Jurassic sandstone boulder on a village green in the heart of the county. It was moved here more than 300,000 years ago during the ice age (and worn smooth by the waters beneath the ice). Various legends have accumulated to the stone over the centuries.
“What sort of legends?” you ask.
The stone moves around on its own at night, there is a hidden treasure buried under it, it marks the site of a long-forgotten battle…
Just the usual run-of-the-mill legends.
3 comments:
How semi-interesting... I think you should start a legend of your own for the poor little rock! How about saying that it was loaned out as a prop for the film Jurassic Park? And now has hollywood glamour sorrounding it (hence the chained fence to fend off the paparazzi)
how long do you think it takes for a legend to take hold??
I think the invention of writing probably did away with the creation of new “legends” Joanne. Everything is documented now, so that you can trace the facts back to the source. Legends really go back to communities where not many people could read or write and stories would get muddled up and exaggerated over the years.
The idea that the stone moves around on its own is very creepy. Perhaps someone got drunk once and got lost walking home at night. If they went round in circles a couple of times they could well have thought the stone was following them.
You set me thinking... and if you'll forgive me saying--I don't completely agree with that statement. I'd wager it was the invention of the internet not the invention of writing.
For one, writing was invented before most (if not all) legends came into existence. While mostly everything is documented now, you give us too much credit that everyone would actually go and verify everything we ever read or come across. Case in point many internet hoaxes and "urban legends" have cropped up. At the same time, if we add the internet into the equation--information travels at speeds several times squared to B.I. (before internet)and millions of people around the world receive it. Out of which a small but significant minority (such as yourself) might go and look something up to verify/validate it and later sending a message around that 1. it's true or 2. it's not.
If we assume the worlds largest library is the internet - and the advancements in search technology in the past 15 years, that minority has grown exponentially from people with the action/desire to visit a library physically (or libraries) to people who are willing to type a few keystrokes to get additional information.
So , you are correct, but for another reason entirely. I still wish you weren't though :)
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