probably at certain times of the year. Amongst activities at such times, we might envisage ritual, social exchange and trade." The "certain times of the year" mentioned here would probably have been calculated using the suggested predictive calendar as outlined by Hood. The actual building of the circle, perhaps taking place in stages over time, might in itself have been one of the purposes of the monument. Folklore and popular culture The most famous of the many legends that surround the stones is that they were once a coven of witches who were turned to stone by a wizard from Scotland named Michael Scot. It is said the stones cannot be counted – but, if anyone is able to count them twice and come to the same total – the spell will be broken or it will bring very bad luck. Another legend states that if you walk round the circles and count the number of stones correctly, then put your ear to Long Meg, you will hear her whisper. The name itself is said to come from a local witch, Meg of Meldon, who was alive in the early 17th century. From a certain angle, the Long Meg stone resembles the profile of a witch. Note however that Meg of Meldon is the name given to Margaret Fenwick (née Selsby) who lived at Meldon near Morpeth, Northumberland, some 70 miles from these stones. Long animal bones found buried at the site may have been misinterpreted in the past as a 'Giant's bone and body'. Long Meg and Her Daughters was a filming location for the 2012 film Sightseers. References Footnotes Bibliography Menefee, Samuel Pyeatt, "Meg and Her Daughters: Some Traces of Goddess Beliefs in Megalithic Folklore," in Sandra Billington and Miranda Green eds., The Concept of the Goddess (1996): pp. 78–90. External links Photos of Long Meg on the Ancient Scotland site Long Meg and her daughters The Megalithic Portal The Modern Antiquarian: Long Meg and her Daughters Photos of Long Meg and other stone circles Myths and Legends of Long Meg and Her Daughters 360 Panoramic view of Long Meg Lake District Walks - Long Meg Stone Circle Cumbrian folklore Stone circles in Cumbria Witchcraft in England Hunsonby Scheduled monuments in Cumbria