Visitors, many of them pagan, arrived at Stonehenge in the thousands, some to worship and some to party, but all of them were there to celebrate the Summer Solstice, according to the Guardian. It brought people of all walks of life together to share a moment.
When the sun began to rise at 4:52 a.m. to begin the longest day of the year, there were over 20,000 people gathered at the ancient monument to witness it, though the drizzle and morning fog made it difficult to see.
"I've had a lovely time," Belle Gay, a 21-year-old pagan from Exeter told the Guardian about her first trip to Stonehenge. "It doesn't concern me that we couldn't actually see the sun rise.
"That's how nature is, you can't control the elements and that's why it's all so special," she continued. "It's such a beautiful, peaceful place."
Arthur Pendragon, a man who claims to be a reincarnation of the once and future king, wanted to make peace his message at the solstice. As the sun rose, he called for peace in the east, west, north and south.
"That's what it's all about, we want peace and fairness for all," he said.
Pendragon wears long white robes and as part of his celebration, he was knighting new followers to his druidic order, the Loyal Arthurian Warband. He described the order as the political wing of the religion.
"We're the ones who get into trees to stop road building and take on people like English Heritage over access to the stones," Pendragon said. "We're sworn to fight for truth, honor and justice."
Throughout the night, Pendragon also performed approximately a dozen "handfasting" ceremonies, which are the pagan equivalent of weddings. The bride and groom vow to stay together "for a year and a day, eternity and beyond or for however long love will last."
Approximately 60,000 people in England and Wales described themselves as pagan in the 2011 census.
"More and more people, especially younger ones, are being attracted to our way of doing things," Rollo Maughfling, who goes by the title archdruid of Stonehenge and Britain, told the Guardian, discussing his belief that the religion's basis in nature was attracting more members. "People realize that we see the divine in nature and that is attractive to more and more people in these troubled times."
The Wiltshire police were very happy with the way the solstice went.
"Solstice 2013 has been a great success, with approximately 21,000 people celebrating in the positive, friendly atmosphere as they waited for sunrise," Matt Pullen, the superintendent, said. "This year there have been a lower number of arrests compared with previous years - 22 were taken into custody mainly in relation to drugs offenses."
Some were just there to experience the event.
"We're not pagans, we're not hippies, we just wanted to come and have a look," Steve Jones, who traveled to Stonehenge with his wife, Debbie, from Hertfordshire, said. "It was a lovely evening, warm, peaceful, memorable."
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
