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Richard Hayward, a true lover of Ireland if
there ever was one, tells us this in his book "In Praise of Ulster".
"Some geologists tell us that the Causeway is
the result of a volcanic out-pouring of columnar basalt which in cooling
crystallized in the only possible way it could have crystallized,
and if you watch a basin of starch cooling
and exhibiting very definite hexagonal cracks you will get a single and
homely illustration of the manner in which the Giant's Causeway was created.
Another school of geology tells us that the crystallization theory is all
eyewash and that the formation is due to normal cooling phenomenon."
But
why worry over the scientific angle when there is such an interesting and
convincing legend, which explains it all. This was once the hone of giants,
and they built the Causeway and all it's "side attractions”. I was told this
basalt formation extends below the water connecting the shores of Northern
Ireland and Scotland and was placed there by the giants. This was so they
could wade across and confront each other in battle. This, though, is a
story for a latter date. I am now only telling you of what I saw. So let us
scurry back and take our seat in the wishing chair.
About
one flight down, and over our right shoulder, we could look into Lord
Anthrim's Parlor, a space about the size of a small room. Perhaps some
giant, in a fit of anger, swooped a huge fist into tae mound, casting into
the sea the crushed portion he removed. This mound and the adjacent section
is called "The Honeycomb".
Further to our back, and on the side of another hill, can be fancied the
"Giant’s Grandmother", turned to stone as she neared the peak. Another few
steps and she could have looked across the Atlantic at the giants in
Scotland, for indeed we could see the shores ourselves.
Pacing
back again, we saw on beyond the "Amphitheatre" to another hill on the water
front from which rises the "Giants Chimney". Mr. Hayward said in his book,
"Tradition tells us that Chimney Point, very aptly named, was fired on by a
vessel of the Spanish armada in mistake for Dunluce Castle".
From
this same famous chair can be seen the "Pillars" and on further in the
exposed gape of another hill, the "Giants Organ". Up until now we had viewed
these columnar formations from their tops, rising one above the other only a
few feet. This is still true of the "Pillars" which slope down to the sea.
One peculiar fact, we are told, is that the number of sides of any column,
when found to be the center of a cluster, multiplied by the number six, will
be the number of the total sides of all adjoining pillars. For instance, a
hexagonal pillar will be founded by six other pillars of varied sides and
the total number of the six will be thirty-six.
On our
way for a closer look at the Giant’s Organ we palled along side the "Giants’
Loom". It, like the Organ, proved to be a view of the sides of the much
talked of pillars, pitted and worn from weather exposures of the centuries.
The colors vary from burnt ember to mouldy grey and from pale yellow to
stagnant green. The Giants’ Organ, unlike the Loom, does not extend to the
top of the hill, and displays only the organ pipes. The rest of the Organ, I
suppose, has been covered by the sands of time. The Loom is perpendicular of
course and like the Organ, leaves much to the imagination. So let us be on
our way and through the "Giant Gate" to the "White Rocks". |
