bronze Age Europe ↓

* v
* t
* e

European megaliths

Armenia|

* Metsamor
* Zorats Karer

Azerbaijan|

* Gobustan Rocks

Bulgaria|

* Beglik Tash
* Garlo

France|

* Barnenez
* Tumulus of Bougon
* Caixa de Rotllan
* Carnac
* Menhir de Champ-Dolent
* Dolmen de Bagneux
* Broken Menhir of Er Grah
* Dolmen de Mané-Kerioned
* Filitosa
* Gallardet Dolmen
* Gavrinis
* Harrespil
* Kerzerho
* Locmariaquer megaliths
* Mane Braz
* Paddaghju
* Peyre-Brune
* Tremeca
* Verziau of Gargantua

Germany|

* Altendorf
* Denghoog
* Fraubillen cross
* Harhoog
* Lancken-Granitz dolmens
* Lohra
* Megaliths in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
* Niedertiefenbach
* Oldendorfer Totenstatt
* Riesenstein
* Route of Megalithic Culture
* Sieben Steinhäuser
* Wotanstein
* Züschen

Guernsey|

* Castel Menhir
* Le Creux ès Faïes
* Déhus Dolmen
* Les Fouillages
* La Gran'mère du Chimquière
* Le Trépied
* La Varde

Ireland|

* Ardgroom
* Beltany stone circle
* Bohonagh
* Brownshill Dolmen
* Brú na Bóinne
* Carrigagulla
* Carrowmore
* Castlestrange stone
* Creevykeel Court Tomb
* Drombeg
* Gaulstown Portal Tomb
* Glantane East
* Grange stone circle
* High cross
* Knocknakilla
* Meehambee Dolmen
* Piper's Stones
* Poulnabrone dolmen
* Reask
* Templebryan Stone Circle
* Turoe stone
* Uragh Stone Circle

Jersey|

* Jersey Dolmens
* La Hougue Bie

Malta|

* Megalithic Temples (Borġ l-Imramma
* Borġ in-Nadur
* Buġibba
* Debdieba
* Ġgantija
* Ħaġar Qim
* Ħal Ġinwi
* Kordin
* Mnajdra
* Qortin l-Imdawwar
* Santa Verna
* Skorba
* Ta' Ħaġrat
* Ta' Marżiena
* Ta' Raddiena
* Tal-Qadi
* Tarxien
* Tas-Silġ
* Xemxija
* Xrobb l-Għaġin)
* Hypogeum of Ħal-Saflieni
* Xagħra Stone Circle

Netherlands|

* Hunebed

Poland|

* Brąchnówko
* Grzybnica
* Odry
* Węsiory

Portugal|

* Almendres Cromlech
* Anta de Adrenunes
* Anta de Agualva
* Anta do Alto da Toupeira‎
* Antas do Barrocal
* Anta de Carcavelos
* Anta da Estria
* Antas da Valeira
* Anta do Monte Abraão
* Antas do Olival da Pêga
* Anta da Pedra dos Mouros
* Anta das Pedras Grandes
* Anta da Vidigueira
* Anta Grande do Zambujeiro
* Barreira Megalithic Complex
* Cunha Baixa Dolmen
* Dolmen of Carapito I
* Great Dolmen of Comenda da Igreja
* Menhir of Outeiro
* Menhir of Bulhoa
* Vale Maria do Meio Cromlech
* Xerez Cromlech

Russia|

* Dolmens of North Caucasus
* Thunder Stone
* Megaliths in the Urals
* Russian Geoglyph

Scandinavia|

* Picture stones
* Runestones
* Stone circles
* Stone ships

Spain|

* Antequera Dolmens Site
* La chabola de la Hechicera
* Cova d'en Daina
* Dolmen de Axeitos
* Dolmen of Guadalperal
* Dolmen of Menga
* Dolmen de la Pastora
* Dolmen del prado de Lácara
* Dolmen de Viera
* Son Matge

Ukraine|

* Boundary Stones

United Kingdom|

England:

* Arbor Low
* Avebury
* Barbrook One
* Birkrigg
* Boscawen-Un
* Boskednan
* Brown Willy Cairns
* The Bull Ring
* Burnmoor stone circles
* Castlerigg
* Craddock Moor
* Devil's Arrows
* Doll Tor
* Drizzlecombe
* Duloe
* Fernacre
* Gardom's Edge
* Goodaver
* Grey Wethers
* Hoarstones
* Hordron Edge
* Hurlers
* Leper Stone
* Long Meg and Her Daughters
* Mên-an-Tol
* The Merry Maidens
* Mitchell's Fold
* Nine Ladies
* Nine Stones, Altarnun
* Pipers
* Rollright
* Rudston Monolith
* Scorhill
* Stannon
* Stanton Drew
* Stonehenge
* Stripple
* Swinside
* Trethevy Quoit
* Trippet

Northern Ireland:

* Aughlish
* Ballynoe
* Beaghmore
* Corick
* Drumskinny
* Legananny
* Giant's Ring

Scotland:

* Balquhain
* Callanish
* I
* II
* III
* IV
* VIII
* X
* Carlin
* Cat Stane
* Clach an Trushal
* Colmeallie
* Drybridge
* Easter Aquhorthies
* Lochmaben Stone
* Pictish
* Ring of Brodgar
* Sheldon
* Stenness
* Steinacleit
* Strichen
* Yonder Bognie

Wales:

* Barclodiad y Gawres
* Bedd Arthur
* Bedd Taliesin
* Bodowyr
* Bryn Cader Faner
* Bryn Celli Ddu
* Bryn Gwyn stones
* Capel Garmon
* Carreg Coetan Arthur
* Carreg Samson
* Coetan Arthur
* Foel Chwern
* Llanfechell
* Lligwy Burial Chamber
* Maen Llia
* Maen Madoc
* Meini Hirion
* Moel Tŷ Uchaf
* Parc Cwm long cairn
* Penrhos Feilw
* Pentre Ifan
* St Lythans burial chamber
* Trefignath
* Tinkinswood
* Tŷ Newydd Burial Chamber
* Whetstones

General articles|

* Standing stone
* Dolmen
* Henge
* Menhir
* Stone circle
* Stone row
* Concentric stone circle
* Recumbent stone circle
* Chambered cairn
* Harrespil
* Photographs of stone circles
* Middle Eastern megaliths

* v
* t
* e

Prehistoric technology

* Prehistory
* Timeline
* Outline
* Stone Age
* Subdivisions
* New Stone Age
* Technology
* history
* Glossary

Tools

| Farming|

* Neolithic Revolution
* Founder crops
* New World crops
* Ard / plough
* Celt
* Digging stick
* Domestication
* Goad
* Irrigation
* Secondary products
* Sickle
* Terracing

|

Food processing
(Paleolithic diet)|

* Fire
* Basket
* Cooking
* Earth oven
* Granaries
* Grinding slab
* Ground stone
* Hearth
* Aşıklı Höyük
* Qesem cave
* Manos
* Metate
* Mortar and pestle
* Pottery
* Quern-stone
* Storage pits

Hunting|

* Arrow
* Boomerang
* throwing stick
* Bow and arrow
* history
* Nets
* Spear
* spear-thrower
* baton
* harpoon
* Schöningen
* woomera

Projectile points|

* Arrowhead
* Transverse
* Bare Island
* Cascade
* Clovis
* Cresswell
* Cumberland
* Eden
* Folsom
* Lamoka
* Manis Mastodon
* Plano

Systems|

* Game drive system
* Buffalo jump

Toolmaking|

* Earliest toolmaking
* Oldowan
* Acheulean
* Mousterian
* Aurignacian
* Clovis culture
* Cupstone
* Fire hardening
* Gravettian culture
* Hafting
* Hand axe
* Grooves
* Langdale axe industry
* Levallois technique
* Lithic core
* Lithic reduction
* analysis
* debitage
* flake
* Lithic technology
* Magdalenian culture
* Metallurgy
* Microblade technology
* Mining
* Prepared-core technique
* Solutrean industry
* Striking platform
* Tool stone
* Uniface
* Yubetsu technique

Other tools|

* Adze
* Awl
* bone
* Axe
* Bannerstone
* Blade
* prismatic
* Bone tool
* Bow drill
* Burin
* Canoe
* Oar
* Pesse canoe
* Chopper
* tool
* Cleaver
* Denticulate tool
* Fire plough
* Fire-saw
* Hammerstone
* Knife
* Microlith
* Quern-stone
* Racloir
* Rope
* Scraper
* side
* Stone tool
* Tally stick
* Weapons
* Wheel
* illustration

Architecture

| Ceremonial|

* Kiva
* Pyramid
* Standing stones
* megalith
* row
* Stonehenge

|

Dwellings|

* Neolithic architecture
* long house
* British megalith architecture
* Nordic megalith architecture
* Burdei
* Cave
* Cliff dwelling
* Dugout
* Hut
* Quiggly hole
* Jacal
* Longhouse
* Mudbrick
* Mehrgarh
* Pit-house
* Pueblitos
* Pueblo
* Rock shelter
* Blombos Cave
* Abri de la Madeleine
* Sibudu Cave
* Roundhouse
* Stilt house
* Alp pile dwellings
* Stone roof
* Wattle and daub

Water management|

* Check dam
* Cistern
* Flush toilet
* Reservoir
* Well

Other architecture|

* Archaeological features
* Broch
* Burnt mound
* fulacht fiadh
* Causewayed enclosure
* Tor enclosure
* Circular enclosure
* Goseck
* Cursus
* Henge
* Thornborough
* Megalithic architectural elements
* Midden
* Oldest extant buildings
* Timber circle
* Timber trackway
* Sweet Track

Arts and culture

| Material goods|

* Baskets
* Beadwork
* Beds
* Chalcolithic
* Clothing/textiles
* timeline
* Cosmetics
* Glue
* Hides
* shoes
* Ötzi
* Jewelry
* amber use
* Mirrors
* Pottery
* Cardium
* Cord-marked
* Grooved ware
* Jōmon
* Linear
* Unstan ware
* Sewing needle
* Weaving
* Wine
* winery
* wine press

|

Prehistoric art|

* Art of the Upper Paleolithic
* Art of the Middle Paleolithic
* Blombos Cave
* List of Stone Age art
* Bird stone
* Cairn
* Carved stone balls
* Cave paintings
* Cup and ring mark
* Geoglyph
* Hill figure
* Golden hats
* Guardian stones
* Gwion Gwion rock paintings
* painting
* pigment
* Megalithic art
* Petroform
* Petroglyph
* Petrosomatoglyph
* Pictogram
* Rock art
* Rock cupule
* Stone carving
* Sculpture
* Statue menhir
* Stone circle
* list
* British Isles and Brittany
* Venus figurine

Prehistoric music|

* Evolutionary musicology
* music archaeology
* Alligator drum
* Paleolithic flute
* Divje Babe flute
* Gudi

Prehistoric religion|

* Evolutionary origin of religion
* Paleolithic religion
* Spiritual drug use

Burial|

* Burial mounds
* Bowl barrow
* Round barrow
* Mound Builders culture
* U.S. sites
* Chamber tomb
* Cotswold-Severn
* Cist
* Dartmoor kistvaens
* Clava cairn
* Court cairn
* Cremation
* Dolmen
* Great dolmen
* Funeral pyre
* Gallery grave
* transepted
* wedge-shaped
* Grave goods
* Jar burial
* Kuyavian long barrows
* Long barrow
* unchambered
* Grønsalen
* Megalithic tomb
* Mummy
* Passage grave
* Rectangular dolmen
* Ring cairn
* Simple dolmen
* Stone box grave
* Tor cairn
* Unchambered long cairn

Other cultural|

* Archaeoastronomy
* sites
* lunar calendar
* Behavioral modernity
* Origin of language
* Prehistoric counting
* Prehistoric medicine
* trepanning
* Prehistoric warfare
* Symbols
* symbolism

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