Roldan Stone megalithic menhir and hike through Ata Valley (Navarre, Spain)

-2.jpg) ^{Above: Green and isolated Valley of Ata (Navarre, Spain) full of prehistoric megalithic stones}

Summer is ending... I can't believe how fast it has flown away... and I have been intending to share my hikes for a while but I never find the time (in fact I'm heading outdoors at the moment I'm typing this). I have intending to create a youtube vlog but sigh... again... time! So I thought I would share some of the highlights of my Summer and hikes, and maybe try to keep up later on. Nature plays a key role in the inspiration that nourish my art and music. And I'm fortunatelyto live close to it.

At the beginning of the trail we stumble upon green fields and herds of horses and ponies roaming free... They all had cowbells and the sound was really entrancing. I used my zoom recorder to sample the sound to include it in forthcoming songs and I event tried to kulnig (Swedish traditional herding calls) and they seem rather interested.

I had decided to carry my harp with me. I thought it was a good idea to film in our destination, the isolated and green Ata Valley in Navarre, Spain... For any reason I thought it was a good idea to carry a harp upwards through uncharted path...

Unfortunately @hedac and I realized very soon the hiking trail was really bad... Mud everywhere, the trail often disappearing or being absolutely blocked by fallen trees... And nettles and thorns... and NETTLES... Did I say Nettles? Sigh, yes, plenty of them.
And mud... Did I say mud? Sigh, plenty of it too!

Trail was still Summer green and lush and full of curious details as this little lair surrounded by cobweb on a mossy stone...

@hedac said... don't worry, the way back will be easier... so up we went... sweating and carrying the harp... well, being fair and honest, Hector took the worst part after a while... It did require many halts along the way.

And then... Wow... it was just worth it!

How Green is my Valley : Ata Valley in Aralar Mountains (Navarre, Spain)

I was too exhausted to be able to record a proper outdoors singing video, though I stood there making my harp sing. If you place a harp against the wind it "chants" with suspended chords, played by the air itself... It's called "aeolian harp" and I've used that sound in many of my songs, including the "The Wind song"

At this point we were aware that we were against time if we were to find the megalithic menhirs and dolmens scattered around the valley. We found the location of a few in gps and they were concealed by thorns and blackberry bushes, so nothing really I could share...

There is always a black sheep in every flock

That's a fact XD... though I think this XVIII proverb is very unfair... nothing wrong in being different, being rare and unique is precious...

We spend a while with this fluffy beautiful sheep.. valley is very far from any village or civilisation so peace up here is only interrupted by the gusts of wind and the herds of animals.

Thus we aimed for the most famous menhir in the valley: La Piedra de Roldan (Roldan's Stone)

Roldan's menhir: Dated more than 4000 years ago

Roldan's stone menhir found in XIX century in the isolated Ata Valley in Aralar (Navarre). This happened in 1894 when Iturralde and Suit classified the stone as a megalithic prehistoric menhir upright erect stones prehistoric monoliths.

The stone is less than a meter high but more than two thirds of the megalithic stone buried more than 2 meters undeground. What we see is very much like an iceberg only a relatively small stone of 1.10 meters x 60 cm wide, yet most of the structure is hidden.

^{Above: The menhir and a sketch made by the archaeologists Iturralde and Suit showing the true dimensions of it.}

It has seven claw like marks, legends say the marks of the fingers of mythical hero Roldan (Roland in France and Errolan in the Basque Country) who threw it. This hero died in Roncesvalles battle, precisely in Navarre, Spain, and his figure is surrounded my mystery and countless legends. During the Middle Ages Menhirs were thought to be have placed or thrown by giants... but Roldan lived as ordinary (or extraordinary) human.

So It was unlikely this legendary knight caused the marks as the stone while throwing it as it is dated in prehistoric times and Roldan lived in in the VIII century.

^{Death of Roldan in Battle of Roncesvalles (year 778) illustrated by Jean Fouque in 1455-1460. Public Domain Link}

So how were the marks done? Probably engraved to sharpen tools but of unknown origin and meaning. For me they look like claw marks...

Yep...
I made them

^{I was always wild and free}

What do you think caused the marks?
Mysteries are good for legends but I'm curious about your thoughts

Above: @hedac photographing the landscape (and yes, carrying the harp, hahah)

The last rays of sun...

So we had to retreat... and undo our trail the same way we climbed... all the way through the nettles and mud again...! But in complete darkness, just using some dim headlights. We fell a few times and it was so slippy and we were really sore by the time we reached the car...

All of this along many miles and hours...

carrying an harp...

Hector said to NEVER to carry my harp again... but I may say the week after we filmed an open mic by the creek and he did carry it... (that is love, I guess)
That resulted in my open mic entry a few weeks ago...
a reminder?

Above: Next hike (a week after Ata Valley adventure) I managed to actually record my harp outdoors

Concert next Saturday out in the woods to welcome Autumn

I steal the leaves but I'll bring them back in Spring

I do always carry my instruments like a minstrel and intend to do more outdoors music.
Playing out in Nature is one of my greatest satisfactions... in fact next Saturday 22nd I will welcome the Autumn Equinnox with a concert outdoors in the Oakwoods of Orgi (Navarre). But this will be a formal concert with public this time featuring this time my friend and musician Enrique Galdeano and some surprise guesting friends. I will try to film a bit of it or take many pictures to share with you all.

• All photographies taken by me and @hedac while hiking except the painting (XV century) and sketch (XIX century), both Public Domain.

Priscilla Hernandez
singer-songwriter & illustrator
http://yidneth.com