Sarsen Stones
Preserved but no longer current.
The sandstone boulders of Wiltshire and Berkshire are so called. The early Christian Saxons used the word Saresyn (i.e. Saracen, q.v.} as a synonym of pagan or heathen, and as these stones were popularly associated with Druid worship, they were called Saresyn (or heathen) stones. Robert Ricart says of Duke Rollo, "He was a Saresyn come out of Denmark into France.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Sarsen Stones” mean?
The sandstone boulders of Wiltshire and Berkshire are so called. The early Christian Saxons used the word Saresyn (i.e. Saracen, q.v.} as a synonym of pagan or heathen, and as these stones were popularly associated with Druid worship, they were called Saresyn (or heathen) stones. Robert Ricart says of Duke Rollo, "He was a Saresyn come out of Denmark into France.
Is “Sarsen Stones” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.