So far so ho-ho-ho. But I believe the Telegraph has missed an important aspect of modern-day druidism (and indeed much that passes for modern "Celtic" Christianity). Frankly it doesn't matter. In a highly unscientific movement based on wishful thinking and re-imagining of a past that never really existed, they could have turned up and celebrated the Solstice at Easter for all the difference it would have made. Particularly if, as in Husborne Crawley, the sun was hidden behind a great pile of snowcloud.
A couple more points of interest. The Telegraph refers to the druids turning up in "traditional dress". Yet the people they show round the stones appear to be wearing normal winter clothing for the English climate. Frankly they look like a bunch of carol-singers. But in my opinion, given all the unstable stones and lumps of rock laying on the ground, these people are inadequately supplied with PPE. They should all be wearing Hi-viz, hard hats and steel-toed trainers for their own safety.
And the smug get from the so-called "English Heritage" is quoted as saying "People always assume that because the Summer Solstice is the June 21st, the Winter Solstice will be the 21st December." Apart from the over-use of the word "the" in that sense, technically he is as wrong as they are. For the Summer Solstice can also move its date - indeed, it will be on 20 June in 2012. Or... surely not... is this another sign of the End of the World in 2012? No, checking a little more, the Summer Solstice was also on 20 June last year. And we're still here. Panic over. However - this is clearly the kind of misrepresentation we can expect from the agency that bought Stonehenge to protect it from people building cafes and car-parks nearby, and then built a car park with an attached cafe*. Personally I would turn the whole place over to Mr Arthur Pendragon. Except I am slightly concerned about his numeracy. He is quoted as saying that he conducted "about three handfastings". Surely he could be more accurate that kind of low number? I mean, it must be an integer - it's not like he has to worry about fractions. Or is this the origin of the old tradition that it's impossible to count the stones?
So God bless the poorly-timed Druids of Stonehenge. In this selfish, consumerist, cynical world they made the trip to Stonehenge to answer the call for some kind of spiritual experience. They recognised the emptiness of our politically correct, CRB'ed, cotton-wool-wrapped society and went to fill it with meaning. And by arriving for Monday morning, hopefully they missed all the travel problems they would have had on Monday night through Tuesday. Maybe their Goddess was looking after them after all.
And in case you're wondering why my image of Stonehenge looks so sunny and empty, it was taken about Michaelmas. Or the Autumnal Equinox, for those of a druidic persuasion.
* I refer you to the excellent "Stonehenge Complete" by the learned but very readable and often amusing Christopher Chippindale for details.
On first sight, the Stonehenge looks like an advert for CIF (Jiff as it used to be called).
ReplyDeleteReally pristine.
My memories of Stonehenge (from military expeditions on Salisbury Plain) are of quite grotty, weatherbeaten lumps of rock, scattered haphazardly around a rudimentary circle. At first, (until I knew better) I thought that it was "Bob the Builders" scrapyard.
The other henge at Amesbury, is much more civilised as it is not surrounded by razor wire and English Heritage Security. You can actually sit on the stones.
As a mystic holy place for druids, I suppose that some English Cathedrals will be in similar state or repair, now English Heritage has removed their subsidy.
Christians having their own Henges, Great!!