Wavy broken lines on the Kermaillard dolmen at Sarzeau.
Wavy broken lines on the Kermaillard dolmen at Sarzeau.
Wavy or broken lines (basic chevron or 'Greek' keys) can be seen on many monuments, sometimes even in the same carving, which shows how interconnected they were.
These lines can be horizontal or vertical, isolated or associated with others. They can therefore be variously interpreted as:
- water (in the case of horizontal carvings),
- hangings (at Gavrinis or Petit-Mont for instance, some lines are closely associated or intermingled, giving a 'draped motif' effect).
In some cases (Gavrinis, the Manio menhir), the bulge at the top has led to these lines being seen as snake-like figures.
Such snake symbolism, given the highly symbolic nature of the animal, is by no means impossible but it would be dangerous to see all the wavy carvings in this light, or to make the same kind of hasty analogy with Neolithic ophiolatry that some observers made in the early 19th century.