The Rules of Henginess

The Clonehenge Rules of Henginess (with apologies to Meg Frost)

From time to time people suggest or send us pictures of modern stone circles and other constructions we choose not to use. We realise this may puzzle people who think we sometimes throw any old thing up there just to have a blog post. Not so! We have rules which we sorta kinda almost follow when choosing topics. Here they are for as much as they’re worth.

1. If it looks a whole lot like Stonehenge (lintels  are a key aspect in that evaluation!), it’s probably hengy enough.

2. If it is intended to be a Stonehenge replica, it’s probably hengy enough.

3. If the public and media call it a Stonehenge replica, it’s probably hengy enough.*

4. If it was built in the process of trying out or demonstrating methods of stone moving theorised to be those used to build Stonehenge, it is hengy enough.

5. If it performs the function of a solar calendar in an elaborate manner much as Stonehenge did, it may be hengy enough.

6. If it is a true henge, that is, if it is a construction surrounded by a ditch and a bank, it may be hengy enough. (Very rare, people! Get to it.)

7. Regardless of the others, if it is modern and listed on enough Stonehenge replica lists, we will probably list it whether it’s hengy enough or not.

*A note. For one construction we wished to list because it has been called a Stonehenge replica by many people (including students at a certain college), we made the mistake of asking those who represent the artist who designed it for a photo permission. Permission to even mention it on this blog was denied us in perpetuity because, they said, creating a Stonehenge replica was not part of the artist’s intent. Therefore, one  piece of art that you may expect to see here can never appear. (We won’t tell you what state it’s in, but it rhymes with Malifornia . . .)

Anyway, we reserve the right to ignore our own rules, to create new ones, or to delete this list and return to dictating all decisions according to our errant whims. So there.

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11 thoughts on “The Rules of Henginess”

  3. Peter Aller says:

    Understood Nancy it was worth a try though, my Arborrigg is on the Megalithic Portal and I will take a look at those blogs that you suggested.
    Thanks

  4. nancy wisser says:

    Hello, Peter Allen. Are you on Twitter? You could post it to us there. But bear in mind, Clonehenge is not about stone circles. It is about Stonehenge replicas, things made specifically to be copies of Stonehenge. When I wrote the rules of henginess, lo these many years ago, I did not anticipate the sheer numbers of actual Stonehenge replicas that have started to crop up. Stone circles, although outside Clonehenge I love them a lot, are very common. There’re are lots and if I let one in then I have no excuse for keeping the rest out, and before long Clonehenge won’t be about Stonehenge replicas anymore. Check out Eric Steinhart, who keeps a partial list of stone circles on one page of his website. Also Rob Roy of Big Stones Building game, was compiling a list of stone circles last time I talked to him. Best of all, you could start a blog or website about modern stone circles. It is much needed!

    Afterthought, you can enter yours, with pictures, in the Modern Stone Circle category if you join the Megalithic Portal, which is where all this began. All the best to you!

  5. Peter Aller says:

    Hi Nancy, my modern stone circle Arborrigg (built in my garden) was not deemed ‘hengy’ enough for your blog, I was gutted! No it doesn’t have lintels, but a ‘henge’ does not mean uprights with lintels, in fact it doesn’t necessarily mean uprights at all; a roughly circular or oval-shaped flat area enclosed and delimited by a boundary earthwork – usually a ditch with an external bank bla!, bla!, bla!. But what am I saying, you know this already, this is your blog and you set the rules. But HaHa! I have found some loopholes;
    1) If the public and media call it a Stonehenge replica……
    ALL my neighbours and friends call it Stonehenge,
    2) If it performs the function of a solar calendar in an elaborate manner much as Stonehenge did…
    It kinda does, it lines up with the cardinal points at the Winter Equinox and there are two pointers targeting Callanish on the Isle of Lewis, Scotland.
    ….for your consideration again…:) How do I include a photo ’cause a picture is wort a thousand words, right?

  6. nancy wisser says:

    Hello, James. We usually take promotional comments down, but we’ll leave yours up for a little while. It sounds like something that might appeal to readers of the Megalithic Portal, as they have wider interests in modern and ancient megalithic sites, while our topic of interest is Stonehenge replicas and nothing else. Good luck with your book!

  7. James says:

    Hello

    Cracking site. my book ‘Mysterious Milton Keynes’ features all (or most of) the stone circles, menhirs and other similar stuff (and other un-similar stuff) in the new city. Most of it’s contemporary of course. I see you’ve already got the ‘mini-henge’. Don’t suppose you’re interested in pictures of the others are you? If so I can send some in, if not, then I’ll just use this post for a bit of free publicity if you leave it up!

    Keep up the good work.

    http://www.mysteriousmiltonkeynes.com

  9. Pingback: Clonehenge Discovered « Stonehenge Collectibles

  10. nancy wisser says:

    Thank you, Juniper, for the kind words and the pic. We will have to confer and decide whether or not it is hengy enough to post. The fact that we have only two others lined up to post would seem to work in your favor. If you have any other info or stories about when you found it, let us know! Happy Lammas!

  11. Juniper says:

    Hi there! Love this site. I have a pic for you of a replica Seahenge I came across walking along the beach of lake Okanagan, British Columbia (I should mention that this lake has a famous lake monster, the Ogopgo)
    It must have been made during Halloween as I found it it the day after.
    And I was walking with a real life Druid at the time!

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