Mayburgh Henge
Mayburgh Henge is an Ancient Sacred Site about 4000 years old.
The eastern entrance frames King Arthur’s Round Table, another ancient site in the vicinity. Close by, to the south is a smaller site called the Little Round Table. The whole area is an Ancient Ceremonial Site, which is of special spiritual significance to present-day Pagans.
Add to this the addition of a new Christian Stone to celebrate the millennium and you have a recipe for confrontation and disaster.
In the interests of peace and multi-faith I was asked to act in the ancient Druid role of Peace Maker, in the role of Pagan Priest to lead a Ritual to welcome the New Stone and in the role of Warrior King to make our presence known at the Christian dedication ceremony. Three purposes and three intents.
There was to be a Christian dedication ceremony and picnic on the Sunday afternoon. I had travelled up from Cardiff to Cumbria by coach the day before.
Having got a feel for the place on Saturday evening, I retired to the local hostelry, where I was booked in for the night.
We had not been there long before I caught a glimpse of out boys in blue (fluorescent jackets these days) in the foyer.
Aware that the local press had been setting up a possible confrontation over my ceremonial sword and aware also that I did not have about my person the usual documentation for Excalibur, and only too aware that I had de-cloaked and the sword was thus in plain view, so it came as no surprise when I was told that there was someone who would like a quiet word with me.
What was surprising however, was their attitude. I explained about the sword and ritual dagger, which was also in plain view. But this was most certainly by the by and not the purpose of their visit. The local representative of English Heritage whom we, (myself and ASLaN) had met with earlier, had directed the police to the local pub, where he knew we would be.
The police merely wished to discuss our itinerary and plans for the following day, and to ask what assistance they may be. It was pointed out to them that low key policing should be the order of the day, and should any of the Christian contingents be or get out of order (hecklers), the police would be well advised to mediate through their ministers, dog collars and frocks.
And likewise and in like manner if any of the Pagans were seen to be disruptive, ASLaN T-shirts, white frocks and we could be relied on to mediate in the first instance.
After the police left the hotel, a small number of us returned to the standing stone at Mayburgh Henge, a circle was cast and magic was wrought.
The next day, around noon, as planned, I led a ceremony in which we, the Pagans now numbering about 40, went to welcome and dedicate the Christian stone, situated outside (although still dominating) the Henge.
The press were there trying to hype up confrontation.
I merely pointed out to them that whilst the siting of the stone was not what we would have preferred, we were not there for confrontation but to show a peaceful and silent protest and presence and that Father, Son and Holy Ghost can be read equally as Mother, Maiden and Crone.
By the time the Christians, led by an Archbishop, came to do their dedication and picnic, we were to all intense and purposes on the moral high ground silhouetted on the skyline, we stood passively on the bank above them.
They had been expecting five thousand participants and indeed billed the picnic as the feeding of the five thousand.
In reality they got about three hundred and fifty.
It varied between scenes from Zulu and Ben Hurr, depending upon your perspective. Each Church or group of Churches came in to the field below us, standards raised like something from the Roman Imperial Army.
We stood upon the bank looking down upon them and we too bore standards. My Royal Standard and Battle Standard flanked me as I stood all in white, robes flowing and drizzle falling.
When all the Churches and their followers had marched into the field below a sole figure was seen climbing the bank, breaking ranks to speak with me before the Bishop and the Cannon delivered their address.
He told me that he was on the Church committee and had been against the imposition of a Christian cross on a Pagan site, said he respected us for our beliefs, as did I him, for his. I handed him some of our literature including support from we had from other Christian ministries.
We stood in silence throughout their service, and as they picnicked, as if by some prearranged signal, I mooned at the Archbishop, shackled my Sword back on and we filed away.
Note: It is worth noting that Mooning at the Arch-Bishop had the effect of
defusing an otherwise volatile situation and was far better than some of the suggested alternatives which included a would-be Streaker.
The following appeared in the local paper in the weekly "Christian Comments" column by Canon Wood.
"In the end, it was a dignified affair. The debate had been raging for 12 months and there were powerful arguments on both sides. But the Christians were finally allowed to mark the millennium with their monolith on a grassy bank on the other side of the lane that runs beside Mayburgh Henge. The service may have been overlong, and perhaps it was a mistake to interrupt it halfway through with a 45 minute picnic, but it was holy and it was fun.
Ranged along the lip of the henge, a long way from the action, the Pagans held their silent protest. Some of them were dressed in Druidical costume and there were black and silver banners with ancient and earthy symbols. But the protest, though very visible, was without rancour: it was silent and good natured. When Canon Markham acknowledged "Our friends on the hill" and wondered if they could hear him, they waved their affirmative.
They taught us a valuable lesson that day. You can make your views known without being offensive. Fervent opinions don't have to be expressed in violent language or conduct.
Contrast the recent scenes at Drumcree. There should be no enmities between different religious or political traditions. It took a group of non-Christians at Mayburgh Henge to show how differences of opinion really ought to be expressed."
On another note: Canon Markham wrote to the local paper last week asking for donations. It appears the festival didn't turn a profit, and he is personally down £18,000 on the cost of the stone.