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198 points isaacfrond | 1 comments | | HN request time: 0s | source
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hopelite ◴[] No.45099153[source]
On a related note, since the Paleolithic rarely comes up on HN, something that seems to rarely come up in English language content; Menhir [1] (Long stone) or standing stones, which are spread all across Europe, some very elaborately decorated, others with sight holes cut in them, others extremely large, i.e., 30-40 feet tall before they were knocked over by the invasive meme, Christianity.

They are found from Portugal all the way to Siberia, but very little is known about them following the Christian meme eradicating the indigenous cultures through the many purges and programs from 300CE on.

There are some references that imply at least in some places they were a kind of connection to the afterlife and ancestors that would turn into birds that would perch on top of the standing stone, something that is still part of indigenous beliefs and practices in parts of Asia. It's basically the indigenous culture of the Native Europeans that middle eastern Christianity destroyed and eradicated like it destroyed and eradicated the Native Americans and so many other native people and cultures around the world.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menhir

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jalk ◴[] No.45099587[source]
The Wikipedia article suggest that they could have been erected as far back as 6000-7000 years ago - so older than Stonehenge, and therefor also older than Celtic culture. The Wikipedia article suggest that early Christians defaced and destroyed some of the stones, but knowledge about the people who erected those stones was lost way earlier than 300CE.
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hopelite ◴[] No.45101754[source]
I just used Wikipedia as a quick reference in English. There is clear evidence that the practices of ancestors worship and their ancient practices involving these stones was directly linked to Christian persecution, including documented examples of the progroms against the indigenous Europeans starting immediately following crusades and effectively being part of them.
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1. jalk ◴[] No.45102523[source]
Can you provide some references to that. Also I've never before heard about Christian crusades earlier than the late 11th century one started by pope Urban II. Perhaps you are thinking about peoples like the Wends in Arkona (Slavic "pagan" tribe in northeastern Germany), who were force converted into Christianity in the 12th century. If they somehow were worshiping the stones in question, then that sounds more like retrofitting existing ancient monuments into their own religion, rather than keeping some ancient knowledge alive.