INTRODUCTION

In the shape of successive summaries issued since 2000, cromlechprene.com has logged my various endeavours to research into the Pyrenean stone circle -Psc-. Now, in July 2004, I have decided to try and recapitulate my investigations in note form for those who wish to start studying the subject and, particularly, for those who wish to continue a research which, due to the laws of life, I will have no material time to conclude.
Generally speaking, I consider the following to be proven: that all Psc's represent stars; that the diameter of the circles in each Psc group is proportional to the brilliance of the star it represents; that their principal witnesses are related to the stars or astronomic ephemeris represented; that Psc's are located on the ground and are a carbon copy of the firmament, basically and approximately on the N-S, E-W lines and the 120º-300º axis, in the direction of the dawning of Sirius and Antares, and to the simultaneous settings of Cygnus, in relation to the risings of Sirius, and of Aldebarán, El Nath, Alhena and Capella to that of Antares. These axes are marked with references to outstanding mountains, the summits of which are frequently emphasized by stellar risings, settings and ephemeris, essentially repeated in different places in a thousand and one forms. Occasionally, the cur-rent names of certain positions of Pyrenean stone circles and of certain mountains confirm the proposed stellar comparison deducible from the circles.
Based on the general idea that the Psc was partly created for religious purposes, the period of time during which the cromlech was used for this reason was born with its con-struction, in approximately 600 BC, and continued until at least the year 400 of our era, the beginnings of the badly documented Christianization, a period of coexistence between Rome and the gradually emerging Christianity, in a process culminating with the appear-ance of the worship of Saint James around the 9th and 10th Centuries of our era and subse-quent flourishing of the Way of St. James in what was probably a syncretism with a primi-tive pilgrimage, seeking the sunset to the West and the end of the world in Finisterre on what is now parallel 43.
The area, ranging from the birth of Sirius to the setting of Cygnus, centred approxi-mately on axis 120º-300º, the start of the three-season year, is one of the keys to this back-ground. On studying the Okabe stone circles in the 3rd issue, we dealt with what can be considered to be the pagan essence of this axis. To the southern and western limits, the sanctuary of San Miguel de Aralar, likewise constructed on the strip centring on another notable axis, 120º-300º, represents a Christian syncretism with the same pagan ideas as found in Okabe, in geographical surroundings of similar characteristics.
Although the stone circle was born in Pyrenean protohistory, the astronomical knowledge necessary for its construction and the religion it reflects can be considered as historical, given that written documents exist on both subjects. I looked for the astronomy and religion contained by these monuments separately in different sources, in the endeav-our to find historical backing which presumably must have existed, given the magnitude of the work and the time of its construction. Although in my work I have constantly quoted the historical references I have found, having discovered the astronomical meaning of the Psc, the current phase of my work (that of linking ancient Pyrenean astral religion to its subsequent Christianity) has a number of blanks. It is understandable that the narrators of a tale with such an obvious winner decided not to write about the opposite beliefs and argu-ments, just as the losers, part of whose belief, calendar, pantheon, etc., was synchronically assimilated, left non-written traces. Where are these traces? Nobody knows with any cer-tainty, or whether documents published on the question have been found. As a working hypothesis to be demonstrated with new examples, we are going to consider, in a principle, that Romanesque art encloses keys to previously existing beliefs, just as the characteristics of the location of a good number of reconverted pagan temples and sanctuaries give clues to the previous religion.

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