265:
236:
200:
224:
212:
885:
22:
54:
251:
The various gowk stones often had other functions, such as acting as boundary markers or meeting places in what may have sometimes been featureless landscapes. The gowk stone at
Whitelee may have been used as a pulpit of sorts by ministers preaching at conventicles held on this remote spot in
125:
Gowk meant both cuckoo and fool; the latter were thought to be fairy-touched. The call of the cuckoo was believed to beckon the souls of the dead, and the cuckoo was thought to be able to travel back and forth between the worlds of the living and the dead.
77:'gaukr', a cuckoo. Other explanations and origins for the term are also found. The word derives from Anglo-Saxon (Old English) 'gouk' and was replaced in the south and central England by the French loan word 'coucou' after the
162:
at these sites suggests a link with springtime and some of the surviving legends associated with standing stones do have a link with the heralding of spring by the first cuckoo of that season to arrive. In the churchyard at
328:, Lothians. This stone sits in a commanding site above the River North Esk and is also referred to as the Auchencorth Stone, meaning 'place of the fold or stone circle'. Located at
888:
235:
591:
462:
Gogar Stane, a single standing stone in the middle of a field on the west side of the Gogar area, south of
Edinburgh Airport, Scotland. Gogar may derive from
45:
in
Scotland, often found in prominent geographical situations. Other spelling variants, such as gowke, gouk, gouke, goilk, goik, gok, goke, gook are found.
904:
557:
546:
858:
919:
132:
Cuckoos were said to have the power of prophesy and could foretell a person's lifespan, the number of their children and when they would marry.
223:
167:
in Wales is an old stone cross, carved with intricate knotwork. Villagers of Nevern would wait for their "harbinger of spring" and on 7 April,
150:
In the Outer
Hebrides a cuckoo's call heard when a person was hungry was bad luck, but the opposite was true if the person had recently eaten.
199:
211:
711:
264:
314:
Gowk Stone, Lisdivin, County Tyrone, Northern
Ireland. The gowk traditionally sent forth its first call in spring from this stone.
770:
171:, the first cuckoo of the year would arrive from Africa, alighting on the cross and singing to announce the arrival of spring.
129:
It was once commonly thought that the first appearance of a cuckoo also brought about a "gowk storm", a furious spring storm.
143:
originated in the Dark Ages as a name for the
Britons, given by the Saxon invaders, and carried some of the meaning of the
99:
in particular is rich in references to cuckoos and the surviving folklore gives clues as to why some stones were given the
909:
88:
The
Scottish Gaelic names for a Cuckoo are Coi, Cuach, Cuachag (poetical name) and Cuthag. The Welsh for cuckoo is cog.
388:
924:
185:
The cuckoo traditionally sends forth its first call in spring from the gowk stone at
Lisdivin in Northern Ireland.
929:
747:
914:
828:
423:
287:
Gowkstone, near
Hazleden one mile south-west of Mearns near Glasgow. It was known as the Speaking Stone.
806:
350:
343:
111:
115:
434:
stated that this, now recumbent, standing stone was associated with an alignment originating from
178:
was that when the sun rose on midsummer morn, the "shining one" walked along the stone avenue at
666:
118:, originally held on April 13 when the cuckoo begins to call, and when children were sent on a
854:
688:
395:
884:
878:
179:
96:
21:
715:
449:
427:
329:
295:
78:
42:
38:
774:
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402:
364:
336:
62:
898:
175:
168:
66:
817:
758:
602:
419:
736:
654:
642:
360:. NJ677257. A standing stone, about 2 metres high, standing on the brow of a hill.
795:
699:
677:
613:
308:
281:
321:
and
Glengairn, Aberdeenshire. This standing stone is located at NGR NJ 454 004.
398:, Aberdeenshire. Same as Gowk Stone Caskieben and Gowk Stone Dyce (NJ 834 151)
253:
435:
357:
74:
353:. A standing stone in Standing Stone Plantation near the town of Millport.
381:
325:
568:
532:
518:
498:
85:
family gets its English and scientific names from the call of the bird.
53:
442:
318:
441:
Cuckoo Stones, situated at the break of slope above South Dean Beck,
406:
291:
274:
164:
82:
452:
SW 4406 3392. This standing stone is now known as the Carfury Stone.
188:
A few cuckoo stones are present at sites in England and Cornwall.
52:
879:
Video of Scottish Glacial Erratics in History, Myth & Legend
371:
73:), but also a stupid person or fool. The word derives from the
147:
in the context of an arch foe, who is likened to the fool.
748:
Antiquities in Kincardineshire. Accessed : 2010-04-02
592:
Pembrokeshire Virtual Museum. Accessed : 2010-04-03
487:
301:
High Gowk Craig, Muirshiel Hills, Largs, North Ayrshire.
304:
Low Gowk Craig, Muirshiel Hills, Largs, North Ayrshire.
174:
A local belief of the Gaelic-speaking community on the
771:"Britain's Historic Sites. Accessed : 2010-04-02"
284:
on the lane from Milndavie above the Eden Kiln suburb.
667:
The Gowk Stone on flickr. Accessed : 2010-04-02.
818:
The Megalithic Portal. Accessed : 2010-004-03.
796:
The Modern Antiquarian. Accessed : 2010-04-03.
737:The Modern Antiquarian. Accessed : 2010-04-02
889:A Researcher's Guide to Local History Terminology
864:Harvie-Brown, J. A. & Buckley, T. E. (1888).
122:, a harmless prank involving pointless errands.
110:is perhaps best known in the context of the old
16:Standing stones and glacial erratics in Scotland
807:Stones in Wiltshire. Accessed : 2010-04-03
603:Stones of Scotland. Accessed : 2010-04-03.
367:, Dumbartonshire. A ruined house had this name.
558:Paperspast - Gowk. Accessed : 2010-04-02
547:Paperspast - Gowk. Accessed : 2010-04-02
182:, his arrival heralded by the cuckoo's call.
8:
829:The Gogar Stane. Accessed : 2010-04-03.
499:Gowk definition. Accessed : 2010-04-02.
759:Ancient Stones. Accessed : 2010-04-03.
678:Bready Ancestry. Accessed : 2010-04-02
614:Bready Ancestry. Accessed : 2010-04-02
241:The view from the Gowk Stane, looking north
700:Ancient Stones. Accessed : 2010-04-02
689:Ancient stones. Accessed : 2010-04-02
445:, Yorkshire. Two cuckoo stones exist here.
866:A Vertebrate Fauna of the Outer Hebrides.
488:Scots Dictionary. Accessed: 3 March 2010
263:
20:
480:
195:
853:Chichester : Packard Publishing.
57:Saint Brynach's cross in Nevern, Wales
712:"Cumbrae. Accessed : 2010-04-02"
377:Gowk Stone, Caskieben, Aberdeenshire.
273:Gauk Stane, on Little Hareshaw Muir,
7:
135:It has also been suggested that the
14:
448:Cuckoo Rock, Penzance, Cornwall.
317:Gowk Stone, Parish of Glenmuick,
905:Megalithic monuments in Scotland
883:
851:From Peat Bog to Conifer Forest.
298:boulder in a prominent position.
234:
222:
210:
198:
25:The gowk stane at Laigh Overmuir
868:Edinburgh : David Douglas.
844:History of the Parish of Shotts
335:Gowk Stone, Easter Dunglassie,
268:The Gowkstane Burn Forest of Ae
920:Scottish coast and countryside
37:) has been applied to certain
1:
572:. Accessed : 2010-04-02.
536:. Accessed : 2010-04-02.
522:. Accessed : 2010-04-02.
466:, a Celtic word for a cuckoo.
192:The Laigh Overmuir Gowk Stane
290:Gowk Stane, Laigh Overmuir,
35:cuckoo stone or fool's stone
657:Retrieved : 2010-12-06
645:Retrieved : 2010-12-06
346:. A natural standing stone.
307:Gowk Stane, Dumbrock Muir,
946:
842:Grossart, William (1880),
311:. A large glacial erratic.
391:, Dumfries & Galloway
324:Gowk Stone, Auchencorth,
34:
849:Tittensor, Ruth (2010).
229:The stone from the north
217:The stone from the west
570:Campanula rotundifolia
534:Campanula rotundifolia
520:Campanula rotundifolia
401:Gowk Stanes, Near the
394:Gouk Stone, Kinaldie,
389:St Johns Town of Dalry
374:, South Aberdeenshire.
269:
169:St Brynach's feast day
58:
26:
582:Harvie-Brown, Page 76
509:Harvie-Brown, Page 75
424:Durrington, Wiltshire
267:
56:
24:
351:Great Cumbrae Island
344:Great Cumbrae Island
205:A view from the burn
158:The use of the term
910:Geology of Scotland
777:on 17 February 2009
294:, East Ayrshire. A
633:Grossart, Page 110
624:Tittensor, Page 23
356:Gowk Stane, Oyne,
270:
59:
27:
925:Scottish folklore
396:Hatton of Fintray
280:Gowk Stone, near
937:
930:Glacial erratics
887:
859:978 185341 142 7
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773:. Archived from
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714:. Archived from
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384:, Aberdeenshire.
260:Gowk stone sites
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116:April Fools' Day
97:Celtic mythology
43:glacial erratics
36:
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718:on 9 March 2010
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409:, Stirlingshire
349:Gouklan Stone,
296:glacial erratic
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242:
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230:
227:
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215:
206:
203:
194:
156:
154:The gowk stones
114:, the Scottish
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92:Cuckoo folklore
79:Norman Conquest
71:Cuculus canorus
51:
39:standing stones
17:
12:
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5:
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915:Scots language
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873:External links
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457:Related stones
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403:Loup of Fintry
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67:common cuckoo
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891:at Wikibooks
865:
850:
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779:. Retrieved
775:the original
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720:. Retrieved
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420:Cuckoo Stone
387:Gowk Stone,
380:Gowk Stone,
370:Gowk Stone,
363:Gowk Stone,
342:Gowk Stone,
250:
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30:
28:
18:
339:, Lothians.
332:NT20425764.
309:Strathblane
282:Strathblane
254:Covenanting
899:Categories
471:References
430:SU146433.
247:Other uses
112:Gowk's Day
33:(English:
31:gowk stane
846:. Glasgow
436:Woodhenge
358:Inverurie
180:Callanish
120:gowk hunt
106:The term
75:Old Norse
49:Etymology
29:The name
382:Methlick
337:Falkland
326:Penicuik
65:means a
61:Gowk in
837:Sources
781:3 April
722:3 April
443:Haworth
319:Tullich
256:times.
857:
407:Fintry
292:Darvel
275:Shotts
165:Nevern
103:name.
83:cuckoo
81:. The
476:Notes
145:Devil
63:Scots
855:ISBN
783:2010
724:2010
372:Dyce
160:gowk
141:fool
137:gowk
108:gowk
101:gowk
41:and
464:cog
139:or
901::
450:OS
428:OS
426:,
422:,
405:,
330:OS
861:.
785:.
726:.
438:.
69:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
