The Giant's Causeway, County Antrim, Northern Ireland
© Dieter Meyrl/Getty Image
A legend sprung from the ground. Giant's Causeway, Northern Ireland, UK
Throughout history, humans have crafted legends to explain natural phenomena that defy our understanding. A prime example is Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland where some 40,000 basalt columns appear to spring from the ground at the seaside. The columns formed from a volcanic fissure that erupted and then cooled, leaving behind these prismatic structures. Gaelic legend tells of the giant Fionn mac Cumhaill, often anglicised as Finn McCool, who built a bridge across the North Channel to fight his Scottish giant counterpart, Benandonner. All that remains of the bridge is Giant’s Causeway on one side, and Fingal’s Cave in Scotland, also formed by basalt columns. Though we understand the geology of Giant’s Causeway now, it’s still exciting to imagine giants striding across the sea.
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