Blarney Stone (Ireland)

Located in Blarney Castle near Cork, Ireland the Blarney Stone is rumored to endow anyone who kisses it with the gift of gab. Coincidentally it was also recently named the most unhygienic tourist destination on Earth. The folks at Blarney Castle may want to quit their claim that it has been kissed by millions… The origins of the Blarney Stone are steeped with lore and multiple stories ranging from it being the pillow upon which various Saints rested their heads to being part of other famous stones (see Stone of Scone). To kiss the stone is no easy feat, one must hang upside down in the highest tower of the castle and pucker up.

Law Rock at the Althing (Iceland)

Law Rock is where the Icelandic people began holding their governmental meetings in 930 BCE, making their assembly the longest running government body on Earth. Althing means “General Assembly” in Icelandic. Set in the plains near Reykjavik the Althing governed uncontested until 1262 when Iceland lost its independence to Norway, but it continued to function until 1800 when its purpose became more symbolic. It was reinstated in 1843 and has since met in Reykjavik.  

Stone of Scone (Scotland)

The Stone of Scone or the Stone of Destiny was used in the coronations of Scottish royals for hundreds of years, and then by those pushy Brits who took it and started using it as a symbol for their own monarchs. In 1296 King Edward I jacked it from the Scots and its use in English coronations was symbolic of their dominance over the Scots. In 1950 four college students stole it back for Scotland but broke it in half. After a nationwide search the stone was repaired and left with the Church of Scotland, then returned to Westminster Abbey in London. In 1996 the Brits returned the stone to Scotland after Mel Gibson’s Braveheart helped to rouse Scottish national sentiments. It is rumored that the Blarney Stone is a piece of the Stone of Scone given by Robert the Bruce to the Irish for their help at the Battle of Bannockburn.

Rock of Gibraltar (Gibraltar)

The Rock of Gibraltar is itself the very symbol of stability and security. Sitting at the southern tip of Spain, it was turned over to the English as part of the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713 the rock has served as a symbol of Britain’s military and political dominance in Europe and the world. It was known to the ancients as one of the Pillars of Hercules marking the end of the known world. Today it is a major tourist destination due to its extensive tunnels, its population of Barbary Macaque monkeys, the only wild population of mankeys in Europe, and for its place in history ranging from the remains of Neanderthals to its key role in World War II.

Plymouth Rock (United States)

Americans are taught that the United States began when the Pilgrims allegedly first set foot on Plymouth Rock in 1620. There is no reference of that contact from the Pilgrims who actually landed and the first reference to it comes a full 121 years later, yet the rock’s lore has only grown. In 1774 the people of Plymouth removed the rock from the sea and placed it in the town’s meeting hall. It has been moved several times and now sits in a small structure near the waterfront. There are, in fact, several pieces in circulation. The rock has been buried twice by Native Americans protesting the mistreatment of their people since the landing at Plymouth.