The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1893-03-30
WEIRD WELSH RITES.
ruaeral Ceremonies and Cremation of
Distinguished Arch Druid.

Fuaeral Ceremonies and Cremation of n
Distinguished Arch Druid.
Far away seem the times and the
rites OF the Druids; even under the
mlstletoe at Yuletide-the Time of
fowllng. Theirs was one of the most
ancient and primitive of religions, and
its cult is greatly shrouded in mystery.
Yet it is not altogether dead Among
the hills OF Wales many strange relics
OF the past remain. There may be no
fragments of forgotten peoples" but
there are legends and customs and
songs and social and religious rites
preserved unchanged from the DAYS of
Arthur and Merlin and Taliessin.
There are probably not a few seers
who, like Glendower, ''can summon
spirits from the vastly deep" though
whether or not they will come is vet
mooted question. And as for The
| Druids, their line is yet unbroken, and
their weird rites are still celebrated as
| of old
The death has just occurred at Liam
trissant of DIR. William Price, who had
the distinguished office of arch Druid of
Wales He was something more than
nlnety-three years old, and might have
passed for one of the old-time bards
who persisted in King Edwards DAYS,
SO rugged and antique was his appear
ance. Six or seven years ago, it 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 Druidical rites For this he was
arrested and brought to trial. But
after hot contest in court he was ac-
| quilted, and decree was pronounced
from the bench, establishing the entire
legality of this form of funeral Ac-
cordingly, when DIR. Price himself died,
a similar ceremony was enacted, with
out thought of interference.
The ceremony took place on the sum-
NIT of high hill at Caerlen, the very
spot where the body of the infant had
been burned. Several hundred tickets
were issued to the friends and former
patients of DIR. Price, emitting them to
enter the Enclosure and witness the
burning. The hour first set was noon.
But public curiosity rose to so high a
pitch that, to avoid being overwhelmed
by mob of sightseers it was at the
last moment decided to change it to 7
o clock in the morning. SO in the gray
light of that early hour the strange
procession made its way to the hilltop.
No mourning garb was to be seen. The
closest friends of the deceased Druid
We're attired 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, a coffin of per-
forated sheet iron. On the hilltop two
stone walls had been built, four feet
apart. each being about ten feet long
and four feet high. A number of iron
bars extending from one to the other
formed Il rude grating between them,
some distance above the ground, and
upon these bars the coffin was placed,
the head being toward the east and the
feet toward the west, a clergyman Of
the Esta blished church was present
and read the ordinary service for the
dead in Welsh. The vestments of the
church contr asted as strangely with
the Druidical garb worn by some of the
attendants as did the words of tho
prayer-book with the strange rites
Some slight changes were made in the
service, such as the body being CON
signed to the flames"
Then under and over and all around
the coffin was piled great lot of wood,
perhaps whole cord of it, and to this
were added several tons of coal MANY
gallons of paraffine oil were thrown
II fhnran~hlty 4rr
tire pile. Then, at about o'clock, two
of the closest friends of the late Druid
came forward from the throng and
applied torches to the wood, one at
each end of the mass. In a moment it
was all a raging furnace, and the hill
literally tiared like Volcano A brisk
breeze was blowing, which famed the
fire and carried the flame and smoke
far into the heavens. For many miles
the strange spectacle was clearly seen,
and thousands of people came tiocking
thither from all parts of Glamorgan-
shire. Seven or eight thousand of them
gathered in ring about the pyre, as
close to it as possible, and watched it
with eager interest all day long.
Some hours after dark that evening
the flames had died down and there
was only dull glow from the Goals.
Then with long hooks they dragged the
coffin from the furnace when it was
discovered that it had been literally
burned through in many places, and
when the lid was uncovered the receipt
acle was absolutely empty without the
faintest trace within of the remains.
The coffin was subsequently conveyed
on bier, followed by an immense
crowd, and deposited on the couch in
the deceased's residence, where few
days previo usly he had breathed his
last-N Y. Tribune.
Farewell to the Teaspoon.
The teaspoon has been banished from