The Hitching Stone: an English Roc Redon

 

The Roc Redon

The Roc Redon, in the western valley that leads from the plateau of Opoul to La Belle Oriole, is a unique rock formation. Unfortunately, little to no folklore or knowledge seems to have survived about this enigmatic rock formation, even though some must have existed.

From a logical perspective, we can argue that the site must have been known to early Mankind, who has left its traces in the region, from Tautavel to the La Caune cave in Perillos itself. Perhaps it was considered to be the residence of a hermit, or perhaps the residence of a ghost or fairy – and thus an entrance into the “Otherworld”. But the best analysis is perhaps by analogy, by comparing it to another, similar location… in England, of which more history and folklore has survived.

The Hitching Stone

The Hitching Stone is reputed to be Yorkshire's largest boulder. Estimated to weigh 1,000 tons, it measures 10 metres long, 8 metres wide and 7 metres high. This mighty stone is undoubtedly glacier borne, and almost certainly had its place of origin on Earl Crag, 1.5 km to the north. The stone is a primary landmark and oddity and was therefore used in organising the land: the towns of Cowling, Sutton and Keighley meet here, as do the wapentakes of Skyrack and Staincliffe, as well as the counties of Yorkshire and Lancashire.

Similarities

Like Roc Redon, it is a solemn piece of stone; the only difference is that the Stone sits on the top of a crest, whereas the Roc sits at the bottom of a valley. Each has a “chamber”, each has a “reservoir” on top, which has contained water.
The chamber of the Hitching Stone is located on the western side, looking west; that of the Roc Redon is directed towards the Opoul plateau. We know that the Roc Redon features within the “sacred geography” of Perillos, and so does the Hitching Stone. The chamber looks to Pendle Hill on the horizon – the sacred hill of Lancashire. It also means that it is orientated towards the equinoxes, specifically the setting sun.

Mythology

Unlike the Roc Redon, there is extant mythology and folklore surrounding the Hitching Stone. One local legend recorded by John Gray in 1891 recounts the initiation of neophytes that occurred here. In this initiation, the initiates were apparently sat in the hole, looking west (facing Pendle Hill). It was also the site of a Lammas fair until 1870.
There are also two folk-tales relating to the activities of local witches. The first tells how the boulder was named and how it came to sit where it does; being ‘hitched up’ there.
The second recounts how a different witch, this time on the tops of Ilkley Moor, was so annoyed at having her view of the land around spoiled by this huge rock, that she stuck the handle of her broomstick into the stone, lifted it high and flung it across the valley. Intriguingly, there is a hole running through the stone, which is believed to have been caused by a very ancient, fossilized tree, which has since disappeared, only to leave a hole that does indeed look remarkably like fitting a giant broomstick.

A sacred landscape

Like the Roc Redon, the Hitching Stone features in a larger sacred landscape. Not only is it orientated towards Pendle Hill, it is part of a more local sacred landscape too. From the top of the stone one can see another rock, half a mile to the north-west, known as the ‘Winter Hill Stone’…This stone got its name as it is said that the winter solstice sunrise appears from behind the Hitching Stone on the horizon. There are other rock formations in the immediate vicinity which show signs of cup marks and which could therefore be part of a sacred landscape, which relies on interrelationships between the various site, evolving around a centre feature.
In the case of Perillos, we know that this feature is Montaillou Perillou, which could thus be compared to Pendle Hill, which seems to be a key site in the Yorkshire setting.

By comparison…

It is dangerous to transpose the mythology of one site onto another; the two structures are very much alike, yet not identical. As a result, we only hope that this analogous reasoning will only be a primer, which may rekindle memories of local legends, rituals or traditions involving Perillos’ Roc Redon.

Filip Coppens