The Callanish (Calanais) Stones

The standing stones in Brave were inspired by the Callanish Stones on the Isle of Lewis in Scotland’s Outer Hebrides (Pixar Animation Studios, n.d.). Built around 5000 years ago, they are one of over 1300 stone circles across the British Isles (Burl, 2000). There is evidence of burials and offerings left at Callanish several thousand years after they were constructed (Calanais, n.d.). Like other standing stones, their exact purpose and function has remained a mystery, raising questions about the cultures and practices of the people who built them. Over time, legends have developed about the stones at Callanish, with locals claiming them to be giants who were turned to stone for refusing to convert to Christianity (Burl, 2005; Melville, 2012). When the researchers at Pixar visited the stones they described arriving somewhere “ancient and inexplicable” (Lerew et al., 2012, p. 30). 

In Brave, the stones act as a link between the real world and the world of magic and signify a turning point in the film. They are where Merida follows the wisps and finds the witch’s cottage where she asks the witch for the spell that will change her mother. Their significance in the story is also why they become the focal point for the climax of the film (Lerew et al. 2012).

Much of each stone is actually buried deep underground. This idea that the stones are deeply rooted within the landscape became an integral part of the film (Lerew et al., 2012). They symbolise the weight of tradition that has been burdened on Merida, yet the exposed weather-worn tops of the stones represent vulnerability and openness to change.