Stone circle

Across Jieghied’s ruins, when an old house or settlement is found, it always has a stone circle marking its entrance.

Presumed Significance

Most homes that have been unearthed have been found to have these circles built into the entrance of the homes. These circles are level with the floor, the stones having been buried to only show their surface, or to be slightly raised. There are many theories about their significance, working from old tales and common sense alike. One theory is that these circles held moss mats where people could scrub their boots from the snow and ice. The difficulty of constraining the moss to the circle meant that after some tests done in past centuries, this theory was eventually abandoned by most. Another theory, the most accepted one, is that these circles signified that the ancestors and spirits were welcomed. These circles would guide the ancestors towards their descendant’s home, and the nature spirits would know that a respectful follower lived there.

Adaptation to today’s culture

The last thing built in a house is often the stone circle that sits at its entrance. The circle is thought to indicate to the ancestors and guiding spirits that the home is now inhabited, full as a woman’s womb.

Actual meaning of the stone circles

These circles are not circles, but rather, 0s. These stones were placed at the entrance of buildings when people no longer lived in them. Often, when a settlement was planned to be abandoned, the population would take the last day to build these 0s out of stone in as many houses as possible. These were thought to indicate to the ancestors and nature spirits that were guarding and guiding them that they no longer resided there and that the place could return to nature.