Going Round in Circles

[hvered]

On the matter of meridian lines, the westernmost and southernmost Canary Island at 17°53' to 18°09'W is El Hierro or Insula Ferri (iron) in Latin and also called Isla del Meridiano, 'Meridian Isle'. When and by whom isn't clear but the dominant species of tree is, rather tellingly I'd have thought, a juniper known as Juniperus phoenicea.

The island was once considered to be the ‘ends of the earth’ and is still little visited perhaps due to the likelihood of earthquakes and/or landslides though I am assured that nowadays it is "home to state-of-the-art renewable energy schemes that happily co-exist alongside centuries-old customs and traditions."

[macausland]

Has anybody come across this site: www.cartographyunchained.com ?

http://www.cartographyunchained.com/stm1.html

This is a link to a section on 'Michael' and his lines.

There are several sections dealing with the mapping of Britain from before the Romans and after. Very erudite and technical with plenty of diagrams to illustrate the texts.

[hvered]

This sounds like the so-called Michael - Apollo Line. It's encouraging to come across academics prepared to interpret myths and folklore as evidence of important practical activities.

[hvered]

Interesting that the origins of Michael are thought to be Babylonian. The island port of St Ives in Cornwall is, according to academics, named for St Ia (pronounced Ee-a) which is also the name of the Babylonian water god.

St Ia was an Irish princess who floated across the Irish Sea on a leaf that her staff had turned into a raft. [There is also a Cornish hermit-saint called Ivo after whom the other St Ives, the one in Huntingdonshire, was named, except there's a suspicion that Ivo is the same person as St Neot since the likelihood of two places so close together in Huntingdonshire being called after two obscure Cornish saints is rather slim].

[macausland]

That's strange. In gaelic the island of Iona according to Wiki is also Ivo.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iona

Modern day gaelic writes it as Idhe, pronounce 'ee'.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Co-Roinn-Ghàidhlig-Mhuile-agus-Idhe-Mull-Iona-Gaelic-Partnership/220169484666030

Bhuddists and Daoists also have saints sailing across water on leaves. Saves on the petrol I suppose.

[hvered]

It is strange, these 'ee' words seem to turn up in a web of circularity. Craig Wetherhill says St Ia's leaf was probably a coracle. To me it suggests a wing, cf. aile in French, ala in Spanish, ulla in Hebrew, all of which are similar words to isle.

There may be absolutely no connection though islands at least nowadays are often where birds nest in enormous numbers. Perhaps Ia tracked the flight path of pigeons (or doves). I have a Cornish contact who's willing to look into Ives/Ia but hasn't unearthed any clues to date.

[macausland]

Then there's also the Isle of Skye, An t'Eilean Sgitheanach.

Wiki says there's some doubt about the correct version of the name. 'Sgiathach' means 'winged'.

sgiathanach -aiche, a. Winged. 2 Jutting out into promontories. (Dwelly)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etymology_of_Skye

[macausland]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkMjuEH4PvI

Here's an interesting take on crop circles.

The presenter talks about the people who make them and what they experience.

It gets a bit 'new agey' at times but he ties it in with stone circles and other things. And towards the end talks about the Belinus line.

[Boreades]

[There is also a Cornish hermit-saint called Ivo after whom the other St Ives, the one in Huntingdonshire, was named, except there's a suspicion that Ivo is the same person as St Neot since the likelihood of two places so close together in Huntingdonshire being called after two obscure Cornish saints is rather slim].

Unless the "Troy Was In Britain" story is true?

[hvered]

Troyes in northern France seems to have a link of sorts with Britain via St Maura, Troyes's virgin saint, who is said to be the sister of St Brigit or St Britt depending on which legend you prefer. The most intriguing aspect of her legend is her impressive crying, tears streamed like 'torrents' from her eyes. Sounds like a guardian of a spring to moi. Troyes became famous for its fairs, glass-making and the Troy Weight, used for measuring gems etc.

Maura may be a watery or salt-watery name but is claimed to be a version of the Gaelic mór meaning 'great'. Her 'sister' Brigid is the patron saint of blacksmiths and other crafts. Sts Maur and Brigit seem to have had a following in Nogent-sur-Oise in Picardy.

St Rumwald or Rombald, a child-saint born into Northumbrian royalty who only lived three days, is big in Picardy but pops up in a few English towns at intersections of trade routes. He shares his feast day, 28th August, with St Hermes all of whose churches (three) are in Cornwall.