Wotanstein | |
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  Wotanstein Shown within Hesse | |
| Alternative name | Wodanstein |
|---|---|
| Location | Maden,Hesse, Germany |
| Coordinates | 51°9′48″N9°22′13″E / 51.16333°N 9.37028°E /51.16333; 9.37028 |
| Type | megalith |
| Length | 1.2 m (3 ft 11 in) |
| Width | 0.55 m (1 ft 10 in) |
| Height | 2.12 m (6 ft 11 in) |
| History | |
| Material | Tertiaryquartzite |
| Site notes | |
| Public access | yes |
TheWotanstein (English:Wotan's stone), also known as 'Wodanstein' or earlier on 'Malstein', is a smallmegalith ormenhir situated close to the village of Maden,Schwalm-Eder-Kreis,Hesse,Germany.
The megalith is situated on the south-west corner of the village of Maden, on an elevation between the streams of the Goldbach to the east and Henkelborn to the west. The land on which it stands has an elevation of 177 m (581 ft). It is on the east side of the road that goes to Obervorschütz.
The stone is c. 2.12 m (6 ft 11 in) high, 1.2 m (3 ft 11 in) wide, and 0.55 m (1 ft 10 in) thick. The above-ground volume is thus 1.4 m3 (49 cu ft) and given quartzite has adensity of 2,648 kg/m3 (4,463 lb/cu yd), the above-ground stone weighs c. 3.7 metric tons (3.6 long tons). For comparison, the above-groundmass ofRiesenstein nearWolfershausen is ten times more. The excavation during theSeven Years' War (see below) discovered the stone is as deep underground as it is high above-ground. Therefore, its mass is closer to c. 7.5 metric tons (7.4 long tons).
It is composed ofNeogeneMiocene (from23 million years ago to8 million years ago)quartzite. In contrast to quartzites produced bymetamorphism, theTertiarysedimentary quartzites were the product of intenseweathering of localTriassicBuntsandsteinsandstones in a tropical climate. The quartzite does not locally outcrop (the next outcrops are nearFritzlar,Borken andMelsungen), so that the stone must have been brought to this place and erected.
The stone's longest horizontal axisstrikes N065 ± 5° and it stands vertically. Therefore, the largestfaces are directed towards c. 155°, i.e. south-south-east and 335°, north-north-west.
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It is not known for certain when the megalith was erected or for what reason it was placed in this location. However, it is presumed from finds at other similar megaliths in the area (e.g.Riesenstein) that it was erected in the 3rd centuryBC.[1]
Later, around the 1st century BC, it was most probably used by theChatti to worshipOdin, known inOld High German as "Wôtan" or "Wodan".[2]
In 1407 the stone was mentioned in documents asdeme langen steyne zu Madin (English:the long stone at Madin (Maden)). According tooral tradition, during theSeven Years' War (1756–1763) it was excavated because it was rumoured that treasure was buried under it, but remains of human bones were found instead. They also discovered the stone was as deep as it is high.
The first Christian church inFritzlar was built bySaint Boniface from the wood of theDonar's Oak. It is said that theDevil, who lived onMader Stein (or the nearby Lamsberg hill), wanted to destroy the church with a stone. There are two different versions of the next part:
Either way it fell in a field on the onskirts of Maden. The stone was called Wotanstein. The marks and scratches on the stone were caused by the devil's claws.
