Welsh druids and an occultist have been embroiled in a bitter spat over alleged vandalism and “made-up rituals”.
In Anglesey, the owner of an online occult shop and the island’s druid community are in a dispute over the treatment of prehistoric monuments.
Connor Farrimond, who operates the witchcraft retailer Malphas & Co, has accused modern druids of vandalising and disrespecting ancient sites on Ynys Môn, including the neolithic burial chamber Bryn Celli Ddu.
He branded their ceremonial gatherings “a role-playing fantasy” and alleged “what they’re engaging in is nothing short of vandalism and a misguided quest for attention”.
The Anglesey Druid Order, which marks pagan occasions such as the summer and winter solstices at the site, has firmly rejected the claims.
Its leader Kristoffer Hughes described Mr Farrimond’s remarks as religious prejudice directed at an entire spiritual community.
Mr Farrimond, 29, grew up in Newcastle before relocating to North Wales in 2016 and launching his witchcraft business four years ago.
He identifies as an occultist rather than a witch or warlock.
The witchcraft retailer said contemporary druid rituals do not resemble genuine prehistoric traditions
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In a Facebook post earlier this month, he took aim at contemporary druid practitioners, writing: “It’s astonishing how many of these individuals, often sporting cheap robes and toys dressed up as ritual tools, parade around claiming to reconnect with Britain’s ancient past.”
He argued their ceremonies bear scant resemblance to genuine prehistoric traditions.
Speaking to The Times, Mr Farrimond detailed his grievances further, claiming druids scramble over reconstructed mounds that are structurally unsound, start fires despite recent drought conditions and leave behind rubbish, including water bottles, tissues and food waste, at locations such as Bryn Celli Ddu.
Mr Hughes, who founded the Anglesey Druid Order in 1999, pushed back forcefully against the allegations.
Druidry is a modern, neo-pagan religion which focuses on nature, the Earth and living in harmony with the natural world
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He characterised Mr Farrimond’s critique as “formed without any meaningful engagement with the contemporary druid community or with those who dedicate their lives to preserving Welsh spiritual and cultural traditions”.
“To caricature an entire religious community without dialogue is not scholarship; it is prejudice,” he added.
On the specific charge of vandalism, Mr Hughes called it a grave accusation but insisted it was wrong to tar all of modern druidry with the same brush.
“If individuals damage protected sites, they should absolutely be challenged and prosecuted where appropriate. But to imply that such behaviour represents modern druidry as a whole is simply unsupported,” he said.
His organisation, he stressed, works in partnership with Cadw, the Welsh Government’s heritage service and English Heritage to ensure ceremonies are conducted sustainably and respectfully.
The Anglesey Druid Order was set up by Mr Hughes to promote learning about and devotion to the spiritual and historical heritage of the island, which has long been regarded as the ancient seat of British druidism.
Beyond his role leading the order, Mr Hughes is a broadcaster and author who spent three decades as a specialist mortuary technician, working with coroners both in the UK and overseas.
His career inspired him to explore attitudes to death in different cultures for the S4C documentary series Marw gyda Kris (Dying with Kris).
The druid movement across Britain is far from marginal.
The two largest organisations, the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids and the British Druidry Order, together count more than 20,000 active members, alongside numerous smaller groups.
Mr Farrimond maintained his views are widely shared, saying: “Friends, family, customers, even people I speak to in passing all share this view. I feel as if it just needed to be said.”
He conceded the wording of his social media post had been provocative.
“My language was quite strong, but somebody had to take that first step to get the ball rolling,” he said.
“I was expecting a debate, a discussion, but ugliness revealed itself in the comments.”
Mr Hughes, for his part, declared himself willing to engage in dialogue but made clear he would not accept attacks on his faith without challenge.
“We will defend its right to exist, to evolve, and to be treated with the same dignity and respect afforded to every other religious and cultural tradition,” he said.
“We are entirely open to conversation; we are not, however, obliged to remain silent in the face of prejudice.”