Ley / Li / Lei : 'The supposed straight line of a prehistoric track usually between hilltops.'

(Definition from the Concise Oxford Dictionary)

Through my work as a Tour Guide to the Ancient Sites here in Cornwall, I am often asked for an explanation of Ley Lines.

A Ley Line seems to be some form of change in the earth's magnetic field. It is still, with all our technology, difficult to define the power than constitutes a Ley Line.

Whatever a Ley Line consists of, I think that birds, fish and animals use them as direction finders. I think the human race used them in a similar way in early evolution.

In a New Scientist article (19.3.1987 pp 40-43), T. Williamson points out that species as diverse as pigeons, whales, honeybees and bacteria can navigate using the earth's magnetic field. The physiological feature which enables them to do this is a tissue with a substance called magnetite in it. Magnetite enables them to sense magnetic changes and has been found in human tissue associated with the Ethmoid bone in front of the vertebrate skull.

Today Ley Lines can often be detected by 'Dowsing' either with metal rods (bent into an L shape) or with a pendulum.

I think that previous to the building of the Stone Circles (2600 to 2800 BC) man navigated by use of the Ley Lines. Traders or settlers from a more sophisticated society arrived here in Cornwall and having already lost the ability to 'feel' the Ley Lines, standing stones were set on Ley alignments. From one stone you would always be able to see the next and these stone rows led to a point where the Ley Lines crossed. Here they built a Stone Circle where they met to trade.

I believe that Stone Circles were meeting places, markets and later, places of worship. Wherever people meet is the place to preach, whether it is Paganism, Druidism or Christianity.

The origin of the word 'trivial' may throw some further light on the Stone Circles, deriving from the Roman 'Tri-via', meaning where three roads meet. At a main crossroads the Romans posted the important news. Where only three roads met they posted the local or 'Trivial' news. At these crossroads was a 'Circus' which did not mean clowns or animals, but simply a circle. The most famous circle in Britain is Picadilly Circus in London.

But of course this is just my theory, everybody had their own. But perhaps it is an idea to visit such a sight and try 'dowsing' for yourselves.

Posted by Jay Roberts at 03:47 AM | Permalink