Leah File is an ancient vertical menhir standing in Ireland on the hill dedicated to kings - Tara. According to scientists, this stone was installed here during the Neolithic period. Local Irish legend connects Leah File with the ancient people of Tuatha De Dananna, who once brought him to Ireland from the northern islands.
A stone roaring at the touch of a king
The ancient Irish called this menhir the Stone of Destiny or the Stone of Kings. Lia File (or in other words Fal) was used once to check the right to the throne of the country's reigning persons. From the earliest times until about AD 500, just before the coronation, applicants for the Irish throne came to the Stone of Destiny and sat on it or put their feet on it. According to legend, in the event that the king was real, Lia File would begin to roar at his touch.
Among other things, an ancient legend has survived about how the Stone of Destiny refused to recognize the true worthy king of the protege of the god Cuchulainn. In revenge, the latter struck the menhir with his sword and split it in two. Since then, the stone has never roared at the touch of kings. Leah File's exception was made only for the Conn of the Hundred Battles. When a warrior accidentally stepped on the Stone of Destiny, the menhir roared like in the old days. After this incident, Conn, of course, was immediately made ruler of Ireland.
The Leah File legend also echoes the English legend of King Arthur and the sword Excalibur. In this story, as is known, as in the Irish legend, there is also a stone that indicated the true king, and a magic sword.
According to the famous researcher of ancient myths M. Eliade, the Irish menhir Lia File in local legends symbolizes ancient chaos. The cry of the stone at the touch of the king reflects the resistance of this chaos to ordering.
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Where did the stone come from
According to the same legend, Leah Fail was once brought to Tara by the Tuatha de Dananna, a great tribe that ruled Ireland in ancient times. Some local legends call the representatives of this people the nobility, others - the gods. For example, the same Cuchulainn was, according to legend, a member of this tribe. According to the legend, the Tuatha de Dananna tribe came to Ireland from the northern islands, where its representatives lived in four cities: Phalias, Gorias, Murias and Findias, practicing magic there, among other things.
The Tuatha de Dananna brought with them unusual magical gifts: the cauldron of Dagda, Lug's spear, the sword of Victory and the Lia Fail stone. The latter, according to legend, was a gift from the city of Falias.
Tuatha de Dananna
Since the representatives of this tribe, according to legend, came to Ireland from the north, some fans of alternative history associate them with the legendary Hyperboreans who once lived beyond the Ripean (Ural) mountains.
Representatives of the Tuta de Dananna people are described in legends as tall, bright, very beautiful people with magical abilities. The women of this tribe, according to legends, did not wear headdresses and dressed in robes that almost bare their shoulders and reached to the toes. At the same time, they could turn into different animals or into the forces of the elements.
The men of the Tuatha de Dananna wore tunics and were very brave warriors. Tradition also refers to the peculiarities of this people that its representatives possessed immortality and always remained young. The ancient rulers of Ireland could die only from outside reasons - for example, in battle or from a serious illness. Also Tuatha de Dananna knew how to treat human ailments and do many unusual things. Later, the legends about this tribe were transformed into legends about the elves.
Interesting is the fact that a people with a similar name once lived in Altai. The representative of the Tuta de Anu tribe, or royal Scythians, as fans of alternative history believe, was the famous princess Ukok, whose mummy was recently found by domestic archaeologists.
Tara Hill
This hill is known to movie lovers, among other things, for the film adaptation of the novel "Gone with the Wind". It was from these places that Scarlett O'Hara's father was born. The name of this hill is reflected, among other things, in the name of the Irish farm in America, where the O'Hare family lived before the war between the North and the South.
The Irish Tara is located near the Boyne River in County Meath. This place is sacred for the inhabitants of the country. Tara, among other things, is considered the ancient capital of Ireland. In addition to Lia Fail, there are many more ancient relics and monuments on this hill. In honor of the legendary Irish Tara, modern scientists even named one of the regions of Jupiter's moon Europa.
The original or a fake?
Today in Ireland, unfortunately, not everyone is convinced that the stone currently standing on Tara Hill is the real Leah File. The fact is that, according to legend, the artifact brought by the Tuatha de Dananna had a white color of spiritual purity and purity. In addition, the kings would simply be uncomfortable to sit down or put their feet on the stone that stands on Tara today.
Some history buffs in Ireland believe that the real Leah File was smuggled into Scotland in ancient times. Here he allegedly became the legendary Skunk stone, used in the coronation ceremonies of English and Scottish monarchs. This also very ancient menhir is a sandstone slab. For a long time, the Skunk Stone was kept in Westminter Abbey. In 1996, after actions organized by students, it was transferred by the British of Scotland. At the same time, Great Britain set a condition that the Skunsky stone would be returned to her during the coronation ceremonies.
Also, some Irish people believe that the real Leah File was once hidden by the druids in a secret place - so that no one would ever find it. The ancient worshipers allegedly felt that Ireland was not ready to be ruled by a true king.
Vandalism
Forgery or not, of course, the menhir standing today on the Tara hill is a real historical value, which, like any other, should be protected and protected in every possible way.
Unfortunately, however, Leah Fail in Ireland has been vandalized twice in recent years.
For example, in 2012, the ancient menhir was hit with a hammer several times. As a result, 11 visible damages were formed on the stone. In 2014, red and green paint was sprayed over the menhir. At the same time, the stone was painted
almost half.
Instead of a conclusion
Despite the damage Lia File suffered from vandals, he, of course, still remains one of the symbols of Ireland. And of course, this cultural value will be of interest to many history lovers for a long time to come. Today, dozens of tourists come to Tara Hill every day, including in order to inspect the magic stone brought here, possibly from Hyperborea, by the legendary people of Tuatha de Dananna.
Lazko Natalia