Despite the general victory of democracy, there are still several monarchical states in old Europe. And Great Britain is by far the most famous among them.
Over the long centuries of the existence of the English monarchy, anything happened to kings - they were limited in their rights, overthrown, hounded, and sometimes even executed. But, one way or another, by the 21st century Britain was able to preserve its state structure, and Her Majesty, Elizabeth II, although formally does not take part in governing the state, remains one of the most influential politicians in the modern world.
What is the secret of this phenomenon? Historians are still looking for an answer to this question.
As you know, you cannot check harmony with algebra, but there is always a place for a miracle in life. Therefore, there are alternative hypotheses infinitely far from the official science, and among them a special place is occupied by the legend of the magic Skun's stone, on which all the rulers of Foggy Albion have been crowned for many centuries.
This famous Stone is an unremarkable, albeit weighty, piece of sandstone. It's even hard to believe that this ordinary-looking block, weighing 152 kg, is considered almost the most sacred relic of Britain.
Throughout history, he was given many names. It was called Jacob's Pillow, Royal or Coronation Stone, and sometimes even the Stone of Destiny. But where he came from - no one knows for sure.
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Egyptian roots
According to the most widespread hypothesis, this stone was always carried with her by the Egyptian princess Scott, the daughter of the great pharaoh Ramses II. For an unclear reason, the girl left her home country and traveled for a long time to the countries of the Middle East, then fate brought her to Spain, and then even further north - to the shores of Britain.
In this distant harsh country, the Egyptian princess met her future husband, the Scythian king Gatela, and according to legend, it was this couple who became the progenitors of the Scots - the peoples who later settled in modern Scotland.
Another version of this legend says that Gatela himself brought the wonderful stone with him from Syria. For some time he stayed in Egypt, where he met the beautiful Cattle, and then, on the advice of Moses, he left Africa for Europe, taking with him both his young wife and a strange-looking relic.
Celtic stone history
One way or another, the Skun stone became an integral part of Celtic culture; for many centuries it was kept in the sanctuary and participated in magical rituals.
All the most sacred actions of the Druids took place, as a rule, under the shade of twelve stones, and inside this magic circle was the thirteenth - called the House of God. Perhaps it was this role that was allocated for the Stone brought from the distant southern lands.
It is possible that it was he who served as the throne for the kings of Dal Riada, the oldest Celtic kingdom that existed in Northern Britain two millennia ago.
Well, then, according to the chronicles, it was over him, in 847, that the first Scottish ruler, Kenneth I, swore allegiance to his people. According to Scottish customs, the leader certainly had to take power in the open air by stepping on a sacred stone. The Scots have always believed that if the challenger turns out to be unworthy, the Stone of Destiny will begin to ring shrilly.
Later, when Christianity penetrated the British lands, the ceremony began to be carried out indoors. The ancient relic was left, but was transferred to Skun Abbey, where afterwards they began to conduct the coronation ceremony. Since then, the sacred stone has received another name - Skunsky.
It is believed that all the hype around the sanctity of the stone arose precisely because the Scots did not want to just part with the ancient custom. Therefore, as a sign of respect for the beliefs of the ancestors, the block was placed at the foot of the throne, on which the king, already anointed according to the Christian rite, sat.
And as it usually happened, the wise clerics decided to inscribe the sacred Celtic stone into the Christian tradition.
Jacob's stone
According to the biblical tradition, it was the Skun stone that served as a bed for the patriarch Jacob at the moment when the famous vision appeared to him.
One day Jacob fell asleep right in the field, and he dreamed of a magnificent staircase, resting right into the heavens. At the very top of it stood the Lord, who announced to the patriarch that he would grant this land to him and the people descended from him. That is why the stone began to be called the "House of God".
In addition, medieval chronicles claim that the stone, which was later stored at Skoon Abbey, was used as a pulpit for preaching by the famous baptist of Scotland, Saint Columbus. But this version too transparently reconciles the pagan ideas of the ancient Celts with the Christian tradition, and, apparently, was invented specifically to facilitate the colonization of rebellious northern tribes.
Stone in the hands of England
By the heyday of the Middle Ages, the Skunk Stone had long become a legend, both pagan and Christian, and therefore was considered the most coveted trophy for the conquerors of Scotland. That is why, after the victory over the highlanders in 1296, the English king Edward I Long-legged brought him to London.
Since then, the sacred relic of the ancient Scots has been kept in one of the most reliable "safes" on the island - right under the seat of England's coronation throne. And although the throne itself is a simple wooden chair, they guard it like the apple of an eye. This is another priceless artifact that once belonged to Edward the Confessor - the last king of the Saxons, in whose honor the throne is called "King Edward's Chair". Thus, the sacred relics of both parts of Britain merged into one, and many saw this as a special sacred meaning.
Dreaming of the lost freedom, the Scots, by hook or by crook, tried to get the Stone back, but then they did not succeed. True, all this time the highlanders were warmed by the thought that perhaps Edward had taken with him not a real stone, but its fake. The original Stone of Destiny was saved by the guardian monks.
Later legends said that the sacred stone was once owned by the Knights Templar, and it disappeared into obscurity along with countless other treasures of the Order, which are still trying to find unsuccessfully.
Modern adventures of stone
For the next several centuries, the Skunk Stone continued to take its place under the seat of the royal throne. During this time he had to see many monarchs, both great and frankly mediocre. Nevertheless, the country under their rule steadily grew rich and reached the peak of its power.
As a rule, English kings lived for a long time, coronations did not happen often, and therefore they rarely remembered the Skunk stone. And in the endless series of wars and political intrigues, ancient legends began to be gradually forgotten.
The Skunk Stone suddenly reminded everyone of its existence only in the middle of the twentieth century, when on Christmas night in 1950 it was abducted by a small group of Scottish students.
Surprisingly, the daredevils managed to take out the relic from Westminster Abbey, deceiving all the security services. This could be called a success, if not for the annoying oversight, as a result of which the Stone fell and fell into two parts.
In their native Glasgow, the criminals managed to find a mason who was able to reliably fasten the wreckage. The restored relic had to be safely hidden and for several months the Stone of Destiny, like a simple cobblestone, lay in an old tractor.
But it was impossible to hide the sacred artifact indefinitely. Therefore, in the spring of 1951, it was installed with all the honors among the ruins of the ancient monastery of Arbroath, where the famous declaration was adopted in the XIV century, proclaiming the independence of Scotland.
The activists anonymously reported this symbolic act to the police. Of course, the authorities immediately sent the stone to London, and the young people were imprisoned for a long time.
This was the only successful theft of the Skunskiy stone in history, which seriously excited the entire public. And despite the successful outcome of the case, rumors about the dubious authenticity of the relic again spread throughout the country.
By the way, even historians could not prove the truth of the returned Stone, since until that moment no one had seriously studied it. An amazing fact for such a significant artifact.
In 1953, the living Elizabeth II was crowned on the newly acquired Skunsky stone, from which it can be concluded that he still turned out to be real.
Homecoming
In order to end all disputes about the authenticity of the Skunk Stone once and for all, it was decided in 1996 to return it to Scotland. The only condition for the transfer was the possibility of borrowing the relic for the time of the coronation of the new monarch. The Edinburgh authorities agreed, but this has not yet been required.
Thus, on November 30, 1996, 700 years after the capture, the Skunsky Stone was officially returned to its historical homeland and took pride of place among the royal regalia kept at Edinburgh Castle. On the streets, the solemn procession was greeted by a crowd of enthusiastic citizens who perceived this event as a sign of the future prosperity of Scotland.
But whether the acquisition of the Stone of Destiny will benefit the Scots, how it will affect the further fate of Great Britain, and whether it will affect at all - only time will tell.