Journey into the sound of stone

Fingal Cave – Celtic symphony for basalt and Atlantic 

" ... Cliffs of Darkness, caves of Wonder Echoing the Atlantic's thunder..." declared Sir Walter Scott, after visiting Fingal Cave, the mysterious cavern from Staffa Island, part of the Hebrides archipelago. Queen Victoria would later confirm it, during one of her travels, while perceiving the magical vibration of those lands.

1. The Cave of Music – the magic legend

According to the legend, Fionn mac Cumhaill (Fingal), a Scottish-Gaelic hero, part of Scotland & Ireland Mythology. Etymology of the name comes from the Gaelic area, an anglicized form of Fionnghall obtained from "Fion" and "Gall"; significance is associated with "white" in the sense of clean, pure, loyal. Fingal, the "white" legendary giant, devoted seven years of his childhood trying to catch Salmon the Knowledge and finally managed to capture it. The result was worth all the effort, because whoever ate the salmon would gain all the knowledge in the world. Also in his childhood, the son of Cummhail, local Warrior authority, learned to fight and hunt, 2 skills that would prove useful as adult. From that period, all legends talk about Fianna, a group of warriors devoted to the King, with major contributions in defeating barbarian invasions.

However, this group of warrior could not stop the atrocities perpetrated by a fire-breathing being, burning everything around, so they ask for his assistance. So, with the annihilation of this terrible plague it begins the epic adult life of Fingal, filled with many stories, every one more special and famous. If by learning the art of war Fingal was protected in his battle, with hunting, he met his future wife. Her name, Sadhbh, had been transformed into a deer because dhe did not want to marry, when the two dogs of Fingal, born men and turned in animals later, recognized her as a human being. Brought by Fingal to his estate, Sadhbh became a woman, married with him and gave birth to a son, but when Fingal was far away, she was again transformed into a deer and lost in the world ever since, unable to be found by Fingal, despite his best efforts.

2. The Cave of Music – Mysteries of facts

In his New York research center for investigating stone ruins, Salvatore Trento studies the mysterious places on Earth, trying to reveal their hidden meanings.  Upon his arrival on Staffa Island, underlined by huge basalt columns, partially covered by ocean water, he rediscovers the amazing acoustics of Fingal, the hero’s pit, while noticing, just like his famous ancestor Sir Walter Scott, the echo of thunder produced by Atlantic Tides.  The unreal and hard-to-define music that dominates the stone wilderness, conveys an air of supreme, unique and unrepeatable mystery.  And this is achieved by the huge hexagonal columns of basalt, perfectly chiseled, God’s perfect gifts, attempting to summon people back to those places.

photo source: amazing.zone

3. The Stone Thunder at Detunata Goala

Metaliferi Mountains, a division of the Apuseni Mountains includes Detunatele (lightning strike in Romanian), a pair of basalt peaks with columnar jointing. The pair of peak were named Detunata Goala si Detunata Flocoasa (Barren Detunata and Shaggy Detunata). The first seems to be a basalt replica of Hebrids, consisting of huge hexagonal and parallelepipedic columns, almost barren, the second, taller, is like its sister's, yet covered by forests. The collapse of basalt columns, large and heavy, discharge thunder sounds, perceived from far away. Not quite matching the echoes and musical rhythm of Fingals Cave, Detunata thunder will sometimes break the silence of such quiet place, just to remind the world, over millennia, their origin myth.

photo source: medium.com