By Bernie Bell, Images By Mike Bell

Well, not exactly, but reading of the St. Magnus Graffiti Project  https://theorkneynews.scot/2019/01/22/marking-the-past-st-magnus-cathedral-project/

got me thinking about all the graffiti I’ve noticed on the stones at the Ring of Brodgar (other archaeological sites are available), over the years.  Some of it dates  from way back, mostly due to the Victorian mania for putting your name on anything that stayed still long enough, and some, I’m sorry to say, are more recent. They form a very varied collection. There isn’t a lot to be said about them, so I’ll put together some photos, with captions/comments, for anyone who is interested.

Firstly, may I present……….The Ring of Brodgar

Starting from the entrance and walking clockwise ( of course….) – Robert- you really should know better!

This doesn’t look natural – were the dots made on purpose?  But why?  And…when? And, someone loved/loves  ‘R.M.’

And a mysterious symbol – maybe magicy?  Magic from which era though?

We remembered seeing some runes on one of the stumpy stones, but couldn’t find which one, when a helpful visitor-lady pointed it out to us.  How old are they?  Are they very old, not so old?  Another Brodgar mystery.

An anvil – ironically enough, on a stone age monument. Maybe a blacksmith was here, visiting, and left the mark of his, or her, craft?

I don’t know what these runes mean. I used to know how to read the runes in ‘The Lord of the Rings’, but that particular bit of knowledge has flown away. I hope it’s something benign, or amusing – I hope it’s not too rude!

The ‘work’ of WBK in 1873, and of R. Work in 19??

This way round……a magicy, vaguely oriental symbol?

Then this way round…..it resolves itself into initials, carved in the 19th century!

A recent, quite fresh one.  ‘GH 2016’ – you know who you are  – we don’t know who you are, but – WE FROWN UPON YOU!

A….heart

And, finally, someone came a long way, to desecrate the stones.

As you can see from the panorama at the beginning, it was a cold, snowy February day in Orkney, so, having got frozen through, we went into Stromness to Julia’s Bistro for macaroni cheese and chips – and a good warm!

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