Lifting stone

Lifting stones are heavy natural stones which people are challenged to lift, proving their strength. They are common throughout Northern Europe, particularly Iceland (where they are referred to as steintökin), Scotland, Basque Country, Faroe Islands, Wales, North West England centred around Cumbria, Switzerland, Germany and also in the United States and parts of Asia such as Japan.

Recently, lifting stones have been incorporated into the World's Strongest Man and other similar strongman competitions, using various cast, found, or established challenge stones such as the Húsafell Stone, Dinnie Stones, Steinstossen, Nicol Stones and Odd Haugen Tombstone. They also do modernized versions of events derived from ancient contests, in which athletes would see who could load the heaviest stones onto a platform, known as Atlas stones or Castle stones.

Famous lifting stones from around the world and the greatest stone lifters are listed below.

Iceland

In Iceland, lifting stones were traditionally used to qualify men for work on fishing boats. To qualify, a man would have to lift at least the hálfdrættingur stone (described below under Dritvík Stones) to hip-height onto a ledge. Lifting heavier stones would entitle the man to a greater share of the catch. The ultimate objective is to reach "fullsterkur" status, proving the lifter is "fully strong" by lifting the heaviest stones. Some famous Icelandic lifting stones are described below.

Icelandic lifting stones

Húsafell Stone

The most famous of Iceland's legendary lifting stones is the Húsafell Stone, named after the west country farming estate where it is located, about 132 km north east from Reykjavík by road. The triangular-shaped stone which weighs 186 kg (410 lb) is said to have been crafted from a large rock over two centuries ago, when a local pastor named Snorri Björnsson used it as the door to his sheep and goat pen. Nicknamed the 'Kviahellan' (pen slab) by Snorri, the stone has been since used by strong men as a test of strength, either by simply lifting the stone to the knee and waist, or by lifting it all the way up to the chest and carrying the stone around the perimeter of the pen for fullsterkur status.

Dritvík Stones
At the tip of the west coast, on Djúpalónssandur beach at the foot of Snæfellsjökull, at the western end of the Snæfellsnes peninsula, there lie four stones which are called Dritvík Stones. Historically, the sailors and fishermen who rowed out from this port would lift the stones to prove their worth to a ship's crew and earn themselves better pay. The four stones are classified as:
Amlóði (hamlet or "weakling" ) at 
Hálfdrættingur ("half-carrier") at 
Hálfsterkur ("half strength") at 
Fullsterkur ("full strength") at

Judas Stone
Located in the Látravík cove at the westernmost point of the Westfjords region, the Judas Stone earned its name more than a century ago, when local farmers repeatedly tried to use it in the construction of a wall, only to have it 'betray' them like Judas by always slipping out of place due to its unbalanced nature.

Brynjólfstak Stone
The heaviest of Iceland's legendary lifting stones is the 281 kg (620 lb) Brynjólfstak Stone, a 1.5 meter long basalt located near Tálknafjörður in the Westfjords region. Legend says that the stone was first pulled from the sea in 1845, when a mighty farmer named Brynjólfur Eggertsson asked four of the strongest men in the area to lift the giant slab on to his shoulders. From there, Brynjólfur is said to have attached the stone to him with straps and carried it uphill, to the nearby ridge where it is currently located. The stone has since been named in his honor.

Latra Stones
Also located in the Westfjords region between Tálknafjörður and Bíldudalur in the famous seabird cliffs are four stones called Latra Stones. For many generations, local fishermen used them to stay fit and to gain bragging rights in their little time on dry land. Like the Dritvík Stones, there is a hierarchy based on their size, and the heaviest of the four is called 'Alsterkur'. 

There is also an additional fifth stone called the 'Klofi stone' weighing 200 kg (441 lb) which is heavier than the Alsterkur.

Leggstein Stone
This pillar-like stone which is also known as the Tomb Stone is said to mark the spot where an unfortunate farmer made a pact with the devil. As the story goes, the lazy farmer wanted a fast track to an easier, more prosperous life, so the devil offered him his dream if he could simply complete one task: lifting the 220 kg (485 lb) Leggstein stone. It is located in the middle of the Westfjords region in Heydalur near Reykjanes. The legend says the farmer is buried under the massive plinth near the stone, to be carried around the plinth for several revolutions for his salvation.

Petursstein Stone
Near Dynjandi waterfall in the Westfjords lies a black slate stone known as the Petursstein Stone weighing 204 kg (450 lb).

Árbær Stones
Located near Árbæjarsafn, an outdoor museum near Reykjavík are 8 stones caleed Árbær stones, with the heaviest of them weighing 143 kg (315 lb).

Scotland

Scottish lifting stones

Clach cuid fir 
Gaelic for "manhood stones", these originate from Scotland. Manhood stones were used there for centuries as tests of strength. Typically, a young man was welcomed into manhood when he was able to lift his clan's testing stone to waist height. There are many examples in Scotland, including:
 Inver Stone - Oval shaped granite stone weighing 118 kg (260 lb) which dates back to the 18th century. In 2021 Rogue Invitational, the athletes had to lift a five stone set replica weighing 125-191 kg (275-421 lb) over a 4 ft platform, and in 2020 Arnold Strongman Classic the athletes had to overhead press 125 kg (275 lb) and 136 kg (300 lb) replicas.   
 McGlashen Stones/ Atlas Stones/ Castle Stones - Inspired by the Inver Stone, these are smooth and perfectly spherical stones carved out from granite used in Highland Games and other strongman competitions like Pure Strength. The 'Stones of Strength' event introduced first at the 1986 World's Strongest Man is an evolution of the classic McGlashen stones which has now become a benchmark in modern day Strongman. The competitors have to grip the stone, lap it in a squatting position and finally drive up, to load the stone on top of a podium. There are five (occasionally six) stones of increasing weight, to be hoisted on top of a podium for each stone. In the early competitions of the 1980s and 1990s, these podiums were of varying height, with the lightest stone requiring to be lifted approximately to a normal person's head height. The heavier the stone was, the closer it was located to the podium. From the 2000s onwards, the stones increased in weight, and the podium heights and distance from the stone were kept uniform. Alternatively, the stone is lifted over a bar for reps as well. Almost all the Atlas Stones-related world records are currently shared between Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson, Tom Stoltman, Travis Ortmayer, Brian Shaw and Žydrūnas Savickas.
 Dinnie Stones - Two heavy stones with metal rings fixed to each, made famous by strongman Donald Dinnie, weighing 332.49 kg (733 pounds) combined. The heavier stone weighs 188.02 kg (414.51 pounds) and the lighter stone weighs 144.47 kg (318.5 pounds).
 Nicol Stones - Two stones inspired by the Dinnie Stones which are meant to be a stepping stone towards the Dinnies, weighing a combined 252 kg (555.5 lbs). The heavier stone weighs 138 kg (304 lbs) and the lighter 114 kg (251 lbs).
 Menzies Stone - Another historic spherical stone weighing 115 kg (253.5 pounds).

Clachan-ultaich
A Clach-ultaich (; plural ) is another type of lifting stone found in Scotland. Examples are:
 the so-called Clach-ultaich Iain Ghairbh MhicGilleChaluim Ratharsair, "the lifting stone of Iain Garbh MacGilleChaluim of Raasay", in Duntulm on the Isle of Skye. Its weight is said to be a ton.
 the Charter or Blue Stones of Dailly in Ayrshire are a pair of lifting stones located in the cemetery of Old Dailly church.
 MacLeod's Lift ( lit. "St. Kildan's Lift") on Rona, named after one John MacLeod who was at one time tacksman and steward of St Kilda.

Lifting Stane

Near Auldgirth in Dumfries and Galloway is a small farm named Liftingstane where a large stone with an iron handle once stood that was used as a test of strength.

At Old Dailly in South Ayrshire are the 'Blue or Charter Stones' that were used for trials of strength to the extent that the local council has bound them with metal bands to prevent their continued use.

The 'Leper's Charter Stone' at Kingcase in Prestwick, South Ayrshire was made of black basalt and kidney shaped, used as a lifting stane until it was broken; although the parts remain, built into the walls of the old chapel.

Other
 Ardblair Stones - A series of nine concrete spheres ranging from 18 kg (40 pounds) to 152 kg (335 pounds) used in the Blairgowrie & Rattray Highland Games.
 Stone put - Being similar to the shot put, it uses an ordinary stone or rock instead of a steel ball.

Faroe Islands
Every settlement in the Faroe Islands used to have its local lifting stone, called a hav,
derived from the verb hevja which means 'to lift'. Visiting men would be challenged by the locals to show off their strength.

One such stone is now part of a mural in the village of Mikladalur. Known as "Marjunar hav", it is said to have been lifted by Marjun, a milkmaid, in the 16th century.

Wales
According to Y pedair Camp ar Hugain Welsh for "The 24 feats", stone lifting was a common practice. It was usually performed by young boys as a rite of passage into manhood. It is said that once a young boy could lift the stone to his waist he was considered a man. Furthermore, the stone was used to develop a man's strength in preparation for battle.

There was no set size, shape or weight for each stone. Stones varied, depending on what was available within the locality or on what was selected by the king of each region.

The king's teulu ("personal army", or "household") were selected from each village or town within his borders, based upon a man's ability to lift stones, run, jump, leap, wrestle, fence, shoot a bow and arrow and throw a spear.

To date, a lifting stone Y Garreg Orchest is still in place in the town of Criccieth in Gwynedd, North Wales. Competitors travel from all across the UK to attempt to lift this mammoth stone. In 2015 there was one successful lift of the 28 stone (178 kg) Goliath.

Basque Country
Stone lifting is also a traditional Basque Country sport involving the lifting of stones, called harri jasotzea. Basque country is located in the western Pyrenees, straddling the border between France and Spain on the coast of the Bay of Biscay. 

There are several varieties of traditional Basque stones. 'Stone dragging/ giza proba' where a very heavy rectangular stone is attached to a chain to be attached to the athlete around his waist or just to be gripped by a handle and to stone to be dragged for the furthermost distance. Cubic stones (kuboa), rectangular stones (laukizuzena), cylindrical stones (zilindroa) and spherical stones (biribila) are to be lapped and shouldered for as many reps as possible or for a one rep max. For his prowess with both ancient and modern stones, Iñaki Perurena is considered the greatest Basque stonelifter in history. 

Another Basque sport is the ontzi eramatea, where the weights were originally milk canisters prior to stones.

Switzerland

In Switzerland, affiliated to the Unspunnenfest, a festival held once every twelve years, a historic stone weighing  is thrown overhead for the longest distance. The contestants begin on a  runway, hurling the Aare granite stone as far as they could into a  sand pit. In 2004, Swiss carpenter Markus Maire established the current record in this event with a  throw.

United States
Just like traditional Scottish and Icelandic 'stone walk' or 'stone carry', athletic events involving carrying of large stones down the field of competition has become very popular in the sport of Strongman notably in the US, with several variations being used. The rules are quite simple: the competitors each pick up a pair of very heavy stones equipped with iron handles, and carry the paired stones as far down the field as they can. The length of the field varies depending on the site. This event is also known as the farmer's walk. Another popular variation is shouldering large stones.

Loon Stones - At the Loon Mountain Highland Games in New Hampshire, there's a popular ancient farmers walk event with a pair of stones which weighs  and  respectively. The event probably originated as an outgrowth of the need to clear stones from agricultural fields to create clearance cairns. In 2015, Iceland's Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson made a guest appearance and carried the stones for 140 ft 6 in for a new world record.

Jón Páll Sigmarsson Stone - A sharp edged flat stone weighing  named after Jón Páll Sigmarsson which is kept in New Hampshire, and used in American Highland Games.

Odd Haugen's Tombstone - Norwegian Strongman Odd Haugen was gifted with a  oval shaped stone on his 58th birthday and since has featured at the Arnold Strongman Classic a number of times in the Stone to Shoulder event. Only 8 Strongmen (Marunde, Licis, Kieliszkowski, Shivlyakov, Björnsson, Belsak, Thompson and Novikov) have lifted this stone to their shoulder.

Asia

Japan 

In ancient Japan, stone lifting was carried out around Shinto shrines as a sport. サシ石 (Hiragana: さしいし)(sashi-ishi) ("overhead pressing stone"), 石担, (ishikatsugi) ("shoulder carried stone") and 石運び (ishihakobi) ("stone carrying") are some popular disciplines.

Other parts of Asia 

Rock carrying is traditional in Tibet, where the rocks weigh up to , and the rest of China. In Tamil Nadu, India, rocks of over  are carried.

Notable stone lifters
Below table summarizes the 10 greatest stone lifters in Strongman history.
No. of total career stone events against the No. of wins (open category).

- As at 21 August 2023

See also
Strongman
History of physical training and fitness

References

Stones
Scottish folklore
Scandinavian folklore
Northumbrian folklore
Strongmen competitions
Scottish games