File:Remarkable Stone in Larkoul (JW Edy plate 63).jpg

Throughout the northern nations, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and even England, are to be seen singular stones, of uncommon size, and exhibiting indications of art; they are held in traditional reverence by the natives in their vicinity, and afford even to the learned, abundant matter for research and speculation. By the vulgar they are dignified with superstitious attributes and fabulous stories ; in Sweden they are even worshipped. That they were collected and used by the ancients, in the earliest ages of the world, and either placed singly, or arranged in regular order, for some unknown purpose, is unquestionable, as appears from our Stone-henge, and similar circles, called druidical monuments, or temples, in various parts of Great Britain and in other northern countries. Yet with regard to their original uses, and the period of their erection, all research is baffled, and terminates only in conjecture. Whether the single specimens, or circular ranges, are of the earliest date, is a question which I will leave to be solved by the antiquary; and by what unknown powers the stones were removed to distant parts, from their native beds, or placed in their present position, it is for the mechanist to demonstrate.

The large stone which is the subject of this view, has nearly the form of an egg ; it is 26 feet long, 15 high, and 8 broad; it is perfectly isolated from the ground, and appears to have once stood erect; in its fall it was probably broken at the end, which seems to have been its base. The substance is a blue green granite, the only specimen of that species in the island ; it freely strikes fire with steel, and has a compact, smooth, flinty appearance in the broken part; a sandy or gritty consistence in other parts, with a sprinkle of black spots. Its position is nearly N. and S. on a small plain, enclosed with trees, in the volcanic island, described in plate 62, not far from the marines' burial ground, which is partly in sight. From its very secluded situation, there can be little temerity in conjecturing it to have been placed there in early times, to point out the sepulchre of some Runic chief; and perhaps some Runic characters may yet exist on its smooth face, next the ground. At present it is little regarded by casual observers, who do not enquire if it has been wrought by hand, dropped from the moon, or ejected by a volcano. All information on the subject, (as may be expected) is so involved in the absurdity of superstition, as not to be worthy of the least notice, except as an example of the credulity and implicit faith in oral traditions, which characterize the lower classes in almost all nations. On the summit of many Norwegian mountains which have an horizontal or table-like appearance, and are perfectly bare on their tops, is frequently to be found a solitary stone of immense size, which is visible for miles around. Some of these stones have fantastic shapes, and there is scarcely one of remarkable magnitude without a name. In the woods near Mos, there is one 50 feet long, 20 broad, and 20 high: this also appears broken ; and having been evidently wrested round from its original base, seems to be by some unknown means placed in an opposite direction. Many smaller ones are to be seen on the rocks designated in this work. Those met with on the plains, are generally associated with one or two tall ones, curved a little on the tops, which incline toward the centre of the circle or area within, a well-known instance of which may be seen in Sweden, near the road from Swinesund to Gothenburg.