Hjaltadans
Encyclopedia
Hjaltadans, also known as Fairy Ring or Haltadans stone circle, is a stone circle
on the island of Fetlar
in Shetland, Scotland. This site is a ring of 38 stones, of which 22 are still fixed in the soil, and it is 37 feet (11.3 m) in diameter. Inside this is an earthen ring 26 feet (7.9 m) in diameter, with a 5 feet (1.5 m) gap in the southwest side. In the center of the rings are two rectangular pillars.
According to J. Jakobsen, the name Haltadans means: "lame or limping dance". This is a reference to the legend that the circle of stones was once a circle of dancing trolls and that the two rock pillars in the center were once a fiddler and his wife. They had fiddled and danced all night long, and, heedless of the time, were still fiddling and dancing when the sun rose and petrified them all.
Stone circle
A stone circle is a monument of standing stones arranged in a circle. Such monuments have been constructed across the world throughout history for many different reasons....
on the island of Fetlar
Fetlar
Fetlar is one of the North Isles of Shetland, Scotland, with a population of 86 at the time of the 2001 census. Its main settlement is Houbie on the south coast, home to the Fetlar Interpretive Centre...
in Shetland, Scotland. This site is a ring of 38 stones, of which 22 are still fixed in the soil, and it is 37 feet (11.3 m) in diameter. Inside this is an earthen ring 26 feet (7.9 m) in diameter, with a 5 feet (1.5 m) gap in the southwest side. In the center of the rings are two rectangular pillars.
According to J. Jakobsen, the name Haltadans means: "lame or limping dance". This is a reference to the legend that the circle of stones was once a circle of dancing trolls and that the two rock pillars in the center were once a fiddler and his wife. They had fiddled and danced all night long, and, heedless of the time, were still fiddling and dancing when the sun rose and petrified them all.