The Sun Dance

Rumour has it, that the ancient holy well at Constantine Bay, will affect the weather in drought conditions, its is said that if you clean the well of all weed and debris and drink the clean fresh water, the skies will cloud over and the rains will come, on the other hand, if you dry the well out and take the water away, it will stop the rain from falling.

As this year, which is an especially wet summer, it might be time to go back to the ancient ways.

With this thought in mind, on the 07-July-2008, at 6.30 pm, Arch Druid of Cornwall, Edward Prynn, decided to visit the holy well at Constantine Bay near St. Merryn and bless the well and do a druid sun dance.

I went along with Ed, to document the event. After a walk of about half a mile across Trevose Golf course we came to the well, Ed with his white robes on and his staff in hand entered the well, he cupped his hands and scooped up some water, this he blessed and then he started to dance in a mystic and rhythmical movement.

He then stopped dancing looked at me, and said, we are not alone, the little people are here, I looked around, but Ed said that we couldn’t see them as they were invisible to us. He told me the only way he knew they were there, was that he could smell the aromatic and sweet smelling smoke from their pipes that always accompanied them.

Ed then placed his elbows on the well and prayed for a dry spell, this he said is needed to help not just the farmers, with their crops but to help the whole of the community as well as giving the tourists a hot summer.

Ed and I then walked back to the car, as we walked, he told me about the ancient ways, how the praying and dancing works, and how sometimes it doesn’t. The old ways he said, are very fickle. It might take a couple of weeks of blessing. He went on to say that this blessing had been heard, as he sensed the mystic steam rising.   

Written and photographed, by Michael Murt

Pictures to follow ...