English cosmogonic myths

Stonehenge

The fascinating myths about Stonehenge to be covered are related to the following:

Face theory: Terrence Meaden is an archaeologist who claims to have seen a face carved into one of the sarsen or druid stones (large sandstones blocks). He firmly believes that this face could belong to the patron of the monument or even its architect. According to his beliefs, the designer of the Stonehenge has been looking at us for four thousand years and we haven’t seen him or at least, not the majority.

Aliens: Colin Andrews, a crop circle researcher, says to have found a symbol carved into one of the blue stones, which looks like one of the crop circles that have appeared in fields near the druid stones. Extra-terrestrials, have been one of the most popular explanations to the Stonehenge.

Cures: In the course of years, lost of people have affirmed that Stonehenge holds healing powers. They say that if you sit underneath the stones, while water is being poured over them, your wounds should be washed away.

Devil: The tale of the Devil is the tory starts off with an old Irish woman who displayed beautiful stones in her backyard. 

These stones caught the eye of the Devil one day and he came up with a plan to get them. He dressed up as a charming chap in a suit and asked the old lady if she would like to sell her stone structure. At first, she said no, but the schrewd Devil pulled out a load of gold, and then she agreed to sell her stones. Of course, when the Devil took the stones, he kept the gold as well. The Devil then moved them all the way to Salisbury Plain. He was so proud of these stones that he started making bets that no one would ever come close to guessing exactly how many stones his structure contained. A priest overheard the Devil's bragging and boasting, and was irritated by it. So, the priest talked to the Devil and said, "I can guess how many stones you have." The Devil laughed and said, "Try." For his misfortune, the priest guessed exactly right. The Devil was so furious, he picked up one of the stones and threw it at the priest. The stone just caught the priest's heel. Though the priest was not harmed by the stone, the stone was scratched. This is where the "Heel Stone" gets its name, also known as the "Friars Heel."

These common tales are remarkably closed to what people can observe today.

Latis (Anglo-Celtic myth)

In the origins, she was a lake Goddess who became a Goddess of ale and meade. Evidence of her worship remains at Birdsowald, England.

Latis fell desperately in love with a salmon, an animal that represents knowledge, and out of pity for her, the other deities turned him into a warrior. However, each winter he must submit to becoming a salmon again until spring.

His returning to fish-form archetypically represents the demise of the old God who is always condemned to die at winter's beginning. He is resurrected in spring when the Goddess ceases to morn.

Nemetona myth

She is a Goddess of the Sacred Grove, who was popular in bath. She have been worshipped throughout the Celtic world (2nd-5th centuries), with place names to her being found across Gaul, though these could refer to sacred groves (the nemetons) that were not specifically for her worship. She was venerated by the Celto-Germanic people called the Nemetes, whose name shares her root name. At Bath, she was the consort of Mars Loucetius. She is again paired with Mars at Grosskrotzenburg near Hanau, and at Altripp near Speyer. The Roman imperial aristocracy invoked her name on a bronze tablet at what is now Klein-Winternheim near Mainz.

Traditions and Worldview of England

The most important and typical traditions

The British culture can be described as the legacy of the history of a developed island country, a great power and as a result of the political union of four countries, each retaining their distinctive traditions, customs and symbolism. As a result of the dominance of the British Empire, the British cultural influence can be observed in the language, traditions, customs and legal systems of many of its former colonies.

• Morris Dance     

Morris dancing is a traditional English dance usually accompanied by music and formed part before the processions and other festivals celebrated on the month of May. It is based on rhythmic stepping and the execution of a group of choreographed dancers. Implements instruments such as sticks, swords, handkerchiefs, but can also be performed by the dancers without these elements.

• Guy Fawkes Night 

Guy Fawkes Night is a celebration that takes place mainly in the UK on the evening of November 5 to mark the failure of the attack on November 5 in 1605, known as the Gunpowder Plot, in which a faction of Catholics, among whom was Guy Fawkes, attempted to destroy the Palace of Westminster, the seat of Parliament in London.

• Transport

Transport in England people travel by car and most goods are transported by lorries. In England, we can see single and double decker buses in cities. The red double decker buses in London are famous all over the world. In London, taxis are black but in the rest of the country they have different colours. 

• Breakfast

In England, the breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day, due to the hectic lifestyle of many people. The traditional breakfast consists of a lot of foods like meats, cheeses, fried eggs, salads, chips and other, but all accompanied by tea, coffee or orange juice, also including toast or bread.

•  Fish and Chips

The fish is deep fried in flour batter and is eaten with chips. Traditionally, the fish and chips are covered with salt and malt vinegar and, using your fingers, eaten straight out of the newspaper which they were wrapped in. Now-a-days, small wooden forks are provided and the fish and chips are wrapped in more hygienic paper. In the north of England, fish and chips is often served with mushy peas.

Here there is a video about the traditions: