#Arthur’s Seat

[scotianostra]

The mysterious coffins of Arthur’s Seat.

I popped into the National Museum of Scotland and captured a few shots of these wee beauties.  Nobody knows. the full story about them, who made them and why, but a fair bit work went into, they may lack real craftsmanship, and look a bit "naive", but I think they are pretty cool. They have always fascinated me after I read about them in the Ian Rankin,  Inspector Rebus book, The Falls in 2001 In 1836, five boys were hunting rabbits on the north-eastern slopes of Arthur’s Seat, the main peak in the group of hills in Holyrood Park, in a small cave in the crags of the hill they stumbled across seventeen miniature coffins carved in pine and decorated with tinned iron. Carefully arranged in a three-tiered stack, each coffin contained a small wooden figure with painted black boots and individually crafted clothing. At the time of their discovery, some speculated that they were implements of witchcraft; others suggested they were charms used by sailors to ward off death or even mimic burials for those lost at sea. There is also a provocative theory that the little figures are tributes to the seventeen victims of famed Edinburgh serial killers Burke and Hare, as the figures were found just seven years after Burke’s execution. However, all of the figures are dressed in male attire, whereas twelve of Burke and Hare’s victims were female. Interestingly, some of the figures have arms while others have had theirs removed to fit in their coffins, perhaps suggesting they were not originally made to be buried. Allen Simpson and Samuel Menefee (of the University of Edinburgh and the University of Virginia, respectively) carried out a detailed study of the figures in 1994, and have suggested they were adapted from a set of wooden toy soldiers manufactured around the 1790s, but not re-clothed or buried in the cave until the 1830s. But this is really the extent of knowledge about them. There's a great very well researched article on The Fortean in the Archives site here   https://aforteantinthearchives.wordpress.com/2010/01/10/the-miniature-coffins-found-on-arthurs-seat/ It's quite a coincidence that I visited today, as it is only three days away from the first published account of the discover, which appeared in the Scotsman on July 16th 1836, said to be three weeks after the boys found them. If you want to read a very well researched article about the coffins check out the Historian Mike dash's web page below. https://mikedashhistory.com/2010/08/31/the-miniature-coffins-found-on-arthurs-seat/

[celticculture]

[haroldthehousehippo]

Move over Arthur, it’s my seat now!

[daemonstalley]

Good morning everyone!

It is 3am! I’m on a coach ride from Edinburgh back home, and I cannot sleep, so have photos!

We did lots - climbed some mountains, some hills, and ate fried food!

Beautiful city! Beautiful Mountains! Just Beautiful!

Fried Oreo’s and fried Mars Bars? Less beautiful! Kinda tasty though!

[noconcessions]

[travelonourown]

[musingsofadragon]

[edinburgh-by-the-sea]

a tinge of crimson

[kylebonallo]

by Kyle Bonallo (ig: @kylebonallo)

[scotianostra]

On January 30th 1906 the first motor-car drove up the 800 feet to the summit of Arthur's Seat. 

Mr Charles Jarrett of motor engineer firm, Jarrett & Letts drove his 22 h.p. Crossley up the hill with 5 passengers, his colleague William Letts, two journalists, a photographer and a mechanic.

[huariqueje]

Garden scene with blue ladder - Arthur Percy , 1947.

Swedish, 1886 - 1976

Oil on panel, 46 x 55 cm.

[samglyph]

[blorbolaundry]

I'M GONNA BE LOCKED TF IN AS SOON AS I GET THE NOTIFICATION!!!

[chiropteracupola]

so take the wheel and I will take the pedals

[adhd-merlin]

tbh I think Arthur would have been more upset at finding out Merlin let loose a dragon in Camelot than at the fact that he had magic

[ajokeformur-ray]

Once again at the doctor's office for coeliac disease related complications.... Chronic/autoimmune diseases can go choke on cacti 🙃