Stonehenge
Statistics
Category
County
Coordinates
Grid
Condition
Features
Age
Cost
Flash Earth
Stone Circle / Henge
Wiltshire
51° 10' 43.3" N, 1° 49' 34.0" W
SU12254217
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Approx 3000 to 2500Bc
£8
Stonehenge
  • History
  • Gallery
  • Gallery
Legends

The Heel Stone was once known as "Friar's Heel". A folk tale, probably dated from the seventeenth century, explains why.

'The Devil bought the stones from a woman in Ireland, wrapped them up, and brought them to Salisbury plain. One of the stones fell into the Avon, the rest were carried to the plain. The Devil then cried out, "No-one will ever find out how these stones came here!" A friar replied, "That’s what you think!", so the Devil threw one of the stones at him and struck him on the heel. The stone stuck fast in the ground.

Also it is claimed that the 'Friar's Heel' is a corruption of 'Freyja's He-ol' or 'Freyja Sul', from the Nordic goddess Freyja and the Welsh word for way or Sunday. It may just mean that the stone heels, or leans.

Another legend claims that a giant helped Merlin build Stonehenge. Merlin directed the removal of stonehenge from Ireland, where it had been constructed on Mount Killaraus by Giants, who brought the stones from Africa. Uther Pendragon was buried inside the ring of stones.