Laylines

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Hypothetical straight lines said to connect ancient religious monuments, sacred sites, or geographical landmarks across a landscape
2. Supposedly straight routes linking historical temples, burial mounds, or other culturally important locations in a geometric pattern across terrain
3. Theorized alignments of ancient ceremonial or spiritual sites arranged in straight lines across the earth's surface

Etymology: Alfred Watkins, a Herefordshire businessman and amateur archaeologist, coined the term after noticing that many old sites in the English landscape, such as churches, standing stones, and hilltops, seemed to line up in straight paths. He believed these were prehistoric trackways used for trade and travel. The name came from "ley," a word in place names like Ashley and Bradley that derives from Old English "leah," meaning a clearing or meadow. The idea was never accepted by archaeologists. Ancient sites are so numerous that some will fall into straight lines by chance, and no evidence has shown that the alignments were deliberate. Even so, Watkins's notion took on a life of its own, and later writers linked these lines to mysticism and the supernatural.

Synonyms: ley lines