JOHN HUGH ROBERTS: The Last Recorder of the Druids
By DALE BERTRAND
[This is a continuation of the article published in the June 2005 issue of The Celtic Connection – John Hugh Roberts: Mystical Writings from a Cymric Soul]
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JOHN HUGH ROBERTS
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VANCOUVER - In 1978 I came into a collection of writings on yellowed brittle parchment paper - over 140 manuscript pages written by John Hugh Roberts which was given to my mother Mary Bertrand by his grandson, Charles Steele.
By researching the mystical numbering system on the pages we were able to determine that we had approximately 21percent of the total writings. Many of these papers had mysterious number columns, strange hieroglyphics, and unusual letters and calculations. They were all written in a beautiful elegant penmanship.
With these individual pages came five diaries covering approximately 60 years of this man’s life travels across Wales, Britain, Canada and the United States, all of these travels taking place between 1844 and 1912.
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AUTHOR DALE BERTRAND and Della Burford at Boscawen-Un Circle in Cornwall, a place where many Ceremonies were held in the 1840s with John Hugh participating.
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These papers came to me in an unusual sequence of events. In a letter that Dr. David Davies from Abergavenny Wales wrote to me later, he said, “it was typical of a planned campaign to get these writings into my hands.”
Roberts devoted the last 20 years of his life, “to the study and translation, of these ancient manuscripts of Secret Inspirations, and R
evelations,” taught to him by the “Three Mermaids.”
In an extraordinary sequence of events, in 1985 a book was delivered 3,000 miles across Canada to us by Tom and Joanne Williams. It had been found by our mutual friend Doug Atkins at the recycling store at the dump in Ganges on Salt Spring Island and given to us - it was a 146 hand-written book by John Hugh Roberts.
On examination we found that it provided the key to finally understanding the other manuscripts and their destiny. John Hugh says it is filled with “Lessons” on “Inspiration” and “Revelation” or Interpretation of the Ancient Lords of Teman (Hereditary Druids) wonderful records called “The Stone of Knowledge” on which may be read, “all the arts, and sciences and secrets of the earth and the aspects of the Heavens.”
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CHIEF FESTIVALS OF THE DRUIDS
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DRUIDS AND CHRISTIANS MEETING ON THE SHORE
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| Illuminations by Leo Del Pasqua |
And so began a journey investigating these mystical writings and researching the locations mentioned in the writings. This took us on travels to Wales, England, Ireland, Peru, Guatemala and Mexico. My wife Della Burford and I spent some time living in Mexico and England researching the papers and filming some of the footsteps that John Hugh traveled in the 1840s. Bill Meilen, Elwyn Roberts and John Baldwin and others have contributed to this research.
The adventures and stories of our journey investigating the manuscripts are now being developed into a novel which will include part of the “Stone Book of Knowledge.” In November of 2004, we filmed eight hours of film in Wales, Cornwall and Ireland.
A film for broadcast and an interactive DVD of the story of our adventures with flashbacks to the story of Robert's life are part of the vision of what will eventually evolve. We are looking for interested producers to collaborate with at present.
Artist Leo Del Pasqua from Ottawa illuminated 140 pages of four of the manuscripts – the “Three Mermaids,” “Chief Festival of the Druids,” “Nennius” and the “Galecerth of Halloween.” In the October issue of The Celtic Connection we will publish excerpts from the “Galecerth or Bonfire of Halloween” as it took place in 1840.
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Visit www.azatlan.com to learn more about the Roberts Project and see the booklet “First Days in Vancouver.
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