Newgrange Research Paper

In this assignment the question of how Newgrange can aid us to explore the phenomenon of world religion will be discussed. Newgrange is a world heritage site and the very achievement of receiving such a status is something to mw which clearly identifies the importance of this site. Newgrange is on par with some of the most impressive wonders of the world, for example Stonehenge and The Pyramids in Egypt, if not even more impressive as it was built much earlier than either of them. Throughout this essay I will examine how we can study Newgrange as an aid to look at the phenomenon of religion. I will undertake this task by making reference to books and internet sites which are of an academic nature.

The phenomenon of world religion basically is trying to understand the origins of world religion and where it came from. This essay will examine the different features which combine to make this historical site so extraordinary. There are many symbols, customs and also manifests an example of how the dead were buried during this period and the obvious religious importance of burial chambers.

There are two very special symbols and significant symbols which are held within Newgrange. These
two symbols are time and place. Time is very important in Newgrange. The roof box is extremely momentous in Newgrange. This is another example to illustrate to us that the construction of Newgrange was not part of a rushed procedure, but it was a site which was constructed with a large amount of time and effort used. The amount of labour and time which they spent on Newgrange means to me that they felt very strongly about their religious beliefs. There is a very impressive mathematical skill used in the construction of the chamber. The sunlight is important as dark is seen to be associated with death and immortality. The roof box as it is known lets light into the chamber and this occurs on the first day of the new solar cycle which occurs on the 21st of December which is the winter solice. This is an event which is still greatly attended to this day.

The second symbol which I will discuss is the place of the site. The location of Newgrange within Bru Na Boinne. The location is surrounded by water nearly completely and is almost an island. It is also not a coincidence that it was built on high ground. Like many of the famous ancient religious sites it was built on a hill as it was believed that the higher it was constructed it was closer to God, this was also the case with the Pyramids in Egypt. The fact that it was built on high ground illustrates the religious reasoning behind the construction of Newgrange. Another religious feature and a symbol of place is the way the burial chamber was designed. The way into the chamber is ascension. This would also have been very deliberate as it symbolises the ascension of a dead soul into heaven.

The spiritual aspect of Newgrange is very obvious throughout the site and this is why in my opinion it serves as an important aid to explore the phenomenon of world religion.
Newgrange would have been regarded as the cathedrals of their day. The burial toms were not just built as a place to bury the dead but they were also importantly a place to worship. There were 40 passage tombs at Newgrange and they were possibly the most impressive form of burial there were. The burial of the dead must have had a very significant religious aspect to the people at this time as it still is now. The fact that the tombs took decades to build and the different features which were added to them over the time shows that they felt it was important to give those who died the correct send of to
Heaven.
In conclusion, the many different features of the Bru Na Boinne would suggest that people clearly felt very strongly about religion. They obviously put a lot of effort, thought and labour into the construction of the passage tombs. It is very clear to me that the people of this time only put all of this effort into Newgrange as they were very devoted to their faith and it was something which had a deep importance to them. In my opinion Newgrange gives us the perfect example and a vivid idea of the phenomenon of world religion. It is a place of devotion which is still frequently visited which is also an indication of its importance and impressiveness and people come from not only all over Ireland to visit it the site but also form all over the world. It is a site which is of great importance to the origins of organized religion.