Celtic Mythology and Religion

THE " DRUID CIRCLES. 195
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as some think, vaguely heard of by the Greeks before
the Christian era. Stonehenge, however, though
much less in extent—its outer circle is only 100 feet
in diameter, which is just
about the average of the
outer circles of Inverness-shire—is much better
preserved and much better known. It differs in
various ways from the usual type of circles and their
accompaniments, though preserving the general
features. In the first place the stones are " dressed "
so far as to render them more suitable for
contact
with, or superimposition of, other stones. Stonehenge
is, therefore, not quite a " rude stone monument."
This dressing of the stones was connected with
another, though less unique, feature of these circles.
This is what is known as the trilithons. These
are composed of two upright pillar stones set
somewhat apart, with another stone passing on the
top from the one to the other. The trilithon is
common in Asiatic monuments, but not in European,
and Mr. Fergusson is of opinion that, architecturally,
it is only an improved dolmen, standing on two legs
instead of four. An earthen vallum surrounded
the outer circle at a distance from it of 100 feet
The outer circle itself was 100 feet in diameter, and
consisted originally of thirty square piers, spaced
tolerably equally ; but only twenty-six of these can
now be identified, in whole or part. They were,
evidently, all connected by a continuous stone
impost or architrave, of which only six are now in
position. Passing over the smaller and more