Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1893-04-04
FUNERAL OLA DRUID
STRANGE DEATH RITES ON A LOFTY
HILLTOP IN WALES.


HILLTOP IN WALES.
lnprsssavs csrsnsaiss Attending the yisss
Dispssisiss % the BeAy % ths Late
Leader % the Druids 81 waiss-Rsshss
, llixsd Services
Far away seem the times and the dtes
of the Druids; even under the mistletoe
1t yuletide-the time Of Yowling. Theirs
was one Of the most ancient and priini.
tive Of religions, and It's cult Is greatly
shrouded In mystery. Yet II II not alto
Rether dead. Among the hills Of Wales
many strange relics Of the past remain.
There may be no fragments OF forgot.
ten peoples" but there are legends and
customs and songs and social and reli'
gious rites preserved unchanged from the
days Of Arthur and Merlin and Taliessin.
There are probably not few seers who.
Ike Glendower. "can summon spirits
from the Vastly Deep" though whether or
not they win come IL yet mooted ques-
ton. And as for the Druids, their line is
vet unbroken, and their weird rites are
still celebrated az Of old.
The death occurred at Llantrissant OF
DR.. William Price, who held tho distin.
guished Office Of archdruid OF Wales.
He was something more than % years
old and might have passed for one Of the
old time bards who perished In King Ed.
wards reign, 20 rugged and antique was
his appearance. Six or seven years ago,
II may be remembered, an infant that
had been born to him In his old age died,
and Its body was publicly cremated by
him with Druidic..l rites. For this he
was arrested and brought to trial. But
after O hot contest In court he was nc.
quilted, and decree, was pronounced
from the bench establishing the entire
legality Of this form OF funeral. Ac.
cordingly when DR.. Price himself died
a similar ceremony was enacted without
thought Of interference.
The ceremony took place on the sum.
NIT Of high hill at Caerlan, the very
spot where the body Of the infant had
been burned. Several hundred tickets
were issued to the friends and former
patients OF DR.. Price, emitting them to
enter the Enclosure and witness the burn.
ing. The hour first set was noon. But
public curiosity rose to 80 high pitch
that. to avoid being overwhelmed by a
mob of sightseers, II was at the last mo-
ment decided to change II to o'clock In
the morning. So In the gray light Of
that early hour the strange procession
made Its way to the hilltop. No mourn.
ing garb was to be seen. The closest
friends of the deceased Druid were at.
tired In the ancient costumes Of the
Welsh people.
The body of DR.. Price was clothed In
the Druidical robes he had worn In life
and was then placed In q coffin Of per.
forated sheet iron. On the hilltop two
stone walls had been built, four feet
apart. each being about 10 feet long and
feet high. A number Of iron bars ex.
tending from one to the other formed q
rude grating between them, some dis.
lance above the ground, and upon these
bars the coffin was placed, the head I've.
ing toward the east and the feet toward
the west.
A clergyman Of the Established church
was present and read the ordinary serv.
ice for the dead In Welsh. The vest.
ments Of the church contrasted as
strangely with tho Druidical garb worn
by some Of the attendants rs did the
words Of tho prayer book with the
strange rites. Some slight changes were
made In the service. such as the body be.
ing consigned to the flames"
Then under and over and all around
the coffin was piled great lot Of wood,
perhaps q whole cord Of 1t, and to thi:
were added several tons OF coal. Many
gallons Of paraffin oil were thrown upon
1t, thoroughly saturating the entire pile
Then, at about 8 o'clock, two Of the
closest friends Of tho late Druid came
forward from the throng and applied
torches to the wood, one at each end OF
the mass. In momeut II was all rag
ing furnace, and the hill literally hared
like volcano.
A brisk breeze was blowing, which
famed the fire and carried the fame and
smoke far into the heavens. For many
miles the strange spectacle was clearly
seen, and thousands Of people came flock
ing thither from all parts Of Glamor
ganshire. Seven OF eight thousand ol
them gathered In q ring about tho pyre
rs close to it as possible, and watched Il
with eager interest all day long.
Some hours after dark that evening
the flames had died down. and there wa
only dull glow from the Goals. Ther
with long hooks they dragged the coftir
from tho furnace, when II was discov
cred that 1t had been literally burnet
through In many places, and when thu
lid was uncovered the receptacle was alb
solutely empty without the faintest trace
within Of the remains. The coffin wa
subsequently conveyed on a bier. fol
lowed by an immense crowd, and dc
posted on the couch In the deceased
residence, where q few days previousl!
he had breathed his last.-New YOrl