The "Gaelcerth of Halloween"
a Ceremony That Has Survived Since the Time of the Druids.

By DALE BERTRAND

[Included in this article is an excerpt from the writings of John Hugh Roberts, a Welsh mystic who lived in Vancouver, B.C. at the turn of the century.]

John Hugh Roberts was raised in Wales and was proud to be Welsh. He immigrated to Canada and raised a family first in Toronto in the 1850s and then Vancouver in 1882. He made a detailed diary of his life, including Vancouver in the first days of it becoming a city.

His daughter Mississippi had a son Charles Steele, who was the first boy to be registered as being born in Vancouver. John Hugh’s son, Tomhu Huron Roberts, was one of the first person to list himself in the Henderson Directory as an artist.

Starting in 1893 and continuing for nine years, John Hugh wrote The Stones of Knowledge. He concealed his identity as “the last Recorder of the Druids” and was simply known as the former tailor.

When he passed on to the spirit world, these writings were given to Tomhu and from him to Charles Steele, his nephew. The papers were given to Mary Bertrand at the passing of Charles Steele, and then passed on to her son Dale Bertrand who has continued to study and research these wonderful records.

The following is a partial excerpt from the transcript of the Gaelcerth of Halloween, written by John Hugh Roberts from his childhood memories in 1840 in Wales:

One of the ceremonies that has survived since the time of the Druids, is yet kept in Wales, on the 11th of November every year, or at least they were observed there during the time I was in that country (from 1834-1840) I took part in the ceremonies and I am told they are still kept up (1888).

For a week before the time it is a busy time with the children, and some old people too, gathering materials for this Bonfire, which is lighted at sunset, (old style 11th mostly). Anciently every house in the neighborhood put out their fires so that thy may be re-lighted from the Gaelcerth, but in my time but five of the old families did this. A description of the last I attended there (1840) with some slight local variation, will answer for all of them.

It was Wednesday 11th of November 1840, the moon yet looked full (17 days old) the sun set about 4:30 when I lit the Bonfire, it was my right to do so because I had gathered the greatest amount of materials for it. The master of ceremony that night was a stranger to me – a very old man who sat near the fire until the signs told him the time to sound the trumpet!

The sign of the Bear was low in the north thus the Prime or First Star (upper) of the chair of Cassiopeia on the zenith Orion and the Pleiades (and the) in the east and the “Trybedh-y dre” – the Tribat, or Triad stars of the Druids in the west with the milky way nearly from east to west. Then, the old man slowly arose and handed me the trumpet which I sounded, keeping time with the motions or the signs he made (I had done this before).

While thus engaged, there was a great commotion among the large crowds – the Queen of the Fairies was approaching. She was dressed so fantastically, that her best friend could not have known her. At her approach, a large ring was formed into which the queen marched with a number of her subjects.

The master of ceremonies approached the ring and conversed with the queen in some language that no one in the crowd understood. Among the subjects of the queen, next to her person, were the three guardians: one in green, and one in blue, one in white.

Next to them were three more dressed in black and after them three are in all the colours of the rainbow. After them followed a deer, a dragon and a dog. These kept moving between the outer and inner rings, directed by the three guards.

On a signal from the master of ceremonies, I again sounded at the assembly. Each one of the guards carried a wand about a yard and a half long. One was planted in the ground perpendicular, and another fastened (as a cross) horizontally, with the third rod they measured the inner ring.

This was done by the one in green, and the measure he told to the one in white – which this one entered in a Book of Stones (thin slate). The one in blue made observations on the lines of the cross and the stars and there on also were entered in the Book. The wands were hollow, acting as telescopes. The dates also were entered and the name of all that were privileged to enter the inner ring to be presented to the queen. This was done by means of a Password.

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The address which was delivered in Welsh is translated into English as follows:

Let the sound be mournful and low
Like the song of the tomb such as Mazzaroth heard,
When the crowded sigh of this brothers rose:
Some of my sons are low, said the gray haired king of Morland
I hear the sound of death on Morvan Shore
Son of Ossian touch the trembling string,
Bid the sword and sorrow rise from the earth,
As the mist of a summers morning
That the spirits of my heroes may fly with to Nervrin’s sacred circle.
Touch the lyre soft and low, bend forward,
From your clouds he said,
Ghosts of my fathers bend.

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[Edited by Dale Bertrand and Della Burford. Illuminations of the Gaelcerth of Halloween by Leo del Pasqua of Ottawa, who has illuminated over 110 pages of the manuscripts. More about the Roberts Heritage Foundation, the projects to preserve and publish the writings of John Hugh Roberts, and his son Tomhu Huron Roberts early Canadian paintings, can be seen at www.azatlan.com. Anyone interested in helping with this project can contact Dale Bertrand at: azatlan@yahoo.com.]

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