A cylindrically carved stone with a smoothed down surface, in which a circle had been carved with a four sector division. The size of the stone: length of 1.50 m, width of 1.50 m, height of 0.80 m, circumference of 4.70 m. It is presumed that the stone is situated in its initial position.
Theoretically it could be an ancient cult stone, because it does not quite correspond to millstone needs – there is no carved hole in the middle, but a probable sign of the Sun had been carved which was typical for ancient Scandinavians. But these times are separated by thousand years, but this object is a creation of newer times. The carving technique is modern, thus we cannot talk about a very ancient cult site. The application of the stone is unknown. Romantic people just in recent times had given the name of the Sun Stone, which (before that the stone had no name) had become popular. It is an interesting object as a pseudo-ancient site. A similar object with different carvings on the surface in 1990s was popular in the surroundings of Valmiera.
The stone is called “The Sun Stone” because a sign of sun is carved on it. The Sun in Latvian mythology is a central image in the system of heavenly myths. In folk songs the Sun has been presented in a never-ceasing movement. It drives in a carriage, in a sledge with two or three horses, walks on foot across the sea or a lake or goes boating. All symbols of the Sun are roundish objects (a sphere, an egg, a golden acorn, etc.), the rolling of which symbolizes in mythology the movement of the Sun in the heaven. The simplest way of depicting the sign of the Sun is the circle. The sign of the Sun symbolizes rituals of fertility and warmth. The sign of the Sun is often used also in women’s ornaments and clothing.
Archive of the “Cult Identity” project
