8/21/2016

Maeshowe, Orkney's nest chambered cairn

Home
AboutOrkney
History
Tradition

Maeshowe

Folklore
Placenames
Images
Downloads
AbouttheSite
Contact
Links
SearchSite
Awards

"[Maeshowe is] one of the greatest architectural achievements

of the prehistoric peoples of Scotland".

Maeshowe
TheLayoutoftheCairn
TheEntrancePassage

heparishof
Stenness,in
Orkneys
West
Mainland,is
hometosomeofthe
countysbestknown
ancientmonuments.

TheMainChamber
TheSideChambers
Maeshoweandthe
WinterSolstice
Acoustics
Maeshowe'sMound
Dweller
TheMaeshoweRunes

Amongtheseisthe
prehistoricchambered
cairn,Maeshowe.

TheMaeshoweDragon
TreasureinMaeshowe?
Maeshowetheoriginof
thename

Thoughttodatefrom
around2700BC,
Maeshoweisoneofthe
monumentsthatmake
uptheHeartof
NeolithicOrkneyWorld
HeritageSite.

ImagesofMaeshowe
SeeAlso

Orkney'sChambered
Cairns
TheCeremonialCentre
ofOrkney
TheBarnhouseStone

Approximately500
metresfromthesouth
easternshoreofthe
Harrayloch,Maeshowe
is,byfar,thelargest
andmostimpressiveof
Orkneysmany
chamberedcairns.

Orkney'sTwoTribes
WeretheTombs
DesignedforSound?
TheOrkneyingaSaga
Runes
TheFolkloreofthe
Hogboon

Appearingasalarge
grassymound,itis
clearlyvisibleformiles
around,includingthe
nearbyStandingStones
ofStenness,the
BarnhouseSettlement
andtheWatchstone.
ArchaeologistJames
Farrerfirstexcavated
thecairnin1861,prior
towhichthemoundhad
adistinctlydifferent
shapethanithastoday.

SectionContents

ExternalLinks

StonesofWonder
MaeshowePage
VictorReijs'Maeshowe
pages

AsectionofJamesFarrer'sillustrationofMaeshoweasit
appearedin1862.TheStandingStonesofStennessand
theRingofBrodgarareinthemiddledistance.

Ascanbeseenintheillustration(right),Maeshowewasonceconical,witha
deepdepressioninthetop.Ithadadiameterofaround30m(100ft)and
stood11m(36ft)high.

Aninterestingideaproposed
inrecentyearsisthat
Maeshowealongwitha
numberofotherchambered
tombswasdesignedwith
internalacousticsinmind.
Clickhereformoredetails.

Thecairnwastakenintostatecarein1910,atwhichtimeaconcreteroof
wasaddedtothestructure.Atthesametime,theoutermoundwassculpted
togiveitispresent"rounded"dimensionsof7.3mhighanda37mdiameter.

http://www.orkneyjar.com/history/maeshowe/index.html

Evidencesuggeststhat
Maeshowemayhavereused
asaburialplaceforaViking
chieftainduringtheearlydays
oftheirsettlementinOrkney.

1/3

8/21/2016

Maeshowe, Orkney's nest chambered cairn

ANEOLITHICELITE?
Maeshowewas
builtinthe
Neolithicperiod.
Constructedona
platformof
levelledground,
likethenearby
stonecirclesof
Brodgarand
Stenness,the
monumentis
surroundedbya
ditchandraised
bank.
Archaeologicalworkinrecentyearshintsthatthecairnwasbuiltontopof
anearlierstructureperhapsanearlyNeolithichouse.
Ithasbeensuggestedthatthishousewasreplacedbyastonecirclefourof
thestonesofwhichcametobeincorporatedintoMaeshowe.
Anexcavationoutsidethechamber,in1996,ledtothediscoveryofasocket
holeonaplatformtotherearofthemound.Thisaddedweighttothetheory
thatthesitehadonehousedastonecircle.
Themassivestoneslabsusedtolinetheentrancechambermayalsohave
oncebeenpartofthisstonering.
Atthesametime,itwassuggestedthatthechamber'sencirclingditchwas
originallyintendedtobefilledwithwater.Thiswouldhavehadtheeffectof
furtherisolatingtheworldofthelivingfromthatofthedead.
Maeshoweismadeupofalargecentralchamber,withthreesidechambers
builtintothewalls.Itisaccessedbyalow,longentrancepassage(see
illustrationbelow).

Clickheretoreadmore.
Therehasbeenatrend
recentlytosplitthename
"Maeshowe"intotwodistinct
words"MaesHowe".
Thisisincorrectanddoesnot
reflectthecorrectOrcadian
pronunciationofthename
Mezz(h)oo,orMezz(h)ow.
Despitethis,itisslowly
creepingintogeneraluse.

Asismentionedinthemain
text,theOrkneyingaSaga
referstoMaeshoweas
"Orkahowe".
Thepointatwhichthe
chamberstoppedbeing
referredtoasthisandthe
name"Maeshowe"adoptedis
notclear.
A19thcenturyaccountofa
voyagethroughOrkney
matteroffactlyrefersto
Maeshoweasthe"Maiden's
Howe"atermIhadnotseen
connectedtothecairnbefore.
fthiswasnotanotherromantic
antiquarianterm,alongthe
linesoftheTemplesofthe
SunandMoon,itmayrelateto
atraditionthatlinkedthecairn
withtheyoungwomeninthe
district.
Littleisknownaboutthis,save
oneshortsentencerecorded
byhistorianandfolklorist
ErnestMarwick.
".....atonetimeeveryyoung
girlwithinamileofMaeshowe
hadtotakeakaesy(basket)
ofashestothetopofthe
moundeachfullmoon,empty
itthereandurinateonthe
ashes."
Thepurposeofthismonthly
ritualisnotknown,butgiven
thatbothashesandurineare
knowntohavebeenusedfor
divination,Isuspectthe
monthlyMaeshowevisitswere
perhapsanotherformof
peeringintothefuture.

Thecomplexityofthechamber'sarchitecture,andthegrandnessofitsscale,
hasledtotheideathatMaeshowewasbuilttodemonstratethepowerofa
"socialelite"withintheprehistorictribalsystemsofthetime.

TheMaidens'Howereference
mayalsorefertovague
traditionsofMaeshowebeing
a"trystingplace"fortheyoung
menandwomenoftheparish.

EstimatesforthelabourrequiredtobuildMaeshowehavebeenplacedat
100,000manhours,comparedto10,000hoursrequiredforitslesser
contemporaries.
This,suggestsome,showsasocietywheretheemphasishadshiftedfrom
thecommunityasawhole,tooneelevatedclass,orindividual.

THEMIDWINTERCONNECTION
PerhapsoneofMaeshowe'smostfamousattributesisitsmidwinter
alignmentsomethingitshareswiththechamberedtombofNewgrange,in
Ireland.
http://www.orkneyjar.com/history/maeshowe/index.html

2/3

8/21/2016

Maeshowe, Orkney's nest chambered cairn

Forafewdayseachyear,asthemidwintersunslipsbelowthehorizon,its
lastraysshinedirectlythroughMaeshowe'sentrancepassagetoilluminate
therearwallofthecentralchamber.
FormoreonthisworkofNeolithicengineering,clickhere.

STONERINGLINKS?
AtthenearbyStandingStonesofStenness,standtwoangularslabs,
standingsidebyside,withalargepronestonebesidethem.
Itisintriguing,althoughperhapsmerecoincidence,thatwhenviewedfrom
thecentreofthestonecircle,Maeshoweisalignedtothegapbetweenthe
two"dolmenstones".
Thiscouldindicatethatthestonesformedsomesortofsymboliclink,or
connecting"portal",betweenthechamberedcairnandthestonecircle.

VIKINGINVADERS
Duringthe1861
excavation,
Maeshowes
entrance
passagewas
inaccessible,so
anaccessshaft
wasdriven
downthrough
thetopofthe
mound.Once
inside,however,
the
archaeologists
discoveredthat
theywerenot
thefirsttobreak
intothetomb.
Runic"graffiti"foundontheinnerwallsconfirmedtheOrkneyingaSaga
accountthatseveralgroupsofNorsemenhadenteredthetombknownto
themas"Orkahaugr"inthemiddleofthe12thcenturyandrecordedtheir
presenceontheancientstone.
FormoreontheseVikinginvaders,andtheMaeshowerunes,clickhere.

http://www.orkneyjar.com/history/maeshowe/index.html

CopyrightSigurdTowrie,19962016

3/3