I lived in Malta as a teenager, off and on returning to my home there between semesters. My father was an American Foreign Service officer who served there in the 60's and retired there for 10 more years. My parents were fascinated by the neolithic ruins and had done extensive work in researching ancient sites and artifacts, so I knew the temples of Hagar Qim and Mneidra and others well. In 1974, I returned there for visit with Andrika Donovan, and we took her Sony AV3400 Portapak Videocorder. I wanted to capture the mystical power of these 5500 year old structures - said to be the oldest freestanding in the world - and allow the viewer to imagine the role they played as the stage for rituals that helped to shape civilazation's spiritual outlook. Andie and I shot the 30 minute tape, which I cut on one of the first edit systems ever, a pair of Sony VO2850's and the first ever controller RM400. Finally video cassettes! (but LARGE!) Credits: The VO by Mass Art colleague Don Burgy, Bob Rutman did the deep-vocal chant, Mark Styles made the wind on his Arp 2600 - I did the edit at Sunlife of Canada and the mix at the Mass College of Art studio I was faculty and manager of then. The Hagar Qim and Mneidra video is copyright 1976, Bob Lewis
I grabbed this to explain the background:
(Also - check out this website: http://www.sacred-destinations.com/malta/hagar-qim-temple)
The oldest free-standing building in the world older than Stonehenge! Older than the Egyptian pyramids! Its a temple built to worship the GODDESS, named Hagar Qim (pronouced Ha-jar Eeem).
This Prehistoric, megalithic temple Dates: 3600-3200 BC
With the Largest upright stone: 6.4m long. Hagar Qim means praying stones or stones at prayer and provided accommodation for animal sacrifices, burnt offerings and ritual oracles. No burials exits in the templ nor any human bones.
The temple of Hagar Qim was constructed as an astronomical calendar. The three temples were built in three different periods, thousands of years apart.The first temple was built in the form of their squatting god. Two oval chapels, one behind the other with three niches at the back, facing the entrance. This shape gave the form of seven apses inside the temple, one for each of their gods. Seven continued to be their holy number throughout all their constructions, including the wells for their water at Misqa.
This second temple was also built in the form of their idols, with two oval chapels, one behind the other with some apses at the back, facing the entrance.
The site marks:
(1) the major standstill of the Moon in Summer through the front doorway;
(2) the major standstill in Winter through the back doorway;
(3) the setting of the Equinox Sun;
(4) the setting of the Summer Solstice Sun from the High Chapel; and
(5) the rising of the Sun at the Winter Solstice from the opposite direction through a window in the front wall of the temple.
The entrances of the temples are aligned not towards the Sun when they are 10 degrees further South, but in the direction of the Moon.
By JOSEPH S. ELLUL, The Hagar Qim Complex (Letter published in The Malta Independent, Monday, 7 October 2002, p.8.)
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mysterious temples - Hagar Qimby DominiKofm1,068 views
I came here from Graham Hancocks remarks about his scuba diving discovery of deep see ruins off Malta. You may find that interesting too.
charlesfrith 1 year ago