A Strange Baptism

2500 BC. A group of people start from Durrington Walls. They leave a place of timber (meaning life). They journey down a river (called, in their ancient tongue, "river".)

They come to a place of stone where a ritual descent is enacted - the sun, on the last day of the year, dies. But, because they have enacted this ritual, they know it will rise again. They journey back to Durrington, to feast on roast pork.

2006 AD. A group of people journey to a place of stone. In place of the river there is a round stone bowl. A ritual is enacted - someone is said to die in the water, yet rise again. Because the Son rose, all are assured that everything will be OK. They journey to the Royal Oak, to feast on ham sandwiches.

The symbols may change. But they never go away.