Island of Tory is due to be released by Loconeal Publishing in March 2012.Throughout history there have been people who have become so larger than life and so imbued with incredible stories that they transcend the status of mere human being and propel themselves into the annals of myth and legend. Because they cursed, they shall be cursed, an Irish version of karma. I imagine that the islanders are stuck in time because of their malevolent behavior. In my novel, Island of Tory, I use the legends of these magical rocks to weave a tale of the possible consequences of the curse on the island and its inhabitants. Now all that remains is the Cloch Arclai, the cursing stone’s pedestal. The last time the stone was seen was in 1884 when it was allegedly used to curse the English tax ship the HMS WASP and cause it to wreck on the rocks of Tory. It was part of a holy pilgrimage called the An Turas Mór. The Cursing Stone was located at the west end of the island, but it is now mysteriously missing. Anyone lacking such courage may also be granted a wish by successively throwing three stones onto its crest. A wish is granted to anyone who is brave enough to climb on top of it. It juts out on a cliff 100m above the Atlantic Ocean. The Wishing Stone sits at the top of Balor’s Fort. As small as this island is, it boasts two magical stones–the Leac na Leannán or Wishing Stone and the Cloch na Mallacht or Cursing Stone. Tory Island is no exception to the Irish rule. Many visitors to Blarney Castle risk bending over backwards to reach the stone with their lips in the hopes that a little luck will rub off.
The legend says that those who kiss the rock will be granted the gift of gab. The famous Blarney Stone near Cork, Ireland is a perfect example. Ireland boasts of the greatest collection of wishing and cursing stones anywhere in the world. One reason for Ireland’s strong belief in stone magic could be attributed to the Celts and their religious devotion to rocks. Myths abound of the supernatural power of Irish rocks. And most famously, Stonehenge in Wiltshire, England reminds us that early man was industrious and clever as well as spiritual.īut stones from Ireland have long held a mystique of their own. At Carnac in France, rows of monoliths stand at attention over grassy fields. The pyramids in Egypt tower above the sands. In Chile, massive stone statues keep watch over Easter Island. These ancient stone shrines remain standing as a testament to man’s belief that there is power in rock. Megalithic monuments were erected for sacred ceremonies all over the world. Later, stones were considered God’s dwelling place. At first, stones were worshipped as a manifestation of God himself. Given man’s continued dependence on rock, it is little wonder that stones would evolve into man’s earliest symbol of divinity. Later, great buildings and cities were constructed of stone. Stone walls were the early artists’ first canvases.
#The wishing stone and other myths how to#
They learned how to build fires for cooking, warmth, and protection by striking sparks from stone. Humans fashioned their first tools from stone. Since man’s earliest time, he has relied on rocks for his very existence.
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