Maiden Stone
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The Maiden Stone is a standing stone near Inverurie in Aberdeenshire in Scotland.
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[edit] Name
The name is derived from local legend, incorporating the most obvious mark of wear and tear on the stone: a triangular notch toward the top of the monument.
The legend states that the daughter of the Laird of Balquhain made a bet with a stranger that she could bake a bannock faster than he could build a road to the top of Bennachie. The prize would be the maiden's hand. However, the stranger was the Devil and finished the road and claimed the forfeit. The maiden ran from the Devil and prayed to be saved. The legend finishes by saying that God turned her to stone, but the notch is where the Devil grasped her shoulder as she ran.
Based on the mixture of Pictish and Christian symbols on the stone it is most likely that the stone marks a preaching site during missionary trips to the Picts.
[edit] Location
The stone is located just off the A90 in Aberdeenshire. The closest named area is Chapel of Garioch.
[edit] Description
The stone is red granite, standing 3.01m high. It is a Class II Pictish monument. The stone is dated to the 8th century AD.
The stone is carved with Christian and Pictish symbology. The west side shows a cross with a human figure between two fish. Below the cross there is a disc shape. On the reverse, there are four panels enclosing a centaur-type figure, a rectangle and Z-rod, a beast, and a mirror and comb. There are interlace patterns on the narrow north and south faces.
The human figure and fish are assumed to represent the Biblical story of Jonah and the Whale.
The site is listed and protected by Historic Scotland.
