What?

Gavr’inis is a passage grave. It is one of the most spectacular examples of megalithic art. Megalithic art is great slabs or columns of stone, often decorated with symbolic designs. Inside Gavr’inis, covered by an earth and stone mound, eight metres high and one-hundred metres in circumference, are nine stone tables and a 3.9m long East – West passageway with 23 carved stone supports, ending in a large stone burial chamber containing a 4 x 3m granite platform resting on eight supports. This chamber was possibly the resting place of Gavrinis.

The designs on the stones of Gavr’inis are truly amazing. Like most other sites similar to this one in the area and other sites of the time, the stones are heavily decorated with abstract swirling and linear designs, similar to those of the Australian Aborigine’s paintings. There are also axe designs representative of the Neolithic age axes. Unlike other sites, however, all the stones of Gavr’inis are completely decorated. Gavr’inis, with its incredible decorations, was probably a royal tomb.

When it was explored, the possible remains of ritual feasting were found within the grave. As it is now very old, dating from the fourth millennium B.C., and fragile, access is restricted to this wonder.

Where on earth?

Tum or Ile de Gavr’inis is situated in the Gulf of Morbihan, Quiberon Bay, Brittany, France. Gavr’inis is now a small island, although nearby islands with similarly interesting sites on them show clear evidence of flooding, so it is possible that Gavr’inis was originally a coastal hill.

When?

Gavr’inis was probably in use between 3000 and 2500 B.C., by the Er Lannic community of Brittany. Although the people in the area have always known of its existence, Gavr’inis was officially ‘discovered’ in 1832.

Who?

The grave on Ile de Gavr’inis was possibly the burial place of Gavrinis, although if you read the section ‘What’s in a name’, you will see that this is unlikely, as few people are called Goat Island. However, if it is, Gavrinis was probably a much respected member of the Er-Lannic community, the that-time inhabitants of the area.

How?

Huge stone slabs are hard to move at the best of times, and in 3000 B.C. there wasn’t a huge trade in furniture moving. This makes it even more likely that Ile de Gavr’inis was originally a coastal hill, as the stones would have been very difficult to move over the water, especially as neither Jesus or Samson had been born yet.
There are two probable ways that the tomb of Gavr’inis was built. The first is the construction of the inner parts on the top of a hill or on an island, and then it being covered in earth. However, it would have been difficult. The other way involves the hollowing out of a mound and then the construction of everything else within this framework. Actually, this seems just as difficult, so I'm not really sure.

Why?

Gavr’inis was probably built as the resting place for a member of the Er-Lannic community, and as a place of ritual feasting to honour the dead person.

Namal origins

When I first heard about Gavr’inis and what it was, I thought that the name might mean ‘Grave Island’, as Ile de Gavr’inis houses a grave, grave being similar to Gavr and Inis meaning island. However, upon further investigation, I discovered that it actually means Island of Goats. So ‘Ile de Gavr’inis’ literally means the ‘Island of Island of Goats’.

From my first information source, I found Gavr’inis spelt Gavr’inis. During my investigations, though, I found several different spellings, including Gavrinis, Cavrinis and Gavr inis.