【简译】斯昆石（“命运石”或“加冕石”）

八卦谈佚名 ▪ 2023-08-25 06:17:15

The Stone of Scone (Gaelic: Lia Fail), also known as the Stone of Destiny or Coronation Stone, is a block of sandstone associated with the coronation ceremonies of the medieval monarchs of Scotland. These ceremonies were held at Scone, a prehistoric site in Perthshire, although the precise use of the stone is not known.

斯昆石（盖尔语：Lia Fail），也被称为命运之石或加冕石，是一块与苏格兰中世纪君主加冕仪式有关的砂岩。这些仪式是在珀斯郡的史前遗址斯昆（Scone）举行的，该石头的确切用途并不明确。

In a deliberate act of political propaganda, the Stone of Scone was removed from Scotland by Edward I of England (r. 1272-1307) who made it a part of the English Coronation Chair in Westminster Abbey. The stone was finally returned to Scotland in 1996 and now resides in Edinburgh Castle.

在一次蓄意的政治宣传中，英格兰的爱德华一世（r. 1272-1307）将斯昆石从苏格兰移走，并将其作为英国威斯敏斯特大教堂加冕椅的一部分。这块石头最终在1996年被送回苏格兰，现在保留于爱丁堡城堡。

特征描述

The Stone of Scone is a rectangular slab of yellow sandstone which most likely is Scottish in origin, perhaps from the Lower Old Red Sandstone rocks in the region of Perthshire. It measures approximately 66 cm x 28 cm (26 x 11 in) and weighs around 152 kg (336 pounds). The stone is plain with the exception of a single carved Latin cross. Today it resides in the Crown Room of Edinburgh Castle alongside other items of the Scottish regalia.

斯昆石是一块长方形的黄色砂岩板，很可能来自苏格兰，也许是来自珀斯郡地区的下古红砂岩岩石。它的尺寸约为66厘米×28厘米（26×11英寸），重约152公斤（336磅）。这块石头除了一个雕刻好的拉丁十字架外，其余都很普通。今天，它与其他苏格兰王室的物品一起被放置在爱丁堡城堡的王室房间里。

神话与传说

For a rather nondescript slab of sandstone, the Stone of Destiny comes with a remarkable baggage of myth and folklore. According to the legend, the stone was the very one which Jacob - the ancestor of the people of Israel - used as a pillow when he was in Bethel (a city north of Jerusalem) and experienced a vision of angels ascending and descending a celestial ladder to heaven.

对于这么一块相当不起眼的砂岩板，命运之石带有的非凡神话和民间传说让其引人注目。据说，这块石头正是雅各布布（以色列人民的祖先）在伯特利（耶路撒冷北部的一个城市）时用作枕头，并见证了天使在天梯上上下下的异象。

The stone then enjoyed an extraordinary Mediterranean tour which saw it move from the Middle East to Egypt, Sicily, and Spain. Finally, the stone arrived in Ireland around 700 BCE where it was set up at the Hill of Tara, the Neolithic site in County Meath where tradition has it the ancient kings of Ireland were acclaimed. In some sources, it was then the legendary Irish ruler Fergus Mor who brought the stone to Scotland around 500. In another version of the legend, the stone was brought from Ireland to Scotland by Princess Scota, the daughter of an Egyptian pharaoh. There is also some confusion as to whether the present Stone of Destiny is the same stone as the one related to these legends because some early medieval chroniclers describe it as a carved stone throne. Alternatively, the present stone may once have been a part of this more elaborate throne.

随后，这块石头经历了一次非凡的地中海之旅，从中东到埃及、西西里岛和西班牙。最后，这块石头在公元前700年左右到达了爱尔兰，它被放置在塔拉山，这是位于米斯郡的新石器时代遗址。过去，古代爱尔兰的国王在这里受到赞誉。在一些资料中，是传说中的爱尔兰统治者弗格斯·莫尔（也是苏格兰的创始人）在500年左右将石头带到了苏格兰。在另一个版本中，这块石头是由埃及法老的女儿斯科塔公主从爱尔兰带到苏格兰的。对于命运之石与这些传说中的石头是否是同一块，也有一些混淆，因为一些早期的中世纪编年史家把它描述成一个雕刻的石座。或者说，现存的石头可能曾经是这个精致宝座的一部分。

The stone's new home in Scotland was either Dunstaffnage Castle on the western coast or, more likely given its history, the nearby island of Iona, part of the Inner Hebrides group. Iona was an ancient holy site for the Christian ascetics known as the Culdees, and it became the traditional burial ground for Scottish monarchs. Indeed, the site has a very long history with its prehistoric barrows and monuments. The stone remained at Iona for the next 350 years, and a legend grew that only where the Stone of Destiny was located would Scottish kings rule. The author Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832 CE) claimed that a piece of metal was once attached to the stone which carried the following engraved verse:

Unless the fates be faulty grown

And prophet's voice be vain

Where'er is found this sacred stone

The Scottish race shall reign.

这块石头在苏格兰的新家要么是西海岸的邓斯塔夫纳奇城堡，要么是附近的爱奥那岛（属于内赫布里底群岛的一部分）。鉴于其历史，这种可能性更大。爱奥那岛是被称为库迪斯派的基督教苦行者的一个古老圣地，它是苏格兰君主的传统埋葬地。事实上，这个地方有着非常悠久的历史，它有史前的荒冢和纪念碑。在接下来的350年里，这块石头一直留在爱奥那岛，并且有一个传说，只有在命运之石所在地，苏格兰国王的统治才是正统的。作家沃尔特·司各特爵士（公元1771-1832年）声称，石头上曾经附着一块金属，上面刻有以下诗句：

除非命运是错误的增长

预言家的声音也是徒劳的

无论在哪里找到这块神圣的石头

苏格兰人将统治天下

肯尼思一世的迁移

The Celtic king Kenneth MacAlpin (also spelt Cinaed mac Ailpin or mac Ailpein, r. c. 842-858) ruled the Kingdom of the Scots or Alba as it is sometimes known. Kenneth is credited with taking the Stone of Destiny to Scone in Perthshire around 843, perhaps as a symbol of his subjugation of the Picts who may have used the stone for their own coronation ceremonies. It was used in the ceremonies held at Scone to inaugurate Scottish kings thereafter. Lords and bishops gathered at Scone, and later at Scone Abbey, to witness their king being acclaimed and to swear oaths of loyalty. The king's long genealogy was also proclaimed to the gathered dignitaries. Scottish kings were, as yet, not crowned or anointed with holy oil - this form of coronation ceremony would only take place from the 14th century onwards. The king did not perhaps sit on the stone either but, rather, it was used as an altar during the ceremony and set upon the small artificial mound known as Moot Hill or the 'Hill of Belief'. Alternatively, the stone may have been used in different ways over the centuries as, in a detailed description of the ceremony of Alexander III of Scotland (r. 1249-1286), it is stated by John of Fordun that Alexander did sit on the stone.

皮克特人的国王肯尼思·麦克亚尔宾（Kenneth MacAlpin，又称Cinaed mac Ailpin或mac Ailpein，约842-858年）统治着苏格兰王国或阿尔巴（有时被称为Alba）。肯尼思被认为是在843年左右将命运之石带到了珀斯郡的斯昆，这也许是他征服皮克特的一个象征，皮克特人可能将这块石头用于自己的加冕仪式。此后，在斯昆举行的苏格兰国王就职仪式上，也使用了这块石头。领主和主教们聚集在斯昆，后来又聚集在斯昆修道院，见证他们的国王受封并宣誓效忠。仪式上，有专人向聚集在一起的贵宾们宣读国王长长的家谱。苏格兰的国王还没有加冕，也没有圣油涂抹环节——这种形式的加冕仪式从14世纪开始才出现。国王可能也没有坐在这块石头上，而是在仪式中把它作为一个祭坛，放在被称为Moot Hill或“信仰之山”的人工小丘上。另外，这块石头可能在几个世纪中以不同的方式发挥职能，因为在对苏格兰的亚历山大三世（1249-1286年）的仪式详细描述中，富尔顿的约翰说亚历山大确实坐在石头上。

If the king was married, then the queen received her inauguration service after her husband. By the 12th century, Scottish kings were given familiar symbols of power such as a sword, sceptre, rod, and orb. In addition, the ancient sacred site of Scone was given its own monastery c. 1115 by Alexander I of Scotland (r. 1107-1124). The monastery, first a priory and then, later, a full abbey, was founded by Augustinian canons from Nostel Abbey in Yorkshire.

如果国王已经结婚，那么王后就会在丈夫之后接受就职仪式。到了12世纪，苏格兰国王被赋予熟悉的权力象征，如剑、权杖、棒和球体。此外，大约在1115年，苏格兰的亚历山大一世（1107-1124年）将这块石头放在古老的圣地斯昆修道院。该修道院一开始属于一个牧师，后来成为一个正式的修道院，由来自约克郡的诺斯特尔修道院的奥古斯丁教士创办。

爱德华一世的迁移

The Stone of Scone's destiny was about to be changed by an Englishman, one of Scotland's greatest ever enemies. Edward I of England adjudicated over who became the successor of Alexander III of Scotland, an event often termed as the Great Cause. Top candidates were the powerful nobleman John Balliol and Robert Bruce (b. 1210 and grandfather of his more famous namesake). In 1292, Edward plumbed for Balliol, perhaps because he was the weaker of the two and so could be more easily manipulated. John was to be the last medieval Scottish king to be crowned on or near the Stone of Scone on 30 November 1292. As it turned out, the Scots themselves grew tired of Balliol's ineffective responses to Edward's domination, and open rebellion was in the air. In 1295 Scotland formally allied itself with France - the first move in what became known as the 'Auld Alliance' - a step too far for the English king.

斯昆石的命运即将被一个英格兰人改变，他是苏格兰有史以来最大的敌人之一。英格兰的爱德华一世对谁成为苏格兰亚历山大三世的继承人进行了裁决，这一事件通常被称为“伟大事业”。最重要的候选人是有权势的贵族约翰·巴里奥和罗伯特·布鲁斯。1292年，爱德华选择了巴里奥，也许是因为他是两个人中的弱者，所以更容易被操纵。1292年11月30日，约翰将成为最后一位在斯昆石上加冕的中世纪苏格兰国王。结果，苏格兰人自己也对巴里奥的无能感到厌烦，公开的叛乱正在酝酿之中。1295年，苏格兰正式与法兰西王国结盟--这是被称为“古老同盟”的第一步——对英格兰国王来说，这一步太远了。

Edward I then invaded Scotland, personally leading an army of 25,000-30,000 men. The king thus earned his nickname as 'the Hammer of the Scots', and he was intent on total conquest. Balliol surrendered after the Battle of Dunbar in 1296, and three English barons were nominated to rule Scotland. Always with an eye for dramatic gestures regarding enemy cultures, Edward stole the Scottish monarchy's regalia and the Stone of Scone, relocating it to Westminster Abbey in 1297. There it was placed under the seat of the purpose-built English Coronation Chair, often called St. Edward's Chair because Edward I dedicated his prize to the English king and saint, Edward the Confessor (r. 1042-1066). In this act of removal, Edward I was effectively declaring that Scotland was no longer a kingdom but a mere province of England.

随后，爱德华一世亲自率领25,000-30,000人的军队入侵苏格兰。他因此获得了"苏格兰之锤"的绰号，他一心想要彻底征服苏格兰。1296年邓巴战役后，巴里奥投降了，三位英格兰男爵被提名统治苏格兰。爱德华对敌人的文化总是抱着一种戏剧性的姿态，他偷走了苏格兰君主的服饰和斯昆石，并于1297年将其迁至威斯敏斯特教堂。在那里，它被放置在专门建造的英格兰加冕椅的座位下，通常被称为圣爱德华椅，因为爱德华一世将他的战利品献给了英格兰国王和圣人爱德华忏悔者（1042-1066年）。在这一迁移行为中，爱德华一世实际上是宣布苏格兰不再是一个王国，而仅仅是英格兰的一个省。

There was a legend that the wily Scots had given Edward a substitute stone and kept the real one safe on the Isle of Skye, but the truth of that is unlikely ever to be substantiated, and there is no evidence that Edward did not get his hands on the original. In any case, Scotland was never quite subdued, and more rebellions followed, notably the 1300 uprising led by William Wallace (c. 1270-1305). Edward II of England may have been prepared to return the stone (r. 1307-1327) as part of a peace treaty with Scotland agreed in 1328. However, it seems that the Abbot of Westminster Abbey refused to give it up. Consequently, the Stone of Scone remained in England for the next seven centuries. On 25 March 1306, Robert the Bruce (r. 1306-1329) was the first Scottish king to be crowned without the stone, although the ceremony was held as usual in Scone Abbey.

有一个传说，狡猾的苏格兰人给了爱德华一块替代的石头，并将真正的石头安全地保存在斯凯岛上，但这一说法的真实性不太可能得到证实，也没有证据表明爱德华没有拿到原石。无论如何，苏格兰从未被完全征服，更多的叛乱接踵而至，尤其是威廉·华莱士（约1270-1305）领导的1300年起义。作为1328年与苏格兰达成的和平条约的一部分，英格兰的爱德华二世可能已经准备归还这块石头（1307-1327年）。然而，威斯敏斯特修道院的院长似乎拒绝了。因此，在接下来的七个世纪里，斯昆石一直留在英格兰。1306年3月25日，罗伯特·布鲁斯（1306-1329）是第一个在没有石头的情况下加冕的苏格兰国王，尽管仪式照常在斯昆修道院举行。

斯昆石后来的历史；斯昆石重返苏格兰

As fate would have it, a Scottish king did eventually get to be crowned while sitting on the Stone of Scone. This was James VI of Scotland (r. 1567-1625) who also became James I of England CE (r. 1603-1625) when he was crowned in Westminster Abbey in 1603. This happened because his predecessor Elizabeth I of England (r. 1558-1603) had died without children, and James, Elizabeth's closest relative, was invited by the nobles of England to take the throne. James was of the Stuart line, and that house would rule England until 1714, all of its monarchs taking their place above the Stone of Scone in their coronation. The Scots had finally turned the tables on the English after Edward I's theft 300 years earlier, and the legend of the stone had proved correct: a Scottish king now ruled where the stone resided.

正如命运的安排，一位苏格兰国王最终还是坐在斯昆石上加冕了。这就是苏格兰的詹姆斯六世（1567-1625年），他于1603年在威斯敏斯特大教堂加冕，同时也成为了英格兰的詹姆斯一世（1603-1625年）。这是因为他的前任英格兰伊丽莎白一世（1558-1603年）去世时没有孩子，而伊丽莎白的近亲詹姆斯被英格兰的贵族们邀请登上王位。詹姆斯属于斯图亚特家族，该家族将统治英格兰直到1714年，其所有君主在加冕仪式上都在斯昆石上方就位。在300年前爱德华一世被盗之后，苏格兰人终于扭转了对英格兰人的看法，事实证明这块石头的传说是正确的：一位苏格兰国王现在统治着这块石头所在的地方。

From the 19th century, the Stone of Scone became a potent national symbol for the Scots, and there were repeated calls for the stone's return. In 1950 a group of Scottish nationalists managed to break into Westminster Abbey on Christmas Day of all days. They grabbed the stone and took it back to Scotland, but it was recovered by the authorities and returned to Westminster four months later. The stone was finally and this time officially returned to the people of Scotland in 1996, appropriately enough, on 30 November, Saint Andrew's Day, which honours the patron saint of Scotland. There was one catch which illustrates the continuing power of the stone in the imaginations of the peoples on both sides of the border: the stone must be returned to Westminster Abbey on the occasion of a coronation ceremony of a British monarch.

从19世纪开始，斯昆石成为苏格兰人强有力的民族象征，人们一再呼吁归还这块石头。1950年，一群苏格兰民族主义者在圣诞节期间成功地闯入威斯敏斯特教堂。他们抢走了这块石头，并将其带回了苏格兰，但四个月后被当局找回并送回了威斯敏斯特。1996年，这块石头终于正式归还给了苏格兰人民，恰好是在11月30日，即纪念苏格兰守护神的圣安德鲁日。有一项规定表明，这块石头在边境两边人民的想象中仍然具有影响力：在英国君主的加冕仪式上，这块石头必须归还威斯敏斯特大教堂。