Published today 7:08
Unfortunately, I came fourteen days too early. In addition, the sky was covered with clouds and I arrived at midday. So I missed a bit of the fun.
Sorry, I came fourteen days too early. In addition, the sky was covered with clouds and I arrived at midday. So I missed a bit of the fun.
Still, I felt a strong sense of how Europe’s first farmers 7000 years ago celebrated the winter solstice, when I was the other day visited the world’s oldest reconstructed solobservatorium – Goseck in eastern Germany.
The ceremony at the winter solstice was the early peasants version of “Potpurri”. They proceeded via the northern opening: through the gap in the embankment, over the deep ditch and through two parallel ports in the palisades of high ekstolpar. It was still night, and they carried torches to light his way. Contemporary scholars believe that only a select few were allowed to go into the big circle, while the village’s other residents got to stay on the outside. But such details are of course highly uncertain.
Ad:
When they had come to the center of the circle they stopped. The sacrificial animal – a big ox – stood ready. Their eyes were directed towards the southeast opening. Although there was a narrow opening, right through the two-tight ekpalissaderna and the high embankment that was ultimately. Then came the moment when the horizon was colored pink, and a ray of the rising sun shone straight into the center of the circle. Then sacrificed an ox.
Personally, I did not see any oxen die, but I saw the pictures that cartoonists have drawn by researchers instructions. I also saw photos as a skilled photographer has taken just at sunrise the only day of the year when the first morning sun glimmers through the southeast door – the winter solstice.
Later that day could the people inside at the center of the circle also watch the sunset. A narrow opening in the southwest is positioned so that the sun goes down right there, this one day of the year. When solceremonin was ready knew that time farmers that year had turned, that the days would be longer, that spring was coming and that soon it was time to sow.
In a few weeks, I will visit Stonehenge in England who have had a similar function of solobservatorium, but as far as scientists can see today was more focused on the summer solstice. Before the visit to Stonehenge, I have had to make an appointment several weeks in advance and I have exchanged lots of emails with the people responsible for that at all come in.
To get to Goseck was just to trudge past some fields and strolling right into the large circle of upright ekstolpar. No guards or fences prevented me. On a castle a few kilometers away is an information center. I paid a few euros to get to watch the show, and the lady who sold tickets seemed almost surprised to receive any visitors at all.
So unknown is Goseck, even though the facility is more than a thousand years older than Stonehenge.
Even more unknown is that archaeologists have found at least a dozen similar facilities – from Hungary and up to the outskirts of Berlin. All these solobservatorier was built in conjunction with the first farmers arrived in Central Europe for more than 7,000 years ago. They looked pretty much the same with circular palisades of logs, ditches and embankments. In the berms were buried dead people.
As far as I know is Goseck the only one of those plants that have been rebuilt. I highly recommend a visit. It is a reminder that the feast we now call December was thousands of years old roots. First on 300s decided early Christians that Jesus’ birth was celebrated at the winter solstice. The Bible says nothing about when during the year Jesus would be born.
Each generation fills their festivals with their own content. Our time has, for example, Christmas trees, presents and Donald Duck on TV – all fairly new phenomena.
But the sun has run its course, regardless of religions and köphets. When the first rays glisten in the morning, the year has turned. The days are getting longer again and soon spring.
No comments:
Post a Comment