Photo Courtesy: Michal Fludra/NurPhoto via Getty Images Crowned with a wreath of holly (and believed by some to be an early inspiration behind Santa Claus), the Holly King shepherded in the days of the waning sun and the slow but steady seasonal shift towards cold, darkness and hibernation. The summer solstice, however, marked the return of the Oak King’s brother, the Holly King. The Oak King ruled over the forces of light, vitality and warmth, ushering in the return of warmer days after the darkness of winter. In ancient England, the winter solstice marked the yearly return of the Oak King, who ruled over the skies as the sun rose to its highest position. It’s no surprise that many ancient legends sprang up around Midsummer, when the sun began its yearly decline towards colder days of autumn. Midsummer Inspired Legends and Lore Throughout History This gives the illusion that the pyramid is perfectly divided into two halves. On the summer solstice, the pyramid’s northern and eastern sides are illuminated in light, while its opposite sides are covered completely in shadow. Each year on the spring and autumn equinoxes, the pyramid’s construction creates an optical illusion of a serpent crawling up and down its sides due to the play of light and shadows. Constructed between 800 and 900 C.E., the pyramid was dedicated to the feathered serpent god Kukulcan (or Quetzalcoatl). Midsummer was definitely not lost on the solar-studying Mayan civilization, who built the awe-inspiring Pyramid of Chichén Itzá in Yucatán, Mexico. Even if you don’t happen to be near England, you can still watch the annual event unfold via a live Facebook stream. It’s constructed so the sun on the summer solstice is positioned directly between two support structures and shines directly into the center of the monument. Located near Wiltshire, England, Stonehenge draws crowds each year on Midsummer as spectators watch the sun rise over the monument’s Heel Stone. The construction of its famous stone circle is believed to have begun around 2500 B.C. Among the most famous prehistoric sites in the world, Stonehenge was likely built over the course of several thousand years. Photo Courtesy: MARK GARLICK/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/Getty ImagesĪmong the most mysterious of all ancient sites, archeologists are still unsure exactly why Stonehenge was built - let alone how. Today, we can still visit several of these monuments that measure the arrival of Midsummer. Although archaeologists and anthropologists still have questions about their true purposes, some famous ancient monuments are thought to have helped different societies mark and celebrate summer solstice and determine the best planting times. This held key implications for farmers, who counted on the harmony of sun and water for a successful growing season. The summer solstice also held significance because it was a prominent visual marker that helped ancient people determine when to plant certain crops. The summer solstice was an important occasion for ancient civilizations because it marked the point of the year when the sun reversed its northward movement across the sky and began heading southwards, kicking off the countdown to autumn. The Solstice-Stonehenge Connection: How Ancient Monuments Mark MidsummerĪs it turns out, humanity’s fascination with Midsummer is a phenomenon that’s endured for centuries longer than many of us might think. Join us for a look at the traditions that summer solstice has inspired over the centuries, some of which live on to this day. Evidence of humanity’s celebration of the summer solstice can be seen in everything from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream to the exacting construction of certain ancient monuments.
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