5.14.2007
Hutton and The Druids
The Independent does a profile of author and academic Ronald Hutton on the release of his latest book "Druids: A History". The article points out that this book isn't so much about "real" Druids (ie the historical priestly caste of the pre-Christian Celts), as it is about the modern invention of Druids (and Druidry) from Iolo Morganwg in the 18th century to the present day.
"Hutton gives us chapters on "The Patriotic Druids", "The Wise Druids", "The Green Druids", "The Demonic Druids", "The Fraternal Druids", "The Rebel Druids" and, perhaps most important to his popular readers, "The Future Druids". Like the Knights Templar, at least in the British Isles, the Druids have been a handy peg on which to hang a backpack of imaginative, insightful, and sometimes half-baked ideas, dealing with national identity, religious revelation, ancient societies, nature and ourselves. When I mentioned that it seemed like a history of what people have thought about the Druids, Hutton eagerly agreed. 'My colleagues would kill me for saying this, but historians are increasingly conscious of the fact that we can't write history. What we can write about is the way in which people see history and think history happens.' And turning my remark back at me he continued, 'So, is this a book about Druids with no Druids in it, or are the real Druids these amazing characters like William Price, William Stukeley, Iolo Morganwg and the rest?'"
The interviewer also touches on the fact that Hutton has courted controversy with his books on modern Paganism. From some modern Pagans who have disagreed with his findings, and from academic colleagues who feel he is a bit too chummy with the Pagans.
"Predictably, Hutton finds himself defending his position on two fronts. Neo-pagans, clinging to the notion that their beliefs are part of an ancient nature religion, and radical feminists upholding the idea of a primeval matriarchal society (which Hutton finds "rather delightful"), scorn Hutton's refreshingly cheerful acceptance that there seems little evidence for either of these. And his less unbuttoned colleagues shake their heads at his optimism about Druidry and other "alternative spiritualities" as valid contemporary religions. He has a very pragmatic, creative attitude, recognising that factual error can still produce beneficial results. We may not be able to "get it right", about the Druids and other people of the past, but 'we can look upon the past and how it works for us, and call upon it in order to make the future'."
But despite the criticisms Hutton has received from some Pagans, his obvious love and respect for modern Paganism is apparent.
"Paganism today, he says, is "a way of trying to get the best out of modernity, while discarding the bits that most of us hate". And while he wouldn't call himself "a spokesperson for paganism" ... he acknowledges his debt to it. "I could never have managed to write the books that I have without the welcome and the support I've received from pagans and Druids." Given that the West has been reinventing its identity since the Renaissance, that we should continue to do so today shouldn't come as a surprise. "It's part of our reclaiming ourselves as modern," Hutton says. 'Of getting a sense of who we are and what we're doing here, where we've come from , and why we are who we are. It's simply thrilling.'"
If "Druids" is anywhere near the quality of works like "Triumph of the Moon" or "Stations of the Sun", then it will become essential reading for anyone interested in modern Druidry/ism (whether curious outsider or veteran practitioner). Works like this help add another piece to the puzzle of modern Paganism's sometimes complex and confusing history.
Labels: Druid, Druidism, Druidry, Druids, Paganism, Polytheism, Ronald Hutton
3.29.2007
(Pagan ) News of Note
My semi-regular round-up of articles, essays, and opinions of note for discerning Pagans and Heathens.
We all know that modern Druids in Britain have a special connection to Stonehenge, but it seems that Druids in New Zealand are getting in on the action with a Stonehenge all their own.
"As the sun set last night at the Kiwi-style Stonehenge, built on a hill east of Carterton, druids from across New Zealand - along with Britain's Chief Druid, Phillip Carr-Gomm - gathered to be part of the ancient ceremony of Alban Elfed, the autumn equinox...Stonehenge Aotearoa is an adaptation of the 4000-year-old ring of stones on Salisbury Plain in England. The 24 pillars that make up the circle are not stone, but the cement-and-plaster structures look the part. Stonehenge Aotearoa took its final form in 2005."
Will Druids in America soon want their own Stonehenge? If funds are a problem, they could always use Carhenge as a substitute.
Wiccans are the victims in a new novel "White Night" by Jim Butcher. The book, part of a series called "The Dresden Files" (now a television series on the SciFi channel), stars a hard-boiled magician who solves occult-related crimes.
"Further investigation reveals the presence of a serial killer preying upon Wicca practitioners and worse, folks on the street keep seeing a tall man in a gray jacket, a description that fits Dresden. Harry soon uncovers evidence that implicates his brother Thomas as the killer but before he can clear him, he'll have to battle ghouls in a showdown..."
If your a fan of the "Wiccans getting off-ed" motif in occult-tinged stories you might also want to check out M.R. Sellars' Rowan Gant Investigations series, and possibly Rosemary Edghill's "Bast" mysteries.
Ireland has launched its first (and only) Mumming center near the Fermanagh border.
"Ireland's only mumming centre was officially launched this morning in a former national school close to the Fermanagh border. The 266,000 Euro cultural centre, built in the restored listed building of Aughakillymaude National School on the shores of Lough Erne, is set to become a major attraction for tourists plying the Fermanagh waterways. The key attraction will be an exhibition dedicated to the vanishing tradition of mumming, in which eerie straw-masked figures perform a midwinter folk drama whose origins are lost in pagan times."
For more on mumming, check out the Wikipedia article, and of course the final third of the original Wicker Man features some lovely mumming (and a bit of human sacrifice, but its all for the good of the land).
Washingtonian profiles Sally Quinn in her new role as religious master of ceremonies for the Washington Post blog "On Faith".
"I've been an atheist all my life, Jon convinced me not to use that word. He said I was defining myself negatively. So I don't call myself anything, a seeker, perhaps. I had been interested for a couple of years in religion and how it affects policy. I was thinking of writing a book about religion in Washington."
The article also makes special note of the inclusion of Starhawk in the proceedings, and makes much ado over Quinn's affection for labyrinth-walking as a possible sign she has "found" religion.
Bloomberg reports that the Louvre is presenting a special show of the 4th century BC Attic sculptor Praxiteles, famous for his images of Aphrodite.
"Several versions of the lady can be admired at the Louvre, which has organized a rare Praxiteles exhibition. Most of his works survived only in the form of Roman copies. The originals were destroyed by the ravages of time, natural disasters or Christian zealots who, like the Taliban, wouldn't tolerate images of pagan sensuality."
They also point out that the pure-white statues we see now aren't quite what the ancients looked at due to the fact that statutes back then were often painted in vibrant colors.
Finally, for fans of Pagan-created music, the amazing Hungarian Pagan band The Moon and The Nighspirit are releasing a new album entitled "Rego Rejtem" (which in English means "I conjure with magic") on April 2nd. Unlike their first album "Of Dreams Forgotten and Fables Untold", this album is recorded entirely in their native tongue instead of English.
"This time they have traveled further into times bygone, rekindling the flames of the Taltos (Hungarian shaman) and reawakening the spirits of the Elders. The music has acquired a more varied and colorful tone through the use of varied ethnic instrumentation (such as kaval, tapan, jew's harp or zither), and has also become significantly more energetic and vibrant, without sacrificing the unique ambiance that the band had found on their debut album."
You can download an Mp3 of the title track, here. Expect to hear more from this album on my weekly "Darker Shade of Pagan" podcast in the very near future.
That is all I have for now. Have a good day!
Labels: Druid, Mumming, On Faith, Paganism, Praxiteles, Sally Quinn, Stonehenge, The Dresden Files, The Moon and The Nightspirit, Wicca
3.18.2007
Following Up on Recent Stories
Some new developments have arisen in two stories I recently reported on for this blog. First is the case of John J. Anderson, who I wrote about in my March 9th (Pagan) News of Note. Anderson is charged with the murder of teenager Natasha Miller, and his defense team moved to have his confession thrown out of court. During the confession Anderson described himself as a "Druid" and a that Miller was a "Wiccan".
"...for hours he talked about religion ... and his life as a druid - part of an ancient pagan Celtic religion. He placed Miller's body in the river, he said, for religious reasons, to reunite her with the spirit of water ... he attempted to paint himself as a scholar of the universe and told investigators he had studied religion since age 5. Miller, he insisted, was a Wiccan - a paganist - who practiced witchcraft."
Now it seems that the judge has ruled that a large chunk of his confession be thrown out due to the police refusing to stop the interrogation after Anderson requested it be stopped.
"Judge Nanci Grant said police should have stopped interrogating John J. Anderson, a 24-year-old Wixom man who is accused of murdering Natalie Miller and dumping her body in the river, after he tried to stop the interrogation after several hours. The ruling means that many details - including information police say they have on why he would have killed Miller - will be lost to a jury."
This will make conviction of Anderson harder, though the police still have access to hours of statements by the alleged killer.
The second story involves a somewhat more law-abiding group of Druids and Pagans that I reported on five days ago. In the original blog post, I talked about how a reporter did a nice story on the Weymouth-based Dolmen Grove and how they were planning a ritual for a ancient felled tree at the "Nine Ladies" stone circle at Winterbourne Abbas.
"A 200-year-old tree at the centre of worship by druids and witches has been chopped down to size after it became diseased. The 80ft beech at Winterbourne Abbas has been reduced to a 10-metre stump by English Heritage because of fears it would die and fall over. The tree has become a dominant feature at the site, famous for the ancient stone circle standing beneath its branches. Now the Dolmen Grove, a Weymouth-based druid group, will perform a 're- balancing' ritual in mourning for the loss of the tree and to mark a new beginning for their holy site."
Now that same group are facing a string of threats and abuse, perhaps due to the increased publicity they have received recently.
"Pagans in Dorset claim their growing popularity is making them a target for threats and abuse. The Dolmen Grove, a Weymouth-based druid group, says a dead bird with a noose around its neck was left on the windscreen of its van. Then nails were left under the wheels of the van the night after a music gig."
Despite the threats, the group still plans to go forward with their ritual for the tree on March 24th. The article itself has created quite a back-and-forth in the comments section, generating over sixty comments, many with the typical "why do you dress funny" put-downs. Luckily, unlike nails in tires or dead animals left on vehicles, you can always choose to ignore stupidity and ignorance on web sites.
Labels: Dorset, Druid, John J. Anderson, Paganism, The Nine Ladies
3.13.2007
Ritual for an Ancient Tree
The Dorset Daily Echo has a nice piece up about how a local Pagan group dealt with the death and removal of a 200-year-old tree that rested in the middle of the famous "Nine Ladies" stone circle at Winterbourne Abbas.
"A 200-year-old tree at the centre of worship by druids and witches has been chopped down to size after it became diseased. The 80ft beech at Winterbourne Abbas has been reduced to a 10-metre stump by English Heritage because of fears it would die and fall over. The tree has become a dominant feature at the site, famous for the ancient stone circle standing beneath its branches. Now the Dolmen Grove, a Weymouth-based druid group, will perform a 're- balancing' ritual in mourning for the loss of the tree and to mark a new beginning for their holy site."
Chris Walsh, Arch Druid of the Dolmen Grove, seems very respectful of the site and speaks eloquently about the group's plans for the ritual honoring the ancient tree.
"I think that many trees have come and gone in the 3,000 to 4,000 years the stones have been here and we accept there has to be change and renewal in nature ... We believe in the spirits of the land and we want to honour the tree by putting it in peace with the elements - a re-balancing of nature's forces. We cannot be certain but we believe that ancient people met and worshiped at the stones very much as we do today. We're very respectful of the land and anyone who visits the stones and we like to see them maintained."
This is a nice bit of reporting that respectfully deals with the importance of stone circles (and the natural world) for British Pagans and Druids without the usual sarcasm or pull-quotes from local Christian clergy. This may partially be due to a sympathetic journalist, but I think having a media-savvy Pagan or two didn't hurt.
Labels: Dorset, Druid, Paganism, The Nine Ladies, UK, Winterbourne Abbas
2.10.2007
Remembering A Chief Druid
On February 1st, during Imbolc, Tim Sebastion, chief of the Secular Order of Druids in the UK, passed away after a long illness. No papers that I can find have printed an obituary, but several friends and acquaintances have posted remembrances on the web, giving tribute to a singular force within Druidry in the UK.
Tim Sebastian, photo by Andy Letcher
"Tim Sebastion, Blakean Romantic, Priest of Albion and Chosen Chief of the Secular Order of Druids, died last thursday. Whether organising inter-faith cricket matches at Stonehenge, performing lewd cucumber dances at Beltaine, or reestablishing competitions for Bardic Chairs he brought a delightful element of chaos to an otherwise stuffy British Druidry. He once told me that during his formative hippy years in London he saw a line from Blake graffitied on a wall: 'The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom'. It seems a fitting epitaph." - Andy Letcher, author of "Shroom: A Cultural History of the Magic Mushroom"
"Tim was Chosen Chief of the Secular Order of Druids - and still is for a while longer. Unlike the heads of some Orders and religions, Tim's title says what it means. Tim was chosen to be the chief of the Secular Order. He was chosen by the Secular Order. He never claimed, as far as I know, to've been chosen by a deity, not even by an ancestor like Wally. He rarely asserted authority over others. Most often he provoked, suggested, seduced. There are people around who think they started something, and there are events which they claim to've founded. But some of us know better. Tim's vision thrives in the lives and projects of many people (whether they know it or not). While others identify Druidry with a noble priesthood disseminating wisdom to worthy followers, the truest expressions of the Secular Order are cucumber dancers, fools, jesters, picnics, punk protests, rave tree blessings and ceremonies on the road outside Stonehenge ... Tim got us all to do things. Some of them have improved the world in small or great ways. If anyone else had achieved some of what Tim achieved their name would be emblazoned across some sign of ownership. Tim just smiled. Told us things that we only ever half believed but often wondered ... what if?" - Graham Harvey, author of "Listening People, Speaking Earth: Contemporary Paganism."
"What I remember about him most was his grumbling voice, his booming laugh, his ribald and unrestrained sense of humour, and his ability, almost stretching to genius, to knock over any ashtray, any pint, any table or any tent that he was even vaguely associated with...He was a tireless fighter for justice, an inspiration to us all, a model of courage and conviction, funny, generous, honest and a truly decent person to boot. Having Tim chant the Awen over you was to be transported to another, better world." - CJ Stone, author of "The Last of The Hippies"
"Tim Sebastion, chief of the Secular Order of Druids in the UK, died on February 1. He was always in the swirl of controversy around Stonehenge...His order was formed in 1975 and the acronym was chosen deliberately, or so I have been told. Based on my couple of meetings with Tim (the last in a Bath pub in 2004), it seemed that by appearing to not be totally serious, he was able to be very serious. He also held the Bardic Chair of Caer Badon (Bath) after founding a gorsedd (poetic competition) in 1995." - Chas Clifton, author of "Her Hidden Children"
"He was a bridge-builder, a peace-maker - adept at walking between the secular and sacred. With his gentle hand at the helm of many a circle, he made all feel welcome – making the Mysteries accessible and relevant to the present. A lover of 'sacred cricket' and 'West-Country produce', he was a Bonzo soul and a Druid through and through. With impeccable Druidic timing, he passed on from this world on Imbolc, 1 February, 2007, Southmead Hospital, Bristol, surrounded by close friends. His legacy lives on." - Kevan Manwaring, 3rd Bard of Bath & Scribe of the Gorsedd of the Bards of Caer Badon.
"Tim was a wonderful fellow. I first met him at a meeting he had convened in Mells in Somerset together with Ted Williams, a member of the Ancient Order of Druids. John Michell was there and I remember us all sitting in a lovely English country cottage garden in the summer holding the first meeting of COBDO. I particularly remember his deep rich voice with its West Country accent and his sense of humour. He was unique and I shall miss him greatly. May his journey to the Summerlands be swift and sure!" - Philip Carr-Gomm, Chosen Chief, The Order of Bards Ovates & Druids
"I have rejected Christianity on all levels other than I think it's a system that has as much a right to exist as we do. I believe in the Goddess; I'd rather live under a matriarchal system than a patriarchal system. I also think the time is long past where we need to have these stupid arguments about Christianity versus Paganism. It's irrelevant in the modern world. The world is collapsing unless we all come together and love one another." - Tim Sebastion, from an interview in Keltria magazine
May he rest in the arms of his Goddess. My respect and sympathies go out to all who knew him.
Labels: Druid, Druidry, Paganism, Tim Sebastion
1.07.2007
The Druid Lady-in-Waiting
Cherie Blair, the wife of British Prime Minister Tony Blair, is making news for her new-found friendship with a "Druid priestess".
"...they got on famously because - although the reasons may not seem immediately clear - they had 'a lot in common'. And so began, a year ago almost to the day, Mrs Blair's extraordinary friendship with Dwina Murphy-Gibb: erotic artist, one-time fetish - magazine model, part-time Druid priestess and bisexual."
Dwina Murphy-Gibb is married to Bee Gees singer Robin Gibb, and their friendship is drawing criticism, not for Murphy-Gibb's wild past but for her relationship with the woman-lead group Brahma Kumaris.
"Even by the standards of some of Mrs Blair's previous friends - former glamour model Carole Caplin, for instance - Dwina's past is colourful almost beyond belief. But there is something else - potentially dangerous - that yet again places a question mark against Mrs Blair's judgment and the almost kamikaze, ill-advised way she embarks on certain friendships. It is Dwina's close involvement with Brahma Kumaris, a women-led spiritual organisation that, while striving for world peace, has allegedly used 'pernicious' methods to control its followers."
The Brahma Kumaris group has been accused of controlling followers and has gained controversy for advising adherents (including married partners) to live a life of celibacy. But while the connection to the religious group has some concerned, the real start of all this attention is due to a winter holiday at Robin Gibb's home in Miami.
"The riddle over Tony Blair's controversial winter vacation deepened yesterday as Downing Street tried to fight off accusations that the Prime Minister had accepted a free holiday at the palatial Miami home of the pop star Robin Gibb...Mr Blair's predilection for staying at the homes of the rich and glamorous has turned his holidays into an annual set-piece controversy. But this holiday promises to be more colourful than most. The villa, built in 1948, has become famous as a venue for decadent parties. Mr Gibb has described his marriage as 'totally open. We like to cruise and we like to watch."
Amidst this controversy and gossip, Dwina Murphy-Gibb's connections to Druidism (she is a patroness of OBOD) are just one more shocking adjective alongside bisexuality and wild parties. Can you be friends with someone with a "wild" lifestyle yet not live it? The press so far seems to hint at some secret hedonistic lifestyle Cherie Blair may be living. But I doubt the devout Catholic will be attending OBOD rituals or "swapping" with a Bee Gee at a wild party any time soon. It could simply be a friendship formed by a shared interest in charitable causes, but then that wouldn't be news would it?
Labels: Cherie Blair, Druid, Druidism, Dwina Murphy-Gibb, Robin Gibb, Tony Blair
