The Appeal of Stones Standing in the Landscape

The megalithic monuments of Europe fascinate moderns, and many imitations have been built in the Old and New Worlds. Imitation megaliths built in European colonies that have no comparable historical sites (like America and Australia) can exercise an attraction similar, if not identical, to that of the originals. The construction of these monuments is a contemporary re-enchantment of the landscape, which renders it especially appropriate for ritual. This article examines the attraction of European Neolithic monuments for contemporary Pagans and spiritual tourists. It then considers modern imitation monuments. Two case studies are examined. First, the replica of Stonehenge at Maryhill, Washington, which was the site of the 26 February 1979 Pagan solar eclipse ritual coordinated by Oberon Zell of the Church of All Worlds (CAW), which was attended by approximately four thousand people. Second, the Australian Standing Stones at Glen Innes, which was opened in 1992 as a tourist attraction and is now a ritual site for Pagans, especially those oriented towards Celtic deities. The circles are “genuine fakes” that acquire authenticity from their likeness to “real” Neolithic megaliths and re-enchant the landscapes in which they are sited such that twenty-first-century Pagans recognize them as sacred.