The Merry Maidens Stone Circle

 megalith, scheduled ancient monument, stone circle, bronze age

This megalithic site comprises nineteen stones, each about a metre high in a 24 metre diameter perfect circle. The stones are said to represent maidens who were turned into stone for dancing on the Sabbath. The Merry Maidens are a fantastically preserved circle, it still has all of its stones three of which had to be re-erected. The 19 four foot high standing stones are equally placed and form an almost perfect circle. There are one or two stones that do not meet these standards, but these have been moved since it was originally constructed. According to Barnatt, in the 18th century the circle consisted of 18 stones, 2 of which had fallen. Between 1862 and 1869, the two fallen stones were re-erected and an extra stone added in one of the two gaps to match the incorrect total of 19 published by Borlase in 1754. The stones are arranged in a circle and graded according to height, the tallstones being to the SSW. The restored stones apparently spoil the exact symmetry of the design. Like Boscawen Un Circle there is a break in the circle which could be an entrance or just the result of a missing stone.
It reputedly dates from the Bronze Age, probably used in pagan ceremonies. It is one of the locations where the Cornish Gorsedd is held.
The local Cornish name for the circle is the Dans Maen meaning dancing stones. Folklore associated with the site is that 19 maidens did not attend church on Sunday. Instead they went to this area and broke the Sabbath by dancing to music provided by two pipers. For their sins the maidens were turned to stone, hence the nineteen stones. There are two other standing stones of 12 feet plus, nearby to the circle i.e. the pipers of this taboo event.

www.pastscape.org.uk/hob.aspx?hob_id=422900