Crown Stones
The Crown Stones are part of the King of Cumbria five-stone circuit. The Kings' Stones located at Dunmail Raise make up the other three. We recommend lifting the Kings' Stones prior to the walk-in to lift the Crown Stones.
Weights
Aluinn Stone - 77kg / 169lbs
Cynehelm (Crown) Stone - 123kg / 271lbs
Location
View on Google Maps
View on What3Words - ///kiosk.storybook.hence
The Challenge
Stones to Chest
Name Origins
The Aluinn Stone is named after a wise mountain woman - today more commonly known as a witch - named Aluinn, who reportedly threw it in Grisedale Tarn (taken from W.G Collingwoods book "Thorstein of the Mere; a saga of the Northmen in Lakeland.").
The Cynehelm (Crown) Stone – Cynehelm is a native old Englsih word combining Cyne (Royal) and helm (helmet), meaning "royal helmet" or crown. Named in honour of the last King of Cumbria, whose crown was cast into the dark waters of Grisedale Tarn to keep it from enemy hands, where it is said to wait to be reclaimed.
Stones Placement
Stones sourced from the high ground on the fells surrounding the tarn by hand and placed by @dances_with_stones and @conortoms_strongman. With thanks to @sherlock_stones for assisting with the name origins of these Stones.
Access to the Stones requires a walk up 538m elevation from where the Kings' Stones are located, next to Dunmail Raise. This journey recreates the warriors journey from the battle ground to where the crown was cast into Grisedale Tarn.
History
According to legend, King Dunmail met his end in 945 AD at a narrow mountain pass between Grasmere and Thirlmere, where his outnumbered Celtic warriors faced the combined forces of King Edmund of England and King Malcolm of Scotland.
The clash was said to be fierce and desperate, with shields breaking and spears splintering among the rocks, until Dunmail was cut down and his kingdom finally broken. His loyal warriors gathered his body and buried him beneath a great cairn of stones at the site of his fall, now known as Dunmail Raise.
Carrying his crown into the high fells, they encounted a wise mountain witch named Aluinn, who cast the crown into the deep, cold waters of Grisedale Tarn so it would not fall into enemy hands.
In the years that followed, the spirits of his warriors were believed to return each year, rising from the hills to recover the crown and carry it back to the cairn, striking it upon the stones as they called to their fallen King.
From within the grave, his voice was said to answer, “Not yet, not yet; wait awhile, my warriors,” until the day he will rise and claim his kingdom once more.
