Abury, A Temple of the British Druids, With Some Others, Described

by William Stukeley

In [table XXXVI], I have etch’d the bit of the king’s bridle found in Silbury-hill, the founder of Abury, in my possession. Underneath is the british urn which I dug up in a barrow on Windmill-hill north of Abury. This plate is consecrated to the memories of Sir Robert Halford, knight, and Charles Tucker, Esq; who were very solicitous in preserving these noble antiquities.

I have given the reader as plain and as concise a description of these works about Abury, as I possibly could. We cannot but make this general reflexion upon the whole: 1. That this temple, with the things belonging to it, when in perfection, must have been the work of a very great and learned people. The kind, manner, and idea of it, shews its extreme antiquity. When we view the ruins of Rome, of Greece, Egypt, Syria, Persia, or the like, we readily enough enter into a notion of the wisdom and flourishing estate of the people that performed them. The like we must do of these british Druids. These very works justify the high reports made concerning them in classic authors. And if we pretend to oppose them by other reports out of like authors, concerning the rudeness and barbarity of the old Britons; the answer is obvious. They speak of different times, or perhaps of different people, new successions from the continent, that drove out the former possessors who performed these works, more northward and westward. The works themselves are an evidence of the genius of the founders. Learning commonly arrives at its height within no long space of time. These works here have a notorious grandeur of taste, a justness of plan, an apparent symmetry and a sufficient niceness in the execution: In compass very extensive, in effect magnificent and agreeable. The boldness of the imagination we cannot sufficiently admire. When this whole area, which is about four miles square, was entirely sacred ground, under the care and custody of the Druids, one of their great seminaries or academies, every where a fine turf, cover’d over with an infinite variety of barrows, it was a most agreeable scene, and merely a picture.

When one traverses about this ground, an intelligent person will discern abundance of remarkable beauties in the manner and disposition of the temple. The wise Druids knew the internal meaning and purport of this great symbol of the fecundity of the deity, first exerted in producing the second person represented thereby, who with them was the creator of all things. From the supreme proceeded the divine essences equal to himself; but the son of the supreme formed the material words, whence call’d the mind, the creator, and the wisdom of the father, both by the Druids and us christians. And never since the creation, was so magnificent an idea form’d in mortal minds, as this hieroglyphic here before us made in stone-work. This snake of ours may be near three of our common miles in length, justly laid down, its proportions adapted to nature, its sinuosity well represented in huge curves running contrary ways, conduced over several elevations and depressures of ground. Two hills, one on each side the stream running from Abury to Silbury, hide the view of the avenues from each other. So that probably the vulgar then knew not the true figure of the whole, no more than now. But those that approached this place with a purpose of religion, and that understood the mystical meaning thereof, must be extremely affected with it; the greatest picture, no doubt, on the globe of the earth, naturally exciting in their minds that disposition proper for those approaches!

2. I observe that Abury, even now, lays its claim to all the old appendages: the bounds of the parish taking in chiefly all that the snake reaches, and the environs, as Southstreet, West-Kennet, and Bekamton, and part of Winterburn-basset, and Stan-more south of Winterburn-basset, (they say it has been a town;) and Overton-hill, South-downs, West-downs, Cheril-hill, almost to Oldbury-castle.

3. I remark, tho’ the people know nothing of the figure of a snake made by the two avenues, yet a notion has been handed down from all times, that gives an obscure hint of the thing, and of the prophylactic virtue in this figure of the snake. For they say, that in all this trail of ground, which we may call the sacred field, there never was a snake seen; and if a snake should be brought hither, it would not live. Nevertheless snakes abound in all the country round, even to Clatford, between Marlborough and here, but never come higher up. This notion, I know not whether ’tis justly founded, but ’tis deeply rooted in the mind of the inhabitants. Pliny has a great deal about the Druids’ fondness of snakes, but a little unintelligible, as we find most of what authors have said concerning them. And we must be content at this time, to mark out some obscure traces of things that seem to our purpose, relating to this affair of theirs, which shall be the subject of the next chapters.

4. When we contemplate the manner and disposition of our temple, in regard to its parts in the circle at Abury, and in regard to its position upon the cardinal points, some questions arise in our mind, which we desire a resolution of: Concerning which I believe the hints following will give us some satisfaction. Ever since the world began, in building temples or places of religious assemblies, they have been studious in setting them according to the quarters of the heavens. For they consider’d the world as the general temple or house of God, and that all particular temples should have a proper regard to it. The east naturally claims a prerogative, where the sun and all the planets and stars arise: this therefore they accounted as the face and front of the world, or universal temple. The north then was consider’d as the right-hand and great power of the world, the south as the left-hand or lesser power. For when the sun approaches the northern region, passing over the vernal equinoctial, he brings plenty, and the fulness of his fructiferous influence; when he returns to the south, the face of nature languishes in its winter attire. Therefore they thought the polar region not only highest, but of most eminence and effect.

TAB. XXVI.
P. 50.

Stukeley delin.

Toms sculp.