The cramped interior likely sparked local dwarf legends, while one tale describes a giant imprisoned inside who gnawed through the roof. Nearby cliff caves once held egg-shaped stones resembling relics from Skara Brae, hinting at possible ritual connections between these Neolithic sites. The tomb also bears 18th-19th century graffiti, including Persian calligraphy from Captain William Mounsey, who camped there in 1850 and wrote about learning patience.
Dwarfie Stane legends and 19th-century graffiti link to Skara Brae relics
ScotlandGeneral
Key facts
- The small size of the internal chambers and entrance is believed to have given rise to dwarf folklore in the region.
- The Dwarfie Stane is compared to the rock-cut Barabar caves of India, where each cave was thought to be home to a holy man, priest, or hermit.
- One legend says a giant and his wife were imprisoned inside, with the giant gnawing his way out through the roof, possibly explaining the historic roof hole.
- Another story describes a cave high in the cliff behind the Dwarfie Stane where egg-shaped stones were found, reportedly resembling relics discovered at Skara Brae, suggesting a possible ritual link between the two Neolithic sites.
- 18th and 19th century graffiti covers the site, including Persian calligraphy by Captain William Mounsey, who camped there in 1850 and wrote "I have sat two nights and learned patience."
- Mounsey also wrote his name backwards in Latin above the Persian inscription.
Site mentioned
Sources
Dwarfie Staneorkney.com
Thought to be the only prehistoric rock-cut chambered tomb in the UK, the Dwarfie Stane in Hoy, Orkney, is a special place to visit.
Dwarfie Stanehistoricenvironment.scot
The Dwarfie Stane is a single sandstone block hollowed out to form the only known wholly rock‐cut prehistoric tomb in the British Isles. On Hoy, Orkney
The Dwarfie Stane - 'one of the wonders of the Orkney ...nessofbrodgar.co.uk
the Dwarfie Stane, has attracted the attention of visitors, and the speculation of antiquaries, since the sixteenth century, of Orkney. (1985)
The Dwarfie Stane in Hoy, Orkneynorthlinkferries.co.uk
Archaeologists think the Dwarfie Stane was carved out between the Neolithic and the Early Bronze Age – around 3,000 BC.
The Dwarfie Stane, Hoy, Orkney: Its period and purposejournals.socantscot.org
by CST Calder · 1936 · Cited by 8 — The Dwarfie Stane, Hoy, Orkney: Its period and purpose: With a note on 'Jo Ben' and the Dwarfie Stane. (1936). Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of ...
Was this story useful?
Keep exploring
Every site on this page sits on the globe, and the people who research them are on the Discord.
3D Globe · Sites by country · Story Archive · Research Library · Weekly Journal · Search
AI-generated text · images from the original sources · always verify with the sources.