Customer Reviews

Of Stones and Strength

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In ancient times, the passage of a boy to manhood in his tribe or community was often determined by his ability to lift a large stone, proving he had the strength to bear arms. In this manner the Greek hero Theseus became a man when he could lift a boulder under which his father had placed armor and weapons for him to claim when he reached adulthood. The authors of this book, Steve Jeck and Peter Martin, who are well-known to readers of "MILO - A Journal for Serious Strength Athletes", write of their fascination with the ancient Cluid Clach Fir (Gaelic for 'manhood stones'), especially those found in Scotland where they are known as "the testing stones of the Fianna". They describe the great boulders, weighing several hundred pounds, that can still be found today and the stories behind them - and then go on and lift them! They discuss the modern cultures that still practice stone lifting and Highland Games competitor Steve Jeck includes a weight training program should the reader be inspired to try lifting these famous stones themselves. This excellent book is of interest to students of myth and folklore (particularly Celtic, Scandinavian, Greek and Roman), those of Scottish ancestry and folks interested in strength-training and the exploits of strongmen modern and ancient. For those intrested to learn more, a companion video is available from Iron Mind.

This is a great overview of Mr. Jeck's journeys, lifting the heaviest strength-stones he can find. I also highly recommend the DVD Kviahellan, which chronicles his journey to Iceland to lift the stone of the same name.

I bought this to find out the location/size/history of many of the world's testing stones. It covers them well. It also introduced me to brick lifting. As far as I know it's the only book of it's kind.

My main complaint about this book is that it's too short. Stone lifting has been a long interest of mine. I always enjoyed the legends of my Celtic ancestors having to pick up mighty valour stones to prove their mettle, like the testing stone of the legendary Fionna, and the various stones around Scotland. Steve Jeck gives a nice historical overview of some of the known manhood stones (including the Fionna stone) that he's lifted over the years, and some of them that he hasn't lifted yet. While the book is focused on Scotland (I think Jeck is a highland games competitor), it covers other interesting places, like ancient Greece and the Basque stone lifters, and even Tahiti.

Any man who enjoys the battle with the iron will enjoy struggling with stones. I've done a little stone and block weight lifting myself. Jeck's book makes me want to go out and pick up some big rocks.