Comments on: With The Druids At Midsummer

By: John Rowe

John Rowe — Wed, 22 Jun 2016 19:24:47 +0000

I am a fan of the Druids, but not wishing to be pedantic it appears unlikely that John Toland held a Gorsedd there in 1716. The first one held there was in 1792 by Iolo Motganwg. Toland was more into Freemasonry and held a meeting in 1717 in a London pub
inaugurating a lodge and the two events became conflated. Or else Iolo, a notorious forger, decided to add some spurious antiquity

Toland was a fascinating character, someone said that if he had been born 200 years earlier he would have been burnt at the stake and if he had been born 200 years later he would have been a professor of comparative religion at a Californian University.

Interestingly in 1783 an early Druidic lodge was founded at the Rose Tavern in Ratcliffe Highway, Wapping. I wonder if Madge Darby knows more about it?

See ‘Blood and Mistletoe’ by prof. Ronald Hutton for details.

By: Shawdian

Shawdian — Tue, 21 Jun 2016 13:41:32 +0000

If it keeps the peace, the more the merrier. We should all look after our planet and try to lead happy healthy lives and be good to each other.

By: Phil Maxwell

Phil Maxwell — Tue, 21 Jun 2016 13:29:21 +0000

Always been fascinated by the ancient Druids. Great story and photographs.

By: Stephen Foster

Stephen Foster — Tue, 21 Jun 2016 11:38:25 +0000

Lost me at Oxford Town Hall, but he does carry a lovely stick

By: Achim

Achim — Tue, 21 Jun 2016 10:36:56 +0000

To all a very happy Summer 2016!

Love & Peace
ACHIM

By: John Barrett

John Barrett — Tue, 21 Jun 2016 08:05:08 +0000

A well described ritual or service by GA amongst the hawthorns . Lots of young people attending on the hill for this happy event. The four seasons are important to Druids and ‘us’ starting with Spring its renewal time the earth is warming up the seeds are in.The Chief Druid within the circle will offer up a blessing for all good things around us. In the Christian world we celebrate, thanking God for a harvest bounty in the Autumn called a harvest festival service . Today its summer solstice time at Stonehenge, there was lots happy bards, druids many visitors and TV crews. The reason for this great happiness the huge orthostats and blue stones were bathed in sunlight, on cue just as the dawn was breaking. John

By: Naomi Peck

Naomi Peck — Tue, 21 Jun 2016 07:29:45 +0000

I am intrigued by the line “As the most prominent geological feature in the Lower Thames Valley, it seems likely that this elevated site has been a location for rituals since before history began.”

I had always been under the impression that Primrose Hill was a creation (or at least an enhancement) of the Great Plague, being the site of one of London’s mass burial grounds. Did it then in fact exist beforehand?

By: annette fry

annette fry — Tue, 21 Jun 2016 07:08:39 +0000

Some years ago, I took part in a druidic celebration of midsummer at Tower Hill, we all walked through the city costumed and garlanded with flowers, and workers were hanging out of open windows waving and cheering. On reaching Tower Hill, we held a ceremony on the ancient mound, and then retired to share poems, food and good will, at a local hostelry. A joyful affair.