History
reveals that in 1296, The Stone of Destiny was seized by King Edward I of Britain
and trans-
ported to London, where it was laid beneath The Coronation
Chair at Westminster Abbey. However,
Legend has it that Pictish Monks outsmarted the King and concealed The
Stone in an underground chamber. It was a Replica placed on The
Hill of Belief that was seized by King Edward I. In 1996,
this Stone was restored to the People of Scotland by the British Government
and now resides in
Edinburgh Castle. And what of the whereabouts of the true Stone
of Destiny? Sadly, that Secret
was Lost with the Monks…
Thereafter,
for nearly 500 years, the Kings of Scots were crowned on The Hill of Belief
as they sat
upon The Stone of Destiny. Even after The Stone was seized by Britain
in 1296, Coronations contin-
ued on The Hill of Belief until the mid-1600s. Today, a Replica
of The Stone of Destiny (also known
as The Stone of Scone, The Coronation Stone, and The Speaking Stone) sits
on The Hill of Belief
(known today as The Moot Hill), and marks the site of the original Stone
of Destiny. But what of the original Stone?
“Except
Old Seers do Feign
and Wizard Wits be Blind,
the Scots in Place must Reign,
where they This Stone shall find.”
Early
inhabitants of Scotland were known as “Picts” by the Romans. The
Pictish Kingdom of Scone,
with the village of Scone as its capital, was revered for both its religious
and royal importance. In
710 A.D., an “ancient mound” located in the village of Scone
was proclaimed “The Hill of Belief” in
honor of the Kingdom’s adoption of the Roman Church. This
sacred site also bore witness to the adop-
tion of the Celtic Church, nearly 200 years later. During the 9th
Century, “The Stone of Destiny” first appeared on The Hill
of Belief and was said to bear an inscription:
Though
particularly associated with the Splendor and Elegance of a traditional English
Tea, the
origin of the Scone is Believed to be of notable Scottish Descent. The
earliest Scottish Scone was an
unpretentious Quick Bread made with Oats or Barley Flour, shaped into
a Round, then Scored or
Cut into Quarters or Wedges, and Baked on a Scottish “Girdle”(griddle)
over an Open Fire. Popular
Belief has it that this Scottish quick bread took its Name from the Pictish Kingdom of Scone
(Scotland).
The exact Ancestry of the word “Scone” is unknown, but is
believed to be of Dutch, German or Gaelic origin. This traditional
Teatime fare is pronounced both “skaun” and “skoane”
throughout Great
Britain.