Coronation stone

A coronation stone is a stone which has taken part in the ceremony of a monarch’s coronation. These stones were primarily used in medieval Europe, but historical examples exist throughout the world. Stones believed to have been used as coronation stones still exist, but public figures and historians argue about their authenticity and use today. Some are considered by historians to have been invented in the early modern period.

List
StoneKingsLocationPeriodNotesRefs
Coronation Stone[1] Kings of Wessex and Kings of the English Kingston upon Thames Late 9th century [1]
Lia Fáil King of Tara and High King of Ireland Hill of Tara Gaelic Ireland [2][3]
Stone of Scone[4] or Stone of Destiny King of Scotland, King of Great Britain, King of the United Kingdom Now Edinburgh Mid 9th century [4]
Stones of Mora[5] King of Sweden Knivsta 13th to 15th century [5]
Duke's Chair or Duke's Seat princes of Carantania, dukes of Carinthia Zollfeld plain between Maria Saal (Klagenfurt-Land) and Klagenfurt, in Carinthia (Austria) Herman, Duke of Carinthia (1161) - Ferdinand IV, King of the Romans (1651)
Prince's Stone[3] princes of Carantania, dukes of Carinthia originally it stood northwest of the Kaiserpfalz of Karnburg in the Zollfeld plain;
nowadays in the Landhaus of Klagenfurt		 Medieval Europe
Kök Tash[6] Kings of the Timurid Empire Samarkand 13th century [6]

History

While there does not appear to be a single common source, the origins of most coronation stones are associated with legends with connections to historical events. It has been proposed that stones, being a common and long lasting natural material, were naturally used as seats and were associated with monarchs. Over time, that association evolved to make these stones equal to the sacredness of a monarch.[5] Many of the coronation stones in the British Isles claim to share a common origin, specifically the Lia Fail and Stone of Scone, though this is disputed among sources.[3][7][8]

In Europe, there are many recorded instances of coronation ceremonies being conducted with these stones.

Outside of Europe, there are mentions of special stones being used by rulers for their coronation ceremonies, such as the Kök Tash,[6] Etai Odidem/Ntui,[9] and Vatubulia.[10]

Modern use and controversy

While most of these coronation stones are no longer in use, the Stone of Scone still holds a symbolic place in the United Kingdom and Scotland. As a result of nationalist contentions, this coronation stone has been the center of controversies, even resulting in its theft in 1950,[11] though it was returned.

The Stone of Scone has been slated for use again in the coronation ceremony of Charles III.[12] This has resulted in further controversy about its veracity and the place that a coronation stone has in a modern monarchy.[13][14]

References
  1. Keynes, Simon (2001). "Kingston-upon-Thames". In Michael Lapidge; John Blair; Simon Keynes; Donald Scragg (eds.). The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Anglo-Saxon England. Blackwell Publishing. ISBN 978-0-6312-2492-1.
  2. Conwell, Eugene A. (1864). "On the Lia Fail on Tara Hill". Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 9: 539–540. JSTOR 20488943.
  3. Nitze, William A. (1956). "The Siege Perilleux and the Lia Fáil or "Stone of Destiny"". Speculum. 31 (2): 258–262. doi:10.2307/2849412. ISSN 0038-7134. JSTOR 2849412. S2CID 162472740.
  4. Breeze, David John; Munro, Graeme (1997). The Stone of Destiny: Symbol of Nationhood. Historic Scotland. ISBN 978-1-900168-44-1.
  5. "The Kingston Morasteen", Surrey Archaeological Collections, Volume 1, retrieved 2022-12-13
  6. Sela, Ron (January 2007). "The 'Heavenly Stone' (Kök Tash) of Samarqand: A Rebels' Narrative Transformed". Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain & Ireland. 17 (1): 21–32. doi:10.1017/S1356186306006535. S2CID 163004650. ProQuest 1681943706.
  7. MacLean, Hector (1891). "The Ancient Peoples of Ireland and Scotland Considered". The Journal of the Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland. 20: 154–179. doi:10.2307/2842234. JSTOR 2842234.
  8. Hartland, E. Sidney (1903). "The Voice of the Stone of Destiny: An Enquiry into the Choice of Kings by Augury". Folklore. 14 (1): 28–60. doi:10.1080/0015587X.1903.9719334. JSTOR 1254267.
  9. Jeffreys, M. D. W. (1939). "Some Notes on the Ekoi". The Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland. 69 (1): 95–108. doi:10.2307/2844232. JSTOR 2844232.
  10. Geraghty, Paul (2022). "The Prehistory of Suva". Suva Stories. ANU Press. pp. 25–54. ISBN 978-1-76046-533-9. JSTOR j.ctv2xc67p4.11.
  11. Jones, Mark (2014). "Restitution". Cultural Heritage Ethics. Open Book Publishers. pp. 149–168. ISBN 978-1-78374-068-0. JSTOR j.ctt1287k16.16.
  12. "Historic Stone of Destiny to be moved to London for new King's coronation". The Independent. 2022-09-11. Retrieved 2022-12-13.
  13. Drysdale, Neil. "Why will the Stone of Destiny be used in King Charles III coronation". The Courier. Retrieved 2022-12-13.
  14. Gunn, Campbell. "Campbell Gunn: Stone of Destiny's role in coronation is insulting tokenism". Press and Journal. Retrieved 2022-12-13.


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