The rolling green hills outside of Ireland hold more history than meets the eye. Legends merged into folklore, and folklore turned into history. Knowth, located not far from Dublin, is part of a larger pre-Christian complex called Brú na Bóinne, in which Knowth is joined by sister sites Newgrange and Dowth. From its mythical founding to the mysterious mortals building megalithic passage tombs, Knowth has withstood the test of both time and bloodshed as bravely as Tara, the hill of ancient and medieval sovereignty of Ireland. Knowth thus rivals Tara not only as a bastion of Irish power but also as custodian of the best-preserved megalithic tombs in the region.
Knowth’s Megalithic Tomb
The megalithic passage tombs at Knowth (and at neighboring Newgrange and Dowth) are man-made, created from large megalithic boulders. Evidence suggests these structures were intentionally tampered with for pre-Christian burial and ceremonial purposes. Some 2000 years later, after a period of activity, it appears that the site was used for a few select Iron Age burials—thus the sanctity of Knowth was remembered and extended or accidentally continued beyond the millennium period.
Panorama of knowledge. (Günter Claßen/ CC BY SA 3.0 )
Details relating to the structure of the tombs are best described by Ireland’s world heritage site:
“[Knowth] covers an area of about half a hectare (about 1.5 acres) and is 95m across at its widest point. Surrounding the entrances to the tombs are unusual stones such as quartz, granite and banded stone Smaller tombs, some of which are connected to the larger tomb, are clustered around the large mound.”
Aerial view of knowledge. (Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government)
Knowth consists of two megalithic tombs, known to modern archaeologists simply as the eastern and western tombs. Megalithic tombs are exactly what they look like—a large chamber located at the end of a long, sometimes curving passage. The room itself is not only large enough for many visitors, but also tall enough for visitors to stand upright. The honeycomb ceiling is shaped with moldings that allow visitors additional standing space, possibly for the purpose of any religious rituals performed in the mounds.
Eastern path inside the megalithic site of Knowth, Co. Meath, Ireland. (Przemysław Sakrajda/ CC BY SA 3.0 )
Mythical inhabitants of Knowth
Mounds were sacred sites in many ancient cultures, especially those located in the British Isles, and it is believed that it was from these religious traditions that medieval beliefs about The fairy mound has originated. Mythologically, the Knowth has a long-standing role in pre-Christian traditions. Irish folklore tells the story of Oengus (or Aengus), son of Dagda and thus one of the Tuatha de Danann, who named the area of Brú na Bóinne (hence Newgrange, Dowth and Knowth) as a place on your own.
Legend has it that he fell in love with a mortal princess named Caer Ibormeith (cursed to take the form of a swan every year) in his dreams and ventured away from Brú na Bóinne to find her. After successfully identifying her among countless swans, Oengus and Caer lived out the rest of their days happily married in Brú na Bóinne.
A Victorian depiction of Áengus mac Óg, depicted here with swan wings. (Public domain)
Knowth’s art and archeology
Archaeological evidence shows that megalithic tombs were most likely the site of religious ceremonies; however whether those rituals involved only burials or other practices is still debated. Little evidence has been found of habitation in or around the mound during the Neolithic period; however the discoveries of votive offerings both inside and outside the megalithic structure suggest the possibility that visitors came to the site for religious reasons. Archaeologists have postulated that because of the construction of passages within the mound—and similar structures are seen at Tara, for example—there may have been an astronomical reason behind the methods used and the construction of megalithic structures. The occurrence of ritual activities in, around and/or through Knowledge may have a relationship between the east-west movement of the sun and the respective deities.
Artistically, Knowth contains a large amount of megalithic art, ranging from “typical” ancient Celtic spiral and lozenge symbols (diamond or diamond shape), both of which are often believed to be represents the cycle of the sun or the seasons. Again, because of these pre-Christian geometric patterns—patterns often discovered in pagan Celtic spaces—a correlation between the movement of the sun and the Use earthen mounds. Early Irish ogham writing also abounds on megaliths, although these date from about two thousand years after geometric shapes could be carved. These inscriptions not only reveal that the site was returned and once again valuable, but that the period between the spiral and lozenge as well as the ogham works (respectively the Neolithic and the Early Iron Age) during which Knowth underwent its most important transformation.
The megalithic carved stone at Knowth has a series of spiral engravings. (John M/ CC BY SA 2.0 )
During the Neolithic period, Knowth was almost certainly a religious burial site and was eventually abandoned. The reason for its abandonment is uncertain; The lack of common objects found dating back about 2000 years between the Neolithic and Iron Age periods is a major indicator of this abandonment.
However, with the end of the Iron Age and the beginning of the new Christian era, people returned to Knowth, despite having no prior knowledge of the site’s use (it is believed that). As Knowth was transformed from a sacred mound of megalithic burial chambers into a fortified hill fortress, late Iron Age people rediscovered the aforementioned passage tombs. It seems that the newcomers did not use the megalithic tombs for their own burial purposes but chose to bury a select number of their dead nearby in the aforementioned cist tombs. The prominence of megalithic tombs in later settlements became increasingly apparent thanks to the collection of Christian carvings found in the passages and medieval ogham inscriptions .
The foundations of a later (Christian?) building, dating long after the construction of Knowth’s Passage Mausoleum Cemetery. The main mound is visible on the right, with a satellite tomb on the left. (Rob Hurson/ CC BY SA 4.0 )
Today, Knowth is protected by the Irish World Heritage Society, along with her sister sites Newgrange and Dowth. According to the association, people can visit the sites and explore the passage graves in a way that protects both visitors and the sites themselves. During the Iron Age, parts of the Knowth megalithic passage tomb were damaged during the construction of the hill fort and the World Heritage Society sought to prevent further damage, whether accidental or random. Although Knowth is no longer used for ceremonial or burial purposes, its rich history can still be consistently revisited.
