jmm@bonnie.UUCP (Joe Mcghee) (12/10/84)
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! "The Stars and the Stones" is the title of a newly published book (1983 Thames & Hudson) by Martin Brennan who was born in New York City of Irish parents and trained at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. The book is a profusely and beatifully illustrated study of ancient megalithic structures at Newgrange (Bru na Boinne in Irish), Ireland. The place takes its name from the megalithic structures located there, known from ancient times as "Bru" (the dwelling place of the gods) and the river Boinne (anglicized to Boyne) which passes thru the place. The first recorded inhabitants of this place were the Tuatha De Danann, a tribe of people reputed to have magical powers and also referred to as the "Lords of Light". Of all the legendary members of this tribe the most important was the Dagda or father-god. One of the most outstanding scholars of Irish history, T. F. O'Rahilly, identifies the Dagda as the god of the sun. These details are important because the megalithic buildings of Newgrange or Bru na Boinne are also solar, lunar and stellar observatories. Long ago archaeologists made up their minds that the megalithic buildings of Bru na Boinne were "passage graves" or elongated burial chambers. It had often been reported that these buildings had astronomical alignments, but the archaeologists had always dismissed these reports as idle dreaming and had never bothered to check for the reported alignments. Martin Brennan has invested a great deal of time and effort with others to check the astronomical significance of Bru na Boinne and his efforts have paid off, because he found that the buildings are aligned to the sun, the moon on the major Celtic holidays and important stars were also found to have alignments with these buildings. These buildings are not mere copies of Stonehenge but show a unique method of alignment which is in some ways more sophisticated than the structures of Stonehenge and certainly demonstrate an independent mastering of the practical aspects of astronomy. To fully appreciate Martin Brennan's discoveries I suggest that you read "The Stars and the Stones". bonnie!jmm J. M. McGhee