Stacked Boulder/Dolmen Cave Complex, 'Serpent' Effigy, Cairns, Prayer Seat, Stone Face & More- Fertility Site, Holliston MA. Pt. 1

Stacked Boulder/Dolmen Cave Complex, 'Serpent' Effigy, Cairns, Prayer Seat & More- Fertility Site, Holliston MA. Pt. 1

I came across a site of what I can only describe as a place of strong spiritual energy in the woods of Holliston, MA.  The largest feature of this site is a Dolmen/ Stacked Boulder with an overhang, with space to go under the structure.  The dolmen itself almost appears to look like a small stone chamber structure.  As we will see, I got the impression that this whole area around the site has to do with fertility rites. 

The Dolmen Structure:

A shelf-space inside the structure:

The end of the structure, from the back side.  Under the over-hang are three stones.  These are "Magic Stones", as researchers call them, so it is the term I will use.  In the book Manitou- The Sacred Landscape of New England's Native Civilization, authors Mavor and Dix, on page 21, report finding what they believed were Native Magic Stones in their excavations of the Stone Chamber at the Calendar Bowl 1 site.  Through-out the First Nations these stones have associated with them, having been in use for women's fertility rites, and probably broader fertility rites in general:

Outside the Dolmen Structure is this split and worked-out rock, in the shape of an animal effigy, what looked to me as a serpent effigy.  The mouth slit is the prominent split feature, but also notice how the rock was worked out where the eye would be.  In the same town, I have seen this exact same workmanship before here- http://nativenewenglandstones.blogspot.com/2014/12/more-stoneworks-holliston-ma-pt-7.html .  Note the striking similarity in style & workmanship which could not be coincidence, although here, the feature is a smaller scale-size.  In back of this rock feature are the remains of a cairn structure- this is right outside the Dolmen Structure, giving the whole site the feeling of a Complex (which is obviously what this site used to be.):

A couple more of the surrounding cairns (more cairns will be shown in Pt 2 of this site):

This stone structure had the look of a small U-shaped enclosure/ Prayer Seat:

An interesting rock placed in the stone wall with obvious shaped-out features:

A rock stack placed in the wall by somebody, at some point in time, looking like a mini replica of the dolmen:

The Smiling Stone Face Spirit (the rock in the middle):

Close-up of the Smiling Stone Face:

Part 2 will include a large split boulder with inserted wedge, more cairns and boulders, and even possibly a Native Well found in the Stone Wall (a stronger indication of fertility), showing off more features relating to this Complex.  Part 3 will show what archaeologists call a "Quarry Boulder" meaning a large rock that has been picked/ worked out and used for resource, as well as a nicely made bird effigy made from the material of the Quarry Boulder. 

Sherborn/Framingham MA. Standing Stone & Interesting Stone Walls

Sherborn/Framingham MA. Standing Stone & Stone Wall Complex

There are many ways into these woods.  There is a small entrance into them in Ashland off of Rte. 126.  When I worked in the Prodcue Dept. of the Ashland Shaw's Market many years ago, I used to ride my bicycle into these woods during my 1 hour break, sit underneath a prominent tree over-looking a wetland and meditate.  Other times I would continue to ride to the Market Basket Plaza by the Ashland/ Framingham town line, and eat lunch buffet at an Indian restaurant next to a Tae-Kwon-Do school.  In those days I was a vegetarian.  Although I am no longer vegetarian, I learned a lot about food from that experience (for instance, to drink Rice Milk instead of Cow's Milk, to spread Hummus on a morning bagel instead of cream cheese, to tolerate eating raw garlic, etc.) 

Anyway, lately I have entered these woods from the Sherborn side.  The site with the Standing Stone is wedged between the end of a train yard and some power-lines.  The Standing Stone is on a ledge, at the end of a stone wall that runs to the ledge.  The complex of Stone Walls at this site is also very impressive and I felt it could be part of the Native Ceremonial Stone Landscape as opposed to a later construction.  The Standing Stone attests to this.  Not too far away from here in Framingham is a lake that was important to in-land Nipmuc people in both pre-colonial times as well as the early colonial period.  But back to the site at hand, I took the pictures of the Standing Stone & Stone Walls in late November, around 3:30 in the afternoon.  I noticed a sun-set alignment with the Standing Stone:

The stone has a nice tip from this angle:

From this angle, an interesting two notch marks on the right side of the Standing Stone.  Notice the Stone Wall that runs to the ledge:

More Stone Walls sloping around the ledges:

Finding a site like this is what it's all about.  This site is also nearby to some swamps.

The Gloucester, MA. Sea-Serpent (Cape Ann)

The Gloucester, MA. Sea-Serpent (Cape Ann)

Here is a tale of a New England Sea Serpent, the Serpent of Cape Ann/ Gloucester MA.  I suppose sightings and records of other Sea Serpents exist around Lake Champlain in New York/ Vermont, as well as "Ogopogo" in a lake in British Colombia, Canada.  As a young boy I was always fascinated with the tales of sea serpents, and was aware of the Gloucester Serpent even back then. 

One of the first records of a sea-serpent off the shores of Gloucester, MA. was recorded in 1638.  A white settler on board ship was about to shoot it, but there were several local Native people on board, who dissuaded the colonist from shooting it, saying, "if you do not kill the creature out-right, we will all be in danger of our lives".  Below is a YouTube link where this sighting, as well as others, such as the 1817 sightings, is re-counted by a folklorist. (5 mins):

https://youtu.be/_JICwEGHviY 

Another link, with some nice original drawings of the Gloucester Serpent (as will as pics of other sea-serpents). 7 mins:

https://youtu.be/ja49Bn9FN2c

Last is a song that was made about the Gloucester Sea Serpent (2 mins):

https://youtu.be/6s7pRx0NaKw

From what I have read and heard, the sea serpent is described as being 60-100 ft. long, as wide or maybe wider than a barrel, with a horse-like head and a great horn on top of it's head.  From all accounts this sounds like a Great Horned Serpent of the Americas, which is probably the same basis as the Chinese Dragon, and other such creatures around the world.

We can also glean from the 1638 account of the Gloucester serpent that Native people in the New England were aware of this creature- "if not killed outright, we will all be in danger of our lives", indicating their familiarity with the creature(s).  This lines up with other accounts of large serpents in other parts of the country that could not be killed by bow and arrow (which could easily penetrate through a buffalo), that occasionally harassed communities of Native people.  There probably would have been reverence, and in some cases fear, of such creatures.  If you follow this blog you will notice that serpent symbolism has come up time and again in some of the stone-works (serpent rows, effigies, carvings in boulders, etc.)

It appears there has been no recent sightings of the creature.  One theory about this is, with fishing and commercial boats sailing through the waters of the serpent's traditional territorial waters, it has found other, more evasive roots to travel, avoiding the disturbances of modern industry.  Another thing I have contemplated myself is if such a large creature might hibernate for substantial periods of time, only to re-surface centuries later (much like how frogs hibernate in the winter, but in this case such a creature may hibernate for hundreds of years.)  My feeling is that the Gloucester Serpent and other serpents like it (Champ, Ogopogo) are genuine and are the real deal.  Their serpent bodies probably give off high pulses of electro-magnetic energy (which may sometimes have a paralyzing affect on humans), which may be the original inspiration for indigenous people to build, over a period of thousands of years, things such as meandering stone walls and rows that are aligned to true north, and things of this nature, which subsequently have taken on an energy of their own, or in other words increase the energy of the landscape. 

Old drawing rendition of the Gloucester Serpent:

StoneWorks- Magomiskook Ledge

StoneWorks- Magomiskook Ledge

The following is a 'modern' stone-works site located on a partially quarried ledge.  The view-shed here is fantastic and is in the same area as many of the recent previous posts.  Before the quarrying, this ledge was probably a great look-out spot among the Magomiscock ledges.  There is also evidence of the Native Ceremonial Stone Landscape all around the ledge in all directions, such as a terraced hill-side cairn field and some interesting stone walls below the ledge, partially disturbed by quarrying (most people would just see the modern quarrying without looking further.)  When at this ledge, words such as "healing," "good energy" and "perseverance" come to mind.     

A six-foot tall obelisk Standing Stone that is greater than a person's shoulder width.  This is at least a summer sun-set Marker from one angle.  An impressive standing stone, but in this case probably modern, indicated by the quarry markings:

Stone Cairn-tower w/ hollow middle:

Stone wall enclosure:

U-Shaped stone enclosure w/ roof (branches):

Another enclosure seat:

Another Standing Stone.  Missed the destruction in this case:

Stone bench row, also dually a crescent shaped serpent row.  The stone on right is the start of the serpent's head.  Note this is before the six-foot tall stone obelisk was erected (seen lying in the back):

End of the serpent row in the for-ground:

roofed cairn & standing stone:

'stone head' profile:

U-Shaped Enclosure:

Reflections On Milford

Reflections On Milford

Reflecting on the sites concerning the last few posts around the hills of Milford, MA.- there is still much beauty to be seen and energy to be expressed when visiting and experiencing this place(s).  I did not wish to paint any negative picture concerning this area in light of quarrying, interstate highways and power-lines.  It is true some things may be lost and even obscured but what is more important is that in spite of this, the area is still alive with vibrant energy and natural splendor.  

Regarding some of the obscured and partially disturbed (due to quarrying) stone mounds, I have a strong feeling these are the remains of 'monuments' of important people from long ago, selected to be built up around the high ledges of a "grand view place", over-looking the country and domain of said people, obviously great and powerful leaders of their day.  The first white settlers were guided to the country of modern day Milford, MA. by Native guides by canoe, who described the area as Magomiskook, the "grand view place/ great rock place."  Beyond this knowledge, the Milford area has a hidden and lost Native history spanning many thousands of years- this area is also the source of the Charles, Sudbury and Blackstone Rivers.  It is only regrettable that contemporary people have failed to fully grasp this.  For instance, in Mongolia there is restricted access to Ghenghis Kahn's supposed mound which may very well be on top of one of the highest mountains in a "forbidden zone."  In large absence of America's traditional cultures modern people have failed to consider the rich history of the past, with "undeveloped" land considered nothing more than a real estate commodity to be used for infrastructure building- no zone or once sacred area is off-limits or restricted, or even realized as such in the first place.  This is a reflection of a dim consciousness that all sentient beings must one day ascend from.  In the text "The Life of Milarepa: (A New translation from the Tibetan" translated by Lobsang P. Lhalungpa, it is said in the introduction that,

"the... training is a process of psychological transformation that begins with the conscious cultivation of goodness in thoughts, words, and deeds... in order to discover the non-deceptive identity of man, every individual is encouraged to free himself from the solid and strong influence of his conditioning..... [further more it states:] Samsara, the wheel of birth and death, the eternally recurrent round of suffering and desire, is rooted in delusion and ignorance.  Man perceives the apparent as real, [and] takes lies and fantasy for truth.  From this[,] two effects ensue.  On the one hand, the natural unfolding of conditioned reality is denied; man simply does not see or participate in the life and the world around him which, while not the absolutely real, is not merely a creation of his own subjectivity.  In addition, by attributing the quality of substantiality to the world he "sees" and to himself, the "seer", by taking both his own being and the "object" of his subjective experience to be fixed entities with a persisting structure, he rules out any possibility of self-transformation.  But all of this is precisely what he may study.  To understand delusion means to gain insight into the foundation of nirvana, that is, the character of one's original, primal awareness." 

Last is a picture of a Connecticut Stone Mound, also located on a high place that Tim McSweeney shared on his blog "Waking Up On Turtle Island."  The mound is a monument commemorating a great sachem (leader,) located on a high ledge over-looking his country.  Although the mound may be a different style from those found in the Milford (MA.) hills, they are essentially situated and placed in the same fashion, over-looking their respective countries/ earthly domains.

Stone Mound from Connecticut:

          

Stone Idol

Stone Idol

Below is a picture of a stone idol that was found among rubble of a partially quarried ledge.  No digging occurred in this case- if this was buried down in the Earth before in the past, than the destructive quarrying practices brought it up to around the surface area.  This is one of the reasons why I know that this ledge, among a "grand view place" was a very significant place in the distant past.  Now the ledge has been left alone for a long time, and some modern stone-works appear on the ledge.  This is in the same area where I have found many Standing Stones.  There are also many boulders here with massive donation piles at the foot/niches of the boulders.

The stone idol has been propped up in this case for the pic.  The stone idol remains on the ledge where it was found.  If my computer hadn't crashed I would have more pics/angles of the stone idol, but this will have to do.  The idol takes on the shape of a human head and torso may be 1 foot or 1.5 ft long:

  

Also Mavor and Dix had a few insights on Stone Idols such as this in the book Manitou, for instance when they were talking about Ezra Stile's research, citing these objects to be "common enough" but largely ignored by the academics of the day (which still applies down to this day).   

My Computer Has Crashed

My Computer Has Crashed 

Just when I was beginning to put up more posts after a summer slow-down on this blog, my computer has crashed- that is the end of the life of my lap-top.  I will try to continue posting when I have access to other computers to work with.  Hopefully it won't be too long until I get another computer.  In the meantime I continue to be outside when I can, finding more sites, and even just tuning into nature, etc.  More posts to come, but it may not be as much posts as I put each month before in the past.