Round the Herne

Last weekend the druid group I belong to went on a holiday trip down to Wiltshire to visit Stonehenge and Avebury (and yes, we do know they both massively predate any mention of the druids, but they're an amazing feet of human achievement). The weather was pretty dire, but we had a good time and it was nice to be with other people. It gets a bit dull living alone, and it's nice to have company! Inset is a story about standing stones. I first heard this tale in relation to the stones of Carnac, but I have seen near identical versions told of stones from around Britain and elsewhere. The two notions that animals gain the power of human speech (or maybe just that humans become capable of understanding their native languages) and that menhirs get to drink water once per year seem to be very widespread. Maybe the thought of stones drinking is mostly just whimsy, but I think the element of Dr Doolittle speaks to a very deep need to be able to communicate with the species that we

Apparently today is National Dog Day in Britain (which was news to me - who sets these things?) So, as a dog-lover myself, I thought I would celebrate with a tale showing canine devotion to humanity.

In previous years we have held Pooka's Pageant (a celebration of polytheism through the performing arts) in August. Due to an excess of events in that month, this year we have transferred it to November 7th - still in it's usual Ipswich venue. I am currently scouting for polytheist storytellers, poets, singers, puppeteers, or other performers who want to celebrate the Old Gods and spirits through their performances. Each year we try to get a good mix of cultures ~ previous years have included Irish, Welsh, Greek, Germanic, Scandinavian, African, Arabic, Native American, Chinese, Indian, and Inuit tales. If you are a polytheist performer (or know someone who is) within easy travelling distance of Ipswich, do get in touch via robinherne@hotmail.com