Secret History X

Stone Circle at Col d'Petit St. Bernard

The Col du Petit Saint-Bernard located in Savoie, France, to the south of the Mont Blanc Massif, is a high (2188 metres) mountain pass in the Alps on the France–Italy border. At the site of the pass is a massive stone circle. The diameter (72 m – 236ft) of this stone circle makes it one of the most important stone rings in mainland Europe.

The site has not been precisely dated but from coin finds at the site and from references by various ancient historians, the site has been attributed to the Iron Age Tarentaisian (La Tene) culture (c. 725 BC–450 BC). A Roman temple dedicated to Jupiter was later erected nearby along with a Roman mansion to serve travelers along the pass. The site of the circle is typically only accessible between the mid-Summer Solstice (June) and Samhain (October).

The Oculus Astra

Regarding the Etymology of the Val d’Aosta on the eastern side of the pass, the name is sometime believe to have been derived from the Roman appellate Augusta Pretoria; however earlier historians have alluded to an alternate etymology as reference to the region as a gateway to the “Astra Pretoria”Col d’ Petit St Bernard. This stone circle is now in ruins but originally consisted of 52 stones encircling a central pillar into which was set the (Oculus Astra) a rather large pigeon-blood Star Ruby which some referred to as the Jovis Eye.

A dolmen consisting of three large stones aligned to the sunset at summer solstice once stood in the center of the circle, but was removed during the modern age to build a road. The Romans historians referred to the central pillar as the Columna Jovis (Jove’s Column) and the mountains themselves on either side as the Altars of Hercules. It is believed by many scholars (me included) that the Carthaginian general Hannibal used this route to cross the Alps into Italy during his infamous conquest of Rome.

St Bernard, as a result of a vision wherein he is visited by St Nicholas, destroy the central pillar and its “escarbucle” as they were obstructions to the spread of Christianity. What Bernard did with the ruby is a mystery (although rumors exist of various jewels housed in the Vatican Archives), but the central pillar now serves as the pedestal of the statue in Bernard’s honor.

Following is an excerpt from the Satyricon of Petronius Arbiter.

“In the high Alps where the rocks trodden by the Greek god slope downward and allow men to approach them there is a place sacred to the altars of Hercules the winter seals it with frozen snow and heaves it up on its white top to the sky It seems as though the sky had fallen away from there the beams of the full sun do not soften the place nor the breezes of the springtime but the soil stands stiff with ice and winter’s frost its frowning shoulders could support the whole globe.

When Caesar with his exultant army trod these heights and chose a place from whence he looked far over the fields of Hesperia and lifted his voice and both hands to the star and said ‘Jupiter Lord of all … I call you to witness that I do not willingly summon the War God to these hosts and that my hand is not raised willingly to strike But I am driven on by need.’

As he spoke these words aloud the Delphic bird gave a happy omen and beat the air as it flew then from the left quarter of a gloomy grove strange voices sounded and fire flashed thereafter. And the orb burned brighter than Phoebus wont and set a burning halo of gold about his face.”

© 2009, Secret History X. All rights reserved. On republishing this post you must provide link to the original post.