The Cheesewring itself was claimed by Dr. Borlase as a Rock Idol, in accordance with the quaint Druidical theories of the early antiquaries. He says—
“From its having Rock-basons, from the uppermost Stone’s being a Rocking-stone, from the well-poised structure and the great elevation of this groupe [of rocks], I think we may truely reckon it among the Rock-Deities, and that its tallness and just balance might probably be intended to express the stateliness and justice of the Supreme Being. Secondly, as the Rock-basons shew that it was usual to get upon the top of this Karn, it might probably serve for the Druid to harangue the Audience, pronounce decisions, and foretell future Events.” (“Antiquities of Cornwall,” p. 174.)
The Rev. S. Baring-Gould gives in his “Book of the West” (vol. ii. p. 107) a curious instance of the persistency of tradition in connection with a cairn near the Cheesewring, in which a gold cup was found a few years ago.
“The story long told is that a party were hunting the wild boar in Trewartha Marsh. Whenever a hunter came near the Cheesewring a prophet—by whom an Archdruid is meant—who lived there received him, seated in the stone chair, and offered him to drink out of his golden goblet, and if there were as many hunters approach, each drank, and the goblet was not emptied. Now on this day of the boar-hunt one of those hunting vowed that he would drink the cup dry. So he rode up to the rocks, and there saw the grey Druid holding out his cup. The hunter took the goblet and drank till he could drink no more, and he was so incensed at his failure that he dashed what remained of the wine in the Druid’s face, and spurred his horse to ride away with the cup. But the steed plunged over the rocks and fell with his rider, who broke his neck, and as he still clutched the cup he was buried with it.”
In Carew’s “Survey of Cornwall” (1602) occurs the following quaint description of a logan-stone called Mainamber:—
“And a great rocke the same is, aduaunced upon some others of a meaner size, with so equal a counterpeyze, that the push of a finger, will sensibly moue it too and fro: but farther to remooue it, the united forces of many shoulders are ouer-weake. Wherefore the Cornish wonder-gatherer, thus descrybeth the same.
Be thou thy mother natures worke,
Or proof of Giants might:
Worthlesse and ragged though thou shew,
Yet art thou worth the sight.
This hugy rock, one fingers force
Apparently will moue;
But to remooue it, many strengths
Shall all like feeble prooue.”
APPENDIX Da (p. [92])
DOZMERE POOL
The following is extracted from Hunt’s ‘Popular Romances of the West of England.’