The Dare Stones
The famous – and, to some, infamous – Dare Stones have been a part of American History lore since the late 1930s. The Dare Stones are a collection of a large number of engraved rocks that emerged at the height of the Great Depression claiming to solve the mystery of The Lost Colony of Roanoke. Although most of the stones are generally regarded as fake, the first remains of great interest to historians and archaeologists. It appears to be a message from one of the colonists, Eleanor White Dare, to her father, John White, the colony’s leader, who returned to America from a three-year trip to England to find his daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter missing along with all the others he had left at Roanoke.
The stone stated on one side that Eleanor's husband and daughter were dead, and asked the finder to communicate this to her father:
Ananias Dare &
Virginia Went Hence
Unto Heaven 1591
Anye Englishman Shew
John White Govr Via
On the other side it explained that all but seven of the colonists had been killed by Native Americans (savages), and was signed 'EWD'
Father Soone After You
Goe for England Wee Cam
Hither / Onlie Misarie & Warre
Tow Yeere / Above Halfe Deade ere Tow
Yeere More From Sickenes Beine Foure & Twentie /
Salvage with Message of Shipp Unto Us / Smal
Space of Time they Affrite of Revenge Rann
Al Awaye / Wee Bleeve it Nott You / Soone After
Ye Salvages Faine Spirits Angrie / Suddaine
Murther Al Save Seaven / Mine Childe /
Ananais to Slaine wth Much Misarie /
Burie Al Neere Foure Myles Easte This River
Uppon Small Hil / Names Writ Al Ther
On Rocke / Putt This Ther Alsoe / Salvage
Shew This Unto You & Hither Wee
Promise You to Give Greate
Plentie Presents
EWD
This stone, regarded by most authorities as the only Dare Stone that could be legitimate, surfaced in 1937. By 1940, forty-seven more stones allegedly had been found by a local farmer, William Eberhardt. They told a more complicated tale of the fate of the Lost Colony. The stones were addressed to John White and called for revenge against the "savages" or told Eleanor's father the direction taken by the survivors. A stone dated 1592 indicated that the survivors had reached a sanctuary in the Nacoochee Valley area. A stone dated 1598 indicated that Eleanor had married the "king" of the tribe, while another said that she bore the chief a daughter, that the tribe was furious, and asked for White to send the infant girl to England. A stone dated 1599 announced Eleanor Dare's death and said that she had left behind a daughter named Agnes.
However, In 2015, a History Channel movie reported that the stones were examined by a team of archaeologists including Fred Willard, as well as Kevin Quarmby, a scholar of early modern (Shakespearean era) literature and writing from Oxford College of Emory University. The movie reported that the first stone was possibility authentic and the other stones were likely to be fakes.
The stone stated on one side that Eleanor's husband and daughter were dead, and asked the finder to communicate this to her father:
Ananias Dare &
Virginia Went Hence
Unto Heaven 1591
Anye Englishman Shew
John White Govr Via
On the other side it explained that all but seven of the colonists had been killed by Native Americans (savages), and was signed 'EWD'
Father Soone After You
Goe for England Wee Cam
Hither / Onlie Misarie & Warre
Tow Yeere / Above Halfe Deade ere Tow
Yeere More From Sickenes Beine Foure & Twentie /
Salvage with Message of Shipp Unto Us / Smal
Space of Time they Affrite of Revenge Rann
Al Awaye / Wee Bleeve it Nott You / Soone After
Ye Salvages Faine Spirits Angrie / Suddaine
Murther Al Save Seaven / Mine Childe /
Ananais to Slaine wth Much Misarie /
Burie Al Neere Foure Myles Easte This River
Uppon Small Hil / Names Writ Al Ther
On Rocke / Putt This Ther Alsoe / Salvage
Shew This Unto You & Hither Wee
Promise You to Give Greate
Plentie Presents
EWD
This stone, regarded by most authorities as the only Dare Stone that could be legitimate, surfaced in 1937. By 1940, forty-seven more stones allegedly had been found by a local farmer, William Eberhardt. They told a more complicated tale of the fate of the Lost Colony. The stones were addressed to John White and called for revenge against the "savages" or told Eleanor's father the direction taken by the survivors. A stone dated 1592 indicated that the survivors had reached a sanctuary in the Nacoochee Valley area. A stone dated 1598 indicated that Eleanor had married the "king" of the tribe, while another said that she bore the chief a daughter, that the tribe was furious, and asked for White to send the infant girl to England. A stone dated 1599 announced Eleanor Dare's death and said that she had left behind a daughter named Agnes.
However, In 2015, a History Channel movie reported that the stones were examined by a team of archaeologists including Fred Willard, as well as Kevin Quarmby, a scholar of early modern (Shakespearean era) literature and writing from Oxford College of Emory University. The movie reported that the first stone was possibility authentic and the other stones were likely to be fakes.