Sunday, September 8, 2024
The Georgia Guidestones. A mystery of the modern Age.
Image from Kevin Trotman
From 1980 until it was destroyed in 2022, one of the most debated and mysterious granite monuments stood in Elbert County, near the South Carolina border. Known as the Georgia Guidestones, this structure, often compared to Stonehenge, stood on the county's highest point in the northeastern Piedmont region of Georgia. It was unveiled on March 22, 1980, and was sometimes referred to as the "American Stonehenge" due to its resemblance to the ancient monument in England.
The Guidestones, like Stonehenge, functioned as a celestial marker, tracking time through its design, but it also included a written message for humanity. While Stonehenge is circular, the Guidestones were arranged in an "X" shape, aligned with the moon's annual movements around the Earth.
The monument's origins trace back to 1979 when a man using the alias "R.C. Christian" arrived in Elberton to find a granite company and a location to build his structure. Christian, admitting that the name was a pseudonym, said it reflected his beliefs and those of the group funding the project, whose identities remain unknown. He chose Elbert County for its granite supply, rural landscape, and mild climate, as well as ancestral connections.
Joe H. Fendley Sr., the president of the Elberton Granite Finishing Company, was surprised when Christian revealed his idea of constructing a large monument bearing wisdom for future generations, which he hoped would guide humanity into an "age of reason." Christian shared his vision with Wyatt C. Martin, president of Granite City Bank, stating that he wished for other conservation groups to eventually add stones around the monument to form a larger structure. The monument was built in a remote, five-acre field with a commanding view, near what the Cherokee called the "center of the world."
The inscriptions, intended for present and future generations, were etched into the capstone and four large granite slabs, with the phrase "Let these be guidestones to an age of reason" written in ancient languages, including Babylonian cuneiform and Egyptian hieroglyphics. The ten guiding principles, written in eight modern languages, addressed governance, population control, environmental conservation, and spirituality.
Some of the principles were clear, while others were more open to interpretation, sparking debates and conspiracy theories, especially regarding population control and global governance. Over the years, the monument was vandalized several times, and some viewed its messages as controversial.
In 2022, controversy surrounding the Guidestones intensified when Republican gubernatorial candidate Kandiss Taylor called them "satanic" and promised to remove them if elected. This, along with discussions on social media, brought renewed attention to the site. On July 6, 2022, an explosion damaged the monument, and authorities discovered evidence of a bomb. Later that day, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation demolished the remaining structure for safety reasons. The investigation into the bombing is still ongoing.
Today, the Elberton Granite Museum features a model of the Guidestones and a film documenting their creation, along with brochures detailing their history.u
According to the Guidestones, the following ten principles could ensure humankind’s future survival:
1. Maintain humanity under 500,000,000 in perpetual balance with nature.
2. Guide reproduction wisely — improving fitness and diversity.
3. Unite humanity with a living new language.
4. Rule Passion — Faith — Tradition — and all things with tempered reason.
5. Protect people and nations with fair laws and just courts.
6. Let all nations rule internally resolving external disputes in a world court.
7. Avoid petty laws and useless officials.
8. Balance personal rights with social duties.
9. Prize truth — beauty — love — seeking harmony with the infinite.
10. Be not a cancer on the earth — Leave room for nature — Leave room for nature.
Cite.
Ouzts, Clay. "Georgia Guidestones." New Georgia Encyclopedia, last modified Jul 11, 2022. https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/history-archaeology/georgia-guidestones/
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)