The Stone of Destiny
The story of a rock that embodied one nation’s independence
The Stone of Scone, more commonly known as the Stone of Destiny, has quite the tale for a slab of sandstone. It has traveled to many lands, been viewed as a symbol of Scottish independence, used as the foundation for the coronation of monarchs, stolen, then stolen again, and was finally returned to its ancestral home.
Origin
There are many legends surrounding the stone and where it was actually constructed.
One Celtic tale describes how the stone was once used as a pillow by the biblical Jacob as he rested in Bethel and had visions of angels climbing the ladder to Heaven. Supposedly, after this holy event, it then traveled to Egypt, Sicily, Spain, and was placed upon the hill of Tara in Ireland around 700 BCE.
It was used during the crowning of the ancient kings of Ireland until it was taken by the Celtic Scots to Scotland. Finally, it was moved to the village of Scone around 840 CE — hence the name, The Stone of Scone. Kenneth MacAlpin, King of the Picts and considered the first King of the Scots, was crowned upon the stone. It was…
