Ruth Edna Kelley

“ The fires which had been built to propitiate
the god and consume his sacrifices to induce him to protect them
were now lighted to protect the people from the same god, declared
to be an evil mischief-maker. In time the autumn festival of the
Druids became the vigil of All Hallows or All Saints' Day. ”

“ It was a long, hard effort to make men see that their gods had all
the time been wrong, and harder still to root out the age-long
growth of rite and symbol. But on the old religion might be grafted
new names; Midsummer was dedicated to the birth of Saint John ”

“ Forbidden to practise their rites in Britain, the Druids fled to
the isle of Mona, near the coast of Wales. The Romans pursued them,
and in 61 A. D. they were slaughtered and their oak groves cut
down. During the next three centuries the cult was stifled to
death, and the Christian religion substituted.
It was believed that at Christ's advent the pagan gods either died
or were banished.
"The lonely mountains o'er
And the resounding shore
A voice of weeping heard, and loud lament.
From haunted spring and dale,
Edged with poplar pale,
The parting genius is with sighing sent. ”