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Spirals (NEW CONCEPTS)
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Brian Ambrose



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When I was on holiday in Malta I visited the Hypogeum, an underground megalithic structure. One of the many interesting properties it has were the spirals painted on the walls and ceilings. I later found out that these are common motifs, and quite by accident I found that they are also evident in at least one megalithic structure in Ireland.

Has this been previously discussed, and any idea on the significance of these spirals? Could they be representative of some astronomical event? Or something more mundane?
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Ray



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...any idea on the significance of these spirals? Could they be representative of some astronomical event? Or something more mundane?

Neither. They are representations of How Things Are - on whatever level you may perceive things to be. Such symbology dates back to the Paleaolithic era.

Don't forget, the megalithic tradition in Malta is very much older than official estimates would have us believe. Hiding all conflicting evidence has literally involved all sorts of skullduggery -- like manipulating layers of ancient detritus to ensure that the Neanderthal skull lay below the Homo Sapiens ones -- and that was one of the minor crimes.
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Brian Ambrose



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They are representations of How Things Are - on whatever level you may perceive things to be.

Ray, I personally would never use a spiral as representative of my perceptions of how things are, so I'd be interested why you'd say that. It seems an unusual shape to choose as a signature for one's culture, and I would assume it must have represented something very important, and very literal.

I would also imagine that orthodoxy would deny a link between Ireland and Malta (and elsewhere?) 6 or 10 or 20 thousand years ago. So how do they explain it? Come to think of it, a commonly viewed astronomical event may obviate the need for a common culture.
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Oakey Dokey



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BrianAmbrose wrote:
I personally would never use a spiral as representative of my perceptions of how things are..

Some of the native North American peoples used the spiral as a calendar (or perhaps a diary or planner). Each life or era was described with pictograms spiralling outwards to the present day.

That could be called a "symbolic representation of the way things are".

It seems an unusual shape to choose as a signature for one's culture,

It wasn't the only signature. And it isn't that unusual. I would imagine it was universal (at least global). The fact that we all (presumably) still find it aesthetically pleasing is possibly enough.

So how do they explain it? Come to think of it, a commonly viewed astronomical event may obviate the need for a common culture.

That sounds very reasonable actually. What event could observably spiral so obviously that an ancient symbol was created to represent it?

My own view, and I don't hold to it particularly strongly, is rather prosaic. Put simply, it is an easy and attractive design to create. Even my wee boy (2 1/2) can make spirals. Couple that with the fact humans clearly 'like' the spiral (spirograph, telephone doodlings, cave doodlings) and....well...I think my reason might be a bit boring. But the spiral doesn't look boring. It looks complex. It isn't. It's easy to reproduce.
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Claire



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I would also imagine that orthodoxy would deny a link between Ireland and Malta (and elsewhere?) 6 or 10 or 20 thousand years ago. So how do they explain it?


Hi Brian -- I went to Malta a few years ago too and was also struck by the spirals, not just at the Hypogeum but present on lots of the over ground temples, which reminded me of that famous spiral on Newgrange. (and 'grooved ware' designs). The spirals are quite a different style, but the presence of spirals on a megalith does seem a coincidence at the very least!

Our Hypogeum guide thought the spirals represented path of life or in the context of a burial chamber, the afterlife. Perhaps rebirth?
This site:
http://www.ancient-wisdom.co.uk/spirals.htm
is quite useful in that it lines up the spirals so we can compare them, and suggests that in Malta spirals are associated with the Goddess. Which is a safe bet.

I looked this up just now in 'The Megalith Builders' by Euan MacKie, to see what he makes of them, since he is a well-known diffusionist on the topic. He cites the similarity of ship carvings on Tarxien temples in Malta with those on megaliths sites in France and on stones in Denmark as part of his case for common origins of megalith builders, but on the topic of spirals he doesn't mention Malta. He prefers a comparison between the Grooved Ware of England and 'spiral and lozenge' motif at Skare Brae, Irish passage tombs and similar pottery found in Portugal. He is part of the orthodoxy in the sense that he teaches at a British University, but I expect you're right, generally the orthodox notion would be that the Maltese Temple Builders were home grown.
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Oakey Dokey



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How does one create an optimally long line on a small piece of animal hide?

The spiral is one option.
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Ray



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Ray, I personally would never use a spiral as representative of my perceptions of how things are, so I'd be interested why you'd say that. It seems an unusual shape to choose as a signature for one's culture, and I would assume it must have represented something very important, and very literal.

No, of course you wouldn't; I should have said 'one' rather than 'you'. But in any case I wasn't talking in terms of culture signatures. Where do I begin? With a circle perhaps.

A circle commonly represents eternity because it has no beginning and no end. A spiral is a circle that homes in on the source as it were. You, or rather one, might think in terms of the source of all being. It doesn't have to be a purely religious concept: the expanding universe must have begun with something; if it expands perhaps it contracts - but that's a matter for you astrophysical boffins. And before you protest that such concepts were far too sophisticated for Stone Age oiks, evidence of the Ancients' grasp of very sophisticated concepts is growing all the time

I would also imagine that orthodoxy would deny a link between Ireland and Malta (and elsewhere?) 6 or 10 or 20 thousand years ago. So how do they explain it? Come to think of it, a commonly viewed astronomical event may obviate the need for a common culture.

Of course they would. And it's precisely because they'd deny it that they don't have to explain it. All they have to do is cover up all evidence to the contrary as and when it becomes necessary.

As to the commonly viewed astronomical event: Oakey seems to accept it as a possible hypothesis, but I disagree. Firstly, even orthodoxy accepts that Stone Age people travelled frequently across enormous distances. They have been forced to admit that the same symbols and images (including the more way out therianthropic ones) can be found on every part of the globe.
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Chad


In: Ramsbottom
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Maltese/Irishman: 'You know love, I didn't expect I'd like those snails in garlic butter but they weren't half bad. Can you get us some more, next time you go a-foraging?'

Maltese/Irishwoman: 'Anything for you my sweet...I'll just jot myself a little memo on this here megalith.'

There's nothing mysterious about two cultures (connected or otherwise) using the same artistic motif, when it's as common in nature as the spiral...shells, rams horns, fern fronds, sleeping snakes, even thumb prints...they're everywhere.

Every bored schoolchild in the entire history of formal education, anywhere, has doodled a spiral on at least one occasion...so what's the big deal?

But what I do find mysterious is the apparent lack of spirals, where I expected to find them in abundance. - - Australian aboriginal art is full of concentric circles, parallel wavy lines and squiggles, but I can't seem to find any proper spirals...funny that. (Must be some somewhere).
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Mick Harper
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As I understand it strips of hide and animal whatsits and thingies were used as string, rope etc. Do these not naturally adopt the shape of spirals due to internal tension when first cut from the animal. And must be treated in order to be of use. Some symbology there I fancy.
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Hatty
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Every bored schoolchild in the entire history of formal education, anywhere, has doodled a spiral on at least one occasion...so what's the big deal?

Doodling's irresistible, I agree; is it certain sure that the decorations were carved at the same time as the stones were put up? The patterns are too uniform to be the work of a megalithic graffiti artist seemingly. Or maybe a megalithic local authority stepped in to refurbish tired or defaced surfaces with the equivalent of a lick of paint.

It may be mere coincidence but the Knights of St. John took refuge in Malta after their expulsion from Rhodes; they could well have had an inkling of the underground complex on the island.

I like the idea of an earth goddess being associated with spiral shapes, reminiscent of an umbilical cord. Trouble is it's also irresistible to see meaning in shapes not just form them. Purposeless signs seem as unlikely as juxtaposing Swiss and gigolo...oh hang on, maybe not.
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Brian Ambrose



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Every bored schoolchild in the entire history of formal education, anywhere, has doodled a spiral on at least one occasion…so what’s the big deal?


Aw, c'mon Chad.

These spirals are painted in the Hypogeum. Given the huge importance this structure must have had to the builders/users, surely its artwork was regarded as a bit more important than the doodlings of a bored schoolchild.

"Well done everybody, it's been a massive effort but we've finally completed the temple and our eternal future is now assured. Tell you what, let's say a quick prayer and then we'll get the kids in to doodle anything they fancy on the walls"
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Brian Ambrose



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Oakey said...
Some of the native North American peoples used the spiral as a calender (or perhaps a diary or planner). Each life or era was described with pictograms spiralling outwards to the present day.

That is very interesting, since the Hypogeum (or some of it at least, probably) is a tomb and therefore all about the ex-lives it contains.

Even my wee boy (2 1/2) can make spirals...the spiral doesn't look boring. It looks complex and I think appearances have fooled us. It looks complex. It isn't. It's easy to reproduce.

I think it's a bit too easy (and this is surely what the orthos do) to start attributing them as 'simple' drawings as if they just wanted some wallpaper pattern and that was the coolest they could come up with. This is not very convincing when you consider the wide use of this very specific pattern.

Ray said:
And before you protest that such concepts were far too sophisticated for Stone Age oiks, evidence of the Ancients' grasp of very sophisticated concepts is growing all the time.

No no! Exactly the opposite! These guys were doing amazing construction projects, which is why I find it impossible to believe that after all this advanced engineering they called in the artists and said, go on then, wallpaper hasn't been invented yet but make it look pretty, and all they could come up with was acres of spirals (ok, and some hexagons).

Firstly, even orthodoxy accepts that Stone Age people travelled frequently across enormous distances. They have been forced to admit that the same symbols and images (including the more way out therianthropic ones) can be found on every part of the globe.

Stone Age people may travel. But here we'd be talking about a contemporary, distributed and sophisticated megalithic engineering people - I doubt orthodoxy would accept that. Again, I find it hard to believe that, let's say, a megalith-capable people migrated from Ireland to Malta over an extended period of time, and then reproduced the same ol' wallpaper that their great great grandparents did for no particular reason.

But getting back to the symbol: If not astronomical - how about a snake? Now that may well have universal significance.
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Ray



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Traditionally the snake is the guardian of treasure. According to the Yezidi (the Snake and Peacock cult) the snake also represents human aspiration:

One guards treasure, but cannot use it. The other reflects beauty, a treasure, but cannot transform himself with it. In spite of their not having taken advantage of what was open to them, they yet symbolise it for those who can see and hear.
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Brian Ambrose



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It appears then that the spiral as a representation of a snake would seem to be the most obvious and likely explanation. The snake, the original serpent, guardian and provider of the light of knowledge to man, therefore a religious symbol of worship worthy to be repeated at every opportunity.

This would imply that megalithic structures were indeed primarily religiously motivated. We'd be looking at the earliest universal religion, a Satanic megalith-building religious culture that spread over the world, built to last. But which suddenly disappeared.
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Chad


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Hatty wrote:
The patterns are too uniform to be the work of a megalithic graffiti artist...

And Brian wrote:

Aw, c'mon Chad.

These spirals are painted in the Hypogeum. Given the huge importance this structure must have had to the builders/users, surely its artwork was regarded as a bit more important than the doodlings of a bored schoolchild.

You seem to have misunderstood the point I was trying to make. (Which just shows I didn't make the point very well in the first place.)

I wasn't suggesting that the spiral designs on these megaliths were mere graffiti or doodles...I simply made the 'bored schoolchild' reference to illustrate the fact that as an artistic motif, the spiral comes to mind quite readily, without too much conscious thought or deep contemplation. That coupled to the fact that spirals are all around us, to my mind, makes it a little fanciful to suggest a common motivation for their use in megalith decoration...be that symbolic or merely aesthetic.

Had the design (adopted by two remote cultures) been some other geometric shape, less abundant in the natural world, I too would assume a link. But the common or garden spiral?...I don't think any significance can be justifiably attached.

...when you consider the wide use of this very specific pattern.

How wide exactly? You've only mentioned Malta and Ireland so far...oh and injuns.

It appears then that the spiral as a representation of a snake would seem to be the most obvious and likely explanation.

Must admit, I do like the snake idea...maybe snakes were exterminated from Ireland in some later religious purge.
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