This is the Nine Ladies Stone Circle, situated on the magical Stanton Moor, and despite the name, there are actually ten stones, the tenth having been found in 1977, now laying flat.
The Nine Ladies is part of a tradition of stone circle building that took place during the Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age period, between 3300 and 900 BCE, with the construction of Nine Ladies falling into the Early Bronze Age.
The precise purpose of the Nine Ladies is unknown, but it is believed that the circle was used for ceremonies and rituals regarding life and death, and this site is certainly held dear by modern pagans, with many gathering at the stones on the Solstice. Experts are also unsure if the single monolith laying 40m southwest of the circle, the King Stone, is connected to the Nine Ladies, or whether their proximity to each other is purely incidental. There is no evidence to suggest that they are connected in any way.
According to legend, a fiddler - now the King Stone - played music for nine dancing ladies on Midsummer’s Night, with everyone being turned to stone as punishment for sinning on the Sabbath. Some stories say he was actually a flautist.
Other stories speak of an unidentified man dressed in black standing outside the stone circle after dark, watching nine witches dancing to the sounds of the Devil playing the fiddle, who were later turned to stone. Apparently, the man in black is actually the Devil himself watching his own handiwork.
Other legends say that when the Moon is full the stones themselves move around in a ritual dance.
There is a tendency in British folklore to name stones as women; there is the similarly named Nine Maidens stone circle near Penzance, and the Nine Maidens stone row on Bodmin.
Have you ever visited the Nine Ladies? I found the energy there beautiful and serene - what do you think? Is this on your list of places to visit?
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